Byatt's Elementals Byatt's message is that art, curiosity and stories save us. This is at least one of her messages, possibly the overriding one in this work; also, I would also agree with the philosophical premise that they do, in fact, give the existences of ourselves and others meaning. Since the question is unclear, and the two facets of it arguably linked, I shall be pursuing both threads in my essay. There is ample evidence in this volume that aesthetic expression and desire play an important role in the makeup of characters' lives. Think of Patricia Nimmo in Crocodile Tears, and her distraction of shopping; "a classical column of falling white silk jersey pleats ... a pretty pair of golden slippers, and a honeycomb cotton robe, in aquamarine. These things gave her pleasure." (p18) Equally, the long, descriptive passages Byatt is given to using are a decadent revelling in capturing the essence of a thing; they are works of art in their own right. "Here were beauty and danger flat on a wall ... She stared ... How do you decide when to stop looking at something? It is not like a book, page after page, page after page, end. How do you decide?" (p52) It seems clear that when Byatt writes a phrase such as 'It is not like a book, page after page, page after page, end', she is seeking to make an exception of her own work. Byatt's writing invites continual re-inspection, it can be viewed on many levels of meaning, and some of the images which she describes hold the same qualities as a particularly striking painting. When she writes of 'beauty and danger flat', therefore, she is also discussing the metaphor of life and its potential to be captured within a work of art. For Bernard, interpretive art is what gives existence meaning. The scintillating butterfly at the end of A Lamia in the Cévennes shows his great curiosity and enthusiasm for life's detail, and it is written "He was happy, in one of the ways human beings have found in which to be happy." This phrase is used twice in the narrative, on pages 98 and 111 and its repetition emphasises the importance of Bernard's discovery of a personal meaning. His fixation on capturing the vibrant reality of life on canvas is obsessional: "Why bother. Why does this matter so much ... Why bother to render the transparency in solid paint or air on a bit of board? I could just stop. He could not." (p87) His abstraction has become an alternate reality in itself. Patricia Nimmo and Nils Isaksen are both detached from reality; the only pleasure each derives in existence in played out within a self-contained fantasy, a world of fiction. Ultimately it is their entwined destinies, their continuing interest in each other's ongoing life stories, which gives them the will to carry on living. This is further emphasised later in a different story in the volume: "And if Fiammarosa was sometime lonely in her glass palace, and sometimes wished ... this was not unusual, for no one has everything they can desire" (p181) The subtext here is that it would be extremely unwise for anyone to ever reach that position; curiosity is an important part of a healthy appetite for life. The subtitle of Elementals, "stories of fire and ice" is a particularly apposite extended metaphor: many of the volume's characters are frozen in some aspect of their lives; and are thawed and made human again by art, story and fantasy - Fiammarosa is literally an ice-woman, Patricia Nimmo metaphorically so, and Bernard is almost wholly detached, stimulated by art and art alone. Art is of a singular importance, and artistic feeling is elevated to the status of being a characteristic of empirical leadership. Of Prince Sasan, in Cold, Byatt says "the line of artists runs true in the line of kings." (p163) Byatt seems to venerate established culture, and in her character Jess there is a real fear that her generation "shall be judged without being imagined" (p207), that those who come after will not understand, will not choose to understand, how "All the excitement of life was in books" (lb) They will be judged, as Byatt may be judged, by a generation of people like Lara, who live "in a world of interactive computer-generated gladiators ... kamikaze scantily clad dolls ... and laser-duellists my reactions aren't quick enough for" (p213). Jess is a character who represents an optimum fusing of the old with the new; able to flex her memory without becoming chained slavishly to it. She remains creative: "What a delicious metaphor, sheets of red juice, explosions of extreme sensuality, sheets of red blood. Attached to nothing, it's just the way my mind works." (p205) One can believe that this spontaneity is true of Byatt as much as her character; and this combination of the spontaneous and the control of archetype forms is an explosive mixture; each "detached image" (p206) or short story a carefully considered part of a structured whole: she reworks material always to a purpose. Alone, a slightly preachy short prose such as Christ in the house of Martha and Mary, making the culminatory point that it is "those who are interested in the world" who have grasped the fundamental truth, might lack impact; as the final piece in a tapestry of marred lives, it offers so much more than this. It has the history and support of other stories. Byatt seems to see it as her role to identify the archetypes she uses in her writing, to acknowledge a debt to those authors who have gone before; to highlight tales which might otherwise have been marginalised or forgotten - possibly, also, more accessible. This is evident in that two of the stories in Elementals make explicit their biblical references, making an effort to provide the reader with enough information that they need not know the original tale of Jael or the parable