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How does literature reflect culture
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Theme of Diversity in Crying of Lot 49, Good-bye, Columbus, and Survivor
Diversity is an attribute that is seen among people, situations and
cultures. Everyone has encountered different situations at one time or more
during their lives that has either been pleasant or upsetting. Certain novels
written in the 1950's to the present show signs of multiformity very clearly.
In regards to culture, people are placed in unusual situations where their
diversity is shown.
Throughout the novella, "Good-bye, Columbus," written by Philip Roth,
conflicts are seen as far as social status among families. This novella was not
diverse in the written aspect, in fact I thought of it as easy reading. "Sure,
I should serve four different meals at once.... I should jump up and down twenty
different times? What am I, a workhorse?" (Roth 4) The reactions in Brenda's
house differ because they have a maid and Brenda's Mom doesn't have to pick up a
finger. Neal and Brenda's families are obviously placed in different social
brackets and this adds to the conflict that the relationship is not equal.
From the readers point of view, the tie that Neil feels toward Brenda is
one of physical attraction. "She dove beautifully and a moment later she was
swimming back to the side of the pool, her head of shortclipped auburn hair held
up, straight ahead of her, as though it were a rose on a long stem." (Roth 3)
He sees her only as a beautiful woman and allows that to get in the way of
actually realizing the true reasons for her actions. Brenda on the other hand
is using him to be her "slave." This is seen with all her actions that show
that she honestly does not care about his feelings, his wants or desires. "'
We'll be right back,' Brenda said to me. 'You have to sit with Julie.
Carlota's off.'"(Roth 13) She finds Neil very accommodating in fulfilling her
needs. Neil is constantly being thrown into predicaments for the first time,
such as Brenda's country club, where Neil is viably not accustomed to being.
"My next question was prompted by a desire to sound interested and thereby
regain civility; it didn't quite come out as I'd expected- I said it too loud.
A recurring theme in, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, is Harriet Jacobs's reflections on what slavery meant to her as well as all women in bondage. Continuously, Jacobs expresses her deep hatred of slavery, and all of its implications. She dreads such an institution so much that she sometimes regards death as a better alternative than a life in bondage. For Harriet, slavery was different than many African Americans. She did not spend her life harvesting cotton on a large plantation. She was not flogged and beaten regularly like many slaves. She was not actively kept from illiteracy. Actually, Harriet always was treated relatively well. She performed most of her work inside and was rarely ever punished, at the request of her licentious master. Furthermore, she was taught to read and sew, and to perform other tasks associated with a ?ladies? work. Outwardly, it appeared that Harriet had it pretty good, in light of what many slaves had succumbed to. However, Ironically Harriet believes these fortunes were actually her curse. The fact that she was well kept and light skinned as well as being attractive lead to her victimization as a sexual object. Consequently, Harriet became a prospective concubine for Dr. Norcom. She points out that life under slavery was as bad as any slave could hope for. Harriet talks about her life as slave by saying, ?You never knew what it is to be a slave; to be entirely unprotected by law or custom; to have the laws reduce you to the condition of chattel, entirely subject to the will of another.? (Jacobs p. 55).
Sexual assault from the male slave owners and harassment from the female slave owners was commonplace. Many slave girls would start to be harassed and sexually assaulted around the young age of only 15, “But I had now entered my 15th year – a sad epoch in the life of a slave girl. My master began to whisper foul words into my ear” (26 Jacobs). This clearly shows that not only did female slaves have to deal with these kinds of harsh conditions; they had to begin to cope with these circumstances at a very young age. Throughout the novel Jacobs demonstrates the inner strength that these young girls had to develop to deal with their day-to-day
...y that is revealing an inspiring. In a time when the slavery was such a monumental issue, yet most people from the North and South were poorly knowledgeable. Familiar with the contact zone in which Jacobs wrote about, her work also reveals the idea of overcoming the contact zone through abolishment of slavery.
In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs depicts her struggle as an African American woman during slavery. As a female slave in her master's house, she was subject to her master's sexual advances. Jacobs explains her feelings about her master's desires and the struggle of female slaves in the following comments:
The girls did not even talk or form any meaningful relationship with him whatsoever; they were just there to buy food and leave. She even went out of her way not to look at them, Updike states; “She must have felt in the corner of her eye me and over my shoulder Stokesie in the second slot watching but she didn’t tip, not this queen” (462). Their whole relationship was him watching her throughout the store; forming a somewhat creepy and awkward one-sided relationship. That is not how a meaningful relationship starts; stalking them like animals, peaking on them like an immature boy; and ogling at them through multiple aisles of a grocery store. He hangs on every single word that the queen bee says, analyzes her speech and tone of her voice, and vividly imagines the inside of her house. They have not even met before this day and he has not even talked to her. All of these feelings that he is feeling are unwarranted, maybe it is because that she is pretty, but he acts as if though he is in love with
about his home and "forces" him to have sex with her every night. She is also
For example, Hector does not like to fight in battle, the only reason why he fights is because he is the only way Troy could ever win the war. However, Achilles loves the war. He even chose being a warrior over having a long life, something that Hector probably would not do. Achilles is drawn to war because of his anger. As I have previously stated, Hector is only fighting in the war because he has to fight for the city of Troy. Achilles on the other hand, does not have to fight for his city. This is because the Greeks are not being attacked. Also, Hector is human. Although his father is a wealthy king, he does not have any god- like powers. Achilles however, is a demi-god he is an exceptional warrior and great runner because of this. Also, because he is a demi-god he is only venerable in his heel. While Hector, being a human, is venerable everywhere. Lastly, Hector is not dictated by rage like Achilles. Even before their battle Hector showed respect towards Achilles. Hector did so by saying “With all the gods as witnesses, I swear: if Zeus gives me the victory over you, I will not dishonor your corps, only strip the armor and give the body back to the Greeks. Promise you’ll do the same.” (22. 281-285). Hector is the perfect foil for Achilles, everything Hector stands for and everything he is, is the polar opposite of
mostly loses interest in him after he is engaged to another women. He did tell her about
if she pours all her emotions towards this grown man, by Aki not understanding this
These acts and examples show that Inman is developing back to his former self from before the war where life had meaning. Inman is on a spiritual journey rather than a mere physical journey back home. Inman’s journey is a deep part of the novel, and it is a key ingredient to the storyline. All of the examples in this paper point to the underlying conclusion that Inman is ultimately trying to redeem himself and fill in the empty beliefs that the war erased from his body.
...rson and he knows that she will take care of the little guy even if the Guy is not around. A distort desire to be free of the situation drive the whole family into tragedy and leave them grieves
...ioned “roses after roses”, which would be a metaphor for the dead amidst the beautiful roses, which is quite similar to the incident about the gun and the rose, and how all the hurtful things are beneath the beautiful things.
can be happy as he knows she has always been loyal to him and made
...n her mind is more important than his words. It is an example of the patriarchal society that they live in; although he is her father and has the parental power over her he would most likely not speak to a son in such a demeaning tone. He makes her seem to be slow, as if she cannot carry on a conversation or listen to him, which is quite demeaning.
her lack of respect and how she herself views him as a person based on