The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart Essay Example for Free

The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart Essay The Wicked Day, Mary Stewart’s concluding volume of the four-book series called the Arthurian Saga proved to be another fantastic display of mastery in Middle Ages inspired literature. Stewart’s primary modification the original Arthurian legends is making Mordred, originally Arthur’s twice-removed cousin, into Arthur’s bastard son to his half-sister Morgause. Although I initially did not like this alteration, this book proved to be an enchanting version of the original legend of King Arthur and his knights after all. What I liked about it most is its non-typical approach to the characters. In the original legends which I’ve also read, the dialogue used was not very exciting, and the emotional impact of events that unfolded was not so intense. Stewart’s take on Arthur is a lot more mature, making her book stand heads and shoulders above the bland mass of other fairy tales whether in book or screen which is based on the story. She presents Arthur, Mordred, Morguese and the rest as three-dimensional characters in a realistic world. Arthur himself was not shown as a faultless leader, neither was Morguese shown as evil incarnate as she usually was in the original where she also wasn’t portrayed to have had an affair with Arthur. Morguese in Stewart’s book was shown more like a victim of circumstance, and even Mordred was humanized in Stewart’s tale, a man without lack of conscience who must battle his own demons and settle his grievances against a father who abandoned him. I think these elements make the entire saga and its inevitable ending portrayed in this installment as a lot more morally gray, it makes it hard for me to judge whether a particular character is good or bad and I ended up not doing so at all. Truly a treat for Arthur lovers everywhere, the magic in her book is subtle yet captivating. Source: Stewart, Mary. (1983). The Wicked Day. Ballantine Books.

Metaphors For War :: essays research papers

The use of metaphors are an important factor with any piece of literature. Metaphors add color to creative writings, also establishing depth. A story without metaphors is lifeless, unable to compose another way to view it. The term for a metaphor is a figure of speech in which term is transferred to something it does not literally apply to, this helps the brain create a mental picture which the person might easily understand what the character is feeling. When a person finally makes the connection between the metaphor and the idea, the story takes a deeper meaning. In the story by E.M. Remarque, 'All Quiet on the Western Front', you see a vast quantity of metaphors to connect the characters thoughts together. While reading this book, you may decide to ignore the metaphors, by not truly understanding the meaning they portray. In this, you fail to grasp the emotions that the author relates to you in the tale of the soldiers of the book. If you take the time to appreciate what the author writes by using metaphors the story will be more enjoyable. Understanding metaphors is not always easy, many people get similes and metaphors mixed up. A simile is nothing more then a baby metaphor. You must be able to pick out a metaphor in the story, no matter how minuscule. For even though it may appear small, it might be a lead to another far bigger metaphor. Through this, the intended meaning will appear. When Paul the main character, refers to the front as a whirlpool, this is quite a large metaphor, with a deeply rooted meaning. "To me the front is a mysterious whirlpool. Though I am in still water far away from its centre, I feel the whirl of the vortex sucking me slowly, irresistibly, inescapably into itself" (Ch.4,Pg55) This is saying that though he is not even close to the front, he still feels the effects from his position. It creates the mental picture that Paul is a boat in a large ocean, and far in the distance the whirlpool is barely seen on the horizon. Though slowly, maybe without him even realizing it, he is being pulled towards the whirlpool. This is an example of a metaphor and the mental images it creates to help people understand the book. The author also has a cage represent the front, "The front is a cage in which we must await fearfully

