Every author has an identifiable style of writing. Each writes by using specific subjects and features that make his or her novels unique. An example of this is Sara Gruen, who demonstrates characteristic features of her writing in her novel Water for Elephants. The first characteristic that sets Sara Gruen’s novels apart from her colleagues’ is that she tends to write from different perspectives throughout her novels. Water for Elephants displays this feature, as the narrative switches time periods from the main character Jacob’s young adulthood to his old age. Next, uniqueness is constantly seen in Sara Gruen’s novels, including Water for Elephants through her use of sympathy and good versus evil and right versus wrong. Sympathetic behaviour …show more content…
This is largely seen in Water for Elephants, as animals are used as characters that interact with the human personalities in the novel. Sara Gruen uses animals to highlight the growing love between Jacob and Marlena. When speaking of August, Jacob says, “I hate that I’m in love with his wife and something damned close to that with the elephant” (171). Jacob’s words show that Gruen uses the relationship between Jacob and Rosie the elephant to represent the growing intimacy between Jacob and Marlena. Next, Gruen uses Rosie the elephant to aid in expressing the characters emotions. On page 268, Jacob describes Rosie’s reaction to her abuse by August when saying, “I turn back to Rosie. She stares at me, a look of unspeakable sadness on her face. Her amber eyes fill with tears.” Rosie’s emotions at that time in the novel are also those of Jacob. Jacob is heartbroken by the sight of Rosie being abused and Gruen uses Rosie to graphically describe the emotions of Jacob without attributing weakness to his character. Last, Gruen uses her signature subject of animals to draw the main characters together. As Jacob’s relationship with Marlena is slowing evolving, Rosie is used to let the readers know that their relationship should be encouraged and will last. As Marlena and Jacob are dancing, Jacob states, “As we twirl, I catch sight of Rosie’s raised trunk and smiling face” (129). Rosie’s actions are proof that Sara Gruen’s placing …show more content…
Sara Gruen is an example of an author whose series of novels relate to each other in terms of subject matter. Her novel Water for Elephants contains examples of all of these unique features. Usually, Gruen changes perspective in her novels. This is seen in Water for Elephants as the premise of the novel is an elderly man reminiscing of his past involvement in the circus. Next, Gruen uses the characters’ morality to allow readers to contrast between the protagonist and the antagonist. The subject of morality is also displayed in her other narratives as it is a topic she feels is an interesting component to her novels. Last, Gruen’s writing is unique because animals are commonly used as symbols throughout her novels. Sara Gruen is an animal lover who enjoys writing about the interactions between humans and animals. Sara Gruen’s unique writing style and techniques are seen in her novels, including Water for Elephants, which make her stand out as an
Findley uses animal imagery in The Wars as a powerful method of revealing important aspects of personality in the protagonist and other characters. He weaves the characteristics of Robert and those of the animals he encounters in the story. This animal imagery and the character development of Robert is used to express the story's theme of humanity's similarity to animals.
In Sara Gruen’s novel Water for Elephants, the theme of love being a driving force in the characters’ decision making is displayed through the use of characterization and conflict throughout the novel. Jacob’s love for Marlena causes him to make unexpected and often foolish decisions. When Jacob suddenly kissed Marlena, her reaction caused him to realize “‘[he] shouldn’t have done that,’” (Gruen, 2006, p. 153). Jacob was unable to conceal his love for Marlena, which, in turn, caused him to suddenly kiss her. Jacob’s character is extremely love driven, which is demonstrated by his romantic outbursts. Without thinking of the results, Jacob decided to keep Rosie because of his love for her. When Jacob told Marlena they were keeping Rosie, his reasoning was “‘I love that bull.
So far this book was a nice little surprise. Like previously stated, upon picking this book up one would think that the author is crazy for writing about the lifestyles of elephants. But when it is actually explored and read its written style and messages make for this book to be taken in very easily and fluently. This language used is at the perfect level, and the subject level is complex enough that the reader has to make connections themselves or else they will become confused almost guaranteed.
Overall, there is a strong sense of confinement in both novels, The Help, and Water for Elephants. The characters are confined through laws, bounds, expectations and silence. The authors state to the reader that, in order for humans to grow they must be free, and not confined. Subsequently, confinement leads to pain and suffering.
An authors style defines itself as the way in which the author expresses themselves throughout the piece of literature. They express themselves through their word choice, word order, rhythm, imagery, sentence structure, figurative language, and literary devices. Sandra Cisneros’, “The House on Mango Street”, is a short story encompassing the events and thoughts of an un-named child narrator as they describe their family’s living arrangement. Sandra uses a distinct type of style throughout her writing which fits the short story well. On the other hand, William Carlos Williams’, “The Use of Force”, is a short story about a doctor’s visit to an unusual patients home. The stories have their own distinctive style which is unique to each but, there
Read almost any book by Margaret Wise Brown, and you will start to see some overlapping trends. Readers know when they are reading a work by this famous author without seeing the cover or title page because her works have so many similarities. The use of multiple animals and nature frequently appear in her books and serve as common ideas in literature by Margaret Wise Brown.
