Seabiscuit Literary Analysis Hillenbrand Symbolism Themes Literary Analysis

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Running head: LITERARY ANALYSIS


4

LITERARY ANALYSIS


A Literary Analysis of the Book “Seabiscuit” by Laura Hillenbrand


The book “Seabiscuit: An American Legend” is a non-fiction book by Hillenbrand Laura about the racing glory and rise to fame of the character, Seabiscuit, who happens to be an American racehorse. The book is set during the stock market crash resulting in the Great Depression, where Seabiscuit rose to international fame as a racehorse. Hence, he becomes a symbol of hope for the American citizens during tough times. The book is a captivating tale of the racehorse and the two men who believed in his potential, Charles Howard and Tom Smith, who bought him from his previous owner Fitzsimmons. Through non-fiction, the author pushes the reader to use narrative elements that are primarily characteristic of fiction tales and novels, as situations and lives diverge and intersect. Thus, this paper seeks to provide a detailed literary analysis of the book by putting forth various features that interact to complete the book. Therefore, the book’s various stylistic features, characterization, themes, and settings shall be explored in detail to provide a comprehensive analysis.
The book’s setting is during the stock market crash that caused the “Great Depression” period in America, between 1929 and 1940, when the world’s economy changed dramatically. The crash of the stock market drove the country into a state of hopelessness and despair. During this period, average American citizens clung to even the smallest piece of hope to offer them even a short escape or diversion from the dark reality. Thus, Seabiscuit showed them what they desired. Here, symbolism as a stylist feature comes into play in the book. The unlikely hero in the book, “a short, squat, and seemingly unfit racehorse” (Hillenbrand, 2002), rises from being insignificant to a hero who gains international recognition who captures the national imagination. Therefore, he becomes a symbol of hope in these dark times, portraying the idea that despite anything, however challenging and dark, good things can still happen, so people mustn’t lose hope. Thus, Seabiscuit becomes a

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org/wiki/Cultural_icon" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cultural icon, offering hope to the disadvantaged generation by epitomizing the idea of “rags to riches” to represent the American dream.…

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…from a symbolic point of view. Also, imagery is evident throughout the book. For instance, there is a vivid description of the racing experience, the gear, and the Jockey’s uniforms.
The death of George Woolf is also captured in detail. On Allusion, the book ideally refers to the Great Depression and the consequential need for the American citizens to find a distraction or hope from the dark times. Personification is evident in how Seabiscuit is accorded human traits, yet it is an animal, describing his pride, boredom, and shame, among others (Hillenbrand, 2002). All these features interact conversantly to bring the tale into perspective. The most memorable race Seabiscuit participated in is when he goes head0on against his antagonist, War Admiral. This book section is made fascinating and thrilling by using different words to express the characters’ feelings. For instance, the phrase “wave of voices” is used to show the excitement and cheering from the spectators towards the race (Hillenbrand, 2002, p.272-274). Seabiscuit’s determination is also evident throughout the book.


Conclusion


This paper sought to establish a literary analysis of the book “Seabiscuit” by exploring various aspects of literature….....

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