In Fay Weldon’s IND AFF, the significance of setting plays a major role in the narrator’s decision to leave her lover and professor, Peter. The story takes place in raining Bosnia, Yugoslavia, a beautiful country and former home to Princip, a man who murdered the Archduke and his wife. Through comparison of her secret passionate love affair with Peter, and the historical assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand, Weldon creates a struggle within the narrator, as she considers leaving him. The setting and theme of this story go hand in hand, as both Princip’s crime and the narrator’s affair are both crimes of passion occurring in the same location. Weldon bonds the two together by comparing Princip’s decision to murder for the sake of his country and the narrator’s decision to pursue her relationship. …show more content…
Princip and his gang members make up a group called “The Black Hand Society.” Together, they scheme the murder of the Archduke. Though, they are unsuccessful with their original plan due to a lapse in a grenade explosion and the misaim of a bullet. Princip, by a matter of chance, finds himself presented with an unplanned opportunity to kill the Archduke, and takes it without hesitation. “Princip saw the archduke’s car parked outside, and went for it. Second chances are rare in life: they must be responded to” (pg. 177). In the way that Princip was given a second chance to kill the Archduke, the narrator comes to the realization that she is young and able to free herself from the relationship, that leaving is her second chance, as she comes to the realization that she does not want to live her life in guilt or live a life that is not well suited for
Peter and the narrator “come all this way”(Weldon 173) to see the footprints of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, his wife and the assassin Princip. When standing in the rain Peter can only see the two puddles, however the narrator “shivered for his disappointment”(Weldon 173) because she could see footprints in spite of Peter’s complaint. In this literary symbol the footprints symbolize their relationship and the consequences of their affair. The narrator can see all the effects and the possible consequences of their relationship while Peter is blind to them. Another literary symbol is their room at Hotel Europa. It is described as “small and dark and looked out into the well of the building- a punishment room if ever there was one.”(Weldon 176) The hotel room symbolizes the guilt and the retribution for having an affair with
The group the black hands is often and quite accurately called responsible for the assassination of archduke ferdinand, though the group had been influenced by Nationalism. The members of this said terrorist group, had been influenced by nationalism through policy that had been inflicted on them by the Austrian-Hungarian empire. The assassination was why Austrian-Hungarian had to go to war against Serbia because it’s an act of breaking their treaty of 1990 with the Austrian-Hungarian empire, but first Austria-Hungary had given them an ultimatum. Which was basically a statement of demands made to Serbia, that if they didn’t abae then Austria-Hungary would attack them. Then all the allied countries with either side joined in as to prove how willing they were to die for their countries, this was true for them a few weeks or so after the beginning of the war when it actually had become more than just allies to either Serbia or Austria-Hungary. Altogether the Nationalism was the cause for the Black hands to essentially commit their crime, and later on to keep the war ongoing....
However, no one informed the chauffeur and he ended up taking the wrong turn. He was driven by Gavrilo Princip, one of the conspirators, who was at the time returning home thinking he had failed. When he saw the motorcade, he realized he still had a chance. Princip pulled out his revolver and shot at both Franz Ferdinand and his wife. They were dead within minutes.
The arguments of Christopher Browning and Daniel John Goldhagen contrast greatly based on the underlining meaning of the Holocaust to ordinary Germans. Why did ordinary citizens participate in the process of mass murder? Christopher Browning examines the history of a battalion of the Order Police who participated in mass shootings and deportations. He debunks the idea that these ordinary men were simply coerced to kill but stops short of Goldhagen's simplistic thesis. Browning uncovers the fact that Major Trapp offered at one time to excuse anyone from the task of killing who was "not up to it." Despite this offer, most of the men chose to kill anyway. Browning's traces how these murderers gradually became less "squeamish" about the killing process and delves into explanations of how and why people could behave in such a manner.
It is my intention to compare the book, Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos, to its modern movie version, Cruel Intentions starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. I intend to examine how the original French text was modified in reference to plot, character, morals/values, and themes. I also plan to discuss how these transformations change the meaning of the story and reflect different cultural/historical contexts. There are some major differences between these two works, if only because of when they were written.
