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Symbolism as a literary tool essay
Significance of symbolism in literature
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One of the main themes of Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt is the idea that while searching for the truth of a subject the researchers becomes possessed by their search. Byatt uses many characters as a vehicle for this idea, but the best character that illustrates this would be Mortimer Cropper. Mortimer Cropper is a Randolph Henry Ash scholar. Randolph Henry Ash is one of the most renowned poets in the novel. He is very famous and is an inspiration and influence to many of the poets in the modern age. Mortimer Cropper is the biggest collector and most well-known Ash scholar. He spends his live obsessed with anything having to do with Randolph Ash. From the start of the novel Mortimer Cropper is introduced as a very intimidating and possessive character. When new Ash artifacts are found and his rival Blackadder finds out of them he talks about Cropper immediately by saying “Cropper will have been through [the artifacts] with a tooth comb [already]”(Byatt 35). This shows just how possessed with his work Cropper really is. New artifacts, that no one has ever seen, of Randolph Henry Ash have been found and already it is thought that Cropper has, not only seen then but, already examined them with “tooth comb.” Jackie, Buxton writer of the scholarly article on possession What’s Love Got to Do with It? writes “Possession also exhibits a postmodern obsession with "the question of how we can come to know the past today”. The American academic, Mortimer Cropper, seeks to own the past by accumulating its material artifacts”(Buxton). This shows just how large Cropper’s obsession with Ash can be. Even a Possession scholar identifies this as worth mentioning. Cropper wants to own the past by collection thing that belonged to Ash. Cropper ha...
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...e could, even rob a grave, to get the full truth of Ash’s story he won’t be able to ever truly finish it. This makes the themes that revolves around Cropper very satirical and even funny. All his greatest efforts will never allow him to finish the story. In conclusion Byatt uses Cropper as a vehicle for the theme of research possession. She does an excellent job at doing this. The theme is completely fulfilled with Cropper. She even makes Croppers last parts in the novel make him seem desperate and an inadequate scholar. This is what makes the theme fulfilled in the story; a scholar as possessed and taken by his search will go through any kind of thing to get the full truth. Byatt even makes the whole theme funny at the end by making Croppers degrading attempt to find the whole truth worthless. He will never be able to find the end of the story, no scholar ever will.
Relationships are the building block for personality and are significant in children’s ability to grow into substantial individuals who can thrive in an often harsh world. Constructing lasting and fulfilling relationships is an integral part to development as the interpersonal bonds forged are not only highly sought after but also set the ground work for all upcoming expressive interactions. Relationships and attachment go hand in hand as attachment is the strong and lasting linkage established between a child and his or her caregiver. Moreover, attachment significantly influences a large capacity of ones make up as it these first relationships that teaches morals, builds self-esteem, and develops a support system. The pioneers of Attachment Theory realized early on that human beings are not solely influenced by drives but that the earliest bonds formed by children with their caregivers greatly impact their ability to forge lasting relationships later in life. John Bowlby was first to introduce this theory to the masses in the 1950’s, and later Mary Ainsworth conducted further research to expand on Bowlby’s theory which proclaims that attachment is a “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings” (Bowlby, 1969, p. 194). The attachment bond theory by both Bowlby and Ainsworth focuses on the significance of the relationship between babies and their caretakers which research has suggested is accountable for influencing impending interactions, firming or injuring our capabilities to concentrate, being aware of our emotional states, self-soothing capabilities, and the capacity to be resilient in the face of hardship. Additionally, this research has provided a framework for assisting in describing these att...
