Throughout The Lovely Bones and Speak Alice Sebold and Jessica Sharzer respectively express the emotional journeys and boundaries faced by their characters. Both authors explore this idea through the restriction of their protagonist; however, they both express their journeys with the help of a secondary character. Different approaches are used by the authors, Sebold tells the story from the past whereas Sharzer provides a day-by-day diary of the emotional journey faced by Melinda. Both use the conclusion of their texts to heighten their characters emotional journeys. Sharzer’s ending provides a sense of relief and triumph, and Sebold creates a sense of happiness and acceptance. Aided by devices, notably symbolism, metaphors, narrative technique, stream of consciousness, editing techniques and imagery, Sebold and Sharzer endeavour to demonstrate the emotional journeys faced by their characters.
Both Sharzer and Sebold position their protagonists in situations where their ability to ‘speak’ is restricted; however, through the help of a secondary character, their journeys are expressed. Sharzer’s protagonist Melinda literally cannot speak as she becomes mute because she was raped; however, through her art teacher, Mr Freeman, Melinda is challenged to use her pain and fear to learn how to survive. The importance of Franny in The Lovely Bones is more apparent than Mr Freeman as her role is a ‘guide’ and ‘counsellor’ to Susie. Susie’s situation is quite different to that of Melinda’s. Susie’s inability to speak is because she is dead. This causes a great deal of emotional problems for Susie. Sebold uses Franny to provide support and advice to help Susie deal with her death and rape. The advice given by Franny to Susie is that ‘When t...
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...rotagonists Sharzer’s approach was less literal than Sebold’s. Sharzer’s ambiguous conclusion leaves the viewer uncertain about whether Melinda has gained peace as Melinda’s story is faded out and noises of the wind and birds become louder. Sharzer uses these sounds as nature is associated with being at peace this combined with an image of a healthy tree. Sharzer’s symbol shows that Melinda’s emotional journey is heightened through the expression of her story as well as the relief gained as everyone knows that she was raped so that she is finally at peace with herself. This is a cathartic moment for both Melinda and the audience; Sharzer’s timing allows viewers to feel the triumph and peace gained by the emotional release of the character. Both Sharzer and Sebold provide a sense of relief and peace in the ending for the emotional journey faced by their characters.
2. The author creates tone, which changes from peaceful and calm to horror. Words in the story like humorlessly and awkwardly help the reader feel the tension in the town. In the story, “She held her breath while her husband went forward” proved that the characters was dealing with ...
Point of view is a literary device that can be often overlooked, and yet, it has a huge impact on the novel Bone Gap, as it changes how the reader imagines the story. This is due to the unique way that each character is seeing and living the moments that are written on the pages. The literary device of point of view is very important, as when it changes, so does perception, giving the reader a fuller or lesser understanding of what is truly going
“The Lovely Bones” is a book written by Alice Sebold. It was published in 2002, and it’s about Susie Salmon, a girl that was murdered and no watches her family and murderer from her own heaven. She tries to balance her feeling and watch out for her family since her murderer is still free and with nobody knowing how dangerous he is. In 2009, a movie adapted from the book came out as well.
Having each story been written in a third-person narrative form, the reader knows the innermost feelings of the protagonists and watches the main characters change. The reader learns what Brown feels as he thinks to himself, “What a wretch I am to leave her on such an errand!” In “Where Are You Going,” the narrator supplies much of Connie’s feelings, such as in the first paragraph, “she knew she was pretty and that was everything.” However, in Young Goodman Brown, “point of view swings subtly between the narrator and the title character. As a result, readers are privy to Goodman Brown’s deepest, darkest thoughts, while also sharing an objective view of his behavior” (Themes and Construction: Young 2). Point of view of “Young Goodman Brown” contrasts with that of “Where Are You Going” because “This narrative voice stays closely aligned to Connie’s point of view” (Themes and Construction: Where 2). Despite the subtle contrast, both points of view allow the reader to see the changes in Brown and Connie; Brown loses his faith and Connie loses herself. Point of view also affects how the reader sees other chara...
The genre is “fiction, a supernatural thriller, and a bildungsroman” (Key Facts, 1). The Lovely Bones is written in first person. The novel is said to be complex, a distant place, and then a time of grieving from a loss of an innocent child who was murdered (Guardian, 1). The view of Heaven presented in The Lovely Bones is where you do not have to worry about anything, you get what you want, and understand why you want it. In this novel, Suzie teaches her family what she had learned from her life. The climax of the novel is when Suzie is able to achieve her dream to grow up when Heaven allows her to inhabit Ruth’s body and then make love Ray (Key Facts, 1). One fact about the novel The Lovely Bones is that the beginning of the book is famous for its intense descriptions on Suzie Salmon’s rape that she had to endure. It has been said from many people that The Lovely Bones is the most successful novel since Gone with the Wind (Spring, 1). The Lovely Bones was on the best-seller lists for several months in 2002 (Alice,
The Lovely Bones’s combination of themes work together to expose the raw emotion of a family in pain over the death of a precious loved one. The first and most significant theme to be presented in the novel is that of mortality. Throughout the novel, as Susie looks back over her violent death and its effects on her family, she makes a point that when someone dies, that person's desires and needs pass over with them into the afterlife (Thomas). For example, from watching her sister and Ruth Connor, she realizes that the concept of love is something she still wishes she could have, even in heaven. Her sister Lindsey meets a boy by the name of Samuel, and Ruth grows closer to Susie's first real crush, Ray Singh. These observations by Susie almost
Death: the action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism. It is scientific. Straight down to the facts. Something is born, it lives, and it dies. The cycle never stops. But what toll does death take on those around it? The literary world constantly attempts to answer this vital question. Characters from a wide realm of novels experience the loss of a loved one, and as they move on, grief affects their every step. In The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, the roles of Lindsey, Abigail, and Ruth all exhibit the effect of dealing with death over time; the result is a sizable amount of change which benefits a person’s spirit.
