Compare and Contrast: Holy Land
In the novel “Holy Land” and the essay “An Ordinary Place”, both written by the same author, D.J. Waldie, have the same description about the suburb area during his childhood, but has different meaning and style of the writing. In the novel “Holy Land”, he talks about the 1940s when the suburb area was build. He said white men worked hard every day and built over five hundreds house a week. In “An Ordinary Place”, he talks about how the suburbs are like in the present, also more diversity with different ethnicity lives there now. Both novel and essay is written by the same author but they also share some similarities and differences about his experiences in the suburbs and author writing style.
In the novel “Holy Land”, Waldie talks about some differences among the novel and essay is that he mention about the past and how it was as in the suburbs. Waldie said that the streets were flooded on raining days. Waldie see men working every day and seeing where everybody hang out. As in the essay “An Ordinary Essay”, he says that the subur...
One of the more apparent themes seen in both texts is that of discrimination against marginalised groups. Both texts send a clear message, that regardless of the circumstances,
The book itself is an on-going dialogue between Kozol and the neighborhoods residents, interjected every so often with thoughts from Kozol. He covers a spectrum of topics from AIDS, drug addiction, prostitution, crime, poorly run and funded schools, white flight from schools to over-crowded hospitals and the amazing faith in religion and God that many of these people have.
A major contrast that occurs in the short story "Identities," the author W.D. Valgardson explores the difference between the two neighborhoods and by comparing the settings he creates suspense. The main character describes his current neighborhood as a "suburban labyrinth of cul-de-sacs," with "no ragged edges." Whereas the latter of the two is labeled as having "grey stone gates…and yards that are all proscribed by stiff picket fences" containing "a certain untidiness."
Jonathan Kozol's book, Amazing Grace, analyzes the lives of the people living in the dilapidated district of South Bronx, New York. Kozol spends time touring the streets with children, talking to parents, and discussing the appalling living conditions and safety concerns that plague the residents in the inner cities of New York. In great detail, he describes the harsh lifestyles that the poverty stricken families are forced into; day in and day out. Disease, hunger, crime, and drugs are of the few everyday problems that the people in Kozol's book face; however, many of these people continue to maintain a very religious and positive outlook on life. Jonathan Kozol's investigation on the lifestyle of these people, shows the side to poverty that most of the privileged class in America does not get to see. Kozol wishes to persuade the readers to sympathize with his book and consider the condition in which these people live. The inequality issues mentioned are major factors in affecting the main concerns of Kozol: educational problems, healthcare obstacles, and the everyday struggles of a South Bronx child.
All through their lives Pharoah and LaFayette are surrounded by violence and poverty. Their neighborhood had no banks, no public libraries no movie theatres, no skating rinks or bowling allies. Drug abuse was so rampant that the drug lords literally kept shop in an abondoned building in the progjects, and shooting was everywhere. Also, there were no drug rehabilitation programs or centers to help combat the problem. Police feared going into the ghetto out of a fear for their own safety. The book follows Pharoah and LaFayette over a two year period in which they struggle with school, attempt to resist the lure of gangs, mourn the death of close friends, and still find the courage to search for a quiet inner peace, that most people take for granted.
Hitler’s and his nazi’s rule is one of the most important historical event s of our world. They terrorized many including German citizens, and especially the Jews. In the novel, The City of God by E.L Doctorow, we follow a young boy named Albert through his life as a young Jewish boy living at the Kovno ghetto. The horrors lived by the boy are an example of what Adolf Hitler wrote in his book, Mein Kampf, and what Aime Cesaire wrote on his Discourse on Colonialism.
The process of becoming an adult takes more time for children who enjoy freedom. When the kid is still young, one’s parents or guardians would not mind whatever the child does. But when one grows up, one’s hobby and attitude has to change according to one’s age. The Fall of a City is a short story written by Alden Nowlan to illustrate the forced maturation of the 11-year-old child under the influence of his relatives. It is a piece of writing full of pathos, where the protagonist ends up destroying the creation of his childish imagination because of his uncle and aunt’s judgment. Once they discovered what Teddy has been doing up in the attic, he decides to follow the course of his fate. He leaves his imaginary world, where he is the almighty king, to face the much more challenging real world. The Fall of a City is written by Alden Nowlan in order to express his vision of the transition from youth to manhood because of societal pressure, and the hardship is shown through the critique of Teddy’ uncle and aunt about their nephew’s character traits and the diverse conflicts which the protagonist faces within the story.
Both the essays have the similarity that they discuss about the weaknesses in the protagonists life. They describe the social stigmas and the fear of being objected or feel guilty about wh...
In Jonathan Kozol’s Amazing Grace, he examines the lives and experiences of many children living in the Bronx. In all cases, they lived in run-down apartments surrounded by violence, drugs, and hopelessness. His main argument was that the poor people of this area were not treated well by the city, and the society tried to hide and forget about them. The second chapter of his book have several examples of this practice.
“Compare the ways in which the authors of the two texts convey ideas about art through their central characters?
...ce, although both writings are interesting in their own ways, the most interesting aspect of both writings together is that they both have a similar plot and theme. It is rare that two
Critics have already begun a heated debate over the success of the book that has addressed both its strengths and weaknesses. The debate may rage for a few years but it will eventually fizzle out as the success of the novel sustains. The characters, plot, emotional appeal, and easily relatable situations are too strong for this book to crumble. The internal characteristics have provided a strong base to withstand the petty attacks on underdeveloped metaphors and transparent descriptions. The novel does not need confrontations with the Middle East to remain a staple in modern reading, it can hold its own based on its life lessons that anyone can use.
Authors have been known to use their writing as symbols of other things that are occurring in the world. For George Saunders, in Pastoralia, he writes about characters that reflect real-life workers that are earning a low wage. Through many elements in his story, Saunders shows his audience how the narrator goes through his daily routines in order to provide for himself and his family, how his cave mate tries to provide for her mother and son, and how they aren’t in the best of conditions. Although it seems that this is a different period, it greatly relates to...
Immigrants traveled hundreds of miles from their homes, only with what possessions they could carry, in order to obtain the rights and chase the promise that America had to offer. Mary Antin illustrates in The Promised Land how if given the chance, immigrants will represent the promises and virtues of American society. Antin shows that public education, freedom from religious persecution, and freedom of expression as a citizen are aspects of life Americans may take for granted but immigrants certainly do not.
similarities that are inevitably beyond mere coincidence. One could surmise that both of these stories might have a basis in common historical occurrence. However, despite the fact that both of these works discuss a common topic, the portrayal of this event is quite different. Like identical twins raised in different cultures, the expressions of these works are products of their environment.