Thematic Essay - Lilly Johnsen
In the book, The One by Kiera Cass, America is already far into a competition to become the princess of Illea, and become Prince Maxon’s wife. Although America originally did not want to be a part, in The One which is the third book of the series, she realizes that she actually wants to win. But with Aspen (the person she was going to marry) at the palace as a guard, she has to decide which life she wants. The complex theme present in this text is, Because unhonest relationships result in suspension and pain, the honest and trusting relationships are stronger and more long lasting. If being dishonest about something means that you are keeping secrets and lying, then America is dishonest because she lies about
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The first scene I noticed was on page 44 when Georgia and August meet America and Maxon. They start off their relationship with each other by being honest, and telling each other their intentions. Because of this, they quickly become close and understanding of each other. I also noticed a scene on pg 26/27 where Maxon asks America a question and they both acknowledge that for their relationship to work, they both need to work on honesty. That was a hint that was not quite as subtle as the others, because both of the characters openly acknowledge this. From these scenes I saw the theme that relationships built of of honesty and trust create the most strong and long lasting relationships. I can see this because of the relationship that start rapidly building between Georgia, August, Maxon, and America. And you can see that this happens because of the openness that they have with each other. Then, you can see Maxon and America acknowledging that the issue with their relationship is trust, and they work to improve that to make their relationship strong and more long …show more content…
The end of the book shows the consequences of the lies that the characters are keeping. One scene I noticed was when Lucy, May, and Kenna find out that America was lying to them about Aspen. They all are shocked, and May and Lucy start crying, showing how this can affect everyone, and not just the person who creates the lie. Also, throughout the text they portray May as a “perfect” character and how she is just good. They also mention how honest and loyal she is during this scene which makes me think that the author is trying to show how valuable of a trait that is in a person. Also, I saw how letting down your family and friends with lies make them change the way they view you, no matter how sorry you are for your actions. I also saw the theme when Maxon confronts America about her lies. He yells at America, because he put all his trust in her, enough to marry her, just to find out that she was lying to him for all of their relationship. The quote that stuck out to me during this scene is when he says, “You were supposed to be honest with me.” This is huge because although this was put inside a paragraph of other dialogue, it really reflects the theme that can be noticed throughout the entire text. I also noticed this quote, “Do you honestly think I’d marry you, make you my princess, when you’ve been lying to me for most of our relationship? I refused to torture myself for the rest of my life.” I think the
One example of the theme occurs when the author first introduces the story. “But the summer I was 9 years old, the town I had always loved morphed into a beautifully heartbreaking and complicated place.” (pg. 1). The author is saying that the year she turned nine, she found out something about her town that broke her heart and changed the way she saw it. This quote is important because it supports the theme. It shows that now she is older she has learned something about her town that made her wiser than when she was younger. She is now more informed because the new information changed her and caused her to begin to mature.
“Winter lies too long in country towns; hangs on until it is stale and shabby, old and sullen” (“Brainy Quotes” 1). In Edith Wharton’s framed novel, Ethan Frome, the main protagonist encounters “lost opportunity, failed romance, and disappointed dreams” with a regretful ending (Lilburn 1). Ethan Frome lives in the isolated fictional town of Starkfield, Massachusetts with his irritable spouse, Zenobia Frome. Ever since marriage, Zenobia, also referred to as Zeena, revolves around her illness. Furthermore, she is prone to silence, rage, and querulously shouting. Ethan has dreams of leaving Starkfield and selling his plantation, however he views caring for his wife as a duty and main priority. One day, Zeena’s cousin, Mattie Silver, comes to assist the Frome’s with their daily tasks. Immediately, Mattie’s attractive and youthful energy resuscitates Ethan’s outlook on life. She brings a light to Starkfield and instantaneously steals Ethan’s heart; although, Ethan’s quiet demeanor and lack of expression causing his affection to be surreptitious. As Zeena’s health worsens, she becomes fearful and wishes to seek advice from a doctor in a town called Bettsbridge giving Ethan and Mattie privacy for one night. Unfortunately, the night turns out to be a disastrous and uncomfortable evening. Neither Ethan nor Mattie speaks a word regarding their love for one another. Additionally, during their dinner, the pet cat leaps on the table and sends a pickle dish straight to the floor crashing into pieces. To make matters worse, the pickle dish is a favored wedding gift that is cherished by Zeena. Later, Zeena discovers it is broken and it sends her anger over the edge. Furious, Zeena demands for a more efficient “hired girl” to complete the tasks ar...
