...is associated with an idea that lies behind the story (Clugston, 2010).” In the story Used to Live Here Once by Jean Rhys the theme that is being presented in this story is death. We learn that the theme of this story is death by the way that it is written. Throughout the story we are given little hints that this may be about someone’s afterlife but it is not completely confirmed until the last sentence which reads “That was the first time she knew”. In the beginning of the story we are given a small clue to the theme of this story and that is when they refer to her standing on the other side. People often talk about death as crossing over to the other side and the journey that takes us to the other side. In the case of the stones there is a representation from the stones to the life of them woman. The round unsteady stone relates to the beginning of life when we are trying to get our feet on the ground and our life started. Often as we enter adulthood we have unsteady feet and may have a hard time getting our life started and situated. Once we make it through the tough part in life we come to the “the safe stone”, the stone where we are able to sit back, relax, and reflect on the life around us. I think that this time of our life is when we have children that are grown and are learning to enjoy the finer things in life and just able to sit back and have a look around and reflect on our lives. The last stone represents the end of our life before we cross over into the afterlife...
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...The title, I Used to Live Here Once, gives me the impression that the narrator would be excepting of the change (the obvious fact being that they don’t live where they used to). I’m thinking, just from reading the title before reading the story, that the narrator embraces the change in their life. The traveler, for whatever reason, lived somewhere once and had now moved away. I think, just from the title, that the traveler chose not to live where she used to. The word “Once” in the title instantly gave me the impression that I would be reading a story about a journey and since the home is one of the greatest connections we have in life, my impression was that it’s not just a journey but a journey through life. After reading the story, although I was not expecting the traveler to be dead, I found that I had appropriately guessed the theme of the story. The theme in the story, I Used to Live Here Once, is the journey through life; comfort in the predictable elements of life. The theme of the story is best supported by two literary elements: symbolism and the point of view of the story. The point of view, third person omniscient helps develop the familiar tone of the journey. It helps the reader feel the comfort and security in the journey. The symbolism, for example, the fragility of the sky, helps develop this idea that even though there is predictability in the journey, there is still this element of uncertainty or hope. It’s like thinking you know what comes next in the...
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...Literary Elements in I Used To Live Here Once “I Used To Live Here Once” by Jean Rhys is a short story about a woman who has died and is visiting the home where she once lived. In the story the woman does not realize she is dead until the end of the story. The main theme of the story is death. The author, Jean Rhys, uses symbols, the plot, and the point of view to lead us through the woman's journey of realizing she is dead. “I Used To Live Here Once” is a short story written in limited omniscient point of view. With this point of view the author only shows the feeling and expression of the one character (Clugston, 2010). The character the author describes is the woman that has died. This point of view relates to the overall theme, which is death. Using this point of view, along with the symbols, shows us the woman has died and the way she is experiencing death. Throughout the story, the author uses many symbols to show the woman is on a journey after she has died. One of the symbols Jean Rhys uses is when the woman is crossing a river. When one dies they cross over into the after life. Another symbol Jean Rhys uses in the story is the glassy sky. The glassy sky can be seen as a reflection of the woman's life up until the time she died. Another symbol Jean Rhys uses is the stepping stones. The stepping stones could represent the woman's walk through life. The ups and downs, the good and bad aspects she encountered in her life are the stepping stones. Another...
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...(Frost) VS. I Used to Live Here Once (Rhys) Jason W. Miller Ashford University ENG125: Introduction to Literature Professor Patricia Lake December 3, 2012 Death and impermanence is always full of sorrow. I have chosen Death and Impermanence as my theme to discuss, not because of tragedy I’ve experienced, but instead because it’s an interestingly complex theme. “Nothing Gold Can Stay” and “I Used to Live Here Once” could not be no more different in their visual form than they already are; however, they both represent the theme through common emotions and mood of the literary works. Throughout my essay I will explain the relevance of the two works, and authors, as well as the differences. The formalist approach will be my choice of critical analysis of the two works, which will aid in forming my comparison and contrast of both works as well. “The poem of the Robert Frost, “Nothing Gold Can Stay” is discussing the beauty of life’s wonderful but short-lived treasures, as example chasing dreams and spending time with loved ones. It is illustrated by Frost those treasures in the world related to the nature through the use of metaphors, imagery, diction, and allusion. The poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” helps open one’s eyes to the harsh realities of nature’s path and although we must all succumb to the laws of nature, it is these unbreakable laws that make life so treasured (Shmoop, 2010). On the other side the literature “I Used to Live Here Once” is a somewhat...
