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A bird in the house summary
A Bird in the House by Margaret Laurence summary
A Bird in the House by Margaret Laurence summary
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Some say home is in a place, while others say it is in a person. A person’s concept of home depends on a myriad of factors but, of course, the idea of home has a different meaning for everyone. However, it is possible to conclude where the feeling of home comes from if a single person is analyzed. The perfect person to examine is Margaret Laurence. With her various travels to different places, it is intriguing to learn about what she considers home. Thus, in order to conclude what home can be and mean, a number of texts will be analyzed. Accordingly, “A Bird in the House”, This Side Jordan, The Prophet’s Camel Bell, and “The Tomorrow-Tamer” are all titles by Laurence that will be used as a reference in this essay in order to better understand
What is home? Home does not necessarily have to be a specific place it could also be a place that you feel safe or comfortable in. From the early 1500s to the late 1900s, Britain used its superior naval, technological, and economic power to colonize and control territories worldwide which affected how most of these people's thoughts on what home is. In “Back to My Own Country” this story is about a girl that moved to london at a young age and was forced to change her morals and beliefs to try and seem less than an outsider to the community. The second story “Shooting an Elephant” is about orwell, a sub divisional police officer in Moulmein who was hated by large numbers of people and didn't feel welcome where he was and later was forced
In the book, Apostles of Disunion, author Charles B. Dew opens the first chapter with a question the Immigration and Naturalization service has on an exam they administer to prospective new American citizens: “The Civil War was fought over what important issue”(4). Dew respond by noting that “according to the INS, you are correct if you offer either of the following answers: ‘slavery or states’ rights’” (4). Although this book provides more evidence and documentation that slavery was the cause of the Civil War, there are a few places where states’ rights are specifically noted. In presenting the findings of his extensive research, Dew provides compelling documentation that would allow the reader to conclude that slavery was indeed the cause for both secession and the Civil War.
For more than a dozen years, Clarence Earl Gideon lay buried in a nondescript, unmarked grave in Hannibal, Missouri. Most Americans outside of the legal community (and many within it) would neither recognize Gideon's name, nor understand the seismic impact he had on our legal system. Fortunately, Anthony Lewis, the renowned journalist now retired from The New York Times, chronicled Gideon's saga from the filing of his hand-written petition for writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court to the momentous decision of March 18, 1963. Lewis brings to life the story of the man behind the case, the legal machinations of the court appointed lawyer (and others working with him) toiling on Gideon's behalf and the inner-workings of the Supreme Court. By telling the story, Lewis has preserved an important piece of legal and social history and we are all the richer for his doing so.
Naomi Nye was born to a German-American mother and a Palestinian-American father. However, she normally writes from her Palestinian-Arab perspective. In several of her poems within The Heath Anthology—“Ducks,” “My Father and the Figtree,” and “Where the Soft Air Lives”—Naomi Nye reminisces about her Muslim heritage and childhood as it correlates to her present identity. In addition, she incorporates the effect of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on herself and on Arab culture in her work. Ultimately, Naomi Nye’s poetic work should remain in The Heath Anthology as her style demonstrates how historical events and a deep-rooted heritage can enrich a sense of identity and culture.
Home was a prevalent concept in Ancient Greece. Not only was there a goddess of the hearth and home, Hestia, but hospitality towards others was highly stressed. Home was regarded as a place to escape from chaos in the outside world. Homer and Euripides in The Odyssey and Medea, respectively, use the motif of home to show the difference in an individual’s public manner versus their personal, more natural manner. This difference is caused by the different levels of comfort individuals have in different settings. Specifically, the two works portray the difference through experience of the characters, mistrust developed towards others, and the maintenance of dual identities.
