In this excerpt from Alice Munro's story or novel, the writer sure does a good job at showin' the narrator's different mental states. Through the background and situation, Munro sets up a feelin' of bein' all alone and trapped, with the narrator rememberin' childhood memories mixed up with snowstorms and big physical events. As we keep readin', the narrator's thoughts and feelings change, showin' how their mental state ain't steady. At first, they think 'bout fun memories with their sister, but then they start havin' trouble fallin' asleep, which makes 'em all restless and uneasy. Strange thoughts start creepin' in, 'til the narrator admits that they've even thought 'bout hurtin' their sister, which is a real shocker. This inner battle between …show more content…
The language goes from nostalgic and descriptive to broken and confused, matchin' the narrator's decline in mental health. The sentences get short and choppy, with abrupt changes, just like the narrator's racin' thoughts and inner turmoil. There's lots of powerful imagery and symbols, like the real black trees and the contrast between familiar places and growin' danger, making the story even more intense. Repeated words and phrases, like "why not" and "the worst," make the thoughts seem more intrusive. In Alice Munro's "Night," the author skillfully captures the narrator's diverse mental states by employing various literary techniques. Background and situation play a pivotal role in understanding the narrator's psychological condition. The passage describes the narrator's dwelling and its surroundings, including the front and back lawns, the pump handle, and the clothesline. The narrator's nightly strolls and struggle with insomnia indicate a mind filled with restlessness and internal turmoil. The mention of birdsong and the gradual brightening of the sky signify the passage of time and the imminent arrival of morning, underscoring the narrator's sleep
The author illustrates the “dim, rundown apartment complex,” she walks in, hand and hand with her girlfriend. Using the terms “dim,” and “rundown” portrays the apartment complex as an unsafe, unclean environment; such an environment augments the violence the author anticipates. Continuing to develop a perilous backdrop for the narrative, the author describes the night sky “as the perfect glow that surrounded [them] moments before faded into dark blues and blacks, silently watching.” Descriptions of the dark, watching sky expand upon the eerie setting of the apartment complex by using personification to give the sky a looming, ominous quality. Such a foreboding sky, as well as the dingy apartment complex portrayed by the author, amplify the narrator’s fear of violence due to her sexuality and drive her terror throughout the climax of the
The timeline carries on chronologically, the intense imagery exaggerated to allow the poem to mimic childlike mannerisms. This, subjectively, lets the reader experience the adventure through the young speaker’s eyes. The personification of “sunset”, (5) “shutters”, (8) “shadows”, (19) and “lamplights” (10) makes the world appear alive and allows nothing to be a passing detail, very akin to a child’s imagination. The sunset, alive as it may seem, ordinarily depicts a euphemism for death, similar to the image of the “shutters closing like the eyelids”
“It was a large, beautiful room, rich and picturesque in the soft, dim light which the maid had turned low. She went and stood at an open window and looked out upon the deep tangle of the garden below. All the mystery and witchery of the night seemed to have gathered there amid the perfumes and the dusky and tortuous outlines of flowers and foliage. She was seeking herself and finding herself in just such sweet half-darkness which met her moods. But the voices were not soothing that came to her from the darkness and the sky above and the stars. They jeered and sounded mourning notes without promise, devoid even of hope. She turned back into the room and began to walk to and fro, down its whole length, without stopping, without resting. She carried in her hands a thin handkerchief, which she tore into ribbons, rolled into a ball, and flung from her. Once she stopped, and taking off her wedding ring, flung it upon the carpet. When she saw it lying there she stamped her heel upon it, striving to crush it. But her small boot heel did not make an indenture, not a mark upon the glittering circlet.
His outside actions of touching the wall and looking at all the names are causing him to react internally. He is remembering the past and is attempting to suppress the emotions that are rising within him. The first two lines of the poem set the mood of fear and gloom which is constant throughout the remainder of the poem. The word choice of "black" to describe the speaker's face can convey several messages (502). The most obvious meaning ... ...
Book Review of Night and Dawn "Never shall I forget that night, the first night in the camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live.
As he slouches in bed, a description of the bare trees and an old woman gathering coal are given to convey to the reader an idea of the times and the author's situation. "All groves are bare," and "unmarried women (are) sorting slate from arthracite." This image operates to tell the reader that it is a time of poverty, or a "yellow-bearded winter of depression." No one in the town has much to live for during this time. "Cold trees" along with deadness, through the image of "graves," help illustrate the author's impression of winter. Wright seems to be hibernating from this hard time of winter, "dreaming of green butterflies searching for diamonds in coal seams." This conveys a more colorful and happy image showing what he wishes was happening; however he knows that diamonds are not in coal seams and is brought back to the reality of winter. He talks of "hills of fresh graves" while dreaming, relating back to the reality of what is "beyond the streaked trees of (his) window," a dreary, povern-strucken, and cold winter.
