A White Heron By Sarah Orne Jewett: A Literary Analysis

The short story “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett expresses a dynamic character named Sylvia who loves to adventure the woods but is normally afraid of people. However, one day she meets a stranger who she connects with and starts to change how she feels towards people and the shyness of her personality.

“It is not the voice that commands the story; it is the ear.” (Italo Calvino) Italo Calvino was a famous Italian writer who wanted his life to be known and wanted the people to be interested in his stories. It was not only about what he wanted, it was about what the people wanted to hear. He did not just want to make his stories, he was striving to catch the eye of the readers. Italo Calvino’s writings were inspired mainly by his experiences in the war and acquaintances.

Bird by Bird is a novel reflecting on Anne Lamott’s writing technique. She reflects on her writing to help other writers with their own processes. She uses her childhood as the pretext for what made her want to become a writer. Lamott talks about how her dad getting brain cancer, aloud her to write her first book to be published and how she felt after it was published and reviewed. She describes her thoughts on the writing process and her techniques she uses.

When reading a novel, readers do not often realize that many authors use the same types of characters and symbols. Applying a literary lens to a novels can help readers better understand why a novel was written. A literary theory is, “A term for analyzing, classifying, defining, interpreting, and evaluating literature” (Davidson). When observing a piece of literature with an Archetypal lens analysts can identify these patterns. According to Literary Devices, “In literature, an archetype is a typical character, an action, or a situation that seems to represent universal patterns of human nature” (literarydevices). In the novel In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, the Archetypal Theory can be applied to characters and symbols in the

In Night, the setting that Ellie Wiesel describes portrayed the Nazis cruel treatment to the Jews. The Nazis think that the Jews are animals. (11) “The barbed wire that encircled us like a wall.” They encircled the town with barbed wire, like they would do with animals. The Nazis named the street Serpent Street, because they thought that the Jews were the devil. (11) “The street we lived on Serpent Street was in the first ghetto.” They went in split the Jews up into groups, and renamed their street Serpent Street. The Nazis made the Jews march out in the hot blazing sun without brakes. (16) “People must have thought there could be no greater torment in God 's hell than that of being stranded here, on the sidewalk, among the bundles

Imagery plays an important role in relaying the message of the poem. The poem opens with describing the “warping night air.” While in “her darkened room,” the girl hears the owl. These images create an eerie feeling and help the reader relate to the fear of the child. The girl’s parents then calm their daughter using soothing words. Afterwards, the girl is then able to go back to sleep without

We all have things from our childhood we remember. Maybe it’s a teddy bear from mom, or when dad brought home a computer, or a treehouse built with a sibling. We recollect these objects because they have a significant role in our lives, something about them changed us. Jeannette comes across many things during her childhood travels, they cause an immense number of problems but in the end they change her and her family for the better. Jeannette Walls’ story The Glass Castle, is filled with symbols that gradually release her and her siblings from the grasp of their negligent parents and the harrowing abyss that is their life. Jeannette’s recollection of symbolic objects from her childhood correlate with the slow loss of faith in her parents and

This is a collection of stories given by different narrators about their times and experiences as members of a platoon group of soldiers during the Vietnam War. There are at least three main narrators of the stories in the book, the author Tim O’Brien, Mitchell Sanders and Bob Kiley. The stories capture real life events of happenings on the battlefield and beyond but the author intentionally opts to portray the book as fictional rather than reality. In essence he justifies himself by claiming that it was difficult to account all these events especially after twenty years after the war. Furthermore, the characters in the book, his fellow soldiers contribute a lot to the stories within the book and the author isn’t sure that all the stories that they shared were genuinely true or were mere fairytales.

“You change your life by changing your heart.” said Max Lucado. This is exactly what Catherine did in Karen Cushman’s Catherine, Called Birdy. Her experiences led to the discovery of the need for change. The interactions and experiences she had with the Jews, her mother, and a villager led to Catherine becoming more gentle, caring, aware of her surroundings, and more of herself than she was before.

Suffer: to undergo, be subjected to, or endure (pain, distress, injury, loss, or anything unpleasant). The Japanese Americans had to suffer, just because they looked like the enemy. The book showed the suffering and horrible conditions the Japanese Americans had to live through for about three and a half years. Julie Otsuka shows this very well in her book by using literary devices such as imagery and many more.

Susan Glaspell’s, “A Jury of Her Peers”, took place during the early 1900s and focuses on the issues of sexism and social injustice that still exists today. In this feminist classic, Sheriff Peters and his wife, Mr. Hale and his wife, and the county attorney, Mr. Henderson go to the Wright Household to look for evidence to use against Mrs. Wright. When they arrive, the men disregard everything associated with women, whereas, the women look in debt, put themselves in Mrs. Wright's shoes, and find clues that could potentially prove that she killed her husband. While living in a male dominated society and continuously being belittled by the men, the women decide to not only break the law, but go against their husbands by hiding evidence. Throughout the story, Glaspell uses the symbols of the dead canary, the kitchen and the quilt to not only promote gender inequality roles but show what life must’ve been like for Minnie; imprisoned by her husband.

At first glance, the opening scene to Margaret Laurence's A Bird in the House provides descriptive insight into the home Vanessa will view as her safe haven. However, through analysis of Laurence’s use of imagery, symbolism, and foreshadowing, the Brick House is not as impenetrable of a shelter as it had been known to represent.

I chose to write my fourth prose journal over this story because of the intensity and suspense the author brings to the reader. My first impression over this piece is that it’s dark and has more meaning than what it portrays. I think crane shows a naturalistic style of writing

Long, American fingers crossing over 49ers jerseys. Orioles caps plucked from foreheads. A troop of nine year olds in blue speedos impatiently tapping their feet and twisting their legs as a loudspeaker screeches overhead. A celebrity wrapped in a tight red dress, pressing a microphone to the puckered “o” of her lips as her vocal cords strive for new heights. Every Superbowl, every little league game, every hot, heated, and overcrowded band of bottoms squeezed on metal, dented bleachers, Americans, aided by pride and alcohol, bellow the “Star Spangled Banner.” However, despite these reoccurring scenes in every American’s life, Kevin Powers does not quote the U.S.’ national anthem in his novel The Yellow Birds. Instead, Powers ends his novel with John Bartley, a young soldier, being

Loyalty is a common literary theme because it is something that all people seek. Military companies, sports teams, and employers actively seek those they feel will be the most loyal to their cause. Loyalty provides a sense of stability and comfort. In many great literary works we see that the most loyal characters are those of meager existence. In the short stories “A White Heron,” “The Death of Ivan Ilych,” and “A Rose for Emily” a theme of undervalued loyalty becomes evident.