Ryan O’Leary Professor Smith English MO1B 10 March 2024 Keys to Understanding Oyeyemi's Characters "What is not yours is not yours" departs from conventional storytelling methods, presenting readers a fresh and innovative writing style. Through strategic incorporation of subtle details and revelations, Oyeyemi transforms seemingly ordinary elements into extraordinary facets of her storytelling. With the creation of intricate and meticulously crafted characters, she not only encourages readers to look beyond the characters' names, but also invites them to explore the complexities of each character's development. Embracing a sophisticated writing style characterized by a meticulous examination of each character's evolution, which includes their …show more content…
Another writing choice Oyeyemi uses throughout the book, “what is not yours is not yours,” skillfully employing motifs centered around keys (Le). Taking a closer look at the key around Montserrat’s neck, the symbolic significance of keys peels back various layers of the story, offering a different perspective into the characters’ lives and experiences, “Rather than have keys embody only the most obvious metaphors — that of their granting access — Oyeyemi studies their individuality, their failures, and the mysteries they suggest” (Sarti). For instance, in “book and roses,” the keys possessed by two women not only unlocked the physical spaces of a garden and library, but also served as the token to deeper understandings about their destinies and relationships. The opening of a library symbolizes Montserrat’s quest for knowledge and guidance in her youthful journey, while simultaneously unlocking a garden which represents her desire for not only tranquility, but also personal …show more content…
Allowing for more male character features to also appear on these women. Proving to the audience of women that anything is possible. Moreover, family dynamics play a huge role, again Montserrat and Arkady both lacking parent figures, Aisha having a unique perspective on Matyas Fust, Jill and Jacob wanting a child, and Freddy struggling with his parents. The recurring pattern brightens up the narrative, bringing not only depth, but also complexity to Oyeyemi’s exploration of human relationships and societal norms. Highlighting that family may not be eye to eye, but family is very important no matter what dimension you are from. All in all, Helen Oyeyemi offers a refreshing variation on conventional writing methods. Rather than relying on overt statements, Oyeyemi's narratives unfold gradually, allowing characters to evolve in a slow and deliberate manner. Through careful inspection and critical thinking, the aim is to decode the mysterious dimensions of Oyeyemi’s characters, exploring the subtleties of their patterns, motivations, and decisions throughout the book's
Symbolism appears all around us in our modern society. The Statue of Liberty in New York City, for example, symbolizes freedom, as the torch Lady Liberty is holding symbolizes enlightenment and a light toward freedom and liberty. Symbolism also plays a key role in the novel “Where the Heart Is”, and is very evident throughout, especially towards the beginning of the novel when Novalee receives three gifts, a baby book, a basket full of gifts and a buckeye tree, all symbolizing different things. “Where the Heart Is” is a book filled with symbolic items, all of which are integral to Novalee’s story. The buckeye tree symbolizes her luck at different parts of the novel, her camera symbolizes her road to a new life, her ever evolving fascination
...e on her part. Throughout the story, the Mother is portrayed as the dominant figure, which resembled the amount of say that the father and children had on matters. Together, the Father, James, and David strived to maintain equality by helping with the chickens and taking care of Scott; however, despite the effort that they had put in, the Mother refused to be persuaded that Scott was of any value and therefore she felt that selling him would be most beneficial. The Mother’s persona is unsympathetic as she lacks respect and a heart towards her family members. Since the Mother never showed equality, her character had unraveled into the creation of a negative atmosphere in which her family is now cemented in. For the Father, David and James, it is only now the memories of Scott that will hold their bond together.
Her struggles are of a flower trying to blossom in a pile of garbage. Growing up in the poor side of the southside of Chicago, Mexican music blasting early in the morning or ducking from the bullets flying in a drive-by shooting. Julia solace is found in her writing, and in her high school English class. Mr. Ingram her English teacher asks her what she wants out of life she cries “I want to go to school. I want to see the word” and “I want so many things sometimes I can’t even stand it. I feel like I’m going to explode.” But Ama doesn’t see it that way, she just tells, Julia, she is a bad daughter because she wants to leave her family. The world is not what it seems. It is filled with evil and bad people that just want to her hurt and take advantage of
Lily’s idea of home is having loving parent/mother figures who can help guide her in life. Because of this desire, she leaves T. Ray and begins to search for her true identity. This quest for acceptance leads her to meet the Calendar Sisters. This “home” that she finds brightly displays the ideas of identity and feminine society. Though Lily could not find these attributes with T. Ray at the peach house, she eventually learns the truth behind her identity at the pink house, where she discovers the locus of identity that resides within herself and among the feminine community there. Just like in any coming-of-age story, Lily uncovers the true meaning of womanhood and her true self, allowing her to blossom among the feminine influence that surrounds her at the pink house. Lily finds acceptance among the Daughters of Mary, highlighting the larger meaning of acceptance and identity in the novel.
