...Symbolism, theme, and other literary elements within literature Michelle Deckard ENG125 Instructor Heather Neilson 08/18/2014 Symbolism, theme, and other literary elements within literature Literary works are a way of escaping or comparing to day to day life. Many works can grab you with extensive word usage, language, emotion, and even setting. Symbolism which is used in most literary works such as, The Worn path, by Eudora Welty and Good country people by Flannery O’Connor which also have similar themes. Theme consistent in both works is similar due to the religious nature portrayed in, The Worn path and Good country people. Though each are similar each portray a different aspect of faith, from redemption to triumph. Perception of literary elements based on the characters within each work, are portrayed differently the overall themes are similar. Symbolism can be described as one thing meaning more than its literal meaning. (Clugston, 2014) For instance, Welty’s, The Worn path, is seen instantly like: “Seem like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far, she said, in the voice of argument old people keep to use with themselves. Something always take a hold of me on this hill-pleads I should stay.” (Saunders, 1992) The worn path itself is symbolic of the journey of life that has been traveled many times over. Even the character, Phoenix Jackson, her name alone is a symbol. Phoenix is representative of a mystical bird that rises in the air...
Words: 1572 - Pages: 7
...The Inaugural Address is the most important speech in a president’s career, meaning that whatever the president discusses is going to be remembered and referred back to by the citizens. In John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, the hopes and aspirations of the country are included to remind America as well as other countries that change can occur at any given moment. The Inaugural Address was meant to serve as a model that progress can be made if the citizens are able to work with each other and that unity is what keeps a nation strong. The significance of JFK’s speech was the fact of how much hope and belief was being directed to the country as a whole, but also to the citizens individually. Throughout the speech, Kennedy expresses a strong, prideful tone. In the speech, Kennedy uses paradoxes, symbolism, and metaphors to convey the belief that no matter how the odds may look, America is united....
Words: 705 - Pages: 3
...debate on the constitutionality of this law. Balaclavas are similar to a ski mask, covering the users face, only exposing their eyes and mouth. This was worn during the protest because it is a symbol that the Pussy Riot uses. However, these are not casual wear for people in a society, thus in this case, the arrests are not a big deal. On the other hand, this law does cause problems for women of the Islamic faith who choose to wear face veils such as burqas or niqab. The passing of this law came with criticism, with critics claiming that it can cause tension with Muslim extremists and give off the impression of racism. Punishments for breaking this law include warnings and/or fines. This law is not heavily enforced and has not had to many issues. Many times Muslim women agree to lift their veils to police, and other times police do not even bother. However, there have been a few problems. One example stated in the article was that of a woman refusing to lift her veil to the police during the holy month of Ramadan, leading to a confrontation ending up with a few arrests. The intended purpose of the law was for security reasons so a face is not hidden, and also to punish people who force others to wear the veils. People who support this law also add that it allows women to be more free, and others state that Muslim women who live is...
Words: 934 - Pages: 4
...characters to alter the situation favorably. The characters use deceit, and they lie whenever they feel necessary to avoid social responsibility. The incessant lies told by the characters let them live double lives, establish false personas and mask the true meaning and symbolism that each character contains. Deceit becomes a way to conveniently shape the scenario around the characters. Ernest, also known as Jack, uses deceit so that he may partake in pleasurable acts whenever he gets an urge to do so. He lies and travels between the...
Words: 962 - Pages: 4
...traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern mythologies, and the Asian dragon, with counterparts in Japan, Korea and other East Asian countries. Since I was a kid, dragons have always been a mystery and an attraction for me .I have spent a lot of time to study about them and found out that there are three general differences between the dragon from the east and the west which are appearance, symbolism and what they mean to society . First of all, the easily identifiable difference between an Asian dragon and a European one is the appearance. Asian dragons resemble large snakes. They look like a combination of many animals such as snakes and eagles, and had no wings. For Chinese, each one of its four short legs had five toes while a Japanese dragon has three and a Korean one has four. Even though depicted without wings the Asian dragon is believed to fly. They are often in red and gold. Unlike the Asian, the European typically depicted their dragons as a huge fire-breathing scaly and horned dinosaur-like creature with bat-type wings growing from its back. They have four legs and a long muscular tail. A European dragon-like creature with no front legs is known as a wyvern. Thanks to the differences of the appearance, each dragon has their own prominence and symbolism. Secondly, there are a contrast of the symbolism between the dragon from the east and the west. Dragon is a symbol of evil in the eyes’ of the Western...
