“Reading makes immigrants of us all. It takes away from home, but more important, it finds homes for us everywhere” (Rhys). This quote reveals that literature helps us understand things that are unknown or “immigrants” to us. It opens new doors and perspectives. The story I’ve read a few weeks ago called “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara relates to this quote by Jean Rhys. In the story, Sylvia, our narrator faces something similar as she, her cousin and some of her friends visits an expensive toy store. When she first visits the city she is an immigrant to the world outside of that her neighborhood. “So we. . .And then she gets to the part about we all poor and live in the slums which I don’t feature” (Bambara). Inside the store she finds a toy that cost $39 and a toy with a $1000 tag on it. As a result she questions herself if they lived in the same world as the people who shop there do. “Who are these people that spend that much for performing clowns and $1000 for toy sailboats? What kinda work they do and how they live and how come we ain’t in on it?” (Bambara). Sylvia learns about the economic inequalities they face and the different worlds they live in. Furthermore, the story highlights how literature can take both Sylvia and her cousin away from their home but more importantly, help them find new perspectives everywhere.
Daily Archives: September 29, 2023
C.S. Lewis’ literary quote, “We read to know that we are not alone.” In “Araby,” the unnamed young protagonist experiences the turmoil of first love and subsequent awakening to reality, representing the human experience of desire and disillusionment. The narrator is infatuated with Mangan’s sister, and her feelings transform the everyday into something magical, representing literature as an escape from reality. The boy’s journey to the bazaar is a lonely journey driven by his dream of obtaining a gift for the girl. This journey represents his attempt to fulfill his romantic desires. The harsh realities he experiences there, the closing stalls, the indifferent conversations, make him feel alone and betrayed by his own expectations. It is this shared experience of weakness, hope, and disappointment that aligns with Lewis’s quote and shows how this literature connects us through shared emotions and experiences. Literature expands our imagination, gives us different ideas, and changes our view of the world.
The literature quote that I have chosen for my literature essay is “Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it.” The literature quote was written by C.S Lewis. I chose this quote because I believe that it is a metaphor to what we see in our everyday lives. Whether we use it to see life in a new way, a diferent way, or the same way, it advocates that literature has the ability to change our perception of life and the world. It can also present new outlooks to the world. This quote can tie into the recent reading “The Necklace.” The dissapointed and unhappy look from the hero Mathilde Loisel because she is money hungry and only cares for materialistic things, but that is not what life is all about. Those type of things only heal you temporarily, not forever. It is also pretty unnecessary. Life is much bigger than worrying about materialistic things you crave for.
The quote I selected “reading makes us immigrants of us all, it takes us away from home, but more important, it finds homes for us everywhere” by Jean Rhys embodies perfectly the essence of the story I chose “The Handsomest Drowned Man” by Gabriel García Marquez. As I was reading the story, I was able to capture vivid images of the island and the houses of the people where the story is taking place. Because of how well, the narrator explains the details of the island and the houses of the people who live on the island. For me, this quote signifies that as we read, the author’s precise descriptions of the story’s settings can enter our minds. And we start to become familiar with those places even though we haven’t seen them in real life or visited them. But because we can imagine them, we can know the place. An example is Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s story “The Handsomest Drowned Man” When we are reading the story, the narrator starts explaining the small doors and ceiling of the house. We could imagine some parts of the house. And how the villagers made them bigger, so the spirit of the man could pass through them.
The quote I decided to use fro my essay was “Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it” by C.S Lewis meaning that literature evolves all around the world. Literature shows a different type of view in any circumstance without judging and in the story by Toni Cade Bambara’s story “The Lesson” Sylvia was taken to see two different aspects in society and seeing the difference between the rich and the poor and race. In this view it gives of look of competency because its if they were to be competing for which society side it better. Rich people don’t have poor people problems, “the poor” struggle to pay and earn certain privileges, “the rich” not so much. Their world are normally seen to get things easier, be able to afford and sometimes not be appreciative and want more.
“Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it”. – C.S. Lewis I chose this quote for the story “Story of The Hour” because it captures the aspect that a work of fiction transcends from being more than just literature. The story follows a married woman who at first grieves the death of her husband. After processing her husband’s death, she comes to the realization that his death could possibly bring more good than bad. In a society where all women had to look forward to was marriage, we see a woman suddenly become free from marriage and start to envision a life with endless possibilities that benefit no one else but herself. In today’s society, women now have the freedom to choose whether or not to be a stay-at-home wife, a choice that wasn’t possible for women before. However, there are still women who find themselves trapped in marriages they have devoted the majority of their life to. This work of literature isn’t just a short story, in some ways, women can still relate to it. The longing to be more than just a wife, and the harsh reality of how unlikely it can be to spread your horizons.
“Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it” by C.S Lewis In other words, through the eyes of literature, everyone can view the world in a fresh, new approach. It is an active and imaginative interpretation of the world around us rather than just a passive reflection of it. Literature can change how we view the world and provide new ideas and insights. Children are taught in Toni Cade Bambara’s story “The Lesson” that despite their poverty, they may overcome social obstacles and eventually earn the toys and be treated equally. Sylvia went on the journey with the most attitude and ignorance, expecting to learn nothing at all, yet she was the one who fully understood the most. She lacks the knowledge necessary to understand that there is a struggle in society between the rich and the poor, which may be characterized as social classes. Although there is no obvious ending, Sylvia does understand the lesson Miss Moore has been trying to teach to the children.
“They thought that he would have had so much authority that he could have drawn fish out of the sea simply by calling their names and that he would have put so much work into his land that springs would have burst forth from among the rocks so that he would have been able to plant flowers on the cliffs” (MÁRQUEZ). In “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” the quote captures the profound transformation that occurs within the small coastal village upon discovering the handsome drowned man. Initially, the villagers perceive themselves as ordinary and their village as insignificant. However, the arrival of the stranger stirs their collective imagination. They begin to envision the drowned man as a figure of unparalleled authority, believing he could draw fish from the sea with a mere call and make their land flourish with lush springs and flowers. This perception inspires the villagers to undertake an extraordinary collective effort to honor the stranger in death. They treat him as a beloved, legendary figure, constructing grand plans for his funeral and even changing the layout of their homes to accommodate his imagined stature. The quote embodies the central theme of transformation, illustrating how the stranger’s mere presence leads the villagers to reimagine themselves and their village as something extraordinary, ultimately highlighting the power of storytelling and the impact of the extraordinary on the ordinary.
The quote “Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it “.It implies that literature has the power to increase our understanding of reality by providing insights, emotions and perspectives that may be immediately obvious in our daily lives .As I consider the quote in relating to the story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant ,we can examine the human desires .In “The Necklace,’ the protagonist, Mathilde Loisel, is dissatisfied with her self-deprecating life and crave for wealth and social status .She believes that material possessions and social standing are the key to happiness .However, her desires luxury explores the psychological and emotional implications of her aspirations .The writer wants us to visualize the nature of happiness and the dangers of placing too much importantance on material possessions .Furthermore ,the story shows the societal norms by questioning the value placed on apperances and social status .Mathilde longs to be a part of,” The Necklace embodies the quote by going beyond a simple description of events and presenting a thought of human desires ,which had illustions of societal expectations.
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