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Monica Casarez

This Side of Paradise - 0 views

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    Arugement: Fitzgerald embodys beauty, sex, and aristocracy throughout the novel and portrays how they are linked aswell as how they are contradicting towards one another--order, responsibility, and purposefulness. Claim: Fitzgerald's dominating purpose for this book, as for all his books, illustrates "unity and force," and this book is considered as a traditional bildungsroman:a novel about the moral and psychological growth of the main character. Amory being the target character for this. Evidence: "But the bar is strong enough to hold them and emerges intact because Fitzgerald does use those things with a "mentality back of them." Amory metamorphosis into the spiritually unmarried man should come as no surprise: from his first instictive attempts to get something definite to his explicit commitment to the struggle to guide and control his life, that is where he is heading."
Colleen Quinn

Literary Analysis #2-Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult - 0 views

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    Literary Analysis #2-Nineteen Minutes Throughout the literary critic of Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, the main argument given by author Julie Ellam is based upon the fact that Picoult's work lacks depth. Throughout the critic, she gives examples such as the fact that one of the main characters Peter lacks characterization, as well as the fact that the author shies away from the central concern of the novel which is based upon the violence developed in schools. Ellam goes on to explain the way in which Picoult uses over description of her characters and hence lacks insight from the main focus once again. "These parts feels bolted on and overdone, and have the effect of making the reader even more impatient for a greater insight into the thought processes of the bullies and victims." (Ellam) This passage is significant to the work as a whole because it describes the way in which Picoult over analyzes characterization throughout her novel as well as the way in which she uses subplots to carry her story as a whole. Ellam goes on to discuss the way in which Picoult uses excessive description on main characters and background information that is unnecessary to the whole of the novel. She states that the reader tends to feel impatient throughout the reading and is frequently distracted from the main theme attempting to be expressed. "It is possible that the subplots that diverge from the massacre are used to give light as a contrast to the shade, but they appear instead as elements from a soapy romance." (Ellam) The way in which Ellam uses specific descriptions and examples from the novel give to the overall effectiveness of the critic by justifying her argument. This gives to the overall significance as the text as a whole by questioning the way in which the novel is written and taking in the novel from a diverse perspective.
Austin Joy

The Kite Runner Analysis - 1 views

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    The Kite Runner Analysis Phillip Spires's purpose in his analysis is to examine how The Kite Runner's drama is important to the story that involves, informs, and enlightens the reader. He does a great job of keeping his focus on how Khaled can master a technique that many other writers can't, thus changing how his writing is viewed. His analysis is consistency and coherence is backed up by background from the book. The evidence he uses helps his case because it gives the reader of this analysis some background into what he is trying to prove. For instance, when he is talking about the changes in Afghanistan, "war dominated by the Taliban. Amir tries to uncover his past…his personal experience becomes both painful, taxing and trying." This is the drama that Spires addresses that enlightens the reader. There is plenty of evidence to make his case and prove his purpose. The evidence provided is typical because it helps make sure the purpose is understandable and he uses paraphrased passages in his analysis. Such as "with the arrival of the Russian, part of Amir's family flees to the United States, Amir along with them." Allowing him to conclude that it is a book that will take you on a journey. His beliefs are that he has been on many journeys himself that help contribute to allowing him to analyze the journey within this book. The implicit assumption is that he wants to be as great as Khaled in his writings. The explicit assumption is that he likes to write about journey just drawing the idea from the title of his book.
zach vessels

HENRIK IBSEN (1828-1906) - 0 views

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    In her analysis of Henrik Ibsen, Martha Fletcher Bellinger analyses Ibsen's writing style and how his personality and opinions influenced his writings. Bellinger says that Ibsen believed "honesty in facing facts is the first requisite of a decent life". I believe that this one idea influences all of Ibsen's writings because they are all attacks on problems in society, such as sexism and corruption. Bellinger says that Ibsen thought, "Society has humbugs, hypocrisies, and obscure diseases which must be revealed before they can be cured." According to her Ibsen believed that in order for the society to fix its problems they first must be brought to life, this was done through Ibsen's writing. Bellinger also argues the purposes of Ibsen's plays themselves and she states that Enemy of the People is discussing the "struggle between hypocrisy and greed on one side, and the ideal of personal honor on the other" because of this I think that the idea of corruption and hypocrisy could be a good topic to write about being that the entire play revolves around the idea that people are out for their own gains and interests. The idea that Ibsen wrote in order to bring issues in society into the light must mean that all of his books are written for the purpose of bettering society, at least in his eyes. Overall Bellinger appears to have written this analysis of Ibsen in order to explain why Ibsen writes his plays and gives examples by explaining the purposes or themes of his most important plays.
Kara Danner

