...Andi Zenku Small victories = big meanings As Vincent Van Gogh once said, “Great things are not done by impulse, but a series of small things brought together.” What could be possible without using steps to reach the final goal? Even the big bang took 8 steps to be what it is today. The novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines demonstrates the power of taking small steps and how they can mean so much more in a certain setting. to overcome his fear and cowardice, Jefferson has to make small steps to become the man his godmother sees him as. Jefferson’s actions represents in a multitude of ways how without small steps, reaching a great goal would be near impossible. Ever since the accident that would send Jefferson to the electric...
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...Throughout the novel, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, a variety of themes, motifs, and other literary devices are used to develop character and/or advance the plot. Albeit not the most profound or meaningful device, the idea of communion and sharing of food as described in How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster, is immensely powerful in characterizing relationships. The denial of, acceptance of, or even just the food itself are all used to describe everything from mutual hatred to sense of community to the state of character’s personality or relationship with another character. It can even be observed in the literal biblical notion of communion such as Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. The refusal of...
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...Although A Lesson Before Dying and The Scarlet Letter were written in different time periods, the concept of women, community (did somebody say?), hypocrisy, symbolism, and man’s dehumanization and cruelty to man are similar many ways, In our first novel, A Lesson Before Dying written by Ernest J. Gaines, we meet our main character named Grant Wiggins. Wiggins is a young black man that “ran away” from Louisiana to go to college. Although he wished to “stay away”, Wiggins was pulled back to his small religious Cajun community. Grant Wiggins is seen as a man who has a “way with words” similar to a man like Reverend Dimmesdale. Although Wiggins is not religious like the prestigious Dimmesdale, their pessimistic look on life and “finding a way out” is similar. Wiggins wonders in Chapter Eight if he is “reaching them (school children) at all.” or if he’s “doing anything at all” (Gaines 62). Reverend Dimmesdale has a predicament of his own during his time in his labyrinthine mind. In Chapter Fourteen of The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Dimmesdale states, rather grimly, that “There is no path to guide us out of this dismal...
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...3/5/2015 Ernest J. Gaines's 'Lesson' prompts teens to grapple with stark realities Ernest J. Gaines's 'Lesson' prompts teens to grapple with stark realities By DeNeen Brown Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, May 11, 2010; C01 What lessons could a city learn from reading the same book at the same time? What lessons could be learned in a city trying to heal from senseless violence from a driveby shooting in Southeast Washington that killed three teenagers last month? Could a city heal from a book that tells a complicated story about injustice, racism and the need for second chances? What would happen if throughout the city, everyone were engaged in the same lesson? Like back in English class, when a professor asked you to think deeper, to look for symbolism in the story, for irony, character development, layers of complication? Officials at the D.C. Humanities Council and the D.C. Public Library system are participating in the "Big Read," a program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts to "revitalize the role of literary reading in American popular culture," are hoping that everyone in the city can learn from reading the same book. This year, the Humanities Council selected "A Lesson Before Dying," by Ernest J. Gaines, a novel about a black teenager living in segregated Louisiana, who is sentenced to death in the 1940s for murders he did not commit. The council and the library system distributed more than 2,500 copies of the book to programs for the homeless...
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...The Greater Good A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines tells the story of Jefferson, a prisoner on death row becoming a man. Jefferson was found guilty for the murder of Alcee Gropé, the liquor store owner. During the trial Jefferson's attorney referred to him as a hog, trying to prove he was not able to plan and execute a murder due to his plan stupidity. Jefferson took what his attorney said to heart belived that we was actually a hog. In the seats of the Courtroom Miss Emma and Tante Lou sat and listed every day. The two ladies also took what the attorney said to heart and called upon Grant to help change Jefferson. Jefferson's godmother Miss Emma does not want him to die as a hog, she wants Jefferson to die as a man. Jefferson is taught...
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...wondered what a dog is thinking? Well, in Racing in the Rain a 2011 heartbreaking novel a race car driver’s beloved pet imparts wisdom and life lessons in retelling his own story from a canine perspective. With wit and peculiar charm, Enzo tells of the stages of a dog’s life and the wonderful and distressing days spent with his hero, Denny Swift a struggling race car driver supporting a young family in Seattle, with a sick wife. They understand each other perfectly, and from day one, Enzo accepts the position of being Denny’s comforter and guide. He’s front and center whenever Denny struggles in his home life or career, and there are times when Enzo struggles too. Enzo has difficulty accepting change. The first human to enter Enzo’s inner...
