Comparing Protagonists in Choke and Birdsong

1511 Words4 Pages

In this essay I will be exploring and contrasting the relationships of two characters. These characters are Stephen Wraysford of Sebastian Faulks' romantic yet graphically violent novel "Birdsong" and Victor Mancini of anarchic social commentator Chuck Palahniuk's "Choke." "Birdsong" darts between the early 1900s and the 1970s, although Stephen does not appear in the latter dates, and his story is accounted by his granddaughter Elizabeth. "Choke" is a contemporary novel, based in America in the late 20th/early 21st century. In both novels, there are strong messages about relationships, and how they can contribute to the development of a person. While both books may share similar messages, there are massive differences. The main point of contrast is the difference between lust and love. One of the key aspects of the relationships portrayed in the novels is the idea of lust and sexual attraction. In "Birdsong", the key relationship is the relationship between Stephen and Madame Azaire, the wife of a wealthy businessman that Stephen is visiting. Though their relationship is full of lust and forbidden passion, "she began to arch herself up from him rhythmically as though her body, independent of her, implored his attention", there is also a mutual emotional love between the two, proven by Madame Azaire's reassurance that "you will be strong because you love me" and her later admittance of "I love you" during one of their secret liaisons. Almost immediately after their first sexual encounter, they know that they wish to continue seeing each other and begin making plans for how to make things work between them. This could well be reflective of the values of the time, as although what Stephen and Isabelle are doing is adulterous, they... ... middle of paper ... ... that even if it's about something absurd, it's hard not to believe in your family. In conclusion, it is arduous to say who has the stronger relationships out of Stephen and Victor. Although Stephen may have found a seemingly perfect love with Isabelle, he does not have the love of any family left alive, and family love is the groundwork for any emotion in any situation. That said, Victor has the love of a mother, but does not seem to know how to, or want to, love any of his dates or sexual partners. It could well be that your upbringing does not always determine the rest of your life, and therefore does not determine how you work your relationships. Both Stephen and Victor have their strong points, but in the end, everyone handles relationships differently, and no one can manipulate that. "Unique" isn't the right word, but it's the first that comes to mind.

Show More
Related

  • Literary Analysis Of 'Confetti Girl And Tortilla Sun'

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    Conflict between the main characters in fictional stories can be so thick, you need a razor-sharp knife to cut it; that is definitely the case in the two literary texts I recently analyzed titled “Confetti Girl” by Diana Lopez and “Tortilla Sun” by Jennifer Cervantes. In the first text, tensions mount when a social butterfly of a teenage girl and her oblivious father lock horns over the subject of homework. In the second passage, drama runs high when a lonely child and her career-driven mother battle over the concept of spending the summer apart. Unfortunately, by the end of both excerpts, the relationships of these characters seem damaged beyond repair due to their differing points of view - the children end up locked behind their barrier-like

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Silence In Dagoberto Gilb's 'Uncle Rock'

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    In a restaurant, picture a young boy enjoying breakfast with his mother. Then suddenly, the child’s gesture expresses how his life was good until “a man started changing it all” (285). This passage reflects how writer, Dagoberto Gilb, in his short story, “Uncle Rock,” sets a tone of displeasure in Erick’s character as he writes a story about the emotions of a child while experiencing his mother’s attempt to find a suitable husband who can provide for her, and who can become a father to him. Erick’s quiet demeanor serves to emphasis how children may express their feelings of disapproval. By communicating through his silence or gestures, Erick shows his disapproval towards the men in a relationship with his mother as he experiences them.

    Read More

  • Interpersonal Conflict Between Noah, Allie and Anne Hamilton in 'The Notebook'

    1176 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Notebook (Cassavetes, 2004) is a love story about a young couple named Allie Hamilton and Noah Calhoun, who fall deeply in love with each other. The Hamilton’s are financially stable, and expect for their daughter Allie to marry someone with the same wealth. Noah on the other hand works as a laborer, and comes from an underprivileged family. Throughout the film there were several negative behaviors, and interpersonal communications within the context of their relationship, which relates to chapter nine. This chapter explores relationships, emphasizing on affection and understanding, attraction, and the power of a relationship. The focus of this paper is the interpersonal conflict with Noah, Allie and her mother, Anne Hamilton.

