Close Reading of a Poem Essay - 1280 Words

Close Reading of a Poem Maria Clinton ENG 125 May 31, 2011 Tiffany Griffin-Minor Close Reading of a Poem ON THE AMTRAK FROM BOSTON TO NEW YORK CITY: BY SHERMAN ALEXIE On the Amtrak from Boston to New York City is an emotionally provocative poem by the Native American Indian writer, Sherman Alexie. It describes a train journey from Boston to New York City in which an elderly white woman excitedly points out historical sites to her fellow passenger, a younger Native American Indian. The poem demonstrates how narrow minded the American Indian finds the white American culture; for, it does not go beyond any history prior to their coming to America. The white woman is only able to have a limited understanding of her surroundings;†¦show more content†¦These immediate images provoke other images in the Indian’s mind; these images are far more spectacular than those immediate images pointed out by the white woman. The two hundred year old house on the hill is linked in the Indian’s mind to the structures of his tribal ancestors which he describes in stanza three as â€Å"whose architecture is 15,000 years older†. The mention of â€Å"Walden Pond† in stanza three by the white woman is linked in the Indian’s mind to â€Å"there are five Walden Ponds on my little reservation out West and at least a hundred more surrounding Spokane,† in stanza four. These larger images once again demonstrate the incapability of the white Americans to look deeper into other cultures and their sites surrounding them. The only reason the white woman recognizes Walden Pond is because it was made famous by a white American, Henry David Thoreau who wrote a book about his life in a house next to the pond, in which he takes on a simplistic life which mimics the Native American Indian life style. The Indian on the train, is unimpressed by this because he states that â€Å"I know the Indians were living stories around that pond before Waldens grandparents were born and before his grandparents grandparents were born.†These lines display a certain amount of disdain by the Indian for what the whit e Americans believe to be historically important itShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Ozymandias By Percy Bysshe Shelley1165 Words   |  5 PagesPercy Bysshe Shelley in 1817. To read this poem and understand the complexities of it, one must analyze it through the lens of I.A. Richards’ concept of â€Å"new criticism,† which is now understood as close reading. In this essay, we will compare some of the aspects of criticism that Richards finds counterproductive and meaningless, such as irrelevant associations and sentimentality to his profound concept of new criticism and close reading. Through close reading, we as readers are able to find nuancesRead MoreThe Poem By Billy Collins1652 Words   |  7 PagesThe poem â€Å"Introduction to Poetry† by Billy Collins, is about a teacher explaining to her students how to read and analyze poetry. Collins employs an abundance of figurative language, especially metaphors and images, to express the progressive steps taken to un derstand a poem for all that it encompasses. When beginning to read a poem, first we must look at the bigger picture, like we are working from the outside of the poem to the inside. Once we begin to understand the storyline, we must dive furtherRead MoreClose Reading In Safiya Sinclairs Cannibal900 Words   |  4 Pages In the book, Cannibal by Safiya Sinclair, her poem, Hands requires the use of close reading along with the use of figurative language like, personification, imagery, metaphor, and caesuras to focus on significant details. Close reading gives a deep and precise understanding of the complex meaning of her poem. Sinclair uses vivid and powerful figurative language throughout the poem to envelope readers in an emotional, honest, tragic yet hopeful atmosphere along with the structural element, CaesurasRead MoreDescribe The Learning Objectives Of This Course And The Type Of Best Practice That You Are Sharing999 Words   |  4 PagesDescribe the learning objectives of thi s course and the type of best practice that you are sharing. Literature of the Holocaust (EN113A) is a 100-level, elective English course that emphasizes extending EN 11 12 critical reading and writing skills, as well as mastering close reading of diverse fiction and non-fiction texts in a specific content area. The course is also included in the JUHAN and the Jewish Studies minor. I use as much visual art as I can to capture and enhance my students’ differentRead MoreLiterary Criticism Of Literature And Literature873 Words   |  4 Pagesthe text. New Criticism allows readers to pay close attention to literary devices—metaphor, irony, simile, paradox, and so on. The analysis of the literary devices depicted allow readers to engage with the text—in order to understand the interactions between the text s structure and meaning (â€Å"New Criticism | Glossary Terms | Poetry Foundation,† para.1). This paper will analyze Angelou s poem â€Å"Still