“The Book of the Dead” by Muriel Rukeyser is a great example of Mike Gold’s definition of proletarian literature for many reasons. It also has a few characteristics that differ from Gold’s definition. “The Book of the Dead” is a very long poem describing the Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster that killed thousands of workers in the early twentieth century and their endeavor to seek justice. There are three reasons why this work is an accurate representation of Gold’s proletarian literature. Those reasons are: it is about the worker, relatable to real life, and technical and factual. One of Gold’s standards is that proletarian literature be about the worker. “The Book of the Dead” is about the horrible working conditions that miners had to endure in the thirties and their journey to justice . Rukeyser wrote, “The …show more content…
She told the story of a man names Mearl Blankenship. He wrote a letter to the paper in attempt to receive some compensation. Rukeyser did not just illustrate how it affected the workers, but how it affect their families as well. In one section she wrote, “I am a Married Man and have a family” (MEARL BLANKENSHIP). That line made it more personal and relatable to readers. His death by the silica is not just affecting him. It is affecting his family as well. The next story is that of a mother with three boys and a husband that worked in the tunnels. Her youngest son, Shirley, died of silicosis at eighteen years of age. Shirley told his mother, “Mother, when I die,/ I want you to have them open me up and/ see if that dust killed me” (ABSALOM). Readers can try to relate to the mother’s loss and anger. Rukeyser’s use of family stories allows the reader to empathize with them. The use of empathy is a good tactic to get readers to feel the anger and sorrow that the families were feeling, and hopefully inflict change on that
The back panel of 1 Dead in Attic: Post-Katrina Stories by columnist Chris Rose does not summarize his self-publication. Rather, it dedicates the book to a man named Thomas Coleman who met his demise in his attic with a can of juice and the comforts of a bedspread at his side. This dedication closes with “There were more than a thousand like him.” That is the life force of Rose’s book. It is not a narrative, it does not feature a clear conclusion, and there is not a distinct beginning, middle, or end. Rather, it exists as a chronology of Rose’s struggle to reestablish normalcy following a time of turmoil. Rose himself states in his introduction “After the storm, I just started writing, not attempting to carve out any niche but just to tell
As I finished reading the final story in Almanac of The Dead: A Novel by Leslie Marmon Silko I had to reserve a few minutes to dwell in my thoughts, questions, and bittersweet emotions about the overall content of the book. A key concept that I believe is prominent throughout Silko’s book is the main role Colonialism plays in the objectification, degradation, and commoditization of people, epistemologies, and the environment. Reading the different forms of violence performed throughout the world of the text perfectly portrays the disturbing dehumanizing power that arises from colonialistic capitalism. I argue that Silko gives life to Colonialism which is present throughout the various plots in the novel and deconstructs the idea that Colonialism, as a period in time, belongs in the past. She constructs Colonialism
The Graveyard Book is a tale about Nobody (Bod) Owens, a human boy who was raised in a graveyard. Bod came to the graveyard as an infant, escaping his death by The Man Jack. Adopted by the ghosts of the deceased Mr. and Mrs. Owens, Bod is raised among the dead who inhabit the graveyard. Taught by the spirits and given Freedom of the Graveyard, he learns special talents like “fading” in order to live in the graveyard comfortably and undetected, safe from the man Jack, who is still searching for him. On his journey through childhood and adolescence, he befriends a human girl named Scarlett, helps the spirit of a witch, opens and subsequently escapes a ghoul-gate, dances the Macabray (a dance of the dead), and even attends school outside of the
Night of the Living Dead is an iconic horror movie released in 1968 in America. The movie was directed by George Romero and premiered on October 1st of the same year. The movie follows the characters of Barbra and Ben and five other characters trapped in a rustic farmhouse in a rural town in Pennsylvania. The farmhouse is attacked by a large group of non-living human beings which are not named. They have characterized features of a monster and of a corpse. In the onset of the film, the main character Barbra and her brother Johnny drive to a town in Pennsylvania for a customary visit to the father’s grave. When in the cemetery, Barbra and Johnny encounter a peculiar looking man who had been walking around the cemetery. Fear overcomes Barbara as the deranged man walks towards her and proceeds to aggressively attack her. While trying to rescue his sister, Johnny is thrown into a gravestone and succumbs to his demise. After this occurrence, Barbra decides to escape in a car which gets involved in a mishap. This forces her to escape on foot and subsequently leads her to a farmhouse. Later, the news reports to the
In Night of the Living Dead, the zombies were eventually eliminated. Or were they? Theorists argue that the monster’s elusiveness is due to its physical, psychological and social characteristics that cross the lines of classification. Human’s innate fear of the unknown is due to their inability to make a distinction or draw a clear conclusion. This is explained further in Jeffrey Cohen’s second thesis in “Monster Theory” that claims that; “the monster never escapes” (Cohen, 14). The zombie as a monster can never be destroyed completely and if it is, it leaves a remnant the make people feel uncertain of its destruction. Base on Cohen’s theory, the zombie’s different interpretation allows it to emerge in other forms (a faster, smarter zombie?)
