Analyze how The Yellow Wallpaper can be interpreted as a feminist story.
Analyze how "The Yellow Wallpaper" can be interpreted as a feminist story. Should women and men have the same rights? The question stated by feminists in early 1900s had power to change the world. Women finally are allowed to participate in a political life and vote. Schools and universities welcome everybody regardless of students' gender. Professional career is no longer a strict men's domain and raising children becomes a responsibility of both mother and father as well. Charlotte Gilman was one of the early feminists, so she had a chance to experience a life "at the social margin". In the world of "The Yellow Wallpaper", women are assigned a well defined position: a housekeeper taking care of her family. To talk about a society in which women and men have an unequal status, Gilman uses metaphors (yellow wallpaper) and a specific words choice. "The Yellow Wallpaper" contains description of a society and family model of the time. A woman does not act upon her own intentions for her husband makes all decisions in her name. She patiently fallows his instructions and recommendations, so she makes a dutiful and obedient wife. Even her nervous disorder is ignored and treated as a "slight hysterical tendency" (Gilman 399). The woman complains hopelessly "You see, he does not believe I am sick! And what can one do?" (399), as if she does not have any power of authority to do
Explore the narrative techniques used in the opening of "Heart of Darkness".
Explore the narrative techniques used in the opening of Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness opens with a sense of opportunity and adventure, which instantly created in the first paragraph by imagery of the Nellie, waiting for the turn of the tide; The idea of a river and the sea creates a sense of journey. However whilst there is an atmosphere of excitement, there is also sense of underlying tension. One way in which these conflicting impressions are created, is by contrasting the idea of opportunity through the river to London which is described as oppressive,. For example in the second paragraph, Conrad describes that the sea reach of the Thames stretched like an interminable waterway" whilst the "air was dark above Gravesend, and condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless. Here the idea of an interminable waterway seems to suggest freedom, and journey which is juxtaposed by the oppressive atmosphere created by the words "gloom and brooding". The oppressive atmosphere of London and the freedom of the river is reinforced through reiteration of gloom and darkness which contrasted against imagery of light. For example, the river is described as "shining pacifically, the sky without a speck was benign immensity of unstained light." Imagery of unstained light, on water is one of beauty and also gives a sense of purity, and adventure; On the other hand the
In the writing of Edgar Allan Poe, we see investigations into abnormal psychological states and obsessive behaviour. By comparing The Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado explain to what extent you think this is true.
In the writing of Edgar Allan Poe, we see investigations into abnormal psychological states and obsessive behaviour. By comparing 'The Tell-Tale Heart' and 'The Cask of Amontillado' explain to what extent you think this is true. Both 'The Tell-Tale Heart' and 'The Cask of Amontillado' reveal a psychotic narrator unravelling a macabre tale of irrational fear or revenge. But how does Poe so convincingly evoke the distorted mind of such a character? One way that Poe achieves this is that both stories employ the first person narrator -a technique which allows the reader a privileged view inside the character's mind. In TTH, the unnamed narrator and in TCoA, it is Montreso. Everything that is told to us has to pass through the narrator's perception and this allows us to judge his trustworthiness, his biased viewpoint, his state of mind. In both stories, the protagonist in both stories reveals immediately, in fact in the very first line of the story, that they both victims to mania. The protagonist of TTH is clearly mad. His first utterance with the exclamation , staccato phrasing, pauses , repetitions gives the effect of a highly agitated mind who immediately asks us to concord with him that he is completely sane: "True! - nervous - very, very dreadfully nervous I had been, and am; but why will you say that I am mad?" The question only serves to confirm in our minds that he is
Italo Calvino's use of a suit of armor in "The Non-Existent Knight" to satirize the conventional portrayal of a medieval knight.
