Amidst a deadly game where two lovers whose romance is meant to be yet cannot be, Celia and Marco must make decisions that carry immense consequences. Both of these characters can be classified as star-crossed lovers; they are deeply in love with each other, although their circumstances force them apart. As the conflict continues, the reader sees that the circus and those within it are affected in different ways by how the two choose to compete. The motif of star-crossed lovers in Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus highlights how both important and seemingly insignificant actions can have wide-reaching effects on both ourselves and others. By creating parallels between Marco and Celia’s youth in the novel, Morgenstern illustrates the connections …show more content…
Once Marco and Celia have both arrived at the circus, their competition leads to massive benefits for the circus; they create a multitude of unique tents and spectacles that make the circus life much more mystical and enchanting. At first, the tents are a simple means for the two to challenge each other in who can create the most captivating one. However, they later become a symbol of love with a more magnificent one being created than the last each time (a pure white forest, a wishing tree, a cloud city, etc.). In doing so, they also allow Bailey, an important admirer of the circus, to connect with two of the circus's performers: Poppet and Widget. The star-crossed lover’s creation of tents where “nothing’s impossible” (page 266) becomes part of a much greater narrative than that of Marco and Celia. Again, storylines and lives are intricately interwoven; Bailey meets the twins and it is through the experiences he undergoes in each of these magical tents that he begins to develop a deep connection to the circus. Bailey’s final discussion with Celia and Marco about taking over the circus exhibits this connection in that when faced with a decision to become the new caretaker or return to his old life, “he will always choose the circus” (page 481). Celia …show more content…
At a time where Marco and Celia now bear the burden of the circus on their shoulders, every single move they make will have massive implications on the challenge, ergo the venue and those within it as well. After providing the reader with an understanding of how important actions can be, Morgenstern emphasizes the importance of key actions in life-changing instances. This is shown in Marco’s choice to get close to Isobel, in the star-crossed lover’s creation of tents, Bailey’s choice to become the new caretaker, and in Celia and Marco’s concluding moments. The reader comes to recognize that those moments that appear small, but require decisive action, can completely change the course of the future. Despite the consequences of their actions, the novel concludes with Marco and Celia forever intertwined in love somewhere that is not quite life or death, but somewhere in between. Celia is able to get through her harsh childhood of isolation and finds true happiness with Marco. Like his lover, Marco is no longer alone, overcoming a difficult childhood without his biological parents and a strict teacher to fall in love with the woman of his dreams. All of their actions have led to an eternity together in another realm, showing that there will always be an endpoint to all choices that may not always be the picture-perfect
In the short story “Circus in Town”, it depicts the life a young girl named Jenny who grows up in the improvised section of town. Despite her poor lifestyle Jenny stays positive through her use of imagination and clear mind. All it took to change her perspective of her life was a simple piece of paper from the circus. Despite her family’s circumstances, she does not try to avoid her lack of money or social status but rather creates her own ideal lifestyle she believes is perfect. Her life would be filled with horses that wore “silver bells on reins and bridle”(para 24) and her very “own circus”(para 22). This shows how Jenny is trapped in the fabricated
Diamant’s magic enables a romance to flower from violence and the formulation of a “voiceless cipher” into an ingenious being transpire (1). She forces the reader see that in the eyes of trial and tragedy, happiness and love, we find reflections of ourselves no matter the age gap. She emphasizes that such a task could not happen if not for the “scolding, teaching, cherishing, giving, and cursing one with different fears (2),” that “summon up the innumerable smiles, tears, sighs and dreams of human life” (321). All this, Diament reminds all females, can be sequestered in the red tent.
In Dancing in the Dark, Morris Dickstein shares his perceptive study about the 1930s. He presents his ideas by using famous works and focusing on the culture. He looks at how those who faced the Depression and those who ran away from it, have a lot in common. This paper will review the era as well as Dickstein’s main arguments, and will evaluate his quality of writing and observe any areas of weakness within his research.
Writing on this topic, the old Schoolhouse Rock song “Three Ringed Circus” comes to mind. In the song, a young boy describes the system of government, like the title suggests, as a three ringed circus. Each ring connects to each other, with a bit of their own ring in that of the others. The rings are separate and whole, with a bit of control over what happens in the other rings. This metaphor accurately describes the system of checks and balances in the American government, to keep one of the “rings” of the federal government from taking total control. Though the Supreme Court has the final say on the constitutionality on any legislature from Congress or the President, each of those branches has their own different forms of control over the
In the popular literary works of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Franz Kafka’s novella “The Metamorphosis,” we are given examples of the importance of a profound narrative point of view in creating an integral depth to the author’s story and enchanting its characters. Through key placement of well-rounded characters, both works of art succeed in creating a perfect narrative point of view which illuminates their stories in emotionally moving ways. The Great Gatsby’s Nick Carraway, plays the role of a secondary character in most of the novel. Enabled by his laidback, trustworthy nature, he manages to provide an extremely interesting first person point of view on all the events surrounding him throughout the story. He also functions as the author’s voice as he reflects on the human condition of man, the American dream, and the “modern” world’s moral values. In “The Metamorphosis,” we experience a third-person omniscient point of view which is mainly limited to Gregor Samsa’s thoughts, feelings, and assessment of his predicament. After Gregor dies, the point of view shifts to his remaining family members, but we don’t experience the same intimacy involving their innermost thoughts and feelings; instead we are given an impersonal third-person narration. Kafka intelligently uses this technique to further establish the Samsa’s sense of morals and final adjustments to the situation. We are left with an unmistakable impression of the opposing natures man can live at and accept. A strong, well-written narrative point of view is evident in both these literary works; it is the character’s undertaken, excellent role in their expression which ultimately shape and guide the author’s stories into a masterpiece.
