Neil Gaiman’s Stardust As the novel starts, a faerie market has just opened, guests and visitors are all hanging out in the market. Dunstan thorn met a lady called “Una”, and the day after, Dunstan bought a snowdrop made of glass which cost him one kiss. He gave the snowdrop flower to “Daisy” his fiancée. And after a while, Dunstan marries daisy, and one day, He received a baby in a basket, it was him and Una’s son. Tristan thorn. After eighteen years, Tristan thorn falls in love with Victoria forester. A Request to Adventure, a regular incidence that inspires the main character to travel to a mysterious feature of his world is because one day, while Victoria and Tristan were walking back home, Victoria sees a star in faerie and promises Tristan
The book The Wreath by Kristin Laransdatter is about a loving and religious family who lives in a rural area in Norway. The book revolves around the character Kristin who has a fairly close relationship with her father Lavrans who is a respected master. Ragnfrid is the wife of Lavrans who is going through depression after losing three sons and her youngest daughter being crippled because of an accident. A attempted rape tragedy that ruined her reputation makes Kristin be sent to a convent which turns her life around. Her parents had already betrothed her to a landowner’s son since childhood whose name is Simon Darre. She ends up disobeying her parents, friend and brother, breaking church rules and being untruthful. When she goes to the convent she ends up falling for Erlend Nikulausson and begin a hidden romance because to the church and the state is a sin. Lavrans does not approve the relationship at first because Erlend is seen as impulsive and immature but he realizes that he cannot stop the relationship so he allows them get married. When Erland and Kristen are finall...
The story shows a relationship between a mother and a daughter through the event of shopping. Mrs. Dietrich, a middle aged mother, longs to have that intimate relationship with her daughter, just as she did when she was pregnant. Nola, a young teenager wanting to spread her wings, just wants her mother to let her go. This time of their relationship is awkward for both of them but is typical for many parents and children.
Ken MacLeod's The Star Fraction is a fantasic science fiction novel about love, loss, socialism, anarcho-capitalism, "American-style ‘black helicopter’ libertarianism", and the looming threat of a fascistic world order. The Star Fraction's setting is post World War III UK, where the republican government has been overthrown by the monarchy, and a new kingdom has been established. After many failed violent revolutions to over throw the monarch, the USA has taken over the UN to form a new world order, all in the name of peace, referred to as the US/UN. In "The Peace Process", the US/UN created mini states throughout Europe to allow political dissidents to have their own private communities. A way of containing everyone who would threaten the stability of the region into harmless sub-regions.
Janie has developed from a little girl into a young lady over the years. She spends most of her days underneath the pear tree surrounding herself with nature. Under the pear tree, Janie is awakening to the idea of love and marriage. She is beginning to be attracted to the opposite gender seen previously from when she kissed Johnny Taylor, a guy who before she did not take interest in his looks. As Janie gazes at the intimacy of the flower and the bee, she sees how the tree is pleased in the end from this exchange. Then, this action dawns to Janie when she realizes this is how love should be, a give and take relationship where both parties benefited from each other. Janie from this experience sets up standards for what her future admirers would
In this novel the two contrasting places shows Janie as being loss and shows Janie as being found. This novel stands on that theme. Sometimes one would be loss but the problem comes in when they are never found. In Eatonville there was love of force but in the Everglades there was love of choice. Janie was able to find the bee pollinating the flower. “So this was marriage”. The contrasting places examine true love.
The first time I heard the name, Neil deGrasse Tyson, was when my grandfather showed me an article Tyson had written. In the article, Tyson suggested 7 books a person should read so they can be more intelligent. Not knowing Tyson was an astrophysicist at the time, I skimmed over the material because I saw no validity in the argument. However, I did wonder why Tyson recommended the Bible as the number one book to read. I asked my grandfather, who coincidentally is also a astrophysicist, why I should read the Bible, but he could not think of a reason. After getting the chance to research Tyson, I have begun to understand his intelligence and able to answer my question. Moreover, Tyson is a scientist who defies social barriers because he wants to inspire the world in several specific ways.