In the small, desolate town of Starkfield, Massachusetts, Ethan Frome lives a life of poverty. Not only does he live hopelessly, but “he was a prisoner for life” to the economy (Ammons 2). A young engineer from outside of town narrates the beginning of the story. He develops a curiosity towards Ethan Frome and the smash-up that he hears about in bits and pieces. Later, due to a terrible winter storm that caused the snow itself to seem like “a part of the thickening darkness, to be the winter night itself descending on us layer by layer” (Wharton 20), the narrator is forced to stay the night at Frome’s. As he enters the unfamiliar house, the story flashes back twenty-four years to Ethan Frome’s young life. Living out his life with Zenobia Frome, his hypochondriac of a wife whom he does not love, Ethan has nowhere to turn for a glance at happiness. But when Zenobia’s, or Zeena’s, young cousin, Mattie Silver, comes to care for her, Ethan falls in love with the young aid. Mattie is Ethan’s sole light in life and “she is in contrast to everything in Starkfield; her feelings bubble near the surface” (Bernard 2). All through the novella, the two young lovers hide their feelings towards each other. When they finally let out their true emotions to each other in the end, the consequence is an unforeseen one. Throughout Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton portrays a twisted fairy tale similar to the story of Snow White with the traditional characters, but without a happy ending to show that in a bleak and stark reality, the beautiful and enchanting maiden could become the witch.
To conclude, if there’s one thing “Ethan Frome” has taught us is that love is powerful, blind, and stupid. It has the power to change fate, but the stupidity to make other’s irrational. Love blinded Ethan into marrying his cynical “beloved”, Zeena. And later it blinded Mattie, rendering her unable to think of a better way to express her love than by hitting an Elm tree. Love takes us all by surprise; but when it does, we should plan for it. Ethan and Mattie are perfect examples of the destructive power of love. However, most misfortunes can be avoided if rationality is used and steer away from quick decisions.
up an overall idea of the theme of the scene. The scene is quite long,
The first theme, racism in which the narrator is trying to find out who he is. As the narrator who plays the role of “The Invisible Man” has issues of finding his own identity, he struggles with the fact that he is an African American man living in an extremely racist white society. From the beginning to
American Literature. 6th Edition. Vol. A. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 2003. 783-791
The one of the main themes in the epilogue, and in the entire novel is
“The story employs a dramatic point of view that emphasizes the fragility of human relationships. It shows understanding and agreemen...
She became his only happiness and shared a similar desire. The affair became futile after their attempt of escaping. The work focuses on the theme of fate and the obstacles caused by duty to family and the rules of society. This is one of Edith Wharton’s highly known and recommended novels. It was a
There are many themes that occur and can be interpreted differently throughout the novel. The three main themes that stand out most are healing, communication, and relationships.
The fact that the author elected to end the story on such a negative note, is perhaps an indicator that he is not completely satisfied with how the whole situation unfolded. Even after all these
Out of all these themes, I think the most important is how he
(128) Her attitude causes a chain reaction of anger and distrust from Maxon, Aspen, and the other Elite. With no one left to blame for her troubles, America finally realizes that her actions have disastrous consequences; eventually, she pleads for forgiveness. Kiera Cass’s clever writing skills create an intricate world that the reader immerses themselves into. The best metaphor in the book is when The Elite spend a few days with their family members for the first time in months. “The girls were animated, and everyone was sparkling with energy.”
Another interesting theme I noticed was the judge of the court. Everyone in court showed a lot of respect toward the judge and the judge really seemed like the referee of the trials. At one point the judge even reprimanded Colonel Nathan R. Jessup for not addressing the judge with his respective title. The last theme I saw in the movie was the prosecutor. I also noticed the relationship between the defense attorney and the prosecutor.