This presentation will explore Violence, Trauma, and Knowledge as interlocking concepts in Octavia Butler’s Kindred. While it may be obvious that violence and trauma are integral parts of both the slave narrative and neo-slave narrative traditions, the part these concepts play in the slaves’, or their decedents, acquisition of knowledge may be more subversive. In Kindred, the protagonist, Dana, is somehow teleported to save her white male ancestor in slave era Maryland. During these times, she has to live as a slave in order to blend in, and she experiences the same violence and trauma as a slave during this era would. Throughout the novel, she is confront with the chose to let her white ancestor die, or to kill him or his father when they…
This literary analysis will be of Octavia Butler’s 2005 novel, Fledgling, exploring the role of the narrator and protagonist, Shori Matthews. The question to be examined is whether or not the voice of the sympathetic character comes across as reliable, or unreliable to the reader. For Shori’s role to be properly analyzed, it is important to become acquainted with the author. Ms. Butler is a master storyteller, extraordinaire. She is also a black feminist, known for spurring conversations in book clubs and classrooms across America. In Fledgling, like many of her books, women hold an esteemed place of authority. Women rule. Women dominate. Women in Butler's stories have an audible voice,…
The author of Parable of Sower, Octavia Butler demonstrates in her novel that all of the people…
Parable of the Sower takes place in Octavia Buttler’s apocolypse (Old English, via Old French and ecclesiastical Latin from Greek apokalupsis, from apokaluptein ‘uncover, reveal,’ from apo- ‘un-’ + kaluptein ‘to cover’). In an interview, Buttler said that when writing the book, she took many of the issues of the modern world and took them to their natural conclusion. In doing so, by defintion, Buttler has created an apocalyptic work.…
Aynne McAvoy never lived a picture perfect childhood. In "Haunting on the Hill", Aynne speaks about the paranormal experiences she had as a child. When she was four years old, her parents moved their three children to an older home in Watertown, New York. Her father traveled often on business, so the family moved closer to their grandparents. The family did not realize how this move would affect their lives for years to come. The 50-year-old house came with an unique history. A history that was patiently, and quietly, waiting for the right family to activate it. Many people who do not believe in the paranormal falsely accuse the witnesses of fabricating experiences. McAvoy's article is convincing to the audience, because as they read the stories told the combination of pathos, background credibility, and well-structured composition makes the readers want to dig further into the article.…
As Gone with the Wind begins, Scarlett O’Hara is illustrated as an attractive wealthy spoiled brat. She is just that. She can get any man in her vicinity; well, she can get all but the one she has wanted for some time. She is rather haughty with the knowledge of her being able to do what she wants. She has a very provocative demeanor. The way she bats her eye lashes, fidgets with clothing, or what she wears.…
Everyone does not look at life in the same way, but instead, they look at it individually with their own life experience. Kindred, a novel written by Octavia Butler is a novel about an African-American writer named Dana, who lives in Los Angeles during the 1970’s with her white husband, Kevin. An unknown force however, pulls Dana back into time, where she travels back in the past during the Antebellum South where she is met with the harsh period of slavery in the early United States. With her journeys back in the past, she is always met with the son of a plantation owner, Rufus, whom Dana will see grow into adulthood. She learns that she has been sent back into time for a purpose that concerns Rufus, which she finds…
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler, definitely showed the true definition of what a society could come too. Very satisfied with the novel, I believe that Butler does an amazing job unfolding the government. The main character is described a younger women in an indifferent and diverse upbringing. Human nature in this book is described as impassive, barbaric, insanity ridden, and yet devil possessed. People are good with in their nature, but their picture perfect images can be blemished by their environment. We all have savage human behavior behind our politically correct behavior.…
Compassion is important in every walk of life. The definition of compassion is : a virtue of empathy for the suffering of others and a desire to alleviate that suffering. Compassion is important because it makes up who you are and is a strong part of human love. Without compassion, no human could ever get close to each other or function together as a society. Without compassion, people would not be able work together because they would not care about anyone else's pain. There would be no working together towards a common goal, that is one of the key pillars of society. Compassion is reason we have doctors and nurses. Compassion is reason that when we see someone hurt, on the ground, we help them up. In the novel, THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND, Kit and Nat show compassion for Hannah Tupper when her house burns down. She is their friend and they are sympathetic for her and do anything to help her. They even go into the building to retrieve her cats. They are feeling compassion for her and will help to alleviate her suffering, risking the possible legal repercussions of aiding a witch. Another instance in the novel in which the characters show compassion is when Kit teaches Prudence to read and when she defends Prudence from her mother by lying at the trial. The first time was compassion because kit saw prudence had low self worth because her mother has lead her to believe that she is stupid and never will be able to read. Kit sees her suffering and decides to alleviate her suffering, risking Goodwife Cruff's wrath by teaching her to read and write. Later in the book, once kit is accused of practicing witch craft and the townspeople present the evidence of the hornbook with Prudence's name written in it repeatedly, Kit lies for Prudence's sake. She doesn't want Prudence to get beaten by her mother. She risks possible death in compassion for Prudence's situation. Finally, prudence shows compassion to Kit. Against all odds, though she has been educated to not show…
“Nature is like art; there are always those elements you want to change.” In the science fiction story, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, Charlie had always wanted to be intelligent, and he did with a special operation. People today are trying to figure out how this story could become a reality. Genetic engineering is the modification of characteristics of a plant by changing its genes. Humans may give people confidence, cure them from diseases, and help people live longer.…
Change is to make something become different which affects all aspects of life. People are forced to change because of different circumstances. Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Merchetta and Remember the Titans by Boaz Yakin both show change through different circumstances. Through the different situations in both the movie and the novel, it shows that change is forced upon you, and some changes are good and some are bad, its just the way you look at the alteration.…
The one social issue that hasn’t evolved since the 17th century is the ever present schisms between families. People have always cheated, parents have always chosen favorites, and the struggles for wealth and power have always torn families apart. Most notably, these conflicts have been portrayed in Shakespeare’s King Lear and Romeo and Juliet, but the theater of family argument has also shone through in modern works such as Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres. Both King Lear and A Thousand Acres are enduring pieces of literature that have redefined the family complex, portrayed the death of families through jealousy and greed, and examined the reoccurring theme of fate versus free will.…
William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily” carries a theme represented by a dying breed of that era, while using symbolism to represent tragedy, loneliness and some form of pride, the story also shows how far one will go to have the approval of others and the pursuit of happiness.…
With progress comes success, and with success comes ambition, a force that has been around for a while. Through both good and bad (or evil) ambition our world was born and it’s through ambition that we live our life today. But is it physically and mentally healthy? Yes and No. Ambition can either make or break your day for it can bring utter happiness or utter destruction. It has no size and depending on the person’s aspirations or ego it can bring utter happiness or utter destruction. Impatience is also a result of ambition. But like I said before ambition is not all that bad, on the contrary it can guide one to success, which is another step to acquiring the American Dream. Ambition goes hand in hand with progress, self-reliance, and individualism, some of the tenets for an American Dream. In Willa Cather’s My Antonia, Tiny Soderball showed the most in any of the other characters as being a very ambitious person. She was a Swedish immigrant who was determined to go after any aspirations that she had. Jim Burden regarded her as “Tiny Soderball was to lead the most adventurous life and to achieve the most solid worldly success” (pg 192) and that was because she was so ambitious. In the beginning, sh…
Some may describe change as a transformation that may happen in stages or continuously, including any alteration that modifies how the world is or was. And even if it goes unrecognised, the world will continue to change.…