Home Away from Home: The Struggle between Individuality and Conformity
In the midst of a silent struggle to rebel against a tyrannical government, Winston, the main protagonist in George Orwell’s novel 1984, finds himself continuously transitioning between two very contrasting settings. It is through the stark differences between Winston’s dreary apartment and a secret room above an antique store Winston often visits that Orwell is able to exemplify and reinforce the idea of individuality versus conformity.
In the beginning of the novel, Orwell sets the tone of the story by introducing the reader to Winston and by describing the apartment he lives in. Winston’s small living space is portrayed as very bare and lifeless, and is where he suffers the constant watch of Big Brother, the leading force of the government that runs the country he lives in. It is in this room that he stringently follows the laws of the government, as well as experiences the pain of loneliness. As the story progresses and Winston begins to question the way he lives, he rents a small room above an antique store in the city. This room is described as cheery and bright, and gives a sense peace and security. It is here that Winston has a secret love affair (something strictly prohibited by law) with his coworker, Julia, and where he participates in other acts that are in direct violation of the laws laid down by the government he comes to despise. Hence, both the atmospheres and the actions that are done by Winston in both settings are the major factors that differentiate the two places.
As well as acting as physical places that Winston visits throughout the novel, these two contrasting rooms are used to represent a central conflict in the story. The room that Winston resides in represents the idea of conformity. This is because it is here that Winston acts in the way that everyone in the country is expected to act, such as only reading approved material and only having sexual relations with a partner for the sole purpose of procreation. As for the secret room above the antique store, Winston’s deliberate acts against the government’s laws that he commits here show that this room is used to represent the idea of individuality. Therefore, the contrast of these places overall shows the conflict between conformity and individuality in the novel.
The contrast between Winston’s apartment and secret room and the conflict that it represents ties greatly into meaning of this novel. This is due to the fact that the differences of these rooms show how Winston is internally conflicted because he must constantly decide between doing what he is required and doing what he believes in. The rooms show how Winston develops as a character and what it means to overcome conformity through defying the government by living for one’s own beliefs.
Even though Winston his forced into conformity towards the end of the novel, it is the contrast between his dreary apartment and secret room above the antique shop, both literally and metaphorically, that exemplifies his struggle to rebel against the totalitarian government that runs his life and choose to be an individual rather than a conformist.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Prompt 2
In one of Shakespeare’s most renowned plays, Romeo and Juliet, the main characters of this story are infamous for their conflict with the social and moral standards set by both of their families, as well as by the society of Verona, Italy. It is through Romeo and Juliet’s ill-fated love affair and the ends they go to to stay together that they not only stand in the face of their adversaries, but cause the necessary changes needed in that society through the power of their tragic and untimely deaths.
Romeo Montague, a fickle boy in the midst of his adolescence, and Juliet Capulet, an innocent and sheltered girl who has barely experienced the world, belong to two very separate houses that have indulged in a ruthless feud against each other for decades. Despite the animosity that plagues these families, it is by fate that Romeo and Juliet are instantly enticed by one another upon their first meeting and fall prey to the devastating love that enslaves them to each other. It is not hours after they meet that they choose to defy the walls of hate that have been built between their opposing families and be bound to one another in holy matrimony.
Although Romeo and Juliet are willing to marry each other, regardless of their families’ conflict, they do not realize the depth of the hatred between the two houses and that their unapproved, forbidden love is destined to stoke that deadly feud. It is in the midst of their love that several people die including Mercucio, Romeo’s best friend who is killed in a street fight by Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin. Tybalt is in turn killed by Romeo, who takes his life to avenge Mercucio. It is for this haenus crime that Romeo is banished from the city and forced to leave his new bride, Juliet.
As is the deaths of two men were not enough consequence for the love that Romeo and Juliet have for each other, the conflict that this love creates with the families takes their lives as well. Upon having her husband banished, Juliet is forced to face an arraigned marriage alone and takes the only action she finds available to her: to take a concoction that will give her death-like symptoms so that she might leave her family and be rejoined with Romeo in secret once all have been fooled. Unfortunately Romeo is misinformed about Juliet’s death and kills himself at her tomb to join her in death. Upon her awake, Juliet finds her husband dead and takes her own life to atone for his death and to join him in the afterlife. It is the deaths of these two innocent and youthful children that the Montagues and Capulets must finally end their hateful feud to end the bloodshed and prevent more loss of life.
