The Odor of Chrysanthemums
The locomotive engine may be symbolic of Walter. It is an overwhelming thing, strong and powerful, the way that Walter is a huge part of her life. However, it is also impersonable and cold, just as her relationship to her husband is. Her moments with her husband, like "the winding engine" are hurried "with brief pauses" (2113). Lawrence describes their intimacy as an "exchanging of nakedness," but without any real connection for long periods of time.
The color red seems to symbolize death. The beginning of the story presents the pit bank with "flames like red sores like its ashy sides" (2111). However, death is not presented as a dreadful thing in this story. In the end, death is freedom for Elizabeth. Even John says, " I do think its beautiful to look in the fire . . . . It's so red, and full of little caves-- and it feels so nice" (2114). In a way, he is commenting on the mystery and beauty of passing on to the afterlife. When Elizabeth goes to look for her husband, there, again, is "The red smear of the burning pit bank on the night (2117). Finally, she lays her dead husband on "the old red tablecloth" (2121).
D. H. Lawrence's parents did not have a good marriage. They probably did not know each other well before their marriage, as they were ill-suited for each other. The Bates do not really know one another; they are married but strangers. Lawrence's father was an abusive alcoholic. Walter Bates frequents the public house.
Characters:
Elizabeth Bates: stifled, long-suffering, distant but caring with her family.
John Bates: curious, headstrong.
Walter Bates: Insensitive, absent.
"Was this what it all meant--utter, intact separateness, obscured by the heat of living?" Elizabeth is questioning the reason for living. Particularly, she is wondering at her own existence. Her life seems to have no meaning and she does not connect with any one, especially her husband.
"I have been fighting a husband who did not exist . . .and her soul died in her for fear." Walter did exist, but not as a true husband to her, nor she a true wife to him.
By the 1700s the two regions, New England and Chesapeake varied greatly in spite of being from the same mother country, England. Physical and cultural differences separated these two regions distinctively. While religion moulded the daily life in New England, Money and tobacco farming dominated the Chesapeake.
comparing the realm to a large loss in her life. Finally, the statement in the
The color red serves as a warning or reminder of the handmaids’ purpose. Red symbolizes blood from birth. Red also serves as warning for bloodbath-death. The handmaids are reminded their duty is to give birth. If they don’t compromise, they will be punished through torture: female mutilation or even death.
...oreboding room where a family member died. The red-room is where Mr. Reed died and it adds to the gothic style as the room was red. Many things are associated with red. Red symbolises blood, death and the Devil. That makes the red room, daunting and terrifying. Jane sees the “ghost” of Mr. Reed, and thinks that he’s come from beyond the grave to take revenge on Mrs. Reed who broke her promise of treating Jane like one of her own. The mention of a ghost adds to the gothic away from chapter 26 in this novel.
Written by Chinua Achebe, “Things Fall Apart” describes European imperialism through the eyes of the Nigerian tribesmen as they interact with European colonists. What makes this piece of literature valuable is not the fact that it criticizes imperialism; it is the way in which it criticizes imperialism. Achebe portrays the African tribes as having very rich civilized and social cultures, not as being animalistic savages, which other literatures would lead one to believe. Because of this, the reader is able to connect with the mindset of an African native. This enables the reader to view imperialism from the opposite side of the spectrum, as people whose culture is being destroyed by foreign invaders (Shmoop).
The explorer Christopher Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502. He was determined to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia, but he never did. Instead, he accidently stumbled upon the Caribbean islands. Though he did not really “discover” the new world- millions of people already lived there- his journeys marked the beginnings of centuries of trans-Atlantic conquest and colonization.
Imperialism is the process in which one state imposes its control upon another through military force or political action in order to exploit the area for raw materials and strategic purposes. The period of 1870 until the beginning of the Great War in 1914 marked a time of “New Imperialism” for the European powers. Much like that of the first “wave” of imperialism that took place from the sixteenth century to the mid-nineteenth century, the European powers started to expand their control over much of the globe. It is during this time when several European countries once again start to exploit and conquer areas, shifting their focus from the Atlantic world, to the lands of Africa and Asia. At the start of the seventeenth century the European powers controlled 35 percent of the world’s land. Due to the resurgence of imperialism, the European powers controlled 84 percent by the start of the First World War in 1914. The aptly named “scramble for Africa” was amongst the most dramatic instances of division by the Europe powers in the late nineteenth century. Several factors drove the new age of imperialism within Europe. Although the desire to become the strongest empire was perhaps the most important explanation put forth by the European powers, many other justifications were given for the exploitation brought about by the new age of imperialism.