    Read More

  • Helena Maria Viramontes’ The Moths

    1672 Words  | 4 Pages

    Through vivid yet subtle symbols, the author weaves a complex web with which to showcase the narrator's oppressive upbringing. Two literary

    Read More

  • Love And Romantic Love In Shakespeare's Cyrano De Bergerac

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the beginning of fiction, authors have constantly exploited the one topic that is sure to secure an audience: love. From the tragic romance of Tristan and Isolde to the satirical misadventures in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, literature seems obsessed with deciphering the mysteries of affection. The concept most debated is the question of where the line falls between lust and love and what occurs when the two are combined, and few portray it more clearly than Edmund Rostand in his French drama Cyrano de Bergerac. The influence of fickle physical attraction and deep romantic love on each other are explored by the interactions of the four main characters: De Guiche, Christian, Roxane, and Cyrano.

    Read More

  • Saki'’s The Interlopers, Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, and Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

    4211 Words  | 9 Pages

    In three dynamic pieces of literature, the desperate yet hopeful characters gallantly endure the struggles of achieving their dreams as they experience the pain of desolation and the life-fulfilling happiness of a friendly companion. Through hostile resentment, the intense repulsion created by generations of territorial disputes tears apart two vengeful foes, Ulrich and Georg, in Saki’s captivating tale. Whereas in Remarque’s gory war novel, the pure terror of battle brutally slaughters the once innocent minds of soldiers as they undergo changes in their heart and soul within themselves. Although impervious to the influence of the reclusive residents tied to the ranch, as they quest for their shared aspirations, George and Lennie forge an invincible friendship in Steinbeck’s calamitous novelette.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Cheater's Guide To Love

    1087 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the short story “The Cheater’s Guide to Love” by Junot Diaz, the author pinpoints on the Yunior’s life as a writer and college professor who is also struggling with his romantic relationships. The short story is filled with his experiences of using women for his beneficial needs and how it negatively affects him. It focuses on Yunior’s downfall through life after the destruction of his relationship with his fiance. The diction includes the narrator’s hateful consideration of women and a paradox of his own endeavors which prevent him from pursuing a meaningful relationship, but he grows to realize that he treats women awfully and his ex did the right thing by leaving him due to his untruthfulness.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Love In Toni Morrison's Beloved

    1585 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Toni Morrison’s Beloved, love proves to be a dangerous and destructive force. Upon learning that Sethe killed her daughter, Beloved, Paul D warns Sethe “Your love is too thick” (193). Morrison proved this statement to be true, as Sethe’s intense passion for her children lead to the loss of her grasp on reality. Each word Morrison chose is deliberate, and each sentence is structured with meaning, which is especially evident in Paul D’s warning to Sethe. Morrison’s use of the phrase “too thick”, along with her short yet powerful sentence structure make this sentence the most prevalent and important in her novel. This sentence supports Paul D’s side on the bitter debate between Sethe and he regarding the theme of love. While Sethe asserts that the only way to love is to do so passionately, Paul D cites the danger in slaves loving too much. Morrison uses a metaphor comparing Paul D’s capacity to love to a tobacco tin rusted shut. This metaphor demonstrates how Paul D views love in a descriptive manner, its imagery allowing the reader to visualize and thus understand Paul D’s point of view. In this debate, Paul D proves to be right in that Sethe’s strong love eventually hurts her, yet Paul D ends up unable to survive alone. Thus, Morrison argues that love is necessary to the human condition, yet it is destructive and consuming in nature. She does so through the powerful diction and short syntax in Paul D’s warning, her use of the theme love, and a metaphor for Paul D’s heart.

    Read More

  • Homoerotic and Homophobic Possibilities in The Castle of Otranto

    1406 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sedgwick, Eve Kosofsky. Between Men: English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire. New York: Columbia UP, 1985.

