Enide
Just as with Erec, the origin of Enide is widely debated. There are two basic theories of how she came into existence in medieval literature. One theory is that it was Chretien De Troyes who created the characters Erec and Enide, and it was the Welsh that drew off of Chretienís work in order to fabricate their own tales of the two (Owen xvi). This theory may have evolved due to the fact that "Wales contributed very little, or even nothing of importance to the Arthurian legend as it developed in France, and Germany and then in England" (Jones and Jones xxv). Chretien was therefore given the credit because of his extensive writings on the Arthurian legends, and the fact that he was French. However, a more widely accepted theory is that the story of Erec and Enide was derived from the Welsh (Jones xxv). Evidence supporting this theory is that of the "comparative folktale, of proper names and linguistics, and what may be reasonably if tentatively deduced from the methods of literary composition in the Middle Ages" (Jones xxvi). Due to the fact that no one is sure who wrote about Enide first, the task of finding where she first appears in literature is daunting undertaking. Nevertheless, we are able to fill in some of the gaps as to where Enide is mentioned in some texts. Circa 1170, Chretien De Troyes wrote Erec and Enide that can be found in Chretienís collection entitled Arthurian Romances. Erec also appears in The Mabinogion, another collection of Arthurian tales. In this book, Erec, also called Geraint, appears in the tale Geraint son of Erbin. Lord Alfred Tennyson includes Enide in two out of the four Idylls of the King. Both "The Marriage of Geraint" and "Geraint and Enide" were written between 1809 and 1892. Enide also appears in some lesser-known, more modern works. These include two plays: Ernest Rhyís Enid: A Lyric Play (1918) and Donald R. Raweís Geraint: last of the Arthurians (1972), and Marion Lee Reynoldsí poem Geraint of Devon (Lupack).
Enide, daughter of a poor Earl, although dressed shabbily, is described to be the most beautiful woman ever created. Chretien describes her:
I tell you truly that the hair of the blonde Iseut did not shine so fair that she could stand with her. Her brow and face were more pure and white than the lily. Her features were tinted with a fresh rosy hue wondrously painted by Nature upon the whiteness.
But unlike to look upon, those ladies were, for if the one was fresh, the other was faded: bedecked in bright red was the body of one; flesh hung in folds on the face of the other; on one a high headdress, hung all in pearls; her bright throat and bosom fair to behold, fresh as the first snow fallen upon hills; a wimple the other one wore rounded her throat; her swart chin well swaddled swathed all in white; her forehead enfolded in flounces of silk that fraimed a fair fillet, of fashion ornate, and nothing bare beneath save the black brows, the two eyes and the nose, the naked lips, and they unsightly to see, and sorrily bleared. A beldame, by God, she may well be deemed of pride! (Norton 178)
The basic story of Arthur (and Gawain) found in Geoffrey's Historia was later translated and reworked many times: by Wace in the Norman French Roman de Brut, in an Anglo-Norman fragment, by Layamon in the Early Middle English Brut, and in the Middle English Alliterative Revival piece the Morte Arthure (the AMA), among others.
"This lady, who was long, lean and loosely put together, was clad in raiment intricately looped and fringed, with plaids and stripes and bands of plain color disposed in a design to which the clue seemed missing. Her hair, which had tried to turn white and only succeeded in fading, was surmounted by a Spanish comb and black lace scarf, and silk mittens, visibly darned, covered rheumatic hands." (129)
To complement her dignified demeanour, La Bella wears an amazingly intricate and extravagant blue gown. For a period when women were without a public voice and remained dependant on signs of visual identity such as clothing and jewellery, such a display of finery implies significant wealth and social status. Considering the seductive rendering of the fabric utilising costly lapis lazuli, it is clear Titian desired to present an image of ultimate feminine loveliness.
Strained, overworked and mistreated was all Gregor has known. His family needs him so they can live comfortably with as little effort as possible. There are no strong family bonds or relationships because there is no love and respect within the family. Gregor provides and makes a comfortable life for his able bodied family with little regard to his own well being. However, he gains no respect and continually puts up with the family de-humanizing him. In Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis”, the well being and financial stability of Gregor’s family rest solely on him by the consent of the family making it impossible for close family relationships to form.