Authors are often well known for their use of outside forces to initiate change within the relationships of their main characters. The works Love in the Time of Cholera and The Metamorphosis are exemplary in this respect. The author’s choice, in both works, to use an outside force helps develop the storyline in each and brings out an underlying irony. Marquez chose to use Dr. Juvenal Urbino, a highly esteemed and prosperous doctor, as an outside force that initiated change in the relationship between Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza. Kafka chose to use three boarders to initiate the rapid decay of Gregor and Grete’s brother-sister relationship. Both consistencies and inconsistencies exist between the ways in which each author uses the change. These consistencies and inconsistencies, when explored, can be noted as the single most important contribution to each work.
2. The first reason for this thesis stems from the point of view used in the story. The point of view exemplified is one of third person, more specifically one who is omniscient. The story’s message could not be conveyed from the first person, due to the fact that virtually everyone in the writing at hand is not only unable, but unwilling to figure out the true nature of their surroundings.
There are many different factors that play a role in shaping one’s life. Two of these, family and society, are expressed by Leo Tolstoy and Franz Kafka. Tolstoy’s novella The Death Of Ivan Ilyich draws attention to the quality of Ivan Ilyich’s life. Although he has a life the whole community aspires to, he becomes aware of the hypocrisies and imperfections that accompany it. Similarly, Kafka’s The Metamorphosis focuses on the ostracized life of Gregor Samsa who continuously seeks the approval of his family, but somehow always ends up letting them down. Ivan Ilyich in Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Gregor Samsa in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis both experience extreme alienation from their families, and thereby shed light on the nightmarish quality of their existence.
Therefore, this scene reflects various concepts of contemporary ideas in the modern world of social justice issues and relationships between people, particularly the modern day romance which is transmuted through social networks. These human natures are evolved as the transcension of time continues, to create an image of one’s self and compare to the rest. The fundamental ideologies with the conveyance of ideas of Othello are seen through its themes, specifically deception, romance and jealousy and the use of language techniques of emotive language to portray an authentic outlook to the comparison to today’s society. There are still social justice issues that relate to these themes which is a concerning issue as it may lead to downfall’s, death’s and other unfortunate ravel of events that will discontinue the balance of human nature and its peaceful assets.
Many of our today as “normal” considered values are everything but self-evident. One of the most striking aspects in the novel is time; and our relationship towards it. “ We yearned for the future. How did we learn it that talent for insatiability. ” In this particu...
In this book review I represent and analyze the three themes I found the most significant in the novel.
This paper will present a novel, The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka. My purpose of this paper is to analyze the story and the author Franz Kafka's life. The Metamorphosis is an autobiographical piece of writing, and I can find that parts of the story reflects Kafka's own life, also I would like to analyze the symbolism of the story, the protagonist in the novel The Metamorphosis. The analysis of the story is addressed to all people in general. The research of this paper will be supported by scholarly journals, academic websites, and books.
Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night revolves around a love triangle that continually makes twists and turns like a rollercoaster, throwing emotions here and there. The characters love each another, but the common love is absent throughout the play. Then, another character enters the scene and not only confuses everyone, bringing with him chaos that presents many different themes throughout the play. Along, with the emotional turmoil, each character has their own issues and difficulties that they must take care of, but that also affect other characters at same time. Richard Henze refers to the play as a “vindication of romance, a depreciation of romance…a ‘subtle portrayal of the psychology of love,’ a play about ‘unrequital in love’…a moral comedy about the surfeiting of the appetite…” (Henze 4) On the other hand, L. G. Salingar questions all of the remarks about Twelfth Night, asking if the remarks about the play are actually true. Shakespeare touches on the theme of love, but emphases the pain and suffering it causes a person, showing a dark and dismal side to a usually happy thought.
The metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, is a book that caught the world’s interest. The strange context of the novel caught the attention of many people, but is there a secret message in between the lines? The author, Franz Kafka, is also very well known. There have been speculations made by the public that have suggested that Kafka and the fictional character in his book, Gregor Samsa, share more similarities than just being originated by the author’s mind. When comparing Kafka's life to the life of the main character, Gregor Samsa, it is obvious that Kafka wrote the Metamorphosis to display himself through Gregor.
Literary masterpieces are a reflection of society that helps educate by using spiritual, intellectual, and political themes. According to Woolf (2014), “…masterpieces are not single and solitary births; they are the outcome of many years of thinking in common, of thinking by the body of the people, so that the experience of the mass is behind the single voice” (para. 12). This paper will explore the powerful literary masterpieces from different cultures where their lessons are still relevant today. The characters and their interactions make the story entertaining, while the lesson to be learned from the characters makes it a masterpiece. Societies come and go, but the lessons from these stories never change. The purpose of this paper is to define what a masterpiece is, how it reflects on society, the qualities it contains, and how they are still relevant today.