Surviving Privation: Frenchie’s Journey in The Marrow Thieves In a world where the line between civilization and chaos grows thinner by the minute, dystopian literature serves as both a warning and a reflection of our biggest fears and desires. Among the countless themes that take place in these crucial environments, none is more haunting than privation—the constant stripping away of humans’ basic necessities and comforts. In The Marrow Thieves, by Cherie Dimaline, the novel follows a group of Indigenous people on the risk of being hunted by the recruiters for their bone marrow; the key to restoring dreams in a world where they become on the verge of being extinct. Privation is a central theme woven into the narrative, impacting the main character, Frenchie (a 16-year-old Indigenous boy who recently lost his entire family), both …show more content…
His encounter with a moose becomes an upsetting metaphor for his inner struggle. In this scene, Frenchie goes hunting with the other male members of the group. He finds himself confronted by a moose as he hides in the trees. As the moose observes Frenchie, his thoughts reveal the true impact of deprivation: “The moose watches all this play out on my face, a dirty boy tangled in the roots of an upended tree, hiding from the world, hiding from memories of a family and days without pursuit” (Dimaline 49). This passage captures the psychological impact of being stripped of human necessities. Without the ability to access basic hygiene, Frenchie’s self-perception as a “dirty boy” demonstrates the dehumanizing effects of privation. Stripped of dignity, he belittles himself, and the absence of cleanliness consumes his self-worth, leaving him vulnerable to self-hatred. Frenchie’s tangled existence—both physically and emotionally—mirrors the roots of the upended
Michael Patrick MacDonald lived a frightening life. To turn the book over and read the back cover, one might picture a decidedly idyllic existence. At times frightening, at times splendid, but always full of love. But to open this book is to open the door to Southie's ugly truth, to MacDonald's ugly truth, to take it in for all it's worth, to draw our own conclusions. One boy's hell is another boy's playground. Ma MacDonald is a palm tree in a hurricane, bending and swaying in the violent winds of Southie's interior, even as things are flying at her head, she crouches down to protect her children, to keep them out of harms way. We grew up watching Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow and Peanuts. Michael Patrick MacDonald grew up watching violence, sadness and death.
In the opening passage of Tomson Highway’s Kiss of the Fur Queen, Abraham Okimasis, a caribou hunter participating in an intense race, strives to reach the finish line with his exhausted self and huskies. Although the chance of success is slim, he perpetuates. Through the use of literary devices, Highway captures Okimasis’ breathless experience during the race; notably, he emphasizes the significance of past promises in empowering one to overcome obstacles to reach his or her ultimate goal.
Nowlan's sympathy for the moose and his disgust for mankind is forcefully expressed in a natural free verse. This poem calls us to rethink the arrogant self-righteousness we hold toward Nature. By fencing ourselves in, perhaps we shut ourselves away from those qualities necessary to make us truly human.
First of all, Mr.Hillard’s jealousy destroys his relationship with his wife. At one point in the story he suspects his wife, and she questions, “I don’t know why you keep staring at me. You’re frightening me” (Callaghan 22). The author use of diction shows the reader how Mr.Hillard’s jealousy keeps him suspicious, so he habitually spies on his wife. His wife notices this, and begins to become afraid of him, showing how weak their relationship has become as a result of Mr.Hillard’s jealousy. This shows how jealousy can destroy romantic relationships. Furthermore, the author uses Mrs.Hillard’s isolation from society to convey the theme, “he insisted that they move out to the country and renovate the old farmhouse. There they lived like two scared prisoners in the house that was screened from the lane by three old oak trees” (Callaghan 20). The author uses the simile “like two scared prisoners” to show how Mr.Hillard and wife like prisoners are isolated and locked up from the rest of the world. One can view Mr.Hillard as a hunter, both living in a forest and closely guarding their possessions. Clearly, Mr.Hillard treats his wife as a possession and becomes jealous when she talks to other men, due to this, “He insist[s] they move out to the country]”. Evidently, he is scared that someone will take his possession which is why he is so doubtful of her actions and is keen on secluding her from society. Further, the author uses symbolism “the house was screened from the lane by three old oak trees to reinforce the idea that they are secluded from society. This is because, the three old oak trees symbolize how they are cut off from society. This all adds up, to the idea that Mr.Hillard’s jealousy destroys Mrs.Hillard’s social relationships as he keeps her hidden from
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.
Into the wild is a non-fiction book which expanded from the nine-thousand-word article by Jon Krakauer. This article ran in the January 1993 issue of the magazine Outside. Jon Krakauer was very much drawn toward the tale of McCandless and decided to write his story. He spent more than a year tracking down the details of the boy’s tramp. Then he used matter-of-fact tones to narrate what he chased on the path about the boy. The framework presented in this book can be separated into three parts: (1) retracing, including the interview with most of the important people who once kept company with Chris; (2) wildness, presenting mails generated from readers and several idealists that were in the similar situation with Chris; (3) affection, including the memory of parents, sister and friends.
