Novel

‘Eveline’ and ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’

The story Eveline interprets different meanings through foreshadowing, repetition, personification, irony and symbolism. James’ Joyce uses language that makes the story full of emotion and weight. To convey passiveness and lifelessness, Joyce uses diction and syntax. In other words, his writing style is related to how we speak. When he uses syntax and diction, it expresses the theme of the story. We have the theme of recollection, responsibility, decisions, conflict, escape, censurability and paralysis. This short story explores the crucial life in Dublin. The lamb to the slaughter is another story that is of interest. It is written by Roald Dahl, but is narrated by Mary Maloney. Dahl uses irony, repetition and symbols in this story because he wants to ensure that there is meaning and emotion. When it comes to irony, Dahl aimed to make the readers stop and think about what the story is saying.

An example of foreshadowing is the line where it says, ‘Eveline’ stands alone, staring out a window.” This foreshadows the last scene of the story. The writer used this technique to inform the audience that something surprising or important was about to happen later on in the story. Joyce used subtle hints, because he wanted to create suspense within the story and he didn’t want to reveal the plot twist completely. He wanted to make the clues obvious enough, so that the audience would later on recall them. He used the foreshadowing technique earlier, because he wanted to create stronger affects in the story. He does this by understanding the purpose of this technique and knowing what the basic story is going to be all about. Dahl also creates a solid effect, so that he can allow the readers to cooperate with him, in order to put the pieces together in the story. This indicates the strong connection between the author and reader. It is crucial for the writer and reader to have a good relationship, because they may misunderstand what the sentences and words are trying to say, due to their personal experiences and values.

An example of repetition is when Eveline says that “Frank is going to save her.” James Joyce used repetition to make us pay attention to a specific point of the story. It gives the audience a hint to focus more. Using repetitions gives important meaning depending on the types of circumstances. He used this technique properly, meaning that he used it when it was appropriate. He chose words that were imperative. He did not overuse repetition, because he knew that it would cause loose effects in the story. He used the repeated words in a way that would be remembered. He added repetition in a smart way so that it can emphasize the idea. When you use emphasis, it can add a reasonable tone. His work was engaging, because he created a rhythm by applying repetition. This is more likely to intrigue the audience. In the story ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’, Alliteration is also build through the repetition in the line “curtains were closed”, and “lamp were lit.” Dahl used the technique to make the audience concentrate on a certain part of the text. Atmosphere and theme is also created by this technique. To adopt this technique, Dahl thought of the subject he wanted to emphasize, he chose words that associated with the topic and he placed the words closely in the sentence.

In Eveline, Joyce uses personification. This is shown in the first line of the story, where it says “she sat at the window watching evening invade the avenue.” This technique gives a description of a non-human object doing things that is of human quality. Joyce utilised this technique, because he came to a realization that the readers will understand the nature and actions of non-human objects in a better way. It can also convince the readers to react sympathetically and emotionally. It can make the written descriptions vivid. Joyce chose personification, because it causes the reader to relate to the text. To use personification, he thought of the feelings he was hoping to point out, he plotted a situation that would best suit the feeling and he wrote a description of the objects in a human’s perspective.

An example of irony is, “her eyes gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition.” This means that she didn’t care about leaving him and bidding him goodbye. The writer used irony so that it can emphasize the idea. It keeps the audience interested and it creates suspenseful feelings in readers. Using irony catches the audience’s attention. When there is irony involved in the story, it means that the reader knows mores information that the character. An author can make more comparison, when they show their irony verbally. In ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’, the dramatic irony is used as a final irony. This is because the reader knows that the murder weapon is the leg of lamb. One example of irony occurs when Patrick told Mary that he is leaving her. In order to successfully use this technique, Dahl revealed the vulnerability of the characters in situations they don’t understand.

