Marilyn Nelson Waniek's The Century Quilt

In “The Century Quilt,” the speaker appreciates her family’s cultural diversity by comparing their heritage to a colorful quilt belonging to Meema. She shifts from past to present to future, continuing the extended metaphor in different scenarios. Author Mary Nelson Waniek uses a variety of literary techniques such as structure, imagery, and tone to develop the complex meanings interpreted throughout the poem. Together, the poem is spoken through a woman who emphasizes the importance of family. She mentions different family members along with their skin color and describes short memories of each of them.

By doing so the author is further developing the significance. The narrator recalls multiple key memories that contribute to the significance of the blanket, as well as including her meema’s perspective and how she felt towards the quilt as well. The main character reflects on when she first found the quilt “how we used to wrap ourselves and play in its folds and become chieftains and princess” The quilt becomes far more than a blanket to her. It is the representation of her childhood. It is key to unlocking all her memories from long ago and also being a memory of meema.

This image seems at first cold, but it is a realistic judgment of her ideas of parenthood. The feeling of distance is also shown in: “I’m not more your mother than the cloud that distils as mirror to reflect its own slow effacement at the wind’s hoard.” The final lines of the poem present the reassuring vision of a loving mother attending to her baby's needs. Plath’s self-image – ‘cow-heavy and floral in my Victorian nightgown’ – is self-deprecating and realistic. The final image is an optimistic one. It ends in celebration of her hope for her baby's future ‘And now you try Your handful of notes The clear vowels rise like

Because of this, it is clear to see Odysseus cares for his men just as much as he cares for himself. At the same time, Jane Eyre is caring for others during her journey, too. For example, Jane was a teacher and governess who cared for the children as her own. Jane loved Adele, and it is visible by the way the author describes their relationship, “The clock struck eleven, I looked at Adele, whose head leant against my shoulder; her eyes were waxing heavy, so I took her up in her arms and carried her off to bed” (Bronte 171). Jane took the time to develop a loving relationship with Adele, whereas most governors are cold and strict.

“To My Dear and Loving Husband” written by Anne Bradstreet expressed her affection and unconditional love for her husband. This poem was written when her husband was away on business trip to England. Bradstreet put her feeling and how profoundly she misses him in every sentences of the poem. She values their love more than any earthly riches and views that as a sign of spiritual union and salvation, rather than as something profane or lowly. Unlike other contemporary Puritan women writers, Bradstreet focuses on how she rejoices and appreciates her ordinary life instead of religious conversion.

Henry Longfellow’s poem, “The Children’s Hour,” demonstrates the idea of love between the speaker and his family. It is about three daughters who shower their father with love and affection. With the use of imagery, metaphors, and rhyme scheme, the speaker is able to illustrate the tone and theme to the reader.

The poem, “The Century Quilt”, by Sarah Mary Taylor demonstrates the meaning of The Century Quilt through the use of tone, imagery and symbolism. This complex quilt has a way of bringing family together through means of remembrance, as the quilt will be passed on and on. Symbolism in this poem is most prominent in the title itself. “The Century Quilt” makes its implication of being passed on by the word, century. A century is a long period of time and within that time period the quilt will have been passed down through means of connecting with family.

My Jim by Nancy Rawles is a book about love. Rawles writes her novel from the perspective of Sadie, a grandmother telling a story of lasting love to her granddaughter, Marianne. The book is separated by items including a knife, hat, bowl, tooth, pipe, tobacco, cross, quilt, and button. All of these items take on some form of importance to Sadie. Sadie’s story is one of love, loss, and family.

Beautifully, and controversially written, The Story of an Hour has rightfully held a place in the minds of its readers as a favorite for years. Author, Kate Chopin eloquently uses symbolism throughout the text of The Story of an Hour, to describe the reaction of a woman, - accustomed to being enslaved by her husband, who suddenly becomes devoured by a too short breath of freedom. In the opening paragraph,

As Edna tries to transition into the Creole society, she becomes aware of the intensity that is put on being an ideal wife and woman in the 20th century. A woman is supposed to love her husband, care for her children, be respectful, and obey her husband. Throughout her life in Grand Isle and her neighborhood, Edna awakens to the idea of a different way of living and a new view of the world. In Chopin’s story, she states that, “In short, Mrs. Pontellier was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being, and to recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her”(Chopin 17). In The Awakening, Kate Chopin uses the determination of an awakened woman to demolish the stereotypical roles of a twentieth century woman.

Someone who will cherish them for all eternity. In a close examination of the way Louise Mallard, the protagonist of “The Story of an Hour”, and Delia, the protagonist of “Sweat”, react to their encounters with their marriages demonstrates that authors Kate Chopin and Zora Neale Hurston both use short stories to tell similar stories about the difficulties of their emotional states in their marriages. First, it is seen that Louise Mallard is an unchanging character who values her freedom from her marriage. Throughout the story it becomes obvious how self-centered Louise Mallard is. “’Free!

In the short story “A Bolt of White Cloth,” Leon Rooke develops on the idea that love is a weakness that clouds and blinds the thoughts. The woman is intrigued by the travellers cloth and does not notice that she is being blinded by it. She does not notice her husband and is so in love with her new cloth that everything else fades away. “You could have knocked me over with a feather when she up and kissed him full on the mouth, with a nice hug to boot.” (Page 60). She speaks a lot about wanting to make new curtains with some of that nice new cloth and the curtains can mean a lot of things.

Opening The History of Mary Prince, a glimpse of Mary’s early childhood depicts just, humane treatment bringing her joyful satisfaction in her life. For example, Mary describes the wife of her master, Mrs. Williams, as “a kind-hearted good woman, …[who] treated all her slaves well” (pg. 7). Consequently, Mary recalls her willing dutifulness to Mrs. Williams’ directives, where neither fear of mistreatment nor hesitance from violent punishment lead her actions. Additionally, the opening of Mary’s autobiography introduces her relationship with her family, serving as another source of happiness in her early childhood.

The memoir has a linear structure, going chronologically through her life. I felt like I was definitely more interested in her story as it went farther along, however there was never a spot where I wanted to stop reading. Her teenage years and on were quite gripping, seeing her coming into her own as a young woman while trying to keep the family together emotionally and economically. I cringed at times, and at others I was truly inspired by her unconditional love for her family even when they treated her so poorly. As the reader you can really see the strength she gained as a child and it inspires.

Zora Neale Hurston Portrays multiple sublime themes and ideas in her classic 1937 novel. Janie Crawford, the main character, desires love throughout her life in hopes to find the companion of her life to match the familiar ideal that love and successful relationships lead to true happiness. Through her relationships with Vergible “Tea Cake” Woods and Joe Starks she finally discovers a contradicting revelation that she feels genuinely satisfied alone. The accounts of these three characters help implement the theme throughout the