The Merriam Webster dictionary defines setting as “the place and conditions in which something happens or exists or the time place and conditions in which the action of a book, movie, etc takes place. In the short story collection called, “Games at Twilight and Other Short Stories”, written by Indian novelist, Anita Desai there is a huge focus placed on setting which plays a huge role in the development of the story. This essay would be based on three short stories from this particular collection; ‘Games at Twilight’, ‘Studies in the Park’ and ‘Pineapple Cake’. In each of these short pieces the behavior of the main characters were affected by the setting in terms of the interactions or lack of interaction with other persons in the environment, the pressure placed by society on an individual to conform to certain norms or expectations and how a setting which is outside of one’s comfort zone affects an individual’s mood and behavior.. In the story, ‘Games at Twilight’, we are engaged by the tale of a group of children who are playing a game of hide and seek on an extremely hot day. Particular focused is placed on one child who can be seen as the main character of the story, Ravi. Determined to win the game, Ravi has made it into a place which he would not usually venture. A place where he cannot be found; an old garage shed which serves as a dump for things that are no longer wanted in the house. Reference was also made to Ravi being locked in a linen closet for about half of an hour before he was eventually found by his mother. This fact proved how daring the game had caused him to become and even leaves the reader the wonder if he was a child who was given little attention since half hour was quite a long time for a child to di... ... middle of paper ... ...e a man suddenly dies. The child is evidently traumatized and evidently so. We see that Mrs. Hernandez tries to coax him into having some well deserved cake and he refuses it. She seems to be quite unconcerned by the event that had just occurred and indulges in the dessert plate with little sympathy for the man who was presumed dead. It is as if Mrs. Hernandez’s main focus was to be present in the upper class event and nothing could prevent her from remaining focused on enjoying it. Victor’s behavior can be blamed on how an individual responds to an environment that is outside of his comfort zone or one that is dominated by a particular gender. Works Cited "Setting." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. Games at Twilight and Other Stories, Anita Desai, Penguin Books, 1986 “Lecture Notes on Games of Twilight, Dr. E. Jackson” (UWI), 2014
By examining the narrative voice as well as the cultural restraints placed on them, readers can see the sexist culture in the novel and that the novel itself does not necessarily advocate this misogyny. Yunior, a Dominican man, is the overall narrator of the novel, so readers essentially see everything through his masculine eye. When discussing a brief fling with Lola, Oscar’s sister, Yunior says, “Even those nights after I got jumped she wouldn’t let me steal on her ass for nothing. So you can sleep in my bed but you can’t sleep with me?” (Diaz 169) His question suggests that it is his right to sleep with her, and his discussion of Lola herself objectifies her by noting only her body and her refusal to use it. This objectification is clearly sexist, but it is a reflection of the narrative voice, Yunior, not of Lola. Yunior will casually refer to a woman as “a bitch” (Diaz 183), which is clearly demeaning, but it is a man’s view and does not reflect on the substance of the women. It shows readers the culture he was raised in, not an actual portrayal of the women, illustrating a misogynist society but not a misogynistic novel. In the Dominican Republic, gender-based violence is the fourth leading cause of death, hinting at the overall problems caused by the hyper-sexualized nature of the country. Sociologist Denise Paiewonsky
As one can see, Maria in “I Only Came To Use The Phone” and the children in Lord of The Flies were heavily affected by the setting in their respective stories which caused them to go from their normal/typical selves, then to them a little bit on edge and or anxious, and then finally to mad and or insane. Setting plays a huge role is stories such as these two.
The novel’s protagonist, Victor Frankenstein, emphasizes the importance of having an identity by exemplifying the dissatisfaction that accompanies contorted character-to-character relations. What makes his relationships particularly perverse however, is Victor himself as a person and family member. Often, male “participants in a moral conflict,” such as Victor, “may invoke ‘justice’ and insist on theoretical objectivity” to avoid taking responsibility for their actions, c...
transgression and his vulgar presumption that he can emulate its force. What drives Victor to do
"A Pair of Tickets" and "Everything That Rises Must Converge" are good examples of how setting explores place, heritage, and ethnic identity to give us a better understanding of the characters. In "A Pair of Tickets" Jing-Mei Woo discovers for herself what makes her Chinese and the setting played an important role in helping us understand how she came to this discovery. The setting in "Everything That Rises Must Converge" gave us a good understanding of why the characters acted as they did to the situations presented. The setting in both of these stories greatly contributed to the understanding the characters better and in general the whole story.
