The Grotesque

The Uncanny in Shen Congwen’s “Three Men and One Woman” In David Wang’s critique, Shen Congwen’s realist writing is a deviance from earlier realism of the May Fourth literature. The change is manifested in his lyrical narratives which repress the outright accusation of the society into a more subtle position. Shen’s short story, “Three Men and One Woman,” is an effort of such “critical lyricism.” Yet what makes this story even more unique is the effect of his lyrical narrative that…

suit, tall, proper is Leon’s dad. Now he is weak, has wrinkles, poor, nothing like he was before. When the family lived in their town before the war started, Leon was ominous about the future. The Gestapo said a lot of rude things and called them grotesque; before worst things started happening, even though the family was naive and did nothing wrong; always did what they were told to do. The Gestapo was Nazi internal security police; bunch of young 18-19 year old men. They ransacked through the…

enough to know right against wrong, should be given amnesty for their crimes. Now, you may be asking, what is a child soldier? Well, a child soldier is a kid from around nine to 16 years of age forced to go into the army. These children are put into grotesque living conditions and are forced to work for the military. Some kids choose to join them because of the allusion of better living conditions, but most are forced into it. These kids are taken and shaped like clay into killing machines.…

The more that Pollard evolves, the more grotesque and horrifying he seems to Wright, and vice versa. Thus, the superiority of Pollard’s cognitive abilities becomes a negative attribute in the eyes of the un-evolved Wright, much like it does for the nurse in Smith’s story. Though she may see him…

With moments of joy comes times of sorrow, along with these polarized emotions comes celebration of new life which makes losing life easier to understand. Though this understanding comes simply, the need to explore thoughts of death still lingers. For many poets this fixation of where they will go to at a natural time undetermined by themselves fueled the writing of many poems indulging in the thoughts revolving around their soul and its journey. While in the other hand a group of poets took a…

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, talks about the American life during the 1920s and it is one of the most popular books in American history. During this time, the economy is prosperous: buildings are higher, parties are bigger, people become richer and liquor becomes cheaper. This period is also the age of many social and political changes that create a distinctive cultural edge in the United States. Despite the economic boom of this decade, The Great Gatsby shows that the American…

Did you know that there are 13 different scientists who have an element on the Periodic Table named for them? Without this one common accomplishment, the public would have considered these no-longer-famous people to be worthless: all of these chemists made a discovery that required them to think outside the box with the power of the mind. The power of the mind is a proven trait in numerous individuals and is required for many occupations. It even stretches into literature, in which every…

Victor was heartbroken due to gathering and putting together parts from lifeless bodies that he considered beautiful to have the outcome be something he deemed so grotesque and horrific that he could not bear to look at it. While Victor’s actions are easily used to show the theme of prejudice against people who are not thought of as beautiful, the creature himself can be used as a deeper example of this theme by proving…

being evil, but rather the exact opposite. When the Creation is rejected by the family in the woods he “declared everlasting war against the species. If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear” (Shelley 17 5). Shelley declares it was not only his grotesque looks that inspired fear, but it was his rejection by humanity that transformed him into the murderous monster. The Creation was created with a hideous image, but Shelley argues that it was not only his complexion that made him a monster. The…

indicates a great man- genial, courteous, intellectual, virile, courageous- as I am- and such as you- poor wretch- will never dare to be even in imagination” (Rostand 28). As Cyrano defends his nose, it is easy to see that Cyrano tragically accepts his grotesque nose but immediately fires back when one appears to be making fun of his nose. Cyrano is well aware of his unfortunate nose, but wishes for others to simply ignore it, conveying that Cyrano’s nose only hurts Cyrano rather than providing…