Abstract A short analysis of AnneTyler's novel "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant", focusing on the character of Jenny Tull and her dual personality in which she treats strangers lovingly and loved ones with distance. The paper presents many quotes to illustrate the writer's arguments.
From the Paper "Anne Tyler's novel Dinner at The Homesick Restaurant brings to life a series of believable characters that we can all relate to, who to some extent remind us of ourselves or of people we have known. Perhaps one of the most vibrant characters in this novel is the lead character's daughter. Through vivid characterization, Jenny Tull is portrayed to the reader as being distant towards the most important people in her life, while at the same time she is highly caring and ambitious towards the more trivial issues that surround her."
Abstract This paper is a brief review of AnneTyler's "Dinner at Homesick Restaurant". The paper explores the symbolism of Tyler's chapter titles and suggests that these titles are metaphors for the dislocation, alienation and disconnection that run rampant through the text. The paper also reveals that a major part of life is overcoming the anger and resentment of youth.
From the Paper "Anne Tyler's Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant is a very moving story about a family coming together after too many years apart. It is also a story rife with symbolism. This paper will examine Tyler's text by looking at the meanings behind each of the text's ten chapter titles. As will soon become apparent, this is a book and a family story that operates on many different levels. To begin with, Chapter One is entitled, "Something you Should Know". What we know from this opening chapter is that Pearl Tull always wanted extra children; we also know that there is something hidden about her husband, Beck Tull (Tyler 8-9)."
Abstract This paper examines how in novels "On the Road" and "Saint Maybe", by Jack Kerouac and AnneTyler, the authors stress upon life as a set of experiences and how these build a person. It shows how Jack Kerouac's characters go flying off randomly along the twisted contours of their lives in his autobiographical epic "On the Road". In contrast, it also looks at how AnneTyler in her novel, "Saint Maybe" shows "ordinary" people and their ordinary lives. She displays the fact that people in this world are only human and are hence bound to make mistakes, yet they struggle to survive with the attempt to work out the problems they face in relationships and communication.
From the Paper "The journey of the seventeen-year-old protagonist, Ian Bedloe, begins when he doesn't imagine the consequences of his actions. He suspects there is more to Lucy's past and to the problems of her present, than either Danny or the rest of the family has acknowledged. And one night, when Ian's plans for a romantic evening with his girlfriend-indeed, it is the night he plans to lose his virginity-are disrupted by having to baby-sit Lucy's children longer than he was supposed to, Ian becomes enraged. And so, on the way home, Ian tells his brother what he suspects about Lucy, and also mentions that the daughter, for whom Danny abandoned his studies to marry Lucy, is not his child. In disbelief and horror, Danny commits suicide by driving his car into a wall."
Abstract This paper describes and analyzes the character of Pearl Tull, the main character in AnneTyler's novel, "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant". It looks at Tyler's depiction of Pearl Tull as a blind, spiteful and overbearing mother and the devastating effects these qualities have on her family.
From the Paper "Like most novels, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant 's characters are fully developed. Each has a distinct personality portrayed through the novel's plot. In Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, Anne Tyler depicts Pearl Tull as a blind, spiteful, overbearing and miserable character who has low self esteem and is self centered."
Tags: children, single, mother, contact, society, cody, jen, interact, ezra
This paper compares and contrasts the function of communities in AnneTyler's "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" and Nino Ricci's "Lives of the Saints."
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 2 sources, 2006, $ 53.95
Abstract The paper explains how the communities presented in AnneTyler's "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" and Nino Ricci's "Lives of the Saints" differ dramatically, not only in terms of their roles in the lives of their novels' primary female characters, Pearl and Cristina respectively, but also in terms of culture and impact upon the characters. As this essay argues, while sexist community values impact the lives and fates of both women, it is clear that the Italian village of Ricci's novel is both better defined and influential in its characters' lives than is the American community of Tyler's novel.
This paper compares and contrasts AnneTyler's novel "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant", Roddy Doyle's "Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha Ha", and Nino Ricci's "Lives of the Saints".
Abstract The paper examines the family structure in AnneTyler's novel "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant", Roddy Doyle's "Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha Ha" and Nino Ricci's "Lives of the Saints". The paper explains that because of a lacking or dysfunctional family structure, the children of the Tyler and Doyle novels become mired in loneliness and isolation. The paper contrasts this to Ricci's young protagonist who still manages to emerge as a resilient narrator, because he looks positively at the difficulties he experienced.
