Over the course of this class, three historical pieces have been examined for their historical accuracies but also their unique creations. Each author tackled a different a period of American history, yet two similarities emerged as a common theme: evidence can either support or disprove a claim, and the narrator of a story dictates what story is told. An author, whether writing a piece of fact or fiction, gathers evidence; however, the interpretation of said evidence creates a framework for the story. Unredeemed Captive, Alias Grace, and The Chinatown Trunk Mystery exhibit this idea through their own interpretations of history. Sometimes, accepted accounts conflict with actual details. This does not diminish the need to analyze all interpretations of history and gain a broader understanding of past events. In Unredeemed Captive, John Demos demonstrates how authors must make assumptions in order to bridge the gap left by a lack of evidence. Demos explains that his account has been rendered to modernization as well as some …show more content…
In the novel, Margaret Atwood takes a real person, Grace Marks, and fabricates a new story of dark romance and of human iniquity. Some may argue that this piece lacks the same amount of credibility as a historical window, due to its distance from the truth. That argument is correct, but it does not diminish the value of similar accounts. Although all stories are not equitable in credibility, they all lie within the same range of value. Atwood approaches Nineteenth-Century America through the scope of Grace Marks; by doing so, she sheds light on issues such as mental health and gender injustices which were prevalent during that time period. Creativity opens the door for new perspectives on historical facts, creating a new conversation. With some fiction, facts become illuminated, and a reader can identify more with the characters
In her Fire in a Canebrake, Laura Wexler describes an important event in mid-twentieth century American race relations, long ago relegated to the closet of American consciousness. In so doing, Wexler not only skillfully describes the event—the Moore’s Ford lynching of 1946—but incorporates it into our understanding of the present world and past by retaining the complexities of doubt and deception that surrounded the event when it occurred, and which still confound it in historical records. By skillfully navigating these currents of deceit, too, Wexler is not only able to portray them to the reader in full form, but also historicize this muddled record in the context of certain larger historical truths. In this fashion, and by refusing to cede to a desire for closure by drawing easy but inherently flawed conclusions regarding the individuals directly responsible for the 1946 lynching, Wexler demonstrates that she is more interested in a larger historical picture than the single event to which she dedicates her text. And, in so doing, she rebukes the doubts of those who question the importance of “bringing up” the lynching, lending powerful motivation and purpose to her writing that sustains her narrative, and the audience’s attention to it.
Bouson, J. Brooks. Margaret Atwood the robber bride, the blind assassin, Oryx and Crake. London: Continuum, 2010. Print.
Anne Moody's story is incredible. She overcame divorced parents, heavy poverty, deliberate murders of her family and friends by whites, and numerous death threats. I believe she succeeded in her effort to write a book with enough power for the reader to appreciate the evil of racism and intense inequality. For Miss Moody and other blacks, life was not much different from slavery, which ha...
Tindall, G.B. & Shi, D.E. (2010). America a narrative history 8th edition. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p.205-212.
In the novel, Hurston utilizes the personal experiences with her family to create complex characters in the story. It centers on John Pearson, a man who lusts after many women. John’s desire for women at times appe...
As a plantation Gothic, “Blood-Burning Moon” transplants the evil count, the maiden, and the ineffectual suitor of a feudal Gothic into the American South. Louisa, a black housekeeper and servant, shares her love and sexual affections with both Bob Stone, the son of her white employers, and Tom Burwell, a black field hand on the Stones’ sugarcane farm. Stone and Burwell’s inevitable discovery of the other’s relationship with Louisa culminates in a violent showdown in which Burwell slashes Stone’s throat only to be captured by an ensuing lynch mob and burned at the stake. Even though the Gothic form and American Southern history anticipate this ending, ‘Blood-Burning Moon’ remains a Modernist experiment that attempts to break open the overdetermined politics of identity. This unstable union of the Gothic and Modernism bears traces of Toomer’s personal pursuit of a new identity and race that transcends the dilemmas of difference. Initially, the story allegorizes this quest through the female Gothic heroine. “Blood-Burning Moon” thematically extends these female perspectives on sexuality and identity, racial mixing, and Southern economic frustration by opening with a female Gothic narrative. But instead of giving Louisa the enduring introspection consistent with the preceding prose,
The Handmaid's Tale has been described as a scathing satire and a dire warning! Which elements of our own society is Margaret atwood satirising and how does her satire work ? Atwood tries to open our eyes by satirising our society with a brilliant contrasting novel. Dystopian in every way, the reader encounters a world in which modern values of our society seem/ are replaceable. Showing the worst of all possible outcomes, she demonstrates that our primarily heartless, just economical thinking could bring the downfall of our society.
