As the snake slithers through the rough ground of the jungle, he is aware of far off cries of a lion and a tiger. It is obvious by the sounds that the two are engaged in a consequential combat. Suddenly, the sounds draw nearer to his proximity and he watches as the lion leaps out of a nearby bush with the tiger not far behind. Unfortunately for the lion, the tiger was more adept to the jungle terrain. His curiosity peaked, the snake slides his way to the scene of the final attack. Throughout the world of literature, animal imagery and metaphors are often used to develop characters. In the book Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, there is no shortage of these literary devices. With the assistance of animal imagery and metaphors, Hugo develops the characters of Javert, Jean Valjean, and Thénardier.
Throughout the novel, Hugo represents Javert as a tiger, which is a major part of his characterization. Javert is captured by the barricade for spying, and is sentenced to death. Valjean comes in and takes him away from the barricade and sets him free. After Valjean reveals his address to Javert, the narrator says, “Javert had the scowl of a tiger half opening the corner of his mouth, and he muttered between his teeth, ‘Take care,’” which shows tiger-like imagery (Hugo 313). Jean Valjean has just saved Javert’s life by setting him free from the barricade. He only immediately repays him by confirming the given address with Valjean and then walking off. The animal imagery shows the fierceness that Javert has, even when his life is being spared. Not once does he thank Valjean, but replies only with a scowl. The tiger imagery presented to the reader helps to characterize Javert because it shows his unyielding, ferocious nature. Javert and Jean Va...
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...y dexterous creatures, and can move effortlessly and swiftly from one action to another. With this ability, shared by mutually by cats and Thénardier, they can easily fool people with back handed tricks. Thénardier resembles the sly, scummy part of French society who feeds off of the inattentiveness of the wealthier members, which is shown through the imagery and metaphors of snakes and cats.
Javert, Valjean, and Thénardier are all characterized through imagery of animals. Javert is the fierce tiger, Valjean is the powerful and intelligent lion, and Thénardier is the sly snake and crafty cat. Hugo develops his characters even further by connecting them to animals. Metaphors and imagery are powerful literary devices that can raise an average story into an amazing novel. They make stories more interesting and give the reader a new level of understanding of the book.
Animal Imagery In Timothy Findley's The Wars. Works Cited Missing The abundant animal imagery in Timothy Findley's book The Wars is used to develop characterization and themes. The protagonist, Robert Ross, has a deep connection with animals that reflects his personality and the situations that he faces. This link between Robert and the animals shows the reader that human nature is not much different than animal nature.
While the man is thinking about the wolf and the impact it had on its surroundings, he knows that many people would be afraid of the it. Realizing that something can be both “terrible and of great beauty,” the man's sense of awe is heightened. While laying under the moonlight, the man thinks about the wolf both figuratively and literally running through the dew on the grass and how there would be a “rich matrix of creatures [that had] passed in the night before her.” Figuratively, this represents the wolf running into heaven. However, the man imagining the wolf literally running and the beauty of her free movements across the “grassy swale” creates a sense of awe that he has for the wolf. A wolf running towards someone would be terrifying, but a wolf running with freedom is magnificently beautiful. After imagining this, the man knows that even though wolves can be terrifying, “the world cannot lose” their sense of beauty and
The author uses diction in the passages to signify the effect of the author¡¯s meaning in story and often sway readers to interpret ideas in one way or another. The man in the story arrives to a ¡°[dry] desert¡± where he accosts an animal with ¡°long-range attack¡± and ¡°powerful fangs.¡± The author creates a perilous scene between the human and animal in order to show that satisfaction does not come from taking lives. With instincts of silence and distrust, both of them freeze in stillness like ¡°live wire.¡± In addition, the man is brought to the point where animal¡¯s ¡°tail twitched,¡± and ¡°the little tocsin sounded¡± and also he hears the ¡°little song of death.¡± With violence ready to occur, the man tries to protect himself and others with a hoe, for his and their safety from the Rattler. The author criticizes how humans should be ¡°obliged not to kill¡±, at least himself, as a human. The author portrays the story with diction and other important techniques, such as imagery, in order to influence the readers with his significant lesson.
Imagery has been used by William Faulkner to create parallels that strengthen the themes of the story. The imagery is used as a tool to appeal to the reader to convey the authors purpose.
