...“Concentrate!” James Heron, the battle instructor, yelled. Dain grunted with exertion and parried another one of the flying blows from Walter. The yard was filled with men wearing their garb of metal, testing their prowess against opponents, the constant shouts of the battle instructor blending with that of the steel. The castle stood towering over the new recruits, desperate to prove themselves as knights, but no one as desperate as Dain and Walter. Walter was tall for his age, standing a whole two heads above Dain, long golden hair flowed out behind his helm. He looked as if a hero from legend and was the son of a great lord. He was aged eight and ten and was already renowned around the kingdom for his ability to fight with a blade, stating that there was no one that...
Words: 793 - Pages: 4
...Just like Mean Girls’ Cady Heron, I thought I had a chronic case of word vomit. The words I actually wanted to say never left my mouth. Instead, I opened my lips and my socially awkward brain started talking. When I was young, I was teased for being too weird, or too nice, or too naïve. I was ten, when a family friend introduced me to New Jersey Youth Chorus (NJYC). I auditioned and was elated when I was accepted into the beginner chorister group. For the first time in my life, I felt like I could be myself in a public setting. I didn’t have to worry about the clothes I wore, or if I had to style my hair just right in order to be accepted by the other choristers. Every Monday, I look forward to spending an entire evening singing choir loudly...
Words: 304 - Pages: 2
...In Jurassic Park and “A White Heron” they show the theme of man and nature. Man and nature were big parts in theses pieces of work. Jurassic Park man, Dr. John Hammond, went against nature but recreating dinosaurs. According to the film, one of the scenes a baby dinosaur hatches but Mr. Ian Malcolm, a mathematician, questions and states how is this park going to survive because these creatures already had their time on earth but now they have to adjust to the new world. While the animals have to adjust Dr. Hammond believes that his creations should live properly even with all the new evolutions and the natural world not agreeing (Crichton). In “A White Heron,” it also shows this theme. The short story, has Sylvia teaming up with the natural world rather than going against it. From the story it says, “No, she must keep silence ....
Words: 1047 - Pages: 5
...throughout her short story, “A White Heron”. Jewett achieves her dramatization through her particular use of exaggerated literary tools which she incorporates throughout her story. A few of the tools which fulfill Jewett’s hyperbolic statement include diction, imagery, and character choice. Primarily, Jewett uses diction as the driving element which achieves a dramatization of her main character’s adventure. Jewett uses a heightened and wonder filled diction as a means of applying a higher experience and a greater sense of emotion to her main character’s journey. As Jewett begins her poem she describes the tree which proves to be her main character’s primary obstacle. Jewett describes the tree...
Words: 728 - Pages: 3
...Why The Girl Decides to Protect the Herons “A white Heron” is one of the stories in the anthology named A White Heron and Other Stories, 1886. The main character, Sylvia, is a little girl who leaves the city life and immerses into the beauty and tranquility of a country life. However, country life is not that simple and plain. “A White Heron” is one of the most appreciated stories as it reveals the confrontation between the interpersonal affection and the love to nature. The two opposing feelings arise when Sylvia admires herons though meets the bird hunter who wants to have a heron in his collection. In spite of the wish to build friendly relationship with the hunter, she decides to defend a white bird and not to reveal the place...
Words: 319 - Pages: 2
...Owl By Jackie Kay Is it possible to live in the past back when you were ten when you really are in the middle age? Is it healthy to be stuck in the childhood and not wanting to move on? That is what the main character in Jackie Kay’s short story Owl does. This essay will focus on the narrative technique, the contrasts and what the title can symbolize. The short story is written by a first person narrator which in this case means that the story is told through one of the main characters, Barn’s/Anita’s, eyes. It is written in past tense and is focused on Barn’s angle of the story and the reader experiences the events through her. The reader is for the reason of that trusting the narrator because one is made to feel closer and friendlier with the narrator because the reader and the narrator look through the same eyes. This dominates not only the point of view but also the plot. Some of the text is a flashback from Barn’s and Tawn’s childhood where we get to know them as children. There are many contrasts in the short story Owl. One of them is the contrast between being a child and a grown up. The story is divided in two. The first part of the text focuses on the childhood of Barn and Tawn when they were nine and ten years old. The second part takes place when they are adults and in their forties. They are stuck in the past even though they have grown up: “And maybe after that we could go back to our names, to calling ourselves our real names. (Though I doubt we’d...
Words: 912 - Pages: 4
...Debra Bronstein English 1B Short Story Essay Prompt Essay Due: Monday 10/15 at the beginning of class (100 points) Please write a 4-5 page essay. All papers should be typed, double-spaced, 12-point font (Times New Roman), with one-inch margins. All papers must analyze how the rhetorical/formal/symbolic/narrative elements of the short story contribute to your understanding of the text. Please review these terms from your literary terms quiz and your class notes to remind yourself how authors deploy them in the stories. Please choose one of the following topics. Note: I ask a lot of questions within each of the topics because I want to give you many options to consider; however, this does not mean that you have to answer all the sub-questions. Use them as guides to jumpstart your thinking. 1. Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Jewett’s “A White Heron,” Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” track a particular symbol throughout the short story. Focusing on one of these stories, show how the author uses the development of the symbol in order to reflect the demise or spiritual growth of the main characters. Hint: for “The Things They Carried, you can focus on the word carry rather than on a specific individual symbol. 2. Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” are both narrated by unreliable narrators who go crazy. Focusing on one of these stories, how does the author portray insanity...
