Abstract This paper discusses how, in the poem "Aunt Imogen", Robinson delves into the psyche of a character who has not seen her dreams fulfilled. The paper attempts to discover just who is Aunt Imogen and what she means to little Jane, Sylvester, and Young George. The paper also analyzes the life of Robinson himself, who has likely spliced his own thoughts, emotions and life experiences into the character of Aunt Imogen.
From the Paper "Despite the way she was with the family, Imogen is perplexed by the love provided her by her family and riddled with self-doubt and regret. Without question, Imogen loved her sister and her sister's children. They, however, could not fill the void left by the fact that she had no children, no family of her own. The love of her children's sister only further tortured her soul. The life that Imogen's sister had, that she wanted, left her filled with "incompleteness and regret" (54)."
Abstract This paper explains that Linda Hogan draws on her Native American heritage as she tells a tale tinted by earthy memories of her youth in her short story "Aunt Moon's Young Man". The author points out that the plot itself is relatively simple: A dark, lean, full-blooded Indian, who comes to town on an autumn day just as the annual fair is about to begin excites the women with his exotic good looks as well as the fact that the man is "alive in his whole body." The paper relates that the cyclical character of nature brings reassurance that balance will prevail; this storyteller incorporates several cycles to represent this balance such as the story begins in the autumn and ends in the autumn - the annual fair anchors the narrative at both ends.
From the Paper "Though Aunt Moon is obviously the central study in this story, the character of the narrator contributes to the sense of hope and renewal as well. We are told that "good Indian women" should not "learn too much from books" or "laugh too loud" or "look into the faces of men." Yet the storyteller is hopeful that she can escape such oppressive expectations. Her mother shares these great aspirations for her daughter, and college plans are made. However, with the advent of war and all the changes that it brings, the girl's education is postponed, though not ceded. She will work for a year or so in the city before returning to school, and this, too, speaks of future and hope. The cycles of nature are again invoked when the narrator's mother assures her that she's "sure as the night's going to fall" that all will work out well for her and her daughter."
Abstract This paper discusses how in her short story "Aunt Moon's Young Man", Linda Hogan captures some of the deepest and most fascinating aspects of her Native American culture, which make up most of the symbolism of the text. In particular, it looks at how Hogan emphasizes the differences between the Indian and the white cultures, using the imagery of windows and mirrors.
From the Paper "First of all, the mirror and the window are symbols of the domination exercised by the white culture through reflection, that is, through the construction of identities for the other. Thus, the characters in the story seem to be separated in two sets as well, Bess and Isaac as the preservers of tradition, both through their gestures and through the ways in which they live their lives, and the other members of the community as representatives of the mixed culture which emerged under the influence of the white people. When the men and women in the tribe condemn the relationship between Aunt Moon and Isaac they become symbols of the white culture, which usually attributes fixed identities and codes for behavior for every member of society."
Abstract This paper discusses the central role played by aunts, the sisters of fathers or mothers who serve as surrogate female role models, in Maxine Hong Kingston's "The Woman Warrior". The paper describes the main characters, claiming that they are not warrior women but actually embody the antithesis of the woman warrior-heroine. The paper contends that the protagonist of the story, a woman warrior, taught Kingston how to navigate the tricky path of being Chinese-American.
From the Paper "No-Name Woman and Moon Orchid are not necessarily innately weak; in fact, Kingston attempts to imbue both aunts with symbolic power and therefore both women are catalysts for Kingston's growth and self-realization. Brave Orchid's talk-story of No-Name Woman stimulates Kingston's fertile imagination. Filling in the gaps of her mysterious aunt's life, Kingston imagines what went on in her aunt's psyche to lead her to her fate. As with many of the incidents and tales in The Woman Warrior, the story of No-Name Woman could indeed be a fiction, a tall tale her mother drew up for the sole purpose of frightening her daughter away from premarital sex. The No-Name Woman tale could have been a family myth, one passed on from mother to daughter for generations for that very purpose. Even if the aunt was real, Kingston has no way of discovering the truth and is thus forced to complete the picture of No-Name Woman herself."
Abstract This paper analyzes the three female characters in "Heart of Darkness" from a Jungian perspective. The paper explains how Marlow's aunt, Kurtz's African mistress, and his intended are representative of key archetypes found within Carl Jung's structure of personality. The key archetypes described in the paper and compared to the female characters are the earth mother, the animus, or the male part of the female personality, and the anima, the female part of the mind.