of Christ in the house of Martha and Mary to draw the parallels with Byatt's own, related, stories. There is clear suggestion in what she is crafting that the stories thus captured operate with no regard for historical placing; they are timeless, and simultaneously neatly self-encapsulated and derivative to the point where knowledge of how they were derived becomes an added level of pleasure in their reading. This is overwhelmingly so in A Lamia in the Cévennes, in this case truly to the extent that having no knowledge of the original Keats mythos is detrimental to one's understanding of the plot; Raymond is in danger of his mortal soul, but this is not made especially clear, nor is it developed into an importantly-featured part of the plot. Another possible reason for Byatt's fictions being primarily derivative is perhaps to challenge what she describes in Jael as the concept of "dead cultural baggage" (p205), namely that a classical education is, in today's world of Raymonds, very much a thing which 'creative minds' such as Lara would choose to ignore as redundant and without value. Byatt would have us recognise that this is an incorrect and shallow assessment - an archetypical tale may be retold perfectly successfully and remain true to its origins without becoming a carbon copy of the original or supplanting it. Throughout all of her moralising (a word which I use divorced from its modern negative associations) Byatt writes extremely expressively, bridging the gap between flat text on a page and vivid mental imagery; her short stories are compelling in a way that makes the reader curious, engaging our interest in what is to come. This is the essence of the storyteller's art. Even were it not to be her message, one could not come away from this collection of Byatt's work without the feeling that here, within these words, stories and constructs of art that there was an internal logic which offered a positive alternative to the negativity which seems to be a feature of this dispossessed age; a sense of purpose and innate meaning that channels and releases us, "as though the [emotion] was still and eternal in the painting and the [soul] was released into time." (p230) And be touched by it. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Elementals, A.S. Byatt, Vintage: Random House, 1999.
Reilly, John M. " 'Sonny's Blues': James Baldwin's Image of Black Community." James Baldwin: A Critical Evaluation. Ed.Therman B. O'Daniel. Howard University Press. Washington, D.C. 1977. 163-169.
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.
Style in literature is essential to create proper perception from the reader. This is equally as important as establishing appropriate tone. For this propose Ethel Wilson compliments such standards in her works “The Fog”, “Hurry, Hurry” and “The Window.” Wilson’s stylistic techniques are unmatched in uniqueness or assessing human nature versus physical nature. In the fore mentioned texts, Ethel Wilson composes her style from elements of symbolism, motif and character development to flourish understanding of the central idea of responsibility in the human mind when hidden behind nature.
...e relationship with men, as nothing but tools she can sharpen and destroy, lives through lust and an uncanny ability to blend into any social class makes her unique. Her character is proven as an unreliable narrator as she exaggerates parts of the story and tries to explain that she is in fact not guilty of being a mistress, but a person caught in a crossfire between two others.
Baldwin uses his narration and analysis to realize that although he ignored his father during his childhood, he could have benefitted by learning something from his warnings. In the final sentence of the essay Baldwin writes, “I wished that he had been beside me so that I could have searched his face for the answers which only the future would give me now” (84). Baldwin realizes that through similar experiences he and his stepfather have learned much about the world. He wishes that he could still learn from his stepfather but knows that he must now rely on his future experiences.
In the short story “An Adventure in Paris” by Guy De Maupassant an unnamed woman seeks for adventure, love, and excitement. An unnamed narrator starts to explain the inner nature and curiosity of a woman. The story transitions to the point of view of an unnamed lawyer’s wife which allows us to see her deepest desire to travel to Paris and be part of the lavishing life she has seen in the magazines. To escape her regular routine she makes a plan to go to Paris; however, her family members are only middle class and cannot help her fulfill her desire to live the life of a celebrity, fame, and fashion. Just when her trip seems to be monotonous she comes across the chance to live the life of an extravagant person. This chance happens when she meets Jean Varin, a wealthy author, in a store wanting to purchase a Japanese figurine. When Varin decides that the figurine is too expensive the lawyer’s wife steps up to buy the figurine which causes Varin to notice her. She flirtatiously invites herself into Varin’s daily activities which intrigue Varin. As the day closes she invites herself to Varin’s house and has an affair with Varin; however, she doesn’t feel she is satisfied because of his many needs. She anxiously waits till morning to come so that she can leave which only confuses Varin. When Varin asks her why she is leaving after all they have been through she states that she wanted to know what depravity felt like; however, it was not what she expected. The central idea of the story is about a woman’s psychological desire for romance, adventure, and an opulent lifestyle that leads to curiosity and the immoral act of adultery.
