Tess of the D'Urbervilles Essay

Have you ever wanted a bad memory erased? Is love erasable? These questions are attacked head on in the wonderfully complex drama Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind. After working together on the film Human Nature, director Michael Gondry and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman discussed the possibility whether or not they would have their memory erased of a bad relationship should the opportunity present itself (dvdtalk). Out of that discussion a movie idea was formulated, pitched to a studio, and a film was created showing the potential impact of doing so. Through Kaufman’s brilliant and strange storytelling, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind takes its audience on a journey challenging us to ask: what would we do

Martha talks about a place that has “endless grayness”. Then analyzing the meaning on its time of the Greek word Hades or the place of punishment. Comparing Martha’s reaction of fear, scared and confusion. Afterwards, God having a dialogue with her about what He wanted for her to do. Who would have imagined that in this place she called heaven, Martha was going to find out her answer of what was her purpose in life? As shown above, “Sometimes in Tragedy we find our life’s purpose” (Brault,

AlecÕs first words to Tess , ÒWell, my Beauty, what can I do for you?Ó

They represent people’s lives becoming consumed by social media. However in the movie, instead of the three screens that covered each of the three parlor walls, the producers instead used a single semi-large flat TV mounted on the parlor wall. An important object in the book was the Hound, One of important roles the Hound played in Bradbury’s book is when Captain Beatty programmed the hound to send Montag a warning. Later the captain reprograms the dog to kill Montag in the case he made an attempt to escape during his last book-burning mission. which turns out to be at his own home. This is a key scene in the book because it leads to Captain Beatty’s death. However this not in the movie, was Clarissa’s death. Clarissa is hit by a car, though Montag will think back to his short time spent with her throughout the rest of the book. In the movie, she escapes when the rest of her family is being arrested by the firemen on the day Montag was home sick. She eventually crosses paths with Montag again, in the end, when he finds the book

Oliver explains how she found herself thinking of summer fields and felt like lounging on the sand before the owl’s dark wings opened over her. This symbolizes that before death, one is in temporary bliss until their time has come to an end. Oliver pictures herself free and content, staring into the cities of roses before death comes knocking on her door. This shows that death is an “immobilizing happiness” before it rips you from the world for good.

form the next day when Max invites her to join his table for lunch and

Tessie’s victimization at the hands of the towns people allows her to be a semi-symbolic character, which will lose her life due to a cruel death by stoning. They did this all for the sake that there may be a fruitful crop for the coming harvest season. Surprisingly, even Tessie’s closest friend was mentioned as finding a stone so big that she had to lift it with both hands. Mrs. Hutchison was tardy to the biggest event of the year. She desperately hoped that she

In the novel Legend, by Marie Lu, Tess has always been an optimistic and caring friend to Day. When Day was about two years into his life as a street boy, he found Tess, an orphan. After breaking into the hospital, Tess tends his wounds. “She’d needed my help so much in the early years that sometimes I forget how much I rely on her,” pg 55. This shows just how much Tess cares for Day, sending taking the time to care for his wounds. Furthermore, Tess, being like a younger sister to Day, doesn’t desire to become another burden for him to carry. “I’ve dropped it off... along with our gift bundle,” pg 52. In this situation, even though Day was out cold for two days, she managed to find shelter, drop off the stolen pain suppressants, and manage to care for for his injuries as well. Lastly, another example of Tess expressing her kindness and optimism, was after a ‘government official’ otherwise known as June, told him he would never be able to buy a plague cure with the limited amount of Republic notes he had. “You still have time...we’ll find the plague medicine before then, I’m sure of it,”pg 82. This shows another side of her optimistic personality, despite their situation. Overall Tess’s friendship is priceless.

Joel Barish and Clementine Kruczynski were a couple in love. Everything changed when Clementine woke up one day and just decided to have Joel erased from her memory. He was “boring” and she wasn’t happy and wanted to move on. Joel then decided he wanted to also remove Clementine from his memory. This was all possible due to Lacuna Inc. who asked those wishing to remove a particular person from their memories to remove anything from their homes that could possibly be associated with that person. They sit the patient down, map out where memories are located that are associated with each object. Then, the company sends a couple of their scientists/psychologists to the home at night after they’ve fallen asleep. They then track down any remaining memories as they appear while asleep

It is arguable that Tess’ passive nature renders her responsible for her suffering. Tess is ‘asleep at almost every important part of the plot, for example when Prince is impaled when she rides in place of her father . This mistake foreshadows later events between Tess and Alec. When Alec seduces, or rapes Tess, Hardy writes that ‘his cheek was upon hers. She was sleeping soundly’. Tess is acted upon, and does nothing herself. Tess’ lack of aggresion is further shown in her relationship with Angel. When Angel embraces her, and she is said to have ‘yielded to his embrace’, Tess allows herself to be loved opening herself to Angels hidden crueltys. Tess essentially sells herself to Angel saying: “you know best what my punishment should be” . There

There are a few symbols in the story, which are symbolic of death representing freedom. The setting in the story takes place during Spring. Louise sits in her bedroom and looks out the window. The spring day symbolizes a new beginning of her life in which she is free. Spring is the time when living things grow and are reborn. Likewise, Louise believes she will become productive, energized and reborn. Louise thought she had her whole life of freedom to look forward to. Another symbol is the open window in her bedroom. The open window suggests that there is no material object standing in the way of her new life. There is a clear passage between her life of captivity to her life of freedom. Her husband was the only person holding her back, but now that he is gone, she is able to look forward to the future when she can live her life for herself.

The first instance of window imagery is deceivingly small and easy to pass over, but upon reflection it creates a certain symmetry by subtly foreshadowing the final window scene. In the very opening section of the book, Clarissa’s departure from the house dredges up memories of her time at Bourton, of scenes with Peter Walsh that took place in front of an open window. This memory, brought about by the impact of the early morning air, also reminds her of the “solemn” feeling this incident gave her “standing there at the open window, that something awful was about to happen.” Though fleeting and lightly discussed, this emotion placed so close to the beginning of the novel seems to indicate the dangerous nature of an open window, which anticipates both Septimus’ death and Clarissa’s later musings in front of a window.

She writes him a letter about her past, but he never receives it and when she confesses Angel judges her even though they “essentially” did the same thing and Tess was the only one who was a victim. The omniscient narrator’s description of the interaction between Angel and Tess, reveals the patriarchal nature of Angel’s thoughts and his stubborn pride and reckless treatment of his wife. “She broke into sobs and turned her back to him. It would almost have won round any man but Angel Clare. Within the remote depths of his constitution, so gentle and affectionate as he was in general there lay hidden a hard, logical deposit, like a vein of metal in a soft loam, which turned the edge of everything that attempted to traverse it.

Her angelic role can also be linked to the religious aspect of this novel which I will elaborate on further on. Many argue that death is essential to storytelling. Justin Cronin used mortality and immortality in The Passage to prove that mortality in humans is inevitable, but one of the greatest fears humans have. “We are all mortal people in the world, but sometimes we often want to go beyond the time and the space” (Spenser 2013).

Tess of the D’urbervilles by Thomas Hardy and The Awakening by Kate Chopin were published in the late 1800s; the Victorian Time period. Hardy and Chopin explore the “sex distinction” between men and women during this time period through the eyes of female protagonists; Tess Durbeyfield and Edna Pontellier. Tess is a young, impoverished girl who seeks out her wealthy relatives to help her poor family. Edna is a young mother, and wife, that goes through a series of “awakenings” to become an active member of society. Throughout each storyline, both characters are compared to Greek and Roman goddesses to portray the Victorian ideal of women, which was for them to be pure and perfect.