Appealing to the reader’s emotions through stories is a commonly used technique, and Scelfo uses it beautifully. She starts the article out by introducing the reader to a young girl named Kathryn Dewitt. Whether they mean to or not, the reader develops some kind of emotional connection to this young girl. They feel as if they are a part of the story, for when
“Hope and fear are inseparable. There is no hope without fear, nor any fear without hope” (François de la Rochefoucauld). One of the many defining qualities of human existence is the ability to experience emotions. Among them, hope and fear may be two of the most commanding. The balance of the two and the influence they have on a person, as well as each other, is imperative to one’s personality, behavior, resolutions. Authors use the contrast of hope and fear to create a character out of thin air. By applying these to emotions to a flat character, he or she is sculpted into a complexly depicted person. Both Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Sandra Cisneros use this technique to create their main characters. The narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper and
Characters from different sources of literature can often be linked together and seem to have the same feelings, background, moral standing, or struggles. They may experience the same hardships, driving them to suffering, which other characters in literature encounter. In the book Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee, the main character was told from the age of seven the hardships she would encounter in her lifetime (Mukherjee 3).
Throughout the film, The Lovely Bones, the viewer catches a glimpse of how successful the movie is in portraying the theme of death. Though, the film is different in a few ways, one way being when Susie mentions all of Mr. Harvey’s victims.
Maggie Kuhn, an activist who spent her life fighting for human rights, always spoke up, just like Melinda decided to do, "Speak your mind even if your voice shakes.” Melinda spoke her mind after she finds herself at the end of summer party, where she gets raped by Andy Evans, whom she figures out is a senior at her high school. She called the police, but everybody believes she did it for the wrong reasons. In the book Speak, there is one character, Melinda Sordino who has an extremely hard start to freshman year yet displays courage throughout the whole thing.
...ore aware of the fact that a child, like Wilbur, will associate words with themselves by believing he has to become what is said about him. At the same time, children learn to be humble when receiving compliments. Furthermore, readers recognize that, just as the other characters in the story display, most people’s perception of words are a way to reflect the personality and qualities someone possesses. To be good parents, they should use words as Charlotte does; they should choose words for their meaning and with a purpose in mind. In the case of this novel, Charlotte uses words to save Wilbur from death and to teach him not to let compliments consume his ego. Parents are reminded that they should act as narrators in their children’s life like Charlotte who is the background voice that allows Wilbur to take the stage as she weaves the words that entrap the readers.
Life happens in first-person. People struggle to ascertain each other’s thoughts and desires because of our natural opacity. However, as we develop relationships, we discover the personality of others. In literature, authors attempt to create similar connections and links between readers and characters through their points of view and narrative techniques. This empathy and emotional connection assists the author in conveying the novel’s central meaning. A first-person point of view allows the reader to create a connection to the narrator, but a third-person omniscient establishes connections with each of the characters. This connection deepens as the author exposes the characters’ backgrounds. In Beloved, Toni Morrison narrates the story primarily from a third-person omniscient point of view. However, since the narration begins in medias res, or in the middle of the story, Morrison writes with frequent flashbacks so readers can relate more deeply with the main characters. She also shifts into stream of consciousness narration for a small section, allowing further exploration of the minds of Sethe, Denver, and Beloved. Morrison’s variety of narrative techniques illuminates the minds of the characters in the novel, slowly exposes their turbid, pain-filled past, and explores their struggle to find their identity.
...ifetime of bliss. By tracing this development, perhaps modern day heroines can learn to utilize their own inner strengths, overcome great hardships, and gain a new perspective. Through the study of gothic fiction, aspiring novelists can learn how to create a character arc for their female characters which revolves around her own agency as opposed to the acquirement of a significant other. In addition to aspiring writers learning how to create female characters with more agency, the readers can also benefit by taking the lessons learnt by these heroines and apply it to their own lives. Many modern day women are told to put themselves last. Perhaps through reading stories about women who dared to go against the norm, modern women can learn the importance of putting themselves first. By doing so, perhaps we can prove that happy endings exist outside of fiction.