Discuss the language of religion in Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes" and James Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" in relation to one another and to the various uses of language in general, taking into account the importance of this language
Discuss the language of religion in Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes" and James Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" in relation to one another and to the various uses of language in general, taking into account the importance of this language in an Irish context. When attempting to formulate concrete lists that define the usages of language, one of the first usages that frequently arises is 'language to inform'. Another frequently mentioned usage is 'language to persuade', and the list goes on for far longer than this besides. Along with various forms of media, as well as human speech itself, religion is no stranger to the use of language (written and spoken) to its own advantage. When combined with the 'language question', which is constantly up for discussion in Irish history, the issue becomes further convoluted. There is much to be said about how James Joyce and Frank McCourt treat these issues in their respective novels (A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man [hereafter referred to as Portrait for brevity] and Angela's Ashes), even though this is by no means the principal topic of either novel. The main discussion shall centre on the language of religion and how both authors present it, but for some of the paper, the importance of the Irish language itself in a religious context shall be given due attention. In terms of language and Christian belief, one
Consider the techniques used by Nichols and Taylor to convey their origins to the reader - How do they portray the gap between black and white.
Word Count: 3,364. CONSIDER THE TECHNIQUES USED BY NICHOLS AND TAYLOR TO CONVEY THEIR ORIGINS TO THE READER. HOW DO THEY PORTRAY THE GAP BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE? Divisions In society are evident everywhere in the world, even today as we may consider ourselves to be united in a multi-cultural age, there is still a strong element of segregation instigated by difference in origin, culture, tradition and race. Nichols and Taylor are black women and explore similar issues in their literature in the form of verse or prose, these having a varied effect on the reader. One distinct similarity between Nichols and Taylor is that they both convey the world from the viewpoint of black females. The role of women in the black community is signified in Taylor's novel A Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry. The novel is written in the first person narrative form and so we receive the thoughts and feelings of the main character, Cassie Logan, a young black girl living in 1930's Mississippi. Taylor has purposefully chosen Cassie to be a child to provide us with a fresh perspective of how society operates. "This specific point of view changes the entire way the story comes across in that a child does not have the knowledge an adult has." This is a comment made by critic Lynlee Councill. Children's thoughts are unblemished, as they have not yet experienced the pressures of life. By selecting a
To what extent does children's literature reflect messages from the wider culture? How are these messages transmitted?
Q. To what extent does children's literature reflect messages from the wider culture? How are these messages transmitted? It may seem daft, at first, to even discuss the idea that children's literature could possibly reflect messages from the wider culture or indeed have any bearing on the child that reads them. Surely such literature be it fairytale, poem or suchlike are merely for entertainment's sake or possibly in many cases for the parent's sake to keep the child occupied. Perhaps in the distant past many would have sided with Hemingway in saying that "messages are for Western Union and not for books"1, but it is now not so. An increasing amount of analysts from Morison2 to Tatar3 suggest that there is more to children's literature than simply entertainment and occupation. Many different theories exist as to what the literature can actually show us, some believe it is merely didactic and creates a moral landscape for the child, others believe that it is capable of being interpreted to give an understanding of the wider society in which it was created and that the themes within it can prepare the child for what is to come. It is in discussing these broad theories of Socialization, Literary Criticism and Psychoanalysis we will see to what extent and how messages from the wider culture are reflected in children's literature. It is necessary first to try to briefly unearth
Discuss the theme of prejudice in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'
Discuss the theme of prejudice in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' To Kill a Mockingbird is an influential American novel written by Harper Lee which deals with the issue of prejudice as its main theme. Prejudice is the unjustifiable unfairness to a particular individual or group based on their background or lifestyle. This subject is explored in the novel in different forms; racism is the main type but prejudice of class, sex, family and age are also looked at. The social and historical milieu of the novel's release is very significant to the storyline and important in terms of world history. It was published in 1960 with a very popular response from the public. The '50s was the decade of change when civil rights in America was progressing further than ever before with Civil rights bills being discussed for the first time and demonstrations by historical figures such as Martin Luther King winning support from all over USA. It was a time when people were generally realising their mistakes and looking back at the prejudiced attitudes of white people toward black people in the 1930s and before. The novel is actually set in the early 1930s in Maycomb, Alabama when things were not so good for the black population in America. Despite the Civil War being won in 1861 by the Union (Northern states) in support of abolition of slavery, the Southern states (Confederates) refused to accept
Is Kalinda Ashtons The Danger Game an example of post-grunge? How?
Topic: Is Kalinda Ashton’s The Danger Game an example of post-grunge? How? Grunge literature emerged in the early 1980’s. It was pigeon-holed as “grunge” by critics who didn’t appreciate its content, which was mostly sex, drugs, alcohol and violence. The grunge era concluded in the mid 1980’s and is today re-emerging through popular literature, such as Kalinda Ashton’s, The Danger Game. Grunge literature was writing that was raw, rude and obscene, that challenged most conservative views and opinions and was of an explicit nature. Traditionally it was written by angry misunderstood individuals who were unlikely to be educated let alone published. Grunge music is said to be “the child of punk, thrashing out pain and despair and alienation” (Eurhythmaniac, 2009). Similarly, in its literary context I believe that grunge fiction can be also viewed in this way. Kalinda Ashton grew up in Melbourne suburbs, attending a small primary school of 20 students. She was always intelligent using words like “’immensely’ and ‘complacent’” from the young age of 7. She struggled through high school but eventually ended up at university; first studying law, then professional writing and editing and eventually going on to finish her PhD in journalism. In true grunge spirit Ashton states that she is a writer because “writing is the only thing that’s hung on”
'Despite Atwood's portrayal of Gilead as soulless and destructive she has nevertheless succeeded in giving the reader a sense of optimism.' How far foes this accord with your reading of the novel?