In the September 2013 issue of Vogue magazine Ralph Lauren Romance A love Story featuring women’s fragrance by Ralph Lauren displays in a series of photographs the stages of falling in love. Analyzing the contents of the photographs the images are presented in a form of puzzles which at first seem jumbled and at the end it materializes as a whole construction of a life that they have built together. In observing the photographs, it depicts the typical conventional manner in which boy meets girl and from there the pictorial images shifts into a series of symbolizing sequences of events involving hero and heroine. The images portrayed in the photograph conjures reminiscences subtleties of conflict in which the man seeks to capture, conquer and secure the admiration of the woman he loves while the woman at last submits to his advances. Love and romance are displayed throughout each frame with marriage at last forming the seal that will bind them together.
On July 27, 1919, a young black man named Eugene Williams swam past an invisible line of segregation at a popular public beach on Lake Michigan, Chicago. He was stoned by several white bystanders, knocked unconscious and drowned, and his death set off one of the bloodiest riots in Chicago’s history (Shogun 96). The Chicago race riot was not the result of the incident alone. Several factors, including the economic, social and political differences between blacks and whites, the post-war atmosphere and the psychology of race relations in 1919, combined to make Chicago a prime target for this event. Although the riot was a catalyst for several short-term solutions to the racial tensions, it did little to improve race relations in the long run. It was many years before the nation truly addressed the underlying conflicts that sparked the riot of 1919. This observation is reflected in many of author James Baldwin’s essays in which he emphasizes that positive change can only occur when both races recognize the Negro as an equal among men politically, economically and socially.
One walks away from the book feeling three things. The first is a heightened sense of awareness about growing up in Harlem. The second is a new perspective from which to interpret the struggle for civil rights in the 1950s and 1960s. The third is a respect for Baldwin as a writer and critical thinker.
...for herself, as well as others, using the peaceful, yet powerful, tool of literature. She was unique in her writing and life. She did not conform to the society in which she was born, but was fascinated by the details of said society. She was persnickety in life and in her writing. In conclusion, Toni lived a message that taught that not only could a person address their problems in public; one can also address them in other ways, such as, in Toni’s case, writing.
Effectively using these elements in a piece of literature enhances the reader’s curiosity. One prime example of such usage of these elements is seen in Kate Chopin's writing. Her use of foreshadowing and use of emotional conflicts put into few words in the short piece "The Storm" adds an element that is alluring, holding the reader's interest. In this short piece of literature, a father and son, Bobinot and Bibi, are forced to remain in a store where they were shopping before the storm, waiting for the storm to pass over them. In the meantime, the wife and mother, Calixta, whom is still at home, receives an unexpected visit from a former lover named Alicee. The two have an affair and the story starts to come together. The story shows us how we tend to want what we beli...
... turning some who can be seen as a blank canvas into someone new. In both ways, Evelyn and Henry Higgins are the artists to their work. Though they might not treat the people they are working with as a human, in the grander idea they have made them better. Adam finally comes to terms with his true personality, while Evelyn exposes what society believes are the norms for a person’s appearance. While, with Eliza, she leaves the life of being a beggar and becoming a duchess, showing how through hard work a person can change, and it becomes hard to return to one’s prior self. Both instances show art playing a large role in shaping their lives. From learning about life through art, people then strive to be on the same level as the art the see, trying to live a grander lifestyle. Showing that to a certain extent art can influence life more than life can influence art.
Imagery has always been a great element which pilots the meaning of mood and meaning of stories and poems. Found in the Chinese sites and sights in the Mulan movie, The Blue Seas underwater and heavenly scenes in One Piece TV series, and the dark and gritty streets of London in the Sherlock Holmes novels, imagery bolstered the meaning and mood components of a story or poem. Guy de Maupassant is one of the most notable French authors that has written fantastic shorts such as “The Necklace,” a story concerning an unwitty couple’s gigantic misunderstanding, and “Two Friends,” a story concerning a patriotic friendship that conveys de Maupassant’s anger of The War. By using imagery, de Maupassant guided the mood and meaning of the two story in different and impactful ways.
Kirby, Michael. "On Style." The Drama Review: TDR. 3rd ed. Vol. 15. Cambridge: MIT, 1971. 11-19. Print.
To conclude a ‘moral fable’ is something that has a deeper meaning than the initial meaning it suggests. To describe Hard Times as one would be right as of the impact it had on both Victorian readers and twenty-first century readers. The history it provides and the comparisons to other novels from its era. Also it doesn’t just dwell on the ‘truth’ and there’s a mixture of fact and fancy.