Vladimir Nabokov throughout his novel Lolita and Sam Mendes in his film “American Beauty”, both discuss the inappropriate desires felt by their male protagonists. Despite the texts having contrasting settings and time periods, both authors present the idea of inappropriate desires through depictions of middle aged men lusting after young minor girls, whilst allude to the negative implications which are perceived with such incongruous feelings. Throughout both texts, Nabokov and Mendes employ similar literary and film techniques of descriptive language/cinematography, symbolism, characterisation, narrative voice, and tone, in order to demonstrate the extent of the inappropriate desires each of their protagonists and minor characters feel throughout. Symbolism is employed throughout the entirety of both texts in order to convey and illustrate the fervency of each of their protagonist’s inappropriate …show more content…
desires.
In order to display Humbert Humbert’s desire to be sexually involved with Dolores, the symbol of clothing is used throughout, with Humbert purchasing revealing garments which he wishes Lolita to wear. The first notable clothing symbol which Nabokov incorporates is Humbert’s purchase of a “pretty print dress…ample in the skirt, tight in the bodice”, for Dolores, allowing him to see the young girls figure and body, whilst allow Dolores to appreciate his apparent kindness, unbeknown to his real desires and intentions. This symbol allows the audience to identify that Humbert is projecting his feelings of lust for Dolores on to the particular clothes he purchases and makes her wear, whilst further demonstrates his innate need and desire to control her. Similarly, Mendes extensively applies symbolism throughout the entirety of “American Beauty” in order to depict Lester’s strong desire for Angela. The rose petals which are identified during fantasy scenes which Lester has of Angela, which symbolises the effortless beauty he identifies in her. In addition, colour symbolism is
included through the deep red of the roses, reflecting the fervency of Lester’s lust, passion and desire he feels towards Angela. Contrastingly to Nabokov, Mendes also includes symbolism in order to explore the negative implications which are associated with having such inappropriate desires. This idea of incongruous thoughts leading to severe consequences is depicted in Lester’s death scene, where the same red roses are presented to the audience, thus directly symbolising that Lester’s affection for Angela was the reason for his death. Although both Nabokov and Mendes extensively discuss the inappropriate desire of lusting after young girls, Nabokov also incorporates symbolism in order to discuss the inappropriate desire to control other individuals. Through the use of deep and rich characterisation, both Nabokov and Mendes portray their male protagonists as forthright individuals who share the similar inappropriate desire to form sexual relations with young girls. Nabokov characterises Humbert as a determined character, depicted through his marriage with Dolores’ mother in order to become closer to her. In addition, it is evident that Humbert’s desire to be with younger woman is an innate feature of his personality, evidenced through “there might have been no Lolita at all had I not loved, one summer, a certain initial girl child” allowing the audience to understand that Dolores is not the first victim of Humbert’s, and gaining a certain insight in to him as a person. Contrastingly however, the audience are able to understand that Lester’s desire to be with a younger female has stemmed from the breakdown of his relationship with his daughter, evoking the need to feel connected to someone who is the same age. Furthermore, the slow disintegration of his marriage and loss of love in his personal life, inspired him to seek youthfulness, and thus, sparking his inappropriate desire to form a physical relationship with Angela. Whilst Humbert and Lester share the same desire to be with young girls, their actions in regards to their feelings, and their awareness of the impropriety of their desires, are completely contrasting, Humbert shows little remorse of his desires to oppress Dolores, due to the fact he states in reflection, “it does not matter a jot that a North American girl-child named Dolores Haze had been deprived of her childhood by a maniac”, characterises Humbert as ill-minded and naïve due to his ignorance to the sadistic nature of his actions towards Dolores, which in turn evokes a sense of anger and disturbance within the audience. Although Humbert is somewhat reflective about his actions in regards to taking advantage of a “girl-child”, he does not regret or understand the negativity of both his desires and actions. This is dissimilar to Mendes’ depiction of Lester who undergoes realisation and awareness of his desires being inappropriate, hence why no action was made. This level of understanding depicts Lester as a moral character, who has a level of understanding between what is essentially right and wrong. In conclusion, it is evident that Humbert is a static character who has no understanding of immorality, or regard for his actions, whereas Lester is a dynamic character who undergoes moments of realisation and reflectiveness. The use of descriptive