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The Mimic Men By V. S. Naipaul Summary, Themes & Character Sketch

Literature, English Literature, Non-Fiction, Novel

Introduction

‘The Mimic Men’ is a novel by V. S. Naipaul, first published by Andre Deutsch, A British published, in the UK in 1967. It centres on Ranjit “Ralph” Singh, a politician of both West and West Indian origin. The novel presents the condition of a newly independent country in the Caribbean, the island of Isabella and projects before us the Condition of the people in the postcolonial era. The little of the novel signifies the condition of colonized men who imitate and reflect colonizers’ lifestyles and views.

About Author

Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul commonly known as V. S. Naipaul is one of the most prominent authors, novelists, essayists, editors and writers of the 20th and 21st centuries. He wrote over 30 books in the fiction and non-fiction genres, in his fifty years of Journey as a writer.

Among his world-famous works Included – ‘In a free state’, ‘A House for Mr. Biswas’, ‘A Bend in the River’, ‘The Enigma of Arrival’ and ‘The Mimic Men’. He won lots of Literary prizes during his whole literary career, such as – he won the ‘Booker Prize’ in 1971 for his novel ‘In a Free State’. He won the Jerusalem Prize in 1963 and 1989 he was awarded the Trinity Cross, Trinidad and Tabagos highest national honour. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001.

Character Sketch Of Ralph Singh

Ralph Singh is the protagonist and narrator of the novel ‘The Mimic Men’, written by V. S. Naipaul. Naipaul speaks his mind and life through Ralph’s character throughout the novel. Ralph faces the issue of identity crisis which Naipaul also faced at certain points of time in his life. His life in Trinidad was the same as Ralph’s in Isabella.

Ralph has confused memories of his childhood and Western culture has affected him internally as well as externally. He has completely adopted the English way of lifestyle. Naipaul defies his roots, culture and traditions which were followed by his ancestors and is constantly tormented by the Dilemma of identity crisis. Ralph follows Leini as she tries to groom him as a perfect Englishman. He starts thinking in the same way how Leini made him think,

“We become what we see of
ourselves in the eyes of others.”

Ralph is a good example of a person who is torn apart by his inner and outer self. A sense of non-belongingness prevails throughout the novel which makes him restless and leads to a non-ending conflict. The whole order of events in Ralph’s life is a replica of Naipaul’s life. Ralph met his wife Sandra while studying in London Like Naipaul who met Patricia during his college days in London. Both of them got married to English girls to be a part of that society where they did not belong. There is a quest to find their true identities.

Ralph a New Name

Singh remembers very little about his childhood as he has bleak memories of his school, classmates and textbooks that were taught there. All of these were greatly influenced by the western culture. The earliest memory that he has of his school is about giving an apple to his teacher which again illustrates his fondness for Western culture as he carried an orange thinking of it as an apple.

“My first memory of school is of
Taking an apple of the teacher.
This puzzles me. We had no apples
on Isabella. It must have been
an orange, yet my memory insists on
the apple. The editing is clearly at fault,
but the editing version is all I have.”

It was in this pursuit of imitating Western Culture that Singh gave himself a new name ‘Ralph’ to relate to that culture to which he did not belong. He pretended to be someone else and thought himself to be extraordinary with his new name. He believed that a western name ‘Ralph’ would earn him status in his school life Deschampsneufs (Ralph’s classmate) was appreciated by his teacher and classmates.

Marriage With Sandra

Ralph’s arrival in London was with the dream of finding an identity. However, he had moments of confusion and crisis of being lost during his stay in the city of his dream:

“Those of us who came to it
lost some of our Solidity: we
were trapped into fixed, flat pictures.”

It was during this time of disappointment that his endeavour to find an identity ended up with the marriage to an English woman, Sandra. Ralph transforms himself into a new individual after the wedding with Sandra by his side. He believes he can now stand tall in Isabella, with a British lady as his wife. In Sandra, he finds solace and feels more confident.

“I had such confidence in her rapaciousness, such confidence in her as someone who could come to no harm – a superstitious reliance on her, which was part of the strength I drew from her.”

Thus, Ralph was haunted by his search for his true identity throughout his life.

Summary of The Mimic Men

The novel ‘The Mimic Men’ story is divided into three parts. The First part begins with Single, already, already disgraced in exile, sitting in his room at a London boarding house. At forty, he reflects upon the events of this career, contemplating ‘The Shipwreck which all my life I had sought to avoid Chronologically, Singh’s remembrances are untidy, beginning as they do with his years as a young man in London. Before his public, Singh deliberately takes on the role of an affluent colonial dandy inwardly, he is anxious and aimless.

Following many frivolous affairs Ralph meets and marries Sandra, a woman disappointed owing to her humble origins and her failure to win a university scholarship. Singh returns to Isabella with Sandra, using his inheritance to build Kripalville, a posh suburb. Success and riches do not prevent the resurrection of old anxieties about life on an Obscure island composed of the sons of slaves. Both Ralph and Sandra sense the shapelessness of Isabellan society and experience ‘A feeling of having been flung off the world.’

