J.R.R. Tolkien writes, “The fairy-story is a foretaste of a life that does not consist on ‘endless serial living’ but nourishes ‘the oldest and deepest desire: the Great Escape’- from death itself (dlibrary.acu.edu).” These books are a great way for the mind to take a brief breather from all the problems and stress that are created in the world around us. When you read Harry Potter it frees you from the cling that one has on the world as it is or the idea of the boring disenchanting real world. Harry Potter being a fantasy story gives us the opportunity to let our mind make sense of something that is not in our realm of reality. These kinds of stories let our imagination grab hold of us and take us to a world that only the brain can conjure up.
Dale Day English Mr. McWillaims In and through out J.R.R Tolkien’s masterpiece adventure fantasy novel series The Lord Of The Rings there are many themes to be found and expressed. However one of the most prominent and lasting themes is comradeship, Comradeship amongst multiple aspects of middle earth from characters, to nations, to races. In fact one of the more unique aspects in the novels is that there is no real one main character but rather an allied fellowship of protagonists united by a common enemy. In that regard Comradeship takes a frontline role amongst major themes played throughout the story. In Tolkien’s first edition to the trilogy, the Fellowship Of the Ring, where the story takes off, character allegiance and dividing lines between sides are quickly devolved.
A Haunted House by Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) reminded me that happiness is an eternal pursuit and to embrace the joy that my mundane life has to offer. The “treasure” referred to in the story is life pleasures. The author cleverly masks this in the beginning by using the words “it” and “here.” I was drawn to this story because of its sinister title, believing the house or its occupants would be the traditional antagonists. However, as I became immersed in the imagery used in the story, I realized I wanted the ghosts to find their “treasure.” I was able to create a mental picture of what is being described. Examples of imagery include, “The doors go shutting in the distance, gently knocking like the pulse of a heart.” I felt as if I were right there with the ghosts as the moved through the house.
The books start off by telling you what happens to Harry and his family when he is a baby and brings you to adult hood when he has children of his own. In the beginning of the first book Harry is brought to his aunt’s home because his parents had been killed by an evil wizard named Voldemort. He was brought to the family under the cover of darkness by Rubeus Hagrid under the order of Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore believes that he will be safer living with “muggles” because he will be away from all of the evil. Voldemort tried to kill Harry but was unable to because of the love his mother had shone on him.
Find the urn we have told you about. Create something beautiful and marvelous, that will worship you and only you. I worn you, that with something good, there is always something bad to come with it as well. But that does not mean that you will not be able to overcome, everything is able to be overcomed".They also mentioned where they had gone, but Alexandria has chosen to not reveal that, for the soul purpose of there safety. Now this magical urn is a jar that contained the material and instructions to create life.
The narrators constantly accepted events that could not have possibly happened in the real life world. They accepted these peculiarities without the slightest amount of shock and astonishment, like it was an everyday thing. Placida Linero, who is Santiago Nasar'smother is a prime example of superstition within the novel. The quote, "She had a well earned reputation as an accurate interpreter of other people's dream, provided they were told to her before eating, but she hadn't notice any ominous augury in those two dream of her son's" conveys that Santiago's character also represents the element of magical realism in the novel. The statement, " Nor did Santiago Nasar recognize the omen" not only reveals his superstition, but also the common faith put in superstition.
Williams uses symbolism to highlight the attributes of each character and what they represent. The play is constructed so that each character has a defining symbol which resembles their personality. Tom is in distress since his father left him to be the male model in the Wingfield family. He has constant conflicts with Amanda due to the conflicting acts of duty and aspires to pursue his dreams of being a poet. When he returns from the movies he mentions the magician’s trick “We nailed him into a coffin and he got out of the coffin without removing one nail.
They aren’t exposed to anything deemed scary or violent and taught that everyone lives ‘happily ever after’. Yet, these same stories are still being told to children for generations. Many fairy tales throughout history have been violent and cruel because that was how society was at the time they were written. Some versions were revised and made safer for the audience. 1001 Nights has been softened in children’s books and movies but the message or moral of the story is still clear.
Writers and storytellers would respond to the stoicism with fantasy. The fairy tales of the time reflect the need for some since of control over death. These stories act as sort of an antidote to daily gloom and doom, not only teaching children how to avoid death, but also giving readers a happy the happy ending, which most did not know in real life. To fulfill the need of the time fairy tale writers of 19th century, tell stories that teach lessons on how fragile life is, but end with the fantasy of parents having their children in a safe place. In “The Story of a Mother,” after having lost her child to illness, a mother goes through several obstacles in an attempt to reunite with her lost child.
Virginia Woolf was a person that went through tough times and suffered break downs within her own insanity which were probably caused by her family life. Her Mother Father and Sister all dying within a short space of time, she claimed to be haunted by voices often masculine which would explain her constant attack of the Victorian male culture and imperialistic traits. What Virginia Woolf does so well is convey everyday reality into a form that is unreachable by so many authors. To The Lighthouse is a text in which in all honesty nothing much happens, but the way in which she describes this nothingness is genius and often somewhat offensive to some subcultures. For example her portrayal of Mr Ramsay who relies on his intellectual ability and Edwardian views.