Through forbidden love that conflicted heavily with the ideals of two opposing and vengeful families and through death, Romeo and Juliet were able to cause an end to the rein of violence that ensued between their families and bring peace to their society. It was thus fated that their passion and bravery would save the people that looked down upon them and rejected their unyielding love.
Romeo Montague, a fickle boy in the midst of his adolescence, and Juliet Capulet, an innocent and sheltered girl who has barely experienced the world, belong to two very separate houses that have indulged in a ruthless feud against each other for decades. Despite the animosity that plagues these families, it is by fate that Romeo and Juliet are instantly enticed by one another upon their first meeting and fall prey to the devastating love that enslaves them to each other. It is not hours after they meet that they choose to defy the walls of hate that have been built between their opposing families and be bound to one another in holy matrimony.
Although Romeo and Juliet are willing to marry each other, regardless of their families’ conflict, they do not realize the depth of the hatred between the two houses and that their unapproved, forbidden love is destined to stoke that deadly feud. It is in the midst of their love that several people die including Mercucio, Romeo’s best friend who is killed in a street fight by Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin. Tybalt is in turn killed by Romeo, who takes his life to avenge Mercucio. It is for this haenus crime that Romeo is banished from the city and forced to leave his new bride, Juliet.
As is the deaths of two men were not enough consequence for the love that Romeo and Juliet have for each other, the conflict that this love creates with the families takes their lives as well. Upon having her husband banished, Juliet is forced to face an arraigned marriage alone and takes the only action she finds available to her: to take a concoction that will give her death-like symptoms so that she might leave her family and be rejoined with Romeo in secret once all have been fooled. Unfortunately Romeo is misinformed about Juliet’s death and kills himself at her tomb to join her in death. Upon her awake, Juliet finds her husband dead and takes her own life to atone for his death and to join him in the afterlife. It is the deaths of these two innocent and youthful children that the Montagues and Capulets must finally end their hateful feud to end the bloodshed and prevent more loss of life.
Through forbidden love that conflicted heavily with the ideals of two opposing and vengeful families and through death, Romeo and Juliet were able to cause an end to the rein of violence that ensued between their families and bring peace to their society. It was thus fated that their passion and bravery would save the people that looked down upon them and rejected their unyielding love.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Prompt 1
Choose a symbol used in a novel or play of your choice and discuss its function in the world of the work.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the author tells the story of a successful socialite pining lost love during the 1920’s in New York Cory. In this novel, the Fitzgerald uses one of his main characters, Daisy, to symbolize the past and uses her character to emphasize that dwelling on the past and attempting to relive it can only lead to one’s own demise.
In this novel, the main protagonist, Mr. Gatsby befriends his new neighbor, Nick, from whose perspective the story is told. It is in Nick that Gatsby confides the story of his past and of Daisy. As the story progresses, it is revealed to the reader that Gatsby had met Daisy years before and fallen deeply in love. Unfortunately, the couple was separated by war and while fighting in Europe, Gatsby was forsaken by Daisy who married another man. Upon returning from the war, Gatsby bought a house across the bay from Daisy’s on the outskirts of New York and has lived there ever since hoping for fate to intervene and bring them together again.
Gatsby’s current lifestyle at the time that this story is told is one full of extravagant parties that he holds at his mansion which are full of almost complete strangers. He has no real friends and no true aspirations in life. This is mainly attributed to his longing for Daisy and inability to move on. The fact that he would find her after the war and wait in the wings to meet her again, even though she is now married is clear evidence of that. Hence, Gatsby’s close proximity to Daisy yet the fact that she is intangible symbolize key characteristics of the past. The past is an inescapable force that effects all lives and is always easy to refer back to because it is so close to the present, but at the same time it can never be relived, and is thus intangible.
As the story continues, Gatsby miraculously gets what he has been waiting for for years: a chance to speak to Daisy again. It is through Nick’s affiliation with both people that allows the two of them to meet for tea at Nick’s and they quickly relight the fire that once burned between them. Daisy’s innocent manner and ability to elicit old feelings that Gatsby had partially hidden are other characteristics that are again used to symbolize the past. When one begins to obsess about the past and attempts to relive what once was, as Gatsby clearly tries to do in this story, innocent, nostalgic feelings often give a false sense that things will work out.