ScreenPrism. "ScreenPrism." Why Did "Night of the Living Dead" Spark Controversy after Its Release. Web. 19 Sept. 2017.
Zombie literature in its current form has been around since the early 1920’s, the concept of the “Zombie” itself originated in the nation of Haiti around the same time. Since it’s inception, the purpose of the zombie genre is to commentate on social issues during many periods of human history. These periods include World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War. The zombie has represented several things from the nuclear bomb, to the collective fears of humanity in general, such as the fear of death and of dying. Zombies have also been represented as a physical manifestation of the flaws of humanity, such as mindless, joyless consumerism. (McGregor)
The Latin Cross displayed in nearly most if not all Protestant Churches throughout the world tells the story that Jesus is no longer on the cross but has risen. Jesus conquering death is the proclamation of our faith. The death and resurrection tells only some of the story. In the book Resurrection: The power of God for Christians and Jews, gives any reader the deeper meaning of what the kingdom of God means to us today, what it meant to Christians in antiquity and what it meant to the Jews primarily during the Second Temple period. Many of the things I was taught or learned throughout my Christian life have been challenged, as I will sprinkle some of them in this book review. As challenging as it was, this also provided me answers to questions
In the early 1950’s America was on the cusp of great change. The fight for equal rights for minorities and women was just over the horizon, a movement that would explode in the 1960’s creating lasting social change within the United States. The miners of Zinc Town, USA, and their families, were a part of this movement. The miners, who were largely of Mexican descent, felt that the working conditions were unsafe and not on par with that of Anglo’s employed at different mines. The miners wives tolling day after day without sufficient plumbing and proper sanitation, felt that their issues were just as important and should be included in the demands of the miners union. Salt of the Earth (1954) looks at the miners strike through
The Deads exemplify the patriarchal, nuclear family that has traditionally been a stable and critical feature not only of American society but of Western civilization in general. The primary institution for the reproduction and maintenance of children, ideally it provides individuals with the means for understanding their place in the world. The degeneration of the Dead family and the destructiveness of Macon's rugged individualism symbolize the invalidity of American, indeed Western, values. Morrison's depiction of this ...
The novella, The Body, written by Stephen King is quintessential for portraying the overarching coming of age theme, however within this theme a more specific theme of innocence vs. experience is present. This theme can be seen within the book’s plot, symbols, and Chris Chamber’s character. Taking a look at the historical time period of when this novella was written, and taking a look at the biographical history of Stephen King himself helps the reader to understand why this particular approach to the theme was chosen. The novella itself travels with four young boys as they begin their journey in search of a dead body, and along the way they not only discover the cruelty of the real world, but they also face the cruelty that can be see within
The path from the after life to the land of the living is quite a treacherous journey. The Day of the Dead is a traditional Mexican holiday that dates back to the time of the Aztec Indians, beginning in the 14th century (“Mexico” 3). It is important to realize that this holiday is not about mourning the dead. It is a time to recognize how the dead have made an impact on the lives of their loved ones, and their soul’s journey back to the living. “And that's what it is, it's a celebration, not of their death, it's a celebration of their life. It's the celebration of recognizing that they are, on this particular day… that this is the day in which the spirits of the past are in the closest proximity to the living” ("Living on Earth: Day of the Dead" 2). One of the most important parts of the Day of the Dead holiday are the altars, also known as ofrendas. These are created in order to assist the dead along their passage from the underworld back to the home of their family. Creating an altar for Day of the Dead may seem morbid, but it is actually a beautiful and fascinating process.
In every culture, women are treated differently, sometimes it could be in a good way or bad way. The book The Chronicles of a Death Foretold by, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, takes place in Sucre, Colombia, in Latin America where women are treated differently from men and children. They have to do tasks that are unexplainable. Here in this society women are expected to know how to cook, clean, and do chores. They must uphold traditions to attract their husbands. Their sole responsibility is to the house and their marriage eligibility depends on these abilities. Also women are expected to suffer in marriage and have kids.. “Any man will be happy with them because they have been raised to suffer” (Marquez 31). Proving that women are taught to be at certain standards, they would never be able to have a happy one
Marx, I discover, was purely philosophical and academic, disliking the working proletariat, and an exploiter of others. Johnson fills us in on Tolstoy and Hemingway’s sexual infidelities and emotional abuses of their respective spouses, the shaky foundations of Bertrand Russell, and Sartre’s life of sexual and wasteful excess.
James Joyce is considered one of the most famous authors of the Modernist time period because of his short story “The Dead.” “The Dead” takes place during the feast of Epiphany on January 6. At the party Kate and Julia Morkan eagerly await Gabriel Conroy, their favorite nephew and his wife Gretta. Gabriel is a well educated man who is isolated threw out the party by the situations he encounters. Joyce uses situations and key points, for example, his education and encounters between characters to show how isolated he has and is becoming from the rest of society threw out the celebration. Although, Gabriel doesn't realize his isolation between himself and rest, it is clear to the reader that he is being alienated from society. Gabriel’s alienation