“Then everything had been broken.”(Achebe, page 131). Things Fall Apart is a complex story with complex events. The white men were christians while the Igbo people had their own religion. When the white men came, problems arose between the two groups and between the clan itself. This cultural collision impacted many Igbo people but different characters reacted differently. Okonkwo, who recently returned from being exiled, tries to make up for his mistakes but falls into old habits. In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe exhibits the ways that when met with a cultural collision narrow-minded individuals may respond with violence and fear through reactions of the protagonist.
European Colonialism has been around since the late 15th century and their model for colonialism will exist for many years to come. Colonization could be considered to start as far back as the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. However, this colonization model was not near as deadly as the European model (Louis). The ancient civilizations educated, advanced, and motivated their colonies to succeed. The European model falls far short of the standard set in past years. This model for colonialism starts in the late 1400s when Britain began its reign over Ireland and Portugal with Spain began its conquest of the Americas. As this model exists currently the mother state sets up satellite states that provide resources to the mother country. The mother country then produces final products and sells them back to the satellite state. This eventually bleeds the satellite country dry of resources and economic means. The European model for colonization leaves the education and advancement of the satellite state up to the citizens themselves (Louis).
We all have our limits--and what we want to do may be limited by how we might be viewed by society, or by those around us--but what holds us back even more is our lack of determination, our lack of self-confidence, and our non-willingness to break free due to nervous hesitation. This is a recurring theme in John Steinbeck’s story “The Chrysanthemums”. The plot of “The Chrysanthemums” centers on a particularly cold December afternoon of housewife (and gardening extraordinaire) Elisa Allen in Salinas Valley, California. Elisa is the wife of Henry Allen, a farmer in the dusty foot-hills of the previously mentioned Salinas Valley. During the day while Elisa’s husband is out tending to his ranch and “yellow stubble fields (p.206)”, performing the
When a culture is introduced to different ideas, one may contemplate their sense of identity which will then illustrate the impact that the concept had as a whole.. In the novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe uses his character, Okonkwo, to dramatize the effect western colonization had on the Igbo community simply through his reaction to the sudden change.
“The Factory”, by Mary Dilworth, utilizes the colors red and brown to demonstrate the narrator’s hatred toward the factory and her husband. The wife describes her disdain for the factory when she states that she often “imagined it without its red bricks,” (1). This suggests to the anger that the wife feels. The wife also implies how boring and drab Eric is by comparing him to “brown leather shoes,” (2). This hints at the hatred she feels for Eric. The wife describes the way the factory looks as it is on fire and the happiness it brings her when she indicates that the sky was “a brilliant red,” (3). This demonstrates her love for the destruction of the factory. The use of color throughout “The Factory” allows the wife to convey her emotions
Colonialism is defined as the exploitation of a weaker country by a stronger country with the goal of strengthening and enriching the resources of the dominant country. European colonialism of its last five centuries shared similarities with other previous colonialisms such as the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks and the Romans, but differed greatly from them (Macqueen 2007). Mainly, because European colonialism was not focused and centered in a single region but shared and spread its religion, culture, economic, technology and political systems throughout the world during the colonial period all at the same time being highly competitive and ambitious throughout (Gillen & Ghosh 2007). European colonialism had left some positive and negative legacies and the effects of both can be felt today in the modern world, even long after its fall in the 1950s. European colonialism is often perceived as an earlier form of globalisation because it was an early expression of the tendencies toward exploration, trade, and control that continues to emerge as the driving forces of globalisation today (Gopinath 2008).
Red is a colour linked with rage, anger and danger. These words are good adjectives of the Queen. Red is used often in the novel to provide detail into the Queen of Hearts emotions including what she is feeling and why she is feeling this way.”The Queen turned crimson red with fury” page 72” The Queen appears crimson red, possibly to represent the colour of blood which is associated with death, something the Queen suggestively seems quite fond of. The Queen of Hearts has the features of a stereotypical villain, making her the main antagonist of this novel. She is loud and boisterous, using her power and monarch status to abuse the people below her, just because she
... her true feelings with her sister, or talking to her husband or reaching out to other sources of help to address her marital repressed life, she would not have to dread living with her husband. “It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long” (Chopin 262). Her meaning for life would not have to mean death to her husband. In conclusion, her lack of self assertion, courage and strong will to address her repressed life made her look at life and death in a different perspective. When in fact there is no need to die to experience liberation while she could have lived a full life to experience it with her husband by her side.