...Fiction Assignment In A Good Man is Hard to Find, O’Connor displays to us the theme of an unsympathetic character that is surprisingly touched when one of his victims of his senseless crimes tries to convert him and persuade him to not kill her. With O’Connor’s Catholic influenced writing, a closer look through the short story shows the theme of unlikely, undeserving characters finally understanding the error of their ways and knowing that they could change, through the help and belief of religion. At the end of the story we see irony along with a sort of justice to the killing of the grandmother, who led her family down on a trip to their death because she was insistent of reliving and glorifying the former times. We also see the Misfit find out that there is no pleasure in his way of life, which makes him reflect on how different his life could have been. The first example of the Grandmother’s ability to compare and contrast the present time she is in and the ways of the past is in the backseat of the car with her grandchildren. When her grandson says that he wishes to get through their home state, Georgia, quickly, the grandmother admonishes him by telling him that children were more respectful of their states and parents. This seems to have little effect on the two disrespectful children. Further along the vacation, the family goes to The Tower for lunch. The place is run by a man named Red Sammy, whom advertises his restaurant by appealing to people just like the grandmother...
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...as “God Lieutenant” (as King James I phrased it). Whether his failure was necessary in his duty as a father or in finding his identity can be explored. The start of the play is imperative it setting up Lear’s duty and role as King. He enters the kingdom as an absolute ruler, with an air of grandeur about him, and he was highly respected – as highlighted by the fact he was referred to as “my lord” and “my liege”. His word was never challenged; it held a divine authority evident through the use of imperative such as “Attend the lords” and “Speak first”. Shakespeare deliberately, therefore offers us the perfect painting of a dutiful king. The consequential break down in society is therefore unexpected, and is summarised in the horrific irony that Lear wishes to “divide our kingdom into three” so that “future strife may be prevented”. Lear is blinded by his selfish wish to “crawl unburdened toward death” that he neglects his role as a divine ruler by selfishly dividing the kingdom. The view that the division is selfish however is rooted in the Jacobean idea of it being a sin against God. Alternatively, a modern audience may interpret the action as a bid to be fair, and non bias (two traits essential to kingship), and not alienate any of the daughters, arguably, as Gloucester does in his flippant statements that...
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...This is a short story, by Rudyard Kipling, about a man and his fight against the administration. The author deals with the topic in an ironic manner. We will try and show the irony in the short story, and find out why the author chose to tell us this story using that particular literary device. Irony is connected to double meaning: the narrator states something while actually meaning something else, which the reader has to figure out*. In “The Pit that They Digged”, irony is found in several instances, and has several functions. The first few paragraphs show examples of situational irony. The main character, Hawkins Mumrath, is seen as about to die (‘lay down to die’), but actually does not (‘he rallied’), thus going against the expected (his friends and acquaintances ‘gave him up for lost’). This return to a state of good health does not bring a feeling of relief or happiness, on the contrary (he gets back to work ‘to the disgust of his juniors who had hoped promotion’). The situation turns into an administrative nightmare as well: the man is not dead, yet the Government makes arrangements for a grave to be dug for him, causing a zealous employee, Ahutosh Lal Deb, to try and get back the money spent on the grave. The situation is thus absurd: a man, quite alive, is asked to pay for his own grave. He writes letters (a sure sign of life) to put the situation to rights, but the administration is unwilling to see his point of view. The administration is presented as a caring entity...
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...entwines the themes of free will as well as predestination. Even though we are sickened by the tragic life of Oedipus and the other characters, we are still able to appreciate the ironic characteristics of the play itself. Indeed, we eventually come to realize that man is free and yet he is also fated. Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex The primary characteristic of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex is that it is an ironic play. The play’s irony grasps the audience in a profound way because of the awareness that occurs regarding everything that is going on. Even though we, as observers, are sickened at the tragic life of Oedipus and the other characters, we are still able to appreciate the ironical characteristics of the play itself. The irony primarily exists in the context of man being free, but at the same time, fated. Without doubt, this play very much reflects the Greek vision which emphasizes the immediacy of experience and the nature of man. We see that man is free and that he has free will. At the same time, man also must reconcile himself to a certain fate. Irony is inherent in this very concept. Indeed, as demonstrated in Oedipus Rex, while there is free will in the human condition, there is also predestination to one’s life. In this play, we see how the main character Oedipus is free to run, but ultimately he cannot run away from himself. Oedipus was once a man of power and wealth who suddenly falls destitute. He goes from having much respect in his great position to being polluted...