Words: 787 - Pages: 4
...Tommy Campbell Fr. Williams Eng 241 26 February 2011 Symbolism Symbolism is a powerful tool used by people every day to force people to look past the obvious and find the deeper meaning. Symbolism is used by authors, musicians, priests, and many others. James Joyce, a well-known Irish author, uses symbolism repeatedly throughout his collection of short stories published in 1916. In these stories, titled Dubliners, Joyce uses symbolism not only to enhance the stories, but to also show the hidden, underlying message of each story without coming out and saying it directly. Joyce’s stories are centered on the problems of Dublin and through his use of symbolism Joyce is able to focus attention on what problem each story is addressing. James Joyce, author of Dubliners, uses symbolism effectively to enhance the stories. The first story in Dubliners deals with the problems of the Catholic Church. “The Sisters” is about a priest, Father Flynn, who goes crazy because of the incredible stress placed on him by the rule-centered church. A note publicly announcing the priest’s death read “July 1st, 1895 The Rev. James Flynn (Formerly of S. Catherine’s Church, Meath Street), aged sixty-five years. R.I.P.” (Joyce 4). Joyce associates Father Flynn with S. Catherine’s Church because St. Catherine was torn apart physically and Father Flynn was torn apart mentally, because of the rules and strict guidelines he was expected to uphold. Making this connection enhances the story because it...
Words: 2140 - Pages: 9
...During his reign he we go on to invade and raid many countries in Europe and beyond. One of his major conquests was invading Egypt in 1798. His invasion allowed him to bringing ancient artifacts that he raided from the country back home to France. The French people became interested with these artifacts and the Egyptian folklore. Hieroglyphics were fascinating, and they had not been translated during the eighteenth century which only added to their mystery. They believed that the hieroglyphics contained information about an ancient knowledge regarding magic. Books such as Hieroglyphica, written by the fifth century Egyptian priest Horapollo, became a source for occults to study and use to drive mystic beliefs. Another book that occults studied was Life of Sethos, Taken from Private Memoirs of the Ancient Egyptians written by Jean Terrason in the mid eighteenth century. The fascination with books about Egyptian folklore during the eighteenth century is very similar to the rediscovery of ancient Greek texts that people studied during the...
Words: 1762 - Pages: 8
...other films during that period of time and honestly was similar to most of the “Hollywood” movies that I am used to in this country. This new wave of films fundamentally surrounded itself by creating a feel of real life and personality on the screen that would captivate its viewers, and the movie 400 Blows did everything and more than I expected. This movie exclusively left out a realizable plot, but there is one thing that it did not do. It kept the life that Francois Truffaut was telling as real and as close to authentic as he possibly could. It was shot in first person singular which allows the viewer to imagine exactly what is going on inside the head of the protagonist, in this case Antoine Doinel. We as viewers, are able to follow the childhood of young Antoine as he constantly gets into trouble and ultimately how he deals with living with an uncaring and very difficult family in Paris during his adolescent years. It’s very easy to become captivated with the dialogue and acting within this picture because at certain points you feel the characters emotions and daily struggles as if they were your own. During the time of watching this movie I immediately felt like I was sitting in the classroom with Antoine and his class as he was punished and forced to stand in the corner. The teacher is very strict and firm, very appropriate for the time and country this story took place in. The next day when his friend convinces him to skip school, it reminded me of a time of my childhood...
Words: 1765 - Pages: 8
...Society’s conformation to honor traditions Shirley Jackson’s observation on individuals not questioning the society in 1948, is reflected in the shocking short story. The scope of this literary essay is to examine the use of symbolism, foreshadowing and irony which represent the negative consequence of the lottery. In “The Lottery”, by Shirley Jackson, Jackson uses symbolism, foreshadowing and irony to illustrate how society conforms to honor traditions which are outdated and barbarian. Jackson’s use of objects and names in the story symbolize the religious and symbolic meaning which leads to the brutal death of an innocent. In the story stones are very symbolic as it represents the death of an innocent individual. Stoning is a few methods...
Words: 875 - Pages: 4
...The world of nature is colourful and bright and human ingenuity cannot hope to match it. Right from the sky above to the sea below, nature abounds in the richness of colour. The human eye and the human mind respond to this world of colour and identify themselves with it. When a person is cheerful and bright we refer to him as a 'colourful personality', similarly the different colours are used to indicate human moods and attitudes: blue is associated with depression, white is likened with serenity, green with jealousy and red with rage. Colour is also used to relieve tension. Psychologists have investigated the effect of colour on the working ability of workers and have come to the conclusion that certain colours are more conducive to Positive thinking than others. The power of colours cannot be denied, more so, as it is the soul instance of life on earth. Although sight and the human brain has helped in identifying colours and their delights, it's interesting to note what colours mean to us in totality. The power of colours and their meanings has been enlisted below. RED: More than half the globe loves this colour. We sure agree. Red is the second-most favorite colour on earth. Be it the Ferrari red or a svelte red dress, red is an intense colour, and defines many emotions and moods. The most important being, the colour of love, passion, seduction, and desire. It also defines enthusiasm, power, and heat. This colour also represents anger, violence, and aggression. Red...
