The author uses diction to convey the loving personality of the Clutters. By describing Susan as “willy,” “wan,” and “sensitive,” Capote portrays her as weak and looked down upon. Nevertheless, Capote emphasizes that the Clutter’s looked beyond Susan’s bad image and “ardently adopted her.” Showing that the Clutters not only accepted the girl but gave her passionate love and care, Capote obviates the benevolence the family exhibits. The author essentially claims that Susan was implemented as part of the family and this strong word choice strengthens the passage by conveying the extent of the compassion displayed by them.…
Distortion is arguably the most persuasive technique an author can utilize, because, once the truth is revealed, a text and its themes are much more resonant and influential. When faced with distortion, a reader is forced to examine their beliefs and actions in comparison to the author’s underlying statements about people and society as a whole. Herman Melville’s Benito Cereno, one of the greatest works of distortion of all time, recounts the story of a slave ship called the San Dominick. Captain Delano, the commander of the Bachelor’s Delight, boards the San Dominick, which appears to be in distress. Despite having numerous suspicions about the slave’s role on the ship, Delano does not realize the truth until the conclusion of the story: the…
Bradford and Equiano have narratives with differing tone, audience, and purpose. However, both narratives align in experiences and values. Horrific circumstances and the value of human life are expressed in Bradford’s "of Plymouth Plantation" and Equiano’s " An Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano.” First, both narrators endure horrific circumstances in essentially the same situations.…
Benito Cereno is a story by Melville Herman, and the work was serialized for the first time in the Putnam’s monthly in early 1855. In developing Benito Cereno, Melville relies solely on the biography of the real Captain Amasa Delano, whom Melville depicts as the principal character and also as the main protagonist (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/benitocereno). Delano relates how in 1805, his vessel that was named Perseverance bump into the Spanish Tryal. It was a ship whose captives had overthrown the Spanish seamen. The tale of the events in the novel closely trails the actual events (Schiffman, p.17).…
Gothic fiction is one of the most intriguing and captivating, if not most popular, literary genres for a reason. Branded mainly by the elements of fear, horror, death, and gloom, this style of writing, whose name derives from the dark and decaying gothic architecture and art, is also rich in romantic elements, such as nature, individuality, and sentiment. Originated in England in the second half of the 18th century, the gothic fiction has spread its popularity across continental Europe by the end of the century, reaching as far as Russia. However, it took almost a century for the literary genre to reach its peak, not in Europe, but in North America, through the works that have become known as the American gothic fiction. The uniqueness of this…
“Fear is stronger than desire, than love or hatred, or guilt or rage, stronger than loyalty. Fear is all consuming.” In the occurrence of trauma in one’s life fear takes a profound role and utterly shapes one's life. In “Our Secrets” by Isabel Allende, a man and woman, two civil war surviving victims, forever foreigners, stumbled upon each other in the city, finding themselves making love in a room. The fear that has been consuming these two finally implodes in their secrets lies and silences.…
Herman Melville’s “Benito Cereno” unravels as a tale about a slave revolt, wherein the slaves take control of the San Dominick. Before this occurrence and even after, Captain Delano believes that Benito Cereno is in control of the ship, and is transporting human cargo to be sold and delivered. Melville’s use of irony and metaphors highlight the dichotomy of slavery and freedom. He reverses the patronage from Anglo Saxon control to the enslaved as a pun against the institution of slavery, claiming that slavery is wrong and a faulty institution, and white Europeans are constantly in danger of a slave revolt. Captain Delano is characterized as the overly trusting white man who deems a slave mutiny to be impossible because of his influence from…
Trying to evaluate the life and motivations of Pancho Villa in a few pages is like trying to corral a tornado. His legacy begun with him being a bandit. First he moved to Chihuahua,but swiftly returned after his sister was raped by a local hacienda owner. After tracking down the owner,Agustin Negrete,Villa shot him and stole a horse before fleeing to Sierra Madre mountains. Roaming the hills as a bandit,Villa’s outlook changed following a meeting with Abraham Gonzalez.…
The ideology of slavery coerces its victims and masters alike to adhere to its theatrical and illusory mindset, as both actors are ingrained with the idea of a dichotomy between the powerful and powerless. Throughout Frederick Douglass’s novella, “The Heroic Slave,” Douglass underlines the heartfelt interaction between the white observer Mr. Listwell and the eloquent slave Madison Washington, altogether providing a call to action on the faults of slavery. Although his novella may seem too serendipitous upon first glance, it nonetheless exposes Douglass’s adamant view against the wretched condition of slaves through the fervent actions of abolitionist, Mr. Listwell. In contrast, within Herman Melville’s novella “Benito Cereno,” the author…
Mark Twain once said, “Names are not always what they seem.” Whether you share a name with tons of people or virtually no one in the world there’s always some type of history behind it all. I was given the name Hermino which is a Spanish derivative of the ancient Roman name Herminius. Like many people I am the namesake of elder relatives (my grandfather and great-grandfather). In spite of being the namesake of my elders there is not exactly any tradition behind the names only parents who felt that it was right to name their kids after old Hermino.…
Consider the role of the narrator in both Benito Cereno and Bartleby. Follow your leader – three words that echo through both of these texts and symbolise Melville’s role as a narrator in distinct ways. His narrative diction in Benito Cereno and Bartleby is mechanically impressive but speaks volumes as to how he felt in relation to the new capitalist society America was rapidly evolving into and the problem of slavery to which the old America was clinging to. In these texts the lawyer in Bartleby and Captain Delano in Benito Cereno are both so blinded by pre-conceived notions which have been hammered into them by society that they are blatantly unaware of the reality that is staring them in the face. They have become so accustomed to following…
This also implies in Hemingway's belief that age impairs, but does not extinguish one's ability to be participants in their own lives. After going through such a struggle, Santiago realizes that all of his glories were in his youth, and strongly relates the power that the lions in his dreams have to his youth. It symbolizes his freedom in his youth as a link to his past but also his ultimate goal before he dies. The lions on the beach represent a place where he wants to escape, and explore once more. Dreaming about the lions each night provides Santiago with a link to his younger days, as well as the strength and idealism that are associated with youth.…
It is common for authors to draw inspiration for writing from real events. (Summarize Hemingway’s experience) The novel follows Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman who ventures out to sea alone and manages to hook an enormous marlin. To his disappointment, Santiago’s catch is devoured by sharks before he can return to land. This tale of struggle, loss, and despair seems to derive from the fishing trip that Hemingway went on years before *.…
Don Quixote is a static character, an insane protagonist that has a condition that justifies adventures and quests. He embodies a knight errant, a chivalrous man of the sword, a classic archetype that is a key player during the feudal era, and one of the first things that comes to mind when we think of early Europe. Nonetheless, our knight errant Don Quixote exists in the wrong time, and if Sancho Panza wasn’t his squire and loyal companion he would be a two dimensional character in a one dimensional world; Sancho Panza’s duality of character allows for Quixote to gain depth, and take form as the insanely chivalrous character he is. It’s safe to assume that if it wasn’t for the multi-faceted Sancho Panza, we would have a much shorter account of Don Quixote. On one of the first days of their adventures, Don Quixote charges a group of…
In Santiago, the central character of The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway has created a hero who personifies honor, courage, endurance and faith. Throughout this novella there are incidents in which Santiago reveals his sense of Honor. Since the old man is a real man, or at…