The imagery and time relevant costumes aid in adjusting the viewers understanding of opinions and justifications by the French Canadian and oppressed population during that time. Furthermore, the emotional portrayals of historical figures, mainly rebels, provide an overwhelming sense of desperation and commitment to freeing themselves form the overarching grips of the British colonial power. Whereas, British historical
On a cold winter’s day (February 29), the town of Deerfield, Massachusetts was in for the shock of its life (pg. 64). Hundreds of French and Indian individuals invaded this town with tremendous force resulting in a horrific outcome for its habitants (pg. 64). Many were slaughtered, taken captive, and some tried their hardest to get away from the attackers as quickly as possible (pg. 64). Some of the most prominent captives taken from Deerfield were Reverend John Williams and his family (more specifically his daughter Eunice and son Samuel) (pg. 66).
Michael MacDonald’s memoir All Souls captures a time and place of unrest with such finesse that in my own memoir piece I can only hope to produce a fraction of the masterpiece that he has created. The reader, as an outsider, receives a deep as well as insightful portrait of 1970’s and 80’s Southie. MacDonald provides a balanced, and therefore seemingly contradictory account of what is was like to grow up in such a violence riddled, drug infested, and all around bleak situation. While MacDonald captures the dispiriting side of Southie, he also illustrates the way in which Southie seemed like a wonderful place to live at the time.
This is evident in the fact that Lepellier’s reflection upon certain subjects clearly exemplifies what the reader of A Separate Peace has deduced by means of analyzing the story through Gene’s
In the literary nonfiction story “A Genetics of Justice”, Alvarez’s purpose is to advocate human rights by demonstrating how oppressive dictatorships affects its citizens and generations beyond. She uses three major claims to reveal her purpose; trauma, silence, and freedom. She expands on these ideas to further advance the understanding of how living in an oppressive society takes a toll on its inhabitants and how they remain in that mindset until freed. One of her claims focuses on trauma, and the hardships her mother endures under the tyranny of Trujillo. Alvarez informs us that in “1937, [he] ordered the overnight slaughter of some eighteen thousand Haitians” (par. 5), to show the readers his barbarity and viciousness.
By leading the readers to the main story by telling its backstory, Hochschild effectively supplements his argument of these effects of European imperialism. As Hochschild states briefly in the beginning sentences of the introduction, “The beginnings of this story lie far back in time, and its reverberations still sound today… a central incandescent moment, one that illuminates long decades before and after, is a flash of… moral recognition” (Hochschild 1). He maintains this claim throughout the story by recounting the devastating atrocities that only occurred because of the greedy proclivities of European empires in that time period. Although the book did not maintain a complete chronological order, Hochschild’s fundamental thesis was still manifestly supported and
This chapter addresses the central argument that African history and the lives of Africans are often dismissed. For example, the author underlines that approximately 50,000 African captives were taken to the Dutch Caribbean while 1,600,000 were sent to the French Caribbean. In addition, Painter provides excerpts from the memoirs of ex-slaves, Equiano and Ayuba in which they recount their personal experience as slaves. This is important because the author carefully presents the topic of slaves as not just numbers, but as individual people. In contrast, in my high school’s world history class, I can profoundly recall reading an excerpt from a European man in the early colonialism period which described his experience when he first encountered the African people.
A significant theme that Lynn Hunt explores is representational culture. Specifically, how the family and individual members of the family are depicted through the arts and literature in the advent of the printing revolution. This is a broader theme explored throughout the monograph. Representations of the fallen King, the Band of Brothers, and the Bad Mother through the despised Marie Antoinette. While this is not the main theme of the book, it gives the reader a good idea about the pervading political climate of 18th century France.
When he is forced to leave this life behind him, one follows Candide’s slow, painful disillusionment as he experiences and witnesses the great injustices and hardships of the world. This text is a satire in which Voltaire satirises Leibniz’s Optimism “not only by the illogical travesty of it which Pangloss parrots throughout the story, but also by juxtaposing it with various atrocities and disasters which the story provides…” (Pearson xx). Voltaire rejects this system of thought, as Enlightenment ideologies try to use “logic and reason [to] somehow explain away the chaotic wretchedness of existence by grandly ignoring the facts” (Pearson xxi). It is in these lines that one can discern the disillusionment that Voltaire was feeling with the world after the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake (Pearson xix).
Maupassant’s effective use of techniques such as foreshadowing, imagery, and symbolism helps to create for us the character of Boule de Suif and supports the short story’s key themes of equality, fraternity but most of all betrayal. Boule de Suif’s desirableness, the difference in social class between her and the other characters, her patriotism and the foreshadowing of her betrayal in the end are all key points in this extract built up by Maupassant’s successful use of stylistic and thematic
This essay will examine the historical accuracy of the film Les Miserables in terms of the social, economic and political conditions in French society post French Revolution. The film Les Miserables depicts an extremely interesting time in French history (from about 1815-1832.) Even though the story line does not depict every detail and event that occurred during the time period as well as the fact that some aspects are dramatized for entertainment purposes, the film effectively spans thirty years of economic, political and social aspects of French Society. However it also manages to bring in references to the past, the French Revolution (1789-1799) and the impact it had on the society portrayed in the film.
Entering a conversation about literature ‘Once upon a time’ a short story by Nadine Gordimer transports the reader through the narration of an interpretation of Apartheid in South Africa. The author used the story of a white family whose members at first “Loved each other very much and were living happily ever after” (Gordimer, 1). Yet, at the end trying to find more happiness away from the black population end up living a tragedy with the death of their son. This misfortune was due to their obsessive fear of the black world. During apartheid, white identity has schemed as power over the blackness of the rest of the population which was segregated.
From our readings of early American literature, we see many themes and ideas that cause us to expand and find the deeper meaning or purpose behind these accounts. From our readings we experience a reoccurring theme of Violence as we see in the cases of Bartolomé de las Casas’ “ Account of the Destruction of the Indies” and Mary Rowlandson’s “Narrative of Captivity”. In both of these writings our authors give us a first-hand look at their experiences in early America that weren’t exactly the easiest of times that they had expected or intended. In both of these writings we experience many scenes that depict grueling violent experiences that both of our authors experienced.
This makes the reader feel enraged that white people have so much power over the original people of the land which would have been ideal around the time the essay was constructed as it would allow for more readers (typically white) to turn their guns the other way and realise maybe they are oppressive and unjust towards ethnic groups that are not their own. On the whole, the readers knowledge on oppression within Marrakech is increased through the use of word choice that helps manifest an unforgettable description that really does question the unethical treatment of the original inhabitants situated in the
Final Assignment of English Literature Reading BY YANG ZONGYOU, D01 “The False Gems”by the great writer Guy de Maupassant is a miracle that draws a delicate and precise image of France in the late 19th century. Written in an objective view, woven with sarcasm, this little piece of art reflects the truth of the society and humanity in its era without any obvious rhetoric, like a real old gem that shimmers constantly and gorgeously, leaving an ample space of ambiguity for readers to ponder over and over again. “The False Gems” seems to be objective, however, on the contrary, the plot of the story itself is a barrel of irony, in which the author 's opinion and emotion lies deeply — the genuine ones are found fake, while the false ones turn out to be real; knowing everything is not always good. Mrs. Lantin 's before-and-after contrary is ironic. At the very beginning of the story, everyone is convinced that Mrs. Lantin was a virtuous woman.
