Isabel Allende’s novel The House of the Spirits is one that conveys the uncertainties of life, whether within oneself, family, or position in society. Throughout the novel The House of the Spirits, many themes can be observed. One of the major themes Allende portrays in her novel is the
If only I could get rid of this dead weight, so that I could use all my strength to struggle for my own survival, and only worry about myself,’ I immediately felt ashamed of myself, ashamed forever,” (Wiesel, 111). This is just one example of the internal conflict going on endlessly within himself. When thinking of family, there are good times and bad times. When experiencing the moments that are extremely difficult for Elie and his father, he often thinks how great life would be if he could just get rid of his father’s dead weight. One evening when Elie’s father is very ill, the had of the block approaches Elie and tells him, “‘Don’t forget your in a concentration camp.
As a consequence of this conflict Sula, one of the main protagonists in the novel, becomes the scapegoat of her community. This essay will attempt to critically analyse the significance of scapegoating in “Sula” by looking at important aspects such as setting, time period, characters, and the relationship that exists between the individual and the community – from both literary and psychological perspectives. In order to comprehend exactly why and how the process of scapegoating occurs, a clear definition of the term and the relevance thereof must first be established. The Old Testament of the Bible – Leviticus 16 – first applies the term when the sins of the Israelites are cast upon a literal goat. The goat is afterwards driven into the desert to perish and, in so doing, absolve the Israelites of their sins.
Or goes through an identity crisis? Within his novels, Chuck Palahniuk argues that a lack of identity leads to isolation and chaos and uses his characters to explore the consequences that come with a lack of identity. Palahniuk uses the characterizations of the narrator from Fight Club, Brandy Alexander from Invisible Monsters and Victor Mancini from Choke to illustrate the detrimental effects caused by a lack
In the novel: The Outsiders, written by the deft and skillful S.E Hinton, we are given an insight on life as an outsider through realistic and symbolic characters. Many poignant themes are highlighted throughout the composition, however, prejudice and generalization in society, the importance of brotherhood, and the priority of being street smart, are the most prominent themes, they piece the story together, portraying and describing the daily struggles of an outsider. Prejudice and generalization in society is one of the many preeminent themes displayed in The Outsiders, owing to the fact that it features all along in the novel through a prolific number of the character’s words and actions. The novel is set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in which constant warfare between two gangs monopolize, afflict, and oppress the district. On one specific side (east) are the Greasers, specifically distinguished by the abundant grease
Conflict is one of the most basic elements of natural human behavior. Conflict, from a literary standpoint, serves its purpose to create tension within a story, which as a result keeps readers interested and engaged. Whether the conflict is with another person, with nature, or within yourself, it is ubiquitous and unavoidable. In Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage, the struggles that Henry faces help to give depth and meaning to the story, as well as develop Henry as a character. In the novel, conflict is used to show the reality of war and the effect it can have on a person.
Opposite to self-reliance, puritan tradition is on the other side. Because of following predecessors or past, this belief, for always, loses the battle against the idea of self-reliance. Throughout the novel, readers notice the ugliness of townspeople’s lives because of embracing this tradition. Furthermore, readers examine what painful moments Dimmesdale— the clergyman—goes through for holding multiple faces. Thus, Scarlet Letter
Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the rye, the protagonist and narrator Holden Caulfield is a sixteen-year-old boy who has just been kicked out of school, Pency Prep, for failing four subjects and not applying himself (Salinger, 1994: 3). The story is told over three day period as Holden wonders the streets New York avoiding going home to tell his parents he has been kicked out of school. He later visits his old teacher, Mr Spencer, who tries to get him in order to no avail. His rebellious spirit leads him to wander alone in New York. Holden is a personification of Camus definition of a rebel; he turning around his hunting hat is a symbolical gesture of refusal to submit to societal values and norms.
He knows that the school doesn’t want him to be there anymore, his roommate almost beat him unconscious, and his parents will only be disappointed when they know that he has been expelled from yet another school. For Holden, it seems like there is no one else to turn to, except his younger sister Phoebe who he can’t see unless he goes home. Teenagers all across America feel this same sort of detachment from the rest of society. Only one thing going wrong could cause the rest of our worlds to collapse. Holden ended up trying to live on the streets when he ran out of money, and as the story progressed, he dug himself into a larger hole of loneliness.
Authors often write with total purpose; every metaphor, every symbol, and every detail relating back to the novel’s intended focus. In Harry Mulisch’s The Assault, the importance of complexity is revealed through Anton’s journey to accept the reason for his family’s grim fate. As Anton opens himself up to remember and learn about the War, he develops the skills to understand the convoluted situation in which he endured during his earlier life. Mulisch’s distinct writing style and use of unmistakeable parallels, ironic contradiction, and vivid allusions to illustrate the value of complexity in giving meaning to the events leading up to and following his family’s death. The novel explores the value of complexity in giving meaning and significance to Anton’s life.