As opposed to fiction literature, nonfiction writing is not traditionally viewed as literary Carl Perkins held this common viewpoint. I believe that any piece of literature that is written using techniques to convey a story or produce an emotional response within the reader is literary. Based on the book The Witches by Stacy Schiff I believe that nonfiction writing can be literary. In her book Schiff uses figurative language, gives vivid descriptions of the setting and people, and includes details that invoke sympathy for individuals within the book which are all elements used in fiction writing to create a story. In The Witches Schiff uses figurative language in a way that helps to illustrate a story within the fact based information she is writing about. She uses metaphors like “she was a sterling amalgam of modesty, piety, and tireless industry” (131) and “on every count the village was a seething, muddy morass” (45) to describe the people in the book and the setting in which it takes place. By using metaphors and other figurative language Schiff adds an element to the writing that would not exist if she just reported the basic facts. She allows the readers to create and image of Salem in their mind and to draw conclusions about the …show more content…
Like when she describes the courtroom where the trials took as “bathed in anemic, late winter light [and] far from orderly” (52) instead of simply stating the location and what took place there. By choosing to add descriptive details Schiff enhances the reader’s experience and gives them a vivid image of the Salem trials. This is similar to what a reader would experience while reading a fiction text. While at times Schiff does only provide simple descriptions of the setting, these simple descriptions are usually either shortly before or shortly after she has given an elaborate description of the same location just like what would be seen in fiction
We have all heard the tales and seen the movies of evil witches cooking little kids up for supper. For the people of salem in 1692-1693 this was a reality. In the matter of less than a year more than two hundred people were accused of witchcraft and more than twenty were executed. In these historic events author Arthur Miller wrote a play about the people and events in this play there is a man, Reverend Hale is well versed in the study of witchcraft and has come to try and save the girls that have been gripped by the Devil. Miller has Hale change very much throughout the event of this play. In the beginning he believes that the Devil is at work in Salem, how ever near the climactic ending of this play he realises that this witch talk has gotten completely out of hand
The title of the short story, “Four Directions” is symbolic for Waverly’s inner misconceptions. As she goes about her life, she is pulled in different ways by her past and her present. She is torn between her Chinese heritage and her American life. She never thought that instead of being pulled in four directions, she could take all of her differences and combine them. In the end she realizes this with the help of her mother. “The three of us, leaving our differences behind...moving West to reach East” (184), thought Waverly. Her whole life she misconceived her mother’s intentions. Lindo never wanted Waverly to solely focus on her Chinese heritage, but rather combine it with her new American ways. The idea of being pulled in four
Displaying one's emotions in public is often not planned nor wanted especially when it comes to crying due to humiliation and shame. In the short story “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros, literary terms such as simile, diction, and repetition are utilized in characterizing emotional “eleven” year old Rachel. The figurative language used, support the images that were intended for the reader to perceive. Diction and repetition help guide the audience with a certain point of view towards the characters. Not only does Cisneros exploit these literary terms to explain and characterize Rachel's feelings but to exhibit how one may not always have the courage, personal strength, or maturity to handle certain situations.
The Salem Witch Trials marks a vulnerable era in history. The play allows us to see that uncontrolled rage, pride, and even religion at times, can lead to destruction and mayhem. With these factors, it’s quite clear to see why Salem was vulnerable to these
The punishment of witches is an example of irony in the book. After the rumors about witches started, many people were suspected as witches even though they were innocent. However, there was no good way to prove their innocence; the choices that people had are to tell the truth that they are not witches and never admit and
In complex relationships between individuals, and society leads to tension between good and evil. David Calcutt’s portrayed and catastrophic play Salem uses views of society, besides individual to engage in a relationship of values and beliefs in the range of superstition in the 1962 of witchcraft. Nevertheless this is emphasized through the themes of judgment, power, prejudice, individualism and good vs. evil. However Calcutt’s play Salem reinforces society, and individual contextual concerns on behalf of ideals of religion, and culture with the desire to conform. Salem is an intriguingly written that states the pensive issues faced with society and individual attempt to imitate from chastisement.
The story is set in seventeenth-century Salem, a time and place where sin and evil were greatly analyzed and feared. The townspeople, in their Puritan beliefs, were obsessed with the nature of sin and with finding ways to be rid of it altogether through purification of the soul. At times, people were thought to be possessed by the devil and to practice witchcraft. As punishment for these crimes, some were subjected to torturous acts or even horrible deaths. Thus, Hawthorne’s choice of setting is instrumental in the development of theme.
In the story The Stolen Party, Liliana Heker shows symbolism, figurative language, and irony. Rosaura could not understand the differences between the rich and the poor. She was accepted by the rich family and was friends with their daughter, Luciana. Even though her mom told her that they only accepted her as a maid and nothing else. Nevertheless, she was eager to go to the party and decided to go with excitement. Symbolism, figurative language, and irony are expressed in the story and play an important role because it tells us the difference between the upper class and the lower class.
The Salem, Massachusetts Witch Trials have generated extensive evaluation and interpretation. To explain the events in Salem, psychological, political, environmental, physical, and sociological analysis have all been examined. The authors Linnda Caporael, Elaine Breslaw, Anne Zeller, and Richard Latner all present differing perspectives to speculate about the events of the Salem Witch Trials. This changing interpretation and perspective has resulted in an extensive historiography to explain the
In the novel, “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, he describes parts of his war experiences through the stories told throughout the book. O’Brien discusses the gory detailed chaos of the Vietnam war and his fellow “soldiers.” As O’Brien gives detail of the his “fictional” experiences, he explains why he joined the war. He also describes a time where his “character” wanted to escape a draft to Canada.
“The Wonders of the Invisible World”, written by Cotton Mather, is an account of the Salem Witch Trials. He retells information that has been passed down to him without actually being present at the trial and simultaneously explains his theory to why witches were suddenly emerging in Salem, Massachusetts. There were quite a few holes in the Salem Witch Trials, especially regarding whether or not these events occurred the way they are said to. Mather’s book shows us how intense the Puritan ideals were, attaching anything out of the ordinary to a higher power and in doing this shows the flaws of the religion which caused to Salem Witch Trials.
The author wrote about this specific subject because of his profession, where he lives, and to clarify any confusions about the actual events of the Salem Witch Trials. The author wrote about the specific people and places mentioned in the book to establish the events of the trial through more than one point of view. By using an unprecedented format for writing, and by retelling the accounts of different people, places, and how they compare, Baker established a sense of confident understanding for his readers to
Have you ever fall in love with someone so much that you wanted to write him or her into your poetry? In the poem “A Lady”, Amy Lowell writes about her adoration to an old lady she loves by comparing and contrasting the lady with many things. Lowell describes the characteristics of the lady by using figurative languages such as similes, metaphors, hyperboles, and vivid imageries to express her admiration towards the lady.
The witch is both vulnerable and a powerful figure. The resulting tension between power and powerlessness as a response to laws created by those in power, rather institutionalised power: men, can be seen as expressed through such binary metaphors as that of physical strength and beauty versus weakness and ugliness, kn...
Figurative Language: 1) Present a few examples of a poet 's use of figurative language in any of the poems from the "Homelands" album. Look for metaphors, similes, analogies, or personification.