The life and events Louis Zamperini experienced are so incredible that one cannot help but feel the adrenaline, anger, and sorrow he must have felt. As Louis battles starvation and the constant torture of his captors, readers want nothing more than to rush to his aid in times of pain, cry with him in times of anguish, and cheer him on when all hope seems lost. While in Kwajalein, an island used to torture prisoners of war, readers travel alongside Louis, cheering him on as “the guards sought to deprive [Louis] of something that had sustained [him] even as all else had been lost: dignity” (Hillenbrand 212). One of the guards’ favorite humiliation tactics was forcing each of the 200 or so prisoners “to walk down the line striking [Louis] with his fist” (Hillenbrand 158); if the punch was not hard enough, both Louis and his men would be clubbed continually on the head. As readers become emotionally invested, the story becomes less about a stranger and more about a lifelong friend. The emotional connection readers develop for Louis makes the visual that much harder to endure, for every blow and hardship Louis faces makes readers feel as if they are helplessly watching a friend in need. Such enthrallment in a novel makes for such an excellent read and an overall outstanding non-fiction action
On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria visited the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo. A group of six assassins, supplied by a Bosnian based terrorist group the Black Hand, had gathered on the streets where the Archduke's motorcade would pass. Some attempted to kill the Archduke, including one who attempted to throw a grenade at the car but missed. Others failed to act as the car drove past them. Later on the route through the city, the motorcade took a wrong turn onto a previously designated street. Gavrilo Princip, a Black Hand assassin, stood waiting with a pistol. Princip shot and killed Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. However, the assassination received almost disregard back in Austria. Yet, the death of the Archduke and his wife would be the beginning of an all out war in Europe as Austria-Hungary would declare war on Serbia. This declaration would bring in Germany on the side of Austria-Hungarian empire and Russia aiding the Serbians. By joining sides this would convey in France, Great Britain and during the later part of the war, Italy, Japan and the United States. Official war began on July 28, 1914.
Through war and gender, Susan Griffin interplays between private tribulation and public tragedy. The excerpt, ‘Our Secret’, from her book,‘A Chorus of Stones’, helps to set information about the first atomic bombs. Griffin alternates between the information of the first atomic bombs and the struggles in the personal lives of regular people and major figures, such as, Heinrich Himmler and her own family. While reading ‘Our Secret’, the lessons of reading, writing, and thinking are iterated throughout the work. The structure and features of her work are foreign to many such as myself, because the use of this method has not been seen before. When many read ‘Our Secret’, it is the first time that they are encountering this type of writing method. It keeps the readers interested in what was being read the entire time. The alternations between the italicized sections and her story require the re-reading of the two portions allowing for better comprehension. To better understand her method of writing looking at the connections within the text is vitally important. Without these connections, between such things as the first atomic bombs, DNA/biology, Heinrich Himmler’s life, and many other topics, the reading may make no sense at all to the readers. It would seem to the readers, through their first time of reading it, that it just jumps from one topic to the next and that may begin to confuse the reader. The reader may have seen this type of method in another text before, and they would be able to understand a lot more than the readers who haven’t seen this type of writing method used before. Students gain a deeper understanding of the text when they recognize connections. These connections connect the reader to the characters being discu...
When Mulisch sends Anton to visit Takes and discuss what happened on the night of the assault, the reader learns that Cor Takes and Truus Coster risked their lives to assassinate Fake Ploeg because they thought it was the right thing to do. The two came to the conclusion that it was time to liquidate Ploeg because he had “killed God knows how many people, and sent many more to their deaths in Germany and Poland” (111). Anton also learns that Ploeg “had a whip with barbed wire braided into it that ripped the skin off your bare ass, which he then shoved against the blazing stove” as a form of punishment (111). Learning of Ploeg’s transgressions helps Anton understand why Coster felt the need to sacrifice her own life to eliminate some of the “Fascist gentlemen” that had brought turmoil to her country, and brings him to the realization that Takes’ motive for participating in the crime was revenge (113). Takes even suggests kidnapping children because “all the love and happiness and goodness in [the] world [cannot] outweigh the life of a single child” or the children of his enemies (113). Although their motivations were different, they worked together to eliminate Ploeg. They both kne...
Our narrator has a direct conflict with Peter’s wife, more of a personal competition to were she considered to have the strong end… “ So far as I could see, it was no contest at all between his wife and myself”. In a sort of way she seems to feel guilty for the way she was slowly being left behind. The Archdukes wife can be represented as Mrs. Piper and how she mustn’t...
