Symbolism In 'Hard-Boiled Wonderland'

Throughout the short story “Pancakes” by Joan Bauer, Bauer uses metaphors and imagery to portray Jill as an overwhelming perfectionist, who fears failure. As the story unfolds Jill is irritated with the memory of her ex-boyfriend Allen, by an article about perfectionism her mom taped to her bathroom mirror. Jill makes herself get ready for work in the awful waitress uniform “that [was] ironed and starched the night before: blue, long-sleeved ankle-length dress, white apron, white-and-blue flowered bonnet” (Bauer 212). By describing the way the uniforms looked it gave the reader a sense of imagery and how Jill dreaded putting on the long ankle-length dress that swam on everyone that has worn it. Even though she despised the uniform

As the light shines through the dusty window, the light shows of good things coming but the dust blocking it shining all the way through, shows the challenges that may come with the good.As the author explains the cabin , George and Lennie are getting introduced to the new ranch and all the people there. In chapter 2, 2nd paragraph it says, “ At about ten O’clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar ….”. The quote joins the fact that the good is coming but there may be challenges along the way. The sun represents good in literature and dust in literature represents lifelessness or oldness. In chapter one, at the very begining of the book, the author is describing what lennie and George are seeing as they are walking away from their old town. It says, “ The golden foothill slopes curve up.” This piece of text shows a new begining. The light image here depicts a safe place for the men. In the beginging of chapter 4, the author is talking about crooks room, when Lennie is talking to Crook. It says, “in the stable bucks

In this poem, symbolism is used to help reader’s find deeper meaning in the little things included and show that everything comes back to the father’s fear of the child he adores growing older and more independent. “In a room full of books in a world of stories, he can recall not one, and soon he thinks the boy will give up on his father.” This sentence makes a reader assume that the story the five year old so

One of the main elements that literature with merit must exemplify is symbolism. As soon as an author introduces a symbolic reference, a premade notion that the reader constructed could be affected. Not only would a symbol alter the meaning of a message, but it would also add an emotional element to the story. Throughout All the Light We Cannot See, a series of symbols were inaugurated. The first, and most predominant symbol that was recurrent throughout the book was vision. The two protagonists, Marie-Laure LeBlanc and Werner Pfennig, both play a contrasting role when it comes to the symbolic meaning behind vision. On one hand, Marie-Laure is physically unable to see due to her blindness. Therefore, she does not experience the world in the same way as the other leading character, Werner Pfennig. Instead,

Reading literature allows people to imagine, create, and believe certain things that reality or other written works are not capable of. The same way writers create their literature is the same way readers interpret it. Both readers and writers use imagination to do so. Literature opens a world where every thought/thing is brought to life. In literature, any person, place, or thing could possibly mean more than its’ literal meaning. When writers do so, he or she uses a literacy device called symbolism. Symbolism is when the author uses objects to represent a certain idea, an idea that is beyond its’ actual meaning. In Robert Olen Butler’s “Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot” and “The Paring Knife” by Michael Oppenheimer, the authors

Lastly, the isolated room that the narrator stays in is a symbol. The room symbolizes a safe haven, giving the main character time to write and process many

In the passage, imagery was portrayed. In chapter three, in the first book, the character Stent, an Astronomer Royal was shouting out orders on top of a suspicious cylinder. While Stent was shouting orders, the passage stated "his face was crimson and streaming with perspiration, and something seemed to have irritated him" (pg.12). This piece of imagery helped me visualize what state of condition that Stent was in. Also, in the passage foreshadowing presented in chapter seven, in the first book. In the novel it stated “ I did not know it, but that was the last civilised dinner I was to eat for very many strange and terrible days” (pg. 28). This foreshadowing helped inferred that something unfortunate was going to happen later in the novel.