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...In relation to World War One poetry, “Dead Man’s Dump” by Isaac Rosenberg and “Attack” by Siegfried Sassoon, I agree that thematic concerns are developed through the extensive use of symbolism and imagery. A poet is an artist and the poetry he writes is his art. The words he uses to write them, however, are the ever so essential paint brushes and tools used to create art. Through their meticulous choice of words, Rosenberg and Sassoon effectively conveyed their outlook on the concept of way and helped myself, the reader, to understand the destructive nature of war. Thus, the use of imagery and symbolism is imperative in order for the reader to fully understand their argument. “Dead Man’s Dump” follows the journey of a limber navigating through a scene of horror littered with “sprawled dead.” One of the key themes developed in “Dead Man’s Dump” through the use of symbolism and imagery is the idea of war stripping an individual of any power or control. War is symbolically depicted as a “shrieking pyre” that the soldiers were “flung on” to. This is a direct metaphor towards war being a ‘dead man’s dump’ and helps us understand that Rosenberg perceives war as a funeral pyre because war instigates death and the men who are drafted in war might as well be “flung on to a shrieking pyre.” The limber that is carrying the “rusty freight” or barbed wires is embodied as “many crowns of thorns… stuck out… over the shattered track/ Upon our brothers dear.” This religious allusion is representative...
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...Why give this man the hopes and dreams he desires only to take them away right in front of his very eyes, not once, but twice? Was it karma for killing Humbaba and stealing the cedar as a city gate for Uruk? Was it karma was it for killing the bull sent from the heavens? Is there a connection between these two “last straw” events and the two different times his hope for immortality was given to him and taken away? Is there symbolism to the number two then? Gilgamesh has done terrible things in the past to his citizens and is notorious for being a rude monster, so why wait until now to give him his punishment? Why take the time to give Gilgamesh opportunity after opportunity if neither one would end up making the man live forever? Gilgamesh’s sins did not seem to anger the gods until the people of Uruk complained and Enkidu was created. Enkidu is put into Gilgamesh’s life once the gods hear the people’s pleas. When Enkidu entered Gilgamesh’s life, these two individuals committed two murders: killing Humbaba, and killing the bull. The gods are now paying attention. Since they are paying attention, they witness the two sins Gilgamesh commits. But since they were not paying...
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...Tuesdays With Morrie Tuesdays With Morrie is a true novel based upon an older dying man's outlook on life. Throughout the story, the older man teaches his past student about life as his body is slowly withering away from the " Lou Gehrig's Disease." CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Morrie Schwartz (the older man) teaches his student, Mitch Albom, what really matters in life. The only way that I can begin to describe Morrie's character, is to quote an excerpt from pg. 10 regarding his reaction after being diagnosed: " But my old professor had a profound decision, one he began to construct the day he came out of the doctor's office with a sword hanging over his head. Do I wither up and disappear, or do I make the best of my time left? He asked himself. He would not wither. He would not be ashamed of dying. Instead he would make death his final project, the center point of his days. Since everyone was going to die, he could be of great value, right? He could be research. A human textbook. Study me in my slow and patient demise. Watch what happens to me. Learn with me. Morrie would walk that final bridge between life and death, and narrate the trip." Based on his decision not to wither up and die, and instead use his dying, as an opportunity to teach others what truly matters in life, shows how unselfish and positive he really was. Morrie didn't see his time spent ill...
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...This is an art style that includes dark symbolism such as skulls, rotten food, and dying flowers; that reminds one of death and the brevity of earthly life. The interesting thing about these paintings was that it reminds people that death is inevitable. After creating a Vanitas collage project, it made me think more about life and how it needs to be cherished. Some examples, that I found very interesting were Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life' created by Harmen Steenwyck and Vanitas with Violin and Glass Ball created by Pieter Claesz. In my opinion, these However, if we take some time from our busy routine to appreciate the beauty around us life would be more meaningful. As a Biology major, prior to taking this course, I did not think art related to science. Conversely, looking back...
