Literary Analysis and Comparison of A Persistent Woman And Uncle Ernest
I have chosen to compare and analyse the openings of "A persistent
woman" and "Uncle Ernest" because the both authors have used similar
literary techniques to try and make the reader read on but it in very
different ways.
For example both extracts describe the main characters (Uncle Ernest
and Temple) but in "Uncle Ernest" this is very explicit, describing
his appearance in great detail. Just from the first sentence we know
he is a "middle-aged man wearing a dirty raincoat" and can begin to
form a mental picture, creating familiarity and empathy.
In sharp contrast, A Persistent Woman creates mystery and suspicion
about the main character, Temple. His appearance is not described at
all so the reader cannot form a picture of him, creating distance from
the character and therefore forcing the reader to relate to the
character objectively rather than with empathy.
The use of names is also in contrast. "Uncle Ernest" is informal and
the use of his...
He uses contrast to show his disturbance, “the eye glasses.were forgotten. My eyes were on Mr. Olin’s face.” A certain dramatic irony exists when Richard asks, “Who was my friend, the white man or the black boy?” The reader knows it is the black boy. Wright uses details such as Mr. Olin’s “low, confidential,” voice to create an apocryphally amiable tone.
Over the summer, after taking a break from reading a novel just for entertainment, I sat down to read How to Read Literature like a Professor and it was the exact novel to refresh and supplement my dusty analysis skills. After reading and applying Foster’s novel, How to Read Literature like a Professor, towards The Bonesetter’s Daughter I found a previously elusive and individualized insight towards literature. Although, The Bonesetter’s Daughter is full of cryptic messages and a theme that is universal, I was able to implement an individual perspective on comprehending the novel’s universal literary devices, and coming upon the unique inference that Precious Auntie is the main protagonist of the novel.
Throughout the course of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, numerous characters stand out for their complexity in character. However, only a fraction of those can contend with the memorability and intricacy of Evangeline and Ophelia St. Clare. In the chapters the two become included in, they possess influence over the other characters, including Uncle Tom, the lead protagonist. The individuals obtain stark contrasts between each other, from their personalities to their personal convictions. Additionally, they also vary in the level of character development they undergo in the story.
There is a never ending list of what makes some people amazing story tellers. Some writers have vast imaginations, other writers use the lives of others in their stories and other writers use their lived experiences in order to write moving works of art. Most books, works of poetry and short stories that revolve around lived experiences share a common theme of love, hate or both. As these are emotions that all humans share, However, there are some stories that have far more unique. Stories like “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien and “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway. Both O’Brien and Hemingway come from two completely separate walks of life but were both able to write stories using the same theme of emotional and physical
Throughout history, society has been predominately patriarchal. The male is seen as the primary authority figure. This system is often displayed in many family structures and there is nothing wrong with patriarchy; however when it leads to kyriarchy, it becomes an issue. Women, past and present, are often viewed as second rate citizens. Over half the work force around the world consists of women and yet they are paid 77 cents to a dollar of what a man earns (Shane). Women have a voice and deserve to be heard. When analyzing works such as “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemmingway, the poem “Stations” by Audre Lorde, and “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston, one can observe the common theme of women finding their voice, discovering strength and standing up for what’s right.
Oscar (Fingal O'Flahertie Wills) Wilde was a witty, eccentric, and “dandy” man who was born in Dublin on October 16, 1954. The names Oscar and Fingal originate from Irish folklore. His main calling in life was to diverge from the strict Victorian tradition and society. Wilde was raised in a busy upper class Victorian household where artists, writers, and professionals often visited. His father, Sir William Wilde, was a distinguished surgeon who was Queen Victoria’s oculist and was later knighted for founding a hospital. Wilde’s mother, Jane Francesca Elgee, was a famous a writer and novelist advocating Irish independence.
In “One Writer’s Beginnings” by Eudora Welty, she thinks back to how her experiences as a child paved the path to her career as a writer. Welty’s language conveys the intensity and value of the experience by word choice, imagery and use of detail.
