More handpicked essays just for you.
Essay on thematic analysis
Essay on thematic analysis
What is the importance of character development in literature
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Often in novels the author 's use of style, technique, and structure create a greater meaning in the novel. In Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong, the use of style, technique, and structure work in tandem to emphasize Hang’s journey to find her own individual purpose. By using circular writing, symbols, and setting, Huong establishes the theme that one must find one’s own purpose.
Huong uses a circular writing style to portray the characterization of Hang. As the novel flows from Hang’s past memories to the present, her feelings are paralleled with the different events. This allows the reader to see Hang’s feelings towards her current situation. Because the reader is exposed to Hang’s feelings, her journey to find her self-purpose is
…show more content…
Through the parallelism of past and present feelings, the reader sees the confusion that Hang feels. Hang struggles with her feelings toward her Aunt. While Hang does love her Aunt, she does not understand Aunt Tam’s motive to help her. Tam’s persistence for Hang to continue family rituals and shrines confuses Hang. Hang does not understand the importance of these things to Aunt Tam. Unlike Aunt Tam, Hang does not believe in all of the Vietnamese traditions. This is Hang’s first step to finding her self-purpose. This also allows the reader to see Hang’s feelings towards cultural events and shows the shift in Vietnamese culture. The use of no flashbacks during Aunt Tam’s funeral and funeral planning show that Hang has never felt the way she has. At this time in the novel Hang has found her own purpose therefore flashbacks cannot be used to portray Hang’s feelings and …show more content…
These symbols include the Cripples song, Fuzzy White, fog, and blood. The Cripple’s song is a symbol of childhood disillusionment. Through the use of this symbol the reader is shown the transformation of Hang. At the beginning of the novel Hang does not understand what the Cripple’s song means, however by the end of the novel Hang realizes that the Cripple’s song is a “cry of a crooked heart” (Huong, 235) and is not just a song that the Cripple yells. This growth allows the reader to see the growth of the character from the beginning of the novel to the end. Fuzzy White also is a symbol of the struggles that Hang must go through to find her self-purpose. Fuzzy White is the symbol of poverty, Hang carries the memory of Fuzzy White with her even through her transformation into finding herself. The memory of Hang growing up in poverty shapes who she becomes. While she tries to become something she is not by going to school, Fuzzy White remains the symbol of her life of poverty. The symbols of fog and blood are symbols that help clarify to the reader Hang’s feelings. Fog in the novel is used to represent pain and suffering, often having to do with Hang’s family relationships. This allows the reader to see Hangs feelings specifically towards Uncle Chinh. Blood however symbolizes happiness and a positive family relationships, this shows the feelings which Hang has for
Judy Fong Bates’ Midnight at the Dragon Café and Robert Kroetsch’s “Elegy for Wong Toy” use the representation of the Café to place focus on the hardships of immigration. Kroetsch’s “Elegy for Wong Toy” “is a thank you poem” (Kroetsch 321), which focuses not only on the life events the narrator is thankful for experiencing in Charlie’s café, but also the isolation and alienation Charlie experienced in that “prairie town” (Kroetsch 321). Much like Charlie in Kroetsch’s “Elegy for Wong Toy,” the Chens, specifically Su-Jen’s parents and Lee-Kung, also experience alienation and isolation in the town of Irvine. Bates’ Midnight at the Dragon Café and Kroetsch’s “Elegy for Wong Toy” are both works that use their respective cafés in order to represent the struggles of identity, the discovery of self, and the hardships and sacrifices of immigration.
The constant changing of technology and social norms makes difficult for different generations to understand one another and fully relate to each other. Diction and slang change as years pass and what is socially acceptable may have been prohibited in the previous generations.
The blind man is appealing to readers because of the fact that he proves to be a good friend and listener to the narrator’s wife. The wife and blind man have kept in touch by exchanging audio tapes over the years. The wife feels comfortable sharing all aspects of her life with him. The husband expands on this by saying “She and I began going out, and of course she told her blind man about it” (5). This quote proves that the blind man provides a sense of comfort to the wife who cannot find the same sense of security in her own husband. The blind man is friendly and makes an attempt to befriend the husband even though he is consistently rude to him. The blind man tells the narrator he will stay up with him to talk even after his wife has gone to sleep. He says he feels “like me and her monopolized the evening” (83). The blind man respectfully says to the narrator “[y]ou’re my host” and wants to be fair and make sure the husband doesn’t feel left out during his visit (102). He is also very understanding and patient with the husband. This characteristic is especially proven when the narrator tries, but fails at explaining the appearance of a cathedral to the blind man. He apologizes for not doing a good job. The blind man understands and reassures him by saying “I get it, bub. It’s okay. It happens. Don’t worry about it” (110). He is aware that his
The rapist that Aunt Tam “fought… off alone” symbolizes the male oppression that Aunt Tam has resisted her entire life, this coupled with the loss of her brother to Chinh’s “land reform”, causes Aunt Tam to resent and despise male influences in her life. Although Aunt Tam upholds ancestral values and practices, her “obsession: to get rich [pg78]” causes her to revolt against the traditional role of a Vietnamese female, never marrying and instead seeking to be “even richer”. The traditions she does uphold are her support of Hang in order to continue her family bloodline, and proper maintenance of ancestral ritual and the ancestral home. Aunt Tam’s neglect of her traditional responsibilities to marry and maintain a housewife’s lifestyle is the product of the suffering she has faced at the hands of Chinh in her past. Aunt Tam’s “past had poisoned life for her taking with it … all maternal feeling” driving her to a life of hard work which causes Aunt Tam to never foster a family. Although she raises Hang as her heir, she never starts a family in her ancestral home in order to continue the bloodline through her own
Through vivid yet subtle symbols, the author weaves a complex web with which to showcase the narrator's oppressive upbringing. Two literary
Stylistically, the book is arranged in rotating chapters. Every fourth chapter is devoted to each individual character and their continuation alo...