I Rise† from a New Criticism perspective. Angelou’s poem uses a simile, hyperbole, and repetition. TheRead MoreAnalysis Of Anne Bradstreet s Writing1105 Words   |  5 Pagesher an advantage and allowed her to write about more advanced topics, however still keeping inside the guidelines of the Bible. Anne Bradstreet’s writing is that of her personal and Puritan life, when reading you are able to easily distinguish the two. In order to understand Anne Bradstreet’s poems, you should know certain things about her background. Bradstreet was born on March 20th, 1612 in Northampton, United Kingdom, and died on September 16, 1672 in Andover, Massachusetts. Her father was theRead MoreWhen Reading â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night† By1142 Words   |  5 PagesWhen reading â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night† by Dylan Thomas, â€Å"Acquainted with the Night† by Robert Frost, and â€Å"Sestina† by Elizabeth Bishops, the authors use unique imagery, symbolism, and metaphors to demonstrate a dark atmosphere during the poems. Each poem deals with dark tones such as depression, sadness, and death. By using imagery, symbolism, and metaphors, the authors are able to intensify the overall mood of the poems. Thomas uses metaphors to show different settings of his poemRead MoreEssay about Wild Geese by Oliver1304 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Wild Geese† is ve ry different from many poems written. Oliver’s personal life, the free form of the poem along with the first line, â€Å"You do not have to be good,† and the imagery of nature contributes to Oliver’s intent to convince the audience that to be part of the world, a person does not need to aspire to civilization’s standards. Oliver would write this poem because she did not conform to societies wishes. According to the Poetry Foundation, Oliver has never actually received a degree despiteRead MoreWild Geese By Mary Oliver1581 Words   |  7 PagesWild Geese† by Mary Oliver, is a poem that speaks deeply to many types of people with different personalities. This poem encourages the reader to let go of their shame of guilt and rather they should follow their heart, find the beauty, and become one with nature. Each and every one of us has a place on this earth, and although we all go through times of despair, the sun keeps shining and the earth keeps turning. When reading â€Å"Wild Geese† by Mary Oliver, I imagine the speaker being someone who hasRead MoreA Close Reading Of Sonnet 181280 Words   |  6 PagesA Close Reading of â€Å"Sonnet 18† â€Å"Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?† (â€Å"Sonnet 18†) is one of Shakespeare’s most famous poems. It is the model English, or Shakespearean sonnet: it contains three quatrains and a finishing couplet.. The poem follows the traditional English sonnet form by having the octet introduce an idea or set up the poem, and the sestet beginning with a volta, or turn in perspective. In the octet of Sonnet 18, Shakespeare poses the question â€Å"Shall I compare the to a summer’s

Lord of The Flies- Holocaust - 1412 Words

The book,Lord of the Flies parallels exactly to the horrible accounts of the Holocaust. It took place during the same time, and many ideas and events are very similar. The Holocaust was a huge inspiration on Goldings book, and like the Holocaust, Golding creates a setting, thats in a sense, secret. They also both took place during World War II. Just like in the beginning, when the boys first landed on the island, before the Holocaust even began, the boys were unified as one tribe. However,underneath the surface, problems were rising. Piggy was referred to only by his derisive nickname, much in the same way as Jews were stripped of their real names and called Jew bastardor kike. Youre talking too much, said Jack merridew,†¦show more content†¦The two savages looked at each other, raised their spears and spoke in time. The Chief has spoken.(Golding 141).He made them march together, and look very well organized and unified. On October 13,1930, dressed in their brown shirts, the elected Nazi deputies marched in unison into the Reichstag and took their seats. When the roll call was taken, each one shouted, Present! Heil Hitler! . Both of these examples have alot of similarities. Both show the obedience the leaders had over their followers. They were all brainwashed, and this statement goes to both Jacks tribe and the Nazis. This brainwashing even got to a point where killing was okay. They didnt really think twice about it. They all thought what they were doing was right, they didnt realize what they were doing, and didnt look at the big picture. ...Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever...The rock struck Piggy with a glancing blow (Golding 180). This statement describes Rogers feelings about killing, and it obviously doesnt matter that much to him. He wasnt thinking before he acted. When Simon was coming down the mountain to tell everyone that there really wasnt a beast, it was just a dead body from war, they mistook Simon himself for the beast because they were so riled up from the feast and the dance, they actually tricked themselves into thinking Simon was something else. Even after, when they knew what they were doing they keptShow MoreRelatedEssay on Lord of the Flies by William Golding954 Words   |  4 PagesGolding explores the vulnerability of society in a way that can be read on many different levels. A less detailed look at the book, Lord of the Flies, is a simple fable about boys stranded on an island. Another way to comprehend the book is as a statement about mans inner savage and reverting to a primitive state without societies boundaries. By examining the Lord of the Flies further, it is revealed that many themes portray Golding’s views, including a religious persecution theme. Golding includes theRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1271 Words   |  6 Pageswere capable of doing. Anyone who moved through those years without understanding that man produces evil as a bee produces honey, must have been blind or wrong in the head† (â€Å"William Golding†). Written in the early 1950’s in Salisbury, England, Lord of the Flies depicts an allegory for World War II which allows for social commentary on the events of the war. Many of the people, symbols, and events of the war reflect the characters, symbols, and events in the novel in order to defend the essential valuesRead MoreThe Implications of the Stanford Prison Experiment for Humanity in the Long Run1282 Words   |  6 PagesThe students were divided randomly into prisoners and wardens. The wardens were given complete control of the prisoners and the experiment left to run. The idea of the experiment was to find out the causes of such atrocities as the Holocaust. Dr. Zimbardo, the conductor of the experiment, was intrigued as to why normal Germans, who thought the idea of extermination of all Jews was morally wrong, still allowed it to happen and in extreme cases aided Hitlers cause in the deathRead MoreThe Lord Of The Flies1111 Words   |  5 PagesThe Lord of the Flies Research Project While the World War II was in act, Adolf Hitler once incited â€Å"You only have to kick in the door, and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down†(Adolf Hitler). The structure coming down symbolizes the fact that the boys’ structure of order, and civilization came crashing down as well. This is found throughout the book. Adolf Hitler is known for his dictatorship, his exquisite leadership skills, and violent warfares.. He uncovered that leadership skillsRead MoreReflection Lord Of The Flies862 Words   |  4 Pages William Goldings Lord of the Flies as Reflection of Society â€Å"Man produces evil, as a bee produces honey, even in something as pure as a child.† --William Golding We come across things that change perspective and it really impacts how we live life. William Golding is a famous author for one of his well known books, The Lord of the Flies, where he makes everyday people change into evil human beings. Lord of the Flies by William Golding, was influenced stronglyRead MoreLord Of The Flies And Night Comparison Essay822 Words   |  4 Pagescompulsive urge for wrongdoing. In the novels, Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Night by Elie Wiesel portrays the potential of evil in every person. In Lord of the Flies, a group of schoolboys become stranded on an island and seeks ways to hope for them to survive until they are found and rescued. The lack of resources causes conflicts into who should survive and receive the benefit of these items. The book Night depicts the horrific event of the Holocaust and the story of Elie, a survivor and hisRead MoreThe Immortality Of Man s Heart1579 Words   |  7 Pagesstop themselves from doing evil. In Lord o f the Flies by William Golding a group of young, British schoolboys become deserted on a mysterious island after their plane crashes down at a time of war. As they fight for survival, they are also constantly conflicted by their own inner beings. One of Golding’s most significant themes throughout the book is that man is essentially corrupt and animalistic. In his book, he uses hunting, the beast, and the Lord of the Flies to symbolize the savagery that livesRead MoreLord of the Flies and World War Ii1737 Words   |  7 PagesSteiner Many things such as social and political environments can impact literature. British involvement in WWII directly influenced Goldings novel, Lord of the Flies. As all authors use their life and times as reference points in their works, Golding drew heavily on sociological, cultural, and military events. Lord of the Flies is an allegorical parallel to the world, as Golding perceived it. The island, the boys, and many other objects and events described in his work represent Goldings viewRead More William Goldings Lord Of The Flies Essay978 Words   |  4 Pagesuses the main characters of Ralph, Jack, and Simon in The Lord of the Flies to portray how their desire for leadership, combined with lack of compromise leads to the fall of their society. This desire for leadership and compromise led to the fall of their society just like multiple countries during times of wars. In the Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses characters to convey the main ideaRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Shakespeare1287 Words   |  6 Pagesbetrayals in history was that of Julius Caesar by his friend Marcus Brutus. Upon realizing his friend’s part in his death, a shocked Caesar asks, â€Å"Et tu, Brute? [You too, Brutus?]