Abstract This paper analyzes three of the major characters in the KingsleyAmis novel, "Lucky Jim". It discusses what social foibles are being satirized, examines what makes Amis funny, discusses what ways Lucky Jim is still relevant at the beginning of the 21st century, and reveals in what ways it has become dated.
Abstract This paper begins by giving a brief bio of Amis and then describes how he became famous as a novelist through the creation of a humorous but highly critical look at British society, especially in the period following the end of World War II in 1945. It discusses his book "Lucky Jim" in terms of how it fits in with this theme of criticizing society.
From the Paper "Kingsley Amis's 1953 novel Lucky Jim is a book meant to make us laugh at the absurdities of many of the people that we make while at the same time assuring us that there the small and downtrodden can come out ahead. In this novel, he tells a tale that we all want to hear, which is that sometimes the good guys win just because they are the good guys."
Abstract In this paper the author examines the story of, "The Water Babies", by the English author, Kingsley and makes note of social conditions that existed in England at the time. The author examines some of the chapters closely and looks at Kingsley's views on cleanliness and morals. The author makes note of the satirical comedy throughout and of Kingsley's concerns about the treatment of children, and his desire for social reform.
From the paper:
"The novel, charmingly and vividly told, is a work of art that was brought about by Kingsley's concerns about the treatment of children, and his desire for social reform. Kingsley, a parson in the Church of England, a novelist, a Christian Socialist, a Protestant controversialist, poet, and an amateur naturalist managed to work every one of his life's fondest beliefs and endeavors into Water Babies."
Tags: tom, orphan, chimney, sweep, grimes, social, reform, conditions
Abstract A review of Guy de Maupassant's "Bel-Ami". Specifically, it discusses and explains the roles of women in "Bel-Ami" using examples from the book. The author illustrates how Maupassant shows total disregard for women in this story, and uses them as symbols for the stupid and naive. The writer concludes that Bel-Ami is a purely selfish man, preying upon weak women to move himself up in life.
From the Paper "The first woman encountered in the novel is Madeline Forestier, wife of Duroy's friend and mentor. "Mme. Forestier had gray eyes, a small nose, full lips, and a rather heavy chin, an irregular, attractive face, full of gentleness and yet of malice" (Maupassant Chapter II). This early hint of malice will come back later in the book, and sets her tone very early. She is not quite trustworthy, although see seems trustworthy enough. Maupassant sets the reader against her early, to carry this through to the end of the novel.
"The next woman introduces is Clotilde, Mme. de Marelle. "She was a dainty brunette, attired in a simple, dark robe; a red rose in her black tresses seemed to accentuate her special character, and a young girl, or rather a child, for such she was, followed her" (Maupassant Chapter II)."
Abstract This paper takes a look at how Amy Tan's stories and novels have shaped the American view of the experience of Asian-American immigrants. The paper looks at the contrasts that Amy Tan had to face, especially in terms of the clash with her mother's culture, and the confrontation of the experiences of Asian immigrants in American history.
From the Paper "A look at how Tan's stories and novels have shaped the American view of the experience of Asian-American immigrants. Looks at the contrasts the Amy Tan had to face, especially in terms of culture clash with her mother's culture, and Tan's confrontation of the experiences of Asian immigrants in American history."
Abstract This paper examines how Amy Bloom's "The Story" is a prime example of the numerous ways one can play with metafiction to enhance a reading or writing experience. The paper explains that Bloom uses two separate narrators to achieve this: One is self-conscious and the other one is not, but both are unreliable. The paper looks at how one narrator peels away the mystery of storytelling by discussing the elements of fiction, and even inviting the reader or audience to help in making creative decisions. The paper points out that combined, the narrators increase the self-reflexivity of the piece, calling the reader to reflect on fiction and how it is created and presented. In essence, this paper shows that Amy Bloom reflects on the art of storytelling by creating a self-conscious first person narrator.
