...white againts the brown and dry valley (Roberts, Zweig 350).The white hills that contrast with brown and dry barren valley represent the choice between life and death. Jig either has to keep the baby, life, or the abort the baby, death. When jig walks to other the end of the station, the author descibes the fields of grain and trees along the Ebro river (Roberts, Zweig 352). This symbolizes the life in her belly. The fertile landscape at the end of the station reminds jig she is pregnant, and she the possibility of keeping her child and having a happy life. In addition to setting, the author uses symbolism to communicate main ideas through description. Jig describes the white hills as elephants. A white elephant is an symbol for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot...
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...The Flower-Fed Buffaloes Explore how either The Flower-Fed Buffaloes (by Vachel Lindsay) or Report to Wordsworth (by Boey Kim Cheng) powerfully conveys feelings about human destruction ? Uses: - Symbols - contrasting visual imagery. - tone In the poem called “The Flower – Fed Buffaloes” written by Vachel Lindsay. The poet uses literally techniques such as visual images, tone and symbols, in order for her to convey a strong image about the human destruction of the natural world. The poet uses visual imagery that opposes one and another, in order for her to create this image of destruction of nature by mankind. At the beginning of the poem, before humans intervened, the countryside was “blooming, tossing” and the “flowers lie low’. These words make nature have an ambiance of calmness, zen, peacefulness and harmony as nature is not disturbed by anything. But this visual image will soon change, as suddenly everything is “swept away by wheat’, meaning that this peacefully countryside is intervened by human activity. This creates an image of nature suddenly being attacked and confronted with mankind and its intentions. The changing of fields into wheat plantation is an example of one of many mankind’s’ intention (this being colonization and industry). The author also uses contracting tone in order for her to convey feelings about human destruction. Like with the visual imagery, the tone of poem is very happy and serene, as nature is free to do whatever it...
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...“A Man” by Ernest Buckler Prithika Sritharan In the short story, “A Man” by Ernest Buckler, he uses the symbolism of the garden to demonstrate Joseph and Mark’s relationship which evolves from their formal and mutual respect to the acknowledgment of their true feelings. The garden symbolizes the state of which their relationship stands and how it changes as the plot progresses. In the beginning of the story Joseph and Mark’s relationship was a little distant; they were really formal to one another because they didn’t have the faith in each other. This is shown when Mark comes up to Joseph and tells him about how he’s going to plant orange seeds and let them grow, Mark said, “They won’t grow here.” Mark and Joseph didn’t have that normal father and son relationship. “In a neighbour’s house of a Sunday afternoon Mark might stand nearer to him than to anyone else; but he never got onto his lap like the other kids got onto their fathers laps.” This formal relationship definitely reflected on Mark’s garden because towards the ending it didn’t even grow because he didn’t have the right support that he should’ve got from the beginning. The formal respect that they had to one another did turn to mutual right after Mark’s accident with the horses. After that horrible accident Joseph started to express his feelings out to his son mutually. Joseph made sure his son had extra care and that no harm was done to him, “Joseph would be the one who’d quietly put the extra leaves...
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...easily things can be misconceived, all depending on how you think about it. This is evident upon examining the use of heart disease, springtime, and the open window. We are exposed to the fact that Mrs. Mallard has heart disease, and a family friend tells her of a train wreck, in which her husband is killed. She is remorseful at first, then realizes the freedom that she has just inherited. She thinks about how she has been repressed, but now she is free to pursue a new path in life. In the beginning of the story, we discover Mrs. Mallard is ill with heart disease. Mr. Richards, a close friend of her husband, and her sister, Josephine, are concerned how she will take the news of Mr. Mallard dying. For the reader, her heart disease serves as a symbol of her repressed life, and her marriage to a man who controls her will. During her time alone, her will and outlook on life seem to become more vibrant as she thinks about how she has a new lease on life due to her husband’s death. She starts to feel as if she has the entire world at her fingertips. The author describes the springtime, “the tops of trees that were aquiver with new spring life… countless sparrows twittering in the eaves,” symbolizing renewal or a new start of her life. When the story began, it was raining and it seemed depressive, as if there was no hope or change. Then, as her thoughts become realized, it changes to demonstrate how things change and are reborn. She starts to think of all the possibilities laid out before...
