Through the use of un-naturalistic elements of the Greek chorus, beat and dramaturgical speech within How I Learned to Drive, Paula Vogel draws our attention to the language of characters, enabling the reader/viewer to critically explore how language leads, creates and is related to the event of pedophilia.
The language that circulates within Li’l Bits family environment leads Li’l Bit into the event of pedophilia. The readers’ attention is directed to the language through the utilisation of the Greek chorus which reflects the thoughts and language around Li’l Bit and the affect of this language in shaping Li’l Bit’s character and her relation to the event of pedophilia. For instance, Li’l Bit’s grandfather states, “What does she need a college degree for? She’s got all the credentials she’ll need on her chest” (Vogel 564). While her mother states that, “It won’t
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hurt...if the man loves you”, and the grandmother juxtaposes by stating “You will bleed like a stuck pig” (Vogel 579). Such sexual discourse formulises woman into sexual objects and sexual acts deemed to be terrifying, unless the man loves you, giving more weigh to a man feelings than Li’l Bit’s. It is also highlighted that it is up to women to maintain a moral line, as the Grandma dictates that “a woman with a skirt up can outrun a man with his pants down”(Vogel 579). The verbalization of these complex immoral mentalities through authoritative figures directs and orders Li’l Bit into the event of pedophilia, as she searches for a father figure in Peck, a man who listens to her and a man who constantly professes his love for her. Peck draws on Li’l Bit’s need to escape from the void created by a culture with no tradition and morals. Focus is given to his language through the use of ‘beats’, an extra diegetic sound which disrupts the flow of speech. His language theoretically reverses the power between himself and Li’l Bit in order to manipulate Li’l Bit according to his desires. This is achieved through rhetorical questions such as, “have I forced you to do anything?”, “do you want to go upstairs? Or home?”, “do you want something to happen?” (Vogel 572-3). Such questions are not only inappropriate but should not exist between a child and an adult, however the affect of such language is to transform Li’l Bit ironically into the active, in control sexual partner , while Peck remains passive. This is evident as Li’l Bit initiates the kiss followed by these questions creating the event of pedophilia. The relationship between the individual and the language that circulates society within which they stem from becomes evident through Li’l Bit’s own act of pedophilia.
Li’l Bit is socialised in a society where her grandmother was a child bride to an older man, which can also be concluded as act of pedophilia however it was socially acceptable. This norm transgresses across generations through the means of language as the grandmother states “it was legal what daddy and I did... fourteen was a grown woman” (Vogel 576). Reinforcing this mind-set is Peck’s paedophilic actions and language, shaping Li’l Bit’s tolerance for inappropriate sexual acts, as she grows up to create her own event of pedophilia, with a younger boy. Through dramaturgical speech the reader is drawn to her language as she observes, “after the second act climax...I lay on my back in the dark and thought about you, Uncle Peck...This is the allure...this is how the giver gets taken” (Vogel 578). As a result of the language within Li’l Bit’s environment she is transformed from being the victim of a pedophile to becoming the
pedophile.
After reading the passage, “Clover”, by Billy Lombardo, a reader is able to describe a particular character’s interactions and analyze descriptions of this individual. In the passage, “Clover”, is a teacher, Graham. He, in his classroom, shares something that had occurred that morning. In this passage, the author, Billy Lombardo, describes interaction, responses, and unique characteristics and traits of the key character, Graham.
In this extract, Bennett reveals the fate of all the boys, the eulogies told by ‘’Hector’s boys’’ seem to stem the realisation the true extent of Hector’s importance to the boys and how his lessons – though understood late, has managed to shape the boys and contribute to who they are at the ending of the play. The extract reflects an elegy in which we see Hector though obscured by his paedophilia, is a tragic ‘hero’ as he saves the boys from being lost in the system of clichéd education in which there is no individualism.
Back in 1990, a man named Gary Soto decided to write an autobiography about himself, titled A Summer Life. One of the more interesting portions of the book was when Mr. Soto described a summer day back when he was six years old. On that day, young Gary found out what it felt like to be a true sinner, as he stole an apple pie from the local bakery. Some readers found this as one of the more interesting parts, not because of the plot, but because of the literary devices used, such as detail, imagery, and pacing. The three aforementioned literary devices are almost a backbone to the story, because without those three, the story would be shortened and fairly bland. The following three paragraphs will each describe a literary devices used by Mr. Soto to enhance the quality of his story.
A person’s life is often a journey of study and learning from errors and mistakes made in the past. In both James Joyce’s Araby and John Updike’s A&P, the main characters, subjected to the events of their respective stories, are forced to reflect upon their actions which failed to accomplish their original goal in impressing another character. Evidently, there is a similar thematic element that emerges from incidents in both short stories, which show maturity as an arduous process of learning from failures and a loss of innocence. By analyzing the consequences of the interaction of each main character; the Narrator in Araby and Sammy in A&P; and their persons of infatuation, Mangan’s sister
As portrayed by her thoughts after sex in this passage, the girl is overly casual about the act of sex and years ahead of her time in her awareness of her actions. Minot's unique way of revealing to the reader the wild excursions done by this young promiscuous adolescent proves that she devalues the sacred act of sex. Furthermore, the manner in which the author illustrates to the reader these acts symbolizes the likeness of a list. Whether it's a list of things to do on the weekend or perhaps items of groceries which need to be picked up, her lust for each one of the boys in the story is about as well thought out and meaningful as each item which has carelessly and spontaneously been thrown on to a sheet of paper as is done in making a list. This symbolistic writing style is used to show how meaningless these relationships were, but the deeper meaning of why she acted the way she did is revealed throughout the story.
