In Roddy Doyle’s series Oh, Play That Thing and The Dead Republic the world is shown to the readers through the eyes of a wise fool, Henry Smart. The series includes a wide variety of magical realism, and how Henry continues to fight social norms to get what he wants. The idea of society vs. man and individualism takes a toll on Henry’s pride forcing to jump from city to city making him feel special. With the new era of feminism, Henry’s life becomes more focused around those he loves, and how they guided him. And if it was not for them there would never have been a trilogy for Henry Smart.
The elements of magical realism in a historical series, at first sight seem quite suitable. It is generally agreed that the picaresque, with its humorous ideas on the social outcasts trying to endure an aggressive environment, is a practical move against the romanticize tendency of the plot. Magic realism, with its limited interruption of mimetic rules, lends itself to a number of uses, postcolonial being one of them. It introduces elements of grotesque moments that allow the readers to sense the satirical potentials and it brings in metaphorical aspects to the plate. The pieces of magical realism seem to play with the readers mind. The convention of picaresque combined with magical realism builds a wider grotesque vision for the reader. It is not only the space but also the characters, the main protagonist among them are shaped according to the defamilliarising rules of this magical picaresque world. The characters in Henry’s world are not so much fully-developed characters, but comically sinister. Like Louis Armstrong or Sister Flow with their mysterious qualities, they are mainly social outcast who are gifted with fantastic qualities that d...
... middle of paper ...
...en in his life, that he owes a lot to them. For example, his wife, Nuala O’Shea, and all the other women in the series (Dora, sister flow, or Saoirse) have saved him more than he saved himself. And that the role of the women extremely changed, with the new feministic ideas and developments they have shown this enormous surge of influence throughout the book that literally keep Henry on his feet.
In conclusion, Roddy Doyle puts a good amount of magical realism to play around with the readers mind and to take off a bit of the historical dullness with the grotesque and satirical moments. Henry’s portrayal as a wise-fool saved him in countless of situations. He was surrounded by the idea of individuality, which made him want to assert himself to a whole new level to show his value. And if it was not for the women around him he would have been the next star called Henry.
The idea of a genre of art that is called magical realism is less a trend than a tradition, an evolving genre that has its waxings and wanings, where each evolving form expresses an idea that may overlap another, yet at the same time branches off and creates something very different. What began in the visual arts has become a contemporary literary genre due to divergences. Contemporary Latin American writers of this mode include Alejo Carpentier, Jorge Luis Borges, Isabel Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Octavio Paz, Pablo Neruda, and Majorie Agosin. At the same time there are many writers of the genre world wide, though every form may take one new meaning. The magical realist does not depend on the natural or physical laws or on the usual conception of the real in Western culture, and at the same time it uses these aspects to disrupt reality, to create a disproportionate view (Zamora 146-148). While the mode is one of disruption, a disruption within its own development is also present.
In conclusion, I think Henry was not a hero in this novel, in fact I thought he acted more like a coward. Though during brief periods of time Henry physically acted heroically, his moral character was weak, trying to cover up his psychological wounds with self-justification and delusion. I think towards the end of the novel Henry abandons the notion of becoming a hero, mostly because it is unrealistic. Instead, he settles with a more humble title of being a man.
Overall, the roles Caroline, Elizabeth, and Justine in Frankenstein and the roles of Mulan and Elizabeth show how on the outside, women are obeying the orders by men. However on the inside, they want to take initiative action of having their voice heard by others. Through the battles and protests of women’s right to vote and the get an education, women are able to have the same social status and education level like men. Now, as the proliferation of women increases in the medical, marine, political, and many more fields, the role of passive women changes to active women. Women could not only do household chores and take care of children, but they can also get jobs and work like men. Therefore, society is changing and moving forward.
...hetypes of these primary characters, both of these novels make a parallel statement on feminism. The expectations of both themselves and society greatly determine the way that these women function in their families and in other relationships. Looking at the time periods in which these novels were written and take place, it is clear that these gender roles greatly influence whether a female character displays independence or dependence. From a contemporary viewpoint, readers can see how these women either fit or push the boundaries of these expected gender roles.
Faris, Wendy B. "Scheherazade's Children: Magical Realism and Postmodern Fiction." Magical Realism. Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995. 163-186.
