... use symbols to help them to develop a character or plot, and to make the narrative plot more vivid. The use of symbolism in a story can help the writer to explain a situation and feeling without the use of many words. In the coming of age novel, "Annie John" by Jamaica Kincaid, the use of symbolism is clearly visible throughout the book, and water appears as a symbolic element in multiple ways; to symbolize ... her mother has prepared and made special to protect Annie and herself against "one of the many women my father had loved, had never married, but with whom he had had children was ...

• Word Count: 1549
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... he grew up without a father for much of his life. His understanding of a daughter who's father was too intrusive was fascinating. My attempt to teach "A Thousand Acres" through chapter 4 provided me with a new understanding of how the family dynamics, the obsessions with materialistic values, and the distress that holds Ginny hostage shapes this novel. Zebulon County is infatuated by the material worth of their farms, which prompts Larry to divide his ... " (18). I used these two quotations to explain to Kyle the mindset of these farmers. On the farm, a new tractor is more important than...

• Word Count: 1985
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... . Benjy has simple needs, which is a vast contrast to his brother Quentin. Quentin narrates the second chapter of the novel. He recounts his events on June 2nd 1910, while attending Harvard University in Massachusetts. Quentin is obsessed with time and the representation of its symbolism. Thompson writes, " Throughout the day, Quentin is annoyed by the Christian notion that time has moral significance [he] is made nervous by many conscious-stirring ... by accenting disturbing motivations and effects." Dilsey is the only real source of stability in the Compson household. She is the only c...

• Word Count: 2419
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography

... was really going on, and I didn't understand why my father was hiding the truth from me. As I look back, I"m glad he kept the secret from me then; I would not have been able to handle the truth if he had told me. I was lying in my bed early one morning, because I couldn't sleep well. All of the sudden, I hear cars and trucks rolling into the ghetto, and then I hear men shouting orders ... suddenly got small. I hated to see their hopes get crushed like that. We ate our food in silence, none of us said a word, but we all felt the same thing. Next, we went out to roll call. It was always a...

• Word Count: 1733
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... as plain as can be" (82). The "woman behind the bars" is, of course, the narrator, and by the end of the story, she is convinced that the wallpaper is alive with trapped women, and she pulls most of it off in order to "free" them-and free herself. She begins to creep along on the floor, "and my shoulder just fits in that smooch around ... to Sonny. It's more than music; it's a cry of rage or joy. It's a rhythmic defiance against the cold, dark world outside and the brick wall of indifference that has been raised by prejudice. For Sonny and his bandmates, jazz is a secret language, one t...

• Word Count: 1543
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... as plain as can be" (82). The "woman behind the bars" is, of course, the narrator, and by the end of the story, she is convinced that the wallpaper is alive with trapped women, and she pulls most of it off in order to "free" them-and free herself. She begins to creep along on the floor, "and my shoulder just fits in that smooch around ... to Sonny. It's more than music; it's a cry of rage or joy. It's a rhythmic defiance against the cold, dark world outside and the brick wall of indifference that has been raised by prejudice. For Sonny and his bandmates, jazz is a secret language, one t...

• Word Count: 1543
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... were together for 13 years before coming to an uneasy end. Being an 11-year-old while all of this is happening was rather confusing, to say the least. I would hear my mom on the phone and gather bits and pieces, as I did the same with my dad. I couldn't piece it all together until last year. There were so many sides to this perplexing story that even at ... did I know that this was the beginning of the most twisted story an eleven-year-old girl could fathom. The first time I ever saw my dad cry was the spring of sixth grade. I came home from a typical day of school to not the usual smel...

• Word Count: 1581
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... winter in California. The novel is basically divided into three sections: their time in Oklahoma, their journey to a "better" life in California, and their time while in California. It also contains "inter-chapters" that don't focus mostly on the Joads, and rather the situation at hand for all "Okies" on their way to California. The opening chapter describes the lives of farm owners dealing with the drought in Oklahoma along ... . Or grapes. There's a thing I ain't never had enough of. Gonna get me a whole bunch of grapes off a bush, or whatever, an' I'm gonna squash 'em on my face an' l...