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...(Gordimer) Creativity / The Creative Process Poetry (Neruda) Constantly Risking Absurdity (Ferlinghetti) You, Reader (Collins) Death and Impermanence Dog’s Death (Updike) I Used to Live Here Once (Rhys) A Father’s Story (Dubus) Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night (Thomas) Nothing Gold Can Stay (Frost) In Memoriam (Tennyson) Because I Could Not Stop for Death (Dickinson) Nature Wild Geese (Oliver) Dover Beach (Arnold) The Oak (Tennyson) The Road Not Taken (Frost) Symbolism of the Journey The Road Not Taken (Frost) A Worn Path (Welty) I Used to Live Here Once (Rhys) APA samples and tutorials are available to you in the Ashford Writing Center, located in the left navigation bar. The Ashford Writing Center (AWC) has two kinds of tutoring available to you. Live Chat – If you have writing-related questions about a topic before you draft a discussion post or submit a written assignment, you will now be able to chat live with a tutor for a short (up to 20 minute) conversation. Live Chat will be available Monday through Friday from 10:00-11:00 am and 4:00-5:00 pm (PST). AWC Live Chat Email Paper Review – If you have a draft, partial draft, or even if you’re having trouble getting started, you can complete a submission form and email your paper to the AWC for review. Writing Tutors will do...
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...different ways. It is perceived in many different ways when we read about it as well. Everyone who has experienced it though can say that it is not a delightful thing to experience. Whether it is a family member, a friend, a co-worker or even a pet, there is something to be said about how death can be described. I have chosen to talk about two very special literary works. The first one is A Dog’s Death by John Updike and the other being I Used To Live Here Once by Jean Rhys. Both of these literary works describe death in many different ways. A Dog’s Death is a short poem and I Used to Live Here Once is a short analog story. When I read A Dog’s Death, I was very sad. I could feel how the author was trying to show what kind of emotions were going on as the family pet was passing away. The emotion of sadness and sorrow, as a family member was dying. As the dog was breathing its last breath, the mother called out its name in pain. This is the tone, the mood or attitude reflected. (Clugston, 2010) In I Used to Live Here Once, the tone at first was happy. The woman is happy in the beginning. She sees things as she remembered them. But when the woman gets closer to the house and sees people outside, the tone changes. The tone becomes very sad. The woman does not realize she is dead, until she tries to speak to the people and they don’t speak back to her. Running Head: DEATH 3 I think that in any story that talks about death, the tone is going to be sad...
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...different ways. It is perceived in many different ways when we read about it as well. Everyone who has experienced it though can say that it is not a delightful thing to experience. Whether it is a family member, a friend, a co-worker or even a pet, there is something to be said about how death can be described. I have chosen to talk about two very special literary works. The first one is A Dog’s Death by John Updike and the other being I Used To Live Here Once by Jean Rhys. Both of these literary works describe death in many different ways. A Dog’s Death is a short poem and I Used to Live Here Once is a short analog story. When I read A Dog’s Death, I was very sad. I could feel how the author was trying to show what kind of emotions were going on as the family pet was passing away. The emotion of sadness and sorrow, as a family member was dying. As the dog was breathing its last breath, the mother called out its name in pain. This is the tone, the mood or attitude reflected. (Clugston, 2010) In I Used to Live Here Once, the tone at first was happy. The woman is happy in the beginning. She sees things as she remembered them. But when the woman gets closer to the house and sees people outside, the tone changes. The tone becomes very sad. The woman does not realize she is dead, until she tries to speak to the people and they don’t speak back to her. Running Head: DEATH 3 I think that in any story that talks about death, the tone is going to be sad...
