Emily Dickinson By anonymous English 3 Ms. Trupi 3 June 2013 Thesis: Emily Dickinson was a master at the craft of writing poetry as shown in her works “Because I could not stop for death”, “There’s a certain slant of light”, and “The soul selects her own society” where she portrayed themes such as human nature, independence (feminine), the meaning of life and death and optimism in a grim world. I. Introduction A. Early Life 1. Amherst College 2.
As an example two influential short stories will be discussed in depth in order to shed light into the lives of the two authors and their stories. The short stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935) and Angela Carter (1940–1992) both sideway the same idea; the confinement of women in particular roles and positions in both personal and professional lives, posed on them by patriarchal figures. Toril Moi quotes in her examination of feministic criticism, Sexual/Textual Politics (2002), Elaine Showalter’s idea that “women writers should not be studied as a distinct group on the assumption that they write alike, or even display stylistic resemblances distinctively feminine” (Moi, 2002: 49), which comes across when reading the two stories which are stylistically already very different. It might be so that a feminist reader of both times (there’s some 80 years difference between the two stories) did not only want to see her own experiences mirrored in fiction, but strived to identify with strong, impressive female characters (Moi, 2002: 46), and looked for role-models that would instil positive sense of feminine identity by portraying women as self-actualising strong identities who were not dependent on men (Moi, 2002, 46). The two stories bring out two female characters, very different by position and character; the other a new mother, scared and confused of her own role, and the other a young newly-wed girl, still a child, being fouled by a much older man, mainly as a mark of his authority over women in general.
Bracelets dangling and making noises when she moves her arm… The dress is loose and flows, and as she walks closure, I like it. I hear Maggie go "Uhnnnh" (Walker 2439). She shows a very selfish characteristic and that trait is repeatedly brought out in the story. For instance, she begins to ask for things in the house like the chair and desk. Another instance is when she asks her mother for the quilts her grandmother had made, her mother said they were for Maggie; Dee's reply was, “Maggie wouldn't appreciate the quilts” and Maggie says, “Dee can have them” (Walker 2441).
Riley Walters October 26, 2014 “Everyday Use” Character Analysis The Character of Mama in “Everyday Use” Mama, the narrator of Alice Walker’s story, “Everyday Use,” is a strong, loving mother who is sometimes threatened and burdened by her daughters, Dee and Maggie. Gentle and stern, her inner monologue offers us a glimpse of the limits of a mother’s unconditional love. Mama is brutally honest and often critical in her assessment of both Dee and Maggie. She harshly describes shy, withering Maggie’s limitations, and Dee provokes an even more pointed evaluation. Mama resents the education, sophistication, and air of superiority that Dee has acquired over the years.
The use of literary devices “Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say.” This is an example of syntax from the excerpt from Speak. It shows that the character uses formal language. Not only is there syntax but there is also diction and imagery. Diction, imagery, and syntax are all literary devices that present coming of age. Other authors like Sandra Cisneros, Gary Soto, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Luis Rodriguez use these three literary devices to portray coming of age.
Different approaches, or theories are used when analyzing any given literary work. Of the many approaches to critique, two stand out on either end of the spectrum: New Criticism and Reader-Response Criticism. On one hand, you have the critic looking solely on the text, having it act as a self-contained piece of work. On the other, the reader’s experience of the text is the sole focus of the criticism. Admittedly, the reference to Stotch’s The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs was purely for shock value, and alas, is not a real piece of literature.
Charmayne Hill Professor Young ENGL 1120 25 March 2011 Imagism Natasha Trethewey’s “White Lies” discusses issues of race and the struggle of identity, which are at the heart of Trethewey’s poem. In this poem imagery represents colors and lies to describe the main character. Imagery the collective set of images in a poem or other literary work. The author points out that, by employing skillfully techniques of imagery, symbolism and metaphor, and by utilizing concrete details, Trethewey is able to communicate effectively the difficulties she experiences growing up interracial. The poem tells of an African American girl, struggling with her identity that may tell lies that she doesn’t really mean much.
Merely Teasing Charlotte Gilman’s story “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” both demonstrate how society, at the turn of the century, seemed to make women feel enclosed or trapped. The narrator in “Yellow Wallpaper” and the main character in Chopin’s story, Louise Mallard share many of the same desires and characteristics. Their desire to get out and be independent eventually gets them punished. In both stories, it is clear that the narrator or character is a female. From the way the narrator talks in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” describing her husband and house and the decorations, it is obvious she is a female.
In turn, this leads to an awakening or unveiling. Through examining intertextual form and narrative voice, this essay will explore how silences, secrets and mysteries lead the protagonists to epiphanies about themselves and their places in the construction of their communities. Silences arise when there is something unspoken yet they do not exclude information being implied or otherwise non-verbally transmitted. One such example of silences implying information to the reader is through Alice Munro’s use of intertextuality in “Open Secrets”. By interspersing ballad poems throughout the text yet leaving them unaddressed by the characters, Munro creates silences between the reader and the world in her story.
Everyday Use – Feminist Perspective LaVeetra Bartley July 13, 2012 Composition II / Literature Instructor: Professor Rodriguez South University Online In Everyday Use, Alice Walker does a great job presenting the conflict between women. The story involves a mama, Mrs. Johnson, and her two daughters, Dee and Maggie. All three women have different views on life. Dee and Maggie are total opposites and look at their heritage and culture differently. The mentioning of the quilts can be used to show how each girl feels about her heritage and culture.