With exaggeration, authors craft their writing to have an even greater, more impactful effect on their audiences. This enhanced effect found in Candide serves the purpose of highlighting how humans adopt a type of absolute viciousness and inhumanity in times of war. One example is the instance where Candide - a member of the Bulgar army, at the time - must choose between being “flogged” by the entirety of the military command, or to endure “twelve bullets in his brain” (24). Here, Candide is given a nonsensical, almost ludicrous, ultimatum. Voltaire offers an embellished example that serves to demonstrate the barbaric military practices that come with war. Being a recurring aspect of war, Candide is, essentially, forced to choose between death and death. In fact, along with exaggeration, Voltaire satirizes war even further as the choice of whether it be a gradual or speedy demise is Candide’s own luxury. Voltaire does not just simply antagonize the ramifications of war, but rather, he ridicules all facets of war. Another example within Candide is when the Old Woman reveals the story of her own life as proof of the grim hardship that she too has experienced. In the midst of another battle, “one buttock” was cut off of the live bodies of every woman present in the interest of feeding the starving soldiers (56).
“IND AFF” takes place in Sarajevo, which is where Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife. This is a key aspect to the story because Peter is superb in history and thinks that he knows everything there is to know about history. Likewise, “The Birthmark” takes place in a laboratory. This is where the Georgiana’s husband, Aylmer, spends most of his spare time. Aylmer thinks he either knows or will be able to discover everything this is to know about science. So, in each story, the man takes the woman to somewhere he knows more about (and is therefore seen as superior) than she does. In both stories, the man is seen as intelligent. In “IND AFF” Peter says he is a professor of classical history and has a “first-class mind” (Weldon page 202). In “The Birthmark” Aylmer is referred to as “a man of science” (Hawthorne page 416) and a “genius” (Hawthorne page 423).
Authors’ use of setting and point of view greatly affect a narrative because they form the readers’ image of the story. First person narration can cause questioning of the narrators reliability, but this bias view can help create more intimacy between the protagonist and the reader. A third person point of view is more objective and allows the author to create the voice of the narrative; the author shapes the story. Through whichever point of view, the author develops a setting. Setting provides tone for the story. A well-established setting can enhance the story’s overall meaning. The combination of setting and point of view in John Updike’s “A&P” helps develop the story’s emphasis on conformity versus nonconformity. Likewise, setting and
Within every story or poem, there is always an interpretation made by the reader, whether right or wrong. In doing so, one must thoughtfully analyze all aspects of the story in order to make the most accurate assessment based on the literary elements the author has used. Compared and contrasted within the two short stories, “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, and John Updike’s “A&P,” the literary elements character and theme are made evident. These two elements are prominent in each of the differing stories yet similarities are found through each by studying the elements. The girls’ innocence and naivety as characters act as passages to show something superior, oppression in society shown towards women that is not equally shown towards men.
Theme is a literary element used in literature and has inspired many poets, playwrights, and authors. The themes of love and war are featured in literature, and inspire authors to write wartime romances that highlight these two themes. Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms deals with the collective themes in the human experience such as love and the reality of war. A Farewell to Arms is narrated from the perspective of Fredric Henry, an ambulance driver in the Italian army, and pertains to his experiences in the war. The novel also highlights the passionate relationship between Henry and Catherine Barkley, a British nurse in Italy. Henry’s insight into the war and his intense love for Catherine emphasize that love and war are the predominant themes in the novel and these themes contribute to bringing out the implicit and explicit meaning of the novel. Being a part of the Italian army, Henry is closely involved with the war and has developed an aversion to the war. Henry’s association with the war has also made him realise that war is inglorious and the sacrifices made in war are meaningless. Specifically, Henry wants the war to end because he is disillusioned by the war and knows that war is not as glorious as it is made up to be. The state of affairs and the grim reality of the war lead Henry towards an ardent desire for a peaceful life, and as a result Henry repudiates his fellow soldiers at the warfront. Henry’s desertion of the war is also related to his passionate love for Catherine. Henry’s love for Catherine is progressive and ironic. This love develops gradually in “stages”: Henry’s attempt at pretending love for Catherine towards the beginning of the novel, his gradually developing love for her, and finally, Henry’s impas...