Words: 879 - Pages: 4
...The Owl By Jackie Kay Will a dear kinship´ be the way to adapt to life and overcome fears and challenges? This is by all accounts the case in Jackie Kay's short story "Owl" written in 2012, where the two fundamental characters together experience a youth occasion covering with an experience with an owl. The story lets us know how both of these episodes shapes the fellowship between the principle characters and how it turns into a long lasting walk together in this life additionally a trip into their very own dreamland. The short story is composed in the first individual. This implies the story is told by the fundamental character Barn, or Anita as she is truly called. This dialog is totally in the middle of Barn and (Tawny's real name is Marion). This artistic gadget is an approach to show that it is just about both of them, Barn and Tawny – whatever is left of the world does not by any stretch of the imagination make a difference. The way that we just get a knowledge and catch wind of the two ladies life for instance their youth, makes a closer connection with both of them and in the meantime we as readers gets removed from others. This is additionally why that the storyteller makes intensely utilization of the individual pronoun 'we'. It frames a connection between the reader and the fundamental characters, which is Barn and Tawny. Another thing that is characteristic of the narrative technique is the suddenly change of scenes. This is seen in the following: “I’d already...
Words: 1096 - Pages: 5
...Assignment 8 Can a close friendship be the means to cope with life and overcome fears and challenges? This seems to be the case in Jackie Kay’s short story “Owl” written in 2012, where the two main characters together experience a very hurtful childhood event overlapping with an encounter with an owl. The story tells us how both of these incidents shapes the friendship between the main characters and how it becomes a lifelong walk together in this life but also a journey into a fantasy world of their own. The short story is written in the first person. This means that the story is told by the main-character Barn, or Anita as she is really called. It is characterised by a heavily use of dialogue and direct speech. This dialogue is almost entirely between Barn and Tawny (Tawny’s real name is Marion). This literary device is a way to illustrate that it is only about the two of them, Barn and Tawny – the rest of the world does not really matter: The fact that we only get an insight and hear about the two women life for example their childhood, creates a closer relation with the two of them and at the same time we as readers gets distanced from everyone else. This is also why that the narrator makes heavily use of the personal pronoun ‘we’. It forms an affiliation between the reader and the main-characters, which is Barn and Tawny. The close relation between the two of them is also seen in the following quote: “”It’s only scary because we all want to be perfect. It’s not scary...
Words: 1828 - Pages: 8
...Owl by Jackie Kay Growing up can be scary, because you all of a sudden are on your own. If you live in the past you are more likely to be less prepared for what the life as an adult brings. "Owl" (2012) is a short story written by Jackie Kay where the reader experience the story of a middle-aged woman having a mid-life-crisis and recalling memories when times used to be easier. The title “Owl” and biological meaning primarily symbolizes freedom. However, both Tawny and Barn, as mentioned in the short story, is actual owls that signify different abilities. The Barn leads the way through fears, nightmares and shadows - if you are brave enough to follow. In this short story, our protagonist and first-person-narrative Anita personalizes as the barn owl because she has to go through her mid-life crisis even though what consequences it might bring. The tawny symbolizes guidance and wisdom. It is Anita's best friend, Marion, who plays this role. The connection and relation to the owl express Anita (Barns) and Marion's (Tawny) friendship. The reason they recall these memories, is to remember how fun and uncomplicated life was during their childhood. It begins with a flashback where Anita, also known as Barn recalls her childhood with her best friend Marion, also known as Tawny. Marion and Anita were visiting a farmland where their parents used to take them. At this farm, they found a barn Owl, which they admired and this is where Anita got her nickname. This clearly shows...
Words: 977 - Pages: 4
...Essay on “Owl” by Jackie Kay “Owl” is a story about two friends and their childhood encounter with an owl. It is a story about a childhood friendship that lasts longer than they could have imagined. Barn and Tawny is what they called themselves when they one holiday discover an owl together. These nicknames and the encounter with the owl stays with them all the way till their forties. Now they are all grownup, but did their childhood have an influence on the way they are today? It is a tale of how one experience can connect to friends forever. The short story takes places in several places. In the beginning, it takes place on the farmland where their parents went on summer holiday. This is the place where the two friends come across an Owl on the farm. The two friends bond over this owl and make up their first nicknames for each other. The narrator was named Barn and her friend was named Tawny. What they did not know was that this bonding experience would make them friends for long out into the future. Another thing that they find out, but do not pay much attention to, is that Barns parents are starting to like Tawny’s parents, meaning that Barns mother is starting to talk more with Tawny’s father, and vice versa with Barns father and Tawny’s mother. This might seem weird for the receiver; however, the main characters do not seem to realize it too much. Then in the middle of the text, they are suddenly at back home from the farm. A scene is described where Barn and Tawny...
