The movie ‘Fences’ has three main characters: Troy Maxson, Cory Maxson, and Rose Maxson. However, I believe characters such as Lyons Maxson, Jim Bono, and Gabriel Maxson play extremely important roles in the movie also. Therefore, I will speak on all six.
Nam Le’s “Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice” is categorized in “ethnic story” narrated his Vietnamese life in order to meet an upcoming deadline even though finally he can’t submit his story because his father burns his work. Throughout the story, Nam the narrator talks about “the past” which he experiences when he was young including the recent experience that he has got from his father reunion. Not only does the story tell us about the past which, but it also shows a connection of time between past, present, and future. Likewise, the story shows the relationship between son and father which is the main theme of this story; and shows how the past is important and affect to them differently. Also, the story of the past could lead to the end of the story that can be interpreted like a prediction of the direction of their relationship in the future. Do you see the connection of time in the story?
In the novel, A Long Walk to Water, we are presented with two different characters in parallel stories that do not seem to have a connection. Both are struggling and dealing with conflict that presents obstacles and interferes with their objectives. I will explore both characters and make comparisons between the two to support the idea that while both are dealing with different conflicts, they have many things in common.
When darkness consumes you and the pain becomes unbearable, you look to the light, to perseverance to guide you through the nightmare you face. In Ruta Sepetys’ Salt to the Sea, one of the protagonists, Emilia, faces a myriad of emotional and physical hardships throughout the novel. With calamitous tragedies and bone-chilling circumstances, what does Emilia do? Bruised and battered, she perseveres through her hardships, showing how much a person can endure when they persist. Sepetys takes the consequences of Emilia’s pain and emotional damage to new heights with her war-themed novel; as a result of this, perseverance is articulated amongst many other traits that this character possesses, showing how imperative of a quality it is. A theme that is profoundly emphasized in Salt To The Sea is that in order to face the emotional and physical hardships life opposes you with, you need perseverance.
“Saving Sourdi” by May-Lee Chai, discusses the transformation from childhood to adulthood. This short story involves two sisters, Sourdi and Nea, that are complete opposite of one another. When reading “Saving Sourdi” I instantly perceived Nea to be an impulsive child who isn’t afraid of confrontation. It doesn’t seem like Nea is trying to prove herself to anyone and appears to be very stubborn. While reading this short story, Nea, is genuinely concerned about her sister. It might seem as though Nea is a trouble maker and doesn’t carefully think things through, but she truly cares for Sourdi. Nea and Sourdi are some years apart,
Class and gender/sexuality are complicated in “Drown” by Junot Díaz. Yunior and Beto are ex-best friends who are separated through the complications. Their relationship tenses up when Beto decides to better his life through education. At first glimpse, Yunior’s struggle with class and sexuality could be based within his homophobic fear. The typical understanding that Yunior’s unmotivated attitude stems from fear is flawed because it fails to recognize his stance to not change who he believes he is and where he is meant to be. When examined more closely, this assumption completely overlooks Díaz’s emphasis on different perspectives when it comes to coming of age. Although Yunior is younger than Beto, he challenges expectations, and instead of moving on with his life, he sticks to what he knows. Rather than conforming to the typical understanding, Yunior challenges this role by proving he has already grown up just in a different period than Beto.
In the novel The Old Man and The Sea, written by Ernest Hemingway a credible author, the use of figurative language was not sparse. Figurative language enhances the story line and makes the book interesting and detailed. The most notable uses of figurative language were similes, metaphors, personification, idioms, and hyperboles.
Donkeyskin is a fairy tale about a princess who faces difficult challenges but manages to overcome them in the end. The King’s wife dies and with the intention of keeping the king unmarried for the rest of his life, she makes him to promise that he will marry an awesome woman like her. The situation forces the king to propose to her daughter who is even better than the queen. The tale focusses on the idea that good can always triumph over evil. It revolves around the flight of the princess to escape the awful marriage to his father (Perrault, 1977).
To many readers, the most enjoyable stories are the ones that take place without sorrow, and betrayal. While these are both tragic topics, some pieces of literature are fantastic, while still broaching topics that may be harmful to the characters themselves. In the novel Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, the play A Midsummer’s Night Dream by William Shakespeare, and the novella The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, all contain examples of the these specific topics. These pieces of literature all share common themes of family, magic, and betrayal. A common theme in the stories is, when people are not in control of situations and things that happen in their lives, they can react in ways not typical of their character, and this can cause them to make bad decisions.
As Joe’s excitement mounted to give rides on his newly purchased boat, his joy soon turned to dread as one of his beloved passengers tumbled into the water. The author, Horatio Alger Jr., of “Joe’s Reward” writes a story of a hero named Joe, who rescues a wealthy man’s niece that ends with an offer of a reward. The text consists of Joe’s actions that happen to drive the plot using specific events. Throughout the story, Horatio uses myth-like elements, such as a damsel in distress, a heroic act, and the hero receiving and turning down a reward, to assist the plot in moving forward.
Flannery O’Connor is one of the greatest Southern writers during the twentieth century. She is considered as a faithful and a good Christian writer. In her fiction, she never neglects her Catholic concerns. The large respect for O'Connor’s religion appears in most of her literary works. Thus, this paper intends to investigate how the Catholicism of Flannery O'Connor is visible in the characters, plot, and themes of Wise Blood.
There is only one person in our lives who loved and protected us from the moment that we born, our mothers. Thinking about that important person, Willie Perdomo wrote the poem “Unemployed Mami” in 2002 as part of the book Postcards of El Barrio (Poetry Foundation 2015). In “Unemployed Mami” and Postcard of El Barrio the author explores the culture, traditions and even the patriarchy that characterizes Puerto Ricans. Moreover, Perdomo shares the life of a son and the life of his beloved unemployed mother, in a time where women stayed at home without having a job, living from what their husbands earn. In order to enjoy and appreciate the content of this poems it is important to discuss what it means, where it takes place and what it tells about Perdomo’s life.
As Helen Keller once quoted, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken tells the life story of Louis “Louie” Zamperini. Through his troubles as a child, emerged a strong-willed Olympic runner, who later became a military aviator. He was lost at sea and then captured by the Japanese as a prisoner of war. He endured years of abuse and suffering but still managed to stay true to who he was. By showing how Louis Zamperini suffers as a prisoner of war and his struggles after returning home, readers are able to see how faith can completely transform someone.
Being optimistic in tragic times, is a substantial challenge, but the people of Haiti find hope in each other. Author, Edwidge Danticat, portrays the idea of hope in a variety of different stories. Born in Port-au Prince, Haiti, Danticat’s background of Haiti, brings authenticity to the novel. The motif of family and friendship that thread throughs Danticat’s stories, suggests that even though people may be in times of despair, loved ones can bring a sense of hope.