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...People experience poetry and short stories differently, yet they all use similar techniques or terms used to write literature. All literature uses some type of tone, a point-of-view, and symbols. This tools for writing help tell the story by giving the reader the emotions, perspective and the hidden messages, making the story come alive to reader and in captivating the reader into the story itself. Others use different terms to help tell their story for poems, rhythm is used often. While in short stories and dramas, foreshadowing and metaphors are used to help tell the story. These tools are not used in every work of literature, but they are tools to help bring the reader into the story more, making the reader become excited or antsy about what is coming next. Looking at the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost and the short story “Used to Live Here Once” by Jean Rhys, there are a couple of similarities and a few differences in their techniques. These techniques are what can make a poem and a short story differ are; symbolism, tone, point of view, foreshadowing, and rhythm will be discussed here. Symbolism A symbol in literature “is something that has a literal identity but also stands for something else-something that is widely understood and has been developed over a long period of time or by common agreement” (Clugston, R. 2010, sec. 7.2, para 1). Symbols are used by an author to help hint at what might be the true situation. In another words, symbols can help...
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...symbols to tell a story. The picture you have formed in your head of the small, sad little girl and her beloved dog is an example of symbolism of the journey. While literally the dog is dead this may also be a symbolism of a girl losing the only thing in her little life that she trusted in a world that has abandoned her like the empty road she finds herself on. The symbolism of the journey and how two authors used this theme is the topic of this paper. Thesis While both Jean Rhys “Used to Live Here Once” and Eudora Weltly, in “A Worn Path” use symbolism and exposition one story is also about death and the other is about helping her grandchild’s life, yet many of the words used in “A Worn Path” as indicative of death. Each story uses symbolism of the journey. Both stories also include an omniscient point of view and using imagery, which doubles as symbolism. Also using motif the narrators guide us through their stories also bringing a racism theme. Both authors Rhys and Weltly take us on journeys through the stories told. Symbolism and Motif in Rhys, “Used to Live Here Once”...
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...and seem like so much more than a simple story. For this paper I chose to write about “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost as it has always been a favorite poem of mine, and the short story “I Used to Live Here Once” by Jean Rhys as it was the story that spoke to me the most from our text. These two literary works both share a similar story dealing with symbolism of their journey, which have several similarities as well as some differences. I the three literary works I have chosen to discuss are; the poem “The Road Not Taken” the short story “Used to Live Here Once” and the short story “A Worn Path” all share a common theme, even though they were all differently written. The theme for all three writings shows that no matter how long or how tough life’s journey is the end of the road still depends on the choices and decisions made by the journey person. The person on life’s journey essentially finished their own story. In the poem “The Road Not Taken” there is a traveler who comes to a split in a path in the woods. The traveler is trying to decide which path to takes when he decides to take the path that has been less traveled on. In the beginning of the poem the reader knew right away that the traveler was on a journey since this was written in the first point of view. The author used the first person character, which was “I”, so it was easy to imagine the author as the one who is going through the journey. SYMBOLISM OF...
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...The Symbolism of the Journey ENG 125 Introduction to Literature According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” The journey is a central focus of Robert Frost’s “The Path Not Taken” and Jean Rhys’s “I Used to Live Here Once,” although the destination is also an important part of the latter. While both stories have similar themes, they have different points of view; both show that life can change during the journey. In addition, both stories illustrate that things aren’t always as they seem. This paper will compare and contrast the two stories and how despite the different viewpoints, there is one thing in common; regardless of the journey a person takes, there are many obstacles and hurdles. Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” has been often interpreted with different meanings but is one of the most quoted poems of all time. Many interpretations of the poem believe it encourages individualism and self-reliance. There are others that believe it is not what the author intended. Upon closer examination we can determine that Frost’s intended message is that life choices are inevitable, a natural part of the life process, and that we cannot know whether the decision was the right one until we are in the future looking back at that particular moment in time, nor can we ever know what choosing the other path would have meant for our future. As the poem goes on, we see the author lamenting over his choices at the beginning of the final stanza: “I shall...