Symbolism. One example of symbol in Eveline is ‘dust’. The dust reminds the audience that Eveline’s task is always the same each day and it’s infinite. Dust portrays death and life cycle. The symbol of ‘dust’ came to a reminder to people, as it is a biblical phase “from dust to dust.” This states that dust is the lack of existence. In ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’, Dahl uses symbol in the title itself. Lamb has been used for a thousand of years. It symbolises innocence and purity. The title consists of many reasons. Dahl chose this title, because he knew that it will give a dark humour. He wanted to give a clue of what the murder weapon will be. Because they help to identify the ideas and concepts, symbols are considered to be important.

It is now clearly stated that the two stories are similar, in relation to the types of techniques the writer used. James Joyce and Roald Dahl both used irony and symbols, because they wanted to engage the audience in the story so that they can be intrigued. By making the stories interesting, the techniques in the story were used effectively. They didn’t overdo it, because they know that when you use too much of the technique, it can make the story sound boring and uninteresting.

Wonderland, as a quest for maturity story, Carroll s view on Victorian Society and even existential meaning on life. All of those interpretations come from philosophical drive of the critics. The truth is that anyone can point a finger at the book and come up with their own deep meaning of the story, but if one looks at facts, well known, and obvious things it is clear that the story is simply a children tale intended for entertainment and nothing more.

Of course there is no sure way to prove that Carroll did not intend any deeper meaning into the story, after all, he was a mathematician and a man of great knowledge of children (19th Century Literature Criticism 105), but lets take a look at the most obvious fact the time, place and audience of the original story of Alice in Wonderland. Here are the words of Lewis Carroll as he recalls that day.

Full many a year has slipped away, since that golden afternoon that gave thee birth, but I can call it up almost as clearly as if it were yesterday the cloudless blue above, the watery mirror below, the boat drifting idly on its way, the tinkle of the drops that fell from the oars, as they waved so sleepily to and fro, and (the one bright gleam of life in all the slumberous scene) the three eager faces, hungry for news of fairyland, and who would not he say nay to: from whose lips Tell us a story, please, had all the stem immutability of Fate (Hudson 128)!

The three eager faces Carroll is talking about are the three Liddell girls Edith, Alice and Ina. Carroll, the girls and their butler Duckworth were on a boat ride picnic one afternoon when one of the girls, Alice, asked Carroll to tell her the story. And that s how the story originated. A little girl asked a man to tell her a story during an afternoon boat ride. It is amazing how someone can even attempt to prove this as an existential theory. Duckworth was a person who was there who simply heard the story at the time it was told says, it was actually composed and spoken over my shoulder for the benefit of Alice Liddell (Hudson 128). As you see, the story was told simply to entertain a child.

Critics may argue saying that although it was written for a child, Carroll still had deeper meaning intended when he told it. Now the question that comes to mind is Why? Why would Carroll, make up a deep-meaning story over which people are still breaking their minds, while he himself was enjoying a lovely boat ride? The answer is: he would not! And he did not! This answer lies in the first pages of the book

All in the golden afternoon

Full leisurely we glide;

For both our oars, with little skill,

By little arms are piled,

Thus grew the tale of Wonderland:

Thus slowly, one by one,

And home we steer, a merry crew,

Beneath the setting sun.

Alice! A childish story take,

And with a gentle hand

Lay it where childhood s dreams are twined

In memory s mystic band,

Like pilgrims withered wreath of flowers

Plucked an a far off land (Carroll 13)

With this poem by the author, the book is started. It clearly tells in Carroll s own words how, for whom and why was this story told. In the sixth stanza Thus grew the tale it is told that the story was made up as the trip with the girls went on, and it ended when their trip ended just like that. No one can argue with the author. If he himself says that the story is for a child its for a child!

The third argument that contradicts the critics who claim to the deeper meaning of the tale is the fact that the story itself does not make much sense. Alice s adventure is a work of nonsense and as such lacks the coherent structure of a conventional literary work (Kelly 79). Indeed, the content of the story is so crazy, that it even seems sometimes that the author is crazy himself. But he is not crazy, he just had to make up a story in a short period of time. The boat ride only lasted couple of hours, and he was put on a spot to tell it. He had no preparation and as Richard Kelly notices the character of Alice is not developed or changed (79). There is no possibility of deeper meaning without a developed character.