language throughout Lolita, and cinematography in “American Beauty”, allows the audience to identify the inappropriate desire each protagonist has, as well as understand the severity of their affection. “Lolita. Light of my life, fire of my loins”, is the first instance where Humbert states he has strong feelings of affection for Dolores. The use of metaphor in this particular line, allows the audience to identify the intensity of Humbert’s lust. Through cinematography, Mendes allows his audience to easily identify that Lester has a strong lust for Angela, firstly shown through close up shots of Angela cheerleading. As the scene progresses, Mendes incorporates lighting and eliminates all other characters from the shot, in order to show Lester and Angela clearly making eye contact. The use of lighting allows the audience to identify that they are in Lester’s imagination and therefore understand that there is a strong attraction felt by Lester towards Angela. Narrative voice is utilised throughout both Lolita and “American Beauty”, in order to discuss the inappropriate desires which are felt by both protagonists. Both texts are presented in first person, through the voice of each protagonist, Humbert and Lester, in order to explicitly identify the inappropriate desires felt by each person. Nabokov allows his narrator to be unreliable and manipulative, allowing his audience to question both the motives and statements directed by Humbert throughout the entirety of the novel. However, the use of narrative voice allows the audience to gain insight in to Humbert’s mind and vivid insight in to his inappropriate desires
Symbolism is one of the most effective and powerful elements in writing. We see various examples of this all throughout "The Things They Carried." Symbolism enables us to tell a story one way, while all along trying to say another. I believe Tim O'Brien has achieved success in doing so in "The Things They Carried."
The first example of symbolism we encounter is in the first chapter and comes in the form of dreams. When Amabelle and Sebastian open up to one another it is through their shared experiences, which are most usually, their dreams. They are able to be the most themselves when they are not in real life experiences, though it sounds like an oxymoron, the juxtapose between dreams and reality says a great deal about the characters. Dreams are essentially escapes from reality, and when Amabelle and Sebastian share their dreams with one another it serves as an escape. It becomes clear that they share the desire to escape, but escape from what exactly, their pasts, presence, or futures? This implication of escape prepares readers for the escapes made by the lovers near the end of the story. On page 2 Amabelle says of her nocturnal escapes, "It's either be in a nightmare or be nowhere at all. Or otherwise simply float inside these remembrances, grieving for who I was, and even more for what I've become." This quotation implies that that even her life has become a nightmare. Readers can infer that a good night's sleep would be Amabelle's only chance of escape. Her nightmares are destroying her life, and her life...
2. What motifs and symbols are found in this story? Discuss how they were
The Novel and Film of The Grifters had many uses of symbolism, supporting the theme of sexual corruption, and the fall of the three main characters’ craft of the grift. In the novel, symbolism was tougher to pick out. However, the descriptions of the characters created symbolic visualizations of their personalities and human nature. The film had more obvious uses of symbolism through the choice of women’s clothes, the character’s actions, and their language.
Andre Dubus uses symbolism to describe the person’s confrontation with morality that he has to deal with. These men are simply hoping to end their family’s pain, suffering, and internal struggles. Moreover, Dubus uses symbolism in his story as a way of showing love, sympathy, anger and pain (Ruth 1-2).
Through vivid yet subtle symbols, the author weaves a complex web with which to showcase the narrator's oppressive upbringing. Two literary
Symbolism is commonly used by authors that make short stories. Guin is a prime example of how much symbolism is used in short stories such as “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” and “Sur.” In both of these stories Guin uses symbolism to show hidden meanings and ideas. In “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” there is a perfect Utopian city, yet in this perfect city there is a child locked in a broom closet and it is never let out. A few people leave the city when they find out about the child, but most people stay. Furthermore, in “Sur” there is a group of girls that travel to the South Pole and reach it before anyone else, yet they leave no sign or marker at the South Pole. Guin’s stories are very farfetched and use many symbols. Both “Sur” and “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” have many symbols such as colors, characters, objects, and weather. The four types of symbols that Guin uses help the readers understand the themes in her short stories. Although her stories are farfetched, they need symbolism in them or the reader would not understand the theme; therefore the symbols make Guin’s stories much more enjoyable.
