In Guy de Maupassant’s “The Terror” a man, who remains unnamed, attempts to persuade the reader that he is not completely insane by explaining the situation that has driven him to this He first says that he is marrying a woman whom he has seen only four or five times because he is afraid of being alone. He tells the reader not to judge him until he explains himself. He continues to explain by setting up a scenario that he has lived through. He came home one night, walked into his room, which he had always left locked, and found it unlocked. He meanders in and sees a man in his armchair by the fire. He is not alarmed by the man, thinking that he is a friend come to visit. He goes over to the man, and reaches to wake him where he has fallen asleep. Suddenly the man is not there, vanished into thin air.
To fully appreciate this story, one has to revisit the themes of Maupassant’s life and his other stories. During his life, Maupassant suffered from Syphilis, which later developed into a severe mental disorder, which was in full swing during his writing career. Maupassant was an atheist...
This definition points to schizophrenic paranoia as the mental disorder of the narrator, and even possibly, Poe. This is further made apparent through symptoms which the narrator exhibits. The first symptom is delusion, which is that which may exists in the mind but does not exist in reality. The second symptom is catatonic behavior. The third symptom is hallucination, or the unreal sensory experience that occurs in the patient’s mind, which is made apparent through the auditory sense of the narrator. The narrator exaggerates evidences in the narrator deed are exaggerated. “And now a new anxiety seized me the sound would be heard by a neighbour!” – This is the quotation in the part where the narrator came into the old man’s room. He assured that he heard a strange sound considered as the heart beat of the old man and it was loud for him. He accused that the sound was too loud that even the neighbor might be able to hear it. He continues: “It grew louder - louder - louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! - no, no! They heard! - they suspected! - they knew! - they were making a mockery of my horror!-this I thought, and this I think.” This is the part when the narrator and the police were having chat in the room. The narrator heard the
The author wrote this story in response to a magazine company, and eventually published it into a book. He used many styles and techniques to describe the life and death of McCandless. The mood throughout the novel constantly varies with the excitement of McCandless’s adventures and the emotions caused by his disappearance. Krakauer’s ability to engage multiple senses of a reader truly makes his novel special.
While McMurphy's actions and attitudes seem Christ like, soon, the book introduces McMurphy’s habits of gambling. Some of his Messianic qualities are clear even before the reader gets through half of the book. It is hinte...
...at the narrator will possibly be physically restrained or imprisoned at some point when her husband regains consciousness. At that point, he will have no other choice but to send her back to her doctor or a mental institution. Nevertheless, the narrator’s mind will always remain free, emulating the freedom relished by the woman in the wallpaper. Unfortunately, this escape of reality means that the speaker will never reclaim any sort of rationality. With the deed of freeing the woman in the wallpaper, the narrator unintentionally guarantees the long lasting burden of insanity.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time chronicles of Christopher Boone of Swindon, England. The book is written by Mark Haddon, who formerly worked with autistic individuals, describes the world through the eyes of Christopher, who is self-proclaimed “special needs”. The novel never explicitly says what Christopher’s diagnosis is, but from the text it is apparent that he would fall on the higher functioning end of the Autism Spectrum.
In Bierce’s “One of the Missing”, the protagonist, Jerome Searing, is expose to fear when he is trap under a building that has collapse on him. His evolution, from perfectly sane to completely crazy,
Why would being born with a birth defect make you abnormal? it’s not it’s just thought upon as abnormal. In the present day and age many people are classified based on their physical traits and are told what they can and can’t achieve in their lives. A sentence that you are given that constricts your abilities and makes you believe that you can’t attain something that is very possible if you want it. In the book Left Neglected by Lisa Genova and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, both main characters don’t only prove people wrong but they attained bliss and achieved a goal they were told weren’t possible. Two people being so different in the same situation has enlightened us about their different situations and how to overcome the harsh reality of the difficulty of becoming independent, having to prove themselves every day and the everyday inequality that people given to them. A diseased persons only limitations are the ones set upon them by others.