From the Paper "Amy, the narrator from page 58 and onward, is aware of the fact that she's telling a story to an audience or reader, and constantly reminds the reader of that by asking the audience about creative decisions. "Can I say that the husband was not any kind of importer? Can I say that he was what he really was, a modestly well-known cartoonist?" she asks on page 58. She does it again in the following paragraph when she asks: "Should I describe him as tall and blond when in fact he was dark and muscular, like the husband?" This not only has the effect of temporarily taking the audience out of the story, but it also causes us to reflect on the elements of fiction, in this case, characterization. Amy also discusses her creative decisions by acknowledging (although falsely, perhaps) what effect they may have on the story as a whole."
Abstract This paper explains that two important contemporary playwrights, Sam Shepard and Amy Freed, investigate liminal and traumatic psychological experiences in their analysis of dysfunctional relationships between fathers and sons. The author points out that Shepard's play "Buried Child" incorporates important allusions to the Oedipus myth; whereas, Amy Freed's "Freedomland" hints at the Biblical myth of the flood.
From the Paper "The play hints at the need for spiritual regeneration in many ways. Thus, food appears frequently in the text in various forms, as a hint for the need of spiritual nurture. In the present state of things, the corrupted relationship between father and son point to degeneration and corruption. The corpse of the buried child which later is unearthed by Tilden is symbolic for corruption and degeneration. Significantly, Tilden seems to be drawn to the place where the child was buried and keeps digging for something. He first comes back to the house with an armful of corn."
From the Paper "The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan contains sixteen stories that focus on the relationship among four Chinese born mothers and their American born daughters live their lives. Throughout The Joy Luck Club, Tan emphasizes the different ways of showing their love and respect towards each other; especially, how daughters do not seem to understand or appreciate their mothers? intentions and love hidden their actions. Tan does a wonderful job on portraying the different points of view the mothers and daughters have and different ways of loving each other into her masterpiece."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the works of Amy Tan, "Two Kinds," from the perspective of new historical criticism, which looks at the authors life and environment along with the work itself.
From the Paper "Amy Tan writes about autobiographical events and circumstances in her life in her works The Joy Luck Club and ?Two Kinds.? "Two Kinds" is a slice of events from her childhood that shows the conflict between Tan and her mother, the collision of old and new cultures, the past and the present, parents? expectations vs. reality, and obedience vs. defiance. Pairs of opposing elements comprise the whole of the story; the title itself, ?Two Kinds,? shows the tension that Tan creates. The argument that presents itself is that Amy Tan is the only person who could have written this story because only she experienced those opposing elements. An examination of "Two Kinds" defends this theory. "
This paper provides an examination of the soaring career, culture, and works of Chinese-American author Amy Tan with a special emphasis on her novel, "The Hundred Secret Senses".
2,400 words (approx. 9.6 pages), 10 sources, 2001, $ 73.95
Abstract This paper examines the life, career and literature of best-selling Chinese-American author Amy Tan. The author focuses specifically on her novel "The Hundred Secret Senses", and examines the history of Chinese-American immigrants, the discrimination they were subjected to, and the pressures of assimilation into American culture. The paper also looks at the pull between Chinese tradition and American way of life, and how Tan struggles with this issue in her writing.
From the Paper "In only a handful of novels, Amy Tan has brought us the legends and stories of her background. She has introduced the American public to a new world of fiction, based on her own experiences mingled with the experiences of her ancestors in their beloved homeland of China . In these stories, she has shown herself to be a writer of uncommon technical skills, powers of observation, and richness of humanity, a combination of gifts that inspires her many readers to eager anticipation of her future works."
Abstract This paper provides a biography of the author, along with come critical reactions to some of her best-known works and a short analysis of "The Joy Luck Club," her first book. It explains how Amy Tan has become one of the most beloved Asian-American authors in America today. It shows how her moving novels open up Asian-American culture to many new readers and allow them to experience the joys and frustrations of Asian-Americans creating new lives for themselves in the United States.
From the Paper "Amy began her dreams of writing at a young age. She won an essay contest when she was only eight-years old, and she began to dream of a writing career after this, while her parents encouraged her to become a doctor or scientist and to play concert piano for a relaxing hobby. Tan lost both her brother and father to brain tumors when she was only fifteen, and after this, her mother simply returned completely to her Chinese customs, turning her back on American ways. Eventually, Tan's mother even left America, and took the children to Europe, where they eventually settled in Montreux, Switzerland."