Interpreter of Maladies Literary Analysis - 0 views

shared by Kara Danner on 20 Jan 11 - No Cached
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    purpose: Bahareh Bahmanpour wrote her article to identify the struggles of female characters that are caught between Indian culture and the transition into Western culture in Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies. Bahmanpour uses various critical terms such as Self/Other Confrontation, Hybridity, Liminality, Female Subaltern, and Diasporic Identity to classify the roles and transitions of three women's identities, Mrs. Sen, Bibi Heldar, and Miranda, in three separate stories. These terms help solidify Bahmanpour's argument that when confronting a new culture, one undergoes feelings of Diaspora, in which must choose between their culture, called Self, or their new environment's culture, called Other. Evidence: 1."Stories that deal with the suffering, pressure, and possible failure or success in the adaptation-process of these female characters in (re-)constructing their subjectivity, (re-)asserting their agency or negotiating their identities through either silence, resistance, negotiation, acculturation, or assimilation." 2. "Hence, subjects of Diasporas are snared in a process of transformation, and repositioning of new identities-identities which are always in the process of becoming and transition but never complete." 3. "There is no single way of representing the diasporic trauma involved in negotiating female identities either as female immigrant or female natives. Each individual from Mrs.Sen to Miranda has their own means of survival; one resists while the other accepts; one acculturates whereas the other escapes. Female characters of Lahiri's fiction negotiate their new unstable identities through their own different means and their own individual voice." Thoughts: Bahmanpour is logical, focused, coherent, and consistent in her argument; although she uses terms that are at first unknown, she clearly defines them and provides examples of them which recognize how the characters are redefining their identity. While the evidence is understa
Jeffrey Kirkman

Literary Criticism #2 - 0 views

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    Beresford states that The Time Machine is a romance, and he uses the time machine as a literary device in order to prove that time travel is possible. Beresford argues that Wells uses the future to criticize the social status of England of his era. The Eloi and Morlocks represented the haves and have-nots. Also further into future the earth is degrading and the question arises, whether the human race had a major impact in the decline of the earth, or if the earth had reached its end of existence. Beresford argues that The Time Machine lacked certain aspects of imagination and style, but it was a brilliant fantasy. The novella represents Wells' views on the world during his time and his experiments with the improbable. It uses the improbable and imaginative to create a satire of the social system in his time.
Kyle Myers

Literary Analysis #2 - 0 views

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    Literary analyst Sumangali Morhall argues that author Eiji Yoshikawa humanizes the man Miyamoto Musashi rather than the ledgend, Musashi. In her analysis, she states, "This is ostensibly a book of swordsmanship, and includes its share of martial combat, but that element is neither gratuitous nor glamourised - it serves to support rather than blemish the story's purpose" (Morhall). Overall, Morhall delivers her argument in a descriptive manner, elaborating on the logos of the novel along with her personal opinion and perception of the novel. Her evidence is fluid and does not contradict itself whatsoever. Morhall originally states that Yoshikawa turns the legend of Musashi into the man, Musashi, and continues to support her statement while describing the accomplishments of Yoshikawa, both poetically and historically. The information provided is nothing out of the ordinary from what the majority of critical analysts agree over Yoshikawa's writings. Yoshikawa is praised for his historical accuracy on martial arts and culture included in Musashi. Morhall concludes her article praising Yoshikawa, but also explaining that the reader will get more "gracefulness" than "grisly." This statement would be hard to argue with seeing that Yoshikawa does somewhat glamorize the life of a swordsman, not necessarily in unrealistic terms, but in how Yoshikawa chooses to craft his syntax in his story as seen in this passage from the chapter entitled Art of War: "While he felt pity for this obstinate tenacity characteristic of orphans, he was aware of a void deep within their stubborn hearts. They seemed to him doomed to yearn desperately for that which they could not have, for the parental love with which they were never blessed" (Yoshikawa, 63). The only implicit bias that may be discovered within this analysis would be that Morhall does not indicate any faults present within Yoshikawa's Musashi. Morhall even goes as far to say that Yoshikawa is a "master," whi
Steve Baker

