Description and Imagery in The Foghorn and The Signalman
For this assignment I will be looking at two short narratives. One was written by Bradbury, in the mid twentieth century ,'The Foghorn' and the other was written by Dickens, 'The Signalman'' over one hundred years before. Both are based on supernatural themes and ideas.
It is obvious that Dickens tale was written in the mid nineteenth century because his style of writing is very different to the more modern techniques writers employ today. In his story he tells us about objects which no longer have a place in modern society ,such as 'the telegraph' and the 'steam train'. Therefore it was necessary to look more closely at Dickens' script to identify how he creates a sense of mystery , a complete contrast to the Brabury script which was easy to follow, and therefore easy to become fully absorbed in the story. Ultimately this meant that the 'Fog horn' automatically absorbs the reader enabling the audience to detect the deeper meaning, unlike the 'The Signalman'.
Not only was the age of Dickens' script evident in his style of writing, but also in the actions and reactions of his characters. Both the signal man and the narrator were uncomfortably polite and their language was noticably archaic:
'I do apologise sir, but you were without your box'.
'The Signalman' opens with a lot of shouting and commotion. This is the first indication that something strange is due to happen. The narrator is shouting, from the top of an embankment, to the signalman who is standing on the lines. The first particularly strange happening occurs when the Signalman, does not reply to the calls of the narrator. He hears them, but does not respond. This c...
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...of the narrators, although we immediately come to trust Johnny from 'The Foghorn' because he is young, innocent and in a way quite vulnerable, he does not appear threatening in the least. This adds to the mystery of the tales. We do not know a lot about McDunn or the Signalman, their pasts are a mystery. The settings in both of the narratives are desolate and lonely, eerie and mysterious. In both stories the mystery is something which humans do not understand, so this is the real mystifying element.
Both Dickens and Bradbury use effective description and imagery to describe the happenings, which also adds to the mystery of their tales.
Works Cited
The Mammoth Book of Victorian and Edwardian Ghost Stories ed. Richard Dalby Carroll & Graf Publishers 1995.
Ray Bradbury Collected Short Stories, illustrated by Robert Court, Peterson Publishing, 2001.
The Federals had about 18,000 men in the main attack column and it was only thanks to the quick reactions of Colonel "Shank" Evans and his small brigade that Beauregard did not suffer a major disaster.
“Pit Bull Bias in the Media.” ASPCA. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 2012. Web.
The Range of Devices Charles Dickens Uses to Engage the Reader in the Opening Chapter of Great Expectations
Dickens used his great talent by describing the city London were he mostly spent his time. By doing this Dickens permits readers to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the aged city, London. This ability to show the readers how it was then, how ...
What comes to mind first when dealing with the lively imagination of Dickens is the creative and detailed picture he gives. In describing Dr. Manette, for instance, Dickens exaggerates his characterization by saying Manette’s voice was like “the last feeble echo of a sound made long, long ago.” From this alone you can hear the faintness of his voice and feel the suppressed dreadfulness of his past. In this way, the sentimentality of it all gets the reader involved emotionally and makes the character come alive.
Throughout A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens repeats a number of symbols and motifs. By employing these two literary devices throughout the duration of the story, Dickens is working to emphasize the importance of these specific components of the story. Motifs and symbols represent repeating ideas that help the reader to understand, as well as highlight the author’s central idea. Dickens employs the usage of symbols and motifs, such that by using both he adds a layer of significance and deeper meaning to actions, people, as well as objects. Additionally, by using symbols and motifs, Dickens is able to create a story in which both the characters, and the plot are interwoven.
Smith, C. (2009, April 9). Media coverage of Surrey pit bull attack prompts protest by Vancouver pit bull owners. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from Straight.com: http://www.straight.com/article- 213929/media-coverage-surrey-pit-bull-attack-prompts-protest-vancouver-pit-bull-owners
Dickens is often held to be among the greatest writers of the Victorian Age. Nonetheless, why are his works still relevant nearly two centuries later? One reason for this is clearly shown in Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. In the novel, he uses imagery to sway the readers’ sympathies. He may kindle empathy for the revolutionary peasants one moment and inspire feeling for the imprisoned aristocrats the next, making the book a more multi-sided work. Dickens uses imagery throughout the novel to manipulate the reader’s compassion in the peasants’ favor, in the nobles defense, and even for the book’s main villainess, Madame Defarge.