Symbolism “acts as webbing between theme and story. Themes alone can sound preachy, and stories alone can sound shallow. Symbolism weaves the two together” (Hall). Symbolism uses the story to convey the theme. Darkness is used in the novel to show the secrecy and lies that the story has. The whole story involves secrecy among two women and a man. Without symbolism the story would just have a very dark house and two very mysterious and disturbed women. Instead there is a feel of secrecy right from the beginning. Symbolism gives the story excitement, while also providing the reader with a good read. The author can read the first few pages and determine the story is not a happy
Symbolism is used commonly in literature to reveal a deeper meaning through something indirectly. As defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, symbolism is “ the art or practice of using symbols especially by investing things with a symbolic meaning or by expressing the invisible or intangible by means of visible or sensuous representations” ("Symbolism."). From colors and emotions, such as red and romance, to animals, like doves and peace, symbols better a readers understanding of the text and make for an overall better story. Symbolism gives writer freedom to add double levels of meanings to his work: a literal one that is self-evident and the symbolic one whose meaning is far more profound than the literal one. The symbolism, therefore, gives universality to the characters and the themes of a piece of literature ("Literary Devices."). In the text, A Doll’s House, the author, Hendrik Ibsen, uses symbols of macaroons, the Tarantella, and money to reveal controversial topics between Nora and Torvad.
Symbolism has always been an essential part of all major literature. Whether it helps the story move rapidly or allows for greater cognizance of characters’ elaborate personalities, symbolism is an invaluable tool for authors to generate deeper interpretations of a novel. It is often a critical component of a novel’s plot structure. Symbolism is a cogent way for authors to inject meaning and emotion into their well-crafted characters. The novel Defending Jacob by William Landay meets all of these standards and enhances them greatly. Throughout the plot, this literary element is greatly emphasized through the symbol of a simple knife. This seemingly ordinary object very easily symbolizes Jacob’s murderous personality and how open he was to eliminating
The color red, primarily used in the symbol of a rose, is the most prominent and memorable visual image of the film. The American Beauty rose is a “perpetual rose”, one that regrows every year and is known for its blood red color. When the film opens and we are introduced to Carolyn, the uptight wife of the film’s protagonist Lester, she is snipping the growing roses at the stem symbolizing her stifled and loveless marriage. We see Carolyn’s roses a few other times in the film essentially dying in a vase, never as vibrant as when she first cuts them in the front yard for the whole world to see. However, when Lester first sees Angela, his daughter’s friend from high school, she reawakens him sexually and everything about her is red. She wears blood red lipstick and a red uniform while Lester imagines her with flowing, vibrant red roses. While these characterizations and imagery help establish the rose and the color red as definers of these women’s sexuality, they are a...
With his 1955 novel Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov invents a narrator by the name of Humbert Humbert who is both an exquisite wordsmith and an obsessive pedophile. The novel serves as the canvas upon which Humbert Humbert will paint a story of love, lust, and death for the reader. His confession is beautiful and worthy of artistic appreciation, so the fact that it centers on the subject of pedophilia leaves the reader conflicted by the close of the novel. Humbert Humbert frequently identifies himself as an artist and with his confession he hopes “to fix once for all the perilous magic of nymphets” (Nabokov, Lolita 134). Immortalizing the fleeting beauty and enchanting qualities of these preteen girls is Humbert Humbert’s artistic mission
Symbolism plays a significant role in literature. Symbols can illustrate much deeper overarching concepts or reveal important traits in a character without explicit expression. This device may bring a character’s true motivation, views, or prejudices to light. Symbolism in “The Birthmark” and “Romero’s Shirt” gives great insight into not only character motivations, but also their protagonist’s views on life. In “The Birthmark”, Aylmer sees the crimson birthmark painted across Georgiana’s otherwise perfect face as a symbol of mortality as well as the impossibility of perfection — two things that he has struggled against in his scientific endeavors for the extent of his career.
Symbolism and imagery are literary devices that an author uses in works of literature to better express a point to the reader than writing without them. Both of these literary devices, along with many others are used in the novel Farewell to Manzanar. In Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston’s Farewell to Manzanar, the literary devices symbolism and imagery express the theme ‘Injustice can occur even if the imposer means no harm to the victim.’
The analysis argues the use of symbolism as it applies to the aspects of the characters and their relationships. Henrik Ibsen’s extensive use of symbols is applied to capture the reader’s attention. Symbols like the Christmas tree, the locked mailbox, the Tarantella, Dr. Rank’s calling cards, and the letters add a delicate meaning to the characters and help convey ideas and themes throughout the play.