Literary Analysis; Catch-22 - 0 views

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    Argument: * Russ Allbery breaks down Catch-22 as a great novel, but not without its flaws. What makes this review and criticism so imporant in research of Heller's novel are the (opinion-based) negative sides of the novel as a whole. Such negative connotations include the "monotonous" circle made by Heller in arguments (such as paradox made by not ordering combat missions chronologically when related to the novel's conclusion) and the fact that many would categorize the story with a main theme of humor - which Allbery denies is the core of Heller's work. Allbery goes on to summarize how the term "Catch-22" was integrated into the English language (via slang) and that Heller's work is truly a 'best-of' even if flaws persist. Evidence: * "Catch-22 didn't entirely succeed for me as a comedy. The huge ensemble cast was mostly too unbelievable and exaggerated for me to find funny" (Allbery) * "Due in part to the way that Heller stresses paradoxes and insoluable conflict, the writing can be quite repetitive and a bit circular." (Allbery) * "Heller provides as a clue the linearly increasing number of missions the airmen had to fly before theoretically being allowed to rotate home, but ordering can still be frustrating." (Allbery) * "The war acts in this book like a force of nature. Nearly everyone just accepts that it's happening and tries to ignore it, or revels in fighting it, without really thinking about it. It's only Yossarian, normally trying to maintain a long-suffering sarcasm, who occasionally can't help but tell the blunt truth." (Allbery) Thoughts: * While this is somewhat an opinionated "summary" of Catch-22, it is the only review I have that stresses some of the negative sides to the novel; from my view, the strengths of the novel further stand out amidst these criticisms. It is a strong point to make that Heller used too many "circle arguments" for it shows his position in writing the novel and how certain themes may have lead
Alysa Herchet

Literary Analysis 2 - 0 views

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    Argument: The article was proving that Farewell to Arms is a tragedy. It was not written with the same structure of a traditional tragedy, so it has been argued on weather or not it is. The critic claims that the novel is because of Catherine's death. Others say that her death was pointless and uncalled for, but the critic points out that her death was part of the tragic plot. Hemingway constructs a unique relationship between Catherine and Frederic so you have sympathy toward them so he can create a tragic emotion in the end. Evidence: "Hemingway has fashioned a new form of tragedy in which the hero acts not mistakenly but supremely well, and suffers a doom which is not directly caused by his actions at all. The belief that life is a tragedy, lip itself, has become the backbone for a new literary structure." (Merrill). "…in A Farewell to Arms, as in any tragic work, we are made to feel that the hero's doom is inevitable. If the reader doubts that Hemingway has achieved this sense of tragic inevitability, let him consider whether the book could have ended with the lovers' escape to Switzerland rather than Catherine's death." (Merrill). Thoughts: Hemingway created a different style that no one had ever tried before making it open for argument. Merrill provides the reader with a detailed background and analysis of A Farewell to Arms, which supports and proves his claim to be right. He gives insight into who Hemingway was, and why he wrote the novel in a nontraditional manner. By proving his understanding of the novel I was able to see connections to what he was saying and what happened in the story. I think that because his analysis was so in depth it was hard to find a way to disagree.
Colten Sammons

The Conversion of Scrooge: A Defense of That Good Man's Motivation - 0 views

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    Critical Analysis of "The Conversion of Scrooge: A Defense of That Good Man's Motivation" The story of A Christmas Carol is one of redemption and change. Yet, the term Scrooge still carries a negative connotation. William E. Morris notes that the public has been reluctant to recognize the change Scrooge experiences. However, Scrooges' change is the foundation for the entire story. Morris submits that the change could have come from within Scrooge, and that the visits were actually dreams, brought about by his desire to change deep down as well as the cold, moist, and dark setting in which Scrooge lives. Throughout his childhood, Scrooge was subject to economic hardship and loneliness, thus affecting his personality. He was originally caring but then grew cold and distant in order to secure monetary stability, but his inner goodness laid dormant chipping at his hard shell from the inside. In Scrooge's dreams, he imagines games of hide-and-seek, possibly shedding light on Scrooge's feelings of loneliness and his desire for companionship, "it must be the case with Scrooge that he is lost yet struggling to be found" (Morris). Morris submits that the change had to originate inside Scrooge for it to be effective and that there was significant reason for him to desire change. Scrooge believed in marriage and Christmas and overall happiness, but became bitter as he aged and alienated himself from the people. "He can no longer find life enough to breathe in isolation; he must break out into the world" (Morris). Subconsciously, he still believed and he had to either change, or else be completely consumed by his cold, hard self.
Shelli Smoll

