An informed written analysis and evaluation of a piece of work is known as literary criticism, and it is often based on literary theory. One literary theory technique is intertextual criticism, which allows the reader to acknowledge similarities between literature. Throughout Harper Lee’s fictitious novel To Kill A Mockingbird, and the historical fiction novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, the authors take advantage of intertextual criticism to identify universal themes and symbols within their work. Both novels display similarities when they incorporate a tree as a symbol of friendship, the child archetype and the loss of innocence.
The tree as a symbol for commanderie is exemplified by both novels. Friendship is symbolized through
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Boo also killed Bob under the same tree he put the gifts in which allowed him to save them since they established a connection through the tree. Another instance is in A Separate Peace because the tree exemplifies friendship because when Finny conveys, ‘“It’s you pal… just you and me’... we were the best of friends at the moment” (Knowles 17-18). The tree exemplifies fellowship because the tree was the reason they developed the Suicide Society, for it brought them closer together. Them jumping off the tree also established and cemented their friendship, for they were the only ones brave enough to endure the feat. The tree was a way for them to develop a friendship because they grew a stronger bond after they established their society, and without the initiation jump from the tree, none of it would have been possible. Clearly, the tree as a symbol of friendship is used by both Harper Lee and John Knowles.
To Kill A Mockingbird and A Separate Peace apply child archetypes within their novels. Boo Radley represents the child archetype because he gave the Finch children “two soap dolls, a broken watch, and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies…” (Lee 321). The action of giving the gifts proves that Boo is a child archetype because he gives trivial gifts and leaves them in the knothole instead of presenting them due to his shy, childish demeanor. Boo is a child archetype because he is naive since he is sheltered from the cruel judgment of the town. He also acts with child mindset
Trees stand there, not saying a word, frozen. Melinda doesn’t talk a substantial amount in her class and social life, therefore, it is like she is frozen, not speaking. A dead tree can represent how Melinda wasn’t able to speak, the leaves on the dead tree are still clinging onto it, hoping it can live longer. Like that, Melinda would cling onto the idea that she would return to her happy self, maybe being able to freely express herself again. During Melinda’s science class, she draws a willow tree drooping into the water, this represents her sadness. “I look out the window. No limos... Now when I really want to leave, no one will give me a ride. I sketch a willow tree drooping into the water” (page 147). This shows how the willow tree expresses her negative emotion without saying a word. When Melinda’s dad was chopping down their tree; of course, it couldn’t say anything because it is only a tree. “ He is killing the tree... The tree is dying... There’s nothing to do or say. We watch in silence as the tree crashes piece by piece to the damp ground,” (page 187). This shows that when Melinda got raped, she did not say anything, instead she was dying inside, depression taking over. A tree in its various stages was an object that describes Melinda’s freshman year from the beginning to the
To This Day is a non-fiction poem by Shane Koyczan. I think that the depiction of the tree contains symbolism. When it shows the tree with the flower on it when it says “grafted onto a different family tree” the flower symbolizes how he survived(Koyczan).
3. My whole family knew a philippic from my grandmother was brewing as soon as her breath started to shorten.
In the novel A Separate Peace, the narrative shift in Gene’s perspective of the tree found on page 14 is an extremely crucial shift in the story. Gene’s initial reaction of the tree was when he was a boy attending Devon school in 1942; he saw the tree as unapproachable, daunting, and preposterous “The tree was tremendous, an irate, steely black steeple…I was damned if I’d climb it. The hell with it” (14). Gene had feared the tree like many other things in his life that year. Then as Gene returned to the Devon school as an adult several year after leaving, he returned to visit the same specific tree. However, Gene’s view on the tree changed dramatically. As an adult, when he saw the tree he described it as, “… not only stripped by the cold season, it seemed weary with age, enfeebled, dry” (14). The tree had lost its daunting nature and had changed in the eyes of Gene, without physically changing. The significance in this
The diction in the excerpt is an essential component to the dramatization of the plot’s central incident. Jewett uses rich language to intensify the simple nature of the main character Sylvia’s journey up a “great pine-tree.” For example, in describing the tree, the narrator uses personification as he mentions the “huge tree asleep yet in the paling moonlight.” The use of personification harkens back to those universal moments in childhood in which everything alive had human feelings, and creates an emotional attachment between the reader and the tree. Jewett also uses other figurative language, like similes, to relate the grandeur of the tree to the audience. She writes, “It [the tree] was like a great main-mast to the voyaging earth…” In comparing the tree to the great mast of a ship, the author invokes feelings of awe at its size.
