Comparing Relationships in E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India and Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthou

“They wept together, for the things they now knew.”(104) The last sentence of the first story in Interpreter of Maladies, reveals the cruelty of the elapsed romance in a marriage. In the two collections, A Temporary Matter and The Third and Final Continent, Jhumpa Lahiri demonstrates that a marriage can be either uplifting or discouraging depends on the mindset held by the couple and the strength of human bonding. Lahiri emphasizes the significance of mindset and human bondings through the ending of the two stories. The endings of the two stories are polar opposite : In A Temporary Matter, Shukumar and Shobha weeps for the termination of their relationship; The Third and Final Continent, by contrast, the protagonist(MIT) enjoys a fairytale-like

Annie Dillard and Virginia Woolf both wrote beautiful essays, entitled “Death of A Moth,” and “Death of the Moth,” respectively. The similarities between the two pieces are seen just in the titles; however, the pieces exhibit several differences. While both Dillard and Woolf wrote extensive and detailed essays following deaths of moths, each writer’s work displays influence from different styles and tone, and each moth has a different effect on the respective writer; Dillard utilizes more blunt, and often graphic description in her writing, contrasting with Woolf’s reverent and solemn writing. Dillard is affected by allowing her to contemplate the concept of eternity and purpose

God's loneliness is a theme central to the poem, as the preacher moves from theorizing "It must be lonely to be God" (1) to wondering "Who walks with Him?" (9) to concluding "He tires of being great / In solitude" (16) at the poem's conclusion. While Brooks does not state this explicitly, one can infer that the preacher's concern for God almost extends to wishing that he could provide God some form of companionship himself. I found myself speculating that perhaps the preacher entered the clergy for this very reason, giving Brooks' narrator a sort of history. The preacher's solemn narration in the poem gives light to its tone, which is one of compassion for God, and worry about His loneliness.

The female saint, Mirabai, expressed her devotion to the deity Krishna through songs of love and longing. Mirabai’s song, Without Krishna I Cannot Sleep, conveys this desire to be united with the Lord Krishna.

The obsession, the hardship, and the struggle to make life seemingly simple and easy, is an understatement to its true complexity. To dwell in the past, is a fault that one must not fall under, or else the difficulty to progress and move forward with the future, is a pleasure the past will have to turn any due progression, into failure. Robertson Davies’ novel, Fifth Business, examines the memoir of the character Dunstan Ramsay that reveals the struggles he comes across in his life, and the failure he has with moving forward to progressing from these struggles. By examining Dunstan’s Victoria Cross, his engagement to Diana, and Mary being a saint, one can see behind every literal event is a deeper psychological truth that Dunstan seeks,

Love between two genders is one of the most common themes in writing. In literature, love is often praised, appreciated and cherished. Another common theme in writing is the looming specter of inequality between men and women, which has been strongly depicted throughout history and is still worryingly present in the world today. It is extremely interesting to realize that though love is treasured and valued, in most cases, it takes both genders to create love, and those genders are often separated by inequality. Both these themes coincide well together; the clash of love and gender inequality is interestingly captivating. In John Updikes A&P and Ernest Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants, both stories send a conclusive message to the reader that equality between both sexes in love and attraction is almost impossible; one gender will always be more powerful than the other.

Notwithstanding their partner’s contempt of reading and writing, both the father in “The Boat,” and the narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” continue to search for reprieve through their respective books and diary.

Robertson Davies’ novel Fifth Business outlines the development of the lost and empty main character Dunstan Ramsay. Dunstan forms many relationships on many different levels. Each of Dunstan’s private and intimate relationships gave him a unique view of his identity. These relationships help him understand and get closer to the accomplishments of his quest of self knowledge, happiness, and ultimately fulfilling his role as ‘Fifth Business’. Diana, Liesl and Mrs. Dempster play vital roles in Dunstan’s understanding of himself.