    Read More

  • Tiny, Smiling Daddy

    1357 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gaitskill’s “Tiny, Smiling Daddy” focuses on the father and his downward spiral of feeling further disconnected with his family, especially his lesbian daughter, whose article on father-daughter relationships stands as the catalyst for the father’s realization that he’d wronged his daughter and destroyed their relationship. Carver’s “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” focuses on Mel and his attempt to define, compare, and contrast romantic love, while leaving him drunk and confused as he was before. While both of my stories explore how afflicted love traumatizes the psyche and seem to agree that love poses the greatest dilemma in life, and at the same time that it’s the most valued prospect of life, the two stories differ in that frustrated familial love causes Gaitskill's protagonist to become understandable and consequently evokes sympathy from the reader, but on the other hand frustrated romantic love does nothing for Carver's Protagonist, except keep him disconnected from his wife and leaving him unchanged, remaining static as a character and overall unlikable. In comparing “Tiny, Smiling Daddy” and “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”, together they suggest that familial love is more important than romantic love, which we relentlessly strive to achieve often forgetting that we’ll forever feel alone without familial love, arguably the origin of love itself.

    Read More

  • The Gargoyle

    1563 Words  | 4 Pages

    There exists no power as inexplicable as that of love. Love cannot be described in a traditional fashion; it is something that must be experienced in order for one to truly grasp its full enormity. It is the one emotion that can lead human beings to perform acts they are not usually capable of and to make sacrifices with no thought of the outcome or repercussions. Though love is full of unanswered questions and indescribable emotions, one of the most mystifying aspects of love is its timeless nature. Love is the one emotion, unlike superficial sentiments such as lust or jealousy, which can survive for years, or even generations. In the novel The Gargoyle, the author, Andrew Davidson, explores the idea of eternal love between two people, a union that spans over centuries spent both together and apart. Davidson, through the use of flashbacks, intricate plot development and foreshadowing, and dynamic characterization, creates a story that challenges the reader’s preconceived notions regarding whether eternal love can survive even when time’s inevitable grasp separates the individuals in question.

    Read More

  • Irresponsible Love in Anton Chekhov’s The Lady with the Dog

    1810 Words  | 4 Pages

    To some extent, the book can be labeled as immoral however, if anyone understands the role of literature to be the society’s mirror then the book’s readers can be persuaded to take it as a simple reflection of the social happenings. In order to rationally judge the irresponsibility and immorality of both the book and its characters, this paper ventures into itemized analysis of the two love birds and the author’s treatment of the themes of immorality and irresponsible behavior.

    Read More

  • Examining Family Relationships in Literature: Examining Antigone, The Odyssey, and The Iliad

    876 Words  | 2 Pages

    The human relationship can be interpreted as interpersonal or intimate; stemming from these two classifications are many of the reasons for characteristic development within human nature. By studying literary works we can glimpse into human behavior and learn what actually causes a person’s actions and downfalls. Many of these works have shown the effects a dominant and inferior relationship may cause, ranging from self-independence to parental influence. We’ve seen the defiance of rulers, the mimicking actions of father and son, the comparison of siblings, and the rebellion of a son.

    Read More

  • Familial Love Themes

    1369 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through the duration of this course there have been many themes influenced through the works of literature that have been read and analyzed. One major theme that has been discussed is that of love. Whether the love being romantic, fantasized, or familial as a class we have seen it all. The focus of this essay will be on the familial type of love. Familial love, an overwhelming theme in some of these stories, strikes a serious type of thought in the mind of any reader. The three main stories that will be focused on are “Fences,” Oedipus the King, and “My Papa”s Waltz.” These three stories are unique and each explains a completely different type of familial love. Familial love that will make the heart warm, the head strong, and the stomach churn.

    Read More

  • The Role of Women in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

    2504 Words  | 6 Pages

    Stephen's relationship with the opposite sex begins to develop early in his life. Within the first few pages of the novel lie hints of the different roles women will...

    Read More

More about Comparing Protagonists in Choke and Birdsong

Open Document