Grendel and After That IT\'s Elephants All
The paper addresses two important aspects of postmodern fiction, the first is the fact that all metafiction makes explicit the relationship among reader, writer, and characters. Focusing on Wagner's Grendel, which is a retelling of the Beowulf saga, the paper connects the saga to other recent postmodern texts as a way of exploring such larger concepts of good and evil and freewill.
Research Paper
High School
Examining Fiction in Comparison to Poetry and Drama
Introduction
In this short essay, the author will conduct an examination of fiction in comparison to poetry and drama by drawing upon specific examples from the poem- "Summer Solstice in New York" by Sharon Olds and of drama from A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. In this essay, we will discuss what are features that define the different genres. Also, we will examine their different strengths and weaknesses.
Analysis
Poetry and drama share much in common. The main difference is in the length and depth of the examination of the dramatic elements. However, due to the shortness of poetry, much is left to the imagination of the reader via metaphor. Even the title is used to set up the scenery for the reader to interpret. In the opinion of the author, this leaves a staccato effect that can leave the reader grasping for the details that can be gotten more easily in a more developed plot line that is featured in drama.
As an example, Sharon Olds' "Summer Solstice, New York City" is a testimony to the chaotic nature of the city. However she takes the time to bring up some intense imagery that serves as a contradiction to her character, a suicidal man. In every line of the poem, the reader is met with images such as "soft, tarry surfaces" and "red, glowing ends." It is an interesting comparison. The man has such a bleak life and wants to remove himself from the cityscape is incapable of appreciating the beauty around him. It seems like the poem should just focus on the suicidal man, but this is not so. Rather, there is a detailed discussion of the other people around him, mainly the police. There is much imagery of bulletproof vests to protect a father who is a policeman and the cops' trying to save the suicidal man. Rather than focusing upon the suicidal man's reactions, the reader sees the policemen calm him down and hold him up to preserve his life and dignity. Even the title of the poem has irony. When seeing the title "Summer Solstice, New York City", one could expect to encounter sweet poetic with children and couples holding hands. Rather, Olds chooses to go against the standard by including imagery that takes on an entirely different concept. She does this by discussing the man's suicide attempt on a beautiful day. One is left only to imagine why he wanted to kill himself. All of the above attributes come together in Olds' poem successfully (Field & Locklin, 1992, xvii).
Narration and setting in Markheim and Pavilion on the Links
This paper discusses and analyzes two stories by Robert Louis Stevenson; namely, The Pavilion on the Links and Markheim. This discussion focuses on the way in which the central themes of the stories are analyzed in terms of a number of literary aspects. This refers to the narrator, the narrative and the setting and how an analysis of these aspects allows us to perceive the works from different perspectives. Aspects such as the influence of the personal experiences of the author and how they are reflected in these works will also be discussed, as well as the role of mood and atmosphere.
Waltz with Bashir: Curatorial essay on Ari Folman's animated documentary
A curatorial essay on Ari Folman's 2008 animated feature "Waltz With Bashir." Essay defines the film's festival screenings, awards, box office details, and funding details. Also included is a brief synopsis, where the film fits in the director's repertoire, the film's place in Israeli national cinema, and how it was received by critics and the public.