Outer and inner cleanness have always been defining motifs of European literature and culture. Adam and Eve were banished from Paradise because they were deemed unclean, and their sin sentenced them to the dirtiness of mortal life. Dirt and cleanliness are also embedded in Bernard MacLaverty’s 1983 novel Cal, in which a young man struggles with his past deeds. The symbolism of dirt and cleanliness appear through several aspects in the narrative. In my paper, I seek to show why such a symbolic reading is justified, and to suggest an interpretation in which Cal’s attempts to come clean are ultimately linked to his own person and guilt. The protagonist of the novel, Cal McCluskey, is a young Catholic man in Protestant Northern Ireland. The reader …show more content…
In Cal, fire may be interpreted as a symbol of more than one thing. Cal and his father are “burned out” of their homes, presumably by loyalists, and this makes fire and burning an act of violence, but Cal’s association with fire is positive rather than negative. As he approaches his burning home, he can feel “the heat scorching the skin of his face”, and he has to turn away from the sight. Later, however, the feeling of fire on his skin returns not as a horrible state of burning, but as a feeling of warmth and being home. As Cal and Shamie reside in their friend Dermot’s house, Cal admits in his inner monologue that he loves “sleeping in a room with a fire,” and recalls a memory from his childhood: he would fall asleep by the fire, listening to his mother’s voice, and “feeling the heat from the fire on his face.” This not only creates a link between the two, vastly different ways that fire can affect someone, but it also connects Cal’s mother to the ancient elements of water and fire as …show more content…
To understand why, another library book needs to be examined more closely: Crime and Punishment. Cal borrows Crime and Punishment from the public library, and after being burned out, he tells Marcella that the book was “burnt in the fire”. Cal, up to that point, doesn’t call the library book by its title, it is only in this dialogue with Marcella that we learn what the novel truly is. It is not known whether Dostoyevsky’s book was really destroyed or not, but the fact that Cal says it was distances him from the greatest literary example of committing a crime and facing its consequences. Cal’s diction when he says the book was destroyed shows how the burning effect of the fire is present on a more symbolic level. Cal first deems the Russian novel nameless, then destroyed -- thus he has no chance of recognizing himself in it, has no chance of the absolution and domestication of literature that Marcella (in Cleary’s reading) stands
“I wondered if the fire had been out to get me. I wondered if all fire was related, like Dad said all humans were related…” (34).
In Vergil’s The Aeneid, imagery and description of fire is used heavily throughout each book. It is sometimes seen in moments of love and creation, but is most frequently seen at times of destruction and rage. The common thread of each appearance is that fire is the catalyst that prompts the characters to make a decision or to further an action when otherwise there likely would be no change.
A common theme in many great works of literature is that of forgiveness. Through studying some of these classics, we can learn the lesson that forgiving others, lets you to let go of hate and anger, and to draw nearer to God; this helps people to be happier and to obtain peace, even in terrible circumstances. First, in Left to Tell, Immaculée was able to find comfort and peace, when she found it in her heart to forgive. Second, in Blood Brothers, Elias found comfort and strength in the understanding that Christ loves and forgives all. Third, in Les Miserables, we see the results of being selfless and choosing to forgive. In this essay, we will examine this fundamental theme in the books Left to Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza, Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour, and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.
The symbol of fire ultimately represents the relationship with her family and how it affects her. One way this is shown is with her fascination and appreciation of fire. She is captivated with the fact that it can provide warmth and yet be destructive. She would
First, an understanding of how fire works is needed. When a fire burns, it devours everything in its path leaving the land bare. Later though, after the fire is gone, new growth springs forth that builds on the ashes and becomes stronger than before. The symbolism of fire is seen when Thomas’ parent’s house burns down and also when Arnold's trailer is consumed by the flame of Suzy’s fire. When the house burns and Arnold leaves, this represents a fire in its first stage of devouring everything in its path. Relationships crumble and they are left bare in soul. Regrowth happens as Victor sprang forth is able to receive his father and begins the process of forgiveness. Consequently, fire represents the themes of destruction and
Since the beginning of time we have shown our imperfections as human beings. As detailed by the Bible in the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge committing the original sin. This infraction against God resulted in Adam and Eves expulsion from the Garden of Eden, and set the foundation for the judgment of mankind. The word sin derives from Old English synn and is defined as something shameful, deplorable, or utterly wrong. In this essay I will be comparing exposed sin to hidden sin as related to The Scarlet Letter, and the effects it has on people.
