Hyperbole In 'Endings' By Mona Van Duyn

Death can cause a person joy instead of sorrow or grief. “The Story of an Hour,” a perfect example, was written by Kate Chopin. “The Story of an Hour” is a short story that shows how the main character, Louise Mallard, views her marriage and the death of her husband. Mrs. Louise Mallard brings several different themes into the story that may be viewed very differently by different readers. The two themes, confinement and freedom, show how Mrs. Mallard feels before and after learning the news of her husband’s death. “The Story of an Hour” shows how several incidents can occur in just one hour. Set in the home of Mrs. Mallard, the story originates when Mrs. Mallard is told by her sister, Josephine, about her husband’s death. Normally, when a person’s spouse passes away, the passing brings grief, regret, and sorrow. However, Mrs. Mallard feels as if she is confined to her husband; therefore, she is now free and can enjoy life by herself. Chopin uses Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to illustrate how confinement, freedom, and irony can occur from marriage and death.

Cheryl Strayed’s story “The Love of My Life”, offers a wonderful, in depth character study into the life of a self-absorbed sociopath, who “strays” from her picturesque marriage after the death of her mother. What makes this piece so unique and interesting to read, is Strayed’s ability to provide a true reflection into her inner conscious and persona as she performs an imaginative mental gymnastic routine to piece together a worthy purpose for her actions. It’s rare that somebody so detached from reality can write so well, and it’s for this reason that “The Love of My Life” is a masterpiece of the modern day narrative. Her voice is one of a kind, and through the use of popular writing techniques, she is able to capitalize on it to engage the reader.

The door slammed shut and we were both on the verge of tears; as I held her tightly in my arms we discussed everything that had just unfolded. What would become of our relationship? Emma's parents despised me as if their daughter was in love with Satan himself. We were both from completely different ends of society, but our love was inseparable, or so it seemed. Emma explained that even though she loved me we were just too different. After hours of conversation, we agreed to meet at a nearby restaurant the following day to discuss the future of our love. As I continue to reminisce, I lie wide awake, in a paralysed state, worrying about what tomorrow may bring. I know deep down in my heart that once that shining star dies so will I. Without her, I have no reason to live, no reason to continue fighting the cruel battle of life. Thus, if I lose my one and only angel there will be no hope, no light just a deep dark meaningless void filled with despair and suffering. However, despite the heartbreak and lack of light, I continue to cling to that last bit of thread, that last bit of hope, that last bit of

Author and writer, Eudora Welty once stated, “The only fear was that of books coming to an end” (Welty 53-54). In her autobiography, One Writer’s Beginnings, Welty writes about her childhood, which revolved around books and reading. Despite the fact that her childhood librarian, Mrs. Calloway, was infamous for intimidating every student that entered the library, Welty never feared. With the help of her mother, Welty unearths a genuine passion books, ultimately discovering her first step toward a lifelong career as a writer and an author. In Eudora Welty’s autobiography, One Writer’s Beginnings, she utilizes figurative language and loaded words to express vehemence her toward reading.

Kate Chopin’s short story, “The Story of an Hour”, tells the reactions of a woman who believes she is now widowed. Although the reader would expect Mrs. Louise Mallard to experience only grief and despair, the author hints to the idea that Mrs. Mallard now feels free. Unlike the many other women who have heard the same story, Mrs. Mallard did not react to the news about the death of her husband “with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance.” (15). However, Mrs. Mallard’s grief overtook causing her to weep immediately. Weeping is a reoccurring motif throughout the short story. The motif can be interpreted as either a sense of grief for the death of a spouse, or a sense of relief that Mrs. Mallard is finally free of a binding marriage.

In Kate Chopin’s short story, “The Story of an Hour”, the author shows us the response of a young woman to her husband’s presumed death. Before the news, the widow, Mrs. Mallard, felt trapped in a situation she found to be inescapable. Her marriage made her feel as though her will wasn’t really her own, that she wasn’t really free. However, when the news of her husband’s death reaches her, she finally begins to feel that she has a chance to be free.

Everyday people endure the intense pain that occupies the entirety of their lives. Everyday people have pieces of them broken off by the egregious events that take place. Being broken isn’t just having a sprained ankle, it involves the deterioration of a individuals spirit and wellbeing. A personal response detailing the distinctive connection the author has to the state of being broken is entrenched within the portfolio. Also included is a poem that shows the desperation of death by a soul so broken by a society they feel truly differentiated by the rest of the population. Amanda Todd’s viral video of a young teen tormented by peers and a cyber blackmailer, Deborah Sheeds’ take on a conflicting look into the world of glamour, and a remarkable

In Margaret Atwood’s, “Happy Endings,” the author writes about the nature of life. Throughout the short story, Atwood describes ‘happy endings’ through six different scenarios, which are all based around the characters, John and Mary. At the end of each scenario, the ending is all the same “John and Mary die. John and Mary die. John and Mary die” (Atwood, 1984). Within the six different scenarios, Atwood describes how life is not what we expect to be, how it can end in the upmost perfect happy ending or how it could be filled twists and turns. Nothing in life is ever promised, you cannot be promised everlasting happiness, you cannot be promised love, but there is one thing that you can be promised: it will end.

