...Literary Analysis: Speak Imagine not having a voice to speak out for yourself, your thoughts, and your opinions. In the book “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson, the main character Melinda tries to do what she believes is the right thing for herself, but eventually looses everything that's important to her all because she spoke out. Though her high school experience wasn't the best, the one thing that was valuable is the fact she found a voice to speak out about what happened to her. Though it may seem impossible to do, try your very hardest to find that voice, speak out for yourself. The author of “Speak”, Laurie Halse Anderson, was born on October 23rd, 1961 in Potsdam New York. She is most know for young adult and children's novels. Laurie’s...
Words: 1830 - Pages: 8
...literature, the reader must know the three premises and principles. First, language, institutions, social power structures have impacted throughout history reflected particular interest. Second, woman have always resisted or subvert, and at the last but now least, patriarchal dominance and feminine subversion is evident in literary and cultural text. In Bentuck's analysis of The Scarlet Letter, she uses the statement “ Hester Prynne, however, subverts the Puritan- patriarchal laws of meaning in two ways. First, she embroiders and embellishes the community's representational codes, thereby confusing them. Second, Hester refuses to name child's father.(pg.397)”as one of her primary arguments. In addition to Hester's ability to subvert, Benstuck's argument and statement that The Scarlet Letter“focuses attention on representations of womanhood, with special emphasis on Puritan efforts to regulate female sexuality within religious, legal, and economic structures.(pg398)” is her thesis for her analysis. The people of the society Hester Prynne lived in were strictly judgmental on one if they had not chose to take the “proper” and “righteous” way to reproduce. Benstuck speaks on the biology and religious aspects of man and woman to support her idea gender issues. She uses the term “ Alpha – Omega” to describe how the male is viewed, however the woman is not entitled to such a higher power title. “ The patriarchal construction of femininity, based on masculine fantasies of the female bod...
Words: 930 - Pages: 4
...The definition of "protest literature" is obviously fluid. Deconstructionists might argue that all literary writing is ultimately a form of protest. Social and historical critics might argue that literary protests must contain a specific political aim, such as changing a law. A Marxist critic might argue that literary protest should disturb the social order in terms of the relationship between social classes. A feminist critic might argue that protest does or does not promote a gender bias. A psychologist might see literary protest as a manifestation of the subconscious. A traditional literary critic might argue the moral relationship between aesthetics and the political message of protest literature. In African Literature culture and experience rather than language becomes the essence of literature. Subalternism is clearly evident in African writing as pattern of “slave narrative” writing is seen. The ‘other’ or the colony is mostly representational. The informative and representative function is seen in Leopold Sedar Senghor’s writing as it shows that Africans share certain distinctive and innate characteristics, values and aesthetics. In the poem ‘New York’, Senghor argues that the black community of Harlem should ‘Listen to the far beating of your nocturnal heart, rhythm/ and blood of the drum’ and ‘let the black blood flow into/ your blood’. The word nocturnal is interesting because it refers to the image of night. By using the imagery of night, Senghor is asserting that...
Words: 1018 - Pages: 5
...Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction ‘Jonathan Culler has always been about the best person around at explaining literary theory without oversimplifying it or treating it with polemical bias. Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction is an exemplary work in this genre.’ J. Hillis Miller, University of California, Irvine ‘An impressive and engaging feat of condensation . . . the avoidance of the usual plod through schools and approaches allows the reader to get straight to the heart of the crucial issue for many students, which is: why are they studying literary theory in the first place? . . . an engaging and lively book.’ Patricia Waugh, University of Durham Very Short Introductions are for anyone wanting a stimulating and accessible way in to a new subject. They are written by experts, and have been published in 15 languages worldwide. Very Short Introductions available from Oxford Paperbacks: ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY Julia Annas THE ANGLO-SAXON AGE John Blair ARCHAEOLOGY Paul Bahn ARISTOTLE Jonathan Barnes Augustine Henry Chadwick THE BIBLE John Riches Buddha Michael Carrithers BUDDHISM Damien Keown CLASSICS Mary Beard and John Henderson Continental Philosophy Simon Critchley Darwin Jonathan Howard DESCARTES Tom Sorell EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY BRITAIN Paul Langford The European Union John Pinder Freud Anthony Storr Galileo Stillman Drake Gandhi Bhikhu Parekh HEIDEGGER Michael Inwood HINDUISM Kim Knott HISTORY John H. Arnold HUME A. J...