Abstract This paper explores the dominant theme of mother-daughter conflict and fragmented cultural identity in Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club," "Two Kinds," and "The Kitchen God's Wife".
From the Paper "Waverly's mother, misunderstanding her daughter's angry outburst, thinks Waverly is saying she is ashamed of her Chinese mother, especially to be seen with her in public. But Waverly means simply that she would like her mother to stop bragging about her because she herself feels embarrassed by it. The misunderstanding brought about by this heated exchange, however, clouds the mother-daughter relationship for years afterward. Neither one can or will forget about it, even long after Waverly grows up and leaves home. To Waverly's Chinese mother, family solidarity and pride is her most important value. But to her American-born and thoroughly Americanized daughter, individuality and independence are far more important, and she resents what she sees as her mother's smothering attitude. In this early scene in the novel, Waverly is not in fact rejecting her mother, but instead simply asserting her own separateness from her, a distinction Waverly's mother finds impossible to understand."
Abstract This paper analyzes the theme of freedom found in novels by Amy Tan and, particularly, in her novel "The Joy Luck Club". The paper shows that, while all of Tan's novels emphasize this theme, "The Joy Luck Club", in particular, underscores how important individual freedom is even when it seems to come in conflict with one's duty to family.
From the Paper "In her novel, The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan stresses the importance of individual freedom more than duty to family in several stories. In "The Joy Luck Club," "The Red Candle," "Magpies," "Without Wood," and "Rice Husband," Tan emphasizes the importance of individual freedom in any culture. The women in these stories overcome difficult obstacles and emerge self-confident and proud. This is not to say that their struggles were easy. In fact, many of the women must face difficult situations with their mothers, which sometimes leads to conflict. Within these conflicts, we see how these problems can be solved through communication and understanding. While balance between duty to family and individual freedom can be difficult to find, the strong female characters in The Joy Luck Club prove that it is always are worthwhile venture."
This paper discusses the use of two forms of vision--mirrors and storytelling--in Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club" in relationship to the mother-daughter legacy.
Abstract This paper explains that, in Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club", the mothers use the oral tradition of story-telling to cement, ameliorate or transform the trauma of their past lives in China to their daughters as a method for rewriting these stories of oppression and victimization into parables of self-affirmation and individual empowerment. The author points out that the motif of the mirror is a form of vision used often by Tan to allow the mothers and daughter to communicate. The paper concludes that this novel clearly demonstrates the usage of storytelling and mirrors as effective tools in creating bonds between mothers and daughter of each generation, which is self-perpetuating, even if unintentional.
From the Paper "In another story involving a mirror, mother is shocked to see that her married daughter has placed a mirrored armoire at the foot of the bed. This is bad feng shui. In feng shui, the Eastern art of placement, harmony must be created in an environment and any bad angles must be "cured". Sleeping with a mirror at the foot of your bed is said to frighten your essence and create bad energy. She is certain that the mirror will deflect all happiness from her daughter's marriage, so she "cures" the situation by giving her daughter a mirror to hang above the bed. This will reverse the bad luck and bring good "peach-blossom luck," the mother says. Such luck, she adds, will ensure a grandchild."
Abstract This music history study examines the major accomplishments of Amy Beach, the first female American composer. In essence, by evaluating Beach's life as a woman composer through her skills as a writer, one can realize the historical ramifications of feminist determination to be known as the first female American composer in United States history.
From the Paper "Amy Beach: Analyzing the Pioneering Feminism Of the First American Female Composer I. Introduction This music history study will examine the major accomplishments of Amy Beach, the first female American composer. In realizing the hardships of being a woman in a patriarchal American society, beach, Beach had to overcome great odds to have her music accepted in an all-male field. In relation to this, her music reached out beyond gender barriers, and helped this woman encompass a wide variety of feminist accomplishments in her lifetime. In essence, by evaluating Beach's life as a woman composer through her skills as a writer, one can realize the historical ramifications of feminist determination to be known as the first female American composer in United States history. II: Historical Feminist Background to Women in American Music Amy Beach (1867-1944) was a woman that beheld many talents, and when she was younger, she was a considered a childhood prodigy."