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...The Fault in Our Stars John Green’s novel, The Fault in Our Stars will show you that there is more than one way to read a sad story. The 16-year-old narrator, Hazel, believes that when it comes to telling sad stories, “You have a choice in this world, I believe, about how to tell sad stories, and we made the funny choice.” (209). John Green shows the funny way to tell a sad story through the humorous, sarcastic tone while talking about something as severe and upsetting as cancer . This book will have you laughing and crying by the time you reach the end, it is certainly a book worth reading. Hazel Grace Lancaster, the 16 year old cancer sufferer, protagonist and narrator, lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she is forced by her overprotective mother to go to cancer support groups as an effort to meet friends. The bond demonstrated between Hazel and her mother was both a believable and a relatable mother-daughter relationship. It is at this support group, that Hazel meets her best friend and first love, Augustus Waters. Their relationship shows how much more meaningful life can be if you have someone to share important experiences with. It also amplifies that although the couple is young and both have suffered from hardships, including cancer, it does not get in the way of the pair building a relationship, a skill that many could learn from. Throughout the novel, Hazel does not let the illness that she has been marked with stop her from having goals or dreams. It is shown...
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...Not Without a Smile The novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley reveals the irony in human life through traces of the agonizing life of a miserable scientist, Victor Frankenstein. Ever since Victor was a little boy, he had always been interested in the topic of natural science. Through innovation and guidance, as well as great effort, Victor made the extraordinary discovery of the “elixir of life” where he brought life upon an inanimate being. Such discovery, however, only resulted in everlasting remorse and vengeance that followed Victor to his grave. Victor’s smile left on his motionless body answered many questions proposed throughout the story, yet more questions were left unanswered through the medium of irony. The smile that irradiates from Victor’s cold body shows a sense of satisfaction, but also a sense of regret as he was not able to speak his last words, which emits a sense of irony. The satisfaction yet remorseful smile left on the lips of Victor shadows the ironic behavior throughout the story. It is through these ironies that the story uncovers the ironic events that challenge us every day. The last emotion left on the face of Victor Frankenstein displayed the satisfaction that Victor had longed for. Since the murder of his loved ones by the monster, Victor had only been feeling miserable, guilty and above all, ferocious. After learning that the monster was the murderer of his youngest brother William, Victor narrated that, “no one can conceive the anguish...
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...glean insights about the people he observes. For example, Queenie’s dangling bra straps are intensely interesting in a purely sensual way, but they are also clues from which he begins to construct an image of her inner life. Once he hears the girls speak, his image becomes even more detailed, as he is able to get an impression of Queenie’s social status. Sammy’s focused observations and descriptions reveal his own prejudices and blind spots. For example, Sammy’s frankly lustful ogling of the girls reveals a certain immaturity, and he is dismissive and contemptuous of the A&P customers, seeing them as “sheep” and “houseslaves.” He is equally dismissive of his coworker Stokesie, whom Sammy sarcastically presents as an unimaginative drone. The irony of Sammy’s sense of superiority is that he realizes that, in the eyes of the rich, carefree Queenie, he must seem just like Stokesie and the straight-laced Lengel. His desire to set himself apart from them—to prove that he is different—compels him to quit his job. However, he announces, “I quit” primarily because he wants the girls to overhear him, and the gesture loses resonance when he realizes they didn’t notice it. It seems less wise when he is left not with admiration but with a vague guilt and doubt about his rash action. Sammy’s desire for Queenie, which begins merely as a young man’s interest in a pretty girl, ends up as a desire for escape from the A&P and, in effect his own life. The world he imagines through Queenie—a...
