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symbolism in the scarlet letter the forest
symbolism in the scarlet letter
symbolism in the scarlet letter the forest
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Longfellow's Unique American hero in Evangeline
Abstract: Longfellow's portrayal of the American Adam is set apart in that he does not praise this character as a role model for others. The concept of the American Adam is seen in a different light through the depiction of Basil in the narrative poem Evangeline.
R.W.B. Lewis explores the quest of the writers of the American Renaissance to
create a literature that is uniquely American in his 1955 text, The American
Adam: Innocence, Tragedy, and Tradition in the Nineteenth Century. This is
accomplished through the image of "the authentic American as a figure of heroic
innocence and vast potentialities, poised at the start of a new history" (Lewis
1). David S. Reynolds explains that these writers are working under the
influence of "classic themes and devices" and producing "truly American texts"
(5). Lewis convincingly argues "that the new hero" is "most easily identified
with Adam before the Fall" (5). Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, Nathaniel
Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, and the works of several others of the period
are tied to the creation of this new Adam, but the contribution of Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow is largely neglected. Longfellow's portrayal of the
American Adam is set apart in that he does not praise this character as a role
model for others. The concept of the American Adam is seen in a different light
through the depiction of Basil in the narrative poem Evangeline.
Evangeline is the tale of an Acadian woman's journey to find her lost lover
after her people are exiled from their native Nova Scotia. Longfellow describes
the state of the Acadians after this exile early in the second part of the poem:
Far asunder, on separate coasts, the Acadians landed;
Scattered were they, like flakes of snow, when the wind from the northeast
Strikes aslant though the fogs that darken the Banks of Newfoundland.
Friendless, homeless, hopeless, they wandered from city to city [. . .].
(38-39)
These lines reveal that the Acadians represent a people forced to start their
lives anew in a land that is completely foreign to them.
Traditional family in today’s society is rather a fantasy, a fairy tale without the happy ending. Everyone belongs to a family, but the ideology that the family is built around is the tell tale. Family structures have undeniably changed, moving away from the conventional family model. Nowadays more mothers work outside of the home, more fathers are asked to help with housework, and more women are choosing to have children solo. Today there are families that have a mom and a dad living in the same home, there are step-families, and families that have just a mother or just a father. Probably the most scrutinized could be families that consist of two moms or two dads. These are all examples of families and if all members are appropriately happy and healthy then these families are okay and should incontestably be accepted. So why is the fantasy of the traditional family model still so emphasized in our society? This expectation is degrading and misleading. Progressing with times one ought not be criticized or shunned for being true to their beliefs. It is those living falsely, living as society thinks they should that are the problem. Perhaps as a society, if there were more focus and concern for happiness and peace within ones family and fewer worries for the neighbor then there would be less dilemma.
Since its 1998 publication, The Poisonwood Bible has primarily been seen as a statement against American exceptionalism. Upon analyzing the novel it is obvious that subjects such as imperialism, religion, the burden of guilt, and the use of, or lack thereof, voices, contribute to multiple points and themes found in the novel. In Susan Strehle’s current article on American exceptionalism explicitly relating to The Poisonwood Bible, she manipulates the topics and themes found in the novel to support her opinion. Unlike Strehle’s one-sided view, multiple themes and motifs in The Poisonwood Bible combine to form a complex and involved plot, further developed by the use of symbolism and both internal and external conflicts of the characters.
The Pullman Porters were African American freed slaves that worked for George Pullman in his railroad sleeping cars. George Pullman was one of the few employers who hired blacks in that time (video). The Pullman Porters worked practically servants for the white elite. They worked for long hours a day and received a low pay. They were humiliated by being called "George" instead of their own name, and they were not able to form a union (video).