Dickens brings the novel to life by expressing the theme fate through several symbols, which are the shadow, knitting, and fountains. His powerful usage of symbols helps tie in many different themes. All of the themes that he uses work very well together in making the plot more meaningful. A Tale of Two Cities is an excellent novel because Dickens was able to make the plot flow so well with his possession of such outstanding skills as a writer. His impressive ability to integrate themes in the novel through symbols calls for a smooth and meaningful read.
One of the most common expectations for women then is that they are responsible for doing the chore of cleaning whether it is cleaning the house, doing the laundry. The McGuffey Readers mentions the women’s duty to clean in a multiple places. In this handbook it gives clear directions to the woman on what she is to do when cleaning, “This ceremony completed, and the house thoroughly evacuated, the next operation is to smear the wall and ceilings with brushes dipped into a solution of lime… (Gorn 111).” The book explains how it is the women’s job to thoroughly clean the house once a year in a manner that sounds very laborious! It further states, “The misfortune is, that the sole object is to make things clean (Gorn 112).” In this part of the book it is very clear that it is saying that the woman’s duty is to clean. In Women’s Diaries of the Westward Journey it illustrates this in a couple of passages. For example, one woman wrote in her diary, “Oh! Horrors how shall I express it; it is the dreaded washing day . . . but washing must be done and procrastination won’t do it for me (Schlissel 83).” Although this woman obviously did not like doing the washing she saw it as her job to do. In addition, the book describes this scene, “The banks of a river would be lined with women who carried their kettles, their washtubs, and piles of unwashed linen (Schlissel 82).” Again, it is the women who are doing the cleaning. The McGuffey Readers being the handbook that young girls would read in school taught them that it was their place to do the cleaning. It is apparent that they took that into consideration as shown by the Women’s Diaries and even today is seen as their role.
Though it is hard to see similarities or differences between Dickens’ and Maupassant’s style of writing at first glance, they are indeed similar and different. Both author’s diction is almost interchangeable, while their imagery is far form even being related. Dickens’ imagery goes into great depth, while Maupassant’s imagery is vague. Though different from one another, their style of writing is what makes the author stand out from other writers; allowing readers the ability to recognize the identity of an author. An author’s style grants us; the reader a piece of the author’s personality and leaves us wanting more and something to think about.
A successful descriptive narrative displays the necessary information for a reader to explain or develop speculations within the material. Narrating the text of a story, told through one or more narrators, allows the audience to connect with the feelings of the narrator. A description includes imagery for the audience’s recognition. Furthermore, descriptive narratives have a purpose and are there for a reason. “Shooting an Elephant” and “The Lottery” are both descriptive narratives. Descriptive narratives show a clearer understanding of the passage; therefore, the stronger text is “Shooting an Elephant” because of its detail and the plot’s conflict.
Use of Language to Portray 19th Century London Society in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Hamlet’s plan of faking insanity to avenge his father’s death eventually backfires and he winds up hurting those closest to him. What began as feigned madness slowly becomes reality. In the beginning of the play, Hamlet could be characterized as a respectful, well-mannered son who is mourning the death of his father and shows signs of depression. In the end of the play, Hamlet turns into an irrational, unforgiving maniac who is unaware of the complete and utter chaos that he inflicts on himself and everyone he loves. Instead of controlling his “antic disposition”, Hamlet's antic disposition controls him, resulting in tragedy and death.
During the time that Charles Dickens lived, which was during the Victorian Age (1837-1901), “...1837 ( the year Victoria became Queen) and ends in 1901 in ( the year of her death),” (UNLV 1). It is important to realize that the Victoria’s reign over Britain is the second longest reign in British history, lasting for 63 years, only behind that of the current Queen Elizabeth. Many historians consider 1900 the end of the Victorian Age, “...since Queen Victoria’s death occurred so soon in the beginning of a new century,..” (UNLV 1). Even though Charles Dickens was born in 1812 and died in 1870, the Victorian Age is time period which most, maybe all, of his literature were published/read in. This era is often considered as “prudish, hypocritical, stuffy, and narrow-minded” (UNLV 2), because during this time, there were classes animosities between the “common man” and that of what was considered the “gentleman”, which was like as if they were two different species (Orwell 3.5). The advancement in literature during this period also was important, “...primarily financial, as in Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations…marrying above one’s station, as in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre...[it] may also be intellectual or education-based,” (UNLV 4). Without the literature advancements, the Victorian Age wouldn’t have made such an impact on the world as it did literary-wise.