The Search for Self-Awareness

Paper Summary:

The paper examines the main protagonists in three novels, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain, "Emma" by Jane Austen and "My name is Asher Lev" by Chaim Potok. The paper analyzes the common literary elements such as conflict, theme and characterization. The paper describes how all these characters find themselves in the ongoing process of transformation until they finally discover the way to self-awareness.

From the Paper:

"Mark Twain's main character, Huckleberry Finn is a teen-ager who undergoes a total moral transformation throughout his journey for a new life, having to use his own judgment to make fundamental decisions that will seriously affect his entire existence.
The second protagonist, Emma is a young, beautiful, clever, and confident character who exercises her influence in a constricted and complex environment, with a power of manipulating everyone around her and a disposition to think a little to well of herself, but who will eventually perceive the dangers that her own self-satisfaction presents.
The third protagonist Asher Lev is a very gifted young boy born into a Hasidic Jewish family which from the very beginning doesn't agree with Lev's talent and which in the end, due to its religious almost fanatic beliefs will send their son into exile in Paris."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Twain, Mark (1835-1910) "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" 24 March 2007Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Libraryhttp://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/Twa2Huc.html
• Jane Austen Info Page - Pemberley E-Text on Emma 24 March 2007http://www.pemberley.com/etext/Emma/index.html
• Spark Notes - "My name is Asher Lev" 24 March 2007http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/asher/quotes.html
• Robert Clark, University of East Anglia. "Emma" 25 March 2007The Literary Encyclopedia Publisher 28 October 2000http://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=5384
• Chaim Potok lecture, "Proud of Uniqueness", March 20, 1986 25 March 2007Southern College of Seventh-day Adventists, Collegedale, Tennessee U.S.A Edited by Dr. Jerry Gladsonhttp://potok.lasierra.edu/Potok.unique.html

More papers on The Search for Self-Awareness:

• Analytical Essay # 16628 : "Motherhood and the Search for Self"
• Analytical Essay # 39350 : "The Quest for Freedom"
• Analytical Essay # 61957 : "The Lover" and "The Awakening"

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