Fire represents a lot of the things in this novel. A woman name Mrs. Schachter was howling, pointing through the window. “Look! Look at this fire! This terrible fire! Have mercy on me!” (pg 25) Elie said him and the other saw a real fire this time. “This time we saw flames rising from a tall chimney into a black sky.” (pg. 28) Elie said they stared at the flames, “We stared at the flames in the darknes, A wretched stench floated in the air.” (pg. 28) And in front of them the the flaming smoke was the smell of burning flesh.
The imagery of fire in Edwidge Danticat 's short story “A Wall of Fire Rising” possesses a very powerful meaning and also continually changes throughout the entirety of the story. Fire was a very sacred thing to have, especially during the time this story has taken place.
He feared history to repeat itself and believed that the sharing of literature could help prevent people from repeating mistakes. Montag says, “Maybe the books can get us half out of the cave. They just might stop us from making the same damn insane mistakes.” (Pg. 70) The longer Montag thought about how he was destroying books the more he realized it was the wrong thing to do, people should have the ability to have easily accessible information to help prevent things like this from happening. At one point he said, “Montag placed his hand on the woman’s elbow. “You can come with me.” “No,” she said. “Thank you anyway.”” (Pg. 36). He knew from the second that the woman stayed in her house and burned alongside the books. Montag did not realize how many books meant to many people until this event took place. This helped him in realizing one reason that books are very important, also they help in influencing people so, history does not repeat itself. Therefore, authors have spent years to creating books about many different things such as documentaries, poems, and some are about history, so it will not repeat, everyone should be capable of having this knowledge at their fingertips.
The burning of the books relates to other themes in the story as well, it is another example of the power of words. It is a strange idea that something as beautiful and powerful as stories could be used for such a violent and spiteful act. Liesel stealing the book represented a connection between the two groups; the Jewish and the not Jewish, so to speak. It proved that although this act was something that would be frowned upon, Liesel didn’t care what descent the author was, or what religion they were, the only thing that mattered was that they had
In “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula Le Guin, the informally-speaking narrator depicts a cookie-cutter utopia with perpetually happy citizens that sing and dance in the music-filled streets during the Festival of Summer. However, under one of the beautiful public buildings lays a child, no older than ten years-old, who lays in its own excrement. Although the citizens know the emancipated child is there, they refuse to act upon the child’s suffering, for their happiness depends entirely on the child’s abominable misery. Through ethos, the narrator illustrates this utopian society with a casual tone and frequently asks the audience for their input. Le Guin’s fairy-tale introduction of the story establishes her credibility through her extensive knowledge and understanding of the people of Omelas. Le Guin utilizes logos through the narrator’s second person point of view which incites the audience to draw their own conclusions about the city of Omelas and question their own justifications of the child’s existence. The concept of the happiness of many relying on the necessary suffering of one forces the reader to question their own morals and their justifications for the child’s physical and mental condition. Through ethos, logos, and pathos, Le Guin presents the contrast and divide between the citizens of Omelas and the child in the cellar in order to challenge the reader’s capacity for moral self-conception.
It echoes development of pre-historical civilization or Prometheus in Greek mythology. Hereof the using of fire symbolizes the domination over the world more than the method of survival. Aftermath, the monster is ready to march to the next period of self-education, studying language.
The symbolic meaning of fire is demonstrated throughout the book in many different fashions but mainly it is portrayed as a symbol of life and social order. If
Fire is not only used to show destruction but to describe human emotions. A fire ignites in Dido’s heart when she falls in love with Aeneas. Similarly, Homer describes Achilles’ anger as a raging flame.
By using sight as a sense, fire has risen in the middle of the story. Specifically, the meaning of fire itself, is something being burned, or is going to be burned. In the same way, fire also spreads drastically everywhere. As it states in the book, “He saw a red light before him, as when the felled trunks and branches of a