Creating Tension In Alan Ervin's Short Stories

The first part of the diary starts with her being a regular girl having fun and turns into a girl going into hiding with seven other people. In addition, she has to deal with relation problems with her mom, sister, and the people she is in hiding with. The problems begin when eight people are confined in a small area and everybody begins to irritate and annoy one another. Anne was especially concerned with herself and with her attitude towards the others in the group. She's mainly concerned with her mother who always treats her like baby. Mr. Frank tires to ease the quarrels between them by telling Anne to help out more around the house, but Anne stubbornly declines preferring to concentrate more on her studies. She especially gets plenty of confrontations with Mrs. Van Daan who thinks she is a spoiled little girl. Mrs. Van Daan constantly tells Anne’s father, “ If Anne were my daughter.” Anne’s respond to this in her diary was, “Thank heavens I’m not!” Of course

Her mental isolation has accumulated, due to the departure of her only companion, John. The deprivation of companionship forces Ann to create her own distractions. “She moved briskly; performing each little task with careful and exaggerated absorption, binding her thoughts to it, making it a screen between herself and the surrounding snow and silence.” (Ross 3) The ticking clock that has been mentioned seven times, has amplified in the silence and serves as the device that challenges Ann’s sanity. “Heedless of it all the clock ticked on in idiot content.” (Ross 12) Every ‘tick’ the clock makes not only represents the passing of time, but also the passing of Ann’s sanity. This makes her covet companionship, no matter where or who it comes from, which is where the bachelor, Steven comes in. Sinclair Ross has skillfully used Steven as a disguise for the storm; coming in to wreak havoc and then leaving right after it has accomplished its task. “She could not blame him. There had been no passion, no guilt; therefore there could be no responsibility.” (Ross 12) Isolation has not just impacted Ann, mentally, but has also impacted her long-standing fidelity with

Secondly, John Wyndham's novel The Chrysalids shows the consequences of going against the beliefs of closed society through major conflicts in the novel. Firstly, Joseph became enraged and accuses David for wishing to have another hand. Wyndham writes, "you- my own son- were calling upon the devil to give you another hand!"(26). To explain, this creates a conflict between David and his dad, Joseph Strorm. David’s father is a strict believer in the Waknukian faith.

Anne Elliot is a kind and principled young woman. In her younger years she is somewhat passive and easily persuaded by those around her. Anne grows up however, and in developing her character she transforms into a confident and straight thinking young woman, no longer easily swayed by persuasion of her friends and family nor political correctness of social relationships. She begins as a passive character but grows into an active character as she learns who she is and becomes more sure of herself and her decision making abilities, as is I believe common in growing up. The reader can see a transition through the book wherein Anne is no longer so easily persuaded by those around her. Anne finds herself, and follows her heart; due to being in proximity to Wentworth she realized the strength of the love she still has for him, reveling in the realization (via his letter and subsequent conversation) that the long held love is mutual.

beginning despite his circumstances yet in the end he loses all hope while Anne throughout was a

Anne is treated harshly by those around her. . "Harsh words and shouts are constantly being flung at my head, though I'm absolutely not used to it. According

Anne thinks that she is not included in family news, and thinks that she is left out of Jenny’s life.

Anne’s father leaves the family after an

" Anne would prefer John stay and pay attention to her rather than care for his father. Ann eventually learns to self-reflect and comprehend that her husband loves her. John has only ever tried to be a good husband, yet she has been nothing but selfish in her actions toward him. Lucy, in

While staying in the annex Anne has made a new friendship with Peter (Hackett and Goodrich). Them becoming friends made living in the annex more bearable, for both Anne and Peter. Anne has also improved her relationship with her mother. Their relationship grew by her and her mother trying to understand each other more. Her and her father’s relationship grew more also. Anne would always go to her father for advice or just to make her feel better when her mother or other people living in the annex would make comments about her and how she should be

Towards the beginning of the play, Peter and Anne have a teasing and kind of playful relationship. They don’t totally like each other, but they’re also very different. Anne is closer to her father than anyone else, but she doesn’t really enjoy her mother. Anne and Margot are fairly close, but Anne seems pretty jealous of Margot and her looks. Mrs. and Mr. Van Daan seem kind of rude to her.

She feels like her mother isn't treating her like the daughter she wanted to be treated as. Later in the novel, Anne is able to see her mother as a human being complete with inner and outer selves. Anne reflects on how her mother's inability to be a real parent is connected with her feelings of isolation. She believes romantic love is the solution to this isolation. Anne also feels isolated

Now that she is on her own Anne must make decisions about what she feels are her values and morals. She is now deciding what she feels is right and what is wrong. Anne is finding out what causes she wants to support and what she wants to fight

Anne first met Mrs. Smith when she was sent to school, shortly after the passing of her mother and the breaking of her engagement with Captain Wentworth. In fact, Anne did not have reliance on anyone, and Mrs. Smith’s kindness allowed her to be vulnerable. Seven years later, when Anne realizes the unfavorable state Mrs. Smith is in, Anne can allow Mrs. Smith to be vulnerable with her. Because she values the honesty in their friendship, Mrs. Smith is “the chosen friend of [Anne], and to be preferred by her to her own family” (204). Anne desires visiting with Mrs. Smith instead of her family.

Throughout the series, Gilbert’s frequent appearances while Anne is away, emphasizes her enduring connection with Avonlea that transcends the merely physical. Gilbert shows up when Anne is away teaching at the Lady’s college in Kingston. It is here that he announces he is engaged to somebody else, and Anne almost feels as if she had taken advantage of her relationship with him and so too Avonlea. Gilbert urges her in