“Well, Alice, my father said, if it had to happen to one of you, I’m glad it was you and not your sister” (57). Even though Alice was the victim of the horrid crime, she had to stabilize her own emotions, so that she could help her sister cope with this tragedy. Throughout Alice’s childhood, Jane struggled with alcoholism and panic attacks. “I wished my mother were normal, like other moms, smiling and caring, seemingly, only for her family” (37).
Night is dangerous to all people and even in a fort-like hall, warriors sleep with “each man’s kit kept at hand” (1244). However, the morning relieves all endangered men by unveiling all hidden dangers and monsters. “The hall towered, gold-shingled and gabled, and the guest slept in it until the black raven with raucous glee announced Heaven’s joy, and a hurry of brightness overran the shadows” (1799-1803). The morning renders everyone relieved that light returns and casts them into a safe net of luminescence. Day symbolizes safety and reassurance in the book, an important proponent of everyone’s desire to feel secure. Without shouting or making any noise, light awakens the lands, frightens evil, and protects the unsheltered. Darkness hides danger, thieves, and evil in its black cloaks of hidden malice.
Dreams and Letters are often seen in Alice Munro's stories as a way to further enhance the plot. Dreams are seen in "Runaway", while letters are seen in "Hateship, Friendship", as well as "Runaway". Dreams and letters in Alice Munro's stories add a sense of suspense and allows the audience to seem closer with the characters since most oppressed people would be able to write freely about how they feel. Alice Munro uses this to learn more about the characters and to be able to go through the characters' inner feelings. However, other people are able to mask their current situation through the letters they send to others. While dreams allow the plot to seem more mysterious
Death can both be a painful and serious topic, but in the hands of the right poet it can be so natural and eloquently put together. This is the case in The Sleeper by Edgar Allan Poe, as tackles the topic of death in an uncanny way. This poem is important, because it may be about the poet’s feelings towards his mother’s death, as well as a person who is coming to terms with a loved ones passing. In the poem, Poe presents a speaker who uses various literary devices such as couplet, end-stopped line, alliteration, image, consonance, and apostrophe to dramatize coming to terms with the death of a loved one.
She continues in this sequel to talk about the abuse she faced and the dysfunction that surrounded her life as a child and as a teen, and the ‘empty space’ in which she lived in as a result. She talks about the multiple personalities she was exhibiting, the rebellious “Willie” and the kind “Carol”; as well as hearing noises and her sensory problems. In this book, the author puts more emphasis on the “consciousness” and “awareness” and how important that was for her therapeutic process. She could not just be on “auto-pilot” and act normal; the road to recovery was filled with self-awareness and the need to process all the pieces of the puzzle—often with the guidance and assistance of her therapist. She had a need to analyze the abstract concept of emotions as well as feelings and thoughts. Connecting with others who go through what she did was also integral to her
Darkness is used throughout the story as the prevailing theme. James Joyce's story begins at dusk and continues through the evening during the winter. in the Araby of Ireland. He chooses this gloomy setting to be the home of a young boy. who is infatuated with his neighbors sister.
“Its deserted streets are a potent symbol of man and nature 's indifference to the individual. The insistence of the narrator on his own self-identity is in part an act of defiance against a constructed, industrial world that has no place for him in its order” (Bolton). As the poem continues on, the narrator becomes aware of his own consciousness as he comes faces nature and society during his walk. He embraces nature with the rain, dark and moon but he also reinforces his alienation from society as he ignores the watchman and receives no hope of cries for him. The societal ignorance enforces our belief that he is lonely on this gloomy night. “When he passes a night watchman, another walker in the city with whom the speaker might presumably have some bond, he confesses, ‘I… dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.’ Likewise, when he hears a voice in the distance, he stops in his tracks--only to realize that the voice is not meant "to call me back or say goodbye" (Bolton). The two times he had a chance to interact with the community, either he showed no interest in speaking or the cry wasn’t meant for him. These two interactions emphasize his loneliness with the
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Long Day's Journey into Night.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. n.d.. Web. 6 Jan. 2014. .
O’Neill had a great amount of turmoil in his life and the Long Day’s Journey Into Night story reflected perfectly the fogginess and daze he lived through. His dark life experiences have given him a rich, emotionally charged place, from which to write. The fog serves as a tool to paint the dreary picture and symbolize this darkness through his plays.