The Second part of the novel describes Ralph Singh’s childhood and exposes the source of the aimlessness that torments his family. At home, Ralph lives under the Shadow of a disaffected father, whose career as a school teacher leaves him unfulfilled. His father also recognizes that as an Asian, he is detached from his country of origin, Condemned, in a sense to being shipwrecked on a tiny Caribbean island.

Eventually, Singh’s father seeks the island. Eventually, Singh’s father seeks out the island’s lowly disenchanted black workers and leads them away from the miseries of the city to the pristine reaches of the Isabellan forests. His messianic message makes him famous, even in England. The movement, however, soon fades, the blacks filter back to the city, while their Asian deliverer, yellow-robed, remains in the forest as a Hindu holy man.

It is at school that Singh meets Ethelbert Browne, a black student on scholarship. Their strained and nervous friendship is important to the story, for later, Browne will draw Singh into the unpredictable world of Isabellan politics.

At the beginning of Part 3, Singh, divorced and unhappy, joins Browne, together they are the new men who challenge the government. Editing a paper called ‘The Socialist’, Browne organised a Political movement of the dispossessed which ultimately swept the election. Browne is elevated to the status of folk leader, with suggestions of a cult of personality, and Singh is given an important position in government. After four years, however, Singh dramatically fell from power when his negotiations to nationalize the sugarcane industry failed. At forty years of age, Ralph is forced into exile to live out his days in private reflection.

Themes Of “The Mimic Men”

Mimicry and Identity

This central theme explores the psychological and cultural effects of colonialism on postcolonial societies. The title itself refers to how many in these societies, like the protagonist Ralph Singh, feel pressure or even a compulsion to imitate the colonizers’ manners, values and lifestyles. This mimicry, however, leads to a sense of alienation and inauthenticity causing a crisis of identity and belonging.

Postcolonialism and Disillusionment

The novel portrays the challenges faced by the newly independent notions like Isabella, where Ralph was a politician. Issues like corruption, political instability and economic mismanagement highlight, the difficulties of transitioning from colonial rule to self-governance. Naipaul portrays this with a critical eye, raising questions about the viability of the Western model of democracy in non-Western contexts.

Love and Betrayal

Ralph’s relationships with women, particularly his wife Roberta and his mistress Sandra are riddled with complexities and emotional betrayals. These relationships reflect the broader themes of postcolonial dislocation and the difficulty of forging genuine connections in a society grappling with its identity.

Failure and Self-Deception

Throughout the novel, Ralph grapples with a sense of personal and political failure. His political career ends in disappointment and his relationships are marked by instability and dissatisfaction.

Memory and The Search for Meaning

As Ralph writes his memoirs in exile, he reflects on his past and tries to make sense of his life. This introspective journey highlights the importance of memory in shaping identity and the yearning for meaning in a chaotic and uncertain world.

About The Title

As the novel’s title, ‘The Mimic Men’ suggests, the colonial society has nothing original. According to Ralph, people in the colonized world have to follow in the footsteps of the colonialists. For Ralph, the protagonist of the novel, the basic issue is a lack of identity, which is reflected by his views and lifestyle. He thinks it is the easiest way to find an identity. So, there is a deliberate attempt by him to assimilate into the English lifestyle and mannerisms.

Thus, the title “The Mimic Men” is apt and appropriate.

Conclusion

Thus, the novel “The Mimic Men” unlike V. S. Naipaul‘s previous novels, ends on an optimistic note. After having been through so many failures, the narrator-protagonist still has hope enough to say, “I have cleared the deck, as it tore, and prepared myself for fest action. It will be the action of a Freeman”.

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Lord of the Flies Summary, Symbolism By William Golding

Literature, Novel, Summary

Introduction

“Lord of the Flies” is a 1954 debt novel by Nobel Prize-winning British author ‘William Golding’. Golding was a British novelist, playwright and poet. Golding’s original title for this novel was ‘Strangers from Within’. After it was accepted by Faber and Faber (an independent publishing house in London), the book was named “Lord of The Files”. The Present book focuses on a group of British boys stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempt to govern themselves.

Characters from Lord of the Flies

Ralph – The first boy, who lands on the island is Ralph. He is the protagonist, and also the leader of the boys. As Ralph is the oldest and tallest, he assumes leadership on Piggy’s suggestion.

Piggy- Despite being overweight, awkward, and asthmatic, Piggy is the most intelligent boy on the island.

Jack- Jack is the novel’s antagonist. He is bony, thin, and tall, with red hair, freckles, and a crumpled face.

Simon– Introverted and sickly, Simon is a boy whose obsession with nature shapes most of his actions.

Roger– As one of Jack’s most loyal followers, Roger guards Castle Rock and participates in hunts. Like Jack, Roger quickly descends into brutality.