Christina Rossetti's "Goblin Market” and Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rime of The Ancient Mariner are the two works that will be discussed in this essay. This essay will explore the different cultural background of both texts along with the authors. Both texts were written in different time periods, the Victorian Period (1837-1901), and the Romantic period (1800-1850). Both periods had their different features and requirements, which will be discuss and tied into the works of both authors throughout the rest of this essay. Throughout the Romantic and Victorian period, symbolism and the supernatural were two features that were common; which both appeared in Rossetti’s and Coleridge’s work. Supernatural can be a distinction to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. The supernatural and symbolism that appeared in works of Rossetti’s and Coleridge’s tend to show various similarities in the culture, and period surrounding each work. A comparison between these two authors will give a crucial explanation.
Faris, Wendy B. Ordinary Enchantments: Magical Realism and the Remystification of Narrative. Nashville: Vanderbilt UP, 2004. 24 Sept. 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. 21
Naturalism and realism are tremendously similar in literary style but their slight difference in details, such as environment and instincts, commence a dramatic effect in the author’s portrayal of the underlying themes. Realist literature developed in mid-19th century France in effort to progress toward literature not consisting of neoclassic romanticism. In this effort, literary works developed into characters and settings that are relatable to the audience, much like the compatibility of naturalism and the readers of its time period during industrialization. Even to this day, when people search for an enticing book to read, it is presumed that fictional novels that are relatable would be more appealing to the audience. However, unlike naturalism, realism ...
...as Mary Ann in the novel show that women can do so much more than sew and cook. Without women, all wars would have been a lot harder. Although men tend to keep a macho facade in order to calm others (such as the women in their lives), inside they may be like glass, easy to break. A society set on the ideal stoic, fearless warrior who acts ruthlessly and saves the damsel in distress (also showing that women are weak) obviously is one where doomed to sexism. Without the comfort and inspiration, men would have deteriorated in the face of death. All and all, women provided the needed comfort, nursing, “manpower”, and love that the soldiers of Vietnam need, something that helped them endure the havoc of war. O’Brien’s expert use of the feminist lens allows the reader to know that women indeed were a powerhouse in the Vietnam war, without whom, men would have perished.
...ne show his sensibility. His imagination and creativity motivate him to read Gothic romances and to indulge in the effects that his inventive tales produce. His decision to marry Catherine is motivated by feelings of love that further exemplifies his sensibility. Throughout the novel the readers see an excellent display of Henry's ability to maintain equilibrium between the two qualities. He passes his knowledge onto Catherine to help her to become a better person. At the end of the novel it is apparent that Henry has taught the keys of his success to Catherine.
Faris Wendy B.. "Scheherazade's Children: Magical Realism and Postmodern Fiction" Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Wendy Faris and Zamora. Duke University Press, Durham and London,1995.163-190.
Many time periods have set the bar high for today’s authors, such as the revolutionary time in Europe when Realism was brought into play. More specifically, the creation of Realism has inspired authors and artists alike to create a sense of honesty and reality within their works of fiction. Realism has set the standard for literature and art, all around the world, because of ...
Henry, being a part of the Victorian Society, values beauty too much. To him, beauty acts a sensory pleasure. Henry’s strong views and preference towards beauty greatly influence Dorian throughout the novel. About his friendships and enmities, Henry mentions that he “chooses [his] friends for their good looks, acquaintances for their good characters, and enemies for their good intellects” (Wilde ...
Henry James skillfully has his readers integrated into his story. While the readers are reading T...
Gavin argues, “During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, empirical philosophy recognized a perilous disconnect between knowledge and the actual existence of things in the world” (Gavin 301-325). These ideas of knowledge, and those of the real world, were shaped by Descartes’ theory that reality is perceived by the individual and is not attached to previous ideas of reality. Unlike the novels before, realistic novels appealed to middle-class readers who wanted to read about ordinary people; they could see themselves as main characters in the story (Mario). With the influence of Descartes, novels and the genre of realism came together forming realistic novels. Realism is the attempt to depict all characteristics of human life with such attention to detail that the events seem as realistic as possible, as if readers could perhaps know the characters personally or even be them. Regarding Crusoe, he faces many realistic chall...