Words: 45107 - Pages: 181
...Analysis of Two Short Stories Laura Cutler Ashford University Introduction to Literature ENG125 Instructor Rivera March 2, 2015 Analysis of Two Short Stories A literary analysis is important to assist a reader in knowing how or why an author writes a particular piece of literature, whether it is a poem, short story, novel , play, informational piece, etc. and then have the ability to relate to it as an individual. In the short stories 'Sweat' and 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been' the characters are from different walks of life, they both encounter conflict of: individual versus self, individual versus individual and individual versus society; many literary devices create theses stories that include the author's point of view, the conflicts that arise throughout and the resolution that takes place in the endpoint of view, the conflicts that arise throughout and the resolution that takes place in the end. The theme to any piece of literature is the basis for the whole story, in 'Sweat' and 'Where are Going, Where Have You Been' the story is centered primarily on one individual and what they each go through to survive an abusive/violent situation. The theme involves the survival of an individual through: external and external factors, that include the influence of society and the issue of class; sexuality of a women and men and the men's masculinity; suffering and the struggles that deal with violence, both physical and mental; family and religion....
Words: 2231 - Pages: 9
...JIMMA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND LAW DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF ISSAYYAAS HORDOFAAS NOVEL YOOMILAATAA BY:- TEKALIGN GURMESA ADVISOR:- ASHENAFI BELAY SUBMISSION OF RESEARCH PROPOSAL TO DEPARTMENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE Contents Page Acknowledgement Abstract Chapter one 1. Introduction 1.1. background of the study 1.2. Statement of the problem 1.3. Objective of the study 1.3.1. General Objective 1.3.2. Specific Objective 1.4. Significance of the study 1.5. Delimitation of the study Chapter two 2. Review of Related Literature 1.6. Definition of theme 1.7. Theme and other element 1.7.1. theme and plot 1.7.2. theme and setting 1.7.3. theme and conflict 1.7.4. theme and character 1.8. Review of Related studies Chapter three 3. Research methodology 1.9. Research Design 1.10. theoretical frame work 1.11. Procedures of Analysis Time budget Budget plan Reference CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background of the Study Literature is the reflection of culture, religion, history and politics of human being. According to Owo Moyela(1993), literature is “linguistically the commented facts and ideas through which people used to present their deeds and world views from one generation to other”. We can infer...
Words: 3542 - Pages: 15
...school website. They will use different literary forms to present the news of the school. Key vocabulary: Fact; OpinionThe goals the students will create a school newspaper containing three aspects: Latest News, Editorial, and Sports the students will post the school newspaper on the school website. In the standard NYS Learning Standards: English Language Arts students will read, write, speak, and listen for information and understanding. Intermediate. Students will-compare and synthesize information forms different sources and use a wide variety of strategies for selecting, organizing, and categorizing information. They will distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information and between fact and opinion. The students will relate new information to prior knowledge and experience. They will understand and use the text features that make information accessible and usable, such as format, sequence, level of diction, and relevance of details and establish an authoritative stance on the subject and provide references to establish the validity and verifiability of the information presented. Develop information with appropriate supporting material, such as facts, details, illustrative examples or anecdotes, and exclude extraneous materials and use the process of pre-writing, drafting, revising, and proofreading (the "writing process") to produce well-constructed informational texts. Students will read, write, speak, and listen for literary response and expression. Intermediate Students...
