Analyse Faulks’ presentation of social and cultural transformation in his novel Birdsong via a study of his female characters The Roman poet Ovid once said in his narrative poem The Metamorphoses: “But since, o Gods, you were the source of these bodies becoming other bodies, breathe your breath into my book of changes”. Thus, literal and figurative transformation has been an enduring theme in literature since the dawn of civilisation. Over the centuries, literature has captured humankind’s use of transformation for survival purposes: be that social, physical, political and economical. For example, Les Mutineries by Guy Pedroncini, an account of the French riots that took place in 1917 regards transformation among the people as a form of revolution. This is a text that was key to Faulks’ knowledge surrounding the context of the Great War. In his 1993 novel Birdsong, Faulks, too, treats transformation of social order and norms, as a form of revolution. Transformation is represented via the episodic structure in Birdsong which transports his female protagonists through rapidly changing social and personal time frames. By doing so, he manages to connect the females to their pasts and presents thereby facilitating an exploration of how they form and adapt their values across their lives. Perhaps the most evident display of transformation comes in the form of Isabelle’s social and moral evolution which is stimulated by her illicit relationship with Stephen in Part 1 of Faulks’ naturalistic novel. Isabelle’s husband, Azaire is a symbol of the “old wealth” in the Belle Époque era; he is a factory owner and enjoys an important social presence within Amiens: “There would have been no doubt that this was a property of a substantial man”... ... middle of paper ... ...ow this transformation extends further over time, from the quiet town of Amiens to the liberty of 1970s London. Their resistance to the horrors of the War, to patriarchal systems and to social formalities led to significant turning points in the novel, giving us the sense of a theme of revolution on a personal and social level throughout making it the core element of the novel. The differences between the pre-war and post-war period are contrasted episodically by Faulks, and via the female protagonists, he is able to represent very openly how society has transformed. Faulks is able to very cleverly wrong foot the modern reader with the initial realist portrayal of a oppressive husband, illicit relationships and the gore of war. However, it serves only to provide him a platform from where he can present a more buoyant picture of societal and personal transformation.
Both authors, Michaels and Coles had theses that elaborated on their time periods. For Michaels’ thesis presented how the Revolution war effected the people in the twentieth century. The main character, Jan, related to Charles Wilde, a soldier in the Revolution war, and stayed
O’Brien has many characters in his book, some change throughout the book and others +are introduced briefly and change dramatically during their time in war and the transition to back home after the war. The way the characters change emphasises the effect of war on the body and the mind. The things the boys have to do in the act of war and “the things men did or felt they had to do” 24 conflict with their morals burning the meaning of their morals with the duties they to carry out blindly. The war tears away the young’s innocence, “where a boy in a man 's body is forced to become an adult” before he is ready; with abrupt definiteness that no one could even comprehend and to fully recover from that is impossible.
The first words of the book convey a parrot that spoke “a language which nobody understood”, and Edna’s husband “had the privilege of quitting [the parrot] when [it] ceased to be entertaining” (11). In the same light, Edna speaks of and wishes for a life that nobody apprehends. Her husband also possesses the moral, objectifying liberty to quiet Edna when she did not provide leisure, as one can turn off a song once it grows into a tedious nuisance. A further exemplification comes about when Old Monsieur Farival, a man, “insisted upon having [a] bird. . . consigned to regions of darkness” due to its shrieking outside (42). As a repercussion, the parrot “offered no more interruption to the entertainment” (42). The recurrence of the parrot evolves Edna’s state of stagnance as a consequence of being put to a halt by others despite her endeavor of breaking free. Ultimately, as Edna edges out towards the water to her death, a bird is depicted with “a broken wing” and is “beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water” (159). This recurrence parallels the beaten bird to a suffering Edna. She has “despondency [that] came upon her there in the wakeful night” that never alleviates (159). Dejection is put to action when Edna wanders out into the water, “the shore. . . far behind her” (159). Motif of birds articulates her suicide by its association with
of war through the eyes of the main character, Henry Fleming. Because the book is rather
...rs and situations to help explain the societal issues surrounding the time period. The dreadfulness comes from the controversial issues and feelings these characters experience. These characters must overcome these dreadful experiences in order to change what society deems as acceptable in the future.