From the Paper "In Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, Cody, Ezra, and Jenny are abandoned by their father and raised by a difficult mother, Pearl. Pearl finds it difficult to emotionally cope with her husband's abandonment, because of the financial stresses of her circumstances and the fact that she has no real friends or family members willing to help her survive. Her children grow up to become functional members of society, vocationally, but their family lives are fraught with difficulties. Even as Pearl lies on her deathbed, the family has difficulties communicating."
Abstract This paper takes a look at AnneTyler's 1982 play, "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant", with particular focus on the growing pains of the character Cody. The paper discusses Cody's relationship with his mother and recently deceased father. It also examines the theme of pain and growth in relation to the other characters in the play. In the final analysis, the paper holds that only Cody appears to eventually find the peace of mind and personal growth he needs.
From the Paper "Suffice it to say, Pearl's problem is that her introspection does not give way to a mind-set that allows her to "open up" before her children. Specifically, she not only fails to tell the children what has happened to their father, but she fails to come to terms with what has happened to her, not even giving into her emotions when she has a few minutes alone (Tyler, 18). As one might expect, the pressure of keeping everything inside frequently becomes so great that she explodes in bursts of anger, especially when the children present her with accidents or when they do something to irk one another and then noisily ask for their mother's intercession (Tyler, 19). To this psychologically damaging outlook must be added the fact Pearl is usually over-burdened with work (Tyler, 25). She is forced to shoulder the responsibilities of both a father and a mother. In the end, it is hardly revelatory that she is a mostly withdrawn woman."
Abstract This paper analyzes the theme of Royall Tyler's play "The Contrast."
From the Paper "Royall Tyler's play "The Contrast" was the first performed American play and as such its theme is distinctly American. At a time when the country was struggling to carve out a national identity, Tyler articulated what American character truly was and why the nation could be proud of its distinct culture. By utilizing the genre of comedy and satire he was able to point out the pretentiousness of the European lifestyle, while illustrating the superiority of America's more simple ways."
Abstract This paper tells the story of Anne Frank, the young girl who hid from the Nazis in an attic in Amsterdam. The writer discusses that she hid for 25 months before being discovered and then was sent to a concentration camp along with her sister and parents. The writer tells that Anne, her sister and mother died in the camps. In this paper the writer shows that her father survived and published her diary, which has become known the world over as "The Diary of Anne Frank".
From the Paper "When Adolf Hitler came to power, his anti-Semitic beliefs were put into practice by his Nazi party, which passed anti-Jewish laws and built concentration camps, where millions of Jews were killed or died from the harsh conditions. Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl and her family were forced to hide and Anne began a diary which documented the sufferings of her family. It has become famous as "The Diary of Anne Frank" and has been made into movies, TV specials and plays. The diary ..."
Abstract A literary analysis of Anne Bradstreet and her role in early American literature. The paper discusses her poem, "The Author to her Book," and its origins, as well as the roles women in the seventeenth century were expected to play.
From the Paper "The theme Bradstreet used when calling her work her offspring continued throughout the poem, and only emphasized her distinctive style of writing poetry. Her work was quite unlike the work of many male poets of the seventeenth century. Though she was very cautious in publishing her work, America and society found a brilliant Puritan writer of her time. Although society in that era looked down on women as published writers and intellectuals, Bradstreet's quality of work speaks for itself."
Abstract This paper explains that Anne Bradstreet lived and wrote poetry during the middle decades of the 17th century. The author examines the Puritan themes in two of Bradstreet's more recognized works "To My Dear and Loving Husband" and "Verses Upon the Burning of Our House". The paper compares these two poems to reveal the Puritan themes of devotion to one's husband and devotion to one's God.
From the Paper "Anne Bradstreet lived and wrote poetry during the middle decades of the 17th century. At that time, she was incredibly steeped in Puritan tradition, owing to her cultural heritage and upbringing. This fact is incredible evident in her poetry, as it expresses many of the dominant themes of Puritanism. This essay examines two of Bradstreet's more recognized works - "To My Dear and Loving Husband" and "Verses Upon the Burning of Our House." The two poems will be compared in order to demonstrate how both works are an expression of Puritan ideology, namely the primacy of men and God. "To My Dear and Loving Husband" is a poem about just what the title would have readers believe. Amazingly, there is no irony or sarcasm lurking beneath Bradstreet's lines."