The novel complicates its own understanding of women
Within every story or poem, there is always an interpretation made by the reader, whether right or wrong. In doing so, one must thoughtfully analyze all aspects of the story in order to make the most accurate assessment based on the literary elements the author has used. Compared and contrasted within the two short stories, “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, and John Updike’s “A&P,” the literary elements character and theme are made evident. These two elements are prominent in each of the differing stories yet similarities are found through each by studying the elements. The girls’ innocence and naivety as characters act as passages to show something superior, oppression in society shown towards women that is not equally shown towards men.
Viramontes sets a disconcerting tone by introducing that it is night time and Sonya, the young girl, has lost her key and cannot let her younger brother, Macky, and herself into their apartment. The first few paragraphs succeed in showing that Sonya is responsible and protective of her brother despite her age as she chases after him to keep him out of the street.
influence all her life and struggles to accept her true identity. Through the story you can
Much about Kogawa's novel makes it difficult not only to read but also to classify or categorize. First, Obasan blurs the line between nonfiction and fiction. Kogawa draws from actual letters and newspaper accounts, autobiographical details, and historical facts throughout the novel, but she artistically incorporates this material into a clearly fictional work. In addition, Kogawa's narrative operates on multiple levels, from the individual and familial to the communal, national, political, and spiritual. Stylistically, the novel moves easily between the language of documentary reportage and a richly metaphorical language, and between straightforward narrative and stream-ofconsciousness exposition. This astonishing variety in Kogawa's novel can, at times, become bewildering and unsettling to the reader. But as many readers and critics have noted, Kogawa's style and method in Obasan also constitute the novel's unique strength. Kogawa writes in such a way that ambiguity, uncertainty, irony, and paradox do not weaken her story but instead paradoxically become the keys to understanding it.
...otsteps from her female mentors from the red tent, becoming a mother and wife, but most importantly, someone to keep the memories and tales alive.
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.
A breathtaking saga of a young girl’s tragic memories of her childhood. As with Ellen, Gibbons’ parents both died before she was twelve-years-old, forming the family. basis of the plot and themes of this novel. The fond memories she possessed of her mother and the harsh ones of her father are reflected in the thoughts and actions of Ellen. The simplistic and humble attitude that both Gibbons and Ellen epitomizes in the novel is portrayed through diction and dialogue.
Since Ma’s kidnapping, seven years prior, she has survived in the shed of her capturer’s backyard. This novel contains literary elements that are not only crucial to the story, but give significance as well. The point-of-view brings a powerful perspective for the audience, while the setting and atmosphere not only affect the characters but evokes emotion and gives the reader a mental picture of their lives, and the impacting theme along-side conflict, both internal and external, are shown throughout the novel. The author chooses to write the novel through the eyes of the main character and narrator, Jack. Jack’s perception of the world is confined to an eleven foot square room.
Relationships are often difficult and messy, especially in the world Tayari Jones presents in her 2011 novel Silver Sparrow, chronicling the lives of the two daughters of bigamist father James Witherspoon. Jones depicts the complicated the world of Dana Yarboro the secret daughter, her father’s attempts to hide her from the prying view of the world and her refusal to stay hidden. While Chaurisse Witherspoon the public daughter James proudly presents to the world for all to see, enjoys the luxury of suburban life. Throughout the novel Jones’ character, Dana tries to reconcile how she can be part of her father’s family, but not truly a part of his life. While Chaurisse moves through the world with blissful ignorance of the secret life that lay
The novel explores gender roles through the characters of Mrs. Ramsay, Mr. Ramsay, and Lily. Each of these characters embodies different views in regards to gender roles. The readers are taken into their minds and thoughts and are allowed to see what each character views is the role of his/her gender.