Words: 2318 - Pages: 10
...Who Really are the Freemasons? Throughout modern history, an organization known as the Freemasons has created controversy and raised many questions about the true purpose or purposes behind their activities. It is said to be the world’s oldest and largest fraternity. It proclaims itself to be a group “comprised of adult men (18+) of good character from every country, religion, race, age, income, education, and opinion, who believe in a supreme being.”(What is Freemasonry?). Furthermore, the Freemasons claim to promote the idea that “each man has responsibility to improve himself while being devoted to his family, faith, country, and fraternity.”(What is Freemasonry?). This sounds innocent enough, but does it provide a full picture of Freemasonry? While always a secretive organization, several events in modern times have led to an increased interest in the Freemasonry and suspicions about the actual reasons for their existence. How did the Freemasonry begin? One theory is that the Freemasons were originally a group of tradesmen who worked as masons. (www.grandlodge-tn.org) A mason is, by dictionary definition, “a person whose trade is building with units of various natural or artificial mineral products, as stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or tiles, usually with the use of mortar or cement as a bonding agent”. (www.dictionary.com). And according to historical records, the Freemasons began as illegal trade unions of stonemasons in England during the...
Words: 3187 - Pages: 13
...Using jewelry or small accessories to represent your hometown is a great way to keep your origins close to your heart wherever you go. The personal effect of jewelry matches the nostalgic feelings that our hometowns give us and can symbolize why your hometown means so much to you. Here are a few ways you can do this: 1. Symbolism and Flag Colors When shopping for jewelry, be on the lookout for jewelry with patterns or designs which symbolize something associated with where you come from. For instance, TrueFacet sells many Hermes watches and patterned bracelets with snowflakes, bike wheels, ribbons, and other motifs. You could use a seashell to represent a coastal town or a leaf for a forest area. If there is a certain landmark or industry associated...
Words: 799 - Pages: 4
...another kind of evil which we must fear most... And that is the indifference of good men" (Duffy). This quote by Troy Duffy makes a statement about an evil that one often overlooks. Throughout history, evil men have committed horrendous crimes deserving of death. However, people often forget that the apathetic man has something to be blamed for. In Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, he shows how good men become desensitized and leave all logic, decency, and concern when removed from civilization. Conrad's novel illustrates a plethora of themes about man when placed in such a primitive environment. In his novel, Conrad uses the literary elements of symbolism, characterization, and setting to illustrate the theme that humans become depraved when removed from civilization. The literary concept of symbolism is exemplified in people, places, and things in order to portray how depraved humans can become. One primary example is the heads of the "criminals" atop of poles outside Kurtz's hut (Conrad). This symbolizes Kurtz's physical and mental downgrade from domesticated to savage. He has figuratively and literally become an animal at this point in time. He is so broken off from decency that he no longer cares how violent and brash his actions are. Furthermore, there is another example...
Words: 644 - Pages: 3
...theory affects the views of the individual who is part of the institution, (4) the approach to social change within the institution, and lastly (5) how each theory affects the views of society. Along with how does each theory apply to the sociological institution or economics. The functionalism theory in regards to economics does certainly affect the world which we live in. This change is noted by Hegelian dialectics, functionalism and structuralism, (Karsten, 2005). There are economies becoming intertwined within the increasing internet of the global economy. Enterprises have developed a global idea by internationalizing their products and services, encouraging labor and capital to move quickly among industrialized countries, affecting social, fiscal, and monetary policies. Additional developments have increased awareness on a global scale, human rights, the environment, demographics, and natural resources. But without economic interactionism, functionalism would be difficult, to say the least, (Leigh, Gabel, 1992). Why, because symbolic interactionism shows society a company’s market practices and strategies of marketing, such as promotions, price, and distribution given the relevance for all facets of marketing strategy. In addition, one cannot leave out the final...
Words: 2559 - Pages: 11
...Are humans by nature inherently evil Lord of the Flies provides one with a clear understanding of Golding's view of human nature? Whether this view is right or wrong is a point to be debated. This image Golding paints for the reader that of humans being inherently bad, is a perspective not all people share. Lord of the Flies is but an abstract tool of Golding's to construct the idea of the inherent evil of human nature in the minds of his readers. To construct this idea of the inherent evil, Golding employs the symbolism of Simon, Ralph, the hunt and the island. Golding drives the point that the instinctual evil within man is inescapable. At one point in the book, when the Lord of the Flies is representing all evil, this theory is stated as, "The Lord of the Flies was expanding like a balloon". Along with this idea is the religious symbolism that is used for ineffectively confronting the evil. At a point in the book, Golding has Simon, symbolic of Jesus Christ, confront the Lord of the Flies. This is a pig's head on a stick that is imagined to talk and represent the evil in all humans. Simon tries to act and spread the knowledge of this evil to others but is killed. This is a direct reference to the death of Christ, alluding to the Holy Bible. At many points throughout Lord of the Flies, Golding writes for the characters to become gradually more and more evil. This attribute even reaches the symbols of goodness and order, such as Ralph. Once, when Ralph and...
Words: 728 - Pages: 3