Literary Analysis #2 John Steinbeck - 0 views

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    Purpose: The primary literary critiques that the authors target is: the setting of the novel, the characteristics of Lennie and George, followed by multiple themes of the book. The story Of Mice and Men takes place in a town called "Soledad" which translated into English means solitude or loneliness. The setting is quite clever considering that all but two characters in the novel face a lifestyle of solitude; ironically, the two that don't suffer loneliness are the main subjects of the story. Lennie and George represent a committed companionship, which in many ways, complete and compliment one another. According to Howard Levant, "The good life is impossible because humanity is flawed" however throughout the entire novel the strong duo, Lennie and George, express a high level of dedication to reach their ultimate goal, which leads to the theme of the story, commitment. Evidence: "One of the themes of Of Mice and Men is that men fear loneliness, that they need someone to be with and to talk to who will offer understanding and companionship."(Pizer) "The dream of the farm merely symbolizes their deep mutual commitment, a commitment that is immediately sensed by the other characters in the novel."(Owens) "Lennie has been seen as representing "the frail nature of primeval innocence" and as the id to George's ego or the body to George's brain."(Owens) ""Ain't many guys travel around together.... I don't know why. Maybe everybody in the whole damn world is scared of each other." (Steinbeck) Reflection: The evidence is nicely organized along with carefully placed throughout the article. Louis Owens and Harold Bloom used several affective quotes from the novel itself to help support their ideas in response to past criticisms of the book. The authors did not simply claim past criticisms as incorrect however used sufficient evidence to reinforce their own thoughts as true. I did not notice any bias present in the article but only a well-organized analys
Robert Gambardella

Steinbeck - 1 views

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    Arugement: His heritage of being german and irish affected his stories characters. Claim: The way he was brought up helped add all different aspects into his novels, having a peice of every charactersitic in his characters. Evidence:"between the romantic and the hardheaded naturalist, between the dreamer and the masculine tough guy, may be partly accounted for by inheritance from the Irish and German strains of his parents"
Erica Jensen

Chaucer's Criticism of the Catholic Church in The Canterbury Tales - Associated Content... - 4 views

  • This said, it should not be surprising that Chaucer would take time to present arguments to the readers, enveloping his personal beliefs and qualms into the words, both blatant and obscure
  • Chaucer uses his characters as pawns, both to show everything that was wrong and could be right in Christianity.
  • Though outwardly respectful to all, even pilgrim Chaucer cannot contain his distaste for some of the characters.
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    Chaucer's Criticism Highlighted for an example.
Amber Henry

Coupland Writes Beyond The Edge Of The Known World - 0 views

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    James Urguhart, the author of a Girlfriend In A Coma criticism, expresses that Douglas Coupland establishes novels in order to show examples of the way individuals should live. But for instance, in Girlfriend In A Coma, it takes a tragic event to occur in order for the other characters to realize their significance in this life as well as on earth. Urguhart's purpose of the critique is to prove that Coupland is an author who writes about the edge of the world as well as uses characters to portray that there is more to life than just living. The article by James Urguhart is effective in explaining the in depth concepts presented in Girlfriend In A Coma. Urguhart utilizes specific quotes from the novel in which symbolize his opinions, but he chooses quotes serve as evidence. The argument is focus and does not stray off topic which is significant because it helps the reader understand the argument fully and not become lost in it. The evidence that is provided assists the argument and does not hurt it, especially when Urguhart places quotes from the novel into the argument. For example, "their dreams are forgotten, or were never formulated to begin with...they seem at best insular and without a central core, which might give purpose to their lives." The quote taken from Girlfriend In A Coma represents that book as a whole within a quote and Urguhart realizes this and therefore places it within his argument. Urguhart also notices that the purpose of the novel, Girlfriend In A Coma, is to ensure that one has to discover their purpose in life and that it is not always on the surface. Also, a common word and symbol found within the novel was dreams and this quote represents dreams and how they effect lives. The author does not state his opinions using "I" or "my" which implicates that Urguhart states a view and supports it with quotes or examples from the text in a professional manner. The Girlfriend In A Coma criticism consisted of significant evid
Melanie Reyes

