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Naturalism In A Mystery Of Heroism By Stephen Crane

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"If yeh want a drink so bad why don't yeh go git it?" The Civil War in 1855 conveyed to bring demands for a "truer" type of literature that does not idealize people or places. Consequently, the use of visualization and detached narration is constant in Crane's writing. In A Mystery of Heroism, Stephen Crane demonstrates characteristics of naturalism describing the actions of a typical individual. Throughout the story, the author uses symbolism, irony and visualization to reflect the elements of Realism and Naturalism.
One of Crane's exemplifications of symbolism during the story is the bucket of water that Collins risks life to go and fetch. "Suddenly there was an oath, the thud of wood on the ground, and a swift murmur of astonishment among the ranks. The two lieutenants glared at each other. The bucket lay on the ground empty." One of the interpretative meanings of the bucket is that the author highlights the pointlessness and futility of war. On the other hand, the bucket represents the heroism that he displays by taking such risk to …show more content…

"The two lieutenants glared at each other. The bucket lay on the ground empty." Collins risked his life for a cause he didn't need and ended up having it taken from him. The only person who got to drink the water was faded to die. "A shell struck the grey ruins of the house and as, after the roar, the shattered wall fell in fragments, there was a noise which resembled the flapping of shutters during a wild gale of winter." This type of visualization and a detached narrative is a characteristic of Realism. Crane uses an essential vivid description of the battle to make the reader realize the danger and risk of Collin's actions. Therefore, Crane, as a Realist writer adopted the scientific method of detached observation so that the narrator of the story sounds unbiased and distant and the reader can conclude whether Collins is a hero or

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The author then builds scene through description "… in a Tudor building..." and "noticed a man at the far end of the lot, near a seven-story apartment building" creating a sense of being there. The author then uses quotes from the victim to show just how much was heard by the bystanders nearby. The author also creates a sense of an animalistic attack by the assailant. An example of such description is " the assailant looked up at him, shrugged and walked down Austin street. The author then describes the assailant as the everyday person he was, being a family man and having no former crimes.

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Unable to bear the tattered man’s questioning and realizing his gun lesions are turning fatal, he abandons him to die alone in the woods. Continuing on, he stumbles upon a rotting soldier corpse that puts all the death he has witnessed into perspective. The body serves as a powerful reminder of exactly what’s at stake. This is where Crane establishes the switch in Henry’s mind: the vain belief that human life is a reputation unearned, and the realization that, regardless of your status, all human life meets the same

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“ The rain was the war and you had to fight it. ”(O’Brien,p.104) The reader could sense not only the fighting struggle of the war, but also the things they couldn't control. No matter how the war went the soldiers were always thankful if they made it back

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Crane’s short story, The Monster, is about how Henry Johnson, the coachman, severely burns his body in the attempt to rescue the Dr. Trescott’s young son, but rather than receiving high acclaims within the town, he is ridiculed for his burnt face and disabilities. While Henry Johnson losing his face is quite a loss, the real loss is the mask every townspeople had prior to the house fire. When the townspeople lost their mask, it revealed the true face of how unkind they are towards those who look or act different than the social norm. Judge Hagenthrope speaks to Dr. Trescott in reference to Henry Johnson, “No one wants to advance such ideas, but somehow I think that that poor fellow ought to die,” revealing that some people within the town

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These were the decisions many soldiers fought against before going to war, including the narrator of the book. In the chapter, "On The Rainy River" from his novel The Things They Carried, author Tim O'Brien uses the motif of pig stench, the symbolism of Elroy Berdahl, and juxtaposition to communicate how people who were drafted dealt with internal conflict between their beliefs and their country before and after the war. Throughout the chapter, O'Brien uses sensory imagery to describe the main character

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Boyle uses some symbolism too. All of the people there that leave their trash on the ground harms the experience for other people as well as harming the environment. Boyle shows the dramatic impact that littering can cause to the surroundings. The broken glass presents the danger of cutting your feet when walking on the bank of the shore without shoes on. The water of the lake, which was once clear, is now murky and putrid.

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In the Novel The Things They Carried, the author, Tim Obrien recalls multiple stories during one of the most devastating wars in United States history. Through storytelling, Obrien casts light upon the horrifying reality of the Vietnam war and the struggles that Obrien’s men encounter, as well as all the other soldiers. Obrien uses the novel to represent the paradox that war is both horrible and beautiful. Obrien displays this through Ted Lavenders death, Curt lemons death, and the killing of the baby water buffalo. Obrien portrays the paradox that war is both horrible and beautiful through the death of Ted Lavender.

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Rain is another Important topic within symbolism, in most stories rain can mean the Cleansing of a character, (similar to a baptism) but it can also mean the opposite. If it's raining in a story and the ground is muddy and the character slips and falls into it, that may very well be a metaphor for the characters problems catching up to them in a humiliating

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Realism is VERY apparent in this novel because of the realistic features Crane uses about

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When the author expresses the feelings within Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’s troops we see their individual personalities. When the author used characterization, symbolism, and tone, they truly brought out the theme of physical and emotional burdens throughout “The Things They

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“ There was a fluttering in his voice,(Crane 79).”He didn't get separated from his regiment, he ran away because he was scared and didn’t have the courage to fight and to help fight with his regiment. He made Winston and his commander believe that he got shot in the head even though he didn't. “ You have been grazed by a ball.” “ It's as if some feller had slammed yeh on the head with a club, (Crane 81).”The doctor knew he was lying but moved on and made everyone think he got shot because he didn’t want to deal with Henry's lies.

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The Open Boat This story makes clear one more times the idea that nature is ultimately indifferent to the human condition, possessing no consciousness that we can understand. The reality of nature’s lack of concern for human beings is becoming increasingly clear in The Open Boat, by Stephen Crane. The oiler’s death and lack of explanation surrounding it reinforce the randomness of nature’s tricks and symbolize the indifference of nature toward man.

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After finally leaving the hotel he heads to a saloon in the town behind the hotel, Romper, where he is stabbed by the Gambler and meets his final resting place. This whole situation is ironic as if he was not paranoid of being killed nothing after would have occurred and there could have been a good chance the Swede was not going to be killed. This situation helps support the idea that the quote describing Stephen Crane applies to the story as it shows how the story itself is an

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but it also must be a virtue one sees in him/herself. Similarly, the constant symbolism of nature contributes to the outlook Henry has himself, courage, and the truths of war. After battle Henry is astonished by nature’s indifference, Crane wrote, “As he gazed around him the youth felt a flash of astonishment at the blue, pure sky and the sun gleaming on the trees and fields... Nature had gone tranquilly on with her golden process in the midst of so much devilment” (Crane 38). Henry is astonished that after so much bloodshed and death nature appeared indifferent and carried on.

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