ipl-logo

The Role Of Tragedies In Francis Phelan's Ironweed

553 Words3 Pages

There were many tragedies in the book Ironweed. Francis Phelan faced a lot of struggles throughout the novel and he has had to make many hard decisions of his life based on the tragedies that he faced throughout his life. These tragedies changed his life dramatically and are the reason that he is who he is today. Two of the big tragedies he faced in the book are the death of his son and hitting the striker in the head with a baseball. The biggest tragedy in the novel is when Francis drops his infant son while he was drunk. He dropped his son and his son ended up dying from being dropped. This caused Francis to leave his family for many years and desert everyone who loved him because he thought everyone hated him. This was a bad decision because Annie did not end up telling anyone about Francis dropping the baby and no one loved him any less due to what he did. Instead he was gone all those years and lost all the time spent with his family that he could have …show more content…

It was partially accidental, but he was a very good thrower due to baseball and found the perfect rock that looked similar in shape and size to hit his target where he aimed. Francis hit the man in the head and the man instantly died. This incident caused soldiers to fire at the mob, which kills two bystanders due to Francis’ actions. After that incident, Francis was on the run and took off in a trolley car to escape and eventually came back when he thought he could return without being thrown in jail. It is believed that the killing of the striker is what caused Francis to become more violent. He has killed many people throughout the novel and Harold Allen was just the start of what causes Francis to kill people and not just run away in a fight. Francis had a lot of guilt for the people he killed, but his actions deserved consequences instead of backing out of the fights he was engaged

Show More
Related

Larry Lasalle Heroes Essay

1315 Words | 6 Pages

He also treads along the theme of heroism and anti- heroism expertly, and making his readers question what is the essence of a hero. He is able to show how Larry and Francis embody heroism and anti- heroism, using their appearances, behaviours and use of language to reflect these two themes. Also, Larry and Francis are anti-heroes- guilt drove Francis to go back to Frenchtown and not his mere morals and ideals; Larry has his dark side which is truly despicable. It is also apparent that the common concept of heroism is flawed, and that there lies a grey area between heroism and anti-

Read More

Francis Aloysius Phelan In William Kennedy's Ironweed

1453 Words | 6 Pages

Events that unfold in a person’s life occur because of uncontrollable circumstances around them as well as their actions. This balance of power of these two forces is never the same in different people. Thus, people fall into two general categories, those at the mercy of the uncontrollable and those who exert more control over their lives than outside forces do. Francis Aloysius Phelan, in William Kennedy’s “Ironweed,” falls into this second category. Francis is a former baseball player in his younger years who know finds himself, at 58, living as a bum in Albany, New York in 1938 during the Great Depression.

Read More

Similarities Between John Proctor And The Crucible

910 Words | 4 Pages

He tries to forgive himself but he cannot, no matter how hard he tries. The heroic characteristics as well as the flaw leads him to be a tragic hero. On top of his road to self discovery he must deal with the ever declining social structure of the town. He tries to stand out as an honest resistor to the hangings, which ultimately leads to his

Read More

Inherit The Wind Frank Brady Character Analysis

696 Words | 3 Pages

He was extremely conceited, has his fortune reversed, and makes a mistake that leads to his downfall. Though he was once considered a hero, he essentially turned himself into a tragic

Read More

Examples Of Treachery In The Great Gatsby

582 Words | 3 Pages

Fitzgerald uses his characters to perfectly convey the theme of secrecy and treachery. What makes this theme so important is that it creates the plot of The Great Gatsby. It’s what makes the story so exciting and heartbreaking. Without Daisy telling the truth that she drove the car that killed Myrtle, Gatsby would not be dead. If Tom had not cheated on Daisy with Myrtle, George would have never hit her, or found out about the affair.

Read More

How Is Knowledge Shown In The Great Gatsby

950 Words | 4 Pages

Having knowledge in the world today is a very great trait to have. To replace this great trait with ignorance would be wrong and would cause stress and would cause one’s self to become a fool. When knowledge is obtained, you will achieve great things and have much advancements. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, is about a man named Nick Carraway who follows Jay Gatsby, a man who has one dream, which is to reunite with the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan. This quest later leads Gatsby from poverty to wealth, when he reunites with Daisy this would eventually lead to his death and making him fail to fulfill his American Dream.

