In Jorge Luis Borges' "Garden of Forking Paths", we find the protagonist as a Chinese English professor Yu Tsun who is a spy for the German army, obviously chased by his enemy, Richard Madden who is an Irishman at the service of the English army. At first glance, Yu Tsun may seem to be a "loyal" member of the German army but he manifests a characteristic throughout the story as being the oppressed member of the army. It seems that Yu Tsun shows a "desperate desire of the oppressed to be accepted by its oppressors." Yu Tsun doesn't care about Germany which imposed upon him the objection of being a spy. He even refers to the chief as a sick and hateful man and that he only needs to prove to him that a "yellow man" could save his armies. It's ironic because it clearly shows that Yu Tsun is oppressed because of his race (Yellow=Chinese) and yet he still serves the one oppressing him and even seeks its approval. He seems to be struggling in a Labyrinth of oppression, forever lost within its walls. This is just one of the Labyrinths that Yu Tsun is engaged/ trapped in. The story speaks about a certain Labyrinth, that which is related to Tsui Pen, a book which is composed of different chapters that seem to be diverging from a single path which also creates its own diverging paths. This particular part in the story challenges/ questions the common notion of time as being a linear process and instead raises a possibility of history branching out in an endless number of diverse directions at each spot in time; every space-time node as the midpoint of a system of branching or forking paths, an ever-recurring moment/place of selection with profound effects on and links to everything else. The book represents a Labyrinth of time "where all possible outcomes occur; each one is the point of departure for other forkings which sometimes converge" ( 22). Also, before going inside Albert's house, Yu Tsun got lost in the garden, which seemed like a maze. This is the result of his pondering over his ancestor's Labyrinth; Getting caught in this maze allowed the reader to reflect over a different perspective about real life. This maze represented the numerous paths that a person can travel and all of the outcomes from these paths. Thus, I can infer that the imagination is one of the representations of the Labyrinth.
He symbolizes humanity's suppressed need for expression, competitiveness and romance, and takes active steps to go against the norm and overthrow the government. Officially, he was taken into custody for being too above average. But, having an unconforming and opposing attitude probably scared the government. This is similar to the red scare of the 1950’s that prompted investigations of people’s personal involvement with a threat to the country, communism, which was seen by some as an unnecessary invasion of American rights. This could be the author’s way of criticizing the anti-communist scare while defending the right for individual freedom of belief and expression.
"Pan 's Labyrinth" is directed by Guillermo del Toro, is a magical realism drama. The screen shows the magical world of bizarre situations, a fictional out of Pluto 's daughter "Ophelia" to roam the world. To 1944 as the background, the fascist murder of guerrilla fighters as a real-world story. The whole film myth and reality are intertwined, is a complete metaphor and reflection on the Spanish civil war. One side is the little girl innocent fairy tale, while the Nazis are inhuman torture and slaughter. Two living scenes intertwined in a film, brings out a moral and human conflict. This is the child to see everything in the eyes, and what we see, it seems that the other world.
...rder over the stranded boys. The conch’s role in the novel is to symbol power, authority, democracy, and order among humans. When this is destroyed, we turn into savages.
...te kids from privileged backgrounds who risked everything for [their] anti-war, anti-racist, and revolutionary beliefs, to act in solidarity with the people of the world” (Rudd, IX). A strong sense of equality, instilled early on in family life; identification with persecution, whether through stories passed down to them about the Holocaust or identification with other ongoing revolutionary movements; an inborn, rebellious nature and shared anti-authoritarian streak -- all of these contributed to the seemingly irrational decision to evade -- even decry -- their white privilege and become professional, underground revolutionaries. To the WUO, being white was something of which they were ashamed. In many ways, their fervent actions were desperate attempts to absolve themselves of that shame. But they were also the genuine acts of concerned and caring individuals.
