Kristy Cambron is a remarkable author with a unique voice. Ever since her debut novel The Butterfly and the Violin (2014), I've impatiently awaited each subsequent release. While I was initially intrigued by the synopsis of The Illusionist's Apprentice, I questioned how Harry Houdini and magic would play out in a Christian novel. With Cambron at the keys...the answer is masterfully!
It's important to begin by stating the author draws a clear line between mysticism or spiritualists and the art of illusion for the purpose of entertainment. Prior to reading this story I was unaware of how Houdini worked to discredit many such frauds during his lifetime. This bit of history provides a fantastic springboard for Wren's character, a former apprentice
People who have a position in the government can start off doing good things for the people and country, but will become power hungry and want to be in control of every little thing. This hunger for power can be seen in the novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez, which demonstrates how the daily lives of the citizens in the Dominican Republic are affected under the rule of their oppressive ruler, Trujillo. Alvarez focuses on 4 sisters, the Mirabal family, who strive for equality and democratic rights. The 4 sisters have all been been oppressed by Trujillo´s ridiculous laws. Enforcing unnecessary laws on society makes sure that Trujillo stays in complete control, which compels the people to strive for more freedom and rights,
Helena Maria Veramontes writes her short story “The Moths” from the first person point of view, placing her fourteen year old protagonist female character as a guide through the process of spiritual re-birth. The girl begins the story with a description of the debt she owes her Abuelita—the only adult who has treated her with kindness and respect. She describes her Apa (Father) and Ama (Mother), along with two sisters as if they live in the same household, yet are born from two different worlds. Her father is abusive, her mother chooses to stay in the background and her sisters evoke a kind of femininity that she does not possess. The girl is angry at her masculine differences and strikes out at her sisters physically. Apa tries to make his daughter conform to his strict religious beliefs, which she refuses to do and her defiance evokes abuse. The girl’s Abuelita is dying and she immerses herself in caring for her, partly to repay a debt and partly out of the deep love she has for her. As her grandmother lay dying, she begins the process of letting go. The moth helps to portray a sense of spirituality, re-birth and becomes, finally, an incarnation of the grandmother. The theme of the story is spiritual growth is born from human suffering.
Believing that there are things worth risking your life for is a quality that is well respected.
Through the novel In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez paints a picture of life in the Dominican Republic under the dictatorship of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina, also known as El Jefe. His rise to power started with National Guard and eventually by 1928, led to the role of Commander in Chief in the new National Armed Forces. By thirty-seven, through the “Secret of Trujillo” – or intimidation tactics, manipulation of his military control, and fraud - he secured the position of president and control of the residents (Alvarez 17). Life under the dictator was very restrained as he had banned anyone or anything that could express dissent, took control of trade and property, and established a secret police to do his bidding. In the
Deborah Sampson was declared in 1837 by congress that the history of the Revolution “furnished no other similar example of female heroism, fidelity, and courage”. Deborah was the real life Mulan. She disguised herself as a male soldier named Robert Shurtleff and joined the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment in 1782. Under the command of Captain George Webb, she was assigned the dangerous task of finding neutral territory to spy on the British regarding their quantity of soldier and supplies in Manhattan. Gathering this information was helpful for General Washington’s battle plans. Despite close calls on other soldier finding her true sex identity, she was discovered in 1783, a year and a half into her service. She had received a contusion on her
The Butterfly Diving Bell sits on my bedside table . It was a busy day when I finished and I'm struggling with how to express my appreciation for the best of the author , Jean - Dominique Bauby . As a beautiful French dessert , each crafted wonderful phrases should be savored. Posted by Bauby bears a sense of humor combined with depression that required for reading and slow digestion . He must have been a Morrissey fan .