Italo Calvino's use of a suit of armor in "The Non-Existent Knight" to satirize the conventional portrayal of a medieval knight. "The Non-Existent Knight", by Calvino, is a short story which features Agilulf, a knight who purportedly does not possess a human body, yet is able to exist as a suit of armor amalgamated with 'will power' and 'faith'.1 Even though Agilulf is devoid of a human body, he is well respected and revered, and is viewed by compatriots as a superior knight. In this way, Calvino utilizes Agilulf's suit of armor as a focal point from which to express the imperfection of knights. As knights tend to be portrayed as flawless and ideal characters in literature, the author seems to be attempting to offer a more realistic depiction of knights. The features of a knight which are satirized include the exaggerated honor, strength and romance that society believes they exude. I believe that it is the precise notion that a knight is incontrovertibly a quixotic character which is confronted by Calvino, through the use of a suit of armor in "The Non-Existent Knight". Calvino employs a suit of armor to portray the way in which a knight's honor is exaggerated. A knight's honor is exhibited through the suit of armor that he wears, as it is proof of his rank and value. However, as the suit of armor is used as an exhibition of a person's honor, the flaws of the person
What could be termed "Gothic" about the stories of Edgar Allan Poe?
What could be termed "Gothic" about the stories of Edgar Allan Poe? Gothic literature applies to the type of story that was being developed during the Victorian era (the 19th century). Most Victorians had a taste for this type of literature and more and more writers kept starting to write in this genre. Edgar Allan Poe tapped into to other writers' works such as Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. Gothic was started off by people linking emotions and feelings to gothic architecture (both intact and ruined buildings). Gothic stories means those concerned with the dark side of living. They include darkness, obsession, torture, being buried alive, life after death, brutal violence, murder, insanity, the super-natural, revenge, suspense, reincarnation and superstition. All of these are very horrible nasty and gloomy events that can happen; some are more horrible than others. Life after death is impossible and exploring this supernatural theme, is gothic itself. I am now going to talk about the story called the Black Cat. This is the story of someone who, for some reason, gets really annoyed with his cat. It says, "The fury of a demon instantly possessed me" which is a metaphor to describe how enraged he gets suddenly. This is gothic because he believes that that an evil spirit has actually got inside him. His anger is unnecessarily violent which is also gothic. His anger results in
Compare and contrast Shakespeare and Defoe's presentations of the characters of Robinson Crusoe and Prospero as omnipotent rulers in their respective societies in their works 'Robinson Crusoe' and 'The Tempest'
Compare and contrast Shakespeare and Defoe's presentations of the characters of Robinson Crusoe and Prospero as omnipotent rulers in their respective societies in their works 'Robinson Crusoe' and 'The Tempest' Throughout Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' and Defoe's 'Robinson Crusoe', the protagonists' roles as omnipotent rulers change dramatically. In this essay, I aim to compare and contrast Crusoe and Prospero's roles as rulers, specifically focusing on their relationships with others through which their omnipotence is demonstrated. As much as Defoe's 'Robinson Crusoe' is a story of survival against all odds and a spiritually fulfilling life lived in solitude, it also makes clear a person's need for society, and in Crusoe's case, the need to be a leader within the societal structure of the 17th Century world. Defoe clearly defines Crusoe as ruler of his island's society. However, even before he is shipwrecked, Crusoe exercises power and authority, the tendencies of a ruler, over his fellow men. Most noticeable is Crusoe's exploitation of slavery. Slavery was a key component of society within the British Empire and is first found in the novel when Crusoe himself is enslaved, "kept by the captain." Upon escaping, Crusoe - despite his disgust at his "miserable" enslavement - bends a slave-boy, Xury, to his will by force after briefly considering drowning him. He offers the boy a
Hound of the Baskervilles (Essay)
Hound of the Baskervilles (Essay) In this essay I will be looking at some of the reasons why 'the Hound of the Baskervilles' was popular with Victorian readers. I will explain how cliff hangers worked and why the writers used them in most novels and chapters. There are many different themes n the story that was quite popular in the 1901's when the story was first published. A few of those themes were designed for the higher majority of Victorians, the themes of order and chaos together with the confusion of science and religion. In Arthur Conan Doyle's stories Sherlock Holmes is the main character and that particular character's appealed to a higher society in which crime was wrong and that the criminals should be punished. Stories, serialized in magazines such as 'The Hound of The Baskervilles' were very popular in Victorian times, the Victorians obviously enjoyed the novel as it increased the effect of terror and mostly suspense such as cliff hangers at the end of chapters. The novel was so popular that the creators and publishers sold out every issue and had to keep up with the demand so they made more copies. The other reason for why this particular book was so popular is because the Victorians invented 'gothic' fiction which suggests that if they invented it they must enjoy reading it. 'The Hound of The Baskervilles' shows the characteristics of gothic fiction in
Flamineo in the prominent revenge tragedy John Webster play, The White Devil.
