Enlightened Saturday: An Interpretation Of Une Semaine Du Bonte

There are also several doves at the bottom of the painting, presumably indicating purity and perhaps symbols of love as well. (Wall Text 2012)

Throughout history, ancient civilizations have undoubtedly left their mark on the planet. Many symbols and traditions from the ancient world remain prevalent in today’s society. Just take a look at the architecture in Washington, D.C., or even the English alphabet. It is certain that our world would not be where it is today without the influence of those who came before us. One very important symbol that dates back to Greek mythology is the caduceus. Also known as the staff of Hermes, this symbol is used today to represent modern healthcare. Even though it is widely used, most people do not know the origin of this ancient symbol.

In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” allows one to explore many ironic instances throughout the story, the main one in which a woman unpredictably feels free after her husband’s assumed death. Chopin uses Mrs. Mallard’s bizarre story to illustrate the struggles of reaching personal freedom and trying to be true to yourself to reach self-assertion while being a part of something else, like a marriage. In “The Story of an Hour” the main character, Mrs. Mallard, celebrates the death of her husband, yet Chopin uses several ironic situations and certain symbols to criticize the behavior of Mrs. Mallard during the time of her “loving” husband’s assumed death.

Dionysos is defined as the god of wine, festivity, vegetation, pleasure, and divine intoxication. In the Hope Dionysos, he is depicted as a peaceful and joyful figure that represent happiness in Greek mythology. The statue is sculpted from marble as its medium and is classified as a stone

However, the artist used Christian meaning in symbols to celebrate their religion. Such symbols were a piece of garland meant victory over death, a tendril was the Eucharist, a nude figure is Christmas, a peacock is immortality, and a flying bird is a soul flying to heaven.

One of the most important symbols found in the story is the pattern of the wallpaper. “But no one can get through the pattern -- it strangles so; I think that's why it has so many heads” (Gilman). The wallpaper pattern symbolizes the oppression woman went through because of how society used to see gender roles in the 19th century. “Then I peeled off all the paper I could reach standing on the floor. It sticks horribly and the pattern just enjoys it! All those strangled head and bulbous eyes shriek with derision”(Gilman ). The tearing of the wallpaper is symbolic of the narrator going crazy trying to free herself and the women from the roles they are forced to fill. “It must be very humiliating to be caught up creeping in the daylight” (Gilman).The narrator uses the moonlight to creep, symbolizing that no one is who they appear to be on the outside. During night time, people tend to do things they would be embarrassed about in day time, and during that period of time, people were embarrassed and felt it was seen wrong to defend women’s rights. Moonlight has also many connections with women, those include the moon cycle relation to a woman’s menstrual cycle and the greek goddess Artemis, who was the goddess of chastity, virginity, the hunt, the moon, and the natural environment. “ By daylight she is subdued, quiet. I fancy it is the pattern that keeps her so still” (Gilman). The Daylight, however,

Before the story begins a quote looms above the passage reading “The reappearance of the lady is a matter of individual taste” (Gaiman 122). This should be an initial signal to readers that a woman disappears.

The sculpture portrays the God of Harvest, Dionysus, with his loyal satyr follower, Pan. A considerable amount of detail when into the carving of Dionysus; the multiple grapevines in his hair, his ceremonial staff Thyrsus, the goatskins and the cup of wine he’s holding are all symbols of Dionysus. The composition is very asymmetrical, and creates a contrapposto arrangement, which is distinctly Grecian (Gardner). It was carved out of beautiful fine marble, which also had another purpose in the way of making this piece of art last for many years. Along with the tree trunk between the two men providing support at the base, and the elongated arms providing more structural stability. The God’s head is even reinforced by his hair to make sure the head doesn’t break off. This sculpture is visually and aesthetically pleasing, but doesn’t serve a useful function, like textiles or furniture. Therefore, it is considered a figurative piece of art, which art that is very clearly modeled after real object or person(s), and is therefore representational

This woman she sees in the wallpaper would be symbolic of herself, and the battle of imprisonment that she was feeling internally.

Wine was considered “hot” due to both the effects it had on men and the weather needed to grow grapes. Ivy grows best in cool weather and shade, while its vines bear no fruit, which made it “cool” to the Greeks. The ivy, therefore, joins with the grape vine to represent the duality of Dionysus, who was born from both mortal Semele and deity Zeus. This theme of duality continues in the statuette with his panther companion. To the Greeks, the panther represented “the most blood thirsty desire to kill,” which was balanced by his position as god of

Dionysus is the god of wine and fertility, however also became considered a patron of the arts. Along with the variety of things Dionysus was associated with, he is associated with some important concepts. These are, being able to bring a dead person back from the underworld, rebirth after death represented through the symbol of his tending to vines to bear fruit for the making of his wine. There is also the feeling of being possessed by a greater power – which he demonstrated via the influence had from wine. This means that the greater power is the wine – that at these times a man might be greater than himself and do works he otherwise could not.

Michael Miller’s book, The Bon Marché: Bourgeois Culture and the Department Store, 1869-1920, is an expansive and interesting look back on a era of Parisian history that is best represented by its then-current trend and social innovation, the department store. The book gives a fascinating account of the store from its beginning to eventual common place status in 1914. The book gives an insight on the factors in which the store saw success, such as the management, the labor, and new marketing. It also gives light to the social factors that made the store possible (i.e education and economy).

In Gustave Flaubert's novella A Simple Heart, a young woman lives only to give of herself. She is loving and altruistic in everything she does, no matter how badly she might be treated by others. Even the man she loved left her in order to marry someone who could better his financial situation. According to literary scholar Roland Barthes, Gustave Flaubert is famed for his language choices. He was careful with his word choices and the symbolism that he used as well (231). Therefore, every description or symbol associated with his characters has an intricate meaning which needs to be dissembled. This is true in the case of Felicitẻ. She is described in terms which are usually limited to angels or saints. Also, the imagery, figures of speech, and very language choices serve to underline these comparisons. The use of religious and sacred iconography serves to push the main character Felicitẻ from a simple girl to be admired and into a religious subject herself.

through the symbol of the veil. The first frame of the first page presents a portrait of

The short story “A Great Day” is written by the New Zealander Frank Sargeson, one of New Zealand’s leading authors. He wrote this novel during The Great Depression in the mid 1930s. New Zealand was one of the countries that were affected by The Great Depression. Unemployment reached 12 percent at its worst and New Zealand’s national income decreased severely. The author explicitly emphasises this by bringing up the unemployment of both of the characters, Fred and Ken.