Words: 1116 - Pages: 5
...*Intro* From the dawn of time, (:P) human beings have had a vast range of beliefs. They have advanced from thinking that storms are the sign of the sea God, Poseidon’s wrath to explaining it in scientific terms involving the winds and the positions of the moon. However, is everything science tells us really true? What if the Gods exist to this very day, and roam about in the guise of normal humans? What would occur, if they assembled in one single place? With their egos, different opinions and self-importance, what would happen if we added a little competition to the mix? Chaos. So here’s a little play about our all- time favorite Greek Gods, in which they all decide to take some time off their usual jobs and try something different. Scene-recruitment room. There’s a table in one corner and some chairs arranged in another. There’s a person at the table, writing something. There’s another shabbily dressed person sitting on a chair and reading something. A pretty receptionist enters the room carrying a cup of coffee which she places on the table. The man looks up, gives her a curt nod and then goes back to what he was doing. The receptionist spots the shabbily dressed guy and walks up to him. Receptionist: You here for the interview? Man looks up at her, nods and then looks back down. She peeks into the manuscript he’s reading and squeals. Receptionist: Oh my god! The Greek Gods! I absolutely LOVE them!! *looks at the title* How can you even call them crazy? Your book...
Words: 2135 - Pages: 9
...college dropout from Stanford University back in 1925 and was a manual laborer before he started to achieve his success as a writer. The story takes place in a stream near Salinas River and in the ranch it the Salinas Valley of Northern California during the Great Depression. During that time, there were massive lack of jobs and increasing number of workers. The population travelled from one place to another to seek employment. Steinbeck’s way of writing reflects his character. Steinbeck concentrates on revealing the characters and presents them directly to focus the reader’s attention of their quandary. Steinbeck is very clever on using stereotypes and has highlighted the importance of human issues, friendship, intellectual prowess, different racial background, social status and responsibility. For instance, he describes Lenny’s appearance as an animal – which Lennie really behaves and looks like. The meaning of Steinbeck’s story is about what it means to be a human being – in different aspects, how the society looks at you as an individual. Steinbeck is a master of description, and one of his many passions was the California landscape. The setting in this novel contains the "golden foothill slopes" and the "strong and rocky Gabilan Mountains." It is quiet and natural with sycamores, sand, leaves, and a gentle breeze. The rabbits, lizards, and herons are out in this peaceful setting. The only signs of man are a worn footpath beaten hard by boys going swimming and tramps looking for...
Words: 1405 - Pages: 6
...How does the setting of Of Mice and Men influence the book's thematic development? In answering, consider the connection between the novel's setting and the characters' vocations. Also, how does Steinbeck signal the importance of setting in his choice of place names? Though the novel is more famous for its characters than its setting, Of Mice and Men could not have been set elsewhere than in the rural Salinas valley of California. The problems of the novel are intimately tied to the rhythms and frustrations of the itinerant worker's life. Shifting from ranch to ranch, from one menial job to another, the Californian itinerant worker risked a life of meaningless labor - of pure, cynical sustenance. George and Lennie, with their dream of acquiring a farm, represent an attempt to stand against such perpetual loneliness. Even the name of the city near which the novel is set - Soledad, which is Spanish for "solitude" - resonates with this theme of loneliness. The title, Of Mice and Men, is an allusion to a Robert Burns poem. How is this allusion meaningful in the novel? Consider some similarities and differences between Burns and Steinbeck's works. Robert Burns' poem, "To a Mouse," is the source of the famous quotation: "The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men / Gang aft agley" ("often go awry"). And, indeed, Of Mice and Men features two men with a scheme - to escape their lives of menial, temporary employment - that goes awry. Beyond this simple plot similarity,...
Words: 1553 - Pages: 7
...him of the trouble Lennie got into in the last town they were in — he touched a girl's soft dress. George then reminds Lennie not to speak to anyone in the morning when they get to the ranch and cautions Lennie to return to this place by the river if anything bad happens at the ranch. When he has to take the dead mouse away from Lennie a second time, George chafes at the hardship of taking care of Lennie. After calming his anger, George relents and promises Lennie they will try to find him a puppy; then he tells Lennie about their dream of having a little farm where they can be their own boss and nobody can tell them what to do, where Lennie will tend their rabbits, and where they will "live off the fatta the lan'." Lennie has heard this story so often he can repeat it by heart. And George emphasizes that this dream and their relationship make them different from other guys who don't have anyone or a place of their own. They settle down and sleep for the night. The next morning at the ranch, the boss becomes suspicious when George answers all the questions and Lennie does not talk. George explains that Lennie is not bright but is a tremendous worker. They also meet Candy, an old swamper with a sheep dog; Crooks, the black stable hand; the boss' son Curley, who is an amateur boxer and has a bad temper; Curley's wife, who has a reputation as a "tart";...
Words: 3813 - Pages: 16