How to Read Literature Study Questions Essay

How to Read Literature Like a Professor Summer Reading Questions 1. A Faustian bargain is more commonly known as a deal with the devil. In a Faustian bargain the protagonist is often offered something that he or she wants, but with a price: he or she must give up his or her soul. It appears constantly in literature in many different forms. Faustian bargains are present throughout One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest because of all the bets McMurphy makes. He goes into the ward knowing about the big Nurse’s power, and basically convinces the patients to follow him in her overthrow. Their price, however, is the risk of being sent to the Disturbed Ward and receiving electro shock treatment or even a lobotomy. In this way, McMurphy can be seen as a satanic figure, who convinces confused and scared patients to bargain what is left of their sanity to take over a Nurse who has ten times more control over their fate. 2. The grammar of literature is what Foster describes as the reader knowing the structure and rules of literature. He says they are a â€Å"set of conventions and patterns, codes and rules† that each reader learns and utilizes as they are reading. They recognize the structure of a paragraph and a sentence and know how to interpret what is on the page in front of them. The reader learns over time this grammar of literature, and he or she develops his or her own way to read and interpret a text. Readers learn the structure of an essay and thus can anticipate with each sentence what is coming next; it is so ingrained in their heads that it comes naturally. We know that a paragraph introduces a topic, gives examples, and then relates those examples back to the initial topic. In this way, the reader has developed a grammar of literature and reading. 3. Professors use symbols and patterns in a multitude of ways in order to interpret a text. Professors of literature, given their extensive memory and knowledge of literature itself, are bound to recognize the patterns and symbols in nearly every text and relate it to another. They read and think symbolically, meaning they recognize everything as a symbol or something of importance until they realize it’s not employed as a symbol. They constantly question everything in a text in order to find the deeper meaning. They see things as they actually exist, but then also look at the same thing to represent something more substantial. Professors are also more adapted to recognize patterns in literature, meaning they see within the detail the patterns it reveals. They are able to look beyond the actual story with the plot and the characters and see the patterns the author has implemented. They are able to recognize which elements are actually substantial enough to aid the work and the plot, and which ones are just detail. Their ability to distance themselves from the work is what makes them able to recognize the symbols and patterns that a regular reader may not recognize in a work. 4. There are five characteristics to a quest. First, there must be a quester. Next, that quester must have a place to go. Third, he or she must have a stated reason to go there. Fourth, there must be challenges and trials during the journey. Lastly, there must be a real reason to go to the place. Usually, the quester doesn’t know it is an actual â€Å"quest†. The real reason for the quest is the most important, and usually has nothing to do with the actual, stated reason. 5. The usual reason behind a quest is self-knowledge. Quests are often educational and provide the quester with a learning experience that aids their self-discovery. The reason for the quester’s youth and immaturity often has something to do with why they are on a quest, and what they end up learning. The only subject that truly matters on a quest is himself or herself. 6. Our questers: McMurphy, Doctor Spivey, and the twelve patients that join them. A place to go: The patients all leave the hospital for a lake to go on a fishing trip. A stated reason to go there: McMurphy wants to teach the boys how to fish and spend some time outdoors. Challenges and trials: The patients first face trouble when they don’t have a signed release form to be allowed to go on the boat, so the captain refuses to take them. McMurphy then takes the captain back to his office to make some phone calls to sort out the problem. While this happens, the other dock boys start heckling Candy, and the patients, not used to seeing others outside of the hospital, don’t stick up for her and defend themselves. They are not used to having enough confidence to stand up for themselves, since they have never had to, and McMurphy is the only one with enough confidence to yell at the dock boys. Next, the men struggle on the boat when trying to catch fish. None of them know how to reel in a line, and McMurphy is too busy with Candy to help them. So, they have to learn for themselves how to catch the fish and wrestle it on their own. The real reason to go: the fishing trip marks an important change in all of the patients. They come back even more bonded together than they were before, and full of confidence and personality. They come back and are confident enough to yell back at the dock boys, and even start sharing real, hearty laughs. It teaches all of them that if you try hard enough, you will get what you want. It also made them less afraid of the real world, and made them appreciate what was on the outside. 