In fifth grade, I had a teacher by the name of Mrs. Sera. Even typing her name gives me this cold feeling inside; she eerily resembles Miss Viola Swamp from the children’s book Miss Nelson is Missing. Viola Swamp was “the meanest substitute teacher in the whole world.” Mrs. Sera, on the other hand, my full-time educator and seemingly just as mean. She had a long pointy chin, a fairly large nose, and extremely thin lips that rarely ever smiled just like Miss Swamp. During this year leading up to middle school, I struggled in every subject: math, science, social studies, and language arts. The only parts of the day I succeeded in were recess and lunch. I remember one day, I had a test in science. I received a 23%. This is still the lowest grade
In Julia Alvarez’s, In the Time of the Butterflies, the Mirabal sisters portray how unbreakable sisterly bonds can be. Even though the sisters don’t opening show their appreciation and love for one another, they do all have one thing in common. The sisters manage to astoundingly overcome many challenges throughout the novel, but in order to overcome life’s challenges, courage must be seen in oneself and others. Faith and trust don’t fall to fair from courage, so in order for the girls to overcome the challenges they did, they must see those qualities in each other. The Mirabal sisters must be courageous enough to overcome any challenges that get in their way.
Throughout their lives, the Mirabal sisters were bonded. As they grew older, they matured and experienced many more difficult and influential moments together. Everyone has a family, but not every family is the same. In the novel, In the Time of Butterflies, familial roles are used to portray the importance of family despite individual differences.
“Dad asked me if I wanted to see more of the Compound. I didn’t. We would have to wait fifteen years before it would be safe to go outside. Which left more than enough time to see the rest of the Compound. Our new world. A world I would soon hate” (Bodeen 8). The Compound by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, shows that the Compound is a veritable of hell through her use of repetition, and point of view. The Fallout, also written by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, through the point of view of Eli, shows the struggles of readjusting to normal everyday life that we take advantage of. Both works show the importance and symbolism, the titles have towards the development of the story.
David Kaplan is an American writer that uses magic realism, or the use of everyday settings and objects with an added sense of magic added to them. “Doe Season” is a short story filled with various literary elements. Through this essay we will discuss other vital elements Kaplan uses in his short story such as the setting, plot, point of view, characters, symbolism, and theme.
This paper addresses the issue of portraying the main character, Ad Magic, using literary elements such as symbolism, contrast and imagery by Thom Jones, in his short story "A White Horse".
Gabriel García Márquez, 1982 Nobel Laureate, is well known for using el realismo magical, magical realism, in his novels and short stories. In García Márquez’s cuento “Un Señor Muy Viejo con Alas Enormes,” García Márquez tactfully conflates fairytale and folklore with el realismo magical. García Márquez couples his mastery of magical realism with satire to construct a comprehensive narrative that unites the supernatural with the mundane. García Márquez’s not only criticizes the Catholic Church and the fickleness of human nature, but he also subliminally relates his themes—suffering is impartial, religion is faulty by practice, and filial piety—through the third-person omniscient narration of “Un Señor Muy Viejo con Alas Enormes.” In addition to García Márquez’s narrative style, the author employs the use of literary devices such as irony, anthropomorphism, and a melancholic tone to condense his narrative into a common plane. García Márquez’s narrative style and techniques combine to create a linear plot that connects holy with homely.
Dr. Susan Tomkiewicz works at Columbus State University as an Associate Professor at the Schwob School of music and as the Director of the Honors College on the RiverPark campus. Dr. Tomkiewicz devotes 50% of her time teaching students to play the Oboe and the other 50% of her time directing the Honors College. Her work at the Honors College is different from her work of teaching students how to play a musical instrument. At Columbus State, she teaches a class of 10 students to learn how to play the Oboe and works with each of them individually in a studio class for an hour. In fact, the Oboe is a woodwind musical instrument that contains a double-reed mouthpiece. Dr. Tomkiewicz researched on how to teach students to play the Oboe before getting
I think several elements of the supernatural came into play in the story: the painting which had the capacity to change in showing Dorian's sins and evildoings, the use of mirrors, and direct and indirect references to selling one's soul to the devil.