...Dear Students, I would like to make justification regarding the two themes in the short story “My Friend Luke”. Firstly, let’s hope you really comprehend what is the meaning of “THEME” in literature. “THEME” refers to the central issue/topic that is being discussed in the text. In the case of “My Friend Luke”, the themes “Respect” and “Identity Crisis” are among the issues that are allude for the reader to grasp, and perhaps see the connection with the reality of life. “Respect” is being discussed in the story, as Luke does not receive the respect he deserved, neither from his family nor employer. His wife, son and boss do not have high regard towards him due to his timid character. In other words, you could say they are disrespectful towards Luke. However, disrespectful is not the theme being discussed. Disrespectful is the attitude shown to Luke. What the author is trying to convey is, in life, respect is at the utmost importance. It is important to improve respect because of the impacts that respect has both on the relationship and results. As an analogy, when a man works with someone where he has little respect or no respect, he tends to go out of his way to avoid the person. Conversely, in a work relationship, he may still avoid that person, suffer the frustration of having to deal with them, or quit and stay in the job and continue to make himself miserable. Similarly, that is what happening in Luke’s family and the people around him. They have to deal with...
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...head: LOST IDENTITY Lost Identity Introduction to Literature 125 April MacGrotty Aug 22, 2010 Lost Identity Literary works have been around for centuries to be enjoyed by its many readers, keeping them enthralled and mystified at the same time. Authors that write literature generally write with the intent of conveying a message to their reader. Not all messages are easily conveyed and many times readers develop their own interpretation of what the author’s meaning or the moral to the writing is. Literary works are written as short stories, poems, dramas and plays incorporating different elements, such as the setting, theme, characterization and conflict to tell their story. In the short stories “Shiloh”, by Bobbie Ann Mason, and “Story of an Hour”, by Kate Chopin along with the poem, “Lost Sister”, by Cathy Song a common theme is shared, a theme of women seeking individuality and later being met with a new freedom. Although, the literary works are not from the same genre or share common historical context the woman’s place in their society is exhibited. In this paper I will show the comparisons of how each woman is bound by a certain restriction which is released at the end of the writing. There is something special about every individual and that is their personal identity. It is hard to live a life when your personal identity is taken away from you to satisfy the needs of others. When one loses their identity at the hands...
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...My Son the Fanatic My Son the Fanatic is written by Hanif Kureishi and was published for the first time in 1994. It is a short story based on philosophical viewpoints of life and how valuable it is to tolerate and compromise with each other. The short story is also being contemporary because it’s concerning conflicts and difficulties with religious aspects, which are the main – and most complicated – conflicts existing on this planet. Basically it’s related to the issues of religion and intolerance, that we are to judge and face every day. My Son the Fanatic is about the relationship between a father and his son, which is slowly being shattered due to the son’s change of behavior. The father Parvez grew up in Pakistan but now loves England and is adapted to the Western culture – and that’s what he wants his son Ali to be as well. Ali, however, turns radically from being a smart and clever student, who he formerly has been. During the short story Parvez gently tries to figure out “what is wrong” with Ali. The story is set in London – the family lives here and the father works as a taxi-driver in London as well. The main characters in the story are Ali, Parvez and Bettina. We don’t get to hear about his wife; it seems that Bettina has replaced her and is a sort of escape gate away from his wife. During the story Ali is changing behavior and personality – suddenly he has lost all respect for his father. Since both of them are having a lack of acceptance and Parvez isn’t even...
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...Hemingway and Identity Ernest Hemingway had an expanse of ideas contributing throughout his two short stories, “Big Two-Hearted River: Parts I and II”. The abundant themes and motifs applied into the two stories differ due to their broad nature, but the theme of identity and renewal of the protagonist, Nick, stands absolute. In order to be given a sense of renewal, what must be done first? Essentially to expand our understanding, we can begin by looking at the root word of “renewal”, which is “new”, and is defined by Merriam Webster as: “not old : recently born, built, or created”. Delving further into Hemingway’s short stories, it can be concluded that the protagonist’s fate was transpired to be alike the initial setting given to him- as...
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...Self-Identity is the recognition of ones’ potential and qualities as an individual, especially in relation to social context. Individuals are born into certain and peculiar cultures, environments, and families but have a little sense of Self-Identity. From experience, people will have to see for themselves the change of their ways from beginning to present. When one person find and discover themselves, life will be extremely easier and a breeze to fulfill their dreams. In life, majority of people who grows up in a suburban lifestyle experience a lot that shapes their future. Example of Self-Identity is the feeling of a teenager that he/she can be who she wants instead of falling into the pressure of drugs and alcohol. Either way from this typical...