There is another fact that proves that Carroll did not put much thought into his story and that is the fact that Carroll would tell stories like the one he told on the day of the boat ride, very often to the girls. We used to go to his rooms escorted by our nurse. When we got there, we used to sit on his big sofa while he told us stories (Gattegno 15). Its been Carroll s habit to tell these stories to the girls. The only thing that makes this story of Alice in Wonderland different is that it was the girls favorite, and Carroll thought that it would be interesting to other kids and so he published it (Hudson 133).

So here we have it the story of Alice. So deeply explored by critics each one trying to prove his point, but it seems that they all have went too far into the wonderland and missed the obvious facts on the surface. When you go too far, it is easy to forget where you started. A famous literary critic Richard Kelly points out that.

Critics fall into several categories: bibliographical, psychoanalytical, logical-linguistic, esthetic, Jungian, mythic, existential, sociological, philosophical, theological and literary comparatist. At this juncture in Carroll s criticism and scholarship, one would do well to be eclectic and to reread the story in the light of the various schools of criticism in so far as they clarify or enrich the story – while recognizing that there is no single meaning to the adventure (79).

Philosophers might disagree with this, but the only way to show truth is through a fact. And the facts show that Alice s Adventures in Wonderland were a short story made up by a man for a child to entertain that child. The setting, people involved and the story itself all lean toward that idea. But as was said earlier, it is impossible to stop a person from searching deeper and deeper for an idea.

Whether it is a girlfriend, a colleague, or just a friend, people are paired up with opposites many times in life. In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago is a foil for the Englishman and the Crystal Merchant because Santiago’s good qualities shine when being compared to them. The Englishman is selfish and impatient, while Santiago is selfless and patient. For example, when Santiago and the Englishman are looking for the alchemist in the Oasis, Santiago and the Englishman disagree: “Several women dressed in black came to the well for water, but the boy would speak to none of them, despite the Englishman’s insistence”. Santiago refuses to speak to these women because wearing black signals marriage. In the Oasis, it is prohibited for a man to talk to married women. By wanting to bash the tradition in order to find the alchemist, the Englishman is being narcissistic and selfish. On the contrary, Santiago is selfless because although he really wants the Englishman to achieve his dreams, he respects the women. Moreover, Santiago understands that he is in a foreign place, and he needs to act accordingly even though it hinders the Englishman from finding the alchemist. Likewise, the Englishman is very impatient, while Santiago is very patient. Although Santiago keeps on telling him that he will not talk to them, the Englishman keeps on insisting that he speaks to them because he wants to find the alchemist as soon as possible. Santiago realizes that they will eventually find the alchemist, which results in him denying the Englishman’s request, thus acting patient. Santiago takes many smart risks in life, and that is something that sets him and the Crystal Merchant apart.

For instance, Santiago asks the Crystal Merchant to put a display case at the bottom of the hill in order to attract customers. The Crystal Merchant replies, “‘l don’t like much change,’ he said. ‘You and | aren’t like Hassan, that rich merchant. If he makes a buying mistake, it doesn’t affect him much. But we two have to live with our mistakes”’. On one hand, Santiago is a keen risk-taker. Taking huge risks are not always smart, but the risks Santiago takes while he is a shepherd pay off because they are clever. Specifically, in the fields where his sheep roam, there are snakes, and Santiago still lets them graze because it is necessary for the sheep, even though they could die. The risks Santiago takes help him live life to the fullest. On the other hand, the Crystal Merchant is anti-change and anti-risk. These attributes hurt him in his business and his personal life. The risks Santiago takes for him help his business soar. He could become a big-shot merchant if he takes more like Santiago. Furthermore, he refuses to make a pilgrimage to Mecca because he is scared the journey is not worth the reward. In other words, he fears the trip would not meet his expectations, which means he would not have anything else to live for. The Crystal Merchant’s bland life is a result of the lack of risks in his life. In conclusion, it is inevitable that the Crystal Merchant and the Englishman bring out the good qualities Santiago posses, which help Santiago achieve his Personal Legend. Santiago is generous, understanding, and a smart risk taker. This relates to society because these characteristics are key for being successful, and they help you accomplish what you set your heart out for.

