Around the World in 80 Days

Skellig Essay Analyse the themes of imagination, belief and disbelief in the novel. Skellig, a novel by David Almond, is something rare; something that encapsulates the fleeting nature of childhood. Almond uses many different literary techniques to achieve this, and I will be focusing on and discussing three of the most prominent: imagination, belief and disbelief, throughout my essay. Using these themes as a base, Almond incorporates many controversial topics into the book, making a statement about his own beliefs and disbeliefs, and leaves the rest up to the reader’s imagination. Imagination takes its hold in the reader’s brain from page one, and continues to keep the readers mind on edge all the way through to the very last page.

George and all readers learn from this story about the merciless and callous effect the human nature has on mankind. The general theme of the novella highlights the voracious and often malevolent aspect of human nature. The novella in its essence flails at the idea of ‘every man for himself’. George learns many lessons throughout the book that can be applied to a reader’s everyday life. Loyalty and Sacrifice

The theme of this book is that the human capacity to adapt to and find happiness in the most difficult circumstances. Each character in the novel shows this in their way. For instance, their family is randomly taken from their home and forced to

Intertwined within the novel is the presence of many different genres including letters, articles and magazine clippings, and pictures. At first sight there is the

The reader gets a rare and exotic understanding of a totally foreign and ancient culture experiencing the growing pains of colonial expansion during the British domination

As shown in the novel Bound, historical fiction was beneficial in helping readers to understand the past. The characters of Sally Gunning’s novel were helpful in allowing the reader to understand daily aspects of colonial

Siam and Burma had been rivals from the 16th through 19th century, and conflict between the two countries was soon approaching again. There was a spy inside the palace walls, the trader, feeding information to the enemy. Since war was approaching, Anna thought it best to leave Siam around this time, knowing that a war-ridden country was no place for her and Louis. Desperate for help, the King pleads with her not to leave at such a crucial moment. Anna changes her mind about leaving and stays with the royal family. The Burmese advance closer to Siam, forcing Mongkut to arrange a meeting between the leaders of both parties. Strategically, he chooses a bridge with the intention of blowing it up, hoping to kill his enemies and to scatter any remaining rebels. Anna however sees a flaw in this plan: the king will also be on the bridge, meaning he could die as well. Though King Mongkut orders Anna and the royal family to flee, with the help of Prince Chulongkorn, they remain in place with a plan to save the king and the rest of Siam. They set off British fireworks, making most of the Burmese soldiers scatter in fear of the British. Only one man remains on the bridge, the leader Alak. Showing mercy, no doubt influenced by Anna’s opposition to the death penalty, the king spares his life, leaving the man to live with his humiliation. In disobeying a direct order from the king, Anna saved his life and the lives of all those in Siam. His underlying love for her, and hers for him altered her way of thinking so that she could only focus on seeing him again. Losing her husband impacted Anna in a way that isolated her from others, and she couldn’t bear to lose another love. With just a few British fireworks, Louis’s horn, and the help of a prince, Anna Leonowens was able to save not only Siam, but also everyone else in it, including the man she

It will therefore argue that, while journeys undoubtedly have cultural significance and personal implications, and inner journeys influence the nature, trajectory, and perception of outer journeys, and vice versa, the manifestations of these journeys do not necessarily reflect one another in a traditional sense. To demonstrate this, the necessity of these characters undertaking journeys, and thus the personal implications of these journeys, will be analysed. Further, the influence of culture on Icarus and Damon’s respective journeys will be detailed and investigated. Finally, Damon and Icarus’ internal and external journeys, as well as their awareness of, and ability to actively or passively participate in these journeys, will be compared and contrasted. Ultimately, such analyses will establish that journey narratives are subjective, complex, and nuanced, and even between two comparable pieces of literature can vary greatly in conception, application, and influence.

Foster argues that many seemingly weird plots are actually hero’s quests, and merely do not appear so because of the masking of the quest’s structural plots and the reader’s assumption that the stated reason is the actually the ultimate goal of the quest. However, Foster also warns against assuming that all trips are quests saying “some days I just drive to work – no adventures, no growth. I’m sure that the same is true in writing” (Foster, 6). He says that there are “always” and “never” do not have much meaning in literary study, and that for everything that seems to always be true someone will come along and disprove it. He applies this to the seemingly ubiquitous hero’s quest and concludes that not all trips necessarily are quests and about growth but that in the end it is always worth it to check when a character hits the road.

From young, limitless ambitions to experienced realisation of what is realistically possible to achieve. This is shown in the story through using minor sentences, briefly mentioning the narrator’s rites of passage, to show their insignificance compared to upcoming events later in his life, and displaying the impulsive, impatient thinking of a young teenager in the start of the story. By the end of the story, the narrator has a wise, experienced voice, understanding of the effects of impatience on achieving his goals, and displaying to the reader how thoughts change as individuals

Bawlf, the author of The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake, provides an in-depth account of what happened on that mysterious voyage as well as the precedent events and the aftermath. The 400-page book recounts the life and death

More than once in every man’s life he has yearned for something that is out of his reach. Whether it be fashionable clothes, an elaborate home, a newer car, or a more desirable career, some things are unattainable. George Milton, one of the main characters

Impact of British Colonization Exposed in A Small Place, A Passage to India, and Robinson Crusoe

Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days has proven to be a literature classic over the years. This adventure novel tells the story of a man who, on a bet, decides to travel around the world in under 80 days. Unbeknownst to him, he is suspected to be the perpetrator of a robbery at a local bank and is closely followed by a detective. Although initially skeptically of its content as it is a relatively old book, I, as a reader, found myself quite enjoying the book as it continues to hold a similar suspense and interest as many modern novels. When questioning people about whether or not they have read this story, I am often told that they do not find the language and vocabulary of the past enjoyable to read. But while reading this novel, the vocabulary did not appear exceedingly difficult. However, it may be beneficial to have a dictionary nearby if necessary as it should not take away from this genuinely engaging novel.

E.M. Forster’s classic novel “A Passage to India” tells the story of a young doctor, Dr. Aziz, and his interactions with the British citizens who are residing in India during the time of the British Raj. Throughout the novel, the reader gets many different viewpoints on the people and the culture of India during this point in history. The reader sees through the eyes of the Indian people primarily through the character of Dr. Aziz, and the perceptions of the British through the characters of Mr. Fielding, Adela Quested, and Mrs. Moore. Through the different characters, and their differing viewpoints, the reader can see that Forster was creating a work that expressed a criticism that he held of the behavior of the British towards their Indian subjects.