Analysis Of 'Leaning On The Everlasting Arms'

The complexity of Rachel’s character differs within the play. On the one hand, Rachel is portrayed in a male disguise showing she has independence as she has taken matters into her own hands, her successful manipulation through disguise perhaps demonstrating her intelligence and how easily women can dupe men. This could also suggest that she is not acting according to the social ‘norms’ for women in the 60s demonstrating that she doesn’t fear people’s views of her although she is a woman. She demonstrates her strength and independence as she takes matters into her own hands ‘I’ll take two hundred in cash’ and acts in a violent way ‘Rachel slaps Francis’, portraying the growing power of women. On the other hand, Bean could have done this to project the message that women cannot hold any power without the help of a man. Although she has decided to solve her problem herself, she has had to dress up as a man to do so, thus showing that women’s roles are often tokenistic. The motive behind her plan was also for a man illustrating the length a women will go for a man. Had Rachel not dressed up as a man maybe she would not have gotten so far, her success in doing so

Three of the quotes have already been explained and related above. One quote which defines Rachel the most displays how she feels in regards to her sisters and mother. “I was so excited to be getting out of that horrid mud hole I couldn’t think straight. I’m sure I said goodbye to Mother and Adah and Leah, though I really don’t remember giving second thought to when I would ever see them again, if ever.

Through this great horned owl, Oliver is able to convey a double-meaning. Not only is it a creature, but the meaning of death. It can be deceiving and appear like a “big soft moth”, but also turn around and “eat the whole world”. She uses this owl to represent the concept of death because anyone or anything can be enjoying

Imagery is another literary technique that is used to characterize Rachel. In the incident over the red sweater, Rachel states, “That’s not, I don’t, you’re not… Not mine.” I finally say in a little voice that was maybe when I was four. “From this line, a picture is painted through words to show Rachel’s facial expression and her reaction to having to admit that the sweater belonged to her. Cisneros also paints a picture of Rachel when she states, “all of a sudden I’m crying in front of everybody. I wish I was invisible but I’m not. I’m eleven and it’s my birthday today and I’m crying like I’m three in front of everybody”; in reference to Rachel having to wear “the ugly sweater with red plastic buttons and a collar and sleeves all stretched out like you could use it for a jump rope”. From that statement, Cisneros shows how sad and upset Rachel was about having to put on that sweater.

There is a single symbol that encapsulates the majority of these notions throughout the entirety of the book: the bird, the bird in the house, the bird "caught between the two layers of glass" that so changes Vanessa's life. Birds make too frequent and deliberate an appearance throughout the collection of short stories to be mere haphazard additions to the background; instead, they, along with the images and concepts associated with them, serve to alert the aware reader to what Margaret Laurence, through older-Vanessa, through child-Vanessa, is trying to tell us. The birds, and their associated images, are central and representative of the novel as a whole.

This inner defiance gives evidence to Rachel’s determination and individuality. The sweater now represents a sort of barrier and if she submits herself to it, she fears the world of ages and maturity.

Though Rachel do say a lot of random funny things like “give up the goat" (23). However most of her misleading saying follows an irony. For example in book three when Rachel says “I'm willing to be a philanderist for peace" (269). Rachel really meant a philanthropist, the type of person who is goodhearted and kind. I did not know the words philanderist so I looked up in the dictionary and it comes from the word philanderer which means a man who likes many women or a womanizer. This is ironic because that’s the person Rachel kind of became at the end after she went through multiple husbands. I enjoyed reading Rachel’s parts because with all the serious political events and somber personal events going on in the book, it is a pleasure to see

For the dark and terror-filled reality of nature. Oliver describes the "pure wild hunters of the world", the great horned owl. When describing the owl, Oliver uses vivid imagery to allow for the reader to understand and imagine the dark and grueling aspects nature has. For example, in lines seventeen to twenty-one Oliver describes the many triumphant kills of the great owl and states, "I have found the headless bodies of rabbits and bluejays, and known it was the great horned owl that did them in, taking the head only, for the owl has insatiable craving for the taste of brains". The killings described aren't the average run of the mils, death. The owl beheads his prey, a cruel and inhumane method of death. This description instills the same fear for the great horned owl that Oliver feels during this experience. Oliver wants us, the reader to grasp this part of nature, "in which terror is naturally and abundantly part of life".

Mary Oliver’s passage from “Owls” is composed of various stylistic elements which she utilizes to thoroughly illustrate her nuanced views of owls and nature. Oliver’s use of intricate sentence structure–syntax– and a speculative tone are formal stylistic elements which effectively convey the complexity of her response to nature.

, she is giving the readers a way she knows how to describe her feelings. This shows her character because its her describing her feelings in a personal way. The point-of-view of the story helps to characterize Rachel. By the story being in Rachel’s point-of-view, the reader gets first person responses to events.

dramatic and forceful is the fact that it is a spiritual presence, one which we

In the short story, Rachel’s parents represent comfort from the outside world. “Mama is making a cake for me tonight, and when Papa gets home everybody will sing Happy birthday, happy birthday to you” (n.p.). The aforesaid quote is mentioned twice

Although seemingly unimportant to the storyline, the presence of the foxes and horses play a major role in the story, as they symbolize the sides of the conflict between conformity and self image. The foxes represent conformity; they all live in the same routine, are controlled by others in their environment, and are both literally and metaphorically locked in a cage. The narrator’s environment is much like the foxes, controlling. Her parent’s subtle hints, whether it be her mother’s comments or her father’s tasks, are slowly but surely enclosing on her like a cage, and will soon trap her.

Most people think of small animals, such as sheep, as meek and submissive due to their frequent portrayal as innocent characters in children’s stories and folklore; in these same stories, antagonistic characters tend to be fiercer animals such as lions or wolves. However, the children’s movie Zootopia, in which all characters are mammals, shows that this is not always the case. The characters in this film break the stereotypes against them by being different or the opposite of what the audience expects based on their species or occupation within the film. For instance, Judy Hopps solves the case on the missing mammals and why they went savage despite being a “dumb bunny”, and Nick Wilde turns from a sly con artist to the first fox cop. This

the head. For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter. “You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are?”