Firstly, at the end of this story, the narrator’s illusions are the most powerful pieces of evidence for his madness. It is his two illusions that betrays him and imposed him to confess the crime. His first illusion is the beating of the old man’s heart which actually did not exist. Initialy, exactly as he portrayed "My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears, it continued and became more distinct", the ringing he heard haunted him ceaselessly. Then he "found that the noise was not within his ear", and thought the fancy in his ear was the beating of old man’s heart. Because of the increasing noise, he thought the officers must hear it, too. However, in fact, everything he heard is absurd and illusive. And it proves that the narrator is really insane. Next, his second illusion is the officers’ "hypocritical smiles" which pushed him to completely be out of control. Losting of his mind, he called the officer "Villains". Apparently, he was confused and falsely thought "they were making a mockery of his horror" which irritated him intensively. Consequently, he told all the truth and "admitted the deed" in order to get rid of the growing noise. Therefore, the above two pieces of evidence both reveal the truth that the narrator is absolutely insane in contrary to what the narrator tried to tell us.
The author skillfully uses literary techniques to convey his purpose of giving life to a man on an extraordinary path that led to his eventual demise and truthfully telling the somber story of Christopher McCandless. Krakauer enhances the story by using irony to establish Chris’s unique personality. The author also uses Characterization the give details about Chris’s lifestyle and his choices that affect his journey. Another literary element Krakauer uses is theme. The many themes in the story attract a diverse audience. Krakauer’s telling is world famous for being the truest, and most heart-felt account of Christopher McCandless’s life. The use of literary techniques including irony, characterization and theme help convey the authors purpose and enhance Into The Wild.
The books Maus I and Maus II, written by Art Spiegelman over a thirteen-year period from 1978-1991, are books that on the surface are written about the Holocaust. The books specifically relate to the author’s father’s experiences pre and post-war as well as his experiences in Auschwitz. The book also explores the author’s very complex relationship between himself and his father, and how the Holocaust further complicates this relationship. On a deeper level the book also dances around the idea of victims, perpetrators, and bystanders. The two books are presented in a very interesting way; they are shown in comic form, which provides the ability for Spiegelman to incorporate numerous ideas and complexities to his work.
Spiegelman, Art. The Complete Maus: Maus I -- A Survivor's Tale; Maus II -- And Here My Troubles Began. New York: Pantheon, 1997. 86-139. Print.
In "Darkness at Noon", Harold Krents vividly describes some of the everyday prejudices disabled citizens must face. Presented in an often humorous fashion, the author opens the reader’s eyes to the cruel ironies of society’s preconceived and inaccurate judgments, and their long reaching effects on his life.
What happens if our home is no longer safe? What if the people we love are no longer trustworthy and become violent? How do we escape such madness when every exit in the home seems walled up? Edgar Allen Poe taps into some of our deepest fears, using the genre of horror. In his short story, “The Black Cat”, Poe addresses the very real and scary consequences of addiction, mental illness and domestic abuse. The horrific effect that these have on the family slowly unfold as Poe unravels the mind of the protagonist. While the narrator, in this case the protagonist, slowly slips into insanity with the aid of his drink, his wife silently transforms in the background, from a passive victim of abuse, to a defender of the helpless and weak.
I find it exceptionally rare to venture across stories that are entirely new and unique in literature. I think there remain only a few novel plots, but most are endless variations that tend to lessen or dull the distinguishing factors of such stories. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, however, was so beautifully crafted with rich symbolism, multi-dimensional and memorable characters, as well as a chilling story line, that I felt invested from the very beginning of the first page, and I felt spent after finishing the last. Zusak draws one in with his vivid use of language and frequent ability to move the reader from laughter to tears. It is an eye-opener into living in Germany during World War II that celebrates and explores the power of words during such a time. Collectively, The Book Thief is more than a young heroine stealing books; it will also steal the reader's heart.
As the story begins the narrator tries to convince the reader that he is not insane. This goes on throughout the story. He says he suffers from over-acuteness. “And have I not told you that what you mist...