Samneric- Samneric is a name that combines “Sam” and “Eric,” the twins who spend most of their time around Ralph and Piggy.

Percival– Percival is one of the smallest boys in the group.

Littluns– “Littluns” is the name given to the young boys, who are each about six years old. Johnny is the smallest littlun and Herry is the largest littlun.

Summary Of “Lord Of The Flies”

The novel opens with a plane crash on an island. A group of English school boys are in the plane. Two of the boys, Ralph and Piggy find a conch shell. Ralph blows into it like a horn, and all the boys on the island assemble. They elect a leader, an attractive boy named Ralph and a boy named Jack elected as the leader of the group hunters. Soon after, Ralph, Jack and another boy named Simon explore the island and discover wild pigs.

At a second assembly, the boys set up rules to govern themselves. The first rule is that whoever wants to speak at an assembly must hold the conch. At the meeting, one young boy claims, he saw a “Beast”, but Ralph dismisses it as just the product of a nightmare. Ralph then suggests that they build a signal fire at the top of a mountain so any passing ships will see its smoke and rescue them. The boy who saw the beast vanishes during the fire and is never seen again.

Time passes, and Tensions rise. Ralph becomes frustrated when no one helps him build shelters. Lots of boys goof off, while Jack obsesses about hunting and takes every opportunity to mock Piggy, who is smart but weak. Simon meanwhile, often wanders off into the forest to meditate. The rivalry between Ralph and Jack erupts when Jack forces the boys who were supposed to watch the signal fire to come hunting with him. They kill their first pig but a ship passes while the signal fire is out, which causes a tremendous argument between Ralph and Jack.

Ralph calls an assembly hoping to set things right. But that night after a distant airplane battle, a dead Parachutist landed on the mountaintop. Both Ralph and Jack climb the mountain in the dark to prove their courage. They spot the shadowy Parachutist and think he’s the beast. The next morning, Jack challenges Ralph’s authority at an assembly. Ralph’s authority at an assembly. Ralph wins but Jack leaves the group. Jack’s tribe paint their faces, and hunts and kills a pig.

They then leave its head as an offering to the beast. Simon comes upon the head and sees that it’s the ‘Lord of The Flies’ the beast within all men. While Jack invites everyone to a feat, Simon climbs the mountain and sea the Parachutist. When Simon returns to tell everyone the truth about the “Beast” however, the boys at the feast have become a frenzied mob, acting out a ritual killing of a pig. The mob thinks Simon is a beast and kills him.

Jack’s tribe moves to the rock fort. They steal Piggy’s glasses to make fire. Ralph and his lost allies, Piggy and the twins named Samneric go to get the glasses back. Jack’s tribe captures the twins and a boy at the fort who smashes the conch and kills Piggy. The next day the tribe hunts Ralph, setting fire to the forest as they do. The boys corner Ralph on the beach where they first set up their society when they crash-landed on the Island.

The Burning Jungle has attracted a British Naval ship, and an officer is standing on the shore. The boys stop, stunned and stare at the man. He jokingly asks if the boys are playing at war and whether there are any casualties. When Ralph says yes, the officer is shocked and disappointed that English boys would act in such a manner. Ralph starts to cry, and soon the other boys start crying too. The officer, uncomfortable, looks away toward his worship.

Through this novel ‘William Golding’ shows how young boys try to develop a system of organization and fail.

Evil is An Inborn Trait, in ‘Lord of the Flies’

Critics believe that Golding’s main themes suggest no hope for mankind or that evil is an inborn trait, as shown in ‘Lord of the Flies.’

Some critics feel that Golding’s main themes in his book are that there is no hope for mankind and that evil is an inborn trait of mankind.

These themes are reflected in the behaviour and actions of the characters in the book.

For example, in ‘Lord of the Flies,’ a group of young boys try to survive on a deserted island without any adults. As this goes, they are divided into two groups, which are led by Ralph and Jack. Ralph represents order and leadership while Jack symbolizes savagery as well as the desire for power. Eventually, they are rescued but end up killing the two innocent members Piggy and Simon. From this story, we can know that there is no hope for mankind, or that evil is an inborn trait of mankind by referring to the three symbols – Ralph, Jack, and, The Lord of the Flies.

Ralph shows his evil nature in “Lord of the Flies”. He shows his naturally evil manner when he starts to call Piggy Piggy. Piggy tells Ralph his nickname given by his previous friends because Ralph is interested in it. Because of this, Ralph starts mocking him by calling him Piggy. The lines in chapter one have shown this scene,

“I don’t care what they call me,” he said confidentially,
“so long as they don’t call me what they used to call me at school.”

From here, we can see that the nature of people is evil. Ralph laughed at Piggy’s physical appearance naturally. From the lines, we know that Ralph mocks Piggy as “Piggy” although he tries to stop Ralph.

