Michael Henchard in The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy Michael Henchard is a character with traits that have both a positive and negative traits effect on his life. I believe the characteristics that allowed Henchard to rise to social respectability and fall into destitution where the same. "Character is fate"(Plato) For example Henchard stubbornness and pride allowed him to keep his 21-year vow not to drink. This shows his stubbornness brought an aspect forbearance. However the same character traits also made him rely on a prediction from a fortuneteller becoming his financial downfall. This is same aspect of Henchard that made him so forbearing and committed to his wedding vows with Susan. This characteristic allowed him to be reliable, something that greatly assisted him to being respected in the town. However, if he would have not been so honourable and turned Susan away, it may have all worked out better. I can speculate, he could have married Lucetta and her money would have been a great asset to hi...
Robert Wrhinghim in James Hogg's Novel, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
Hardy attempts to illustrate Michael as a common man, which ultimately serves his purpose of exposing the archetypal and somewhat psychological realities of typical, everyday people. According to archetypal literary critics, “archetypes determine the form and function of literary works and … a text's meaning is shaped by cultural and psychological myths.” For that reason, Henchard is a perfect example of the archetypal fall because Thomas Hardy is demonstrating how Henchard reacts to situations like a real person would and that life is not always as simple as it is depicted in fictional fairytales. The archetype of Michael’s fall functions as Hardy’s vehicle to relay the meaning behind his work.
The tragic poem, “The Ballad of Birmingham,” begins with a young child asking an imploring question to her mother, “May I go downtown instead of out to play” (Randall, 669)?
Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides, inner struggles are paralleled with each setting. Taking place in the twentieth century each setting plays a significant role in explaining a theme in the novel. Fleeing Greece in a time of war and entering Detroit Michigan as immigrants parallel later events to the next generation of kin fleeing Grosse Pointe Michigan to San Francisco. These settings compliment a major theme of the novel, society has always believed to be missing something in their life and attempted to fill the missing piece.
The people who claim that they do not lie are probably lying when they say it. Whether it is to deceive authority or just to play a joke on a friend, it is part of human nature to lie. In the novel The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby takes on a character of wealth and luxury. Gatsby wants to win back his love interest from five years ago, so he secretly becomes wealthy through owning an illegal drug business, using his abundance of money to impress her. In contrast, in Tobias Wolff’s “The Liar,” he tells a story of teenage James as he lies about his life to appear more fascinating. He lies not because he wants to, but because it comes naturally to him. Both stories convey people struggling to find the purpose of their
Throughout The Great Gatsby, there are many important characters, one happening to be Tom Buchanan. Tom is a rich, arrogant man (Fitzgerald 7, 12) who lives in the “inherited rich” side of New York, East Egg. Tom, accompanied by his oh-so-proper wife, Daisy represent the maturity and poise of the East Egg. While West Egg represents the wild, party animals, who have just come to their wealth. Tom especially represents the absence of morals in the East Egg it seems, because of his extreme wealth. Fitzgerald makes Tom Buchanan a short tempered, aggressive, bully who does not seem to care about how he treats others around him. As long as he has his money, his actions and aggression are unpredictable.
In the novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a character by the name of Roger Chillingworth had committed the worst sin of all; he basically killed another character, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Everyone has been in a position where they have had the chance of blackmailing or plotting revenge on someone. Chillingworth did exactly that and ended torturing Dimmesdale to his death. Dimmesdale was not the single one affected by Chillingworth's devilish doings. Chillingworth had a wife, but no one knew of their relationship. Her name was Hester Prynne and she had an tactless child named Pearl. The Reverend Dimmesdale had an affair with Hester, and he is the real father of Pearl. Throughout the novel the people of Boston were withheld this information, along with the information of Hester's real husband.
Mr.Oakhurst is not an outcast from Poker Flats. .Even though Oakhearst is a gambler, he is an honorable man. He shows his goodside when he returns money to Tom after he wins from him. He takes on the leadership role in the all of outcasts. He does anything he can to protect Tom and Pineyand takes on the the largest part of the responsibilites. And even though he takes the scared way out of life by killing himself (which proves him the weakest), before he takes his life, he does what he can to keep everyone else alive. He makes the snowshoes for Tom and tells him to get help. He stacks firewood for the Duchess and Piney. So he is heroic in those ways.Oakhurst is a interesting character. He is called both the strongest and the weakest of the
“A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of” (Austen). The bluntness of this quote fully encompasses the main theme of an advantageous marriage for the English novelist, Jane Austen. Her realism, biting irony and social commentary have gained her historical importance among scholars and critics (Southam). Austen’s major novels, including Pride and Prejudice, were composed between the years 1795-1815. During those twenty years England was at the height of its power facing many historical landmarks (Thomson). It is no coincidence that Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, coincides directly with the historical events of this time period.
In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge transforms from a notorious miser to a humbled, kind-hearted soul as a result of three spirits who apprise him of life's true meaning. Mirroring Scrooge's evolution, in George Eliot's Silas Marner, Silas also transitions from a recluse in society to a rejuvenated man because of a little girl who crawls into his heart. Initially, Silas is lonely man who finds solace from his past with money and solitude. When Eppie enters Silas' home, he begins to understand that there is more substance to life than hoarding gold. Furthermore, after many years as Eppie's guardian, Silas is finally able to experience true happiness and the invaluable joy of love.
In Bleak House, by Charles Dickens, Mr. Vholes is Richard Carstone’s legal advisor. Introduced to Richard by Mr. Skimpole, Vholes encourages and assists Richard as he attempts to unravel the mysteries of the Jarndyce and Jarndyce case in Chancery. Vholes, however, may not have the best intentions. Through descriptions of his gloomy physical appearance, suspicious actions, and unfortunate connections to English law, Dickens paints a vivid image of Mr. Vholes—a man who cannot be trusted. Vholes, therefore, is made up of multiple layers; as each layer peels away, the reader understands a little bit more of this secretive man. Surprisingly, Mr. Vholes is seen as more and more evil as readers journey to the center of his being.
The novel, Great Expectations, presents the story of a young boy growing up and becoming a
"The Victorians were avowedly, unashamedly, incorrigibly moralists. They . . . engaged in philanthropic enterprises in part to satisfy their own moral needs. And they were moralists in behalf of the poor, whom they sought not only to assist materially but also to elevate morally, spiritually, culturally, and intellectually . . . ." (Himmelfarb 48(8)). Charles Dickens used characterization as the basis of his pursuit of this moral goal in the serialized Oliver Twist. His satyr was meant to draw parallels to the dark side of an era of British progress. One side of progress is wealth, the other side of the same coin is poverty, despair, misery and crime. Dickens allegorized evil in contrast to good through characterization and melodrama. "Most of the moral judgments of the reader are pre-made for him or her. As a result, the reader objectively absorbs the moral lessons Dickens has set forth" (Stoddard).
Robinson Crusoe is a story written by Daniel Defoe in 1719. Although this novel is not well known many know the story from the modern movie “castaway”. The movie castaway premiered in 2000 and had the movie critics raving. Not all the talk about this modern movie was positive though. Many viewers really enjoyed this adventuress movie about a man being stranded on an island, others however were disappointed with the changes made to the movie from the original story Robinson Crusoe.
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy is a novel about the rising and plummeting of a complex man named Michael Henchard. Michael Henchard does not just have one characteristic or just one personality for that matter. His personality can be described as thoughtful and strong-minded but also as ruthless, stubborn and cold. Henchard's impulsiveness, aggressive attitude, childishness and selfish nature made failure and misery inevitable in his life. The essence of his character is the root of his demise and misery.