Change is unavoidable and inevitably in every moment of our lives. In every second of our lives, changes appear and disappear, impacting our lives. Humans perceive change differently and it reveals the true nature of our heart. It is due to the dissension of change between humans that determines the differences in our individual perceptions. In the novel, “ Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, the word change is taken to a entirely absurd degree as the main protagonist, Gregor Samsa is illogically transformed into a bug. Although Gregor’s thoughts still shown traces of his human self, Gregor’s family is unable to cope with his hideous form and isolates him from their world. Once perceived as the breadwinner of the family, Gregor is now seen as a burden to the family. Distorted by the behavior of his family, Gregor questions his existence and his perception of his own self begins to change into like his family’s, seeing himself as no more than a useless vermin. Ultimately, Gregor allows his perception of a human be influenced by the ones of his family, which determins
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka indicates the challenges of living in an advanced modern society and the battle for acknowledgement of others when in a period of need. In this novel Kafka straightforwardly reflects upon a considerable lot of the contrary parts of his particular life, both rationally and physically. The relationship between Gregor and his father is from numerous points of view like Franz and his father. The Metamorphosis likewise demonstrates likeness to some of Kafka's journal sections that portray him envisioning his elimination by many explained strategies.
. “A heart – how shall I say? – Too soon made glad. Too easily impressed: she liked whate’er she looked on, and her looks went everywhere. “(The last duchess 262)
“I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself”(3). Before even getting up from bed, Gregor Samsa’s life and the life of his family is irreversibly changed. In The Metamorphosis, written by Franz Kafka, Gregor, a traveling salesman, transforms overnight into a gigantic insect. As a result of this physical change, Gregor’s relationships with his family deteriorate as they are repulsed by his vile appearance. The Metamorphosis suggests that Gregor’s transformation serves as an allegory for mental illness. Kafka creates these parallels through the casual nature of Gregor’s metamorphosis, his inability to function as a member of
It is easily inferred that the narrator sees her mother as extremely beautiful. She even sits and thinks about it in class. She describes her mother s head as if it should be on a sixpence, (Kincaid 807). She stares at her mother s long neck and hair and glorifies virtually every feature. The narrator even makes reference to the fact that many women had loved her father, but he chose her regal mother. This heightens her mother s stature in the narrator s eyes. Through her thorough description of her mother s beauty, the narrator conveys her obsession with every detail of her mother. Although the narrator s adoration for her mother s physical appearance is vast, the longing to be like her and be with her is even greater.
Working at her father’s clothing shop, she became very knowledgeable about expensive textiles and embellishments, which were captured in her works later in career. She was able to capture the beauty and lavishness of fabrics in portraits of aristocratic women.
Grace, variety, the lovely voice, the sparkle of fun and fancy in those dark eyes; all this was nothing. It was not a moral scruple she had outraged, but an aesthetic ideal. Beautiful women, whose beauty meant more than it said… was their brilliancy always fed by something coarse and concealed? Was that their secret?”
Erec and Enide is based off of Geraint and Enide, with the title changed, but there are some differences throughout, mostly in how de Troyes uses the story in comparison to his other works. Within this tale one of the most identifiable characteristics is the perfection of the protagonists. Early on in the text, de Troyes tells the reader that “of all the knights that ever were there, never one received such praise [as Erec]; and he was so fair that nowhere in the world need one seek a fairer knight than he” (De Troyes Erec and Enide Vv 67-114). Enide is declared by King Arthur himself as “the most charming and beautiful to be found, as I may say, before you come to where Heaven and earth meet” (De Troyes Erec and Enide Vv 1751-1844). At numerous points do strangers give
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is an amazing story for people who enjoy reading about realistic life challenges. Gregor Samsa is a self-sacrificing young man, who is mysteriously transformed into a giant insect. He supports his entire family by working as a traveling salesman. He really dislikes this job, but as many people, he ended up doing things that he did not want to do. Gregor Samsa devoted his entire life to the benefit of others. Since Gregor was a young man one would think he had an amazing social life, but unfortunately he did not. Gregor did not have any close friends, all he had was his family. It is evident that he would have high levels of repressed resentment towards his family. He sacrificed everything for his sister Grete, and his parents, but they never properly appreciated him. Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis highlights the theme of individual versus society through symbolism and literary devices.
The Metamorphosis powerfully illustrates the ability of literature help us reflect on the sometimes bitter realities of our world. Kafka’s novella tells the story of Gregor a travelling salesman, who one day finds himself transformed into a monstrous large insect. The rest of novella continues with Gregor’s attempts to adjust to his new condition as he deals with being a burden on his parents and sister. As an insect, he cannot communicate at all and, forced to stay in his room, he is almost entirely cut off from the rest of humanity. His father locks Gregor in his room and later t...