“Castle On A Cloud” In the far off distance, almost on the southwestern tip of Germany, stands a grand romantic looking castle called, Hohenschwangua, This elegant and royal castle has all the makings of any young girls vision of a fairy tales happy ending. It is a thing of legends and glory, and of battles well fought. The castle stands tall and proud on the edge of a jagged cliff, it looks to be part of the clouds drifting by. This castle seems magical; that should you blink, the image will vanish right before your eyes, as a vision of a dream when you wake. As all castles, it has such grandeur that it is breathtaking, but this castle even more so, for the mystical Gothic designed exterior seems hypnotizing. This castle does not seem the least bit foreboding, but has a welcoming feel, as though the servants will readily be welcoming you with smiling faces upon your arrival. The views from each of the castle’s windows are of the Bavarian Alps and each looks insurmountable, as well as completely treacherous, but to look at them in the distance, a calm covers over you too. Looking down onto the grounds from the top floor, upon the courtyard, it is as though at any moment the royal inhabitants will come out the grand doors, wanting to take in a breath of fresh air or to walk the magnificent grounds. The enormous enchanting castle’s grounds are freshly manicured, and all different types of trees and shrubs that are also manicured to perfection. Trees of various sizes and colors, perfect for providing cool shade on hot summer afternoons scatter the lush courtyard. Thousands of plants and flowers, of every color imaginable are growing in the luscious gardens, and their heavenly aroma wafts through the air. Squirrels and soft grey ra... ... middle of paper ... ...ake makes their lazy summer days more memorable, and some of their fondest memories are created here, in this beautiful summer retreat. In this romantic of hideaway, where the innocence of youth is protected from prying eyes, and anyone is free to play with great abandon. Oh, the history within the grand elegant rooms, hallways and walls of this exquisite castle, and the stories it would tell; if only the tall elegant doors were a mouth and the glistening windows were eyes. What would this historic castle say about the privileged who visited and royal family that resided here? The vast changes it has been through in all the years it has been here? The many times young girl’s fairy tales did not come true and sadness that filled the castle’s large beautifully decorated rooms. Would this high swan country palace keep the wondrous secrets and memories made here safe?
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a memoir about Jeannette’s childhood experiencing many difficult situations. It is an excellent example of contemporary literature that reflects society. This story connects with social issues relevant to our time period, such as unstable home life, alcoholism, and poverty. Many of these issues, as well as others, are also themes of the story. One major theme of the story is overcoming obstacles, which is demonstrated by Jeannette, the Walls’ kids, and Rex and Mary Walls.
In conclusion, the novel The Glass Castle was an attempt to represent the challenges we face throughout our life. Every challenge should be confronted and solved. Family matters contribute to why many individuals have difficulties, but at the end we should know that they’ll always love us. No matter what happens we face the unknown and deal with it. We forgive many people who are significantly associated to us and most of all we take the responsibilities. It is important to always take action and solve the challenges we
Australia has the terrible condition of having an essentially pointless and prefabricated idea of “Aussiness” that really has no relation to our real culture or the way in which we really see ourselves. We, however subscribe to these stereotypes when trying to find some expression of our Australian identity. The feature film, The Castle, deals with issues about Australian identity in the 1990’s. The film uses techniques like camera shots, language and the use of narration to develop conflict between a decent, old fashioned suburban family, the Kerrigans and an unscrupulous corporation called Airlink. Feature films like The Castle are cultural products because they use attitudes, values and stereotypes about what it means to be Australian.
The title of Francescone’s paper, “Someday My Prince Will Come: The Impact on Fairytales in Print and Film Over Time” is the perfect title for this paper. The phrase “Someday my prince will come,” is so recognizable and the reader will immediately know that this paper has something to do with Disney and princesses. The second half illustrates exactly what the paper focuses on and ties in well with the thesis statement. This also allows the reader to know what they will be reading about in a way that makes it inviting and exciting because it allows them to reminisce on their
As I read the Glass Castle, the way Rose Mary behaves, thinks and feels vary greatly and differently throughout the memoir. The immediate question that pops up in my mind is to ask whether Rose Mary carries some sort of mental illness. Fortunately, given the hints and traits that are relevant to why Rose Mary lives like that in the memoir, we, the readers, are able to make some diagnosis and assumptions on the kind of mental illness she may carry. To illustrate, one distinctive example is when Rose Mary blames Jeannette for having the idea to accept welfare. “Once you go on welfare, it changes you. Even if you get off welfare, you never escape the stigma that you were a charity case.” (188). In my opinion, Rose Mary is being nonsense and contractive in her criticism, because of Rose Mary’s resistances to work and to accept welfare, it often causes a severe food shortage within the family that all four little children have to find food from trash cans or move on with hunger, which could lead to a state of insufficient diet. More importantly, having welfare as a way to solve food shortage, it can certainly improve those young Walls children’s poor nutrition and maintain their healthy diet, but Rose Mary turns it down because she thinks it is a shame to accept welfare despite their children are suffering from starvation. Another example will be when Rose Mary abandons all of her school work for no reason. “One morning toward the end of the school year, Mom had a complete meltdown. She was supposed to write up evaluations of her students’ progress, but she’d spent every free minute painting, and now the deadline was on her and the evaluations were unwritten” (207). This is one of the moments when Rose Mary shifts all of her attentio...