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...The False Moon The short story written by Shirley Golden in 2012, ”The false moon” shows us a boy called Matt who has a hard time finding his way, but can a shout for help and a false moon lead him in the right direction? The struggle of finding oneself must be one of the most important themes in the short story. It shows a boy’s journey at finding his identity “I’m an explorer, alone, on the brink of new worlds” (p. 4, l. 148), he is searching new widths to find and create his identity, but without anyone to lead him “I’ve fallen in a void with no points of steering” (p. 4, l. 147), but during the story he finds a lodestar, a false moon. The story shows independency and how it is taking care of yourself, while you are growing up and shows that sometimes a little guidance and help can take you close to finding yourself. Another theme is change, how things always can change to the better even when you expect it at least “I’m going to be different from now on” (p. 4, l. 137). In the short story we meet Matt, who has to be an independent boy and take care of him self “By the time she rolls in, I’m usually asleep”. (p. 1, l. 2), but he is actually in need of someone to take responsibility for him. The narrator is very suspicious and does not trust people because of his mother and how she has treated him “Is it bullshit? Probably” (p. 4, l. 138), he does not trust that there is good in people anymore. He is different from the other kids in his class “which barred me from...
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...At birth, one does not get to choose a name. One’s name is assigned and one’s name turns into an identity. In many instances in Flannery O'Connor's short stories, names give away a character’s moral identity. Many of the names that Flannery O'Connor uses are ironic and provide insight on how she wants the character’s to be perceived. In the short story, Good Country People, a thirty-two year old crippled girl changed her name from Joy to Hulga because she believed it was an ugly name, eventually, Joy/Hulga will have an ugly realization about her moral character. In the short story, A Good Man Is Hard To Find, it is immediately established that the bad guy on the run, “The Misfit”, received his name for a reason. Throughout these short stories,...
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...Nina Reed Jhumpa Lahiri is a realist writer of today. Her work is inspired by her experience as an Indian growing up in America and never quite fitting in with both her traditional Indian background and her new American community. Lahiri’s stories express her personal encounter with evading her Indian heritage. She involves in her work the everyday struggles of being stuck between two cultures and remaining true to one’s self. The majority of her stories incorporate her main character having an identity crisis. Lahiri herself, as well as some of her close friends, battled with defining her sense of self as well as how it affected her personal relationships. The author’s stories are relatable in a sense that it deals with the everyday struggles finding one’s true self. On July 11, 1967, Nilanjana Sudheshna Lahiri was born in London England to Bengali Indian immigrants. At the age of three, Nilanjana and her family relocated to the West of the Atlantic to Rhode Island. Because her name was difficult to pronounce, her teacher called her by her nickname, Jhumpa. It was only a pet name that her parents called her, but in America, it became the name she was called by her friends and teachers. This event would mark the beginning of her struggle to assimilate in America. Her father was and still is a librarian at the University of Rhode Island, which influenced her love of reading and writing. While growing up, Jhumpa was often conflicted between both American...
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...Personal Identity in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor The unnamed grandmother in the short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Conner, considers herself to be a lady because of her heritage in the Old South, and believes that she is superior to those around her. In this work, the grandmother puts her family into dangerous situations because of her personal identity, eventually leading them to their death. As the story progresses, she leads her family down a dirt road, off of their intended route. She startles her cat as they continue down the dirt road, which jumps up and frightens her son, Bailey, causing them to go off the road. This series of events leads to their conflict with the Misfit, and eventually their murder. She maintains her personal identity throughout the story regardless of the consequences of these actions. Even at the brink of death, she continues to uphold her belief that she is superior, going as far as to call herself a lady when the Misfit is going to kill her. The grandmother considers herself superior to Bailey and his family because she deems herself to be a lady. She does not want to go to Florida and attempts to convince her son to go east Tennessee instead, by showing him a news article about the Misfit. She says that she would much rather bring her grandchildren to the Old South where “they would see different parts of the world and be broad” (372). She uses the children to convince her son and shows false affection...
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...search for a person’s own personal identity is an important stage that people go through in their lives. Every human being in the world would go through the stage of searching, then finding their identity at some point in their lives. But this search is often affected by stereotyping because it can affect people’s view of themselves and also their view of other people around them. Because of this writers feel that they need to convey the importance of finding one’s own identity then taking the time to learn and respect other people’s identity. Then also how dangerous it can be if we let stereotyping cloud our judgements on ourselves and those around us. Some example of texts where writers that explore this theme are, the poem “Bred in South Auckland” by Glen Colquhoun, the poem “Search for my Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt, the short story ‘’On the Sidewalk Bleeding” by Evan Hunter and the short story “After you my Dear Alphonse” by Shirley Jackson. These four texts can be separated into two groups. The first group is the way that stereotyping can affect people’s view on their own search for identity in both positive and negative ways. This would be the poems, “Bred in South Auckland “and “Search for my Tongue”. The Second group is the way that stereotyping can affect people’s view on others identity which would be the short stories, “On the Sidewalk Bleeding” and “After you my Dear Alphonse”. The idea of stereotyping affecting the search for identity in ourselves is seen in the poem...