From the Paper "As one can see, the three prime female characters of the novel Heart of Darkness are easily recognizable as the three aspects of Carl Jung's structure of personality. Kurtz's Intended, whom readers meet in the end, is the personification of the female anima, in her speech, her naivete, and her innocence. The other woman in Kurtz life, his African mistress, is the Intended's counterpart, the darkly masculine animus, as is demonstrated by her power of commend and fearless outlook. Finally, Marlow's adoring aunt is the prime representation of the mother, who nourishes and encourages. Through these three women one can see the mother, the animus and the anima can be blended into one well balanced unit, contrasting and complimenting itself in it's different aspects."
Abstract This paper describes that Abby has recurring nightmares that wake her during the night; she doesn't know what the dreams means or even where she is while in the dream. The author states that Abby can't remember her dad, and the worst thing about the situation is that she can't ask her family about him because they won't tell her anything. The paper relates that she was going to write about her Aunt Marty, a columnist for the "New York Times" and the coolest person in the world; but she discoverers from Marty the circumstance of her father's death--and now--he is her real hero.
From the Paper "In the kitchen, she pours herself a bowl of coco puffs, and turns on the T.V. So she doesn't feel alone. Even over the drown of the T.V, she can sense someone creeping in the shadows. Still slightly shaken from her dream, Abby holds up her spoon as a weapon. The shadowy figure emerges from the darkness in wrinkled pajama bottoms and ruffled hair. It is only Jason, her older brother."
Abstract The paper presents an analysis of Adrienne Rich's "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" and Maya Angelou's "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" that supports the thesis that oppression diminishes individual expression and potential.
From the Paper "The state of all beings including humans in nature is free. When individuals join societies they often enter a social contract that robs them of unlimited freedom but offers them certain protections in return. In many cases the protection of ..."
Abstract This paper is an in-depth examination of the novel,"Uncle Tom's Cabin." The author gives us some background about Harriet Beecher Stowe and puts the novel into historical context. The paper examines the different characters in the novel and discusses what role they played and what they represented in history. Some of the characters discussed include Uncle Tom, Aunt Chloe, Eliza and family, Shelby's Ophelia and Simon Legree. The author uses these characters to give an authentic depiction of the slaves and the whites, both northerners and southerners, and the challenges that they both faced during this period in American history. The authors uses examples from the novel to illustrate his points as to the accuracy of the novel's portrayal of slavery and during the period prior to the Civil War.
From the Paper "The value of the partially white slave is touted again with the Eliza character. She is able to speak clearly and in complete sentences. Described as "beautiful [with] black hair as fine as silk in glossy curls- a delicately formed hand and a trim foot" (Stowe p 5). A blush on her cheek is discernible so this is a clue as to her skin tone as well. Stowe must use this character to solicit empathy from the post Civil War reader regarding the fate of her son. If Aunt Chloe and Uncle Tom's children had been the ones to be sold, sympathy would not have been so easily offered. All mothers regardless of their hue were attached to their children. Uncle Tom's cabin is not able to make this argument. It would not have appealed to the wider audience. Much has been discussed about the African characters but what about the Caucasians. Is the rendering accurate?"
Abstract The paper analyzes the book which is an exploration into the history of African-American images in the film industry, from silent films to 20th Century blockbusters. The paper shows how Bogle discusses the type casting of blacks into the categories described in the book's title, as well as how he takes his investigation deeper into an examination of the American film industry as a whole, and addresses social, historical, and cultural contexts in which we must examine all screen productions.
From the Paper "Bogle provides much-needed insight into the origins of black film characters. First appearing on the screen in 1903, the "blackface" had already become the standard representation of the African-American on stage. Character typing and stereotyping began early in Hollywood; by the 1920s the major "boxes" to which black characters could fit had been created and, according to Bogle, still remain. At first it seemed that the author would overanalyse and generalize each role just to make it fit one of the ?boxes.? But soon it became obvious that Bogle, rather than placing modern politically correct interpretations on decades-old films, makes clear what should be obvious even to the occasional filmgoer."
Abstract A brief analysis of Twain's novel set in a time of many changes in the American society. The main points touched on by this paper are slavery, education and family values.
From the Paper "Language is a powerful tool. It can calm someone down from an angered state, stir up an angry mob, or it can boost moral in time of war. Language in scriptures can paint vivid pictures of the way people lived throughout history. In the novel Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, his use of language and dialect helped him to bring about the overall atmosphere that he conveyed throughout the book, allowing him to show Huck Finn's attitudes and beliefs concerning the nature of education, slavery, and family values."
