Theme Of An Imaginary Life

Wood, Peter, H. Strange New Land. New York, New York: Oxford, 2003 Publication. Oxford University Press,

In the song “The New World” the lyrics paint a picture of land that calls to be discovered. “A new world call across the ocean, a new world calls across the sky, a new world whispers in the shadows, time to fly”. Jason Robert brown uses the image of a land across the sea in order to show how distant this new life is. Similarly in the book, Eilis leaves Ireland and becomes a stranger in an entirely new

are born on this earth and we will return to this vast landscape at the end of our days. It

Imaginary audience and personal fable are both part of the adolescents egocentrism. Adolescent egocentrism as proposed by Elkind is a heightened self-consciousness that is reflected in their belief that others are as interested in them as they are themselves and in their sense of unique individuality.

The New World was surrounded in mystery. The hope of prosperity, a new start, or a chance to solidify a legacy drove thousands to shed the “Old World” they knew. This action of embarking beyond the familiar boundaries and happening upon a land untouched by the rest of the known word was pure chance. In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on the shores of Guanahauni and the world would never be the same. The effects of the Columbian Exchange are still evident in today’s geographic landscape.

• Other essays and articles on related literary topics can be found in the Literature Archives at Article Myriad •

Jackie French’s novel ‘Walking the boundaries’, depicts the story of a young boy named Martin, who in exchange for his great grandfather’s farm, has to walk the boundaries of his property. French uses many explicit language techniques throughout the novel, to keep the reader engaged in the story she is trying to convey. Some of these techniques she uses are descriptive language, figurative language, characterisation and an obvious plot. Her goal is to portray that Martin has not only gone on a physical journey, but a spiritual journey as well. She is painting a picture in the reader’s mind by using these techniques. One of her main techniques is an obvious plot, which shows that Martin was originally a mediocre city boy who wanted to sell the farm once he took possession of it, but by the time he had walked the boundaries, he realised that the land had more potential that he had given it credit for.

As readers, we see how the analysis of conflictive themes has been taking over literature scenarios. When reading between the lines of certain books we can perceive themes such as conformity and rebellion. Mostly these themes can be seen in writings from times of social upheaval. According to The Oxford Dictionary, the word conformity means “behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards”, while rebellion means “the action or process of resisting authority, control, or convention.” These terms create a constant battle among societies. A certain amount of conformity needs to exist in life in order to avoid disorder. This is the reason society has laws, rules and expectations. Literature represents life, and these themes can be found at the root of many literary works. Conformity can also be considered as silence. This silence is based on the restrictions of real feelings and thoughts in some literary pieces. During the sixteenth century, the emphasis on conformity was at its height. Works of literature from this time period have often reflected a fascination and frustration with this particular characteristic. People do not want to be restricted in terms of expressing opinions and developing certain activities. When facing oppression, denial of their freedom, they rebel, and that contributes to the part of the process of change in society. Not all kinds of rebellions are rationally fundamental, but when they are, it can transform society for the

In 1983 Aharon Appelfeld published a work of fiction titled Tzili that closely resembled his own personal Holocaust experiences. This work of fiction revolves around a maturing teen who is alone and on the run during the Holocaust. In Tzili, Appelfeld brings to life his characters, which include Tzili, Katrina, Mark, and Linda. Throughout this literary analysis Appelfelds’ memoir Story of a Life will be used to access the parallels that exist between Appelfeld’s own personal experience and his fictional work Tzili.

Walters Evan’s depiction of life and the people during the depression of the 1930s is abandoned, overwhelmed, and depressed. For instance, the person wearing the suit and a hat seems overwhelmed or exhausted. He is about to collapse from all that is going on in his life. The man seems to be searching for jobs in a newspaper article because his old job went out of business due to the stock market crash during the 30s. Since he lost his job with the other few men aside him in despair as well as he is, the man is overwhelmed with what he has to do to maintain that his family is going to be okay, safe, and watched over as he tries to search for a well maintained job that’ll meet his needs. They’re posture in the picture shows that they are depressed

“Its productions and features may be without example, as the phenomena of the heavenly bodies undoubtedly are in those undiscovered solitudes. What may not be expected in a country of

This, coupled with the tranquil auditory imagery where the “hissing white” ocean and the “soft whistling” of the birds abounds. As well as the positive tactile imagery of the “sun scorching Jim’s back”, allows Malouf to create a hopeful setting and a sense of harmony. However, the “clumsy” presence of the bi-plane “lumbering” throughout the estuary “in all directions” disrupts nature in harmony, foreshadowing that the natural environment will be destroyed through man’s intrusion of the “murderous machines” in the imminent war. Man’s impact is further foreshadowed when a group of Brisbane youth celebrating the impending violence. This suggests that war is encouraged by which it is ironic. It is also through the “tilting” and the “sliding” of Brisbane, with “breaking glass” and unfinished “scraps of tunes” throughout the city, that foreshadows the destructive impacts of war on nature are unavoidable. To further illustrate the destructions of war, Malouf juxtaposes the tranquil setting of the Queensland estuary against the barbaric conditions on the Western Front. Malouf achieves this through cumulation of grotesque imagery that

the land, shows that there had been once but now has disappeared from existence is a really

I wish I could run faster. I wish so many obstacles weren't in my way. I wish I knew why so many people wanted me dead. I wish I could...remember.

Marcel Proust was a twentieth century French writer best known for his novel In Search of Lost Time (À la recherche du temps perdu) and at over 3000 pages, it is one of the longest novels ever written. This book is difficult to summarize but essentially the work is about learning to appreciate life and existence, rather than focusing on the superficial aspects of the mundane. These ideas are portrayed through Marcel, who is the narrator and the principal character of the novel and by the secondary characters he meets during his life. This work was published in the nineteenth century but Proust’s ideas are reflected in Claude Lorrain’s Pastoral Landscape with the Ponte Molle and in Hyacinthe Rigaud’s Portrait of Louis XIV. Even though these