Symbolism is carried out through the pages of Yasmin Crowther’s novel The Saffron Kitchen. Crowther’s novel is about a women named Maryam, her daughter Sara along and her husband Edward who live in England; one day a tragic incident happens in Maryam’s family that leads her to feel guilty enough to leave to her hometown in Mazareh, Iran. Throughout this story secrets and childhood memories come forth. One unique symbol that is brought up throughout the novel is the red book, which contains poems in English. The red book was given to Maryam when she was younger by a boy named Ali; Ali was a young boy who was working for Maryam’s family. Throughout this story we are shown that this red book is very important to Maryam and one can see that it symbolizes relationships, memories, and a connection with the outside world.
In Thomas Carew’s country house poem “To Saxham” the speaker describes the prosperity of the estate and the experience people would have within it. The speaker in the poem creates the distinction that the people who remain on the exterior of the estate are poor and in a less prosperous position than those who live on the estate. The contrast that the speaker makes throughout the poem suggests there is a larger idea being formed by Carew in regards to the relation of spaces and social structure. The tone throughout the poem praises the estate and they way it provides for its inhabitants and guests, while suggesting that there are enough resources to accommodate unexpected guests. The speaker proposes that there is potential mobility between individuals that remain outside the estate
Facing the Village by Lenore Look and A Fist in the Eye of God by Barbara Kingsolver
The Friday Everything Changed” written by Anne Hart describes how a simple question challenges the
If a dwelling place is uncomfortable or people who live there do not like the place, then the house seems like a cage to them. They feel like they are in a zoo which makes a child feel like their own identity is absent. Author Jean Stafford went through this kind of situation in her childhood. Stafford’s personal life was often marked by unhappiness and struggle. Her personal life had a great influence in her stories. “In The Zoo” by Jean Stafford shows how impactful childhood is to the adult person by using symbolism and characterization.
Literature is a cultural construct and provides us with valuable insights into the development of Societies. It helps psychological understanding and reformations of espistemological constructs. Literature in itself is a rich source material for interpreting the past. Women’s writings focus attention on the manifestation of female sensibility, feminine reality and on its significance as a means of bringing about an awareness of this reality. Feminism being an important movement in the modern world, a woman’s place, position and especially the quest for her identity and importance, are not duly recognized. Gynocentricism provides the platform to delve deep into the obstacles faced by women.
In his song “House by the Sea”, Pål Moddi Knutsen utilizes figurative devices throughout his song. In the first line of the song, he sings, “They say home is the place where your heart is” (Moddi). The metaphor tells the listener how some people see home as a place in which is the center of a person and how a person's home is in a sense apart of them like how a heart is apart of them. This figurative device puts an idea of what a home can mean to some people and helps the listeners to get a sense of what Moddi hears that people's idea of home is. In addition, he sings, “So it's not really as if i am leaving / It’s more like something pulling me” (Moddi). The simile compares the differences between leaving and how he feels like something is
In the story “Araby”, by James Joyce the narrator talks about life on North Richmond Street. The narrator lives with his aunt and uncle in an apartment that a former priest, who had died, had lived in. The priest left behind many books and the boy would often go and read them. The boy (narrator) became friends with a boy named Mangan, and develops a crush on his sister. He watches her almost every day. “Every morning I lay on the floor in the front parlor watching her door.” (Page 1137) He had never spoken to this girl until one day she approached him. She asked him if he is going to the Araby. She explains to the boy how she cannot go and he assures her that he will go and bring her back something. However through a series of events the boy is late to the bazaar and realizes his pocket change falls short. The boy in James Joyce’s “Araby” learns that life throws us curves, day dreams are much more pleasant than harsh reality, and he forever will remain a prisoner of his modest means and his city.
When reminiscing about my childhood a home is hard to recall. It seemed common for others to have a place called home. Moving from house to house was not the problem, but the empty feeling. Home to me was my grandparent’s house. I spent nearly all of my childhood there. My grandparents bought the one story house with two bedrooms in the early seventies. From the spacious bedroom, to the kitchen with endless possibilities and the way I spent my time this house defined my character.