Throughout the ten years of The Odyssey, Odysseus was determined to come home to his wife and son in Ithaca. During this journey he met two beautiful women, Calypso and Circe. Odysseus was forced to stay with Calypso, and was seduced by Circe. Both the nymph and sorceress were depicted as beautiful in Homer’s The Odyssey. However Odysseus chose to stay with his wife and take the difficult journey back to Ithaca. This illustrated his devotion for Penelope. Another primary evidence that supports how he loved his wife was that Calypso offered him immortality in exchange for his company. Odysseus chose to live a mortal life with a mere human over an eternal life with a beautiful nymph. Although Odysseus had an affair with Calypso, it can be understood that he was forced to do so, as the nymph would not allow his leave. Even during the seven years in Ogygia, Odysseus relentlessly searched for a way to escape in order to be reunited with his wife. Penelope also proved her faith to Odysseus, as she delayed her suitors advances back in Ithaca. The characteristic which makes Odysseus the most respectful and loving hero is his loyalty to his wife Penelope. His love for his human wife transcends the temptations of an alluring sorceress and a beautiful
The oral history format dictates a first person presentation which, in a religious text, creates an urgency and connection to the events unfolding in the story. The stories combine to present a tale of folly, loss, sin, forgiveness, and resurrection. In the Introduction to Arthur C. Parker’s translation of The Code of Handsome Lake, the influence of Christian mythology becomes evident. The story of “How the White Race Came to America and why the Gaiwiio Became a Necessity” is included in the Introduction. Therein, Handsome Lake explains that post-invasion the “Creator was sorry for his own people [the Native Americans] whom he had molded from the soil of the earth of this Great Island.”8 The sentiment echoes the island from the Iroquois creation myths and the creation of Adam from the earth in the Christian creation
The early white settlers had a hard time defying their own sinful desires and striving for holiness. This was especially seen in the works of Edward Taylor, who was a puritan pastor during the early days of America. In his poem, I Am the Living Bread, he mentioned, “This Wicker Cage (my Corps) to tweedle praise Had peckt the Fruite forbad: and so did fling Away its Food; and lost its golden dayes;” In this context, Edward Taylor is struggling to defy sin that his body offers because it will kill him eventually, and strives to acquire the grace of God that would sustain him. In
Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. 8th ed. Vol A. New York: W.
Longfellow’s poem is accepted in many history textbooks. This concurs that the poem is accepted as a credible source for historic information. The poem is used as a basis for teaching students what had actually happened. This helps students attain the primary details, however, disregard the inessential ones.
Bradstreet, Anne. “The Flesh and the Spirit.” The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter, et al. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Lexington: Heath, 1994. 302-305.
The story of Adam and Eve was told in a very interesting way through the vision of Mark Twain. We all know the story about Adam and Even both eating the forbidden fruit “apple” and being faced with consequence from God. Twain challenges our aspect by changing the aspect of Adam and Eve. In “The Diaries of Adam and Eve”, Mark Twain sets Adam and Eve up to present gender roles in a way that readers have not been familiar with.
The main character Adam Trask proves that by letting go of Cathy and deciding to create a new type of Eden that mankind holds the ultimate decision to rise above their destines. After finding Cathy and marrying her, Adam believes that he has found the missing part of his life. Cathy becomes the emblem of perfection and a key to happiness for him. As Adam continues to fall in love with her he starts to fall more out of touch with reality causing him to miss the obvious signals that Cathy does not feel the same way about him. Her manipulative ways are able to fool Adam’s kindness. Adam, being too naive to pay attention the obvious indications that Cathy does not love him is left in complete shock after she shoots and leaves him after the birth of their sons. After centralizing his dream around creating his own Eden with Cathy as his own Eve, he se...
The author John Smith, a pilgrim who arrived to the Americas, wrote a description of the new land in his book “ A Description of New England ”. In this book Smith shows a wonderful world of vast food and pleasure. Also, William Bradford another pilgrim who arrived to Plymouth on the coast of Massachusetts, wrote a book called “ Of Plymouth Plantation ” in which he describes what really happened, how the pilgrims actually lived. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast both authors and their books. John Smith wrote about the wonderful place the New World was, on the other hand, William Bradford wrote about the realities and difficulties of the New World.
Fairer, David. “Experience Reading Innocence: Contextualizing Blake’s ‘Holy Thursday’.” Eighteenth-Century Studies Summer 2002: 536-562. JSTOR. Web. 17 Aug. 2010.
Hanford, James H. "The Pastoral Elegy and Milton's Lycidas." Milton's Lycidas: The Tradition and the Poem. Ed. C. A. Patrides. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 1983. 31-59.
... Christian beliefs, as The Wanderer demonstrates. Should we discount the possibility that other authors of the time could have worked in the same way as the author of this poem? We should look in other works for the presentation of respectable or heroic main characters as examples and teachers of Christian ideals, where these main character's pagan customs serve as lures to bring the contemporary audience close, and as familiar handles to which the audience can cling while being taken on their permanent journey into the Christian culture.