All Quiet on the Western Front includes many clear-cut examples of irony throughout the duration of the novel. From word play in the names of the characters that led to dramatic irony, to the paradox that is obvious in the setting, and finally the situational irony that is critical to the impact of the character’s death on the reader, Remarque provides depth to the novel and the emotional connection that the reader has to the characters in the book.
...sents them in a more upbeat comical manner, he says in reference to his approach, “I wanted the forces of oppression to be much subtler and internal, so everything is more localised, but no less oppressive”, I believe that this is an accurate assessment of the novel, as despite the upbeat, comical tone of the novel, it is evident that there is still an underlying message. Fforde is able to convey these messages through the use of satirical techniques, particularly exaggeration. There is no doubting that this novel, which was inspired by texts like 1984 and Brave New World, raises significant warnings. The major warning is that in a society primarily concerned with continuous stability there are many dangers, in the text these can be seen to be the dangers of a minority government in power, the eradication of creativity and the loss of ability to form relationships.
As for young Sébastien, his was a lonely life, without social interaction, and with for horizons the dingy kitchen and the cavernous storefront with its glossy, depressing, drab olive green walls. In these two rooms, he spent a great part of his childhood, surrounded by women and rolls of fabric and yarns. The dominant customers indeed, were the region farmers' wifes who used to exclaim before him, as if he was deaf and dumb, statements like: “Poor little bastard, all the same, he looks like an angel.” or “ He might be fatherless, but my, what a handsome devil.” This outright female attention and praise were not lost on the clever child, and he promptly learned to utilize his charms to further his gains, despite the rebuff, meanness, and insults
Since its first appearance in the 1886 collection A White Heron and Other Stories, the short story A White Heron has become the most favorite and often anthologized of Sarah Orne Jewett. Like most of this regionalist writer's works, A White Heron was inspired by the people and landscapes in rural New England, where, as a little girl, she often accompanied her doctor father on his visiting patients. The story is about a nine-year-old girl who falls in love with a bird hunter but does not tell him the white heron's place because her love of nature is much greater. In this story, the author presents a conflict between femininity and masculinity by juxtaposing Sylvia, who has a peaceful life in country, to a hunter from town, which implies her discontent with the modernization?s threat to the nature.
In all cultures it is easy to see the effects of change. Change can be a revolution, a new form of thought, or a new idea surfacing. No matter what these changes are, they often emerge from the minority. In several cases this results an uprising, turning the social system on end. Simple examples of this type of change can be seen in the French or American revolutions, and even in the hippie movement of the 1960's. These changes depict how an idea shared only by a select few can snowball into the mindset of thousands. Within A Doll's House and An Enemy of the People, Henrick Ibsen shows his standpoint on the benefits of social change, and evolution within a people.
As the boys witness death and mutilation all around them, any preconceived notion about the indoctrination, "the enemy" and the "rights and wrongs" of the conflict disappear, leaving them angry and perplexed. The story is not about heroism but about toil and futility and the divide between the idea of war and the real life and its values. The selected passages are full of violence and death and loss and a kind of perpetual suffering and terror that most of us have never and hopefully will never experience. Both authors ability to place the reader right there on the front line with the main character so vividly, not just in terms of what he physically experienced and witnessed All the complicated, intense and often completely numbed emotions that came along...
This novel was set in the early 1900’s. During this time, the black people were oppressed by white people. They were abused and taken advantage of. Not only were the black people were oppressed but also women were oppressed. They had little freedom and were unable to be self-sufficient.
The Metamorphosis is one of the preeminent works of Franz Kafka. It depicts the challenges faced in contemporary society, although humans may not wake up as an insects in real life, individuals do experience forms of change. The protagonist of the story is a representation of Kafka himself. Man...
We as readers will never know the true reason behind Kafka’s Metamorphosis, but it is a masterpiece. It relates surprisingly well to today’s society, even though it was written between 1912 and 1915. The topic of metamorphosis is really universal, we as humans are constantly changing, growing and evolving. Works Cited Aldiss, Brian W. “Franz Kafka: Overview.” St. James Guide to Science Fiction Writers.
Kafka, Franz. "The Metamorphosis". The Metamorphosis. Trans. Donna Freed and Ed. George Stade. New York: Barnes and Nobles, 2003.