Besides, Jack also shows his evil side in this story. At the beginning of the story, Jack used to be a very disciplined and kind boy. He does behaviour to kill a pig during his first hunting because of his innocence. However, his nature of evil behaviour is shown after he becomes the leader of the savages. There is one, after their hunting, Jack orders the boys to make a circle and stick in Roger using a spear without any good reason.

For Jack, killing people is just like killing pigs. Hunting is a kind of game to him, no matter what kind of object he symbolizes. It is the nature of Jack to do such cruel things.

Moreover, “The Lord of the Flies” also symbolizes the natural evil of mankind. It is the motivation for the boys’ increasingly cruel and violent behaviour. The head of the pig symbolizes their internal evil side.

In conclusion, we know that evil is an inborn trait of mankind by referring to Ralph, Jack, and The ord of the Flies. Every one of them has shown clearly that actually, evil comes to our hearts. Evil is the fundamental nature of human beings which cannot be neglected.

Symbolism in “Lord of the Flies”

Symbolism plays a significant role in Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Lord of the Flies is a novel about how a group of schoolboys, who crashed on a deserted island, eventually transition from civilized humans to savage beings.

Several symbols are displayed throughout the novel, Such as: –

The Conch – Ralph and Piggy find the conch shortly after landing on the island. It soon becomes the symbol of authority and law and order. The conch is used to call assemblies and only the person holding the conch could speak at the meetings. Ralph and especially Piggy respect the symbol of the conch until it is smashed to bits by Roger, one of Jack’s followers. The destruction of the conch symbolizes the destruction of what little civilization the boys possessed.

“Because the rules are the only thing we’ve got.
If you don’t blow, we’ll soon be animals anyway.
He can hold it when he’s speaking.”

Piggy’s Glasses– The glasses symbolize the ability to see and understand things Piggy is the only boy, besides Jack, who sees how things should be done. The cracking of the first lens symbolizes the boys losing sight of what they need to do. The glasses are also important in so much as they are needed to start the fire.

The Signal Fire – The signal fire symbolizes the boy’s connection to civilization. The fire, initially, is important in the novel. As the boys grow more savage, the fire becomes less important to them. Jack and the hunters let the fire go out to hunt. Ralph’s efforts to keep the fire going are consistent but unsuccessful, in the same way, his efforts to restore order are unsuccessful.

Author William Golding uses the signal fire to also symbolize hope, something which Jack destroys as the novel progresses. At times the signal fire rages out of control, symbolic of the boys themselves.

The Beast – The beast represents the inner savagery of the boys and all mankind. The boys personify it by calling it a giant snake and mistaking a dead parachutist for it. Simon is the only boy who understands that they are all beasts inside.

The Dead Parachutist – Piggy looks for a sign from the adult world. He gets it the very same night. Miles above the island, a plane is shot down. A dead man floats onto the island and becomes lodged in rocks and trees. The dead parachutist symbolizes the adult world and its inability to maintain peace.

The Plane Crash – The plane crash symbolizes the breakdown of modern society. The boys leave England to get away from the war and are shot down by the enemy.

The Island – The island symbolizes the Garden of Eden before the arrival of the boys. After the boys arrive it becomes corrupted and destroyed.

The Boys:- Golding also uses symbolism in the various characters of the story. Golding’s four main characters are Ralph, Piggy, Jack, and Simon. Each of these characters plays an important role in the novel. Ralph represents law, order, organized society, and moral integrity. Piggy symbolizes knowledge and morality. Jack represents anarchy and Simon represents goodness.

To sum up, we can say that, William Golding uses so much symbolism in Lord of the Flies that many critics agree that it is an allegory- a writing that has “a double meaning”.These symbols symbolize different aspects of the inevitable Change from civilization.

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The Power and The Glory By Graham Greene

Literature, English Literature, Novel

Introduction

“The Power and the Glory” is one of the influential novels of British author ‘Graham Greene’. It was published in 1940. It is set in the Mexican state of Tobasco in the 1930s, during the Cristero War, a period of religious persecution by the Mexican government. It was also published in the United States under the title “The Labyrinthine Ways”. It tells the story of a Catholic “Whisky Priest” living in the Mexican state of Tabasco the Mexican government was attempting to suppress the Catholic Church.

In 1941, the novel received the Hawthorden Prize British literary award. The book also received great criticism. ‘Pope Paul VI’ a head of the Catholic Church said,

“Some aspects of your books are
certain to offer some Catholics,
but you should pay no attention to him.”

About Graham Greene

“Graham Greene” was an English writer and one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Through the 67 years of writing, included 25 novels. He explored the conflicting moral and political issues of the modern world. He was shortlisted for the Nobel Prize in Literature several times. He was awarded the 1968 Shakespeare Prize and the 1981 ‘Jerusalem Prize.’ Among his notable works included – ‘The End Of The Affair’, ‘The Heart of the Matter’, ‘The Quiet American’, ‘Stamboul Train’ and ‘Our Man in Havana’. On the publication of “The Power and the Glory”, ‘William Golding claimed Greene had.