Words: 1590 - Pages: 7
...Summer Reading Assignment- Speak Part I-Précis Laurie Anderson's Speak is a realistic fiction novel set in Syracuse, New York during modern day. The protagonist and main character is Melinda Sordino, while the antagonist is a senior named Andy Evans. The main conflict occurs because Melinda doesn't tell anyone she has been raped, forcing herself to become isolated and treated like an outcast by everyone else. Thus, Melinda begins high school with no friends after calling the cops at the summer party where Andy Evans abused her. She struggles through the school year and finally becomes motivated enough to tell everyone the truth when Andy tries to attack her again. With a newfound strength, Melinda is able to stop him and begins to confide in her art teacher, Mr. Freeman. Laurie Anderson's novel explores the importance of communication and being able to speak out, no matter how difficult. Part II-Essay Questions 1. What do the different tree versions Melinda creates throughout the story symbolize? What allows her final tree to finally become the one she has envisioned? 2. Discuss...
Words: 735 - Pages: 3
...Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction ‘Jonathan Culler has always been about the best person around at explaining literary theory without oversimplifying it or treating it with polemical bias. Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction is an exemplary work in this genre.’ J. Hillis Miller, University of California, Irvine ‘An impressive and engaging feat of condensation . . . the avoidance of the usual plod through schools and approaches allows the reader to get straight to the heart of the crucial issue for many students, which is: why are they studying literary theory in the first place? . . . an engaging and lively book.’ Patricia Waugh, University of Durham Jonathan Culler LITERARY THEORY A Very Short Introduction 1 Great Clarendon Street, Oxford o x2 6 d p Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Athens Auckland Bangkok Bogotá Buenos Aires Calcutta Cape Town Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Florence Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai Nairobi Paris São Paulo Shanghai Singapore Taipei Tokyo Toronto Warsaw with associated companies in Berlin Ibadan Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Published in the United States by Oxford University Press Inc., New York © Jonathan Culler 1997 The moral rights...
Words: 44695 - Pages: 179
...2 (2015): 64-89. America: History and Life with Full Text. Web. 22 Mar. 2016. Vincent Carretta created an article to detail the life of Phillis Wheatley which ultimately assists readers in understanding why she was so uplifting in her poetry. He begins with a brief introduction on her early life and background. Shortly after discussing Wheatley’s early life, Carretta brings in a new perspective on her stating, “The literary quality and the political significance of her writings have been challenged since the eighteenth century” (Corretta 66). The statement he presents shows an interesting view when dealing with a poet who is so significant in literature. He later speaks of Wheatley’s husband and other trips she had taken away from Africa. The situations Carretta informs readers on brings insight on Wheatley’s life and how/why she became the type of woman she did. Frazier, Tom. "On Being Brought From Africa To America." Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition (2002): 1-3. Literary Reference Center. Web. 22 Mar. 2016. In Tom Frazier’s literary analysis, he begins by discussing Wheatley’s poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America” as a whole. He breaks down her poem basically word for word and describes that readers “…come away with the...
Words: 835 - Pages: 4
...access to other literary arts too. Expressive criticism treats a literary work primarily in relation to the author. It defines poetry as an expression, or overflow, or utterance of feeling, or as the products of poet’s feelings. The theory tends to judge the work by its sincerity to the poets’ vision or the state of mind. Such views were developed mainly by the Romantic critics and remain current in our time too. Wordsworth’s definition of poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings recollected in tranquility” is taken as the ground idea of the expressive theory of art. The most powerful impetus in expressive critical thought was the Romantic Movement that began in late eighteenth century. This movement has deeply affected our modern consciousness and the common sense discourse of literary commentary. The three key concepts associated with this movement are: imagination, genius and emotion. Expressive theorists firmly stick to these three key terms. They believe that authorial individuality is something to be conveyed by a literary work, and to go beyond objectivist theorists’ prescription that a poet’s effort should be to flee personality and that criticism should focus on the poem not on the poet. Wordsworthian notion that “a poem is inner made outer” puts an emphasis on the poet in a poem, and this emphasis has never eased. B. Objective Theory The term "New Criticism" defines the critical theory that has dominated Anglo-American literary criticism for...