These are the philosophical conclusions the narrator comes to and then summarises in the coda. This essentially states that archaeology is unimportant due to its failure to capture the human spirit. The archaeologist himself, therefore, might be a personification of archaeologists or archaeology as a whole. Exact details about his study are not included, and the ambiguity of his conclusions, the most emphasized fact, applies to all ancient history. Personification of concepts or large groups are present the poem: e.g. "the criminal in us." This simplifies the concepts being referred to, both making them more accessible, and expressing them in fewer words. Therefore, doing this tightens the structure of the poem. The archaeologist’s inability to answer the questions posed by the narrator both parallels his lack of awareness of the narrator's viewpoint, and discredits him to the audience. This vindicates the narrator's final dismissal of 'history'. The narrator, of course, can only make discoveries if they are a character themself, with a unique perspective which may or may not reflect the authors. If not, they are a persona used to consider an issue from a new perspective. The visibility of the narrator is demonstrated through their use of colloquial language - "that's a stumper". In the coda and title, attention is also
Essex Hemphill was a gay African American poetry writer. He focused on issues like identity, race, sexuality, AIDS, and his family throughout his poems. The poem “Commitments” was published in his book “Ceremonies” in 1992. This poem he wrote to show his relationships with his family and how he keeps his sexuality a secret from them. Essex Hemphill uses detailed imagery, repetition, and symbolism in “Commitments” to illustrate that on the outside he makes everything appear normal, but on the inside he feels alone because his family does not understand him or his sexuality.
Ordinary People by Judith Guest is the story of a dysfunctional family who relate to one another through a series of extensive defense mechanisms, i.e. an unconscious process whereby reality is distorted to reduce or prevent anxiety. The book opens with seventeen year old Conrad, son of upper middle-class Beth and Calvin Jarrett, home after eight months in a psychiatric hospital, there because he had attempted suicide by slashing his wrists. His mother is a meticulously orderly person who, Jared, through projection, feels despises him. She does all the right things; attending to Jared's physical needs, keeping a spotless home, plays golf and bridge with other women in her social circle, but, in her own words "is an emotional cripple". Jared's father, raised in an orphanage, seems anxious to please everyone, a commonplace reaction of individuals who, as children, experienced parental indifference or inconsistency. Though a successful tax attorney, he is jumpy around Conrad, and, according to his wife, drinks too many martinis. Conrad seems consumed with despair. A return to normalcy, school and home-life, appear to be more than Conrad can handle. Chalk-faced, hair-hacked Conrad seems bent on perpetuating the family myth that all is well in the world. His family, after all, "are people of good taste. They do not discuss a problem in the face of the problem. And, besides, there is no problem." Yet, there is not one problem in this family but two - Conrad's suicide and the death by drowning of Conrad's older brother, Buck. Conrad eventually contacts a psychiatrist, Dr. Berger, because he feels the "air is full of flying glass" and wants to feel in control. Their initial ses...
Engle, Steven, ed. “Symbolism in The Catcher in the Rye.” Readings on The Catcher in the
...s to live and experience as much as you can in the short time you are allotted. He shows how art can help an individual experience moments of exhilaration, but he also warns that one should connect to the innate beauty of art rather than impose their own morality into art. Though Dorian Gray fails to separate his own morality from art he is the character that most accurately illustrates Pater’s philosophy. Henry does illustrate the ideals of Pater’s philosophy through his dialogue, but the reader must not ignore Basil’s firm belief against Henry’s dedication to the words that he preaches. As Dorian embodies the ideals of Pater he also shows the dangerous side of Pater’s philosophy. Pater’s philosophy is not naturally corrupt, but when Dorian chooses to ignore morality through the murder of Basil he shows the wicked extremes to which Pater’s philosophy can be taken.
Susto, fright or soul loss is a folk illness mainly composes of symptoms of depression, weakness, and loss of appetite. It primarily reflects in Latin Americans cultures, but mostly Indian communities, especially Mexicans. Although, other cultures may suffer from similar symptoms it might not relate to susto. This reading focus on modern descriptions of the cultures affected and the symptoms they present. Also, describes the methods used to revoke the effects of susto on the individual. This investigation focuses primarily on the interviewing of individuals originally from Latin Americans, who have knowledge of susto or agonized from it; and the methods used by the curandero (a) to help the “patient”. The following research paper will response some question regarding the causes, symptoms and syndrome of susto, fright or soul loss.
...e entryway due to excessive amounts of what they defined to be “solid masses of debris” (Penzel). The Collyer residence was crammed to the brim with over two thousand dusty books, five pianos, dressmaking dummies, bundles of newspapers and boxes upon boxes of miscellaneous clutter (Penzel). It took police multiple attempts to even begin to locate the deceased body of Mr. Langley Collyer amongst the disorder. It was clear that his disorder had not only taken over Collyer’s life, but due to immense filth, reclusiveness, and secrecy, it had taken it as well.