The setting takes place mostly in the woods around Andy’s house in Pennsylvania. The season is winter and snow has covered every inch of the woods and Andy’s favorite place to be in, “They had been in her dreams, and she had never lost' sight of them…woods always stayed the same.” (327). While the woods manage to continually stay the same, Andy wants to stay the same too because she is scared of growing up. The woods are where she can do manly activities such as hunting, fishing and camping with her father. According to Andy, she thinks of the woods as peaceful and relaxing, even when the snow hits the grounds making the woods sparkle and shimmer. When they got to the campsite, they immediately started heading out to hunt for a doe. Andy describes the woods as always being the same, but she claims that “If they weren't there, everything would be quieter, and the woods would be the same as before. But they are here and so it's all different.” (329) By them being in the woods, everything is different, and Andy hates different. The authors use of literary elements contributes to the effect of the theme by explaining what the setting means to Andy. The woods make Andy happy and she wants to be there all the time, but meanwhile the woods give Andy a realization that she must grow up. Even though the woods change she must change as
The Marrow of Tradition brings awareness to many issues of race, class and power. The most fascinating aspect of this book is the depiction of racial as well as interracial struggles. Chesnutt made most of the inconsistencies inherent. Through his use of main characters and secondary characters, foreshadowing and conflict Chesnutt depicts the contradictory standards for who is white. This is still apparent today although in very different forms and it is often disregarded. But this is present more through the oppression of race of certain people that identify as things they are not. Through his use of the definitional dilemma of what is the White Man Chesnutt brings to light an issue that years later (today) is still alive although slowly being conquered.
Misery, trauma, and isolation all have connections to the war time settings in “The Thing in the Forest.” In the short story, A.S. Byatt depicts elements captured from both fairy tale and horror genres in war times. During World War II, the two young girls Penny and Primrose endure the 1940s Blitz together but in different psychological ways. In their childhood, they learn how to use gas masks and carry their belongings in oversized suitcases. Both Penny and Primrose suffer psychologically effects by being isolated from their families’ before and after the war. Byatt depicts haunting effects in her short story by placing graphic details on the girls’ childhood experiences. Maria Margaronis, an author of a critical essay entitled “Where the Wild Things Are,” states that “Byatt’s tales of the supernatural depend on an almost hallucinatory precision for their haunting effects.” The hallucinatory details Byatt displays in her story have an almost unbelievable psychological reality for the girls. Penny and Primrose endure the psychological consequences and horrifying times during the Blitz along with the magical ideas they encounter as children. As adults they must return to the forest of their childhood and as individuals and take separate paths to confront the Thing, acknowledge its significance in their childhoods, and release themselves from the grip of the psychological trauma of war.
"The Bull Moose" is a poem by one of the great Canadian poets, Alden Nowlan. It is a finely crafted poem by a very talented poet. It reminds us how far away from Nature the lives of ordinary men and women have strayed. This is something common to all of us who live so much our lives in buildings and who so rarely experience Nature in its raw form. Nowlan creates powerful layers of images, and contrasts them in a way to make us feel just how damaging to our minds and souls this separation from Nature has been. His poem is Romantic in the way it tries to remind us of how far we have fallen and how hollow our idea of progress is. Indeed, Nowlan suggests that we may be more of a beast than the moose.
In Jon Krakauer’s “Into the Wild,” the portrayal of Chris McCandless as a complex individual driven by idealism, rebellion, and the pursuit of an authentic experience stands in stark contrast to Craig Medred’s oversimplified and oleaginous interpretation in “The Beatification of Chris McCandless: From Thieving Poacher into Saint.” Krakauer’s nuanced approach offers a more compelling analysis of the journeys of McCandless, supported by evidence from his writings, his interactions with others, and the broader historical and cultural context. Krakauer’s depiction of Chris McCandless acknowledges the intricacies of his character, presenting him as more than a mere saintly figure. McCandless’ decision to venture into the Alaskan wilderness was not
In Gary Paulsen’s novel Hatchet, thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson attempts to survive in the Canadian wilderness. On a trip to Brian’s father’s Canadian home, the pilot flying the plane suffers from a sudden heart attack, forcing Brian to take control of the aircraft before it crashes. After landing the plane in a lake in the Canadian wilderness, Brian learns how to survive in the forests until someone comes to rescue him. The wilderness makes up a majority of the novel’s setting. While a reader can view the wilderness’ effects on Brian as positively contributing towards his character, the forest ultimately harms Brian through numerous negative regards.
Powder, a short story written by Tobias Wolff, is about a boy and his father on a Christmas Eve outing. As the story unfolds, it appears to run deeper than only a story about a boy and his father on a simple adventure in the snow. It is an account of a boy and his father’s relationship, or maybe the lack of one. Powder is narrated by a grown-up version of the boy. In this tale, the roles of the boy and his father emerge completely opposite than what they are supposed to be but may prove to be entirely different from the reader’s first observation.
From an extremely simple point of view, Antoine needs affection from his family and respect and understanding from his elders. However, he faces difficulties in attaining this because he does not fully comprehend that just because someone is an adult, it does not free them from being hypocrites, from being wrong in different situations, and from being imperfect. Antoine is neglected and struggles to accept himself through methods like rebelling.
Meursault, the protagonist and narrator, is a stoic and detached figure. His indifference towards family and society was apparent in his reaction to his mother’s death, relationship with his lover and the cold-blooded murder of the Arab. In the case of his mother, he showed no sense of attachment, “After the funeral, though, the case will be closed and everything will have a more official feel to it” (Albert Camus, The Outsider, Page 1). He was relentless and continued to remain detached from her as he avoided meeting her at the old age home over the weekend.