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...language being presented as symbols and his rejections of signs. I will then conclude and provide a short summary before moving on to views for and against his ideas, before stating my own thoughts. Paul Tillich was a German- American theologian who believed that it is possible to speak meaningfully about metaphysical concepts and from this he came up with the theory that religious language, because it is symbolic in nature, has an overwhelming effect upon humans. Tillich argued that religious language is symbolic. This means that religious symbols communicate the most significant values and beliefs of human beings. Tillich initially had to start his theory by making a distinction between signs and symbols. Tillich suggested that signs do not participate in what they symbolise. By this he means that signs only point to a statement and have no additional effect. For example a sign may point the way to a town centre, but that’s all it does. It doesn’t fill you with peace, hope, excitement or any other emotion. Tillich believed that symbols on the other hand are powerful as they actually take part in the power and meaning of what they symbolise. This means that symbols have more effect on a person and give meaning of the object. For example a cross symbolises Jesus’ sacrifice and the belief about God and his plan for salvation. Therefore, a symbol communicates more effectively with us. Tillich then tried to argue that religious language operates as a symbol, in the sense that the language...
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...Pleasantville In Pleasantville, color represents passion, love, art, and risk. In the scene at Lover’s Lane, Bud describes the color as loud, scary, and dangerous. Fear of the unknown is the main conflict in the movie. Many in the movie, such as the Mayor and Whitey are threaten and fearful of the color. The Mayor describes Pleasantville as a traditional town, a “pleasant” town. He uses the towns traditional ways and values to create a code of conduct. The code of conduct attempts to suppress and outlaw activities that cause or bring additional color to the town. The Mayor imprisons Bud and tries to prosecute him for breaking the code of conduct. Whitey and his gang use violence, harassment and aggression to intimidate the people of color. So the “pleasant” citizens use violence and power in an attempt to discourage the activities they believe to be causing the colors to appear in their town. All of this is symbolism to historical racial conflict, Whitey and his gang symbolize the America’s KKK. The mayor and his code of conduct symbolizes the Nazi’s and their racial hatred toward those that are different then the arian race. One scene in the movie we see a sign in the window of a town store that says “No Colors,” this is symbolism for America’s ugly segregation past. The movie challenges the viewer to recognize that those with differences in society may cause volatility and push us outside of our comfort zones, but embracing the differences can make society better...
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...Symbolism in “A Pair of Tickets” The same way scratches on paper create language and just one look from an admirer creates a feeling of love in ones heart; symbolism can evoke emotion and meaning that generates magic in a story. I believe symbolism is a prevalent and unwavering theme weaved throughout Amy Tan’s short story “A Pair of Tickets.” Many things, such as the names of the characters, and the photographs they take in the story embody symbolism and turn this story into a remarkable account of family and how it is one of life’s unbreakable bonds. The importance of symbolism in this short story makes it come alive to the reader. To summarize of Amy Tans “A Pair of Tickets” we look at the main character, Jing-mei. She is on a train, with her father, heading to China to visit her family. She speaks of not feeling like she is really Chinese. Although all of her family is Chinese, she grew up in America because that is where her parents moved during the Japanese invasion of China. They first visit the town of Guangzhou, where her father’s great aunt is waiting to see them. This is the first time the reader gets a glimpse of Jing-mei being interested in her Chinese heritage. “The minute our train leaves the Hong Kong border and enters Shenzhen, China, I feel different. I can feel the skin on my forehead tingling, my blood rushing through a new course, my bones aching with a familiar old pain. And I think, my mother was right. I am becoming Chinese.” (Norton, 189.) They...