† and falls to his death. (Et tu, Brute?) The allegorical story Lord of The Flies consists of many situations where the conflicts and betrayals between Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin are represented through two boys on the island, Jack and Ralph. In the beginning of the story, Jack and Ralph work together and have generally

Long Leaf Pine Essay Research Paper Long free essay sample

Long Leaf Pine Essay, Research Paper Long Leaf Pine Happening The long leaf pine community, besides known as a high pine community, occurs on well-drained dirts and are good adapted to fires. They are found on the high land in Florida where the dirt can non incorporate the H2O and the flaxen dirt remains dry in between the rains. This community requires frequent, low-intensity fires, which occur every one to ten old ages, to open seed cones and let the community to renew. Description The long leaf pine community is characterized by the presence of the long leaf pine trees and perennial grasses as land screen. There are a few oaks nowadays but most are burned out by the frequent fires because they can non accommodate to fire as the pines have. The community besides provides nutrient for wildlife such as proverb palmetto and oaks that provide sufficient nutrient when they are fruiting. This community is wholly dependent on fire and the pines have adapted good to lasting fire. Dirts The dirts found in the high pines are really dry coarse sandy spirals. There is besides flaxen clay that is a dry dirt that is rich in foods. The bulk of dirts are classified as entisols, which are overly drained, extremely permeable, and low and foods. The clay dirt is in a dirt group known as paleudults that have birthrate evaluation from chairing to good. Vegetation There are several fluctuations of this ecosystem. Where fire is excluded and/or the pines have been removed, oaks dominate. Land screen under the overstory of pine trees and bush is scattered and sometimes absent. The floor of the system is littered with dry pine acerate leafs that provide fuel for the low strength fires that the system needs to last. There are besides scattered hardwoods that have managed to last in the system. Fig. 1? Long foliage pine Trees Long leaf pine is the premier species of deal, bluejack oak and turkey oak are the premier species of hardwoods. Other species include southern ruddy oak or Spanish oak, sand station oak, unrecorded oak, Arkansas oak, persimmon, black cherry, Sassafras albidums, black hickory hickory and sand hickory Herbaceous Plants Sparkleberry, papaya, myrtle oak, wire grass, blue stems, piney forests dropseed, bracken fern, goffer apple, aureate aster, low-bush blueberry, blackberry, hairawn muhly Fig. 2? Wire grass Animals Long leaf pine community supports many craniates found in a figure of other home grounds. Few of these animate beings nevertheless, depend on this dry highland home ground for endurance. The best adapted to the environment are the burrowers such as the goffer tortoise. There are besides many types of birds in the community, some of which are endangered and rely on the pines extensively. Wildlife that usage this system include: Mammals Sherman # 8217 ; s flim-flam squirrel, Florida mouse, pocket goffer, Florida jaguar Birds Bobwhite quail, land dove, rufous-sided towhee, ruddy cockaded peckerwood, brown headed nutcracker, yellow breasted confabs, Bachman? s sparrow, pine warbler, eastern bluebird, hairy peckerwood, southeasterly sparrow hawk. Reptiles Gopher Tortoise, eastern anil serpent, blue-tailed mole scincid, short-tailed serpent. Fig. 3? Gopher tortoise tunnel Land Use Interpretations The long foliage pine has a great commercial value and has been logged extensively of all time since colonists foremost arrived to this state. Even today the long foliage pine is the pick for many types of timber including its chief function as the perfect tree for telephone poles. This is due to its tallness, lastingness, and the fact that the tree grows about absolutely consecutive. The pine is besides grows really fast which makes it a perfect tree to works and crop for paper production. Fig 4? Long leaf pine community Problems There was a job for sometime of worlds cutting down the pines for commercial usage and non replacing the supply after logging. At one point European colonists logged about all of the old growing forests go forthing nil buttocks. Solutions These concerns have since been addressed and steps have been taken to protect this valuable