Throughout “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brien uses symbolism to reflect the men’s necessity to feel hope and optimism among the destruction surrounding their lives. An example of this implementation is his description of the letters that Lieutenant (Lt.) Cross received from Martha, a female acquaintance back home. He says, “They were not love letters, but Lieutenant Cross was hoping…” (178). Again he discusses this place in the Lieutenant’s mind where he must go to get away from the inherent horror and gravity of the situation he is in when O’Brien writes that at dusk the Lieutenant would “hold them with the tip of his fingers, and spend the last hour of light pretending” (178) and that “he would imagine camping trips into White Mountains in New Hampshire” (178). Just the simple thought of Martha and spending time with her seems to be what Lt. Cross needs to escape from all this weight that they carried as O’Brien
While in the dark, dreary, congested truck, filled with “groans and muttered prayers,” his father advises him to think of something pleasant. Surprisingly, Amir does not consider Baba; his memory goes directly to Hassan. This thought is incongruent with the way he strives for Baba’s attention and recognition in his daily life. After much struggle, Amir finally achieves this glory the day he wins the kite battle. Given Amir’s previous actions, it seems that this would be the day he remembers; the day he finally makes his father proud.
This shows Manny feels apart of his Razo, but not ashamed because he sees the situation more deeply. After being called out at the party “… I saw the reflection of a ridiculous boy. It was me looking at myself…” (181). This reveals Manny just realizes who he was at the time. When sitting in his living room Manny realizes how “wondrous” his family and home are (216).
Authors use themes in their story to give their readers an important message about life. Authors develop themes differently by using literary elements and literary devices. Many stories have a similar themes just like the stories The Count Of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Blessings by Mary Hall Surface. In the story The Count Of Monte Cristo the theme is even when times get rough, always have hope for the future. I picked this theme because in the beginning of the story Edmond Dates, a prisoner, is a sad lonely man that wants to die because he has no other prisoner to talk to and he has no hope for getting out of jail.
Full Pocket? Sometimes people want something, but once they have it they realize they were better off without it. In the short story, “Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket" by Jack Finney, the main character, Tom Benecke, is a young man who is obsessed with work, recognition, and success. Tom allows these obsessions to take over his life and they become his priorities. Through a dangerous circumstance, Tom Benecke risks his life trying to fill his empty pockets; however, he learns what he should have been filling his pockets with all along.
Survived Have you ever doubted your ability to overcome barriers? This is a common dilemma that people face throughout their lives. Many people learn over time how to resolve the different issues they face. Susan Madera’s short essay, “One Voice,” talks about how she was in constant doubt about her ability to communicate with others. In the folktale, “The Bar of Gold,” the protagonist constantly worries about his ability to provide for his family.
Sonny’s Blues Relief It can be reasoned “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in” (Leonard Cohen). James Baldwin creates characters in need of emotional stability in the short story, “Sonny’s Blues.” Sonny, a previous drug addict, struggles to find happiness in his life after getting out of jail. Sonny’s unnamed brother, the narrator, attempts to find contentment by expelling the past. Both Sonny and his brother experience moments of relief, helping them find peace integrated throughout tragic depressing lifestyle.
Ethical Aspects in The Road Compared with Today's Society In the novel, The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, McCarthy writes about a father and son who try to survive after a tragic catastrophe. Although McCarthy never reveals the father or son's name, he brings them to life by vividly describing their actions. This description gives the reader the ability to relate to their actions and helps portray the father and son's relationship. Throughout the novel, the father and son build a strong relationship which is built around love, fear, and determination. McCarthy also uses the setting to help demonstrate the father and son's hopeless situation.
The son says, “if you haven’t driven fresh powder, you haven’t driven” (Wolff, 3). This realization enables the son to breach the gap between him and his father. Through Wolff’s keen eye for character and adept crafting of the plot, the theme of a healed relationship between a father and a son is poignantly dramatized in “Powder.” Wolff understands that this kind of relationship is one fraught with misunderstandings,
Chris sticks up for Gordie and risks being beaten by the two older boys. The director uses Low angle shots of Chris trying to get the cap back off him, this makes him seem inferior and helpless in his efforts as the two older boy’s tower over him. This incident helps us understand the strength of the two boy’s friendship. The strength of the Chris and Gordie’s is especially noticeable when mid shots display two boys in convocation about life and the problems they are both facing. Gordie is faced with the neglect of his parents and feels like the “invisible boy at home” after the death of his older brother Dennie.