7. In the real world, breaking bread together is an act of sharing and peace, since if you’re breaking bread you’re not breaking heads†. 8. A meal scene is almost always symbolic because they are so difficult and boring to write. If a writer puts in a detailed meal scene, it must have some symbolic value since meals are almost never of real importance in a story. The writer must have a pretty good reason to include one in his or her story. The meal scene often has to deal with the relationships, good or bad, between characters, and often offer a turning point or pivotal change in the story during said meal. The typical meal scene is so mundane that for it to be included in a story and take up a lot of writing, it definitely has to have symbolic value. 9. According to Foster, eating in literature may represent a number of things. Firstly, it can represent communion, coming together, and getting along. A meal scene is written to show how characters are getting along or not getting along. It also can be used to form a bond, to find something in common between one character and another. It is a moment and a form of trust. Meal scenes that go wrong are also written for a purpose. Comradeship† at the table is important to convey in a meal scene, whether it is good or bad. The meal scene is vital in portraying the communion of life. 10. A positive communion scene occurs in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest on the last night McMurphy is in the ward. They bring in some wine and open up the drug closet, and have a good time in the ward with no one on duty. It has symbolic meaning becau se it is one of the few times the patients have an actual fun time together, they bond and realize that life is too short to not have fun. They enjoy being free of stress and restraints and for once feel like real people again. 11. A negative communion happens in Beloved when Paul D comes to visit 124. He comes and visits Sethe and Denver, both of whom he hasn’t seen in many years and wishes to reconnect with them. However, Paul D’s presence makes Denver uncomfortable and left out. Sethe and Paul D sit down for a meal, and Denver feels alienated. No one comes to their house often, and when someone she doesn’t know comes in who takes her mother’s attention away from her, she is clearly angered. On top of that, Beloved decides to frighten them even more. She suddenly shakes the house to the point where everyone has to duck and cover, and frightens Paul D. She decides to make the communion negative and show symbolically her disgust and hatred for unwelcome men. 12. There are a couple essentials to a vampire story. First, there is an older figure (typically the â€Å"vampire†) that is alluring, dangerous, and representing corrupt values. This older figure then focuses on young, beautiful, innocent women, who are often virginal. This vampire then strips away her youth, her innocence, and corrupts her. When he gets her, he himself grows younger and even more alive than before. His energy is renewed and his life continues, while hers is sucked away as she becomes more like him. Since he has taken her virtue, her death and or destruction become inevitable. And most times, the motive often has to do with sex. 13. There are a lot of things other than literal vampirism that vampires and ghosts represent in literature. They can represent selfishness, exploitation, and refusal to respect autonomy. The ghost of Hamlet’s father is there to point out a problem, rather than just be a fright. Edward Hyde represents the dark side of every man. Vampires and ghosts don’t even have to be literal to represent something. They don’t have to appear in visible forms to be considered a vampire or ghost. They are put in a story to scare, haunt, and frighten people, but also to point out problems, teach a lesson, and protect a character. In Beloved, the ghost of Sethe’s murdered daughter embodies the spirit of Beloved as if she were alive. She haunts Sethe’s home and serves as a reminder of what she did. She can be seen as allegorical, as she represents the past haunting the present as a lesson and reminder of the crime Sethe committed. The relationship between Beloved and Sethe is complicated and often an unhappy one. Beloved’s presence is often destructive to Sethe, Denver, and their home. She creates instability in their household as well as within both women of the house. Though she is dead, she is ever-present, and helps develop the characters of Sethe, Denver, and Paul D. She represents pain and misfortune, but also guidance and hope. 14. Paul Berlin, the protagonist in Going After Cacciato, embodies an author’s â€Å"creative process† in many ways. His story is compiled from many other stories, meaning that all the stories ever written all stem from one story.