Read More

Adversity In The Crucible

914 Words | 4 Pages

“Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant” (Horace). The idea that hard times elicit the development of certain aspects of a character, whether good or bad, is prevalent in literature, particularly The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Horace’s assertion is true in regard to the two texts in that they both contain characters who develop maturity and mercy, a new self-awareness, and cunning duplicity. The notion that adversity develops talents is shown in the characters of The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter who matured and developed an ability to forgive over the course of the plot.

Read More

Myrtle's Ambition In The Great Gatsby

1052 Words | 5 Pages

Myrtle is slain by her quest for capital; Wilson becomes insane from his wife's affair and subsequent death; and Gatsby loses what he looked for his entire life, the past. All of these characters prove the tragic message that no matter one's dreams or ambitions, no matter one's money or determination, they can still fail or even die as a result of their

Read More

7 Deadly Sins In The Great Gatsby

598 Words | 3 Pages

Most of the plot revolves around Gatsby’s and Tom’s forbidden relationships. Gatsby has lusted for Daisy ever since he met her, even though they could never be together. Tom is cheating on Daisy with a woman from the valley of ashes, Myrtle. He does this because his

Read More

Examples Of Allusion In The Great Gatsby

389 Words | 2 Pages

This example of allusion is used to deglorify Gatsby’s image, as well as foreshadow his unfortunate fate. The term “Trimalchio” refers to a pretentious character in a Roman work of literature who is born a slave and gains wealth through objectionable methods. In comparing both characters, Fitzgerald highlights Gatsby’s most unfavorable attributes. The subtle remark instantly characterizes the “Oxford man”, whose sole intention in life was to impress the women he was in love with, as a shallow and pompous. Simultaneously, this depiction of Gatsby minimizes his role in society at the time by portraying his rise to fame as a mysterious and unexplainable occurrence.

Read More

Examples Of Archetype In The Great Gatsby

1311 Words | 6 Pages

He loses his sense of clear judgement, just as Oedipus was blinded by his tragic flaw. Gatsby portrays his blindness when he says, “Can’t repeat the past … Why of course you can!” (Fitzgerald 118). Even after Daisy shows that she is not willing to give up her life and be with him, Gatsby is so far disillusioned that he does not give up. Fitzgerald uses the tragic hero characteristic of a tragic flaw both to link Gatsby as a modern tragic hero to tragic heroes of old and to set up this central character’s final

Read More

Women In The Great Gatsby Essay

680 Words | 3 Pages

Things like this upset people, mostly the men in particular. The men were upset because this showed that they were losing the dominance they had over the female society. In the story, the narrator, Nick Carraway meets Daisy and Jordan, two women who are greatly impacted by the effects of society. Fitzgerald uses the role of women to demonstrate the impact of society on women during this time.

Read More

The Great Gatsby American Dream

660 Words | 3 Pages

Through the empty lives of three characters from this novel—Myrtle, Daisy, and Jay Gatsby—Fitzgerald shows that chasing hollow dreams leads only to misery. All Myrtle wants is a perfect and luxurious life. The

Read More

The Theme Of Love In 'Fences' By August Wilson

985 Words | 4 Pages

He became uncomfortable in he strong and lasting relationship and looked elsewhere for happiness, when in reality his happiness was found inside his home, with in Rose. Wilson effectively shows through the conflict within their marriage both fairfullness and adultery, giving light to the endless complexities to love and relationships. It shows that many people will forsake you, even if you give them the

Read More

F Scott Fitzgerald Crack Up Analysis

1440 Words | 6 Pages

He opened his world of scuffles to the audience. It was his way of getting out of the depression yet his masterpiece also was an entertaining and deep source for others to read and try to overcome their own difficulties. Both authors who referred to his work not only analyzed it but also opened a new door towards understanding his perspective. Fitzgerald gave an insight look to his ideas about life, depression, melancholy and success. His success mainly depended on his intelligence and uprightness.

Read More

More about The Role Of Tragedies In Francis Phelan's Ironweed

Related Topics

Open Document