Jacob Jankowski tells his story through his eyes as an elderly adult in the book Water For Elephants. Jacob went through a very tough time in his life in a matter of months, which changed his life in many ways. Jacob loses his parents at the end of his college career, and because of this he just happens to stumble upon a circus by jumping a train. Jacob's life has gone from completely perfect to upside down in a matter of 24 hours. Jacob receives the job as the circus vet, but has to work hard to earn it. During his time in the circus Jacob is pushed around, made fun of, but most importantly, falls in love. Marlena becomes Jacob's focus for the duration of his time with circus, however, Marlena is married to August, a man who is the head of the circus. Jacob and Marlena share a common interest though, Rosie. Rosie is the loveable elephant mentioned throughout the book who is very loyal to both Jacob and Marlena. Needless to say, Jacob has experienced many ups and downs throughout his life, and his children should take the time to listen to his advice and learn the importance out of a...
There are certain aspects of every story that makes literature unique to its author. The way that an author's structures there story can make its structure and style one of a kind. This can be seen in the stories “The story of an hour” and “lamb to the slaughter”. Though These two stories take largely different ways of structuring a marriage tragedy, both stories are still stories revoling around a wife dealing with the death of their husband . Through a plethora of rhetorical devices f , both authors make their own aesthetic impact and style of literature
Stylistic choices made by people when writing all differ from each other. Everyone has their own perspective on any topic given and sometimes they may be the same as others, but when written these ideas of theirs can be completely different with how that writer chooses to express the idea. For Barbara Kingsolver in her novel The Bean Trees she makes an effective display of her personality and thoughts through her writing helping the audience understand more thoroughly who she is and why the writing is hers. Themes and motifs are utilized in her writing with a repetitive overarching concept relating to women. Kingsolver makes this her own by inserting themes in her publication that indirectly address the process of womanhood for her characters
History is definitely a complicated and complex subject for countless individuals. Some people struggle with being able to relate to, understand, and learn about history, especially when learning about it through traditional means. But what people don’t realize is that we are exposed to aspects of history in several different ways. We don’t just have to learn about the past through reading non-fiction text, but also through the historical fiction genre, or even people’s autobiographies. However, how different is the learning experience between reading a non-fiction text and a fictional one? How are non-fiction historical texts and books categorized as historical fiction similar? The two books I’ll be discussing are Water for Elephants, an historical
Many authors create suspense to hook readers into the plot and hold an audience’s interest. Writers use this device when producing novels, plays, short stories, and screenplays. One can even create suspense when retelling an account of a personal story, like in a formal personal essay. This technique is especially applicable in a personal essay which details events in childhood or adolescence. The essayist can reflect on such events with his or her adult perspective. Yet, he or she can also neglect details in favour of creating the same tension in readers which the essayist experienced in his or her own life. Inducing suspense, much like inducing any emotion in a reader, is a difficult task which Joan Didion achieves by combining many writing techniques. Didion’s essay Goodbye to All That describes her eight-year residency in New York City. She outlines her time in New York from her arrival in the city to her psychological decline which causes her to leave. Didion relies on various techniques to create suspense in her essay. Through her use of a chronological timeline and a scarce level of detail, Didion creates suspense and interest for readers in her
Elephants'." Studies in Short Fiction. 17.1 (Winter 1980): 75-77. Rpt. in Literature Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 75-77. Literature Resource Center. Gale.
people not only prepare the reader for the author's style, but also aim at recreating the author's
In the story “Two Kinds”, the author, Amy Tan, intends to make reader think of the meaning behind the story. She doesn’t speak out as an analyzer to illustrate what is the real problem between her and her mother. Instead, she uses her own point of view as a narrator to state what she has experienced and what she feels in her mind all along the story. She has not judged what is right or wrong based on her opinion. Instead of giving instruction of how to solve a family issue, the author chooses to write a narrative diary containing her true feeling toward events during her childhood, which offers reader not only a clear account, but insight on how the narrator feels frustrated due to failing her mother’s expectations which leads to a large conflict between the narrator and her mother.
Animal asserts his position as the novel’s narrator by addressing his readership as Eyes, drawing from Jarnalis’s instructions on how to tell his story. Jarnalis told him to envision a presence, an undefined person who will soon come to feel like a friend he can be honest with and tell them his story. Animal turns the metaphor around: he says the eyes became real and started haunting him until from the undefined crowd emerged a single pair of them, Eyes, the reader themselves. The reader soon realizes they will not be a passive consumer of the story nor an omniscient presence observing the developments from the bird’s-eye’s view, but rather eyes fixed on Animal, unable to loo...