resource such as replanting seedlings and utilizing fire to keep the natural balance within the systems. Many of these countries are managed as a husbandman would a field of wheat or maize. This insures that there will be ample sums of pine trees for coevalss to come. Fire Fires play a immense function in the long leaf pine community. The fires are required for a figure of grounds. The low strength fires found in this system are used to open up the seed cones and fertilise the land to ease growing of the new seed. The fires besides guarantee that unwanted species of works life is burned out before it has a opportunity to take topographic point within the pine community. The pine trees have a great version to fire where as other species can non manage it and are later burned out. Fig. 5? Cones waiting fire to open them Sand Pine Happening If one travels West on SR 40 from Daytona Beach, finally the mark s for Ocala National Forest will be noticed. Once come ining the forest, the ecosystem of the sand pine community can be observed. Besides called a chaparral community, no other ecosystem quiet compares to this Florida? s mature wood. Description Dirt Practically all chaparral dirts have small or no development and are derived from vitreous silica sand. Regardless of their geological beginning, soils back uping scrub flora are overly well-drained silicious sand practically devoid of silt clay, and organic affair and therefore low foods. Even though they represent some of the droughtiest, least fertile dirts in the province, chaparral dirts are by no agencies uniform. They range from the pure white, overly leached St. Lucia series to reasonably leached dirts that have xanthous sandy undersoil, such as the Paola and Orsino series, to the unleached brownish, grey, or xanthous dirts of the Astatula and Tavarea series. The colour of a peculiar chaparral dirt reflects the length of clip that the dirt has supported scrub flora, as some dirt features are the consequence of biotic actions on the dirt parent stuffs. Although chaparral dirts are overly good drained, drought emphasis may non be a common happening. Even though the bulk of all right roots of chaparral species are shallow, these species besides have deep? doughnut? roots that tap dirt wet at considerable deepnesss. Vegetation Scrub flora varies from topographic point to topographic point, yet it possesses a uniformity of facets that is common to most. This uniformity is due to the fact that the woody flora is about ever composed of the same six species in about the same order of copiousness regardless of the denseness of the sand pines: myrtle oak or chaparral oak, saw palmetto, sand unrecorded oak, Chapman? s oak, rusty Lyonia, and Florida Rosmarinus officinalis. The land screen, though ever sparse, about constantly includes goffer apple, beak haste, milk peas, plus the lichens British soldier moss. Normally the denseness of the land screen is reciprocally relative to the denseness of the sand pines and bushs. Animals A host of carnal species utilize the chaparral. Vertebrates by and large restricted to scour home grounds are the Florida mouse, the Florida chaparral Jay, the Florida chaparral lizard, the sand scincid, and the blue-tailed mole scincid. The chaparral Jay, sand scincid, mole scincid are federally listed as threatened. The goffer tortoise, normally considered a sand hill species, often burrows in chaparral but provenders in nearby herbaceous flora. A figure of big, wide-ranging, or widely distributed mammals utilize chaparrals, including black bear, white-tailed cervid, bay lynxs, grey fox, spotted rotter, and raccoon. Land Use Interpretations The sand pine has environmental value as a Natural System. The one good that this system is used for is during high Waterss ; the animate beings use this country for protection because of its good drainage. Rangeland There is no possible for rangeland usage. Forest Most of the extended sand pine chaparral in the Ocala National wood is managed for mush. The pines are distinct in blocks runing from 50 to 100 hour angle ; the logging equipment automatically reduces the stature of the bush bed ; and so the sites are reseeded utilizing a? topographic point scarifier. ? Urbanland The dirt of the sand pine community is to dry to be used as urbanland Fire The function of fire in the chaparral is far more complicated than normally portrayed, and the forms created are varied. Scrub, like many of Florida? s ecosystems, is pyrogenous? that is, its vegetations and zoologies have developed versions to fire. High-intensity fires that recur infrequently, possibly one time every 10 or even 100 old ages, depending on fuel accretion and opportunity ignitions maintain chaparral. Fire in chaparral does non originate widespread alterations in species composition but instead make little localised micro-disturbances. Following fire, most of the existing species either resprout or last the immediate postburn period as seed. Comparison While long foliage and flaxen pines are both