short stories, Steinbeck and Chopin make powerful social commentary about the role of women in their private and public lives.
Both Elisa and Louise feel stuck in their marriage, but perceive liberation as impossible within the confines of their culture. In both short stories, nature symbolizes wasted potential. For example, Elisa is capable of so much more than gardening: "The chrysanthemum stems seemed too small and easy for her energy," (Steinbeck). Similarly, Louise realizes that she has wasted her life when she sees nature through the window of the room. “She felt it, creeping out of the… Continue Reading...
that actually did take place. That means Conrad uses the medium of fiction to provide poignant social commentary about history.
If Conrad had simply spelled out his views for readers, the result would have been a polemical, pedantic, opinionated essay. It might have been well-written, but it might not have stood the test of time since he focused exclusively on a specific time and place rather than providing readers with symbols and universal motifs that all audiences can relate to.
For this reason, Conrads Heart of Darkness provided the framework for the film Apocalypse Now, which is about the Vietnam War. In fact, you could choose… Continue Reading...
social commentary by foreshadowing the impending doom of Nazi oppression and fascist ideology: “The maiden Europa is engaged / To the handsome genius ace / Of freedom; lying down, arm in arm, / They enjoy their first embrace.” Here, Heine establishes the counterpoint for right-wing political thought and culture by mentioning the burgeoning emergence of a pan-European identity and its ascription to the principles and ideals of freedom, equality, and social justice.
Rather than depending on the freedom and liberation of poetry from the conventions of prose narration, Isherwood offers… Continue Reading...
social commentary.
However, the speaker does insinuate that the father's need to provide for his family within a capitalist patriarchal social structure is what eventually leads to his inability to express emotions in a healthy way. The father effectively sacrifices his own life for his son, and in doing so sacrifices the possibility of an emotional or affectionate bond. The father does not express love verbally, but nor does the son, who admits to "speaking indifferently to him," (line 10). In fact, the speaker grew up fearing his father because… Continue Reading...
social commentary.
A formal dance, the waltz has a specific structure in which the male is supposed to lead the two-person partnership. The speaker of “My Papa’s Waltz” affirms this, especially by showing how he clung and hung onto his father in spite of being abused. He was doing what he was supposed to do, allowing his father to “beat time on my head,” and then “waltz me off to bed,” (lines 13; 15). The mother is only mentioned once, in the second stanza of the poem. Like the speaker,… Continue Reading...
Steinbeck and Chopin make powerful social commentary about the role of women in their private and public lives.
II. Body
A. Topic Sentence: Both Elisa and Louise feel stuck in their marriage, but perceive liberation as impossible within the confines of their culture.
1. First concrete detail: Nature symbolizes wasted potential.
a. Elisa is capable of so much more than gardening: “The chrysanthemum stems seemed too small and easy for her energy,” (Steinbeck)
b. Louise receives her epiphany through nature: “She felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the… Continue Reading...
talking too much about myself and focusing instead on the social commentary. For instance, by talking about why she wants a wife, the author is able to show how the patriarchal standards of marriage have led to a woman being in a position of domestic servitude. Instead of using a more direct argumentative style, which might cause her audience to become defensive, the author shows how the male partner benefits from the patriarchal system of marriage while the woman does not. The descriptive writing pattern Brady uses allows for rich detail, such as, "When I meet people at school that… Continue Reading...
