The short story “Fresh Fruit” by Marisella Viega and “He and I” by Natalia Ginzburg share similar meaning and structure between the two. Both stories use symbolism and imagery to convey the struggles of a complex relationship. Although they have similar meanings, they also have differences such as style and theme. In "Fresh Fruit," the narrator struggles with a lack of power and control in her relationship with her husband.
In Rudolfo Anaya's novel "Bless Me, Ultima," Antonio Márez's dreams serve as a significant aspect of his character development and provide insights into his fears, conflicts, and spiritual exploration. Throughout the story, Antonio's dreams offer a glimpse into his subconscious, allowing him to confront his anxieties and search for answers. For example, in one dream, Antonio witnesses the golden carp, symbolizing his fear of straying from his Catholic beliefs (page 50). This recurring nightmare reflects his internal struggle as he navigates between his traditional Catholic upbringing and the indigenous spirituality represented by Ultima. Antonio's dreams also act as a catalyst for his spiritual growth and exploration.
Antonio begged God to forgive Andrew (Antonio’s brother) “Your brother has sinned with the whores, and so I condemn him to hell for eternity!”(Pg.173). Antonio’s demeanor portrayed confusion and fear of why he is the chosen one to save his brothers when he is hopeful for their saving of him. “Oh, I cried, forgive me Lord! I have sinned, I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed.
Startled, I looked up into Ultima’s brown, wrinkled face (Anaya 24).” The loss of innocence ties in with the mythical aspects of the novel because when Antonio feels saddened by an event that will eventually reflect on him, he turns to Ultima as a saving grace to treat him and make him feel better. The loss of innocence is an important theme in the novel considering it is a major issue that Antonio has to face upon aging, and Ultima acting as the supernatural force brings light to the hard-to-face
Through Bless me, Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya expertly manipulates the trope of a character opposing his fictional society and their standards by using Antonia Márez and his struggle to assimilate into society’s religious expectation; moreover, Antonio must choose between his family's religion and what they symbolize along with pagan gods and Ultima’s magic. Ultimately, Antonio will have to determine if he will follow the teachings of Christ or adapt to the new rules of pagan gods. The reader follows along as Antonio struggles to believe in the Catholic faith after it continuously fails while witnessing how Ultima and her magic does not, challenging Antonio and his sense of stability. Antonio is also expected to gravitate towards being a pastor,
Paul’s self-concept was impacted by Luis’s bravery. The first example is when Luis died. Paul was mourning Luis’s death when he says “ I feel like Luis is a part of me now”(252). Paul feels that the values Luis taught him are now a part of him.
In the story, Anaya displays the spiritual influence of folktales by comparing the different attitudes of Antonio’s choice of the future. At the beginning of the story, Antonio lives in a cozy family, but full of contrasting beliefs. In his dream, Antonio hears his mother cry “Cease!” and then “the men were quiet. I pulled this baby into the light of the life, so I will bury the afterbirth and the cord that once linked him to eternity.
In the book American Street by Ibi Zoboi Fabiola is a teenage immigrant who comes to America from Haiti and has to adjust to a new lifestyle. At the gate on her way to America she gets separated from her mother and has to learn a new culture on her own. Her cousins Chantal, Pri, and Donna are not very welcoming and barely realize she is there. Once she starts school a detective finds Fabiola and asks her to help investigate Dray, Donna’s boyfriend because they believe he deals drugs. Fabiola agrees and starts going to parties trying to figure out where he will be selling next because if they catch him Fabiola’s mother will be released from the jail.
The novel Cane (1923) by Jean Toomer consists of many short stories about the experiences of African Americans in the 1920s. The short story “Carma,” highlights the life of a woman who is unhappy with her marriage and is seeking freedom. In the story, the narrator suggests that females may use adultery and gossip as a path to independence.
To open chapter 29, Asante stands face to face with unanswered questions for himself: “Where to stay? Who to stay with? Who to call? Where the fuck am I going? Where to get money?...
“Look around, look around, the revolution is happening in New York” (Miranda). Lin-Manuel Miranda, a famous American composer, wrote the play “Hamilton”. The play is notable for incorporating hip-hop, pop music, and color-conscious in the story of the founding fathers and America becoming a country. The women of “Hamilton” play a powerful role in dictating Alexander Hamilton’s actions, and the play reveals women’s ideas during the revolutionary time period. Angelica Schuyler is the eldest sister of the Schuyler sisters.
And it's okay to take it out on me. - I love you, Mziwoxolo. - Please stop calling me that! I don't want you to end up with nothing.
In City of God, the author, E.L. Doctorow, writes a story of the main character, Mr. Blumenthal, telling his daughter about his childhood as a Jew and how he became a runner during the time of the Nazis. After losing his parents, he was taken to the council center and goes under a new identity as Yehoshua Mendelssohn, the grandson of a tailor named Srebnitsky who he will be staying for now on. Later on, Srebnitsky was executed and Yehoshua had to run away before he gets killed. He went back to the council center where he met Mr. Barbanel who gave him the job as a runner to spread the message from the council to the people to warn them about the Germans.
This experience of Ántonia and her family also relates very closely to a passage in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. Aristotle says, "People who claim that the person being tortured or the person who has fallen on very bad times is
Annie Hall is an award winning comedic story of two lovers who are very different. Alvy Singer, played by Woody Allen, who also happened to direct the film, and Annie Hall, played by Diane Keaton have very distinct differences that make their relationship unsuccessful. A scene in the film that makes their differences very clear is set in Annie’s parent’s house where the couple joins Annie’s family for Easter dinner. The scene opens with a long shot, which allows the viewer to understand that the scene has changed to a different location than the scene before.