In life you are faced with many challenges and hardships. It is these experiences and how you react to them that shapes and gives you your character. The Human Stain, a novel by Philip Roth is a detailed account of the past of the characters and how the choices that they made build them to be the person that they are today. Everyone has things that they are not proud of from their past. These are essentially the human stains that Roth used as a foundation for The Human Stain. These stains are not limited to a specific person, gender, race, or even society. The prominent stain that affects the protagonist is with his own race. Many of the past experiences that the characters go through take place during America’s own stains, like the Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement, and the Bill Clinton sex scandal. It is hardships that we have gone through as a country to make us who we are now. Taking a more in-depth look at each character past allows the reader to see the overall message and meaning of the novel. Each of their human stains intertwine to provide the complexity of The Human Stain’s plot.
With this the paint factory emerges as a symbol of racial prejudice in novel. The Liberty Paints Plant proves the larger notion of the racism within society,
In life, people experience different situations and live different realities. It is not illogical to say that the different journeys in life sometimes give us different ways of viewing the world. This was evident upon a closer examination and analysis of Wu Cheng’en’s “The Journey to the West”, and Mary Shelly “Frankenstein”, where the two main characters of the book, a Monkey and a creature, each have a different way of viewing life. The monkey see’s life as a journey that should be explored, while the creature has no way of exploring and sees life as something he cannot enjoy. In the end, what can be taken away from the works of literature is that no matter the journey taken, it is important to remember that one’s subjectivity, built on our experiences, determines reality.
Through vivid yet subtle symbols, the author weaves a complex web with which to showcase the narrator's oppressive upbringing. Two literary
“Mao’s Last Dancer” is a book about the life of Li Cunxin. Li Cunxin was born into poverty in China under the rule of Mao Ze dung. The book was first published in 2003 and since then has won several awards including the book of the year award. Throughout the novel the composer chronologically cites the life of Li Cunxin and how he felt and where he belonged at certain points in his life.
To put it briefly, the Underground Man is the sole reason that he himself cannot be free despite is overwhelming desire. His obsessive behavior will not permit him to lead a normal life and he will forever be a prisoner of his own mind. The only reason that any other people have a hand in this imprisonment is because the Underground Man allows them to. Even when writing his “Notes” the Underground Man cannot help but to become consumed with scribbling down every little bit that he can, to the point that his “notes” must be cut short by an outside source.
Truth is constantly sought out in Fountain and Tomb. Our young narrator is often like a detective, listening attentively to conversations, making keen observations of situations, and seeking out answers to questions he doesn’t know. “The day is lovely but redolent with mystery,” our narrator says, identifying all the unknowns in the world around him (Mahfouz, 15).
While there may be some debate as to whether the Argentinian Jorge Luis Borges was technically a Magical Realist, some may feel that his works definitely do have some of the characteristics of what is considered Magical Realistic literature. Among his various types of works are poetry, essays, fantasies, and short fictions. Often referred to in essays that discuss the history and theory of Magical Realism, "The Garden of Forking Paths" is probably Borges' most popular short story. Published in 1964 in a collection of Borges works entitled Labyrinths: Selected Stories & Other Writings, his short story "The Garden of Forking Paths" appears to have several of the elements of Magical Realism.
beings in agonizing conflict with one another and with themselves. Literary authors A.L. Rowse once
Borges often contemplated life and where man should find himself suitable in its situations. In “Death and the Compass”, detective Lonnrot works to solve a labyrinth that has been created for him through a series of murders. The labyrinth is considered the biggest secret in the short story. In the end the labyrinth proves to be worthless to Lonnrot. Borges strategically uses symbolism to prove his philosophy that, it is pointless to spend life endlessly searching through a “labyrinth” to find our purpose. Borges specified, “Man’s search for meaning in the world is a fruitless effort” (Borges). The idea of someone creating a series of murders that form a triangle with equidistant vertices is completely imaginary. It is a clear portrayal of Borges’ manipulation of fantasy to create alternate realisms. Borges’ varied literary methods in a single story help communicate his two life theories. Labyrinths and identity are consistent topics that transpire in Borges’ short stories. “In Death and the Compass”, as well as several other short stories, Borges depicts characters that use reason to create and solve labyrinths. This symbolizes that people create their own paths in life. The labyrinth in Borges’ stories plays many roles. It examines the idea that life is a riddle and at times can seem endless. In “Death and the Compass” Red Scharlach, a criminal ...
...deeper more analytical level it is a work of great complexity with many undertones of the time period and the author’s