Dorothy L. Sayers states “Wherever you find a great man, you will find a great mother or a great wife standing behind him.” Man is a societal construct that is structured and molded by maternal influences and female insight. Typically one is a product of its environment, however Robertson Davies in “Fifth Business,” deliberately uses female roles to display the impact that women have on the psychological growth of a man. Davies chronologically traces the psyche of Dunstan Ramsay as he matures with the guidance of significant female characters in his life. In “Fifth Business,” Robertson Davies uses the characterization of Mrs. Ramsay, Diana

Both stories are pictures of significant moments in a relationship. In addition, it is notable that both stories share the idea of open communication and honesty in order to have a healthy relationship. Each story unfolds male and female attitudes towards different issues, as in “Hills Like White Elephants” towards the unborn child, and in “The Girls in Their Summer Dresses” towards looking on other women. Although Jig and Frances, are two different women facing a conflict, but subsequently they reject their male partner at the end. In addition, the American and Michael who play the role of inconsiderate side in the relationship have portrayed masculine control over women. On the one hand, the reader encounters different relationships, but on the other hand, both stories lack commitment. Hemingway and Shaw illustrate that both partnerships based on mutual relationships, sharing and caring for each other can establish strong and successful

Ernest Hemingway grasps the intimacy and authenticity of human relationships, in his book, “In Our Time.” The book consists of short stories following the lives of different individuals. Few of the short stories include The End of Something, Mr. and Mrs. Elliot, Cat in the Rain, and The Doctor and The Doctor’s Wife. Through these short stories, relationships between male and female characters, lack meaningful intimacy. There is a disconnect amongst these couples. Hemingway redefines intimacy and what it means. Intimacy goes beyond sex; it is a bond between individuals. He is depicting two forms of intimacy through his characters. One form of intimacy is emotional intimacy, which is portrayed in the male characters. The other form would be sexual intimacy. Thus, Hemingway is changing our perception of intimacy; it is not only found in male and female relationships, but also in friendships. The bond between the male characters is more meaningful and stronger than the female and male relationships.

Because writing is inherently romantic in nature, throughout the history of literature, we see many authors' insights into the enigmatic and often ambiguous subject of love and relationships. Three short stories penned by three separate American writers deal with such matter: Charlotte Perkins Gillman in "The Yellow Wallpaper", Kate Chopin in "The Storm", and Nathaniel Hawthorne in "Young Goodman Brown." Though the relationships presented in each of these stories are unique in their own persuasion, the same underlying theme runs true in all. At first glance all of these relationships may appear healthy in their existence; however, further introspection uncovers specific maladies which I believe elicit much of the discord which arises

Austen has set out to save the rising art form of the novel. In this address to the reader she glorifies what a novel should be: the unrestrained expression of words conveying the wide range of raw human emotion. This veneration of the novel is necessary to the development of Catherine's fiction-loving character as it justifies the narrator's right to remain fond of this flawed heroine.

Lily Briscoe is a character that can be viewed as unique. Unique in the sense that she was living in an era when women were expected to take on the domestic role and fulfill the role as a traditional woman. Lily did not live up to those expectations. She struggled to stay true to herself and found it a difficult task to conform to society’s conventions as it relates to gender roles and expectations. The novel “To The Lighthouse” takes place in the 19th century during that time often referred to as the Victorian era. During the Victorian era, the expectation was that individuals should follow strict gender roles and people who did not follow those roles were frowned upon. Women were expected to take care of their husband and children, take care of the home and make themselves available to fulfill their family’s needs. Men on the other hand were expected to provide for the family, work outside of the home and do “manly” things. They were considered to be the breadwinner for their family. As one reads throughout the novel, you are able clearly identify Lily’s struggles with society’s expectations of her as a woman and the difficult task of staying true to oneself as she visits and shares with the Ramsay family.

Mrs. Ramsay thrives in this role of wife and mother, and men support this role by loving and adoring her for it. In watching her fit the stocking to James' leg and at another time, read James a fairy tale, Mr. Bankes can not help but contemplate the wonders of Mrs. Ramsay. He sees her is the best of light, as childlike and beautiful from within. "If one thought of her simply as a woman", one who wished to be admired, they were mistaken. In his opinion, she was beyond all of that. Her self sacrificing nature brought her to a higher level, where although she was strikingly beautiful, she wanted only to be like everyone else, "insignificant", so as to serve those around her.(p. 30) The simple acts which she