A Tale of Two Cities

Nick comes into their lives as a naïve visitor from the West and leaves with contempt for the people he once called his frien... ... middle of paper ... ...olved character and is not completely neutral, but at the same time this makes him the most ideal narrator. While Nick’s declaration of honesty is often incongruent with his account, he comes to be a valuable asset to the novel. As the storyteller, Nick “was within and without” (Fitzgerald 36). He is present, yet removed from the people he writes about. Nick spends a generous amount of time with these people, but is constantly overlooked and it seems that his opinion is considered irrelevant.

Similarities and differences in style can be established in the writings of nineteenth century British writer, Charles Dickens, and his French comrade, Guy de Maupassant. Both author’s diction is unbelievably comparable, but their imagery is far from being related. One of the many things Dickens is famous for is his extensive and detailed imagery, which can be seen in his classic short story “A Christmas Carol”. Maupassant’s imagery is in fact very concise and nonspecific, which can be seen in his short story “The Necklace. Both stories “A Christmas Carol” and “The Necklace” show various similarities and differences.

The most prevalent example of characters that are foils is the pair of Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton. These two men are extraordinarily similar, and yet they are also polar opposites. When Darnay and Carton are both introduced for the first time in the courthouse scene in Book the Second, Dickens immediately ensures that the reader is aware of the comparison. Darnay is acquitted of treason simply because the witnesses are unsure of their testimony after seeing Carton’s near-identical features. In addition to virtually sharing a countenance, the two also tend to dress alike throughout the novel.

I really liked Alyssa throughout Unhinged. Although I didn't love her wavering between the love interests (or some of her de... ... middle of paper ... ...she had a great guy she could trust. It didn’t even feel like the usual choice between a safe guy with no chemistry and the bad boy she’s so attracted to, because it’s perfectly clear Alyssa and Jeb do have chemistry! I thought long and hard about whether to give Unhinged a three or four. Despite my (quite serious) issues with Morpheus and the love triangle, I really enjoyed the plot, I found Unhinged immensely readable and I liked both Alyssa and Jeb, so for me, it’s just about a four.

Looking deeper, it seems that when she uses the word ‘swiftest,’ she really means that it went smoothly, and Obrist was indeed a clever man. Such a word seems very nonchalant in context, but the way Sarah Thornton uses it has much more meaning. Obrist was very personable, and it shows that he left a strong impression on Thornton. Things become a little more skeptical as one continues reading; Thornton explains that, at first, she was negatively affected by Obrist. “The first time I met Obrist, I thought he was a manic visitor from another planet, but now I relish his creative common sense” (249).

And perhaps they have a point. But, if the critics of the novel would remember, it is his love for Luci... ... middle of paper ... ...ings greater comfort to Carton than knowing that he gives to Lucie the one thing that he had wanted to give her all along, the one thing that he had which had seen the depths of apathy and the splendor of love. Charles Dickens failed in his own life and marriage. Dickens found in Carton the person he wanted to be. Somewhere in Carton lived Charles Dickens.

Structure The contemporary reviewers of Bleak House fall into two categories when discussing its structure. There are those who like it and there are those who do not. More specifically, those who dislike the novel’s construction complain of the absence of plot and lack of connection between characters and their actions. Opposing this view are the reviewers who find the characters in Bleak House remarkably intertwined in the story, especially since it was written as a series for a literary magazine. One of the strongest of these critics is George Brimley, who, in his article entitled “Dickens’s Bleak House” published in The Spectator in 1853, writes that “Bleak House is, even more than its predecessors, chargeable with not simple faults, but absolute want of construction”(161).

Although Nick is unsure about how Gatsby got most of his riches. Nick qu... ... middle of paper ... ...lf “one of the most honest people I[he] have[has] ever known”, being honest of course (59). Although this over honesty could make him a bad narrator, he is better than a narrator that lies. Most of the time nick is a reliable narrator who tells the truth, especially when it comes to Gatsby. His thoughts about Gatsby’s character are very just, because he is suspicious about the same things that regular people would be.

George Milton in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is crude, snarky, and downright normal. He’s a character that, while some of his decisions are questionable, is easy to relate to from his actions, thoughts, and personality. The idea of such a character being remindful of the reader by spirit or another is emphasized by Alan Moore’s quote, “I suppose all fictional characters, especially in adventure or heroic fiction, at the end of the day are our dreams about ourselves. And sometimes they can be really revealing.” Throughout the book, the reader will see George as an abundant wealth of realism from his own strengths and weakness. It’s not only limited to that, for his own appearance is neither an exaggerated stretch of flesh, nor an over-glorified Adonis, but that of an average person with common struggles in life (though that may be because of Steinbeck’s own habit of writing based off his experiences and views).

On the other hand when crazy and sinister side of Robinson "'Whos there?' 'Me' I said 'But I'm not the help you need Dolan " so this forces the reader to feel either pity for Dolan or a sick sense of gratification because Robinson's plan is working. Thus from sorrow to sinister to a sense of calm when the story ends with Robinson saying"". The emotional rol... ... middle of paper ... ...han "The Cask of Amontillado". Thus making Stephen King a better author than Edgar Allen Poe.