In Michael Ondaatje’s In the Skin of a Lion, the play of light and shadow are reoccurring motifs that identify and relate to the general themes of remembering and forgetting. H. Porter Abbott has defined motif as “a discrete thing, image, or phrase that is repeated in a narrative”, where in contrast, a theme “is a more generalized…concept that is suggested by… motifs” (237). Abbott emphasizes that “Themes are implicit in motifs, but not the other way around” (95). In In the Skin of a Lion, Ondaatje
Having realized he dropped his smart phone somewhere in the vast flora of Lakeview park, Julian was berating himself. Not only did he face the daunting terrain, it was getting dark very fast. Not willing to give up his smart phone to the wild or the darkness Julian prepared for the worst. He grabbed a flashlight, knife, a small bottle of oleoresin capsaicin spray and asked his mother to drive him, two accidents left Julian unable to drive, his mind is left unable to focus under the effects of the drugs
story. Basically, Baldwin employs the themes of light and dark in order to suggest the idea that life carries a lot of complexities. Darkness, for instance, does not necessarily result in purely negative effects because through this theme, readers are allowed to see how Sonny managed to discover his true identity and path by remaining true to himself. Darkness was initially portrayed in the text as a theme which is suggestive of the narrator's frustrations in life because of what his brother
positive aspects of life. Meanwhile, the darkness represents the constant struggle that threatens the characters in the story. Light and dark has a presence in both characters. The narrator lives his life in the “light”. He is a teacher, middleclass man, a man who has a wife and family. For the narrator, the darkness is his constant reflections on his brother, and his sense of guilt or blame for being the reason why Sonny turned to a life of drugs. The darkness represents Sonny in a way. He is a
haven’t seen any form of humanity for the week that I’ve been in this jail cell. The meals are passed through a flap on the door and no one came to visit. It all started that morning…. “Grayson Wu! How could you? I once saw you as a friend but now you don’t even deserve to be in front of me!” “Bella! Wake up! Wake up! You can’t leave us like this!” I opened my eyes with difficulty, voices rung through my head worsening my headache. Silhouettes formed in front of me. I could faintly see that it was
Heart of Darkness The dark thoughts, which are usually ignored and not allowed to be brought up in conversation, are pushed back into the remote corners of the mind, but have the ability to run free when man is in his most vulnerable state. Sleep, the unconscious. It is in dreams where twisted stories of malevolence and horror take place. The soul’s core is full of sin from the first minute man is born. Even Adam, the original man, who was born when the earth began its timeline, has sin running
Light through Friendship “Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.”―Helen Keller He jumped through hoops and followed as he was taught, to lead, listen for commands, and behave in a pleasant manner. While he trained hard and was praised for his obedience, he remained without an owner. This left him feeling wistful, for he longed to feel appreciated, and he believed friendship would offer him that. Kathleen sighed heavily. She longed to know for herself what
running through a thick misty forest with howling winds, suffocating myself with the feeling of being lost. Still wondering, searching, seeking for a way out, but never seeming to achieve the escape from my inner self. Waking up in torment with the feeling of being lost swirling in my stomach. When will it end? Will I ever have a pleasant dream again? Will it always be the same repetitive dream that I cannot escape from? All these questions rush through my cerebral cortex and mingle through my neurons
Darkness descended, the fog drifted through the dark streets and a chilling wind whistles pass the sleeping homes; the street of old houses looked dull and unwelcoming, an eerie presence had settled in. The old woman walked leisurely to the top of the street, she held her cane firmly in her old dark and aged hand, she hit the ground twice. The hollow sound echoed around like a tremor. She then used it to take her weight. Her bulged eyes scanned the darkness as the fog crept in, it was then she saw
hands and screams surround the little German girl, These screams are taken away by her father with a slam of a door, a rumble of a car and a crunch of gravel, She is stranded alone with strangers and completely isolated within her world of darkness, A darkness which engulfs her, And gives no hope