Abstract This paper discusses how Anne Stevenson's poem, "The Victory", is more than just a vivid depiction of childbirth, as one might interpret it from a surface level. The paper first gives the reader vital tools to interpret imagery and uses examples from the poem. The paper then dissects the poem and analyzes each word and verse, describing the meaning behind the imagery.
From the Paper "Anne Stevenson refers to the child as a 'tiny antagonist.' She is describing the baby as a rival who is fighting against her. When giving birth, you are not in control, no matter how much you try to control things. It seems as if the baby is working against you throughout the process. The phrase 'blue as a bruise' perhaps refers to the child being born, yet not breathing. Therefore, the baby is blue and struggling. 'The stains / of your cloud of glory / bled from my veins' are lines to give some thought to. Stains are something permanently affixed. 'Cloud of glory' could refer to the baby's entrance into the world. These four lines seem to state that when the baby entered the world, struggling for breath and feelings for this child were permanently ingrained into the mother's blood, regardless of how 'gory' the birth was or how much the baby fought against the process of birth."
Tags: childbirth baby, anne stevenson, poem symbolism
This paper discusses the book "Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era" by Elaine Tyler May, which analyzes influence of the family during the 1950s and 60s from from Civil Rights to marriage and conformity.
Abstract This paper discusses the book "Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era" by Elaine Tyler May who used contemporary magazines, journals, and films as some of her research material to present a picture of family life in America during the Cold War and the way it shaped the nation. The author points out that this was the period of reproduce, which created the "baby boom", an entire generation of children who never had to want for anything. The author explains that any kind of sexual deviancy was taboo; in fact, many believed sexual deviation was the road to Communism and distrust.
From the Paper "One of the important points she uses in the book is how suburbia grew up during this time in our history, and suburbia almost exclusively consisted of a white, middle-class population. Racial lines were drawn during the Cold War, and race was still a very important issue for most Americans. As she notes in her Introduction, "People of color were excluded from these suburban communities, and denied the benefits of American prosperity even if they could afford them" (May xix). May clearly shows how the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 60s was created out of the white suburban middle-class of the 1950s. As blacks were excluded from owning property and attending schools in the middle-class suburbs, their unrest grew, and they began to fight back for their equality. The author goes on to state, "So while white working class Americans prospered and joined their middle-class peers as suburban homeowners, African-Americans lost ground economically. They were forced to reside in substandard urban housing, left out of postwar prosperity, and denied the government subsidies available to whites" (May xx). May continues later in the book to build on this premise that blacks were barred from the "good life" in their exclusion from mortgages in the white suburbs. As whites grew more prosperous, blacks continued to live in the inner city and continually were kept from creating their own American dreams."
Abstract The writer of this paper clearly describes American life in the 1950s as vividly detailed in Elaine Tyler May's novel "Homeward Bound." In order to reveal the roots of the 1950s family, May discusses intimate relationships in a sociological setting during the depression years. The author's novel also clarifies the structure of the 1950s marriage with its emphasis on both self-sacrifice and togetherness. This paper describes the content of each chapter in May's novel. In chapter 3, "War and Peace Fanning the Home Fires" women's roles continued to grow, as their labor was required to build the machinery that would win World War II. While chapters six and seven, "Baby Boom and Birth Control" and "The Commodity Gap" tell of the changing values during the 1950s. This paper also discusses the author's various methodologies to explain the restructuring of the family that followed the depression and WWII.
From the Paper "In order to reveal the roots of the 1950's family, May discusses intimate relationships in a sociological setting during the Depression years. In Chapter 3, Hard Times at Home, The Depression years, according to May's statistics, this period had both the lowest marriage and birth rate of any other period of time during the Twentieth Century. May submits that the depression of the economy caused many young couples of that time to delay marriage and children because of financial insecurity. She also notes that women's roles at that time were very unlike those touted in the 1950's. She maintains that couples who chose to wed at that time expected a relatively equal marriage with both the husband and wife helping to support the family economically."
Tags: review, litertaure, history, cold, war, world, war, 2, american, u.s., women, family