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...Alethiometer, also known as the “Golden Compass”, originated from the movie “The Golden Compass”. This incredible prop is contracted with the most remarkable care and dedication. The casing is real, highly polished brass and was made in a working foundry specially constructed for the purpose in the prop workshops. It is a heavy item with ornate details engraved into the outer shell and also under the lid; whereas the underside image of the Magisterium building was carved. Thus, it was inspired by the architecture in Prague. It consist three ornate control knobs on the edge of the ‘compass’, which were used to set a question to be answered by the Alethiometer. The face of the dial is the most detailed part of the prop; it contains 36 symbols. Each symbol is painstakingly and carefully hand-painted by a jeweler. The three arms on this particular prop are fixed in place, it doesn’t move by itself, unless of course, if you turn the knobs by force. Same applies with a replica. A copy of the genuine prop is considered a ‘toy’ and can be bought in selected stores, mostly purchased in the “Amazon” and “Noble Collection”. The authentic ‘compass’ has six different versions, each created for the filming of the movie, from a closed rubber prop required for action scenes to a computer controlled, fully-geared moving prop. The center hub cover of the face was added in post-production by computer effects, as was some of the movement and glow lighting details. I so loved the art encased on it,...
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...Quantavius Thornwell Kimberly Covington English 101 10-15-14 The Diverse Symbolism in “A Raisin in the Sun” Symbolism is a powerful tool. Throughout the play “A Raisin in the Sun” multiple types of symbolism are clearly shown. Lorraine Hansberry did a wonderful job of allowing the different types of symbols to be seen. She used symbols through people and objects to get certain points across. She is smart in her use of symbolism because she is able to get a feeling of the time period in which they are in, from certain objects that represent something else. The use of symbolism is very important and it helps the reader get a more detail sense of the issue, problem, or event that is occurring. The first use of symbolism is the plant in which Mama takes care of. The plant represents many things but the most obvious example is that the plant represents the family. Mama knows if she continues to deep nurture and care for the plant then the plant will survive through the living condition it is in. “Lord, if this little old plant don’t get more sun than it’s been getting it ain’t never going to see spring again.” In this quote, Mama explains that the plant is dying because the sun is not shining on it and no sun is shining on the Younger family either. She never gives up on the plant and puts great hope and care towards it. The way she treats the plant is the same way she treats here family in their fragile and rough living condition they are surviving in. At the end when all...
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...SYMBOLS, ARCHETYPES & MOTIFS Symbols Three categories: Archetypal – The first symbols of humankind that have replicated themselves in stories throughout the ages across all cultures. They appear in the stories of groups from cavemen to 21st century authors. The term “archetype” was coined by Karl Jung who used them as the basis of “collective unconscious” theory. Cultural – As cultural groups use archetypal symbols to represent their values, fears, beliefs, and expectations, these objects take on meaning specific to that group. For example, the cross is an ancient archetypal symbol. When cultural groups adopt it, the meanings become both universal and specific. For most cultures the cross holds spiritual significance; hence its archetypal meaning. For Christians the cross takes on specific representation of Christ’s crucifixion. Nuance – These objects take on symbolic meaning in the work in which they appear. Modern writers often create their own symbols by repeatedly using the object in meaningful ways. For example, Golding used the conch shell to represent order and governmental control. NOTABLE ARCHETYPAL SYMBOLS, CHARACTERS, AND STORY PATERNS Characters: Hero (Epic, Classical, Romantic, Realistic, Anti-Hero) Outcast, Scapegoat, Trickster, Platonic Ideal, Monster, Temptress, Star-crossed lovers, Clown/jester, Prophet Story Patterns: Rite of Passage/Initiation, Creation, Fall, Expulsion, Death & Rebirth, Journey, Quest Symbols: (Archetypal symbols have...
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...Symbolism of “Screen Door” “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, is packed with symbols that are very important to the meaning of the short story. There are several important symbols in the story that eventually leads up to Connie’s decision to give herself to Arnold. One of the crucial symbols in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is the screen door of Connie’s house. The screen door symbolizes Connie's transition from a teenager to a mature woman that is accepting her fate. Throughout the story Connie is scared to open the door and go outside, the closest she gets is when the boys first pull up and she “hung[s] out the screen door, [with] her toes curling down off the step” (Oates 508). Connie knows that Arnold won’t come in the house because he tells her several times, “I’m not coming in that house after you” (Oates 513). So in a way she feels comforted by the screen door that is separating them. The screen door is a boundary between Connie and Arnold, Connie stands inside the house as Arnold stands on the front porch with his arms open. If Connie opens the screen door to go out with Arnold she is excepting her fate but if she keeps the screen door shut and stays inside, she remains the fearful young teenager who is not ready to leave. By the end of the story Connie has made up her mind, “She put her hand against the screen door. She watched herself push the door slowly open as if she were safe back somewhere in the other doorway,...