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...able to bring in readers with the use of imagery, tone, symbolism, and everyday understanding, among other things throughout their works. Without imagination however, I don’t believe it would be possible to truly get what each writer has intended their work to mean. You have to look close and pay attention to be able to visualize the symbolism in each of these literary pieces. In Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken”, and Jean Rhys’ short story “I Used to Live Here Once”, the consistent theme between the two would be; no matter who you are, you are the only one who chooses the road you take for your life’s journey. In other words, you choose your own destiny. And although they took different ways to say it, both Rhys and Frost use imagery, tone, and symbolism frequently to enhance the telling of their literary works. There are many people who travel a distance in life to find the path they should take or to remember the path they once took. In the poem “The Road Not Taken”, and the short story "I Used to Live Here Once", there are many similarities and differences. The authors’ use of describing a path helps them personify life’s journeys and self-reflection. Robert Frost uses imagery to describe two different journeys in life that could have been taken. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth.” (Clugston, 2010) As Frost writes in...
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...Running head: INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE Final Paper Ashford University Introduction to Literature ENG 125 Submitted: Final Paper Whether reading a short story or a poem, there is always a story to be found within. The authors of these scripts are able to capture readers with the utilization of characterization, rhythm, or a fairytale setting throughout their narrative. It is imagination that sanctions the reader of these literary forms to be able to mentally visualize what the author would like the reader to visually perceive by use of symbolism or descriptive wording. In the poem “The Road Not Taken” or short stories “A Worn Path” or “Used To Live Here Once” – There is a prevalent theme. No matter what solitary journey we find ourselves on, ‘we’ determine how the journey ends. The solitary journey that each of these literary pieces share is presented differently in each inditing. Robert Frost designed “The Road Not Taken” with specific designs in the narrative that revealed for me as the reader that there was a forthcoming journey. Frost also utilized the word “I” many times, which sanctioned me to imagine him alone. Comparative to this example let us compare “A Worn Path” where Welty utilized the word “she” throughout the writing piece. The linguistic choice inspired my imagination to visualize a woman walking alone. This visualization was reinforced in other places of the writing when the character spoke to animals to get out of her way:...
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...Sundas Abad 0581BHMATHS1519 Ma’am Hira Shah English 1104 17 February 2016 THE MAIN THEME OF STORY “I USED TO LIVE HERE ONCE” No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow so enjoy every moment of life and collect some joyful memories relates with our life. The theme of story I Used To Live Here Once is “Death” and the story is all about the journey of life which leads to the past. Journey of life is that aspect which we have to follow to reach our destination. Basically, the journey of life ends at a single point that is death because it is the endpoint of our life because this is a temporary world. In order to reach our destination we face many difficult situations. Same as discussed in the story that she crossed the river by stepping the different kinds of stones. Life is also based on such kind of problems, some are easy to carry while some are unbearable but still we have to face them to reach at the last point that is “death”. Life and death are two basic aspect of human being’s life because symbolically we are living to be dead one day. Only memories and feelings left that we recall or remember in our imagination. Similarly, in the story the girl is remembering her past by walking on the way where she used to live once. Death directly relates with the memories because only memories could be remember with some special feelings. People have different capability to remember the past memories and different ...
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...when factoring two different types of literature. Sometimes different works of literature have the same theme yet are communicated in unique ways. I have chosen to do Robert Frosts "The Road Not Take," and the Jean Ryes "I Used to Live Here Once". Symbolism of the journey is in both of these literary works and it makes them both stronger and appealing to the readers. Being able to touch a reader and feel like the author is making it come alive is great because he know they are able to get their point across. There is always something to look for in a story that is so much more deep. It is our imagination that allows us, the readers, to use the descriptive words or symbols that are provided and create a mental vision. I will be comparing and contracting the style, form, and content. In this paper I will be accessing the area where both stories theme expressed the "The Journey." There is a similar theme in both "The Road Not Taken" and "I Used to Live Here Once." It was that no matter where we are in life or where we are going everyone has a choice to make. Everyone will make their very own destiny. But we cannot be fooled with the comparing themes as these two stories are very different when it comes to the way they were written and the symbolism used. They both describe an actual road or path which symbolizes the journey. A journey does not mean it is physical as it can be mental, spiritual, or even emotional. As a person will learn something along the way any way it goes...
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