Amy Tan, a 64 year-old Chinese-American novelist, believed that her life was tough and horrendous as a child. She said, “‘I remember that starting at the age of six, I had thoughts of suicide…The fact that I had those thoughts when I was very young was an indication that I was a very gloomy kid. I had some ways of thinking that were not healthy,’” (“Interview” 2). Her thoughts of wanting to disappear from the world were due to her roots, which were planted in a miserable family history, a hard, strict life, and painful personal traumas. However, those thoughts soon faded away when she discovered a passion, reading and writing. She used reading and writing as a way to ease her anger, sadness, despondency, and agony. Reading was where she found her best escape and her best answer’s to life’s questions. It was a refuge for her, and a place where she could use her imagination to paint the life she had always wanted, but had never experienced. Before she knew it, her love for reading and writing brought her to where she is today, as a renowned and successful author.

In the story “Happy Endings” the author Margaret Atwood gives 6 scenarios in alphabetical order from A to F of how a couples life could play out over the span of their lives. In these six scenarios Atwood uses satire to emphasize how interchangeable and simple each couples life is. In this story Atwood uses character, style, and point of view to chastise the desire for the everyday common life and the concern for only the “whats” in life and not “how or why”.

24.11.15 Draft Essay Mr Rix Isabella Stewart “My World” uses various features, throughout the poem are able to read and see the true message of the poem. Although different in style reading carefully and understanding the poem, you will be able to see the features it possesses. The very first stanza states: I want to curl up into a little ball, To hide away from this world of discrimination, To hide away from the calling voices, That become a blur of voices, echoes and hums

Atwood sums in her finishing remarks; in the end, “John and Mary die, John and Mary die, John and Mary die. “The anthology of “Happy Endings” forces the readers to question the meaning of life in reference to the plot. Every story—carried to its chronological conclusion—has the same ending, since all life has the same consummation. One may “bite the dust” in the heat of battle; one may die at a young age by drowning in a swimming pool, or in a nursing home, by a loved one, or alone. Be that as it may, there truly is no such thing as a happy ending; only a happy “middle” because man—just like every form of matter--will meet its end. The story does not lie in its closure, rather, it lies in what we do when we transit to there—the

In this life, there’s nothing more important than freedom. In Kate Chopin’s story, “Story of an Hour,” Louise Mallard discovers that her husband has been killed in a railroad accident. Louise is shocked and sad, and goes to her bedroom so she can be by herself. As she sits by the window in her room, she realizes she’s free to do whatever she wants, and doesn’t have to submit to anyone’s wants, needs, or will. Later that same day, Louise sees her husband, alive and well, downstairs. The instant she saw him, she died of what the doctors say was heart disease and joy. Even though the character’s think otherwise, Louise died of disappointment that she wasn’t free anymore. The characters, especially Louise, show that only freedom can make you happy, not love. While the story is interesting, it contains a larger meaning. In Kate Chopin’s piece, “Story of an Hour,” the theme that autonomy shouldn’t be replaced for love is illustrated by the character’s thoughts and experiences.

In this literary analysis it is essential to compare and contrast Cathy Song’s poem “Heaven” and Bryan Thao Worra’s poem “Pen/Sword” to give the reader a better understanding of what the authors’ are conveying to their readers. The similarities in the style, word choice, and theme will be compared, along with the differences of style, word choice, and theme reflected throughout each poem. Furthermore, I will determine the meaning behind the broken up and/or the way the lines of each poem while describing why the lines are strategically placed throughout the pieces. This will allow me to identify the meaning that the authors’ are explaining to the reader. Each poet specifically writes to give the reader(s) a picture of what they are feeling and defining their emotion through their writing.

Heaney incorporates an irregular rhyme scheme into the poem that mimics the uncertainty or mortality, the underlying theme of the poem. Heaney apprehensively examines the deceased body from far, however, his viewpoint begins to transform. In this piece, a shift from a detached third person point of view to a more compassionate first person point of view. Heaney exemplifies the human desire to understand mortality. A feeling of insecurity evokes a merit of not being exposed too suddenly to the “corpse”. However, as the poem lapses, a feeling of comfort and acceptance develops. We can see that Heaney is able to come close to the body and understand that “fate unwinds as it must,” realizing that death is a natural aspect of life and deviation is