Five Novel comparison
Literature is bound by threads of themes that transcend all barriers of race, religion, epoch, and culture. Archetypal ideas of death, freedom, self-realization, good, and evil are utilized throughout most literary text. It is especially evident in The Song of Solomon and Beloved By Morrison, The Woman Warrior by Kingston, The Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne and The Awakening by Chopin, that religion and culture are an imperative part of society. Religious and cultural taboos are viewed as a set of moral codes that restrain one's "Id" as stated in Sigmund Freud's theories. In these five novels restraint not only affects the protagonists lives, and view there of, but their "Self"; the very essence of their being. The authors use symbolism and character development to effectively portray this throughout their books. The protagonists' struggle with themselves and society to conceive their "Self" is the conflict as well as one of the esoteric themes throughout the five novels. Milkman in The Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, struggles to find his identity apart from his father. This is the cultural hierarchy he surpasses to find his "Self". Society looks up at Milkman, for he is better off than most of his peers, causing resentm
Much like in Song of Solomon, in Beloved, Morrison illustrates through character development and symbolism, the struggle of the protagonists to free themselves from the chains of society's taboos in order to emerge as their candid "Self". Morrison illustrates how enslavement in the external world, especially the denial of one's "Self" as a human, tends to hold repercussions even after external, tangible restraints, like slavery, are broken. Sethe having run away from her slave master, Schoolteacher, is on the verge of being captured. Her humanity has been so violated by this man, and by the entire experience as a slave woman that she has lost her self worth and her self image. Morrison develops Sethe through various re-memories. The development of Sethe assists in embracing the full extent of the marks of enslavement holding repercussions in Sethe's "Self". Sethe struggles throughout the novel to gain her "Self" back. This only happens when she has no repercussions and re-memories to taunt her. In the final scene Morrison interjects the most significant symbolism, of the whole book. Paul D tells Sethe, "He wants to put his story next to hers." Throughout the novel storytelling is associated with the "Self", this is the final clue in realizing Sethe's rebirth no longer as a free slave, but as a free woman. ent as well. This sends Milkman spiraling through self-examination. Realizing he needs to find his past to get a better hold on the future, he travels where his grandfather lived, originally not to gain insight on who he could be, but finally becoming the effect of the trip. It was here, in the mist of his father's land, that he became a man. Toni Morrison's character development is extremely important to illustrate Milkman's transition, from adhering to society's taboo's and rules to liberating himself. Thus, portraying society's hindrance on the development of the "Self". Much like Solomon of the bible, Milkman went into the forest as a boy, and came out as a man. Morrison's use of symbolism, with the peacock, illustrates the character's transition and metamorphosis. This rebirth was imperative in the p
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1440
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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