Towards the end of the story, Gatsby delusional idea that Daisy will leave her husband for him is shattered when, after accidentally running over a pedestrian in the street and fleeing the murder scene, Daisy blames the murder on Gatsby and runs away with her husband Tom. When Daisy leaves, Gatsby is still relentlessly attached to her and convinces himself that she will return. Daisy’s departure and lack of return again symbolizes the past in that no matter how hard you try to reclaim lost memories and make them new again, the past will always be the past and no amount of hope or desire will change that. Daisy’s betrayal of Gatsby by letting him take the blame for the murder also symbolizes the idea that being obsessed with the past and attempting to force it become the present will lead in one’s demise because Daisy’s betrayal lead to the pedestrians husband seeking revenge and killing Gatsby at the end of the book.
All through out novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scoot Fitzgerald, the author skillfully uses a main character in the story to symbolize a major theme. It is through the character of Daisy that Fitzgerald is able to symbolize the past and show the detrimental effects of holding onto and trying to relive the past. It is through this character’s intangibility, her innocence, her betrayal, and her loss that the author embodies the very essence of what once was.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the author tells the story of a successful socialite pining lost love during the 1920’s in New York Cory. In this novel, the Fitzgerald uses one of his main characters, Daisy, to symbolize the past and uses her character to emphasize that dwelling on the past and attempting to relive it can only lead to one’s own demise.
In this novel, the main protagonist, Mr. Gatsby befriends his new neighbor, Nick, from whose perspective the story is told. It is in Nick that Gatsby confides the story of his past and of Daisy. As the story progresses, it is revealed to the reader that Gatsby had met Daisy years before and fallen deeply in love. Unfortunately, the couple was separated by war and while fighting in Europe, Gatsby was forsaken by Daisy who married another man. Upon returning from the war, Gatsby bought a house across the bay from Daisy’s on the outskirts of New York and has lived there ever since hoping for fate to intervene and bring them together again.
Gatsby’s current lifestyle at the time that this story is told is one full of extravagant parties that he holds at his mansion which are full of almost complete strangers. He has no real friends and no true aspirations in life. This is mainly attributed to his longing for Daisy and inability to move on. The fact that he would find her after the war and wait in the wings to meet her again, even though she is now married is clear evidence of that. Hence, Gatsby’s close proximity to Daisy yet the fact that she is intangible symbolize key characteristics of the past. The past is an inescapable force that effects all lives and is always easy to refer back to because it is so close to the present, but at the same time it can never be relived, and is thus intangible.
As the story continues, Gatsby miraculously gets what he has been waiting for for years: a chance to speak to Daisy again. It is through Nick’s affiliation with both people that allows the two of them to meet for tea at Nick’s and they quickly relight the fire that once burned between them. Daisy’s innocent manner and ability to elicit old feelings that Gatsby had partially hidden are other characteristics that are again used to symbolize the past. When one begins to obsess about the past and attempts to relive what once was, as Gatsby clearly tries to do in this story, innocent, nostalgic feelings often give a false sense that things will work out.
Towards the end of the story, Gatsby delusional idea that Daisy will leave her husband for him is shattered when, after accidentally running over a pedestrian in the street and fleeing the murder scene, Daisy blames the murder on Gatsby and runs away with her husband Tom. When Daisy leaves, Gatsby is still relentlessly attached to her and convinces himself that she will return. Daisy’s departure and lack of return again symbolizes the past in that no matter how hard you try to reclaim lost memories and make them new again, the past will always be the past and no amount of hope or desire will change that. Daisy’s betrayal of Gatsby by letting him take the blame for the murder also symbolizes the idea that being obsessed with the past and attempting to force it become the present will lead in one’s demise because Daisy’s betrayal lead to the pedestrians husband seeking revenge and killing Gatsby at the end of the book.
All through out novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scoot Fitzgerald, the author skillfully uses a main character in the story to symbolize a major theme. It is through the character of Daisy that Fitzgerald is able to symbolize the past and show the detrimental effects of holding onto and trying to relive the past. It is through this character’s intangibility, her innocence, her betrayal, and her loss that the author embodies the very essence of what once was.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)