• Word Count: 1730
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... is a hole in his heart from which no prayer can come or repair; the world at this moment even for the old, devout priest, seems godless. There is fear in the land. Many men have become lawless. Phantoms loom on the horizon making the fear-filled eyes of men blind to the radiance of the sum. The people cry that something must be done but nothing gets done, for there is no ... more humble and empathetic. Kumalo is invited to hear Msimangu's sermon Msimangu's golden voice and the golden words of the Bible revive him from his despairing mood. The white man's attempt to help the black and th...

• Word Count: 1652
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... "My candle burns at both ends, it will not last the night," (Picoult 321). "This not only represents the characters in the novel but also Picoults family. The family being the candle is metaphorically burning itself out and breaking apart.. Jodi Picoult uses the symbol of fire, which represents the conflicts and decisions of the characters problems and challenges alongside with the relationships and behavior of the characters in the story," ... and acceptance explains how each family member deals with Kate's illness. Anna, the protagonist in this story shows the stage of acceptance ...

• Word Count: 2075
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... he moved to New York to begin a career as a writer. Initially, he was not successful. He returned to California and worked on his first novel, The Cup of Gold in 1929. His first successful book was Tortilla Flat written in 1935. It was a collection of humorous short stories. In Dubious Battle was about a farm workers" strike in California. Two years later, one ... by writing letters. Through the beginning of chapter three, Steinbeck gives more of his family history, even though his grandfather, Samuel Hamilton, still has no relevance in the story. Before long, we return to the story of Ad...

• Word Count: 1364
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... child; herself "desperately anxious to get away from Manawaka and from my grandfather's house, •she has no trouble now understanding his need for "some momentary and unexpected freedom •107). Laurence admitted that A Bird In the House is "loosely based on my family and childhood •(Margaret Laurence) Nevertheless, all of Vanessa's discoveries mold into one that she can never "be ... by myself, with no one else around • There is a fine symbolism in the fact that Vanessa moves from a child's point of view to a truly matured woman as she ... moves into independence. Sherrill Grace o...

• Word Count: 1438
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... and that we would have to hurry and go see it. We had gotten in the car immediately and had driven over, when we had walked in we had seen a huge cubicle filled with girls' clothing, toys, and books. I never saw my mom cry of happiness and excitement for my sister and I till this moment. We were all so overwhelmed and grateful for them doing ... this for us. My mom told us that when people do good things like this, good things happen back to them and it ... was okay. They told us they had important news and I was so excited to hear what it was. Since the accident they both had been wor...

• Word Count: 1423
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... the loud ring of the phone. I had hoped maybe it was my grandfather calling to tell us that my grandma was being released from the hospital; but I knew as soon as I saw the first tear roll down my mothers tired face, it was the exact opposite. She must have died in her sleep, which is probably the best way to go. The nurse said that she had gone in the room to check on ... his sadness and anger. As awful as it sounds, I sometimes think the funeral was the worst part. I was always told funerals were so people could pay their respects to the person and passed and to their grieving family....

• Word Count: 1470
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... family and especially for Stephen, since his father's financial instability and debauchery weigh heavily on the adolescent Stephen's experiences of early life. Simon's failings as a man culminate in Stephen's struggle to move forward in his own life, bogged down by dogmatic and idealistic societal concepts. However, in the closing lines of the novel, Stephen finally frees himself from his father's influence. Stephen also resolves his emotional turmoil ... with a shout out to this "Old Artificer" and a hopeful cry that Stephen's newfound freedom will make him an artificer yet. Summarily,...

• Word Count: 1289
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... comments. I didn't like going shopping or buying new clothes like some of my friends. I could hardly ever share clothes with them because our sizes were not the same. I always felt fat and just not comfortable with myself. Feeling this way about my outside appearance made me feel a certain way on the inside too. I was always shy as a kid and young adult. Because I was always working so ... that comes from or anything, but I've always been this way. I take the things people say to me to heart. I'm not the kind of person that lets things just roll off their back. If someone says something...

• Word Count: 1803
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... fully in your clients' beneficial health matters by managing and foreseeing risk. I would first review my behavior to analyze what prompt my behavior and his behavior, if Christy starts to have feelings for me as a social worker. Additionally, I would consider his vulnerability due to the nature of the work. For instance: avoid isolated encounters as well as presents since both scenarios show ... disabilities to understand how you cope and manage needs Pacer (www.pacer.org) is an organization (In Minnesota), Parents Helping Parents of children with disabilities, which provides with tools...