I believe that the mood and tone of chapter five is death, very negative, and darker than any of the other chapters in Call Of the Wild. In chapter five, the mood is sullen, and very sudden with the death of the other dogs in chapter five. London’s words in chapter five come off as morose, especially when the dogs reached their last breath. Though the other dogs had died, John Thorton had saved Buck from his death, which was quite a dramatic event in the chapter. “And through it all Buck staggered along at the head of the team as in a nightmare.” In page 69, this sentence shows that as Buck is leading the rest of the dogs before their death, he isn’t walking steadily, and could possibly sense that something terrible was occur, but he continued to walk on. When Thorton saved Buck, it was mostly considered as a sudden turn in the dark occurrence. With all the other past humans mistreating the dogs, it felt like a sudden act of kindness to Buck, but it was much more than that; Thorton had saved Buck’s life, which added to the mood of darkness, which ended before the end of the chapter could be considered to be anything else but negative. Towards the end of the chapter, it is clear that the mood is definitely death, and totally has a sullen, dark tone from the author’s words. From writing this essay, I can take what I learned from chapter five, with describing mood and tone, and use it in my own writing, or to use imagery to describe an event, just like the author of Call Of the Wild.

Many people spend much of their lives searching for a place to call home where they feel a strong sense of belonging; the transatlantic slave trade caused this search for Africans and their many descendants to be particularly difficult. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi presents this African diaspora as a major theme in her novel. She portrays this in a fashion that shows how these people endured exclusion and abuse whether they decided to stay in africa, left their home and country in search of something better, or were forcefully taken and sold to the Americans.

Gyasi writes the characters to follow one shared Ghanaian genealogy as well as their similar feelings of injustice and rejection throughout the lineage of their descendants. The lineage originates as Fante and Asante in the late 18th century and continues until the late 20th century in America and Ghana. This style of writing allowed for the theme of transnationalism which contributes to struggles of belonging. In each generation of the descendants the reader is introduced to each struggle with finding emotional and physical belonging while attempting to survive slavery, unjust imprisonment, exile, and other sufferings. Gyasi’s Homegoing tells of racial disparities and inequalities throughout African history, and how this fictional lineage where each individual’s story relates.

A people from one nation bear a connection to one another, however, adverse ideas and diverse cultural environments can introduce certain obstructions between said people. Quey, the son of Effia and a british soldier James lived in the Cape Coast Castle where he saw two worlds. “Quey had wanted to cry but that desire embarrassed him. He knew that he was one of the half-caste children of the Castle, and, like the other half-caste children, he could not fully claim either half of himself, neither his father’s whiteness nor his mother’s blackness.

Neither England nor the Gold Coast.” (89) Despite knowing he lived above hundreds of captive slaves with similar origin to himself Quey ultimately decided to stay within the comforts of the slave trade. This question of belonging grew stronger with James, Quey’s child, who encountered an Asante girl that refused to shake his hand because he was Fante and heavily involved in the slave trade. Quey associated himself to africa, nonetheless, he did not feel as though he identified with the Fante or the Asante. This struggle of finding a people to identity and belong with is apparent throughout generations of africans alike.

Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland is a novel about the impulsive nature of the youth, as well as the hesitation and regret that can make a long life not worth living. As stunning complexities, catastrophes, and disclosures increase all through the book, Lahiri insightfully analyzes the psychological subtleties and nuances of conviction, marriage, anguish, parenthood, and regret and carefully scrutinizes the ethical conundrums inborn in an aggressive insurgency. The novel shows through gestures, symbolism and impeccable details, the subtlety with which people encounter life. If paired with another great work such as Thomas Foster’s How To Read Literature Like A Professor, The Lowland will prove to be an invaluable addition to the Humanities course; this novel will help students learn how to uncover nuances, introduce students to the main topics covered in this course while also complementing the other books we read in this course.