Flamineo Flamineo is a central, and key character in the prominent revenge tragedy John Webster play, 'The White Devil'. Flamineo is the secretary of the Duke of Brachiano. He has two siblings in the play: Marcello and Vittoria. In the early stages of the play his immoral and evil actions such as the murder of Camillo in act two scene two are defined by his position as Brachiano's secretary, however from act five Flamineos true nature begins to emerge. He's developed into a tragic, ruthless figure and the quotation in act five ''at myself I will begin and end'' is a clear indicator of the events which are about to unfold and an insight into Flamineo's true intentions. The view of a critic of Flamineo is '' Flamineo is utterly immoral; he will do anything, anytime, to advance himself, regardless of the cost to others.''. This critical view of Flamineo immediately shows similarities to the critical view of Iago from the Shakespeare play 'Othello'. Iago, like Flamineo would be willing to do anything and betray those most loyal to him in order to advance himself and promote his own cause regardless of the consequence for others. As Webster was a great admirer of Shakespeare it is like Flamineo is based on the character of Iago and there striking similarities between the two, it would be difficult to distinguish between the two. Flamineo is a Machiavellian character, and his
Analysis of characters in the yellow wallpaper
Characters . Plot the course of the narrator's descent into madness. Are there any significant turning points? From the very beginning of 'The Yellow Wallpaper' the narrator's isolation in her psychotic state is evident. '...people like John and I'. We know the name of the narrator's husband (John), but not her own. She is nearly anonymous; her identity is John's wife. 'And what can one do?' Gilman uses this noun to describe how the narrator disguises her autonomy and conveys the narrator's helplessness and perceived inability to change her uncomfortable situation; the repetition of 'one' creates a haunting echo of anonymity and demonstrates a sense of conventional acquiescence. Gilman uses exclamation marks to reveal the woman's psychotic, agitated, mental state. Along with questioning features of her surroundings, the woman also makes many exclamatory remarks. This questioning and exclaiming indicate the wide swings in her mental state. 'but that would be asking too much of fate!', '...I am sick!' As the novel progresses, however, Gilman uses many linguistic and syntactic features to convey the changes in the narrator's attitude. The use of first person reveals a dramatic change in the narrator's identity and self -awareness at the point when the dominant text of her actions compromises her sanity and dooms her to madness. The increased use of 'I' demonstrates a
Is the story "Daughters of the late Colonel" more comic than tragic for the reader overall? Be sure to comment on Mansfield's use of language.
Is the story "Daughters of the late Colonel" more comic than tragic for the reader overall? Be sure to comment on Mansfield's use of language. The story "Daughters of the late Colonel", written by Katherine Mansfield takes place during Victorian times, based around two sister's whose father had recently died. Mansfield describes the struggles of these two women as they try to express their femininity and overcome the barriers of etiquette and the presence of their father, whom they feared. The story ends as the sisters Josephine and Constantia attempt to break free of their suppressed world but fail to, thus ending the story in tragedy. Despite this the path leading to the tragic ending is riddled in humorous moments. Therefore it might be said about the story that it is more comic than tragic for the reader. Mansfield often uses humor as a technique to reveal the darker, suppressed side of the two sisters and she often does it subtly. A casual reader might never discover this area of the story. It is as if Mansfield employs comic moments as a mask to cover the tragedy of the play. On one occasion Constantia is worrying about an imaginary mouse: "A spasm of pity squeezed her heart. Poor little thing! She wished she'd left a tiny piece of biscuit on the dressing table. It was awful to think of it not finding anything. What would it do?" The way Constantia exerts herself