As the era of literature slowly declines, the expert critiques and praise for literature are lost. Previously, novels were bursting at the seams with metaphors, symbolism, and themes. In current times, “novels” are simply short stories that have been elaborated on with basic plot elements that attempt to make the story more interesting. Instead of having expert critical analysis written about them, they will, most likely, never see that, as recent novels have nothing to analyze. Even books are beginning to collect dust, hidden away and forgotten, attributing to the rise of companies such as Spark Notes. An author deserves to have his work praised, no matter how meager and the masses should have the right to embrace it or to reject it. As much of this has already been considered, concerning Les Misérables, the purpose of this paper is to compare, contrast, and evaluate Victor Hugo’s use of themes and characterization in his novel, Les Misérables.
Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables. Comp. Lee Fahnestock and Norman MacAfee. Trans. Wilbour, C.E. Only Complete and Unabridged Paperback Editon ed. New York, New York: Signet Classics, 1987. Print.
Another of the symbols that was used to present the theme of the novel is the beast. The boys believed that the beast is an external source of evil. Though, in reality, it represents the evil present within them, which is causing life on the island to worsen. Simon begins to realize this even befor...
Another of the most important symbols used to present the theme of the novel is the beast. In the imaginations of many of the boys, the beast is a tangible source of evil on the island. However, in reality, it represents the evil naturally present within everyone, which is causing life on the island to deteriorate. Simon begins to realize this even before his encounter with the Lord of the Flies, and during one argument over the existence of a beast, he attempts to share his insight with the others.
Hugo’s social commentary focuses on three main concepts that he believes must be reformed in the French society: criminal justice, education and the treatment of women. By showing the unreasonable punishments both Valjean and Fantine shows how the social structure has turned innocent and good people into criminals.
...role in this novel than any other character. The creature ultimately seems more human than any other character in the novel. All that he wants is love and compassion. Throughout the story the creature is really the only one that shows any true acts of kindness; he saves the little girl from drowning in the river, he collects firewood for the cottagers when he realizes he is hurting them by stealing their food, and he is the last person to judge anyone based on their physical appearances. Almost unquestionably the creature is the true protagonist of the novel and is who one should want to model themselves after.
The creature’s personality, or actions toward society, was displayed as being very calm and compassionate in the novel. He made many attempts to converse with society, but society feared and mistreated...
Lawrence uses figurative language in order to present his ideas of societies expectations of a man. Lawrence changes the structure and style of “Snake” in order to highlight the struggles of the narrator. Specifically, when writing about the snake he uses repetitive and flowing words. He also uses traditional devices like alliteration, for example “and flickered his two-forked tongue from his lips.” The use of these technics gives the snake an almost human like feel that the reader can connect to. At the same time, Lawrence writes about the log used to hurt the snake in a different style creating such a contrast between the snake’s description and the log. The words describing the log are much different, “and threw it at the water trough with a clatter.” The changing styles helps emphasize the internal struggle the narrator is experiencing as he tries to figure out if he should do as society dictates and kill the snake like a man or do as he wishes and leave the snake in peace as his guest at the water
This leads to the fact that a beast really does exist within all human beings, but is only expressed when human instinct for survival becomes the main objective. At first the boys aren?t able to kill, but as survival instinct starts taking over, the reader?s are able to se the true character?s play out, and lives are compromised. ?You feel as if you?re not hunting, but- being hunted, as if something?s behind you all the time in the jungle,? (pg.53) proves that it?s every man for himself and people will do anything to survive. An example of this in the novel was when Robert became the ?pig,? and was wounded even though it wasn?t intentional, but the situation became worse when Piggy?s death happened as a result of all civilization lost and evil taken over.
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Lais of Marie de France, the authors use animals as metaphors for human actions, and as characters. By analyzing the use of these animals, we are able to explore the meaning the authors were trying to communicate through specific scenes. The Book of Beasts, a translation by T.H. White (1984 ed.), provides a medieval standpoint when analyzing the use of animals in the Lais and in Gawain.
In the book Othello, Shakespeare used animal imagery to illustrate Iago’s manipulation and his control over the other characters in the book. There are three specific examples that support my argument. Firstly, Iago refers to Othello as a “black ram”. Secondly, Iago refers to Othello as a “Barbary horse” and lastly, Iago’s usage of animal imagery transmits to the other characters as they develop and being to use animal imagery in a derogatory manner. In the beginning of the book you notice Iago uses animal imagery to belittle the other characters and later on in the book it is apparent that the other characters have developed this calculating behaviour.