As the story begins, the reader is immediately told of Victor’s noble stature in society as he states “I am by birth a Genevese, and my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic” (Shelly 14). His family was constantly travelling when he was younger and his parents devoted all their affection towards him. As he grew older, his desire for knowledge leads him to travel abroad so he could earn the best education. Victor was born into a happy, enjoyable, and wealthy life, but still strived to excel at everything in his life. The passion he expresses towards bettering himself in the means of knowledge connects the reader to him. Everyone has goals, and seeing someone push themselves to the limits to achieve them gives a sense of hope. Unfortunately, Victor’s lust for knowledge go...
Victor grows up in school both on the American Indian Reservation, then later in the farm town junior high. He faces serious discrimination at both of these schools, due to his Native American background. This is made clear in both of the schools by the way the other students treat him as well as how his teachers treat him. His classmates would steal his glasses, trip him, call him names, fight him, and many other forms of bullying. His teachers also bullied him verbally. One of his teachers gave him a spelling test and because he aced it, she made him swallow the test. When Victor was at a high school dance and he passed out on the ground. His teacher approached him and the first thing he asked was, “What’s that boy been drinking? ...
In “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona”, Victor has become psychologically troubled because he has put his own traditions behind. Throughout the story, the readers find out that Victor has an internal conflict due to the unhealthy relationships in his life. His father abandons him at a very young age, which causes Victor’s loss of guidance and self-identity. The day that Victor’s father abandons his family, Victor gets “really drunk and beat[s] Thomas up for no apparent reason at all”(276). If no one would have stopped Victor, Thomas-build-the-fire would have died which clearly shows the readers that Victor is mentally troubled. Not only does he lose his father but, Victor also loses his best friend on that same day. In other words, Victor is mentally traumatized after the abandonment. In fact, Rothe Eugenio, a professor in the department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health at Florida Inter...
Victor remembers his childhood as a happy time with Elizabeth, Henry and his mother and father. But looking back, Victor see’s his first tragic event, the death of his mother as “an omen, as it were, of [his] future misery.” Chapter 2 He blames his passion for education as the impetus to his suffering. “in drawing the picture of my early days, I also record those events which led, by insensible steps, to my after tale of misery: for when I would account to myself for the birth of that passion, which afterwards ruled my destiny” CHAPTER 2
The story has different elements that make it a story, that make it whole. Setting is one of those elements. The book defines setting as “the context in which the action of the story occurs” (131). After reading “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemmingway, setting played a very important part to this story. A different setting could possibly change the outcome or the mood of the story and here are some reasons why.
This challenge which brewed deep within Victor makes him forget about his own life and leads him into isolation and a complete concentration on project. Blinded by his quest, Victor is unable to measure the consequences of what he is trying to do. Victor returns home feeling frustrated and feeling as though all his hard work had ended in the utmost failure. In addition, Victor feels guilty, realizing that his creation is the cause of his little brother’s death. During this time, he also encounters that an innocent victim, Justine, is sentenced and condemned, a person of great significance, someone like a sister, to the love of his life, Elizabeth. In analyzing the following paragraph, the reader is able to see the difficulty that Victor has in expressing his emotions.
The setting of a story is the physical and social context in which the action of a story occurs.(Meyer 1635) The setting can also set the mood of the story, which will help readers to get a better idea pf what is happening. The major elements of the setting are the time, place, and social environment that frame the characters. (Meyer 1635) "Trifles by Susan Glaspell portrays a gloomy, dark, and lonely setting. Glaspell uses symbolic objects to help the audience get a better understanding for the characters. The three symbolizes used are a birdcage, a bird, and rope.
Furthermore, Caroline’s passivity is displayed when Caroline brings Elizabeth from the orphanage and asks her husband to make Elizabeth part of the Frankenstein family. Victor describes El...
In the course of Garcia Marquez’s work, the importance of respect was revealed to be taken almost sacredly in the characters’ Columbian culture. Honor was viewed as a crucial piece of one’s morality. Without honor, one was considered an outcast in society. For example, Angela Vicario was sent home on her wedding night because she was not a virgin. As a result, her mother beat Angela for invoking dishonor upon the family. Angela explains to the narrator, “‘I wasn’t crying because of the blows or anything that had happened… I was crying because of him,’“(P. 91, Garcia). Angela acknowledged that her impurity was reprehensible, therefore she accepted her mother’s thrashing. Her immoral actions led to a failed marriage and scorn upon her family, as well as her husband, Bayardo San Roman.
emotions can explain the irrational behavior of the characters in this novel. Such as Victor's desire to play God and create life, in this case a monster and not realizing it was hideous until it came to life. The death of Victor's mother enables him to create life as he says "...