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History of america in american literature
History of america in american literature
Americans and the land john steinbeck
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There are many different types of humor that can be used in a literary work. John Steinbeck uses deadpan humor in his book Travels with Charley. According to Merriam-Webster, deadpan means to show no feeling or emotion. In other words, the use of this type of humor may be dark. Many of the funny things Steinbeck talks about are delivered to the readers with an apparent seriousness that often goes unnoticed. Throughout the book, Steinbeck’s love of land, of nation, and of fellow human beings was described by his deadpan humor through his long journey to America. Steinbeck’s purpose of using deadpan humor in Travels with Charley is to show character, develop questions, and entertain the readers. To start off, Steinbeck uses his deadpan humor for the purpose to show his character. Deadpan humor is a way people could be funny yet not show emotion. This was a way Steinbeck could show us exactly what his views were and how his personality is. Just by using deadpan humor one can already see that Steinbeck seems to be a bit shy yet speaks his mind. For example, Steinbeck states, “I saw no reason why she should inherit a baby” when he talks …show more content…
Steinbeck’s personality was harsh and tenderhearted which clearly was shone through every sentence of the book. However, it was difficult to distinguish if Steinbeck’s actions or what he said was intentional. For example, He states, “But where were the others… the ones whose arms would ache to gather up small, scared black mite? ...Perhaps they felt as helpless as I did…” (p.259, par. 1, 2) This occurred after the scene of the Cheerleaders, but one question readers may ask is why Steinbeck watched the scene and did not help if he felt helpless. The deadpan humor makes it difficult to understand if these were his intentions or not. However, this does provide a question many readers may have developed while
` Even though Steinbecks essay could be considered a dated opinion being written in the 19 hundreds. it goes to show his considerably harsh outlook hasn't sadly strayed from our reality all that much from its original publishment. He makes a statement “We are restless, a dissatisfied, a searching people.” Steinbeck may seem brutal and disappointed. but when reading you get a surprising tone of disapproval that doesn't sound hateful. It’s cruel but almost disapproving in a condescending way. He also makes a statement “We are self-reliant and at the same time completely dependent. We are aggressive, and defenseless.”
Steinbeck’s word choice has a very significant impact on the effectiveness of his writing. By using words and phrases like “junk man,” “dead terror,” and the repetition of the words “bitterness” and “dead,” he drives his point home in a very matter-of-fact sort of way.
What makes a piece of writing humourus? In “ How I got Smart” by Steve Brody and in “Salvation” by Langston Hughes, both use literary devices to tell a story from a younger perspective. Although they both use figurative language in a humourous way, Brody’s story is silly and has a happy ending and Hughes’s story is somewhat sad and does not end happily thus making Brody’s story overall funnier.
importantly, he wanted to suggest a philosophy to the reader, and insure that this suffering would never occur again (Critical 1). Steinbeck shows. in The Grapes of Wrath that there is no one man, but one common soul. which we all belong to. & nbsp; The subject of Steinbeck's fiction is not the most imaginative, and constructive aspects of humanity, but rather the process. of life itself (Wilson 785). Steinbeck has been compared to a twentieth. century Charles Dickens of California; a social critic with more sentiment.
Steve Almond’s “Funny is the New Deep” talks of the role that comedy has in our current society, and most certainly, it plays a huge role here. Namely, through what Almond [Aristotle?] calls the “comic impulse”, we as a people can speak of topics that would otherwise make many of uncomfortable. Almond deems the comic impulse as the most surefire way to keep heavy situations from becoming too foreboding. The comic impulse itself stems from our ability and unconscious need to defend and thus contend with the feeling of tragedy. As such, instead of rather forcing out humor, he implies that humor is something that is not consciously forced out from an author, but instead is more of a subconscious entity, coming out on its own. Almond emphasizes
His unique writing style to capture the atmosphere of these people and the era is evident in this excerpt from his book. ... ... middle of paper ... ... Steinbeck uses this novel as a warning to large landowners as well as the government during the depression. There was a great injustice being done to these people, and it wouldn’t be long before they did something about it. You cannot suppress a large group of society for an extended amount of time without there being an uprising against it.