• Word Count: 1931
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography

... overwhelmed by the load of responsibilities. In such a situations, the personalities of the individuals and also the circumstances in which the child is being brought up affect the upbringing and also the smooth functioning of the house but my mother never let us feel anything was out of order. My widow mother not only had to deal with the challenge of raising her five children all on her own, but also had to tackle with the loss of a beloved ... be compassionate and loving. My mother is like a security blanket for me and for all of her children. No matter she is tired, she will always ...

• Word Count: 1981
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... persecution toward her in her life. Her background against the monied origins of her peers also provides much source of angst for Josie. She lives in the inner-city suburb of Glebe with her single mother, who takes care of her. Their rather small dwelling is the source of some embarrassment for Josie. Josie is essentially on a journey of discovery throughout the novel. This journey reveals much about herself, her family and ... was forced to deal with. Josie's father, Michael Andretti, has only recently come back into life. He is introduced to us in Chapter six. While Josie's mother was...

• Word Count: 2256
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

... who has a short temper and is easily irritated by seemingly innocuous things. Despite Baba being Amir's biological father, and the one Amir is supposed to love categorically, it is Rahim Khan who ultimately emerges as the superior father figure to Amir. Over the course of the novel, Amir faces a continuous struggle for his father's love and respect. It is made clear that every decision Amir makes ... [Amir] to pursue writing than any compliment any editor has ever paid me. That word was Bravo" (32). He gives Amir an unquantifiable amount of confidence in his own ability to make the most...

• Word Count: 1789
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... the novel Let the Great World Spin, by Colum McCann, uses the theory of the six degree of separation by uniting people through a "steel cable" inside a web of tragic events that eventually leads the character to find hope for life again. The theory of the six degree of separation is that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances. In Let the Great World Spin the ... life are justified by people acting virtuously. In this manner, they develop virtues gradually." Inside McCann's novel, he supports this theory by giving each and o...

• Word Count: 1442
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... , to bring up his children and manage his household- . He often leaves her alone, accuses her of not being a good mother, and Edna's tension caused by this neglection is set free by her "having a good cry all to herself-. At this time she is not entirely conscious of what makes her so unhappy. New Orleans is just a cage to her, a pidgeon-house, where ... she is expected to behave as a good wife, mother, daughter would behave. She is a Presbyterian from Kentucky, where the grass is like the seas, and married to Leonce she feels ... had married without love as an excuse-. The sea is an im...

• Word Count: 1715
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... was hit on both my hands. It was mostly punishments. Don't get me wrong. I loved my mom with all my heart, and deep down inside I knew she loved me too. I just hated the way she showed it. She was never the type to say, it she showed it. She reminds me of the father on "Arm Wrestling With My Father- ... Margie I need to have a word with you."" I didn't know what to expect. I dropped my book bag and headed upstairs to her room. I opened the door; my mom was sitting there in the dark next to her window. "Turn on the lights- she whisper. I then followed her instruction and boy was shocked....

• Word Count: 1283
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... , when my skin begins to pulse'. The Lovely Bones and Sharp Objects both explore different avenues of the portrayal of death in today's society. The Lovely Bones focuses on the grief many family members and close friends experience after death, while Sharp Objects focuses on the 'whodunnit' aspect of murders. We are introduced to Susie's murderer in the fourth paragraph of the first chapter in The Lovely Bones. The novel is narrated from the victim's point of view; so ... , as soon as we are introduced to Mr. Harvey, the reader already forms a negative opinion of the man – before w...

• Word Count: 1993
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

While on an electric scooter I noticed my older sister Rosa catching up to me. As we're racing each other our mom is holding our baby sister Emilia in her arms and at the same time yelling at us "Stop fooling around or you're going to hear a mouth full from your dad!" Giggling, we turn our scooters around and start heading back ... door. I came to find Rosa lying on the bathroom floor next to her wheel chair. She was unconscious on the cold solid tile floor. I tried waking up her up but she would not budge. So I ran from the room to the kitchen for my mom's help. My mom went running over to R...

• Word Count: 1330
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School