Shakespeare s Othello - Iago And Emilia - 889 Words

Iago and Emilia â€Å"A liar begins with making falsehood appear like truth and ends with making truth itself appear like falsehood,† said William Shenstone. This I believe to be so, in the story Othello, Iago was conceived as the most dishonest individual in the plot. Iago played mind games on everyone without them even knowing. Iago is like a snake, he first deceives Othello by turning him against his wife Desdemona. Iago then proves his theories with Desdemona sleeping with her longtime friend Cassio to be true. Next Iago proves his love with his wife Emilia to be false. Emilia is the complete opposite of Iago. She is even blind to her husband’s actions. Emilia is all about what is right. This couple is not your everyday fairytale couple, of course relationships go through obstacles, but I would consider theirs to be a maze. No one really knows why Iago is such a liar and is out to get everyone’s happiness, he just does deceiving things out the story. The main problem we had with Iago, was him turning Othello against his wife Desdemona. Iago made Othello believe that Desdemona was sleeping around with Cassio. Cassio is a friend of Othello and has been a friend of hers before she and Othello even got together. Iago manipulates Othello repeatedly so that he can believe him. He does this by leaving Desdemona scarf in Cassio’s room and telling Othello she left it after they were laid up together. Othello only believes it because the scarf is evidence of her and she takes theShow MoreRelatedOthello, By William Shakespeare957 Words   |  4 Pagesinnocent person kills himself while not knowing the truth. The best example of that would be the play Othello by the great William Shakespeare. As little as a handkerchief could make a difference if it is a symbol for something. In the play Othello by Shakespeare, handkerchief is first introduced by Othello to his beautiful mistress, Desdemona, as a sign of their love. At the end of the play what gets Othell o to take extreme measures by the location of the handkerchief. As the symbol of the handkerchiefRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello - Lack Of Respect And Authority1452 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s, Othello, expresses the lack of respect and authority given to women during Shakespeare’s time. Throughout the piece, women are repeatedly put in positions subordinate to men and are stripped of a voice. Women in this piece are portrayed as â€Å"belongings† to men, and never resist how they are treated. Iago is able to use women in his plan, like pawns in a chess game, to benefit himself. However, it is a woman in the end who puts the pieces together and solves Iago twisted plot. It isRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello As Oppressed And Marginalized By Patriarchal Society1710 Words   |  7 PagesEmilia in William Shakespeare s Othello, is oppressed and marginalized by her patriarchal society. While she is initially conflicted between the belief s of her society and her own convictions, by choosing to follow her own moral ideals she reveals her strong, independent persona. Paragraph One Emilia is restricted and limited in her actions by the pressure she feels to follow the norms of her fellow citizens. Despite the fact that Emilia is unhappy in her marriage and does not like Iago, herRead MoreShakespeare s Othello : An Understanding Of Renaissance Love Essay1492 Words   |  6 Pagesanalysing Shakespeare s Othello is an understanding of renaissance love. The story of Othello is a lesson on the reborn idea of the complicated love introduce first in ancient greece; in this study Emilia is an instructor of the love of Philia. The ancient greeks had a particular affinity for this particular type of love, the love between true friends; and the lesson we can gleam from our play is that Emilia s type of philatelic love is especially crucial in Bildungsroman. Emilia s coming of ageRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Othello By William Shakespeare938 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Tragedy of Othello† is commonly considered one of Shakespeare s greatest tragedies and one of his finest works. In this play we see many literary devices at work. Several of these devices are involved in Iago’s deceitful plot against Othello that creates much suspense for the duration of the play. In â€Å"The Tragedy of Othello,† William Shakespeare uses symbolism, irony, and tone to create this classic drama. Symbols are central to understanding â€Å"Othello† as a play. There are two significantRead More Irregularities in Othello1716 Words   |  7 PagesIrregularities in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The Shakespearean tragedy Othello contains various irregularities of time and occurrence which cause the audience to scratch their head in wonder and doubt. Let us analyze some of these shortcomings in this essay.    In the Introduction to The Riverside Shakespeare Frank Kermode explains one of the difficulties in Othello:    Othello murders his wife on the second night in Cyprus. The difficulty, of which Shakespeare was clearly aware, arisesRead MoreEssay about Jealousy in Shakespeares Othello1450 Words   |  6 PagesJealousy in Shakespeares Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚   Othello features jealousy as the dominant motive for action and therefore just as reflected in real life we bare witness to jealousy influencing the characters of Iago, Brabantio, Roderigo, and Othello. In this essay I shall be attempting to examine this theme in depth drawing comparison between jealousy and the consequential action.   The dominance of jealousy as the chief causative force of action in the drama is very obvious to most critics. InRead MoreAnalysis Of Othello By William Shakespeare1505 Words   |  7 Pages In William Shakespeare’s play Othello Iago has the ability to charm and convince people of his loyalty and honesty. Iago immediately introduced his malicious desire for revenge, but he had no proven reason for his actions. Throughout the play Iago devises a devious plan to convince the other characters of his cunning contrivance. Iago treats others as the fool with no intentions of caring about their feelings. Behind his deceitful trustworthy appearance, Iago is a multilayered manipulative villainRead MoreChenjie Chai. Ms. Milliner. Cuny Ela Period 2. 1/19/2016.1397 Words   |  6 Pages1/19/2016 Essay Shakespeare s famous play of love turned bad by unfounded jealousy. His Othello also tells a sad story. The story begins in Venice with Iago, a soldier under Othello s command arguing with a wealthy Venetian, Roderigo. Roderigo has paid Iago a considerable sum of money to spy on Othello for him, since he wishes to take Othello s girlfriend, Desdemona as his own. The story to this as the main line, there have beenRead MoreShakespeare s Othello - The Simplicity Of Love1521 Words   |  7 PagesThe Simplicity of Love in Othello Shakespeare’s plays seem to focus essentially on a dominant male character and his struggles that tend to deal with a woman in a few plays. Shakespeare is criticized for the depiction of his novel. There are just three women in the play. They are Desdemona, Bianca, and Emilia. The role of the women serves to present them completely to reflect their ideological prospects within the Elizabethan society as well as the Venetian society. The women are required to love