The Importance Of Names In Eden Robinson's Monkey Beach
"Words have meaning and names have power," as stated by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Words, who was often called "The Great Dissenter". In the novel Monkey Beach, the author Eden Robinson tells readers a story about the Indigenous girl Lisamarie, the main character living in Haisla, who is trying to find her younger brother Jimmy. Eden Robinson creates a complex, fragmented timeline by adding flashbacks from Lisamarie’s memories to shape her and the people around her. Interestingly, in this novel, names are not only codes or titles for places, people, or supernatural creatures but also have a power inside the letters that is able to showcase culture and identities, create the connection with death, and determine Lisamarie’s life path. Firstly, …show more content…
Lisamarie reveals in Monkey Beach that the actual word for Haisla in their language is "Xa'islak'ala" (P. 193), indicating that if a person is shaped by Haisla culture, he will …show more content…
In Monkey Beach, Lisamarie’s full name is Lisamarie Michelle, which is named after Mick, and Mick was excited and "reached to shake [Lisamarie’s] hand" (P. 24) when he found out what her full name was. Due to the name, Uncle Mick appears willing to take care of Lisamarie and pay more attention to her than Jimmy. Therefore, Uncle Mick and Lisamarie have more time to spend together without Jimmy, especially when Jimmy gets older and develops an interest in swimming. Thus, Uncle Mick’s radical view of life and his audacious attitude in dealing with problems have a chance to deeply affect Lisamarie and gradually shape her characteristics. Lisamarie has the nickname that her family members give her, "little Mick" (P. 253), and gets the spiritual legacy of fortitude from Uncle Mick. She acts like Mick never steps back in a quarrel when she gets in trouble with three young white guys. Even though Lisamarie never notices that she is more like Uncle Mick the older she gets, her friends and family members do, to a point where even her father starts to think that "[he] should have never named [Lisamarie] after Mick" (P. 252). Therefore, Lisamarie’s name provides her with an opportunity to pass on Uncle Mick’s spiritual legacy and indirectly catches his interest and attention. Consequently, seeing the impact Lisamarie had made, Eden Robinson shows that a name has the hidden power to develop and influence someone’s
Summary Of The F Word By Firoozeh Dumas
1901 Words | 8 PagesIn paragraph ten she said, “My first and last name together generally served the same purpose as a high brick wall.” This statement creates very vivid imagery, the brick wall being compared to her name. The brick wall shows how hard it is for people to see past her name and be able to know the real her. Her name creates barriers and one was being able to find job interviews, because of this she changed her name to “Julie”. In paragraph fifteen she stated, “I felt like those characters in soap operas who have an evil twin.
The Monkey Garden Summary
337 Words | 2 PagesIn the short fiction story “The Monkey Garden” by Sandra Cisneros, the author uses deep, rich figurative language to effect the exotic setting. “There were sunflowers, big as flowers on Mars and thick cockscombs bleeding the deep red fringe of theater curtain” (Cisneros 1). A simile is used to create a scene of being on another planet, a place where the monkeys once lived. The usage of descriptive words such as, “ bleeding the deep fringe” (1), and “ thick cockscomb” (1), to give the reader a sense of being in a jungle filled with tropical life and pleasure. The author uses words that are exotic in nature to emanate the jungle scenery.
Sacrifice Narration In Eden Robinson's Monkey Beach
543 Words | 3 PagesIn Eden Robinson’s novel, Monkey Beach, there is a contrast between the present tense narrative and flashback technique Robinson incorporates. The novel consists of the narrator, Lisamarie Hill, telling her story in the present time; intertwined with these sequences of events is a series of flashbacks from her past to educate the reader about Lisa’s life up until the present. Throughout Monkey Beach, flashbacks and present tense narration depict time and place through the characters Lisamarie, Erica, and Josh, who experience sexual violence, due to colonizers, and residential schools. To begin with, the flashback technique and present tense narration portray time and place from the impact colonizers have on Lisamarie and Erica. Sexual violence occurs to Lisamarie’s cousin, Erica, who is being followed by a few young white men, in a car, hurling racist insults, until Lisamarie intervenes.
The House On Mango Street Identity Analysis
722 Words | 3 PagesAt the beginning of the novel E. struggles to identify with her name. She describes her name as different from herself and does not want to accept her name as part of her identity. In chapter one of the book E. talks about how she does not feel connected to her name but rather detached "In English my name means hope. In Spanish it means too many letters .It means
How Can Crush An Individual In Of Mice And Men
1550 Words | 7 PagesShe had no identity of her own, she was only known as Curley's wife and nothing more. To continue, another example that shows discrimination and sexism against Curley's wife is that she was forced and controlled by her mom and Curley. Saying no to her dream of becoming a star (actress). Since the period was in the olden days, they believed that she had to find a husband, whom she had to stay home for and please. They crushed her with that, Curley's wife wanted to be seen, but they didn't allow it.
Of Mice And Men Outcast Analysis
571 Words | 3 PagesShe is the only girl on the ranch, and because of this, she faces difficulties from the boys. Curley’s Wife was just trying to find someone to confide in, and Lennie was there, but because she could cause trouble, Lennie wasn’t allowed to talk to her. She says to Lennie, “‘Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely’” (86).
Monkey's Paw: Themes In The Monkey's Paw
825 Words | 4 PagesHave you ever watched a suspenseful movie about magic? Have you ever wished you had your own genie that would grant you three wishes? However, the three wishes aren 't exactly what you wished for? Well in the story the Monkey’s Paw that pattern seems to be happening a lot.
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