Everything seemed perfect in Gene and Finny’s relationship with each other; however Gene went above and beyond the limit by idolizing Finny. Competition arose between the two boys. A little competition between friends isn’t bad, but the element of competition was much stronger in Gene’s character. Eventually, this lead to Gene performing an act of jealousy to even out the competition. This is where the symbol of the tree comes into place. Gene’s act of jealousy was jouncing a tree limb causing Finny to
Trees are important not only physically but also spiritually and for many this fact is lost. Physically trees provide humans with beauty and a healthy ecosystem. Spiritually trees provide humans a connection to nature. Their importance has been lost in our modern times as humans further separate themselves from nature. While forgotten by many, their actions still resonate. The two modern poems “The Tree Agreement” by Elise Paschen and “Living Tree” by Robert Morgan trumpet the value trees hold in comparable ways. In the poem “The Tree Agreement” the speaker argues for the benefits of the Siberian Elm against a disagreeing neighbor. By structuring the poem in this manner, the poet highlights how people are blind to the services trees provide while simultaneously highlighting said services. The tree is portrayed almost as a friend or ally to the speaker. The speaker describes not only to the significance of the tree to humans like the neighbor and the speaker but also to the other living creatures surrounding them. The poem “Living Tree” focuses on the actions performed by trees in cemeteries. This poem follows a more spiritual route when compared to Paschen’s poem. This poem describes the process those who have been buried go through and the role trees play in this process. The trees in this poem are portrayed as lightning rods for the chemicals and spirits of the dead. This relationship is portrayed positively, as the trees are a monument to the passing of life. These poems
In ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ written by Harper Lee, the author has used numerous different methods to portray the themes of innocence, maturity and growing up. These themes were put in so that the audience could become more empathetic towards the characters, especially the protagonists. She depicts these themes through characters, events, using symbolism, imagery and contrast located throughout the book.
The book "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a story of life in an Alabama town in the 30's. The narrator, Jean Louise Finch, or Scout, is writing of a time when she was young, and the book is in part the record of a childhood, believed to be Harper Lee’s, the author of the book..
When Harper Lee expresses her message of courage, she demonstrated courage through the selflessness of two characters by emphasizing their morality. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley symbolize mockingbirds in the sense that they are innocent but still courageous. Once Atticus the father and main character said “ I’d rather you shoot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want but remember It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”(Lee 119.) Mockingbirds symbolize Innocence, Lee is displaying that Tom and Boo are the mockingbirds in this novel. When Boo puts the gifts in the tree for the kids, that showed his Innocence, then when he left his house and saved the kids that showed his courage. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, two Innocent men that no one trusts, portrays
In the beginning, the pear tree symbolizes Janie’s yearning to find within herself the sort of harmony and simplicity that nature embodies. However, that
Much like the story, the title is not representative of the plot of the story, and it is completely independent to what does happen. Tom, Boo Radley and the children seem to be represented by the mockingbird. Both are innocent, though the kids show this through their naiveté, learning of the evil in the world. Likewise, Tom, a wrongfully convicted man, and Boo Radley, a recluse, both have their share of injustices, despite their innocence. To conclude, the novel To Kill A Mockingbird is a novel written effectively to convey the author’s intended message, while depicting a cohesive
The informed, written analysis and evaluation of a work of literature is known as literary criticism, which is based on a literary theory. An examples of such a literary theory is intertextual criticism, involving the comparison of two separate novels. Written by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird is comparable to A Separate Peace by John Knowles. Both novels are fictitious and showcase universal symbols, themes, characters, and numerous other literary devices utilized by authors. Similarities between these two novels are exhibited by the author’s use of a tree as a symbol for life and death, the victim, archetype, and weather as a symbol for change.
The tree in Speak symbolizes Melinda’s emotional state when at first she finds no meaning in drawing the tree then she finds the courage to speak up about her rape experience. As Melinda is starting her artistic path, Mr. Freeman says his opinion on her artwork and she develops an understanding that her art work could compare to her life.
Courage is the quality of mind that enables one to face danger with confidence, resolution, and gain a firm control of oneself. Many of the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird showed courage in their own way. Courage can come in many different forms: physical, mental, emotional and moral. Courage is not the only main theme displayed in To Kill a Mockingbird; prejudice and education are also very important themes exhibited throughout the progression of the novel. Through the eyes of Scout Finch, a bright, sensitive and intelligent little girl, these themes of the novel are explored in great depth.