'Despite Atwood's portrayal of Gilead as soulless and destructive she has nevertheless succeeded in giving the reader a sense of optimism.' How far foes this accord with your reading of the novel? 'The Handmaid's Tale' is set in the futuristic republic of Gilead. Everybody has somebody controlling what they do and only a minority have control over other people. In the first chapter alone we learn of the system of control within the Handmaids' residence. There are the angels, who are responsible for the Aunts, who have responsibility for the handmaids, i.e. the narrator. This system has the sole purpose, reproduction: "we are for breeding purposes...There is supposed to be nothing entertaining about us, no room is to be permitted for the flowering of secret lusts...We are two-legged wombs, that's all: sacred vessels, ambulatory chalices." The narrator of takes on a role based on the Biblical story of Jacob's wives; when they failed to conceive, he fathered children by their handmaids. In a world in which the fertility of both sexes has dropped dramatically, it is the role for which young women who have demonstrated their ability to bear children are destined, rather to the chagrin of the Wives who have to house them. For this regime to function effectively it is important that a high level of control is exerted and more essentially, that the people within the regime
Diction and storytelling in Death by Landscape by Margaret Atwood
EN119-OC1 9 October 2014 Diction and storytelling in “Death by Landscape” by Margaret Atwood Rather than an exaggerated hyperbole, “scarred for life” is a very accurate description of Lois from the short story “Death by Landscape’s” state of mind. Margaret Atwood depicts a character haunted by her childhood and solidifies that past experiences do a great deal in shaping the future of children into adulthood. Through diction by an older and younger Lois: symbolism, setting and characterization are distinguished. Firstly, strong symbolism is expressed through the landscape paintings that Lois collects while at the same time she avoids the wilderness altogether. The readers are left wondering why Lois would collect these painting if she “does not find them peaceful in the least” but instead they “fill her with a world of unease” (2). It is revealed at the end of the short story that these paintings are representative of the tie Lois still has been unable to sever with her deceased best friend from childhood. A friend who in Lois’ mind completely vanished off the face of the earth; her body was never recovered. A young Lois recalled, “Lucy did not care about things she did not know, whereas Lois did”, from this it can assumed that Lois is a character of strong need for closure and she never got it. In her mind there was no way Lucy could just
Analysing Four American Short Stories - Joyce Carol Oates: Capital Punishment (1992)
LINKÖPINGS UNIVERSITET Emelie Andersson American Short Stories HT 2012 American Short Stories ________________ Joyce Carol Oates: “Capital Punishment” (1992) . Analyze the father and daughter relationship in this story in terms of their feelings for one another. How do these feelings illustrate their differences or similarities? Fundamentally, their feelings for one another seem to be typical of that of a relationship between a child and its parent. There is deep-rooted love as well as annoyance, and an inability to see matters from a different perspective than one’s own – hence all their quarrels. When Hope was younger she looked up to her father, which eventually led to her becoming more like him as she grew older. Hope’s admiration for her father made her resemblance him not only in looks, but also in way of being. He seemed like a grown up version of a pushy bully, which made her the same in her adolescent – not only toward her peers, but also toward her own father. She commented on his table manners, pushed him around by shouting orders such as “[…] Daddy, don’t you dare!” as he tried to turn off the TV at the last paragraph on page 266, and he complied without hesitation. She is his soft spot, and I think that goes back to Mr. and Mrs. Brunty’s relationship. He is afraid that Hope will act like her mother, which
Comparing and contrasting two characters from The Handmaids Tale. Moira and Janine: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Written Expression IV Essay IV: Final Version Leonardo Gómez 10th October Assignment: Write a Compare-Contrast Essay, comparing and/or contrasting two characters from The Handmaid’s Tale Moira and Janine: Two Sides of the Same Coin Sexual slavery and feminism are two of the main themes in Atwood’s dystopian book The Handmaid’s Tale (1986), in which she portrays a society called Gilead in which women are deprived of their civil liberties. In Atwood’s dystopian society most women have become infertile and the few ones who can still bear children are turned into handmaids, i.e. sexual servants who are brainwashed for the mere purpose of breeding healthy children for the elite. This novel is an account of Offred’s musings and her fragmented perception of reality. It is Offred who introduces two antithetical characters: rebellious Moira and submissive Janine. Although these characters employ different strategies to either escape or accommodate respectively, they end up being subdued by Gilead’s regime, metaphorically losing control over their own body. I will outline both characters’ personalities, their subjugation to Gilead and the loss of connection with their own bodies. Moira is a rebellious lesbian who is admired by the Handmaids, but as the story
A close reading of an extract from Aphra Behn's "Oroonoko".
Close reading of an extract from Aphra Behn's Oroonoko, based on language, structure, and narrative position. This extract, from Aphra Behn's controversial Oroonoko, presents the prince's reaction to his capture after a slave uprising is foiled and he is apprehended. Since Behn is writing in a third person narrative, something which can be limiting, I will be discussing the way in which in she exposes his mental agony through use of linguistic devices, punctuation and structure. I will also be contemplating how Behn's use of binary opposites and narrative, which are developed throughout the novel, entwine and unite to reveal a deeper meaning with in the text. The portrayal of this emotional experience is developed in a number of ways and builds an engrossing portrait of his volatile mental state. It also confirms a number of moral themes which Behn has highlighted throughout the novel. One aspect which is initially striking, is the extracts structure. The whole item is made up of two sections, each of which is constructed from one complex compound sentence. Each sentence is extensive and includes several semicolons. Behn begins each paragraph with an introductory statement. In the first, this is as follows: "...Caesar told him, there was no Faith in the White Men, or the Gods they Ador'd". She then uses the punctuation to create a list of why this is so; be it because of