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...lived. In the story the woman does not realize she is dead until the end of the story. The main theme of the story is death. The author, Jean Rhys, uses symbols, the plot, and the point of view to lead us through the woman's journey of realizing she is dead. “I Used To Live Here Once” is a short story written in limited omniscient point of view. With this point of view the author only shows the feeling and expression of the one character (Clugston, 2010). The character the author describes is the woman that has died. This point of view relates to the overall theme, which is death. Using this point of view, along with the symbols, shows us the woman has died and the way she is experiencing death. Throughout the story, the author uses many symbols to show the woman is on a journey after she has died. One of the symbols Jean Rhys uses is when the woman is crossing a river. When one dies they cross over into the after life. Another symbol Jean Rhys uses in the story is the glassy sky. The glassy sky can be seen as a reflection of the woman's life up until the time she died. Another symbol Jean Rhys uses is the stepping stones. The stepping stones could represent the woman's walk through life. The ups and downs, the good and bad aspects she encountered in her life are the stepping stones. Another symbol Jean Rhys uses in the story is when when the children began to feel cold. The cold feeling the children had was from the dead woman standing near them. It has...
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...The story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is filled with symbolism. In fact, the story is a symbol within itself. Even though the story lacks setting it can still be understood through the symbolism it contains. I have found various symbols throughout this story. The symbols I have found are: the black box, the dotted cards, and the lottery. The first symbol I found was the black box. This symbolizes various things. For example, it symbolizes the deterioting of the population and the customs that a city/town was built upon. The box is worn & torn and not original. The population is slowly dying because of the ritual that they believe has been practice for years. The ritual that they practice may not be original and may be, like the box, only a form of or bits and pieces of the original practice and believe behind this ritual. It also may symbolize that a new custom is needed. In the story, they said that Mr. Summers had been requesting a new box for years. This suggests that the new box symbolizes a new custom that is surely needed. Another symbol is the dotted cards. These cards symbolize death. They symbolize death because if you obtain a dotted card you will be stoned to death. They also symbolize a control system. These cards are used to control the population and control a person and/or their family. The town was so compliant with the custom that no one realized it was wrong, and if they did they didn’t speak up. One reason they didn’t speak up was because of fear...
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...playing a key role in forming and maintaining a civilization. Ralph uses the conch and his leadership to summon the others, have meetings and delegate positions, assign power, and set rules such as: “[Giving] the conch to the next person to speak” (Golding 31). By adhering to the set of rules regarding the conch shell, the boys still maintain their civilized way of living back at home where there is the existence of government and laws to be adhered to regarding to the existence of social order. However, as time passes by, the conch begins to lose its power and significance and boys begin to succumb to savagery. When Ralph tries to convince the other boys to return to his tribe instead of joining Jack’s tribe by appealing the conch shell as a symbol of authority, Jack denies its significance by saying: “the conch doesn’t count...
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...During World War One, poet John McCrae wrote many pieces of literature. He published many short stories but was most famous for his poem In Flanders Fields. This poem uses many instances of symbolism and imagery to convey the main idea to the reader. In the first line it says "In Flanders Fields the poppies blow". The poppy is known as a symbol of sleep. The last line "We shall not sleep, though poppies grow / In Flanders Fields" point to this fact. Some kinds of poppies can be used to derive opium, from which morphine can be made. Morphine is one of the strongest painkillers and was often used to put a wounded soldier to sleep. Sometimes medical doctors used it in a higher dose to put the incurably wounded out of their misery. Poppies were also the only plant that grew in the western front during the war, and during that time poppies were constantly being blown into the author's face, which gave him reason enough and the inspiration to include them in the poem. Other symbols in this poem include the larks, sited in lines four and five. The idea McCrae conveys in this stanza is the fragility of human life "The larks, still bravely singing, fly / Scarce heard amid the guns below." The lark (bird) is known for its careless free spirit that symbolizes the oblivious people living in areas free from war. Meaning while life is being snatched away from the soldiers, people like us are carrying on with our carefree lives oblivious to the horrors of the battlefield. The last stanza...
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