The way a writer utilizes diction and tone words or anything else of the matter, can really change how the story feels. It also helps convey the tone you want to be conveyed. It truly helps the writer make the story more immersive and vivid. In “One Writer’s Beginnings,” Eudora Welty takes the reader back to when she was only 9 years old. She creates an immersive experience when she chooses to use descriptive diction to better help the reader visualize what is occurring.
Slavery, and motherhood these things connect two women Hester Prynne and Sethe Garner. Motherhood and slavery is a key role in both The Scarlet Letter and Beloved. Motherhood and slavery is shown with Sethe and Hester, Slavery however this gets a little tricky to explain. Sethe was enslaved by the Garner’s at Sweet Home but escaped and lived in exile. Hester was a slave of her letter A and mistreated because of it. The letter A pushed her into the edge of town in exile much like Sethe. Another great example of how they are connected with motherhood is they are both judged with their parenting like how Hester's community tried taking her daughter Pearl away, and Sethe’s parenting is judged because of when she killed Beloved protecting her.
Throughout the Victorian era, women were expected to meet the standards set by communities and submit to the power of men. A woman’s duty was to be a partner to man, to comply with their authority and be physically submissive, even if mentally, they were unrestricted. Women who defied society’s normalities and refused to have restraints put upon them were often seen as recalcitrant and difficult by the public. In Charlotte Brontë's, Jane Eyre, Jane defies the expected role of a Victorian era woman, and shows that females do not have to comply to societal norms. This is shown through Jane's rebellion, denial of love, and rejection of St. John.
The story is Gilman’s way of throwing off the restraints of the patriarchal society so that she can do what she loves, to write and advocate for women’s rights. In her story of “The Yellow Wallpaper” Gilman challenges the roles of women in this time period; such as viewing women as children, as prisoners, as domestic house slaves, their sanity and the dangers of being the quintessential passive, submissive woman. Gilman embraces as a writer that there is more to her as a person than that of what has been shoved on her by society. She embraces feminism which by definition is the belief that women and men should have equal rights and opportunities.
Throughout history women have always been considered lesser than men. Women were portrayed as property to men, nothing more. They were supposed to be seen and not heard, and were basically servants to their husbands and fathers. In order for women to even be considered more than property their father or spouse had to be established in the community or a man of high rank. Despite their subservient roles women in British literature have always been depicted as obedient or unruly, from William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, to Beowulf, to Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market.” For example, women have always been portrayed as being housewives, and care takers. Women were supposed to tend to the men and all of the house hold duties and chores; however some women broke away from that stereotype. They became more and curious and aware of their worth, so they were viewed as temptresses or “rebels” against the social norm. Despite the fact that women have evolved throughout history, British literature has always characterized women in two different lights, one being obedient and submissive and another being powerful and strong willed.
The book Uncle Tom’s Cabin is considered a classic. Many times classic lose some of their impact as time goes by but that is not the case with Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel. It can be argued that the story has more meaning and impact now then it even did when it was first published. It is a glimpse into a dark period of American history that people have no actual frame of reference to understand. Books like Stowe’s puts a name and an emotional context to what can otherwise be viewed through a detached lens of indifference.
The main protagonist of the story, Elizabeth Bennet (nicknamed both Lizzy and Eliza), is the second daughter in the Bennet family. Second only to her elder sister in beauty, Elizabeth’s figure is said to be “light and pleasing,” with “dark eyes,” and “intelligent…expression” (24). At 20 years old, she is still creating her place in society. Known for her wit and playful nature, “Elizabeth is the soul of Pride and Prejudice, [she] reveals in her own person the very title qualities that she spots so easily” (“Pride and Prejudice”) in others. Her insightfulness often leads her to jump to conclusions and think herself above social demand. These tendencies lead her to be prejudice towards others; this is an essential characteristic of her role
In conducting preliminary research for the final paper, I uncovered several sources that spoke to three intertwined and mutually-interacting themes that stood out to me as I read Mrs. Dalloway: namely, Woolf’s interpretive representations of mental illness, subjectivity, and existential tension in the novel.