“Somewhere, a Long, Happy Life Probably Awaits You” (Jill Sexsmith) and “Batman and Robin Have an Altercation” (Stephen King) both share a common trait between each of the two stories that revolve around a mentally ill family member. The two stories each follow in accordance with Tzvetan Todorov’s Theory of Narrative. They each begin with an equilibrium and after a disruption, they fall into an offset of the balance of the story. The characters then recognize the problem and take action to restore the initial balance that had previously existed. In “Somewhere,”, theory of narrative is portrayed through a man and his mentally ill wife. The author uses two stories, one about the man’s wife and another about the tree on their front lawn that coincide to develop a path that follows the Todorov’s theory. Batman follows the story of a man and his father who has Alzheimer’s disease. This short story follows a day with the man’s father to convey Todorov’s theory. The initial portion of Todorov’s theory involves the balance of an equilibrium within the plot shown by the symbolic setting. The depiction of the character’s and their setting around them renders the first part of the theory accurate. In “Somewhere.”, it can be argued that the tree is main part of the plot line. In which case, the story would skip the first step of equilibrium and directly enter the second phase of disruption due to the tree being marked to be cut down. However, that is not the portion of story that
This paper will recount the development and history of narrative therapy and provide a brief background assessment on the founders and significant contributors to the postmodern approach of Narrative Therapy. The role of the therapist, the theory of change, the target of intervention, the assessment from this approach, and what the approach says about normalcy, health, and pathology will be presented. It will also discuss how narrative therapy might work with and be sensitive to the cultural and diversity factors and give some examples of intervention from this approach. It will then discus the case using concepts and ideas from narrative therapy and the application of the essential ideas of the narrative therapy in the case and, where appropriate,
“Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman are two stories that reveal the consequences of individual suffering. These consequences include estranging relationships, bitter behavior, and even illness, addiction, or death. Throughout each of these stories, Sonny and John’s wife, known as the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper”, continue to suffer due to John’s and Sonny’s brother’s, known as the narrator of “Sonny’s Blues”, failure to meet obligations and familial compassion. Neither the narrator in “Sonny’s Blues” nor the husband, John, in “The Yellow Wallpaper” serve as the villains of the stories, however, I believe we are able to see how both their inabilities to effectively
Then, the story goes to express the changes the father-in-law has experiences and how contrasting is his past with his present. He apparently is being affected by an undefined condition, which has made him change in temper and personality. During several moments, the narrator’s father-in-law presents issues of insecurity and some aggressiveness, and in others, he delights the family with the appearance of a sudden charismatic behavior. At some point, the narrator and her husband, after a brief discussion, recognize their responsibility as children to take future care of their parents. The narrator reveals at the end the acknowledge of her father-in-law permanent change in character and how much it affects them. Jen’s central idea relates how there is a cyclical change in family roles and responsibilities between sons and elder parents that naturally repeats itself. It also suggests that when issues are presented, the duties can be overwhelming for the new
“It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder, that life might be long.” (Chopin 17). “"Poof!"… gave a revealing look at the victims of domestic abuse and how they wrestle with overcoming their fear and their doubts after suffering years of abusive treatment.” (Toomer 5) Loureen unlike Mrs. Mallard, witnesses her husband’s death first hand during a marital argument. Loureen goes through denial questioning whether her husband’s death. She is happy her husband is dead but also feels guilty, because she knows how a mourning wife should react, but the joy of his demise is greater,” I should be praying, I should be thinking of the burial, but all that keeps popping into my mind is what will I wear on television when I share my horrible and wonderful story with a studio audience…”, Loureen’s husband, Samuel, was physically abusive, as revealed by Florence, Loureen’s best friend and neighbor. “Did that mother***** hit you again?” (Nottage 1563) This abuse, physical by Samuel and mental by Brently, is what allows Loureen in the drama “Poof!” and Mrs. Mallard in the short story “The Story of an Hour” to have the shared freedom they feel in the release from their respective abusive relationships.
Danielle Evans’ short story, “Someone Ought to Tell Her There’s Nowhere to Go”, is a well-crafted narrative that is primarily based off a character named Georgie, who suffers from PTSD and faces many hardships in his personal life as he tries to build a relationship with his former girlfriend Lanae, and her daughter Esther. Evans successfully uses literary elements such as symbolism and foreshadowing in order to effectively appeal to the reader and explain how Georgie is struggling in his new lifestyle. These aspects further help to magnify Evans ethical and emotional appeal to her audience.