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...characters hide their identities to fit into a wealthy resort to escape the reality. On the other hand, the plot in “identities”, by W.D Valgardson, pushes towards the end with an idea of one’s identities can be alternate by others belief. One’s appearance can tell a lot about oneself, but they can change their appearance to mislead people. In “Transients in Arcadia”, Mamie Siviter (aka Madame Beaumont) portray as a wealthy first-class woman. This identity assists her in fitting into the resort. Henry describes her as the “fine air of the elite” and “preserved the stated of a queen”. Siviter’s desire for living an alternative life for a short period of time hoping to make her feel better about herself. It’s possible for Henry to suggest that many people in our society eager to have a chance to escape the normal life. We as human eagers for many things, about what we want ourselves to be, but your own value all depends on what others think of you. Henry’s use of words leaves an optimistic idea of identity changing and showing us that the going of the story is towards a...
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...Gender Roles and the Identities of Women During the late nineteenth century, there were many stereotypical attitudes regarding the roles of gender and the identity of women. Men were usually portrayed as the “breadwinners,” as well as the well-educated and the sole foundation of the family. Men had to show their masculinity by being the very upper-hand of the family. Women are portrayed as sensitive, sweet, caring, faithful, moody, naïve, etc. As a way to complete them as a whole, women needed men in their lives. However, women held the least power of the family and believed that they only had a purpose of being housewives. The ideal images of gender roles between men and women, and the identities of women can lead to stereotypes that are associated with Kate Chopin’s short story “Desiree’s Baby.” In “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin, gender played a big role in the life Desiree as well as Armand Aubigny. Desiree was described as “beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere— the idol of Valmonde” (1). Desiree was illustrated as if she was down to earth and had a very warm personality. At first she was nameless, like most women when they are first named by their primary families and renamed when they get married. Desiree nameless when she was first found by the Valmonde family, and then they took her in as their own and she adopted their family name. Desiree undergoes another name change when she later marries a wealthy man by the name of Armand and inherited the...
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...difficulties students have at school and at home when it comes down to learning a language which they aren’t acquainted to and the consequences of such, depending on their social background. Reflection on readings using Comparison and Contrast Maxine Hong Kingston (Tongue Tied); Richard Rodriguez (Aria); Gloria Anzaldua (How to Tame a Wild Tongue) In the short story’s ‘Tongue Tied’, ‘Aria’ and ‘How to Tame a Wild Tongue’, written by Maxine Hong Kingston, Richard Rodriguez and Gloria Anzaldua respectively, each author interrelates the issue of bilingualism and bi-culturalism as a personal, narrative-style, life experience. Their personal experience all share the same setting; them during childhood deprived of speaking their own language, struggling to get through school and get accepted in the American society and the impact on their lives as a result of such pressure. When comparing the short stories, it is clear that each individual writer share several aspects in common, as well as differences. One of the most recurring aspects that each author conveys in their short story is the notion of one’s self recognition – identity – as a child which they do not recognise when they are at school; in America. H. Kingston is Chinese, whilst Rodriguez is Mexican and Anzaldua is of Spanish origins. An example in ‘Aria’ is when Rodriguez says: “…I easily noted the difference between classroom language and the language of home” (286). Here, Rodriguez is emphasizing on the fact that he feels...
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...Daughter of Inventions In Julia Alvarez short story “Daughter of Invention” a family that immigrated to the United States from Dominican Republic. The mother Laura spends most of her time trying to invent useful and profitable thing such as household gadgets, she would spend a lot of time on her pad sketching those. She thought that she will invent something important one day. Her daughters, however, were having a difficult time at school because they were being bullied by the students, because of their accent, and so they hated their school. The daughter Yolanda had to write a speech that she had to give in front of her class which made her frustrated because she had to speak in English and she had an accent so she was scared that her friends...
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...Who Am I This Time is a short story that revolves around the theme of identity. The story is narrated which allows the character to observe the story from a viewer's perspective. The narrator's position as the director of the play allows him to narrate the story of both Hellen and Harry. This technique allows the reader to interpret the themes of the story implicitly because the narrator notes the theme but does not interpret them for the reader. This forces the reader to make their own interpretation of the themes of the story. For instance, when Harry asks the narrator, "Who am I this time?", the narrator comments to the reader that, "it was kind of sad, if you think about it," this suggests that the reader should to feel sorry for Harry's...
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