American V. European Society - 0 views

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    Literary Analysis 4 Henry James, author of Daisy Miller, has had his share of novels comparing the European style verse the American society. In this critique, Gale Cennage's purpose was to show the fluctuation of the characters in the differing societies. Cennage believed the "depiction of the generic American girl" was captured lightly compared to Winterbourne's façade (Cennage). The order of the article was very well organized. The subjects were bolded and the critique was fast and to the point. The article got to the point; rather than dragging on to see Cennage's background views and opinions. The argument had the main point from the beginning of its section and focused her writing on the societies. Although it did get to the point rather quickly, there is not sufficient information on the subject. The evidence was typical and predictable. The broadness of the evidence was reassuring that the point was never accomplished. Cennage claims that James had adopted the "narrow attitudes [from] many Americans abroad" (Cennage). Upon declaring that statement, no major attitudes were discussed but left to the reader to figure it out. The conclusions reached by the author are discussed towards the end of the article. She notes that instead of the differing society that makes the short story so interesting, it is the "concern with morality and social behavior" of the other society that creates the plot (Cennage). The biasness that comes into play could be hindering the article's authenticity. She could have come from a class with higher values, could be from Europe or America, and could have different outlooks than the next. The author explicitly talks about the characters in the short story. It is important to have some background information because of the contrasting societies. But implicitly, Cennage reminds the reader that the American and European societies are and will always be different. "Daisy Miller, Henry James - Introduction." Short St
Janine Vanlandingham

Literary Analysis #4: A Thousand Splendid Suns - 1 views

  • . Socially, Mariam is from the rural lower class; Laila, the urban middle class. Psychologically, Mariam is accustomed to humiliation; Laila, to consideration. Physically, Mariam’s features are “unshapely,” “flat,” “unmemorable,” “coarse,” while Laila is a green-eyed blond beauty.
    • Janine Vanlandingham
       
      The stark contrasts Hosseini makes in these women show that regardless of who someone is, we can all get along.
  • This defining trauma, then, teaches Mariam that to assert oneself, to dare, to take the initiative is to suffer pain, cause hurt to others, and precipitate tragedy. Better to bear and forbear. Hosseini thus prepares the psyche of this character for the almost incredible burden of abuse and suffering that she has to bear in her marriage.
    • Janine Vanlandingham
       
      The whole psyche of Mariam draws a reader in right away and it makes one wonder why Hosseini created a character that has had such a terrible upbringing and it doesn't get any better for her.
  • he felt impelled to tell an Afghan story different from The Kite Runner’s. That book had been about men—fathers and sons, male friendship, male treachery. Hosseini now felt drawn to tell a contemporaneous story about Afghanistan’s women.
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    C. L. Chua analyzes A Thousand Splendid Suns in an attempt to find out if it was as much of a success as The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini's first novel. The different literary devices that Hosseini used are mentioned to perhaps give validity to the various arguments Chua makes. A shortfall of the critique is that perhaps not enough emphasis was actually placed on an argument; a majority of the essay was a very well written summary of the novel with only a light touch at the very beginning and end of the essay on the actual argument. "He [Hosseini] felt impelled to tell an Afghan story different from The Kite Runner's. That book had been about men-fathers and sons, male friendship, male treachery. Hosseini now felt drawn to tell a contemporaneous story about Afghanistan's women." Chua uses a clear and logical argument to assert his opinion that Hosseini really delved into the life of an Afghanistan woman in the current times. The critique remains coherent but I wish it was more focused and consistent in the argument. It would have been overall better if Chua has also given more of their insight of this novel. I'm not sure if the author of this article is male or female but depending on their gender, it could create a bias. Another bias that may exist is that the author of this critique really enjoy Hosseini's first novel The Kite Runner so they may be more inclined to say that his second novel was just as good since they are already a fan. "Hosseini's two women are strategic contrasts physically, socially, and psychologically. Socially, Mariam is from the rural lower class; Laila, the urban middle class. Psychologically, Mariam is accustomed to humiliation; Laila, to consideration. Physically, Mariam's features are "unshapely," "flat," "unmemorable," "coarse," while Laila is a green-eyed blond beauty." The stark differences that Chua notes about Hosseini's protagonists help to understand a main theme of the novel which could
Devin Ramos

Henry James - 1 views

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    This article is a biography of Henry James' life. His social, economic, and geographic elements have all factored into his writing style. Writing many fictional tales, "roughly 112 tales attest his lifetime of dedication to this genre", he continued to strive for the realistic characters depicting the people he had met. "The completely objective point of view, in which the reader is presented solely with what anyone present would see and hear, and the first-person point of view, in which a character tells the story as he or she perceives it, were both traditional" styles that James employed in his writings. Unlike manyother writers he was also a critic of other literary works, art, and plays which only contributed to the sheer dynamics of his characters.
Erica Jensen

Literary Analysis #3 The Glass Menagerie - 2 views

Can you link to the original text?