Life is filled with tragedies, whether they be subtle or monumental. In society we are constantly surrounded by hardships and situations that test our own individual character, forcing us to react in order to move forward. The main characters in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor, and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates each react differently to the various tragedies they encounter, revealing their true identities that lie behind the (facade?)/version of themselves they present to the world. These tragedies that factor into all three works are both presented and interpreted differently in each story: In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, Mrs. Mallard rejoices
The world is a massive place full of endless literature, beginning from ancient scrolls to daily news articles, filled with many secrets, perspectives and surroundings that help connect literature to an individual’s daily life. Some writers use the skills of literary elements to express and discuss an event that has happened to them or what has happened to others. This helps others to comprehend the perspectives of the author’s understanding toward an incident that one might experience. For instance in Flannery O’Connor’s short story, she uses many literary elements to express her views over most of her stories. O’Connor expresses her views in her short story, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by using the literary elements of point of view, irony, and setting.
A story may depend on the structure of the book and how well it flows from page to page, but yet it strictly depends on the word choice and how effective the author is able to apply rhetorical devices. Stories such as A Separate Piece, A&P, and The Man I Killed, is able to effectively portray the character’s emotion, thoughts, and the intent of their actions. The authors use heroic, rhetorical strategies to reveal Tim, Gene and Sammy’s struggle to overcome their own selfless desires and ignorance toward the consequences, resulting with each protagonist’s life lesson.
As a derivative of language, stories help to combine key aspects of wisdom so we can continue to improve greatly as a species. The third group discussed how our stories are a reflection of who we are, whether personal or general as explored in Thomas King`s essay `The Truth About Stories`. In particular, they are used to define our identity as we attach ourselves to characters that are exhibited in similar circumstances. Furthermore, personal stories render us in a state of vulnerability so we can question cryptic thoughts that are not recognized often. As said by group 3, “Stories help to escape, comfort and answer questions”. General stories such as the theory of creation help establish societies and environments by providing meaning to our existence. King highlights the importance of strategic storytelling by informing the reader to “not confuse strategy with sophistication” as the significance of the truth can be
This essay will explore the function of the narrative which helps the readers to perceive the meaning of the narrative. It will do so in terms of the point of view, narrative voice as well as the structure of the narrative. Furthermore, the setting of the story will be another focus which exploits the generic convention which reflects the social anxiety behind the story at the time. I
In his short story, “Not-Knowing”, Donald Barthelme brings the audience into the typical planning and step-by-step thought process he has when beginning to write a story. He highlights different writing styles and how they can convey the point one would be trying to make. Barthelme also allows us to see his personal method for writing stories, addressing the necessity that is not knowing as well as how not having a traditional plot structure ahead of writing is what calls for good, artistic pieces of literature to be produced. He displays that his characters do not typically come with preplanned life stories beforehand, but rather life stories that “come into being at the instant it’s inscribed.” Another useful piece of advice is making sure that the lifestyles one does construct for their characters lean towards being more realistic and
The story is told from the narrator’s point of view and it contains a changing
One of the sweet comforts in life is to curl up in a favorite chair with a short story that will briefly carry people away from their everyday lives. On rare occasions, a tale mirrors real life in such a way that one is strangely comforted by the normalcy reflected in the words. A perfect example of a story about ordinary life that will soothe the soul in search for some insight on understanding the human behavior is Anton Chekhov’s “The Lady with the Pet Dog.” This style of writing has such a mass appeal because the characters wear recognizable social masks and reflect an everyday reality. In his simple story of a chance meeting between a middle-aged, chauvinistic, repeat-offender adulterer, unhappily married man, and a young, naïve,
In a country where Divorce is more normalized than ever before, one can be guilty of neglecting to consider the pain it can cause, not just the couple, but also their children. The short story “Hot or Cold” by Maile Meloy is a remembrance from the author's life which communicates the divorce of her parents represented in a nostalgic memory from her past. In the piece, the author’s young self plays in a van while her parents deal with an unexpected encounter with a bear. After a brief chase, the parents escape and the family drives away. The author masterfully develops the story by hinting at the nature of the parents relationship by adding clever metaphors, until it is apparent that the parents eventually divorce and that the story is only a dream. In the short story, the author utilizes juxtaposition, a motif, and metaphors, to suggest that memories create narratives, true or otherwise, that help one comprehend events that are otherwise incomprehensible.
A narrative is constructed to elicit a particular response from its audience. In the form of a written story, authors use specific narrative strategies to position the ‘ideal reader’ to attain the intended understanding of the meanings in the text. Oliver Sacks’ short story The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat is an unusual short story because it does not display conventional plot development; the story does not contain conflict or resolution of conflict. The genre of the story is also difficult to define because it reads as an autobiographical account of an experience Sacks had with a patient while working as a neurologist. Although it is arguable that the narrative is a work of non-fiction, it is nevertheless a representation, distinct