Have you ever been sitting somewhere and felt unbearably bored, just thinking “I wish I were a bird and could fly freely.” Ten-year-old Handful, in the novel The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd, thought this way, but for a completely different reason. She thinks like this to escape the brutal reality of her life as a slave. Her owner, Eleven-year-old Sarah Grimke, is an abolitionist who got Handful as a birthday present and is forced to accept her by her parents. Kidd wrote this historical-fiction book not only to entertain, but also to provide the reader with a perspective of an awful time in history.
Flying is a thought that everyone wishes to do, however some wishes don’t come true. “Waxen Wings” by Ha Songnan is about a girl named Birdie, a nickname she earns because she wishes to fly. Birdie tries to fly, but struggles every time. Throughout the story, Ha Songnan utilizes cause and effect, second-person point of view, and repetition of ideas emphasize the importance of rising after a fall. Songnan uses cause and effect structure to show structure in the story to highlight the importance of rising after a failure. When Birdie attempts to dabble in gymnastics, her achievement falters because of her body.
With the guidance of her three older sisters, Mate has formed her true identity. Mate does not back down for what she believes in, no matter what the consequences are. She has used this quality to make a positive change for her country, her family, and herself. In the Time of the Butterflies has larger implications on the world as a whole because standing up for one’s beliefs is something everyone should try to do. This book inspires others to stay strong and not back down no matter
When Quindlen brings up how perfection to her was like a “backpack filled with bricks on [her] back”, the listener can visualize how this need metaphorically weighed her down for years. After looking back on her struggle, Quindlen cautions her audience about how if they meet everyone’s expectations that one day when “fall into the center of [themselves]” they will find a “black hole where [their] core ought to be”. This powerful language allows the audience to mentally see how damaging following other people’s expectations of you can
No matter what we do, there will always be consequences. In Sherman Alexie’s book, Flight, a fifteen year old half Native American boy named Zits struggles with many difficult topics, one of which is the theme of revenge. Zits travels through time and lives in different bodies to experience the world from different angles throughout the book. In one section of the book, Zits is in the body of a young Native American boy.
“Too late” by Ha Jin explores the story of a political leader who interferes in a love affair between Kong Kai, a young solider, and a low-class girl, An Mali. The story takes place during a time of political uncertainty which adds tensions to Kong Kai’s choice between political leadership or love. Dialogue and other literary elements related to dialogue play a large part in establishing a theme throughout the story. The readers can see the story through the political leader’s perspective which is very interesting as this narrator is also the antagonist. Throughout the short story “Too Late”, Jin uses rhetorical questions, tone and plot to convey the central theme that it takes courage to love.
If We Fear Something: What Causes the Personality Change in Bird and how those Changes Improved him in Celeste Ng ’s Our Missing Hearts It is very difficult for human beings to change, especially if it will disrupt their comfortable lives. I have friends who never achieve self discovery and never grow, they don't explore their fears or lose trust when it's right. In Celeste Ng's novel “Our Missing Hearts”, Bird's journey to find his mother is not only a physical journey but also a journey of self-discovery.
“Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice” Nam Le’s “Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice” is categorized in “ethnic story” narrated his Vietnamese life in order to meet an upcoming deadline even though finally he can’t submit his story because his father burns his work. Throughout the story, Nam the narrator talks about “the past” which he experiences when he was young including the recent experience that he has got from his father reunion. Not only does the story tell us about the past which, but it also shows a connection of time between past, present, and future. Likewise, the story shows the relationship between son and father which is the main theme of this story; and shows how the past is important and affect to them differently. Also, the story of the past could lead to the end of the story that can be interpreted like a prediction of the direction of their relationship in the future.
Lately, there have been a variety of classic fairy tales that have been renovated to appeal to an audience of the twenty-first century on the big screen. However, such revisions occur not only in movies, but in literature as well. Through the use of literary devices, we have the ability to connect classic tales to the modern world. In Edward Field's poem "Icarus", the author employs imagery and extended metaphor to adapt the Icarus myth to a contemporary setting.
Maia’s astounding ability to be self reliant and independent in the face of tough challenges defines her as a free thinking young woman, but Cinderella’s meek attitude confines her and drags her down when she is challenged. The ideal of independence is vital to a meaningful life, as illustrated by both young women in similar circumstances. When a baby robin hatches from a pale blue egg, they are completely dependent on their mother for food, water, and protection. Eventually, the baby bird leaps out of the nest, earns independence, and starts their own life. Humans must also leap out of their nest into a scary world filled with the unknown.
Many people face some kind of adversity in their lives, but only few are recognized to the same extent as Adeline’s experiences in the autobiography ‘Chinese Cinderella’, written by Ms. Adeline Yen Mah. ‘Chinese Cinderella’ suggests that mental strength is what is needed to overcome all forms of adversity in life. This essay will discuss the ways in which that Adeline uses intellectual power to overcome the difficulties in her life, the outcomes she achieved and the messages she portrays. The ways that Adeline uses mental strength to overcome adversity occurs through many different events in her childhood.
Author, Annie Dillard, in her passage, “The Stunt Pilot,” explains how her attitude towards her understanding of art changed after meeting stunt pilot, David Rahm. Dillard’s purpose is to explain how meeting Rahm and seeing his performance transformed her, and helped her to understand what it means when work becomes art. She adopts a tone of awed appreciation in order to convey to her audience of highly literate adults how profoundly Rahm affected her. Dillard begins with a factual and objective style that sets the pace. Dillard introduces Rahm, and informs her audience that he “lived in Bellingham...a harbor town...in Haro Strait” while she lived “between the stints on the island.”
Some dreams were not accomplished due to many reasons. “All dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” This book is all about one’s personal determination and perseverance to create new and
In the poem, “A Hymn to Childhood,” Li-Young Lee talks about having fragmented individuality from childhood due to war. He is lost in perception of a traumatic childhood caused by war and a normal naïve childhood. Lee depicts the two diverged childhoods from his memory through the use of antithesis to emphasize the world perceived by a self fragmented individual. Throughout the poem, he consistently presents two opposing ideas to show what it feels like to grow up with emotional trauma.
Merwin uses the archetype of death to show the reader what the Vietnam war did to people, and how inhumane the Vietnam war was. Death is something people throughout all cultures and different parts of the world are affected by. Merwin uses this to his advantage so his message will reach a larger audience. Death is a common factor throughout “The Asians Dying”. Merwin depicts those who died in the Vietnam war in ways that some readers may find hard to read.