Primary source: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls pages (68, 112, 280, 180-181, 225, 212-213)
The next area of the garden a person encounters is one that appeals to the active touch, for these plants have appealing textured bark and leaves. A person realizes that this next stage of the garden applies a different sense because the walkway changes to a brick path, which reflects a different sound to the person, whether he or she is tapping the path with a cane or simply listening to the sound of his or her own footsteps. The first plants found in this ?texture? area are crape myrtle, which have smooth bark. These plants can be considered small trees or shrubs, and occupy some space, so the visitor can walk along the path, gently touching the leaves and bark until the next plant, the lamb?
The first images of the garden are seen through the exaggerated imagination of a young child. “” are as “ as flowers on Mars,” and cockscombs “ the deep red fringe of theater curtains.” Fr...
It is commonly believed that the only way to overcome difficult situations is by taking initiative in making a positive change, although this is not always the case. The theme of the memoir the Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is that the changes made in children’s lives when living under desperate circumstances do not always yield positive results. In the book, Jeannette desperately tries to improve her life and her family’s life as a child, but she is unable to do so despite her best efforts. This theme is portrayed through three significant literary devices in the book: irony, symbolism and allusion.
“It was a large, beautiful room, rich and picturesque in the soft, dim light which the maid had turned low. She went and stood at an open window and looked out upon the deep tangle of the garden below. All the mystery and witchery of the night seemed to have gathered there amid the perfumes and the dusky and tortuous outlines of flowers and foliage. She was seeking herself and finding herself in just such sweet half-darkness which met her moods. But the voices were not soothing that came to her from the darkness and the sky above and the stars. They jeered and sounded mourning notes without promise, devoid even of hope. She turned back into the room and began to walk to and fro, down its whole length, without stopping, without resting. She carried in her hands a thin handkerchief, which she tore into ribbons, rolled into a ball, and flung from her. Once she stopped, and taking off her wedding ring, flung it upon the carpet. When she saw it lying there she stamped her heel upon it, striving to crush it. But her small boot heel did not make an indenture, not a mark upon the glittering circlet.
Anne Sexton’s poem “Cinderella” is filled with literary elements that emphasize her overall purpose and meaning behind this satirical poem. Through the combination of enjambment stanzas, hyperboles, satire, and the overall mocking tone of the poem, Sexton brings to light the impractical nature of the story “Cinderella”. Not only does the author mock every aspect of this fairy tale, Sexton addresses the reader and adds dark, cynical elements throughout. Sexton’s manipulation of the well-known fairy tale “Cinderella” reminds readers that happily ever after’s are meant for storybooks and not real life.
After researching and learning about the Tower of London, I’ve realized how great of an impact it has on British history. Writing this paper has opened my eyes to a larger world, and shows me how deep history really goes. The people that impacted the Tower, and the events that occurred within the Tower, are what makes the Tower grand and strong, with thousands of tales being passed on from generation to generation of the dramatic experiences they have had while in the tower. Therefor the walls of the tower of London hold within them secrets of history, which has changed not only England but the whole world as well. If only these walls could talk, they could tell us the truth behind the history and tales that occurred within the Tower of London.
Whether people like it or not, a multitude of aspects of life inevitably change overtime. Likewise, this was the case for the once glorious palace in the poem, The Haunted Palace, by Edgar Allan Poe. The speaker explicitly describes how the palace used to be a vivacious, gorgeous place, but overtime it became dreary and the life was sucked out of it. The speaker’s attitude that things that were once marvelous can turn bad was greatly supported through the use of personification, diction, and imagery.
The Main Street station, is the curtains to a large production as if the Magic Kingdom was a theater. As I wander beneath the archway, I notice that above the arch is a plaque that reads: “Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy”. As I continue to stroll through the passage on the way to Main Street, there are posters of “upcoming attractions” that line the walls on both sides. I then step into Main Street U.S.A. and begin to hear the Victorian style orchestra playing over the speakers. I notice some Disney pals in Town Square greeting guests as if they were old friends. Then I begin to travel further down the street, and the smell of the caramel apples, chocolate chip cookies, and other sweets walk out of the open doors of the bakery and into the street. At the end of this turn of the century town, sits the one hundred eightyninefoottall, Cinderella Castle. This moment is a pivotal moment in any Disney vacation, because the castle is well known to millions. I get
Once upon a time (chuckles), there were two brothers. These two brothers loved to play outdoors and one day, as it was getting on into evening, they wandered into a graveyard and met another little boy who wanted to play with them. So, they played with the boy for a while and eventually the little boy asked if the brothers would like to [see] the castle. The brothers agreed to go along and off they went following behind the little boy. The boy took them to a castle in the middle of the graveyard and took them inside to a room with big mirror on one wall. (In a really weak and timid voice:) “Follow me,” said the boy. “Let me show you where I live.” (Begins speaking more intensely:) At that, he stepped through the mirror and into the castle on the other side and disappeared around a corner. The two brothers shared a concerned look, but in the end stepped into the mirror and came out the other side. Whereas the castle they had been brought to at first seemed abandoned for centuries, this castle felt and looked as though it were currently inhabited. (Speaking with a sense of awe or wonderment:) They wandered out of the bedroom and after a time found them selves in a dinning room with a table set for many people and food laid out like a feast. At that table sat a number of ornately dressed adults. Some in very fine robes or very flashy dresses, all enjoying the feast and each others' company. (Changes to a concerned or anxious tone:) The brothers tried to ask the person nearest them what the occasion of the feast was , but the person utterly ignored [them]. In fact, when one of the brothers tried to tug at the adult’s sleeve he found that his hand went straight through it.