The viewer sees a private eye and beautiful client. First thought, "It’s definitely another Hollywood crime drama." On the surface, Chinatown has all the elements of a film noir: the presence of a beautiful but dangerous woman, otherwise known as the femme fatale, a gritty urban setting, compositional tension (highly contrasting light and dark colors or oblique camera angles), and themes of moral ambiguity and alienation. Chinatown, however, is different. Polanski shot Chinatown with color film, and though his colors do appear especially vivid, color film precludes the contrast intensity that black and white film offers. In addition, Evelyn is not the classic femme fatale. Though Jake mistakes her for her husband’s killer at first, Mrs. Mulwray eventually emerges as the story’s most tragic victim. Yes, Chinatown for the most part conforms to the structure of film noir, but this film departs from the general genre, creating an entirely different element in which Roman Polanksi examines not only big-money corruption and its malignant obsession with money, but also larger, more human themes such as ignorance, authority, and the pervasiveness of evil.
Margaret Garner: a mother, murderer, slave, and inspiration to Morrison’s novel. Margaret, like Sethe, greatly adored her children and had no intent to see them suffer the life she did. The trial that continued afterwards obtained nationwide awareness and was a focal point of attention for many apart of the anti-slavery movement. To entirely comprehend what provoked her to execute such an immoral crime, Toni Morrison endeavors in a journey to write a novel based on the troubles Margaret similarly faced as Sethe. It is vital to inspect the circumstances of enslavement that she and many were forced to serve.
with a mortal frame” (Hawthorne 354). By tracing the tipping scales of perfection vs. dissatisfaction, readers of “The Birthmark” witness the slow demise of Georgiana and Aylmer, and gain important insight into human nature.
Margaret Atwood's renowned science fiction novel, The Handmaid's Tale, was written in 1986 during the rise of the opposition to the feminist movement. Atwood, a Native American, was a vigorous supporter of this movement. The battle that existed between both sides of the women's rights issue inspired her to write this work. Because it was not clear just what the end result of the feminist movement would be, the author begins at the outset to prod her reader to consider where the story will end. Her purpose in writing this serious satire is to warn women of what the female gender stands to lose if the feminist movement were to fail. Atwood envisions a society of extreme changes in governmental, social, and mental oppression to make her point.
The book Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood is a beautifully articulated work of literature. The book presents a Victorian mode spiced up with spooky plot twists. Although the book presents a Victorian mode it is not entirely comprised of Romantic ideals. Atwood is a modern writer who was influenced by the major paradigms of both American and Canadian history. Since she was a child, she was fascinated by the true story of Grace Marks. Grace Marks was a teenage, Canadian domestic worker of the nineteenth century who was convicted upon the murder of her employer (Thomas Kinnear) and his mistress (Nancy Montgomery). In this novel, Atwood reimagines Grace’s enigmatic story. And in doing so, she embodies a signature theme, the injustices of women’s lives which also conveys the literary importance of the book. Also, she portrays the hypocrisy and ignorance of Victorian culture. Atwood also cleverly uses the characters’ conversations to convey topics such as prostitution, spiritualism, and treatment for the insane. This is one factor that makes Atwood’s style unique. Alias Grace has a style that is thoroughly logical yet complicated. This is not the case with the author’s tone which remains indifferent throughout the book. And so, this intriguing novel is one of unique style, indifferent tone, a signature theme that conveys the injustices of women’s lives that was influenced by all of the important eras pertaining to both American and Canadian Literature.
The Handmaid's Tale presents an extreme example of sexism and misogyny by featuring the complete objectification of women in the society of Gilead. Yet by also highlighting the mistreatment of women in the cultures that precede and follow the Gileadean era, Margaret Atwood is suggesting that sexism and misogyny are deeply embedded in any society and that serious and deliberate attention must be given to these forms of discrimination in order to eliminate them.
The feminine spirit of the novel triumphs when it is unhindered by issues of sexual nature, as with Margaret’s sexuality. Her sexuality decreases throughout the novel, through the guidance of Ruth Wilcox’s spirit and even the spirit of her home; Margaret then becomes aware of the unity between the “seen”and the “unseen.” Before this, Margaret was in touch with her femininity and was aware of a baffling division between the world and the spiritual ...
“A Tale Intended to be After the Fact…” is how Stephan Crane introduced his harrowing story, “The Open Boat,” but this statement also shows that history influences American Literature. Throughout history, there has been a connection among literary works from different periods. The connection is that History, current events, and social events have influenced American Literature. Authors, their literary works, and the specific writing styles; are affected and influenced by the world around them. Authors have long used experiences they have lived through and/or taken out of history to help shape and express in their works. Writing styles are also affected by the current trends and opinions of the period they represent. By reading American Literature, we have seen the inhumane treatment of slaves, we have seen the destruction caused by wars, and we have seen the devastation of eras such as The Great Depression.