Symbolism Of The Novel ' The Assault '

Metaphors are used to portray the nature of the first world war by relating the experiences to more relatable occurrences that are familiar to the general populous, helping the reader reach an understanding of the devastation of the war. During an ambush by the Allied forces, “[The

“Tomorrow When The War Began” by John Marsden, is a novel of survival, friendship, love and war. He uses many language techniques (e.g. simile, metaphor, personification, oxymoron, irony, symbol, allusion etc.) to get across to the reader the importance of each of the themes discussed. He also uses these techniques to set the mood in each chapter and to help emphasise each major point in the novel. “We’ve learnt a lot and had to figure out what’s important- what matters, what really matters.”- Ellie

In Harry Mulisch’s novel The Assault, Mulisch expands on the historical event of the murder of Fake Kirst who was assassinated on the streets of Amsterdam by Grommet Krijger through the life of Anton Steenwijk following World War Two. Throughout the novel Mulisch takes advantage of numerous motifs and expands their ability through a longstanding motif of water. He uses these themes to develop the central character Anton who works to conquer history and his own past. The motif of water is a strong decision by Mulisch that broadens the novel’s overall depth and meaning .

Thomas C. Foster utilizes various allusions and forms of symbolism to apply a multifaceted meaning or message to any piece of literature. In “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” Foster theorizes how an author can assist a reader in getting a better grip on the message or purpose of a work using figurative language including symbolism, tones, allusions, and techniques. The chapters “…Or the Bible”, “It’s Never Just Heart Disease”, and “Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion” all demonstrate how Foster’s theories can be applied to the way authors have written and will continue to write.

Another strategy O’Brien uses represents deep, powerful imagery based on his personal experience in the war. “They’d found him at the bottom of an irrigation ditch, badly burnt, flies in his mouth and eyes.” Another powerful imagery used in his story was describing how Ted Lavender died. “He lay with his mouth open the teeth were broken and there was a swollen black bruise under his left eye.” O’Brien paints gruesome pictures in all readers’ minds about how horrible some individuals die in war. The writer uses imagery to give the reader a better understanding of the severity of

numerous examples of symbolism and literary devices are expressed. Remarque uses symbolism and literary devices to show that the horrors of World War I turned its soldiers into animals, forced them to stand face to face against death, and led their fates to be determined by chance.

In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque the reader sees World War One from a German’s perspective. The main character Paul Bäumer joins German forces after with his friend. The main character Paul Baumer goes through many difficulties and struggles in time of War. The author suggests that symbols give a better understanding of the brutality of war through butterflies, boots, and women.

The two stories “The Destructors” by Graham Greene and “The Rocking Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence are being analyzed through literary devices on how they demonstrate the shared theme. Greene and Lawrence both use setting, symbolism, and like-minded characters to demonstrate the theme of the destruction and effects of war are long lasting in the stories “The Destructors” and “The Rocking Horse Winner”.

He suggests that our society will become soon become similar to dystopian society's in that we will have discovered to annihilate the entire human race. Clearly, Bradbury's disturbing vision of the future was influenced by his composing context when he bore witness to the horrific event of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the complete destruction of those cities; the burnt empty house, dead streets and flattened buildings were a result of the beginning of nuclear warfare. This is highlighted through his use of descriptive imagery in "the entire west face of the house was burnt, save for five places. Here the silhouette in paint of a man… Here as in a photograph, a woman bent to pick flowers…a small boy… a ball and opposite him a girl," when Bradbury describes the condition of the outside of the house. This grim tableau of ordinary domesticity reinforces the vulnerability of the unsuspecting, innocent victims who were obliterated by the blast in a single moment. The silhouettes connote the dehumanisation and loss of identity experienced by everyone who became collateral damage in war, conveying a sense of despair for the victims within the audience. This notion of the complete eradication of humanity is further developed through his use of onomatopoeia when the haunting emptiness of

This deeply contrast what is felt in chapter one because words are now used to convey an unsafe, loud, and unpleasant mood, and an image of the characters being in harm’s way is portrayed. In chapter one, words such as “far off”, “little”, and “immediately” exude an image and scene of safety, that the characters are aware of the dangers of their environment, yet are unaffected. The angry sounds of the men are described as being distant, and the loud and distracting rustling of the leaves die down quickly, thus this use of imagery through word choice displays the mood of safety. Opposing this, in chapter six, words such as “sounded”, “much closer”, and “crashing” create this mood of unsafeness, peril, and disharmony. In this chapter, the distant shouts of men becomes not so distant, and the quiet and brief rustling of leaves is rather drawn out and

According to historians, history should not repeat itself; however, the pervasive influence of a past that holds resentment and regret due to wars is unavoidable. Although countries emerge from war, each individual is left with a pain that restricts their future. Harry Mulisch, in The Assault utilizes characterization and recurring images to demonstrate that there is no healthy way to individually and globally deal with world wars as they have long lasting emotional repercussions on civilian survivors. Time, as the only constant evolving figure in the novel, characterizes the detachment in people haunted by the memories of the past and the overatachment of people clinging to the feelings left behind.

Harry Mulisch once said, that “he did not just write about World War II, he was WWII”. He uses this mentality in a lot of his writing to allude to himself in the works. Being that during WWII he was just a boy, he saw many terrible events at a young age. A works that is a prime example of this is The Assault, a novel about a young boy who, lives through a terrible night, in which his family was murdered and his house burnt down. In The Assault, the novel itself is an allusion to his life. In The Assault, Harry Mulisch uses allusion to bring cultural and contextual content to the works.

The narrative examines a vast variety of topics that address the human condition. Nonetheless, the aspects of war, destiny, and humanity are the nucleus of the message transmitted. Foremost, the book in itself is an exploration of the tragedy that comes with war. The prospect of a “fairy tale” ending violently eradicated as warfare increases exponentially around the characters during the finalizing chapters. After being captured by the Allied army, Werner deliriously wonders

In “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison, the narrator who remains nameless, is looking back on his teenage years while telling a story from his past. In the story, the narrator is invited to a party to deliver a speech, however when he arrives he is forced to partake in the ‘Battle Royal.’ “Battle Royal is a chapter from Ellison’s book Invisible Man, which is about an African American teenager who grows up in a society where he finds himself ‘invisible,’ as did Ellison himself. In Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal,” the American flag tattoo, the blindfold, and the grandfather’s deathbed symbolize the overall message that the African Americans were dominated by the whites.

This symbolizes the darkness of a world without hope, without decency and without humanity. This challenges my experiences, as I have witnessed the harsh environments of a war-torn country, however, the novel presents scenes that even exceed my own imaginations of fear and trepidation. And as a result, the novel forces me to