The Lowland will introduce many of the vibrant topics covered in this course such as tragedy, human nature and even morality. The Lowland is a timeless tale of emotions, people’s beliefs, their vulnerabilities, their needs and struggles all woven together and brought to life by the simplicity of expression, a fluid pace of narrative and multi-dimensional perspectives. This novel warrants serious reading, considering the vast amount of detailing that has been put into the narrative. Thomas Foster’s How To Read Literature Like A Professor enlightens the reader on how to do just that. One of the main aspects of Fosters novel is educate the reader on how to read intelligently and dig deeper to find hidden connotations in order develop more nuanced thought.

Foster’s novel will help the reader to uncover the richness of the emotional complexities involved in the novel to make for a rewarding reading experience. Udayan, the most important character of the book, is a dynamic idealist whose social conscience propels him into the Naxalite movement, the Maoist revolt that emerged out of the merciless persecution of laborers in the Naxalbari region of Darjeeling.From speeches and forms of propaganda he progresses to knives and bombs, and is forced into hiding after his involvement in the killing of a policeman. One afternoon paramilitary forces surrounded his house and he was forced out at gunpoint and shot dead on the street. Although founded on the the principles of fighting oppression the Naxalites committed atrocious crimes which were sadistic, gruesome and intended to shock.

The questions of morality are imminent in this part of the novel. In this course morality and ethics are a huge topic for debate and this novel is able to shed light on many of the moral dilemmas presented in a violent insurgency such as the Naxalite movement. Although dead within the first 100 pages of this 325 page book, Udayan was an extremely important character in all aspects of this book. Even after his death there was never more than two pages were the reader wasn’t made aware of his absence in some way or the other. There is no relief in the storyline; it strangles you with one tragedy after the other and leads to a myriad of emotion after emotion. Every single book/play we have read so far in this course has some sort of tragedy, often times many. With Maus the we see how Spiegelman emphasizes the grief, guilt and anger the holocaust left behind, with Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, we see how one tragedy lead to many and ultimately a civil war.

How To Improve Your English

Most people trying to learn an international language because it’s help to communicate with many people. Many people think learning English is hard. It’s important to learn English to change your life for better. How can novices people improve their English language?
It’s not difficult to improve your English if you fallow tow ways: watching TV and reading more books.

First, you have to improve your English by watching TV. One way is to watch the news on the TV. Also, you can watch the local news to learn different vocabulary. For example, when you watch health news, you will learn some medical words. In addition, you can see sport news, if you like to know some of the names of sports.

Next, most people love to go to the cinema to see movies. For instance, while you watch the movie about Geography, you will enjoy and learn the names of the places and directions at the same time. Moreover, sometimes, family movies can teach you some slang words. Also, make sure to watch a favorite movie that you like more than once to speak like the accent of the American people. Finally, you need to look at the cartoons for children on the TV.

If you like to see cartoon, like Barney. You will learn simple words and understand what they say. Also, listen to the music. Animation, to help you to remember words easily. In addition, while watching cartoons with animals, you will learn the names with animals. As you can see, these are three perfect ways to learn English by watching TV.

Another way, reading is very important for the development of your language. First of all, children’s books are a great way to learn the language. For instance, buying stories about nature and the environment is a perfect way to identify types of plants. Also, if you want to know the meanings of words.

You can buy comics stories for kids to understand the meanings of words through pictures. Furthermore, reading fictional stories for children provides you with a lot of the simple vocabulary. Next, one of the best things is reading novels to learn. For example, when you read novels about Shakespeare’s.

You will learn poems, word. Furthermore, You can read stories about science fiction. That’s will be good to learn some scientific words. Moreover, you need to focus on reading novels to learn how to spell different words. At last, reading magazines everyday is a fun way to learn English. For instance, if you like reading a magazine about technology, that helps you to learn about modern tools. In addition, you can learn a lot of academic words by reading LONG MAN magazines. Furthermore, look at fashion magazines to learn some names of clothing. In short, these are three wonderful ways to improve your English quickly by reading different types of material.

Clearly, learning English is important thing you have to do in your life because it helps you to communicate with other people and the most importantly, the development of this language by watching TV and reading more books to change your life for better.