“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?” These words of John Steinbeck perfectly illustrate the necessity of contrast in the world to give meaning to one’s life. Just like Steinbeck, Annie Dillard uses specific contrasts to depict her world view before and after the total eclipse.
In the beginning of Dillard’s essay, “Total Eclipse”, she described “sliding down the mountain pass” to get to her hotel in central Washington. As she observed her surroundings of the drive, she made the simile of being like “a diver in the rapture of the deep who plays on the bottom while his air runs out.” This ominous comparison warned the reader of unexpected peril. Dillard used the motif of depth and descending many
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She starts by describing the darkness of the hotel that she and her husband are staying in. She stated that “the hotel lobby was a dark derelict room”. Dillard describes the “growing light” and the “rising sun” on her journey to the hilltop where she would view the total eclipse. She described how some orchards “lighted up”. Years before, Dillard had seen a partial eclipse and she said that “the sky does not darken” and that the sky’s color would get deeper but it did not actually go dark until the sun was completely eclipsed. Once the sun was covered, “it was dark night.” The only light showing in the sky was the thin ring of light from the corona peering from behind the black circle that was the moon. Everything was dark and black and in what was supposed to be broad daylight, Dillard could see cars below her turning on their headlights. She later described the shadow that overcame them during the eclipse. She said that screams were heard from the hilltop, because of the unsettling speed and abruptness at which the shadow came over them. Soon after, the sun reemerged and brought normalcy back to the spectators. Although, the eclipse was a sight to behold, once Dillard could go back home she did not turn back around, and she fled to the
In the 1930s, a large dust storm destroyed the southern plains in United States and the prairies of Canada. This storm by the name of the Dust Bowl lasted 8 years and also occurred during the time of the Great Depression. The Dust Bowl shook the agriculture and the economy. People could no longer breathe easily, everybody had to wear a mask. Walking, talking and eating had become very difficult.
Seminar 2 All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (241 - 274) Facilitator: Tony Wang Introduction • In “Old Ladies’ Resistance Club”, readers could feel the positive power and hope brought by old ladies in Saint-Malo. They used their wisdom and braveness to do anything that could disrupt or cause discomfort to their enemy, German Nazi (252-253). • In “Diagnosis”, when doctor examined Reinhold von Rumpel, he was still dreaming about being the greatest lapidary and finding real “Sea of Flames”. However, at the end of the examination, the doctor gave the diagnosis that he might have grim disease (254-255).
On the contrary, darkness threatens the characters in the story. The night, which exemplifies social and personal challenges, can be discovered everywhere. Literary, the darkness haunts the figures in the text, something they are aware of when the sun goes down. Similarly, Sonny's problems in prison, addiction to drugs, and the condition of life in Harlem are exemplified by the darkness (King and Lynn 47-49). Ultimately, the light comes to signify comfort, salvation, and love, while darkness represents the misery and fear that persistently threatens to extinguish it.
Brilliant and creative writers are able to exploit simple ideas or objects to emphasize an important message or characterize a persona in his or her play. In “Streetcar Named Desire,” by Tennessee Williams, Williams utilizes light to help characterize Blanche DuBois. She is presented as an individual who avoids reality, has sexual desires, and displays herself ostentatiously, but she is really an insecure tragic figure; she lies about her age and steers clear of things that will expose the truth. Williams uses light, in his play, as a motif to illustrate that Blanche does not only hide from the light to disguise her age, but by choice (very much) hide her imperfections (flaws) and the truth. There are many interpretations as to what “Blanche”
The Devil in the White City Rhetorical Analysis Essay The Chicago World’s Fair, one of America’s most compelling historical events, spurred an era of innovative discoveries and life-changing inventions. The fair brought forward a bright and hopeful future for America; however, there is just as much darkness as there is light and wonder. In the non-fiction novel, The Devil in the White City, architect Daniel Burnham and serial killer H. H. Holmes are the perfect representation of the light and dark displayed in Chicago. Erik Larson uses positive and negative tone, juxtaposition, and imagery to express that despite the brightness and newfound wonder brought on by the fair, darkness lurks around the city in the form of murder, which at first, went unnoticed.