“Captured the conscience of the twentieth-century man like no other.”

Theme Of The Power and The Glory

The main theme of Graham Greene’s novel ‘The Power and the Glory’ is ‘Faith and Redemption’. The Novel follows the story of an unnamed whiskey priest, a Catholic priest who is haunted by the Government of Mexico during the Cristero War, a period of religious persecution in the early 1900s. The priest is a flawed and human character, but he remains steadfast in his faith, even in the face of death.

Another theme of the novel is despair, neglect, and frustration. The story revolves, around two main characters. The Priest and the Lieutenant. In the novel, we are presented with a world of utter darkness, a world where men destroy themselves through hatred and self-egoism just as the Lieutenant destroyed the Priest. In a vivid description of the Priest, the author wrote:

“He felt like a man without a passport
who is turned away from every harbor.”

A situation such as that presented above depicts a society full of despair. The political and economic situation in such a society is most unhealthy. When the inalienable rights of the individual are violated, life becomes short and brutal. The individual is thus faced with fear and with a heavy sense of despair.

Theme of Sin and Salvation

Greene’s novel, ‘The Power and the Glory’, “A Pre-Eminently Religious Novel’, exposes the condition in Tabasco, a small state in Mexico, where priests were persecuted with pitiless cruelty by the totalitarian, anti-religious regime which took over the province in 1917. The central opposing characters are the unnamed Whisky Priest, who sometimes assumes the name Montez, and a similarly unnamed Lieutenant of the police. ‘The Power and the Glory’ is divided into four parts –

The first part introduces the Whisky Priest, who has been a fugitive for eight years, while the country where he has remained as the last priest, following the execution or defection of the others.

The second part shows the Priest’s return to his native village, where he meets his illegitimate daughter, Brigitta, and narrowly escapes arrest by the Lieutenant. The Priest is later arrested for breaking the anti-liquor laws and spends a night in prison.

The third part chronicles the Priest’s betrayal by the mestizo who wants to get a reward promised by the Lieutenant.

The fourth part of the novel reports the last conversation between the priest and the Lieutenant before the Priest is executed.

Greene believes in the original sin of Man. As a Catholic, he thinks that man has a natural tendency to fall into the path of evil. Therefore he makes a clear distinction between virtue and vice. These are the motions of right and wrong on the human level and sin and virtue on the spiritual level. It is rightly said that Greene’s novels deal not only concerning society and himself but fundamentally concerning God. Therefore, Greene preoccupies himself with man’s innate sinfulness his awareness of his sinfulness, and his consequent search for God’s mercy and salvation.

Character Sketch Of Whiskey Priest

The “Whisky Priest” is the protagonist of Graham Greene’s novel ‘The Power and the Glory’. He is a Catholic priest who is on the run from the government of a Mexican state where the church has been outlawed. He is given no name in the novel, and is referred to only as “The Priest” or “The Whiskey Priest”. In the story, he avoids alcohol, mostly because it is unavailable. When he has a little money and finds someone who sells alcohol illegally, he tries to buy grape wine. However, he is also a man of great courage and strength. He risks his life to provide religious services to his flock, and he ultimately gives his life for his fourth.

Appearance

This Whisky Priest is a Short, Scruffy man with a pale complexion and a haunted look in his eyes. He is often unshaven and dressed in dirty clothes.

Personality

He is a complex and contradictory character. He is cowardly at times, but he is also brave and resourceful. He is also deeply compassionate and committed to his faith. However, he is also flawed and human. He struggles with his doubts and failings, and he is not immune to temptation.

Relationship

The “Whisky Priest” has a close relationship with his daughter, Brigitta. He also has a deep bond with the people of his parish, even though he is constantly on the run from authorities.

The “Whisky Priest” is the last priest surviving in a southern Mexican state where religious practice has been outlawed. The authorities are haunting him with the same techniques they are using to hunt down a legendary thief and bandit who has come to their state to hide. His flight to the border, to another state where he might be able to live freely.

His flight through the jungle takes the priest to the small village where he once had a church. It is there that he meets Brigida, his illegitimate child. Although he abandoned her long ago. The night before his death, when he finds himself locked in a cell and unable to clear his sins through confession he thinks of her as a true reason for his life.

Comment On the title

The title of Greene’s novel ‘The Power and the Glory’ is taken from the Lord’s Prayer. “Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory.” Both power and Glory belong to God. The title may, however, be interpreted in two ways: –

True Power and true glory and divine in Origin and are attributes of God’s head. But the priest manages to achieve both these to a certain extent in his perfect way and without knowing it.
Power may be yielded by a government through its lieutenants of police, but the glory belongs to priests who, even when sinning, are capable of rising to supreme heights of self-sacrifice.