really flaxen and dry countries, there are some differences. For one thing, the dirt in the long foliage community has much more foods so that of the flaxen pine community. The H2O drains off rather easy in both of these systems, go forthing them really dry. The large difference here nevertheless is that the long leaf pine community is much more susceptible to fire than the sand pine due to a important sum of land screen compared to that of the sand pine. Small fires occur often in the long foliage community runing from every 2 to 10 old ages apart. Fires occur much more infrequently in the sand pine community runing from about 10 to 100 old ages. The chief ground for this is because the floor of the long foliage community is much denser than that of the sand pine. The pine trees of both of these communities are really expert to fires and as such have developed an unsusceptibility to fire. They both use fire to open up their pinecones, enabling them to renew themselves. 3da Ecology, Microsoft? Encarta? 97 Encyclopedia. ? 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation. Ecosystems of Florida, Myers and Ewel, University of Central Florida Press, 1990

The Handmaids Tale Literary Analysis of the Book [Essay]

The Handmaid’s Tale Book Analysis: General Information The Handmaid’s Tale is a feminist novel that highlights the perils of women in a society that has not only dehumanized their status but also made it almost criminal to be a woman. The story highlights a cruel world where women do not enjoy the freedom of choice. Women are described as mere objects for male selfish desires and satisfaction. In The Handmaid’s Tale, analysis essay, gender roles and inequality issues will be reviewed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Handmaid’s Tale Literary Analysis of the Book [Essay] specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Using this law, men have withdrawn all the things that would have otherwise made life worth living for women. In the Republic of Gilead, women are not supposed to read, write, or even listen to music. These are luxuries only reserved for men. Women are also denied the natural pleasure s such as love and romance. They have seen as objects of male enjoyment, something that has no human values other than to make men happy. As such, they live in a dystopian world. The story reads like a fictional autobiography. It is told from the first-person point of view. However, this story is not just propaganda to highlight gender issues. This is because of its complex characters, setting, and thematic concerns. The male figure is torn between remaining loyal to the Faith or breaking the law and engaging in the pure pleasure of love and romance. The reader feels that some of the male characters identify with the suffering of the female character but cannot do anything as they are held ransom by the Faith. Critical Interpretation of the Story Setting The novel also seamlessly combines the fundamentals of modern religion with ancient totalitarian regimes of leadership, making it a masterpiece. The complexity of the story and the ideals it propagates makes it more than a work of f iction because it highlights real issues that affect modern-day societies. To a keen reader, the setting of the book is very complicated as it combines ancient, modern, and post-modernistic issues in an almost unnoticeable way. Time-wise, the novel is set not so much into the distant future. Geographically, the story happens in a land where the former United States of America lies after a Christian theocratic regime overthrows it. The Republic of Gilead, the resultant state, thus lies within the boundaries of the current United States of America. When the United States of America’s government is overthrown, and democracy is replaced by ancient Christian theocracy that borrows heavily from the Old Testament, the reader is thrown back in time to when the government hid behind religion to establish oppressive regimes. Still, the novels highlight the use of credit cards, effectively depicting a government desperate to fight pollution and other challenges of the modern world. That a commander rules the country brings the reader into the present-day world of absolute dictatorship (Atwood 81). The handmaids’ predicament who have to bear children for the Commander’s wives may be considered as symbolic of Rachel and Leah, the biblical Old Testament characters.