Once again, in Hall's analysis of the narratives of Nina Chan, he seems to be putting too much focus on what is correct, and not enough on what makes an interesting work of literature. The impromptu theme does rely heavily on clichés in the first few sentences; however, the narrative uses so much language in avoiding the clichés that the first six paragraphs in the 13-paragraph essay – close to half of the narrative – are utterly boring and colorless. Furthermore, the 'What did I see?'; arrangement in paragraphs 4-6 attempts to elicit some kind of emotion and utterly fails. Assuming that these three paragraphs could be considered a short story (although it is not fictional), the story then does not meet Edgar Allen Poe's definition of the purpose of a short story: to elicit a single emotional response. Then again, it may elicit a single emotional response: boredom. Fortunately, Chan manages to turn her story around by writing a stellar climax and falling action in paragraphs 7-13. The imagery and raw emotion show the reader the nature of the situation in a way that is unfortunately not demonstrated in the first half of the narrative.
In the novella Novel Without a Name, by Duong Thu Huong, the novel is told from the North Vietnamese viewpoint. Already, there is a contrast between the content of this novel, than perhaps, the content of a textbook. Novel Without a Name uses the rhetorical strategy of appeal to emotion. A central theme that revolves throughout the novel is the act of defiance against oppression, whereas a textbook would be devoid of this. A textbook, such as In Search of Southeast Asia on Vietnam, will focus on statistics and is strictly informational; it does not favor one side or another. Further evidence of this is in the context of each source. If one were to take a look in In Search of Southeast Asia, one would see dates strewn about the pages of the textbook. The textbook focuses on the chronology of history and conveys no emotion; rather it just states the facts.
The story focuses on her great-grandfather, who was in disapproval of the French occupation of Vietnam, but still excelled at his job as a Mandarin under the puppet imperial court, fearing persecution of his family if he were to resign. In this section, the author also mentions more about the how the values of confusion had influenced the Vietnamese people in attempts to justify her great grandfather’s
Ha Jin is a very talented writer. He uses first person narrative, setting, and personal appeal to show his readers that cruelty and judgment against homosexuals is not needed in today’s society. He uses these three things to show that the criticism in this book is taken to an extreme. These aspects along with many others create a story that readers are not only interested in, but can relate to as well.
In the story “Two Kinds”, the author, Amy Tan, intends to make reader think of the meaning behind the story. She doesn’t speak out as an analyzer to illustrate what is the real problem between her and her mother. Instead, she uses her own point of view as a narrator to state what she has experienced and what she feels in her mind all along the story. She has not judged what is right or wrong based on her opinion. Instead of giving instruction of how to solve a family issue, the author chooses to write a narrative diary containing her true feeling toward events during her childhood, which offers reader not only a clear account, but insight on how the narrator feels frustrated due to failing her mother’s expectations which leads to a large conflict between the narrator and her mother.
The book has interesting story and it shows how Rozelle’s Quinn family’s survived the difficult life. The book was talking about how this big family wanted to survive the circumstances they were facing daily. Moreover, it also explained how their mom become tired working as housekeeper. Rozelle Quinn worked seven years for Mr. Frederick and her salary did not change, so it stays same fifteen dollars even if she does extra job or stay late. Tang’s mom decided to touch her daughter to handle this difficult job. Rozelle requested her daughter to write paper to the owner of the house by informing that her daughter will take her position while Tangy was sick for writing that words. Before, Rozelle promised Tangy that she would let her finish her
The literary works discussed in the following pages all share a thoughtful probing of a important question that all humankind contemplates. The characters are all searching for something and that something is often their own identity and purpose. Most fail to reach beyond their circumstances and in the process reveal their fatal vulnerability. As a result they become tragic figures. We learn from their struggle and hope to move beyond our own everyday challenges and constraints toward enlightenment.
What is writing style? I started out thinking that writing style is a personal thing and that all writers have their own style. But, this way of thinking is really just a simple way to answer the question. After more careful thought, I realized that style is actually quite the opposite of personal and original. Style is a form of standardization. As writers, we all follow certain rules and guidelines to make our point. Style is these rules and guidelines.
Another disturbing factor of this book was all the repetition in the book. Though the story was told from a beautiful approach, Zhang repeated many things over and over in her writing. This was something that could be over looked at the beginning, but when Zhang continuously reiterated over and over, it became hard to enjoy and continue reading. Another point...