Paula Vogel’s play, How I Learned to Drive, artistically tackles the disturbing issue of incestual pedophilia. The play’s protagonist Li’l Bit narrates the action as she goes through her memory of specific events. Much like stream of consciousness, her narration does not lead chronologically to scenes in her past. Rather it jumps back and forth between the present and different points in her life. She tells of her memories of youth and her sexual and emotional relationship with her Uncle Peck. Rather than simply telling about her experiences, though, Li’l Bit shares her memories through vignettes which show the audience her role in the affair within the context of learning to drive (Greene 425).
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.
Watching her past lover marry a woman who is “good and pure” (25) rather than herself angers the speaker. Because she went against the norms of Victorian society, which is paralleled by the praise the neighbours place on her cousin for remaining pure. However, the speaker in “Cousin Kate” has a child with her former lover, and although she appears happy, she refers to her son not by name, but as subhuman reminder of her actions; “my shame” (45). The symbolic nature of this name shows the regret and humiliation she will carry for the remainder of her life, as birthing an illegitimate child has caused her to become even more of an outcast in Victorian
In this short story, we see the complexity of the characters and ultimately of human relationships. In life, we are all driven by different cravings and pleasures that eventually shape who we are. This part of life leads to complex situations. However, we can’t always say what’s on our mind, because of its inappropriate nature. In John Updike’s story, we witness Sammy narrating his mind of sexual thoughts and desires to us. Sammy says, “With the straps pushed off, there was nothing between the top of the suit and the top of her head except just her, this clean bare plane of the top of her chest down from the shoulder bones like a dented sheet of metal tilted in the light. I mean, it was more than pretty” (Updike 17). Right from the beginning, the narrator sets the tone for his viewpoint towards the girls. This quote signifies the narrator’s sexual fantasizing towards “Queenie”. Another issue that results in complexion is the maturity level of the characters. In this short story, Sammy is infatuated with these...
The human experience is riddled with unpalatable truths that we discover as we journey through life. Influencing our values and attitudes by deliberately challenging the reader with humanity’s unpalatable truths, Ian McEwan prompts the reader to consider our own moral compass through the character of Briony Tallis. During the course of ‘Atonement’, McEwan demonstrates that actions and words inevitably have consequences on not only the individual but also those surrounding them. Throughout the three fundamental stages of Briony’s complicated life, her coming of age story has developed in the unpalatable obstacle of atoning for her mistakes. In misunderstanding, Briony appears naive; she thinks she can control aspects of her own world, acting
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
As described in the book Paula Vogel by Joanna Mansbridge, negative empathy “works against conditioned moral responses by structuring an emotional connection to characters that, under normal circumstances, would be relatively categorized and dismissed” (7). Although society would normally mark and dismiss Uncle Peck as a pedophile, Vogel gives him a charming voice and demeanor that makes the audience question whether they should hate him. At the dinner table, he is the only family member to defend her, telling her grandpa to “let [his argument with her] go” and saying that he believes her college education will be “wonderful” (Vogel 14). In their family, Peck supports Li’l Bit as her only ally. He comforts her and seems to genuinely care for her. Furthermore, Li’l Bit does have some control in their relationship and abuses her power in a similar manner to him. Despite limiting his drinking in the past, on her eighteenth birthday she urges him to drink so that he does not “let a lady drink alone” (50). As a result, after she rejects his proposal, he spirals back into the alcoholism that she originally disrupted. The audience asks, “Is he an evil person, or does he just commit evil acts? Is he simply too weak to resist her?” If they decide he is not an evil person, then this lessens the gravity of his
Livy’s narration of the rape is different from Ovid’s as it clearly describes the effort put forth by Romulus to appease the women that were taken. Livy is able to develop the significance of the women taken by showing how his treatment of the gender roles is a direct reflection of what is acceptable in Rome, and that his narrative is not simply marital based but also has themes in the political and social realms. In the world today western culture recognizes persecution and oppression. Yet, the allegorical characterization of victims is not identified or taken as seriously. The Sabine woman are not viewed as victims for sexual innuendos in Livy’s tale. Instead they take the role of a counterfeit desire that seems ...
Abstract: This paper focuses on Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita. Specifically the argument discusses the need for reform within the classroom setting regarding student reaction and interpretation to the text. Class discussion involving Lolita tends to fall under a blanket of socially constructed presumptions that lend the discussion toward a shallow and judgmental reading of the text, and this tendency limits the discussion. This paper argues that, for a teacher attempting to teach this novel, it is important to limit the amount of emotionally reactionary responses and guide the class towards a more allegorical or symbolic representation of the text. This paper is intended for publication in College English, which is a bi-monthly periodical published by the National Council of Teachers of English.
In D. H. Lawrence’s The Virgin and the Gipsy, the character of the gipsy is much easier to define than that of the virgin. Virginity, in this novella, is something very different, and much more comprehensive, than simply lack of sexual experience. We usually associate virginity with purity, but Lawrence associates it much more closely with innocence—innocence and purity being mutually exclusive. Virginity is a state of primary selfishness and absence of control over one’s will. Losing one’s virginity is a process that must be gone through that does not involve an actual sex act, but sexual feeling can empower the will.