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...® page 1 of 4 THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE Name: ________________________________________________________ Date: ______________ Glossary of literary terms alliteration (uh-lih-tuh-RaY-shuhn): When two or more words in a group of words begin with the frozen french fries. see also: figurative language. Uses: Copy maChine, opaqUe projeCtor, or transparenCy master for overhead projeCtor. sCholastiC inC. grants sUbsCribers of sCholastiC sCope permission to reprodUCe this page for Use in their Classrooms. Copyright ©2012 by sCholastiC inC. all rights reserved. same sound (usually, the same letter or group of letters). for example: Anne’s awesome apple; Fred’s antagonist (an-taG-uh-nist): the opponent or enemy of the main character, or protagonist. see also: protagonist. aside (uh-SahYd): Words spoken to the audience by a character in a drama that are not supposed to be heard by the other characters onstage. an aside is usually used to let the audience know what a character is thinking. characterization (kar-ik-ter-uh-zaY-shun): the means through which an author reveals a character’s personality. Characterization may be direct or indirect. in direct characterization, the writer or a narrator tells the reader what the character is like: “ben was a quiet, serious boy.” in indirect characterization, the author shows the reader or audience member what the character is like through (1) how the character looks, (2) what the character does, (3) what the character...
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...Discussion Questions: “The Birthmark” English 1301 1. "The Birthmark" is such a rich story that when we begin to explore its deeper meanings we find ironies, ambiguities, paradoxes, and rich symbols, all of which invite a reader's individual interpretation. What irony, ambiguity, symbol, and paradox do you find most interesting in "The Birthmark"? 2. In much of his fiction, Hawthorne treats pride as an "evil." Is there an evil type of pride evident in "The Birthmark"? 3. In what ways is "The Birthmark" for all its promise of an "impressive moral" actually morally ambiguous? Why might some readers find it difficult to view Alymer, for instance, as purely and unambiguously "evil"? 4. Hawthorne didn't feel himself confined to an aesthetic that privileges "verisimilitude," like many 20th century authors (notable exceptions being Kafka, Borges, and Marquez). He felt comfortable allowing his fiction to include "the spirit and mechanism of the fairyland" (his words). What "fantastic" or "magical" elements appear in "The Birthmark"? 5. Consider Hawthorne's presentation of Georgiana in "The Birthmark." What attitudes about women seem to inform his portrait of her? 6. Given that certain themes tend to recur in Hawthorne's fiction, among them the limits of self-reliance and the evils of manipulation, can you analyze how these themes are expressed in "The Birthmark"? Student Questions: • Why did Aylmer marry Georgiana if he hated the birthmark so much? Why...
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...Big essay: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, 2005 In my essay I will focus on the writer’s tone and on the attitude to learning foreign languages that is explored in the text Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. Me Talk Pretty One Day is an essay about the narrator’s, David, time in Paris where he means to learn French. He feels quite intimidated by the other foreign students who, in his opinion, speak excellent French. The teacher assigned to the French class he is partaking in, is extremely tough and intimidating. While going through the alphabet, she proceeds to ask the students questions that will only serve as a humiliating experience for the chosen party. David spends many hours every day studying and preparing for the upcoming classes. His private life is heavily affected by the teacher’s harsh treatment in class, driving him to not to speak in public or on the phone. It feels like an uphill battle for David, but after some months David realizes while in class that he understands everything the teacher is saying. He counteracts the teacher’s provocation with his own sly remark, indicating his perfect understanding of her choice of wording. The tone is this essay moves throughout the essay from being sarcastic through uncomfortable to depressed until it ends on a more hopeful note. In the start the tone is quite sarcastic when he, after the mentioning of his age as being forty-one, describes his start in Paris as that of the circumstances in which a much younger...
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...“The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving Part I. Anticipation Guide Read each statement and check the column that represents your response. Be ready to defend your answer. |Yes |No |Statement | | | |1. There is a devil who tries to trick people. | | | | | | | |2. Money is the number one goal for most people in today’s society. | | | | | | | |3. Integrity is more important than money. | | | | | | | |4. When you marry, what is yours should become your spouse’s and vice versa. | | | | | | | |5. It is okay to lie to your spouse if the lie will not hurt them. ...