What is the relationship between ownership and self identity/development? This is a extremely complicated question. There are many theories trying to answer this question, such as, Plato 's claim the "owning objects is detrimental to a person 's character", whereas Aristotle argues that "ownership of tangible goods helps to develop moral character." To answer this question we must first ask, what is ownership? If this question is asked to friends, relatives, even strangers, we will receive many similar answers to this question. People will say something along the lines of, "the possession of an object" or "to be in control of something". However, we must then dive deeper into the question and ask ourselves, can we really possess an object if it can be taken
“Those who care for others… live a life , in a divine way, above others” -Anonymous. Even as small children, we are taught to treat others as we would like to be treated, but as we grow older, the world becomes more complex, and the length to which we should stretch ourselves for others becomes unclear. Some people may believe that one must always put others first, while others put other people’s worries and safety far behind their own. Throughout this year I have gathered artifacts, some support these theories, while others do not, and a rew support my own theory. I believe that the most healthy and appropriate way to approach this moral grey area is to always consider other’s needs and feelings, but you must also consider your needs and know
Developing a sense of self is an essential part of every individual in which each person's self-conception is a unique combination of multiple identifications, composed of gender, race, class and language. Although self-identity is a part of every individual, it is often lost when individuals migrate to another country. Hispanic women migrating to the Borderlands of the United States and Mexico experience a number of events, it begins with a sense of stigmatization, that arises from their race, culture, tradition and language, which differ from that of the pre-dominant Anglo-Saxon. This rejection impacts their identity, creating a sense of loss, dislocation, alienation, and isolation. How do these women living in the borderlands battle against
Ownership is much different when put amongst other ideas and categories, it is related in regards to something that the person owns, now what is owning exactly? Own is defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary as, “belonging to oneself or itself”, this can be used when applied to possessing something, such as a piece of property, the person owns it and it belongs to them because they have signed the deed and all of that garbage. However, what is the thing that people call, owning the self, is there a difference between the sense of self and ownership, this is where the personal opinion steps into the picture. The sense of self is basically one’s perception of himself, for example, this person, may not know who he is, but he may have a thought on who he may be, the question is how can someone own their person, or is there truly such a thing? Self is definitely similar to ownership, therefore to be able to see this, one must use, personality, characteristics, and perception are used to find that the two are in fact close in similarities.
The concept of self-ownership was developed when philosophers such as John Locke began contemplating about human rights. The concept states that individuals are entitled to and in control of their own bodies. This is significant because it means that no one should be a slave. “By nature we are free and independent beings, not subjected to parental authority or the divine rights of kings. Since we are by nature all free, equal, and independent, no one can be put out of this estate, and be subjected to the political power of another, without his own consent.”(Right Thing To Do, pg. 214) Owning one’s body means that the person can do what he or she desires with their abilities and talents. “According to this argument, all citizens have a duty to serve their country.” (Right Thing to Do, pg.
The need to belong somewhere, to possess a sense of root and belonging are main elements of the pursuit for positive identity in today’s societies. The present popularity of tracing family history and genealogy points towards this necessity. Identity originates from a person’s culture and corresponding influences on factors such as gender. As Moghissi (2003) says that, identity is usually created in relation to others. International students are exposed to a physical, social and culture environment that is drastically dissimilar from their origin. In trying to be familiar with a different environment, they frequently face transitions in the constructs of their self-identity (Brown and Brown, 2013). these transitions come from their socialization as international educators. According to research, the majority of the educators tend to sustain a strong identity as their country’s citizens. However, there are changes to the combination or the relative scale of their identity constructs. This essay will explain the term identity in reference to overseas learners. It examines how culture, gender and age are likely to influence the concept of international students’ self-identity.
“Jesus’ death, he said, broke down the temple barriers, dismantling the dividing walls of hostility that had separated categories of people. Grace found a way” (Yancey). Throughout this class I was constantly reminded of this undeserved gift of grace that we receive on a daily basis, and how we play a role in extending grace to others. I have been challenged to become more flexible in situations where it is hard to extend grace to the undeserving, but this class has helped me understand grace through a new perspective, one that puts my own desires aside in order to be the creation God intended me to be. Grace is not only something we receive as a gift but it 's a gift that I can give to others.