The theme and title are inter-related in every work of art and Greene’s ‘The Power and the Glory’ is no exception. The theme and the title have a reciprocal relation in Greene’s ‘The Power and The Glory’. The theme of Greene’s ‘The Power and the Glory’ is his constant query – damnation or Salvation? Outwardly, the novel is about the conflict between the church and the state. But inwardly evil which is worked out largely through the portrayal of the whisky priest is interwoven with this conflict.

Thus the novel also shows Greene’s preoccupation with the theme of evil in this world. There is a certain element of evil or sinfulness in the composition or nature of this whisky priest. As the priest dies in a state of sin, the question arises whether he will be ultimately damned or forgiven by God. However, Greene glorifies him at last and denies him to be a martyr and even a possible saint.

Through the Character Sketch of the Whisky Priest in ‘The Power and the Glory’, Greence has perhaps given a new turn to the Christian novel in England. Instead of depicting his protagonist as a good man who is in quest of virtue or the heavenly city of God, he depicts his protagonist as a sinner who stumbles along the way to the heavenly city, almost forsaking God and embarrassing the evil.

Conclusion

In ‘The Power and the Glory’ Greene shows a situation where the church has been banished from the country. The Protagonist is a priest gone band but who is aware of his corruption. The novel depicts the conflict between good and evil in the outer physical world, as well as the inner world of the human mind. When he dies, the evil is defeated, and good triumphs.

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The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Literature, Novel, Summary

Introduction

The Handmaid’s Tale is a futuristic dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. This novel was published in 1985. It is set in a near-future New England in a patriarchal, totalitarian economic state known as The Republic of Gilead, which has overthrown the United States government. The Handmaid’s Tale” is a thought-provoking novel that explores the dangers of totalitarianism and the oppression of women.

In this novel, Offred is the main character and narrator Of the Novel. She is one of the “handmaids”, women who are forcibly assigned to produce children for the “commanders”, who are the ruling class in Gilead. In the Novel, W

omen are stripped of all their rights and freedoms and forced to serve as reproductive slaves for the ruling elite.

About The Author

Margaret Atwood is one of the most celebrated and influential writers of our time. She was born in Ottawa, Canada, in 1939, and grew up in various parts of Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. She studied at the University of Toronto and Radcliffe College and has taught at several universities in Canada and abroad. She has written more than 50 books of fiction, poetry, essays, and criticism, covering a wide range of genres and topics.

Some of her most notable works include The Edible Woman, Surfacing, The Handmaid’s Tale, Cat’s Eye, The Blind Assassin, Oryx and Crake, The Testaments, and The MaddAddam Trilogy. She has won numerous awards and honors for her literary achievements, such as the Booker Prize, the Governor General’s Award, the Giller Prize, the PEN Pinter Prize, and the Franz Kafka Prize. She is also a prominent activist and advocate for environmental, feminist, and human rights causes.

Themes Of “The Handmaid’s Tale”

“The Handmaid’s Tale” addresses several thought-provoking themes, including gender oppression, religious extremism, totalitarianism, and the importance of individual autonomy. The novel explores the consequences of extreme ideologies and the ways in which they can strip away human rights and dignity. It also delves into the power dynamics between men and women, and the subjugation of women’s bodies for reproductive purposes. Atwood’s portrayal of a patriarchal society and the dehumanization of women raises important questions about gender roles, identity, and feminism.

Summary Of “The Handmaid’s Tale”

The novel is narrated by Offred, one of the “handmaids” in Gilead. Handmaids are fertile women who are assigned to elite men called “commanders” to bear children for them. Offred serves Commander Fred Waterford and his wife Serena Joy, a former gospel singer and advocate for traditional values. She is barren due to widespread infertility caused by environmental pollution and disease.

Offred’s name means “of Fred”, indicating her lack of identity and autonomy. She lives in a strict regime where she has to follow rules and rituals that are based on a twisted interpretation of some Old Testament verses. She has to wear a red dress and a white bonnet that covers her face. Offred lives in constant fear of being punished or killed for any sign of disobedience or rebellion.

She has no access to education, information, or entertainment and is not allowed to read, write, or speak freely. She can only leave the house for shopping trips with another Handmaid, Ofglen. She has to endure monthly “ceremonies” where she is raped by the Commander. She also has to visit a doctor regularly to check her health and fertility.

Offred remembers her life before Gilead when she was a librarian, a wife, and a mother. She had a husband named Luke and a daughter named Hannah. She also had a best friend named Moira, who was a rebellious feminist. After a staged terrorist attack that killed the president and most of Congress, a radical group called the Sons of Jacob seized power and suspended the Constitution.

They blamed the declining birth rate on environmental pollution, sexually transmitted diseases, abortion, contraception, and women’s liberation. They banned women from working, owning property, having money, or accessing education. They also divided women into rigid classes based on their reproductive status: Wives (the spouses of commanders), Marthas (the domestic servants), Aunts (the indoctrinators and enforcers of handmaids), Econowives (the wives of lower-class men), Jezebels (the prostitutes), Unwomen (the rebels and outcasts), and Handmaids.