No matter in the past or present, the world never lacks actors and their nauseating affectations can be seen everywhere in life. They are pretending to have all those perfect beliefs and feelings and acting like the greatest people ever while they are really not. Satire is used by Mark Twain in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to depict how all kinds of people say one thing and do another in America in early 1800s, demonstrating that Mark Twain wants readers to be aware of the hypocrisy and ignorance of American society.
Another style that Steinbeck used was symbolism. Practically everything was a symbol for something. There was a chapter that had a turtle trying to cross the road. The turtle then got hit by a truck, the driver of which tried to hit the turtle. Some people say that the turtle symbolizes the "little people", and the driver symbolizes the capitalists who owned the land. Another symbol in the book was Jim Casy being Jesus Christ. Sheesh, I just don't see it. Yes, both of them have the initials "J.C.", and yes, they both sacrificed themselves for the nobler good. I still don't think that there is enough there to really say that Casy was based on Jesus. Some people will think anything... oh, wait. You were the one who told us that... Hmm, never mind me talking bad about it. Symbolism is wonderful!
Thoughtful laughter is a technique used frequently in satirical pieces in literature. It allows for the audience to enjoy the wittiness of a work, later ponder on the meaning, and then apply the message to reality. Thoughtful laughter is often an inner experience that can only be achieved by authors who write meticulously. Two examples of satirical works in literature that display this concept explicitly are Voltaire’s Candide and C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. Both authors explore the depths of satire and simultaneously deliver an important message to readers through skillful technique.
Whatever Steinbeck’s intent for writing such a jarring ending, he leaves the reader with a
John Steinbeck’s use of figurative language and local color in Cannery Row, Sweet Thursday and Of Mice and Men show his growth as a writer and highlight the reoccurring theme of loneliness and ostracism. The time gap in between these books show that Steinbeck grows as he experiences more throughout his life. Steinbeck’s novels are always set in California due to his extensive knowledge of the area since he has lived in the area his entire life. In all of his works the characters use parts of speech and actions that are customary to that area.
The humor used throughout the novel breaks the tension of what would otherwise be a very depressing story. When confronted with fleas in the mattress of the bed, the father is instructed to by a man on the street to “confuse the little buggers” by turning the mattress upside down. Obviously, this is not going to rid the mattress of fleas, nor will it confuse them. The reader is aware of this, and the incident is humorous. Another example of humor that can be found in the novel occurs on the day of Frank’s first communion. He becomes sick and his communion wafer finds its way into his grandmother’s back yard. She then sends him to confession and instructs him to ask the priest what can be done to fix the problem. The big deal she makes about having “God in my back yard” is humorous to the reader, who knows that the communion wafer is not really God.
Webster's online dictionary defines humor as "a quality that appeals to a sense of the ludicrous (laughable and/or ridiculous) or incongruous." Incongruity is the very essence of irony. More specifically, irony is "incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the expected result." Flannery O'Connor's works are masterpieces in the art of literary irony, the laughable and ridiculous. The incongruous situations, ridiculous characters, and feelings of superiority that O'Connor creates make up her shocking and extremely effective, if not disturbing, humor. I say "disturbing" because O'Connor's humor, along with humor in general, most often contains the tragic. O'Connor has been quoted as saying, "The comic and the terrible [...] may be opposite sides of the same coin" (Farley 17). Throughout her works, specifically "Good Country People," O'Connor uses her humor to humble and expose the biases of the overly intellectual and spiritually bankrupt.
because, if the reader understands the irony of what a character is saying, then the reader can see the true nature and intentions of the character.
There is only one way an author can get their readers to cry, laugh, and love or just enjoy their master pieces. That one way is through the uses of literary devices such as similes, metaphors and personification. These are the small things that brings the author`s thoughts and ideas alive. The author`s ability to use literary devices through the book helps in direct characterization and lets readers get a better understanding of Lennie and George, the two main characters Of Mice and Men. It also helps in keeping readers thinking on their feet and constantly questioning George and Lennie`s next move while in Salinas, California. John Steinbeck, in his novel Of Mice and Men, makes use of similes and foreshadowing to keep readers in touch with the characters and at the edge of their seats throughout the story.