Words: 1535 - Pages: 7
...Palestinian Persuasion Authors utilize a variety of literally techniques to convey feelings and ideas. Edward Said uses many different strategies to represent the Palestinian people throughout his essay “States”. In creating awareness of the Palestinian struggle Said employs numerous distinct techniques and strategies to convey his message and elicit emotion from the reader. Said uses photographs along with his own interpretations throughout the text to convey emotion to the reader in a very vivid way. These pictures display great depth into the emotional connection Said feels towards the Palestinian people along with his compassion of a call to action. The unique way that he displays the pictures along with a personal explanation creates a partnership that together illustrates and teaches the reader about the struggles of Palestine in a way that images cannot do alone. In addition to the an image of a nomadic man sitting on a modern chair in the village of Tel Sheva, Said writes, “He seems unsettled, poised for departure. Now what? Now where? All at once it is out transience and impermanence that our visibility expresses, for we can be seen as figures forced to push on to another house, village, or region. Just as we once were taken from one “habitat” to a new one, we can be moved again.” (543) These powerful words are woven into the image in way that conveys Said’s personal interpretation, which forces the reader to see through the Palestinians eyes. The message Said...
Words: 830 - Pages: 4
...Course Title Course Code Pre- requisite Credits : : : : World Literature Lit 02 Lit 01 3 Units Vision-Mission Statement : Instructor : Email : Office : Consultation Hours: MWF Venue : Consultation Rm. I. Course Description: Socorro D. De Jesus, Ph.D. Associate Professor 1 socorro_dejesus@hotmail.com General Education Faculty Rm, 2 nd floor, St. Anselm's Building 1 The course will introduce students to the writings of persons from selected countries across the different continents of the world. Students will gain an understanding of literary concepts to be able to interpret, analyze and evaluate various genres. Furthermore, students will have the opportunity to learn and appreciate the cultural heritage that is articulated from each literary text. II. Course Objectives: At the end of the semester, the students should be able to : 1. read and understand representative literary texts from various continents in the world. 2. analyze literary texts using the various approaches in literature. 3. employ critical thinking skills. 4. appreciate the...
Words: 1595 - Pages: 7
...period of social, political and literary fermentation. The Taisho period was a time of literary reflection on the changes the Meiji period had brought about, it was a period where a great many authors turned their minds towards locating an authentic cultural identity distinct from Western influence. Decidedly thus influenced by this topic, my critical response was to have the purpose of illustrating the tensions that exist between modernity and traditional culture, additionally dealing with the...
Words: 1555 - Pages: 7
...in which compositional excellence and advancement in the art of writing are higher priorities than are considerations of profit or commercial appeal. * Literature is literally "an acquaintance with letters" as in the first sense given in the Oxford English Dictionary (from the Latin littera meaning "an individual written character (letter)"). The term has generally come to identify a collection of texts. The word literature as a common noun can refer to any form of writing, such as essays or poetry; Literature as a proper noun refers to a whole body of literary work, world-wide or relating to a specific culture... * lit·er·a·ture n. 1. The body of written works of a language, period, or culture. 2. Imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized artistic value:"Literature must be an analysis of experience and a synthesis of the findings into a unity" 3. The art or occupation of a literary writer. 4. The body of written work produced by scholars or researchers in a given field: medical literature. 5. Printed material: All the available collected literature on the subject. 6. Music: All the compositions of a certain kind or for a specific instrument or ensemble: the symphonic literature. Good literature has something important to say about life. If we take the time to read and understand the literature, it should help us to learn more about life. It may be that we do not agree with what the writer says. Nevertheless,...
Words: 1319 - Pages: 6