Dean Jacomini

Artical Analysis #3 - 0 views

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    Gloria Pond points out how there are various traits that are associated with alcoholism and in this article she relates these traits to a family who suffers from alcoholism. She does not specify weather these traits are acquired through heredity or environmentally determined. The argument between the behaviors of the characters and alcoholic anonymous are continuously back to back drawing more information for the reader. The author brought up some logical examples of alcoholics throughout the article. She would focus on details of background information of alcoholic anonymous and then go to information about the book. The evidence provided about alcoholism is typical in the aspect that it gives background and supportive information that coveys the authors perspective. Even though the author does not go into great detail about alcoholism she provides a sufficient amount of information to get the point across. Pond believes O'Neill accurately demonstrates families ups and downs while dealing with the disease of alcoholism. The author has a slightly negative bias about the recovery of alcoholism. Other than that she goes straight off of the information given. She states that alcoholism is a dangerous disease that creates bad habits. She also implies that most people do not recover from the disease. In the end it comes down to each alcoholic blaming one another for their problems
Gisela Ortiz

Carson McCullers: Marxism - 0 views

  • Hunter portrays oppressed classes of the South, such as blacks and women, describes the "fascist" ideology in which they live, and uses Marxist ideas about religion as a central theme.
    • Gisela Ortiz
       
      Carson McCullers uses the same theme in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter as in The Member of the Weddding; oppression in the South, racism, etc.
  • For Karl Marx, literature and art are products of an artist's labor that show oppressed people a picture of where they stand in their society. A work should "describe the real mutual relations, break down conventional illusions about them . . . but not offer any definite solution . . ." (Eagleton 46) . McCullers' novel exposes the ideology of the South in the 1930s as one in which blacks, textile workers, and women are oppressed. It portrays their individual struggles without offering a solution to them.
    • Gisela Ortiz
       
      Like in The Member of the Wedding, McCullers mixes in a variety of racist ideas and the belief of "equality" and uses irony to contradict these themes. She shows how oppressed the blacks are, but she keeps them in the struggle and she shows their hardships throughout her novels.
  • He mentions Jesus as an important historical figure, but then devotes the rest of his time to speaking of Karl Marx, whom he describes in religious terms.
    • Gisela Ortiz
       
      In The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Singer is represented as a Jesus-figure. This is so, because the deaf-mute man is always there to "listen" to everybody's stories, hardships, etc.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Jake calls it "The strangled South. The wasted South. The slavish south" ( Hunter 254).
  • She argues that the book includes social and religious issues together because McCullers offers both white and black Christ figures. Champion writes that the black Christ is persecuted more severely than the white Christ, but the significant point is that they are both crucified: "Spirituality, loneliness and human isolation "crucify" all members of society" (Champion 52).
    • Gisela Ortiz
       
      Christ figures:black and white. States that even though these two "Christ's" are of different racial entities, they are both judged the same in the ending, "crucifixion" (being alone in life, isolation, etc). Not real death, but both live miserable lives.
  • McCullers states that the main theme of the book is "man's revolt against his own inner isolation and his urge to express himself as fully as is possible" (Smith 124).
  • Marxism in Carson McCullers' "Strangled South"
    • Gisela Ortiz
       
      Argument: Call states that in McCullers novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, use Marxist ideas and the theme of racial equality. Not only does she state that Carson uses oppression in blacks, but she never gives them an opportunity to end their struggle. She writes about it. Call also argues that she saw Singer as a Christ figure "with a different context" as in there was a black and a white "Christ". Of course, the black one is prosecuted more than the white one is, but they both live miserable and lonely lives.Evidence: "Hunter portrays oppressed classes of the South, such as blacks and women, describes the "fascist" ideology in which they live, and uses Marxist ideas about religion as a central theme.""...the black Christ is persecuted more severely than the white Christ, but the significant point is that they are both crucified: "Spirituality, loneliness and human isolation "crucify" all members of society."Thoughts: "For Karl Marx, literature and art are products of an artist's labor that show oppressed people a picture of where they stand in their society. A work should "describe the real mutual relations, break down conventional illusions about them . . . but not offer any definite solution . . ." (Eagleton 46) . McCullers' novel exposes the ideology of the South in the 1930s as one in which blacks, textile workers, and women are oppressed. It portrays their individual struggles without offering a solution to them."Call shows many viewpoints that showcase her argument that McCullers uses marxism in her novels. Even though Call uses many examples in portraying her argument, she uses mostly what other critics have said about this book and not much of her own voice. This feels as if it's more of an accumulation of many critiques put into one. Now that I have read this critique, however, I can see the different uses of Marxism in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.
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