Kimberly Iurman AP Literature and Composition August 8, 2014 The Perfect Freedom of Single Necessity Everyone has their own perception of what kind of life they want to lead, whether it is a happy, successful or plentiful life. Some even aspire to have it all, which has come to be thought of as fame, money, and success. Dillard’s ideal reality leads to a simple life.
Sharon Olds describes two people on the subway. She is comparing the two by how different they are. In the poem, Olds wonders about the difference between skins of both the people. Olds identifies the contrasts of both the persons through the use of imagery, organization of compare and contrast, and similes. Olds describes the way the boy is dressed.
Annie Dillard’s essay “Sight into Insight” emphasizes how one must live in the moment and not sway towards others opinions in order to gain accurate observations on a situation. She uses nature as a prominent theme in her essay to represent the thought of looking past the superficial obvious in order to go deeper to where the hidden beauty rests. Dillard wants the reader to realize in order to observe clearly you have to live in the moment and let go of the knowledge you think you know on the situation. Dillard uses the example of her “walking with a camera vs walking without one” (para.31) and how her own observations differed with each. When she walked with the camera she “read the light” (para.31), and when she didn’t “light printed” (para.31).
Ruta Sepetys wrote a New Yorks best seller novel called ¨Between Shades of Gray¨. In this historical fiction novel a family is taken from their homes during the Holocaust and has to endure many challenges. One of the main characters is a 16 year old girl named Lina whoś bravery, hope, and faith can be seen throughout the novel. In the novel ¨Between Shades of Gray¨ Sepetys creates two main theme, that hope can be found where there is despair and where there is fear there is faith. One theme that can be seen throughout the novel “Between Shades of Gray¨ is that hope can be found where there is despair.
But Ann Petry also uses the contrast in an unusual way by allowing the darkness to inspire, while the light exposes unexpected tragedies. Most places that Lutie Johnson goes in The Street are dark and dirty. The stairwell leading to the apartment she wants to rent appears to be symbolic of all that is wrong in Lutie’s
Desmond Tutu, a South - African social activist and retired Anglican priest once said “ Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness”. Of Mice and Men is a novel which revolves around the lives of struggling farmers and how they still maintain hope despite their hardships. The symbolic representation of light embodies the hopes and the American Dream, whereas the dark epitomizes the harsh realities and truths of their lives. Steinbeck uses light and dark to foreshadow the upcoming events in the forlorn lives of the migrant workers. He also combines aspects such as the setting and characters with light and dark to paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind as to how the world of the migrant workers looks like.
Lost in The Sun Lost in The Sun by Lisa Graff is a book about Trent Zimmerman, a kid who just started middle school and declares it will be better than the 5th grade. 5th grade was rough, he accidentally killed a kid. Jared Richards was born with a birth defect in his heart. The boys were playing hockey one day, and when the puck shot him in the heart, he died. Middle school was a “fresh start” for Trent.
In, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Alexie uses multiple techniques to demonstrate a typical American Indian life. In the chapter, Family Portrait, there are many techniques used to depict how American Indians contemplate over what is expected of them as minorities. As a result of reflecting on the past, rich family history is revealed . In Family Portrait, Alexie uses television to explain various events of his life that depict his family history. Alexie manages to show multiple techniques in this short story such as using evidence to contradict the identities of American Indian life.
The Industrial Revolution brought about many new and innovative inventions that we still use today in modern society. However, it took the hard work of many people, young and old, to achieve these feats. Poet William Blake, who lived through these trying times, wrote two poems describing the lives of the working class. Both of Blake’s poems reflect on the lives of young children working as chimney sweeps and what they go through in their daily lives. Yet their point of view, diction, and tone are quite different.