Abstract Discusses the children's story by Barbara Cooney. Analysis of the narrative, the action and ideas. Use of colorful illustration to reinforce the themes of the narrative. Author's choice of point of view (first person narrator) with story told by a child about her great aunt. Manipulation of time; interaction between past and present.
From the Paper "This research examines the children's story Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. The plan of the research will be to set forth the pattern of ideas and action emerging in the narrative and then to discuss the literary means by which the action is driven and the ideas are illustrated and articulated.
The first important feature of Miss Rumphius that must be noted is the fact of the interpenetration and interdependence of narrative and illustration. Indeed the mechanism of colorful illustration reinforces and helps explain the themes of the narrative. This is a point to which the research will return. The second notable feature of Miss Rumphius is that its fundamental narrative strategy has to do with point of view and the manipulation of time. The story is told in the voice of its first-person-peripheral narrator, Alice, who is a child with a great ..."
Abstract This paper is an analysis of the character Ray in Michael Dorris' "A Yellow Raft in Blue Water". The paper examines how characters such as Christine and Aunt Ida, Sky and Evelyn shape and change Rayona's life. It examines each section of the book and examines how Rayona grows up to be a mother and break the status quo of women in her family.
From the Paper "The role of family in Rayona's search for identity determines the kind of person she grows up to be. Culture, race, economic class, and power shape Rayona's entire life. These aspects of life are of great importance to the family throughout the novel. In the Rayona section of the book Christine makes Rayona grow up to be a lot like her, and her influence on Ray is a lot like Aunt Ida's influence on Christine. Sky and Evelyn give Rayona a look into a normal family situation and this shows her what she is and has been missing out on throughout her life with Christine and Aunt Ida. Aunt Ida makes sure that Rayona knows her heritage from the beginning of the book to the end, but at the same time reinforces the lack of wanting responsibility as a mother."
Abstract Sherman Alexie, in his book "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven", takes the role of the storyteller in society, the one who puts the attitudes and concerns of the community into narrative form. The paper shows that Alexie is dealing directly with the role of the storyteller in Native American society and how that role affects the social order, is fed by that same order and both conveys and creates myths as a result. The paper shows that a theme that recurs in the stories in this collection concerns the birthright of the Indian and the way it has been compromised by white society, which seeks to adapt it to its own uses.
From the Paper "Poverty is another theme in this book, for poverty is the condition to which the people on the reservation have become accustomed as they have become more alienated from their birthright. This is also a condition passed from father to son: "On Christmas Eve when he was five, Victor's father wept because he didn't have any money for gifts" ("Every Little Hurricane" 4). This is another reason for the alcoholism, which in turn contributes to the poverty. A deadly cycle is thus created, a cycle that continues from one generation to the next with little sign of any change. There is some memory of earlier times when Indians believed they had achieved something by selling land or oil rights to whites, but that was an illusion. Poverty is the reality and alcohol the way to make it all seem better: "He thought one more beer could save the world.""
Abstract "A Wrinkle in Time", by Madeleine L?Engle does not present all the aspects of a fantasy novel, however, it does employ many. The novel demonstrates both fantastical and science-fictional facets. These subjects are analyzed and placed into their respective genres. Theme, setting and language are examined and deconstructed. Examples are also given to show appropriate genre.
From the Paper "Furthermore the struggle is an attribute common to fantasy and it is shown in this book with Meg and the group fighting, and eventually destroying IT. Even though the quest is purely fantasy there are elements of science fiction present in the theme. The way the group travelled through outer space is a feature of science fiction. Also the concept of IT, the pulsating brain, controlling the people of Camazotz, and "The Black Thing" fit into the realm of science fiction."
Abstract Toni Morrison's novel, "Song of Solomon" is a story of discovery as well as a story of celebrating heritage. With her stylistic technique, Morrison is able to create colorful characters to help demonstrate the perplexity and uniqueness of individuals. The paper shows that through the characters of Macon and Pilate, Morrison illustrates how society and nature influence them in a profound way. By weaving their stories into a story of self-discovery and heritage, Morrison captures the essence of the power of influence as well as the power of one's own mind.
From the Paper "In contrast to Macon's wealth-driven personality, Morrison provides us with his sister, Pilate, who chooses another path in life. Pilate is tough, strong and proud of her heritage. She is wise, unafraid, and a free spirit. Morrison also attributes mystical characteristics to Pilate. For example, she birthed herself from the womb after the death of her mother, and she has no navel. To add to her mysterious nature, Pilate also sang the legendary "Solomon's song" every day. This illustrates that she remembered her father fondly."
