Atonement In The Trials Of Arabella

To what extent are the protagonists of ‘Atonement’ and ‘The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead’ similar and different?

In the story of Maus, guilt is portrayed in many different ways throughout the entirety of the story. We not only see guilt through Vladek as a post survivor of the Holocaust but also through Artie as he learns what happened during the times that his dad suffered through his past. Does the evidence of guilt from the characters in the story of Maus negatively affect the relationship between Artie and Vladek? If so does this contribute to the way they communicate, making it hard for Artie to truly know what happened during the Holocaust? The story of Maus is a book based off a book being written by Artie from the experience that Vladek went through. Sometimes the relationship they have, makes it hard for Artie to tell a story without being too biased and basing it off of emotions towards his father.

The tone is set quickly and effectively. With the book and the movie you “are not being invited into fictional believe and deaths, into the imagination, but into the absorbing reality of flesh and blood”. (McCabe 561).

Many writers aim to identify the similar and contrasting features of their characters in order to addresses varying issues within the texts. These issues within the text In the novel Atonement by Ian McEwan and the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the writers’ use of juxtaposition is used to accomplish a more profound understanding of the internal relationships of the characters and external relationships with the other characters in the texts. Essentially, through the use of juxtaposition, both writers are able to enhance the message of the theme and exemplify character development.

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne exhibits how three very unique characters are evidently brought together by the sins that they have perpetrated and how they manage to perform acts of atonement in the puritanical Boston society. Hester Prynne sins by committing the shocking transgression of adultery. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, who as well engages in adultery with Hester, abandons her and their daugher because of his own cowardice and hypocrisy. Roger Chillingworth grows to become a maleficent being who tries to corrupt the very soul of Reverend Dimmesdale. Although Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale do sin greatly, it is Roger Chillingworth who sins to the most ferocious degree.

In Steelheart, Brandon Sanderson delivers the robust concluding lines, “I’ve seen Steelheart bleed. And i will see him bleed again” (Sanderson 9). These last two brief, seemingly trivial sentences, conceal this whole literary work within them. A young boy has witnessed his father be killed by the very being who was thought to protect them. With this slender feeling of hope essentially crushed from his very being, David, is the only living testimony to know this villain’s weakness. And with this information, he vows to seek retribution. The basis of this story was really compelling to me because of the incorporation of vivid imagery and descriptive figurative language, which allowed me to connect with the characters. Although not being able to completely resonate with this story, I have encountered the feeling of revenge, which was clearly foreseen within this writing and deeply empathetic.

Mahatma Gandhi once stated, “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” Jeannette Walls is a best selling author known best for her personal memoir “The Glass Castle” where she describes her unconventional childhood, negligent upbringing, and her struggle to defy all forces and break the cycle of deprivation. Their alcoholic father, Rex and their narcotic mother, Rose Mary raised Jeannette and her three siblings with no steady income and lived in a state of absolute instability. Despite his many flaws, Jeannette managed to keep faith in her father when everyone else had abandoned hope. After many broken promises, drunken riots, and complete desertion Jeannette’s confidence in her father vanished and she moved on

In Chapter 21 of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster discusses the importance of irony. Irony occurs when something other than what is expected occurs. Irony is a “deflection” from the readers’ expectations and is used a tool that turns expectations upside down in order to make a point. According to Foster, “irony trumps everything”. Irony trumps everything because of the many paths a writer can take once he decides to bring irony into a story.

Two classical themes in literature are concealed guilt and confessed guilt and in many instances the reader sees the affects of these on individuals. In the examination and exploration of The Scarlet Letter and Macbeth the necessary comparison for both is provided. The guilt in The Scarlet Letter is seen in the minds and outward appearance of each main character, Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. In Macbeth the readers sees an obvious guilt in the main character, Macbeth.

Thomas C. Foster prefaces his book by giving an example of how a figure like the devil is symbolized in many stories, even in a character that appears to be a simple man. A deal with the devil usually includes the protagonist figuratively selling his or her soul. In literature, a theme like this is found throughout many stories and novels. However, complicated analyses like this cannot be found by everyone, as seen in the puzzled class that is mentioned. With copious amounts of practice, any reader can become an expert at analyzing literature, and this introduces the reader of How to Read Literature Like a Professor to the type of material that the book will cover.

Briony has a need for control and order, even as a young child. She uses writing as a way to create worlds in which she has the ability to manipulate her characters and their outcomes. Briony, the youngest of the tallis children with large age gaps between them, is often alone and isolated. This loneliness causes her to seek attention. Both her desire to be in charge and her need for attention are reflected in the play The Trials of Arabella. Not only has she written the play, but she plans on starring in it as well. Her obsession with order and control makes her commit a crime because she wants to have power over what is the truth. After witnessing the rape she approaches Lola who is confused about who the perpetrator is, but Briony takes control of the situation "if her poor cousin was not able to command the truth, then she would do it for her" (McEwan 158). She seeks atonement for her crime through a novel. Like her play, Briony attempts two roles. She is both the narrator and main character of her novel. Again she is able to direct the truth, yet at the same time she is unable to differentiate between truth and fiction.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne paints a picture of two equally guilty sinners, Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale, and shows how both characters deal with their different forms of punishment and feelings of remorse for what they have done. Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale are both guilty of adultery, but have altered ways of performing penance for their actions. While Hester must pay for her sins under the watchful eye of the world around her, Reverend Dimmesdale must endure the heavy weight of his guilt in secret. It may seem easier for Reverend Dimmesdale to live his daily life since he is not surrounded by people who shun

When analyzing a character and their actions, perspective is an important element to consider. This coincides with point of view, which gives us further context of a character's actions. In Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart", murder is a common theme in which the protagonists struggle to overcome the guilt they feel. The protagonists inevitably let their guilty consciences overpower them, leading them to their demise. Looking at these texts critically, focusing our attention on the perspectives of the given texts, gives us a comprehensive understanding of the character's actions.

During the course one’s life, one will encounter situations in which one strongly feels a particular way despite a lack of evidence. Often, the strength of such convictions will lead one to act rashly, projecting one’s views onto others due to one’s emotional state. This rashness can lead to one making decisions that will harm both oneself and those around one. The rifts that are created as a result of such difficulties can lead to tension and differences between individuals for years to come. More often than not, one must find a way to be forgiven for what one has done, as only then can one obtain peace with others and oneself. In Ian McEwan’s Atonement, Briony Tallis’s struggle on her path to understanding and correcting an injustice demonstrates the manner in which one can be forgiven, showing that in order to achieve forgiveness one must take the path to righting one’s wrongdoings and admitting the truth of one’s situation.

The most memorable character and one who has a tremendous impact on the audience is Lady Augusta Bracknell. Wilde’s audience would have identified most with her titled position and bearing. Wilde humorously makes her the tool of the conflict, and much of the satire. She serves well the plot and the theme of the play. She is the strong hand who forces the whole play to move forward with a happy ending.