Offred tried to escape with Luke and Hannah to Canada, but they were caught by the border guards. Offred was separated from her family and sent to a reeducation center called the Red Center, where she was trained by Aunts to become a handmaid. There she met Moira again, who had been captured after trying to join an underground resistance group. Moira managed to escape from the Red Center by stealing an Aunt’s uniform and faking her identity.

Despite repeated Ceremonies, Offred is still not pregnant, and it is suggesting that the Commander is infertile. Therefore, Serena, the Commander’s wife tells Offred that she should sleep with Nick, their chauffeur, and gardener. Serena promises to give Offred a picture of her daughter in return for doing so. That same night, the Commander takes Offred to Jezebels, a club for Commanders who want to sleep with prostitutes. There, she finds her friend Moira who tried to escape from Gilead while they were in the Red Center together. This is the last time she ever sees her friend. Offred and the Commander sleep together while there, an experience that Offred has to pretend to enjoy.

As soon as Offred returns with the Commander from the club, she sleeps with Nick. Offered and Nick develop a genuine connection, and they begin to meet without anyone’s knowledge. Around this time, Ofglen, a member of Mayday whom she has befriended, commits suicide in order to escape torture at the hands of Gilead’s secret police. Serena finds evidence of the relationship between Offred and the Commander, which results in Offred contemplating suicide.

Offred goes out shopping, and a new Ofglen meets her. This new woman is not part of Mayday, and she tells Offred that the old Ofglen hanged herself when she saw the secret police coming for her. At home, Serena has found out about Offred’s trip to Jezebel’s, and she sends her to her room, promising punishment. Offred waits there, and she sees a black van from the Eyes approach. Then Nick comes in and tells her that the Eyes are really Mayday members who have come to save her. Offred leaves with them, over the Commander’s futile objections, on her way either to prison or to freedom—she does not know which.

The novel closes with an epilogue from 2195, after Gilead has fallen, written in the form of a lecture by Professor Pieixoto. It describes the discovery of Offred’s narrative on cassette tapes in Maine, suggesting that the Eyes that took her were part of the Resistance, as Nick claimed. It is revealed that researchers may have discovered who the Commander was, but no one knows what happened to Offred.

Conclusion

“The Handmaid’s Tale” is a haunting and impactful novel that continues to be relevant in contemporary society. It serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of oppressive regimes, the erosion of human rights, and the consequences of unchecked power. In the novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” Atwood’s powerful prose and compelling storytelling shed light on important social and political issues, reflect on the value of individual freedom, and the need for equality and justice in society.

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Women Writing In India 600 B.C to Present

“Women Writing in India: 600 B.C. to the Present” by Susie Tharu and K. Lalita

Literature, English Literature, Essay, Novel

Introduction

“Women Writing in India: 600 B.C. to the Present” is a fascinating book written by Susie Tharu and K. Lalita, that showcases the writings of women in India throughout history. This is Volume 1 of the series, and it presents a diverse collection of literary works spanning a wide range of time periods, languages, and regions in India. It sets the stage for exploring the contributions of women writers and emphasizes the importance of recognizing their voices in the literary landscape. The first volume covers the period from 600 B.C. to the early twentieth century and includes texts from Sanskrit, Tamil, Pali, Prakrit, Persian, Urdu, Bengali, Marathi, and other languages.

The first volume spans from 600 B.C. to the early twentieth century and includes 127 selections from 88 writers. The selections are arranged in nine sections, each covering a different historical period and literary tradition. The sections are:

– The Beginnings: Women’s Writing in India from 600 B.C. to A.D. 600
– The Classical Age: Women’s Writing in India from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300
– The Medieval Period: Women’s Writing in India from A.D. 1300 to A.D. 1800
– The Early Modern Period: Women’s Writing in India from A.D. 1800 to A.D. 1857
– The Colonial Period: Women’s Writing in India from A.D. 1857 to A.D. 1900

– The Nationalist Movement: Women’s Writing in India from A.D. 1900 to A.D. 1920
– The Gandhian Era: Women’s Writing in India from A.D. 1920 to A.D. 1947
– The Post-Independence Period: Women’s Writing in India from A.D. 1947 to A.D. 1960
– The Contemporary Period: Women’s Writing in India from A.D. 1960 to A.D. 1990

Critical Analysis Of Women Writing in India Essay

The texts in Women Writing in India: 600 B.C. to the Present offer a rich and varied portrait of Indian women’s lives over the centuries. They provide insights into the social, political, and religious forces that have shaped women’s experiences. The texts also reveal the resilience and creativity of Indian women, who have found ways to express themselves and challenge the status quo.