Neil Gaiman in his book American Gods shows the old gods in many different versions of the gods than they were intended by those who created and originally believed in them. They are not the same as they once were, changed to either fit the new American culture better, or to fit the plot of the story to follow what Gaiman believes his story should be. The new gods, are not exactly changed, per se. Just ideas and idols embodied as gods. They are idols at least in the evangelical Christian faith, a staple faith in the American culture, since they are treated as gods in modern peoples lives, taking the place of the one true god. While the God and the creatures associated with the Evangelical Christian faith (angels, demon, God, the devil,
It is with these actions that Snow Flower presents her inevitable ability of not following given instructions. Furthermore, from being free of others ruling, Snow Flower is able to keep a level head of the emotions, which dictate her character. These emotions include “trust” and “love”, and, they help her stay “persevering, straightforward [and] outward-looking” (4, 5). The exertion of her traits, are best in the viewing of how she deals with Lily. When Lily questions her of lying throughout their companionship, Snow Flower responds by saying that ‘[she tells her] the truth” (230). Snow Flower manages to show her preserving nature of hoping everything will get better. Although, this is not the case, when Lily humiliates her. Enacting a response to her claim, Snow Flower states that “[she cannot] just [wait for Lily’s choosing of comfort]” and that “[she feels] like a bird flying alone [who cannot find it’s] mate” (231). Thus, destroying the friendship officially, in both of their minds. Adding to this heavy hearted loss of companionship, Snow Flower dies at the end of the novel. In her last days of living, she tells Lily that “[she is] sorry for everything [and hopes that she understands that she still loves her]” (236). Her apology, incases her emotions once again, and, her personality of preserving, even in the face of death. Also in her last moments of life, Snow Flower asks Lily to be “[the] aunt to [her] children” (240) . Praying, that Lily will be able to watch over them, so, they do not ruin any of their relationships like they did. In other words, Snow Flower also exhibits her personality of outward-looking= moving towards the correct direction of life. Even if it takes a new generation to accomplish
Janie’s first attempt at love does not turn out quite like she hopes. Her grandmother forces her into marrying Logan Killicks. As the year passes, Janie grows unhappy and miserable. By pure fate, Janie meets Joe Starks and immediately lusts after him. With the knowledge of being wrong and expecting to be ridiculed, she leaves Logan and runs off with Joe to start a new marriage. This is the first time that Janie does what she wants in her search of happiness: “Even if Joe was not waiting for her, the change was bound to do her good…From now on until death she was going to have flower dust and springtime sprinkled over everything” (32). Janie’s new outlook on life, although somewhat shadowed by blind love, will keep her satisfied momentarily, but soon she will return to the loneliness she is running from.
Macy Queen is the main character and protagonist in this novel. She is short for her age, with a round face, brown eyes, blond hair, and a sprinkling of freckles across her nose. Macy is afraid to speak out, thanks to the grief of her father dying, and Macy’s mother, Deborah, is also not over the grief. Deborah forces Macy to aim for perfection and appear calm and collected; “But part of my new perfect act was my appearance… I was still in front of the mirror, parting and reparting my hair… it still didn’t look right” (17). While still working at the library for her boyfriend at camp, Macy starts working for a small catering business, and finally feels like she belongs somewhere, “...I was stepping out of the careful box I’d drawn around myself all those months ago… I belonged here…” (220). With a planned summer that has some unexpected events, Macy improves relationships with new friends from the catering business, such as Kristy, Wes, Delia, Bert. and Monica, while she grows apart from Jason, her brainiac boyfriend.
The Meaning of Every Soul a Star comes from the quote: “The trick is that as long as you know who you are and what makes you happy, it doesn't matter how others see you.” - Wendy Mass, Every Soul a Star. This quote means that as long as you’re doing or even saying something that really makes you happy, well it really doesn’t matter how other people look at you because comfort is looked up upon stupidity.
Science. It’s one of the most, if not the most important area of our society and our culture. But what is science, without communicators to pass on the knowledge we gain from it? Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of these people. He plays a key role in the future development of science and technology by provoking a new generation to learn to love science, and to leap into the STEM fields. Tyson has and will continue to inspire countless children and adults alike, including myself.
The two are thrown together by the scholastic pursuit for information regarding the previously unknown love affair between two Victorian poets. There is no instant attraction between the two intellectuals. Instead, “[t]here was a frostiness between the two of them”(143). There is a clear distinction between Maud’s first interaction with Roland and Maud’s first encounter with Fergus. Maud is not captivated by Roland’s allure, instead they are each reluctant to be entirely open with the other, resulting in the apparent “frostiness.” It is not until Roland reveals his honest aspiration, that the intangible barrier between the two is dissolved. In his confession to Maud, Roland admits, “ what I really want is to--to have nothing. An empty clean bed. I have this image of a clean empty bed in a clean empty room, where nothing is asked or to be asked”(291). Maud not only comprehends what Roland is saying, but mirrors his statements, proclaiming,“‘I know what you mean. No, that’s a feeble thing to say. It’s a much more powerful coincidence than that. That’s what I think about, when I’m alone. How good it would be to have nothing. How good it would be to desire nothing. And the same image. An empty bed in an empty room. White’”(291). The two characters who were initially
Neil Gaiman’s “Snow, Glass, Apples” is far from the modern day fairy tale. It is a dark and twisted version of the classic tale, Snow White. His retelling is intriguing and unexpected, coming from the point of view of the stepmother rather than Snow White. By doing this, Gaiman changes the entire meaning of the story by switching perspectives and motivations of the characters. This sinister tale has more purpose than to frighten its readers, but to convey a deeper, hidden message. His message in “Snow, Glass, Apples” is that villains may not always be villains, but rather victims.
When it was still of help to wish for a thing and during a harsh winter a queen in her palace was sewing and daydreaming. Suddenly, she pricked one of her fingers with a needle, and blood drops fell. She contemplated the magnificent contrast between the nature, which stood over against her, and longed, "If only I was granted my wish, and I had a child as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as the wood of my window.” This Queen was deeply in love with the King, but there was a great sadness in their hearts; because theirs deepest wish has not been granted. So after so much desire and longing, a beautiful girl was born as such the queen had desired, and they called her Little Snow White. Nevertheless, the price of such a sublime miracle was the Queen's life.