The Inbetween Some people go through life wanting to become someone they are not. They dream of having material objects that would make them what they think is better than what they are now. Other people, on the other hand, feel as if they are destined to become someone due to traumatic events that have happened in there life or where they came from. In the poem “The Ruined Maid” by Thomas Hardy, a girl named ‘Melia runs into a town girl she used to know at the market. The girl continues to lavish over ‘Melias new found riches of materials and happiness. ‘Melia’s emotions, though, exhibit the opposite of what her old friend assumes, revealing that ‘Melia will never completely change into the person she has appeared to become and will never …show more content…
Throughout the poem ‘Melia talks with a quite depressing tone that others ignore due to her extravagant appearance, so when others see her they automatically assume she is happy but the way she expresses being ruined makes it seem otherwise. She proves this in phrases such as, “‘True. One’s pretty lively when ruined,’ said she.”(20). ‘Melia makes it clear through the poem that she is ruined, but the way she speaks and acts shows her true loneliness and depression which is the opposite of what she calls ruined. Tension also appears in a type of rebuttal such as, “My dear- a raw country girl, such as you be, / Cannot quite expect that. You ain’t ruined”(23-24). ‘Melia continues to rebutt her old friend with the idea that she is not ruined, but the way she talks of being ruined brings forth the idea that if ‘Melia had a choice she would leave this new inbetween and go back to her origins. This furthers the evidence that ‘Melia no longer has a place she can call home. Instead, she remains stuck in a place between who she once was and who she wants to …show more content…
These emotions remain due to the fact that once an individual has changed they can not completely fall back into their old life, but they also will not completely be able to conform to the new version they want to become. Therefore, ‘Melia will remain in between two identities that will control her emotions leaving her to aim for a new life as she clings on to a past
In some plays the experience of an important character changes him or her. In others the experiences of an important character leaves him or her almost completely unchanged. In Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee Younger goes from being selfish to being the man his family needs. The road to becoming the man they needed was very rocky and difficult at times.
In the story “Marigolds”, by Eugenia Collier, the theme consists of accepting who you are- because if you put it off, you may do something you may regret. The main character, Lizabeth, is on a path to adulthood, which is greatly treacherous and is a journey full of many challenges. Lizabeth quotes in many parts of the story that she feels conflicted in whatever she does, making her very emotionally frustrated. “The child in me sulked and said it was all in fun but the woman in me flinched at the thought of the malicious attack we led.” (Collier 124). Lizabeth’s statement proves that she feels very split on what to do, because of the emotions interfering with her. Her statement proves that the path to adulthood is not as easy
In the final stanza, he makes the reader sad as he assumes the inevitable will happen and she will die. He expresses this through metaphors such as a “black figure in her white cave”, which is a reference to the bright white hospital rooms and although he is the black figure he thinks she just sees a shadow which could be the grim reaper or even death himself, coming to end her journey. No one wants to deal with the sorrow of losing a loved one for good, as
Maya Angelou once said, “I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.” This quote encompasses the idea that change is inevitable. A person is involved in numerous relationships during their lifetime and what happens within them can change who they become in the future. Within the novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, the relationships that Henry Lee has developed throughout his lifetime have shaped him into the person he is today.
There are clues throughout the poem that express the man’s past experiences, leading him to have a hostile tone. The speaker represents his past as “parched years” that he has lived through (7-8) and represents his daughter’s potential future as
In Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber, the theme of transformation appears throughout the short story cycle. The hero/heroine’s virginity acts as a source of strength that protects them from harm. Their lack of fear also saves them from death. Virginity acts as power of potentia, either literally or symbolically and results in a release of an observed transformative power. The bloody chamber serves a different symbolic purpose of transformation for Beauty in “The Courtship of Mr Lyon”, the heroine in “The Tiger’s Bride” and the Countess in “The Lady of the House of Love”. Each of these characters will embark on a journey that questions their selfhood in circumstances that are presented to them and ultimately each will go through a
Great writers convey their message without bluntly stating it to their audience. Hardy’s insightful poetry conjures the minds of his audience and encourages them to reflect on how inhumane the social classes were and how poorly women were treated without every saying it. Because of its’ simplicity and relatability Hardy’s clever use of an everyday conversation between two women is more powerful than any lengthy lecture or straightforward statement he could have given.
Sometimes there are experiences that can completely change a person. A person comes in one way and comes out completely different, usually in their head. This happens a lot, even way back to the early 1600’s in the tragedy-based play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, where Macbeth develops and changes as a character over the course of the play in terms of his mentality. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is motivated by the witches predictions, can not control his thoughts, and lets his emotions get in the way of what he wants. Towards the end of the play, Macbeth is motivated by his need to survive, can control his thoughts better and limits the effect emotions have on him. These are three key components that change
The author uses Imagery and dialogue to show the theme that “People are not meant to be perfect, they are meant to be themself.”
In the short story “The Glass Roses” by Alden Nowlan. Nowlan portrays the idea that adversity is part of our lives, and this adversity shapes us as individuals. But in the face of adversity an individual must either strive to fulfill their individual self-interests and ideas or abandon them to conform to authority. Nowlan suggests this idea through the character, Stephen and his struggle to conform to authority or pursue his ideas which suggests that humans often bring about changes to themselves in order to adapt to the environment they live in.
Within one’s lifetime, the mark to finding oneself is being able to overcome hardships and difficulties in order to unravel the full potential concealed within them. From being manipulated and deceived, this manages to bring about an ability hidden within oneself that can only be triggered by experiencing what it is like to be a victim of deception. In A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen and As You Like It by William Shakespeare, each author entraps their protagonists with the role of being manipulative or the victim of being manipulated to further enhance the author’s purpose of revealing or unlocking the hidden potential that arose within the characters.
If Madeline was indeed a figment of Roderick’s imagination, Poe is here exploring the difference between the mental and physical self, and the importance that the two are similar.
The Google online dictionary defines developed as “advanced or elaborated to a specified degree.” In the Thomas Hardy poem “The Ruined Maid” the main theme is how two women are sharing comments on each ones growth and change. The speaker show how somebody else growth and change may influence somebody else life to make them want to change. A lot of times your changes will influence others around you rather its good or bad.
However in the poem, Duffy makes the reader see a distressed lady, who becomes paranoid through jealousy as she feels like her husband is betraying her because of her looks, and further damages the relationship between them. Medusa is insecure, turning herself into a Gorgon. She turns everything into stones as the climax builds up, and this suggests that an insecure woman could be the most powerful person later as she gets distressed and betrayed by a
In the first few lines of the poem, the reader can already receive a feel of the irony as the poet describes the scene of a maiden left behind as her lover falls in battle. The poet illustrates a scene as to where most readers would feel sorrow and sympathy towards the maiden and perhaps have the speaker in the poem enlighten the