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...E. Zola, J’accuse! Monsieur le Président, Me permettez-vous, dans ma gratitude pour le bienveillant accueil que vous m'avez fait un jour, d'avoir le souci de votre juste gloire et de vous dire que votre étoile, si heureuse jusqu'ici, est menacée de la plus honteuse, de la plus ineffaçable des tâches? Vous êtes sorti sain et sauf des basses calomnies, vous avez conquis les coeurs. Vous apparaissez rayonnant dans l'apothéose de cette fête patriotique que l'alliance russe a été pour la France, et vous vous préparez à présider au solennel triomphe de notre Exposition Universelle, qui couronnera notre grand siècle de travail, de vérité et de liberté. Mais quelle tâche de boue sur votre nom - j'allais dire sur votre règne - que cette abominable affaire Dreyfus! Un conseil de guerre vient, par ordre, d'oser acquitter un Esterhazy, soufflet suprême à toute vérité, à toute justice. Et c'est fini, la France a sur la joue cette souillure, l'histoire écrira que c'est sous votre présidence qu'un tel crime social a pu être commis. Puisqu'ils ont osé, j'oserai aussi, moi. La vérité, je la dirai, car j'ai promis de la dire, si la justice, régulièrement saisie, ne la faisait pas, pleine et entière. Mon devoir est de parler, je ne veux pas être complice. Mes nuits seraient hantées par le spectre de l'innocent qui expie là-bas, dans la plus affreuse des tortures, un crime qu'il n'a pas commis. Et c'est à vous, monsieur le Président, que je la crierai, cette vérité, de toute...
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...The Irony In Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream Irony is used in many productions to make it more interesting. Even Shakespeare used it, and he was a huge writer that affects us even today. Midsummer Night’s Dream has many examples of dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is when the audience knows a detail that the character doesn’t know and they are waiting for them to find out. It can be found in many works , including a Midsummer night’s Dream. One example is when Egeus doesn’t know the plan. He doesn’t have a clue that his daughter, Hermia, and Lysander are planning to run away together. “Tomorrow night . . . we plan to sneak out of athens” (Shakespeare 1.1.211). The audience knows the plan, but Egeus doesn’t. It is suspenseful on what his reaction will be when he finds out that the two ran away together, which is a thrill. It brings the audience in, anticipating what action will be taken....
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...Tone, in the chosen passage from Tale of Two Cities, is used not only to show the narrator's emotions, but the people of Saint Antoine’s sentiments as well. Throughout the text, joyous, gloomful, envious, vengeful, and ominous tones are used to give the reader a perspective through the narrator's eyeglass of the events going on. The first of all the tones used is a joyous one, used in the third paragraph. Phrases such as “A shrill sound of laughter and of amused voices” are commonly associated with happiness, and are included to give the reader an idea of the happiness the spilled wine gave the people of Saint Antoine. Not only that, but included words such as “special companionship”, and “frolicsome embraces”, also demonstrate the happiness food and drink give the people as the state they are in at Saint Antoine gives them very little to be joyful about. Unfortunately, the win eventually runs out and the second tone, gloom, is portrayed during the second half of paragraph three. Gloom is reflected in word choice like “cadaverous faces”, as well as metaphors like “gloom gathered on the scene that appeared more natural to it than sunshine”. This metaphor not only shows the misery of the people but also describes the atmosphere of Saint Antoine’s empty streets, with women and children using ash trays as sources of heat for their fingers and toes, starved of food and warmth. The fourth paragraph changes tone once more to one much more ominous, foreshadowing the future of Saint...
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...Many people believe irony gives comedic relief; however, irony also conveys the underlying message or theme. Sophocles, the author of Oedipus the King, used three main types of irony to develop the theme: no matter the difficulty of the feat, fate predetermines the outcome. Verbal irony occurs when a character says the opposite of what they mean. Oedipus uses sarcasm in his discussion with the chorus to attack Apollo. The second type of irony, dramatic irony, happens when the audience knows more than the characters. For example, no one but the audience knows that Oedipus killed King Laius. The last type of irony, situational, happens when the characters does the complete opposite of what the audience expects. For instance, the audience expected...
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