The characters of the story represent those in the revolution, and they each have key characteristics that each Russian leader or citizens possessed. The events that occur throughout the story correlate with each major event of Soviet history, such as the start of the revolution and the turning point of their societies. The allegory explains the importance of questioning authority and following people blindly. We, as independent thinkers, must always question and examine what others tell us, no matter what position they hold. This applies to both ancient and modern times. There will always be those ignorant to what goes on in society, and by questioning our surroundings, we can prevent corrupt leadership from

Anne’s complex symbolism helps to construct the composite and secretive nature behind mental illness. Each stanza opens with a repetition of the words “I have” (Sexton 1,8,15). Its singular form introduces and reintroduces the author's sense of loneliness and hopelessness. Her first line reads, “I have gone out, a possessed witch” (Sexton 1). Witches are known for their dark and vile spirit, which is a direct metaphor for her depression. In most modern literature, witches are also considered social outcasts who live life on their own. The beginning of the second stanza reads,”I have found the warm caves in the woods” (Sexton 8). As if to say the solitude is warm and inviting. The woods stand for a tangled front protecting the solitude she stays in from being hurt. The final introduction reads, “I have ridden in your cart, driver” (Sexton 15). The driver is Anne’s depression. It feels like it is running her life, and she is just there for the ride.

He uses specific choice of words like "Dark", "Sorcerer" and "Visions" to provide a sense of wonder and mystery as if it was an adventure. Which portrays the anticipation that Douglas feels towards all of the adventures that summer will bring. The passage also consists of a simile in lines 48 through 50. The sentence reads "The street lights, like candles on a black cake, went out." This particular lines connect to the first paragraph of the whole passage which mentioned the sun hasn't rised. The simile is a comparing lit street lights to that of candles which at first are lit but once you blow them out it's light is gone. The lines are explaining that the street lights are off, now that they are not needed since the sun is out. Personification is found in lines 49 through 50. Which say the following " As house lights winked slowly on." This sentence,personifies house lights as winking which represents house lights slowly turning on. Therefore, people are starting to wake up and the day is about to commence. Towards the end of the passage Douglas Spaulding is preparing to leave his home and enjoy his summer. A metaphor is illustrated in line 74 through 75. For example "The town trolley would sail the rivering black streets." In the sentence, the streets are being compared to an ocean. Which portrays Douglas imagination and desire for his summer adventures to begin. Visual

In Alice Munro’s short story, Boys and Girls, the underlying theme displayed throughout the entirety of the story is conforming and defying to society’s gender expectations. This is shown through the literary device, symbolism. Symbolism is seen through Flora the horse and the protagonist’s mother.

The presence of light and dark imagery is a significant motif in the novel Winesburg, Ohio, vital to the understanding of characters’ suppressed identities and the hidden beauty found within all of their seemingly grotesque personas. Throughout the book, darkness is prevalent whenever a character reveals a secret about themselves to George Willard or the reader, and characters regularly walk around at night. Many of the most important experiences occur in the dark, and within these moments, the characters appear their most extraordinary. The juxtaposition of light and dark portrays the contrast between the characters’ authentic identities and the pretenses they express to society.

After being crushed with deep sorrow over the death of his beloved Ligeia, the narrator moves into a decaying abbey to leave behind his lonesome house. Although he leaves the exterior of the house untouched, the narrator decorates the interior with strange but lavish furniture. “The furnishings take on the shapes and colors of his fantastic dreams” as he attempts to cope with his loss (Kincheloe). This supports the idea that the narrator would rather live in his own colorful fantasy (like the inside of his house), than engage in the dark reality (as represented by the outside of the house). Losing Ligeia meant the narrator lost his fulfillment in life; which is why his reality is now gloomy and undesirable. Not only does is the furniture an example of dream imagery, the walls of the desolate house also have a dream effect. The moving images on the walls cause the house itself to seem restless and alive. The narrator imagines this because it represents himself; always on the edge of monstrosity with each changing mood. As he hallucinates on opium, his sense of reality and fantasy is put together as one. With each furnishing, a looming memory of Ligeia haunts him as he reminances her during his opium dreams.

The novels begins with a doubtful case, which the first sentence has already given readers sense of foreboding: “Small trees had attacked my parents’ house at the foundation…. They had grown into the unseen wall and it was difficult to pry them loose.” (Pg.1) These silent "uninvited guest" disturbed the quiet weekend afternoon, it also seems to foreshadow that the quiet life of a happy family is about to be broken.

Maxine Clair uses symbolism throughout the passage to represent happiness and innocence of childhood . For example, in the second paragraph Clair uses the word, “hairy man” as a symbol. Hairy man is described as a symbol of fear. This represents the innocent part of the story, how she was afraid of this imaginary monster. Another symbol that Clair discusses, “cigar box.” The cigar