James Matthew Barrie, an author and playwright, is well-known for his works (Markgraf). It could be assumed that someone who wrote works so full of imagination and creativity would have the greatest amount of happiness. This idea is not true in the case of Barrie, but even though he faced such tragedy, his works are still mostly cheerful. James Matthew Barrie’s strong themes combined with deep symbolism and irony mesh together in his books and give each of his works a sense of whimsical magic and emotion, allowing Barrie to express the childhood he missed out on and essentially wanted.
James Matthew Barrie was born on May 9, 1860, in Kirriemuir, Scotland. His mother and father, David Barrie and Margaret Ogilvy, had ten children. Only seven of their children were surviving, and Barrie was the youngest son (Billone ix). When Barrie was just seven years old, his brother, David, died in a skating accident. David was his mother’s favorite child. The death of David grieved his mother deeply, which led James to decide to try to take the place of his brother. Although Barrie tried, his attempts were never successful. Barrie missed out on his own childhood because he tried to live his brother’s (Dunbar 10-14). Then, it seems he spent the rest of his life either knowingly or subconsciously trying to get it back as it is revealed in his work.
Barrie had simple beginnings, but he was well-educated. He attended the prestigious Dumfries Academy for five years. In 1882, he went to Edinburgh University and got a master of arts degree in English literature. Barrie began work for the Nottingham Journal in 1883 and then went on to work as a freelance journalist in 1885. Barrie’s published his first work, Better Dead, in 1887. This publication b...
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People go through life wanting to achieve their full potential; however, many never take a moment to analyze what may affect how their life turns out. In this essay, I will be identifying and analyzing the three most significant points of comparison shared by the character Harry in Hemingway’s “Snows of Kilimanjaro” and the narrator of T.S Elliot’s poem “The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock”. The character Harry in “Snows of Kilimanjaro” has lived a good life and has traveled throughout many countries in Europe. Even though he pursued a career in writing, he is not well accomplished because he is drawn towards living a lazy luxurious life. While in Africa with his wife, he faces a huge conflict, which causes him to be regretful for how he has chosen to live is life. The narrator of T.S Elliot’s poem “The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock” enters the dynamic consciousness of its character Alfred Prufrock whose feelings, thoughts, and emotions are displayed in an
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Stillinger, Jack, Deidre Lynch, Stephen Greenblatt, and M H. Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Volume D. New York, N.Y: W.W. Norton & Co, 2006. Print.
Damrosch, David, et al., ed. The Longman Anthology of British Literature: Vol. B. Compact ed. New York: Longman - Addison Wesley Longman, 2000. p. 2256
Edgar Allan Poe had a peculiar way with his work. He was adopted early in his life to be spared from poverty and heartache (Roberts and Zweig 226). But in the Big Read it is stated that he still felt a satisfaction from women’s suffering. Poe just wanted to be a writer and followed his passion into judging others work to support himself (Roberts and Zweig 226). Some say that he is selfish and indulgent. Sadly the death of Poe is still a mystery but his works affect people’s lives on a daily basis. The elegance of Poe’s prose invokes an emotional reaction he was subject to during his childhood that later led to the creation of the most influential works of the 19th Century.
Greenblatt, Stephen, eds. The Norton Anthology English Literature. 9th ed. Crawfordsville: R.R. Donnelley & Sons, 2012. Print.