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is the evidence that the social setting is heavily connected not only with fundamental Christian ideals but also with post-modernistic social issues such as population control. The complex nature of the environment, therefore, influences the direction of the story so that it helps the author to sufficiently blend historical and futuristic ideals in a way seen as still relevant to the modern world. The Handmaid’s Tale: Literary Criticism Analysis The reader can understand the story better upon a closer analysis of the characters. The main ch aracter is also the narrator and tells the story from the first-person point of view, making it more of an autobiography. The narrator, Offred, can be seen as both an objective observer and an actor. Telling the story from the first-person point of view means that any misinterpretations are avoided. As such, the reader is able to get information that is as close to the fact a first-person interpretation of those facts. Because the narrator is the emblem of the plight of all women in this society, telling the tale from the first-person point of view makes it easy for the reader to understand what women go through and at the same time, share in their plight. It also helps to make the story real and eliminates the notion that the story is just mere feministic propaganda (Brians para 10). Symbolism in the Book Offred is best understood from the analysis of her name, the symbolic roles she plays in the novel as the symbol of women suffering. Offred, the protagonist, is kidnapped from her husband and thus separated from her family by this oppressive dynasty. She is brought to the Commander’s house to bear children for his barren wife. Offred is her patronymic name that can be broken down into two names: of and Fred. This indicates that she is of Fred, meaning that she belongs to Fred, the Commander. The theme of freedom is clearly evident through the story. Offred is seen to change throughout the story from the wife of a peasant to the emblematic figure of women liberation. Her significance is seen through her symbolic birth name June, which in the context of the Republic of Gilead means Mayday, the day the women, will be salvaged from their torment. Her name June thus becomes symbolic of the rà ©sistance that would soon lead to their freedom (Atwood 220). It is possible to develop an understanding of the character from her description of herself. Despite living in a male-dominated world where the power of women has been dramatically curtailed, Offred still manages to maintain a self-awareness of who she is and confidently identifies herself as a woman without any hint that she belongs to any man. She describes her physical attributes that are distinctively feminine. Furthermore, despite living in a world where a woman is just an object of man’s desire Offred is able to strictly maintain the definition of herself as purely woman, devoid of any material trappings thus: ‘I am thirty-three years old. I have brown hair. I stand five seven without shoes’ (Atwood 143). It is this appreciation of herself as a woman coupled with her symbolic name June, which makes Offred the emblematic figure of the resistance to male domination.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Handmaid’s Tale Literary Analysis of the Book [Essay] specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Theme of Sexual Repression in the Book Offred is also the insignia of how women suffer sexually. It is through her experiences that the reader comes to know her strengths as a woman, repressed thoughts and aspirations that she poses regarding intimacy. It is through Offred that the reader is able to see the way women, in general, are degraded as mere tools for men’s sexual gratification. Offred describes her sexual experiences from the first person’s perspective and sees sex in four ways. For her, the sexual experiences that women in the Republic of Gilead go through cannot be termed as lovemaking. Neither can they be said to be rape as women are not supposed to have the right to sex and thus, by default, should not have the right and the power to refuse. In this case, it is not even within the power of women to refuse sex. Offred says that her sexual encounters with Fred, her master commander, cannot also be termed as copulation either as this means that two people are involved. In a real sense, only the Commander is involved as her senses, mind, and emotion are not. In her words, sex is seen as degrading, humiliating as well as an emotionless experience as it is only physical and given upon demand from men thus: â€Å"My red skirt is hitched up to my waist, though no higher. Below it the Commander is fucking. What he is fucking is the lower part of my body. I do not say making love, because this is not what he’s doing. Copulating too would be inaccurate because it would imply two people and only one is involved. Nor does rape cover it: nothing is going on here that I haven’t signed up for† (Atwood 94). Men’s Roles in The Handmaid’s Tale Society Literary analysis of the The Handmaid’s Tale shows that other than the main character, other characters play significant roles in this story. Even though these characters have individual uniqueness, they have been categorized into two main groups: male and female. The male characters are divided into four: The Commander of the Faithful led by Fred, for whom Offred is a handmaid. He is the symbolic male chauvinistic character in the novel. There are also the Eyes, the men who offer intelligence services to the Republic of Gilead rulership, Angels and Guardians of Faith who are the soldiers who fight to protect the republic as well as the Gender Traitors, the homosexuals seen as traitors of the Faith and sent to die painfully in the colonies. The relationships between the main character Offred and the men are master-servant kind of relationship. Through this relationship, the reader is able to see the weaknesses rather than the strengths of men. Although the novel presents men as superior and faultless, it is their ability not to procreate (to be infertile) that exposes their weak side. This proves that the notion of men being superior with absolute power over women is false.