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...” the author’s perception and treatment of death APA Format May 7, 2015 “Everyman,” the author’s perception and treatment of death Thesis Statement: In the Christian Morality play, Everyman, death is used to remind the audience about the true value of life. Outline I. Introduction A. The play teaches a moral lesson to the audience B. Characters have symbolic meanings C. “Everyman” is the name of an English play with an unknown author, and the theme is based on morals and good deeds of individuals. II. Summary of symbolic characters A. Discuss the character Everyman 1. Role in the play 2. Symbolic name B. Discuss the story of Everyman 1. Introduce the different allegory characters 3. Death, Good Deeds, Knowledge, etc. C. Discuss the plot of the story 1. Discuss the end of the story and the results 2. Discuss the Fate of Everyman III. Author’s Perception of death A. The author’s views and how it relates to the story 1. Death is the final stage of life 2. Death comes whenever Author’s treatment of death A. What happens when death comes 1. Death does not warn it is coming 2. Moral lesson Conclusion Everyman, the author’s perception and treatment of death "Everyman" is the title of an English perform having an unidentified writer, and theme is dependant on morals and great actions of people. The storyline of the play revolves around a person who's trapped in a secular globe and is more intrigued and...
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...Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is usually seen as either the story of a young girl coming into her own or the story of a young girl falling in love with a corrupted soul. The entire story is intertwined with symbolism and other imagery, tying details of Jane’s life together. One cannot adequately assess the masculine presence in Jane’s life without considering the feminine influences. Upon each new location Jane is brought to, she comes in contact with a new female influence, from her Aunt Reed and Helen Burns to Bertha Mason and Mother Nature herself; these influences are often symbolic in nature and demonstrate that, underneath the wild love affair with an unknowingly married man, the story of Jane Eyre is not only a coming-of-age story, but...
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...disturbed thoughts of an average teenage boy. Even though, the teens showed strength in both physical and mental aspects, Knowles use of symbolism and imagery help portray Finny as the weaker character. Gene and Phineas’ summer sessions at Devon were a time of freedom and peace. The teachers of Devon were lenient and Finny’s clever tongue allowed him to get away with anything. In the book, it was thought that the war was being fought to preserve the life they enjoyed. Teachers were more indulgent towards them than others, such as the seniors. Finny and Gene reminded them of what peace and life away from the destruction was like. Knowles creates a contrasting image of the summer joy and the tragic war zone. The war for the boys was a distant and almost laughable concept. However, the symbolic summer sessions of innocence and youth comes to an end with Phineas’ fall. Winter sessions began and were dark, disciplined, and filled with difficult work. It symbolized the burden of adulthood and the wartime. The imagery Knowles...
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...Roslyn Marshall Mr. Lerma English 1B 1 December 2014 Word Count: 3,399 Grendel: A Symbol for the Unknown In the history of human civilization, stories have always had an educative role. In the literary works of fiction, authors use diverse images and symbols in order to trigger a particular reaction from the audience. Some authors, however, use traditional images in new contexts challenging the audience's perception of those iconic characters. Authors often argue that characters can have different meanings and symbolism in different cultures and different times. The best example of these new meanings is seen through the writing about iconic monsters in different time periods. From the analysis’ of Beowulf and Grendel: The Truth Behind England’s Oldest Legend by John Grigsby and Grendel by John Gardner, the character of Grendel in both books is the symbolic meaning of how society is afraid of the unknown. When people are confronted with an unfamiliar circumstance, it is human nature to twist the unknown into something frightening and unacceptable....
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...A&P and Araby John Updike's A & P and James Joyce's Araby share many of the same literary traits. The primary focus of the two stories revolves around a young man who is compelled to decipher the different between cruel reality and the fantasies of romance that play in his head. That the man does, indeed, discover the difference is what sets him off into emotional collapse. One of the main similarities between the two stories is the fact that the main character, who is also the protagonist, has built up incredible,yet unrealistic, expectations of women, having focused upon one in particular towards which he places all his unrequited affection. The expectation these men hold when finally "face to face with their object of worship" (Wells, 1993, p. 127) is what sends the final and crushing blow of reality: The rejection they suffer is far too great for them to bear. Updike is famous for taking other author's works and twisting them so that they reflect a more contemporary flavor. While the story remains the same, the climate is singular only to Updike. This is the reason why there are similarities as well as deviations from Joyce's original piece. Plot, theme and detail are three of the most resembling aspects of the two stories over all other literary components; characteristic of both writers' works, each rendition offers its own unique perspective upon the young man's romantic infatuation. Not only are descriptive phrases shared by both stories, but parallels occur with...
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