Australian author, Shona Husk is an author who does not just write in one genre, but multiple. She has written contemporary romance, fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal.
Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and Henry James' The Turn Of the Screw are key examples of the way in which gothic texts use and adapt the conventions of the genre. These changes occur due to the author's own personal context and values. The inexorable link between
How does different literature, written years and centuries apart by different authors, still contain the same prevailing ideas? Some ideas occur over and over again in literature, often revolving around human nature. Humans have a tendency to do the same thing over and over again even across different years and
Gothic stories contain supernatural occurrences to incite an imminent feeling of darkness, and mystery. Using supernatural themes helps the reader become entrapped in the story, causing the reader to crave more of the story. For example, in Edgar Allen Poe’s The Black Cat in the short story Poe integrates the theme of supernatural by creating a dark and ominous
Supernatural elements is something that cannot be explained by the laws of nature. These elements, such as religious figures and activities, ghosts, witches and anthropomorphized animals have been used to develop themes throughout literature. These supernatural elements are often used to outline the conflict within the plot and
It is said that right before someone dies, they see their life flash before their eyes. They are said to see the things most dear to them. However, no one on their deathbed regrets the amount of money that they have. In the moment of clarity, most realize that a number on a paycheck is not as important as emotional and mental possessions. People always tell each other that money can not buy happiness, yet most end up spending every waking moment thinking about money. Why do people waste their time and energy pursuing something that is not what they truly need? Often, they use social class to fill a void in their lives that can not be filled by materialistic possessions. Many people realize this, but it is often too late. Charles Dickens demonstrates the effects of social climbing in his novel, Great Expectations. This novel explores the connections and effects of human nature and society, which are the two most powerful forces that guide people’s decisions. Some may say that social climbing is good, but as will be proven, pursuing social class for the wrong reason can result in disastrous consequences. The motivation to obtain higher social status leaves those who pursue it dissatisfied with reality and with a wider void in their lives as shown by Pip, Estella, and Magwitch.
work at a boot-blacking factory along the River of In 1865, He was in a train accident and never fully recovered, but was still touring
The era surrounding the French Revolution was a horrifically bloody and violent period of history – the best of times and the worst of times. The violence enacted by the citizens of French on their fellow countrymen set a gruesome scene in the cities and country sides of France. Charles Dickens uses a palate of storm, wine, and blood imagery in A Tale of Two Cities to paint exactly how tremendously brutal this period of time was.
A Tale of Two Cities has several recurring themes, including the failure of the French Revolution. In the book, the peasants defeated the aristocrats by imprisoning and murdering them. Although many of the imprisonments and executions were unjust, the peasants had gain complete power. The peasants’ revolution did not end the tyranny that existed with the aristocrats ruling, but created a new tyranny with lack of justice and mercy.
Nothing is more powerful than the feeling one gets when they have committed a wrong doing in their life. Sometimes, guilt can cause a person to suffer so terribly that they end up doing things that they usually would not do. Guilt has an enormous effect on a person, and could change their life forever. Committing a sin causes the feeling of guilt inside a person. The person usually feels as if they deserve to be punished for what they did. The punishment for guilt could be shown either privately or publicly. Nathaniel Hawthorne shows these different punishments and how either private or public punishment affects the characters. Guilt can change a person by making them hate themselves and believe that they are at fault. In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, guilt is illustrated throughout Roger Chillingworth, Hester Prynne, and Arthur Dimmesdale, making these character suffer from guilt, which shows the powerful effect of guilt.
Monett, after reading your post this week, I agree with you that it we should all help one another Jesus said it like this according to Matthew 25:40 “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me”. Having a heart for the less fortunate is a Kingdome principle and one we should all have. I do believe that Dickens was adamant in pointing that out, especially with the effective use of ghost of Christmas future, that particular apparition was able to put the fear of God in the man, so much so, that he truly embrace the Christmas spirit, however the Union workhouses Scrooge referred to, based on my limited research were not all that helpful they seemly took advantage of the people situation rather
Supernatural phenomena can be seen with a side where everything can have a logical explanation, correspondingly in “The Tell Tale Heart” all tormenting sounds and visions can be explained by the insanity the main character contains. An example of this is “It grew louder-louder-louder!and still, the man chatted pleasantly and smiled”(pg.94). This reveals that the clangor of the heartbeat was inaudible, according to the reactions the policemen gave. This is important in creating a horror story because though supernatural has a logical explanation, it increases the horror nonetheless. In addition, “For it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye”(pg.90). This reveals what has caused the homicide was the eye and not the person itself, in reality, the eye could have possessed normal characteristics but the psychotic intents the main character incorporates, perhaps, altered its appearance. This emphasizes the horror because
“I know not where I was born, save that castle was intently old and infinitely horrible; full of dark passages and having high ceilings where the eye could only find cobwebs and shadows.” (Lovecraft 15) This quote depicts the eerie setting from the short story “The Outsider”. Settings like
Literature has been used as a way of voicing thoughts or beliefs about the supernatural and its relation to the human mind. Throughout time, people have tried to put their thoughts down into something more concrete, into something that others would be able to either relate to, or which would create the basis of thought. The use of supernatural themes has enabled others to create a reality for their thoughts, fears and beliefs of both the world and the human mind. These themes have been able to give a new light on the meaning of reality. The role of the supernatural is prevalent in both “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe.
In Civilization and Its Discontents, Freud equates the unconscious sense of guilt with the unconscious need for punishment when it is evaded. The discontent in society arises through the ability to defend against guilt, but when guilt can be confronted and borne then civilization will truly be happy. In most cases, “the sense of guilt makes itself noisily heard in consciousness,” (Carveth, 2001) and the only way to alleviate this fault is through punishment, by helping others. In Great Expectations, characters face moral dilemmas and shame and must determine how to deal with it. Through the use of situations and characters, Dickens conveys that the only justice system is the human conscience.