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Women are the stronger characters as they are the ones who are able to procreate. Offred, as well as other handmaids, are taken from their lawful marriages to procreate for infertile kings (It is unheard of and illegal to declare men as sterile). The Commander is seen as sterile by his wife, Serena Joy, who arranges from Offred to sleep with her driver to give birth for the Commander. This experience also presents women as too willing and ready collaborators. Women’s Roles in â€Å"The Handmaid’s Tale† Society Women characters are also divided into two main groups: legitimate and illegitimate. The legitimate women are the wives, maids like Offred, Aunts, Marthas, and Econowives. The Aunts are seen as stumbling blocks to the freedom of the women. They, like the men, have the luxuries of reading and writing (Atwood 139) and are seen as part of the colony. In one of the most visible oppositions to the liberation of the woman, the aunts tell Offred to stop’ J une-ing’ too much: June means mayday liberations (Atwood 220). The handmaids in the house of the Commander also give the story from a biblical perspective in reference to some of the biblical figures who took maids to bear children for them when their wives could not. Literary Devices in the The Handmaid’s Tale The most effective tool for communication is the use of language. The author uses narrative techniques and vocabulary creatively as a tool for communication. The author uses modern language words and syntax construction, making the novel seem so deceptively easy to read. Language is used as a potent tool for communicating women’s aspirations for freedom as well as portray the colonial mentality of their men in these societies effectively. The choice of words in describing Offred sexual experiences with the Commander shows that the women are emotionally removed from the experience. It also portrays the ability of the woman to communicate their notion about sex, which is far from what men see it be. The author chooses words like copulations, rape, fucking, and making love to describe Offred’s perspectives of sex. These words also portray the author as having a modernistic approach to sex not just as an act of procreation but as a way to express love. Through the tone of language, the reader can see that a woman does not see sex as just an act but an expression of love, something devoid in this society (Atwood 94). The author’s choice of words like ‘unbabies’ reflects the fears that do exist amongst the women of this society. The author’s use of dialogue is also as effective as the choice of words. Various conversations have different effects. However, the most common outcome of the use of dialogues portrays women’s emotional connection regardless of their character. Offred’s prayer said in monologue reflects her fears as a woman, her loss self and of life, and her desire to gain it back (Atwood 286). Although the treacherous Ofglen is the opposite of Offred in character, their dialogue portrays them as sharing in the suffering that all women go through (Atwood 285). Furthermore, the telephone conversation that Moira and Offred have prepares the readers for what might occur the woman after the fall of the United States of America. It is also an indication that the woman had a premonition of what was to befall her after the establishment of the Republic of Gilead (Atwood 174). Conclusion Analysis of The Handmaid’s Tale shows that this is a story told about the future and the problems that might occur in the world due to technological advancement. As such, it is not necessarily a piece of science fiction but speculative fiction, a narration of probable things that might happen in the future. It also deviates from the mere   feminist propagandist genres as it has a complicated setting, characters, and themes. The Handmaid’s Tale essay proves that even t hough the novel is an exaggeration, it portrays the fact that women are still oppressed in the modern world. Thus, the tale is not far fetched, since even a male reader is able to identify with the oppressed women in both the novel and real life. Works Cited Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale. New York: Anchor Books, 1986. Print. Brians, Paul. â€Å"Study Guide to Margaret Atwood: The Handmaid’s Tale (1986).† 1995.   Web. 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