The author shows that emerges from the anthology is the importance of education for women. Many of the writers in the anthology stress the need for women to be educated in order to achieve their full potential. They argue that education will help women to become more independent, to participate more fully in society, and to improve their lives.

The anthology is about the struggle for women’s rights. Many of the writers in the anthology write about the need to end discrimination against women, improve their legal status, and gain access to economic opportunities. They argue that women’s rights are human rights and that all women deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

The texts in Women Writing in India: 600 B.C. to the Present are a powerful testament to the strength and resilience of Indian women. They offer a glimpse into the lives of women who have faced many challenges, but who have never given up hope. The texts are a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the history of women in India, and the challenges and opportunities that they face today.

Summary Of Women Writing in India

The anthology is divided into four sections: “Early Writings,” “The Nineteenth Century,” “The Early Twentieth Century,” and “The Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries.”

The first section includes works from the Sanskrit and Prakrit traditions, as well as from the Tamil and Telugu languages. The second section focuses on the nineteenth century, a time of great social and political change in India. The third section covers the early twentieth century, a period of increasing nationalism and women’s activism. The fourth section brings together works from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a time of great literary and cultural ferment.

The anthology includes a wide range of writing, from the religious and philosophical to the erotic and the political. The works are diverse in terms of their subject matter, style, and tone. Some of the works are lyrical and evocative, while others are more didactic or polemical. Some of the works are humorous, while others are deeply serious.

“Women Writing in India” Anthology provides a valuable overview of the history of women’s writing in India. It also offers a glimpse into the lives and experiences of Indian women over the centuries. The works in the anthology speak to the diversity of Indian culture and the resilience of Indian women.

The following are some of the key themes that emerge from the anthology:

The struggle for women’s rights: Many of the works in the anthology deal with the struggle for women’s rights. These works address issues such as the right to education, the right to work, and the right to equality.

The importance of education for women: Many of the works in the anthology highlight the importance of education for women. These works argue that education is essential for women’s empowerment and for their ability to contribute to society.

The need for social reform: Many of the works in the anthology call for social reform. These works address issues such as child marriage, dowry, and Sati.

The power of the written word: Many of the works in the anthology celebrate the power of the written word. These works argue that writing can be used to challenge injustice, raise awareness, and create change.

The importance of family and community: Many of the works in the anthology emphasize the importance of family and community. These works show how family and community can provide support and strength in times of difficulty.

The beauty of nature: Many of the works in the anthology celebrate the beauty of nature. These works show how nature can provide solace, inspiration, and hope.

The strength of the human spirit: Many of the works in the anthology affirm the strength of the human spirit. These works show how people can overcome adversity and find hope in the face of despair.

Women Writing in India: 600 B.C. to the Present is an important anthology that provides a valuable overview of the history of women’s writing in India. The works in the anthology offer a glimpse into the lives and experiences of Indian women over the centuries. They also speak to the diversity of Indian culture and the resilience of Indian women. The anthology is a valuable resource for anyone interested in Indian literature, history, or women’s studies.

The book is divided into four volumes, each covering a different historical period and theme. The first volume, titled “The Beginnings”, covers the period from 600 B.C. to 1200 A.D., and features writings from ancient and medieval India. The second volume, titled “The Twentieth Century”, covers the period from 1900 to 1980, and features writings from the colonial and postcolonial eras. The third volume, titled “Feminisms”, covers the period from 1980 to 1995, and features writings from the contemporary feminist movement. The fourth volume, titled “In Other Words”, covers the period from 1995 to 2000, and features writings from marginalized and subaltern groups.

The book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in Indian literature, culture, history, and gender studies. It offers a rich and diverse selection of texts that showcase the creativity and agency of Indian women writers. It also offers a critical analysis of the literary traditions and practices of Indian women, as well as their social and political struggles and achievements. The book is a testament to the power and beauty of women’s voices in IndiaThe anthology includes a wide variety of genres, including poetry, fiction, drama, autobiography, and essays. The writers represented in the anthology come from all over India and write in a variety of languages.

The anthology provides a valuable overview of the history of women’s writing in India. It also offers insights into the lives and experiences of Indian women over the centuries.

Themes Of The Women Writing In India

The Struggle for Women’s Rights

Many of the works in the anthology deal with the struggle for women’s rights. These works address issues such as the right to education, the right to work, and the right to equality.

The importance of education for women

Many of the works in the anthology highlight the importance of education for women. These works argue that education is essential for women’s empowerment and for their ability to contribute to society.

The Need for social reform

Many of the works in the anthology call for social reform. These works address issues such as child marriage, dowry, and Sati.

The power of the written word

Many of the works in the anthology celebrate the power of the written word. These works argue that writing can be used to challenge injustice, raise awareness, and create change.

The importance of family and community

Many of the works in the anthology emphasize the importance of family and community. These works show how family and community can provide support and strength in times of difficulty.

The Beauty Of Nature

Many of the works in the anthology celebrate the beauty of nature. These works show how nature can provide solace, inspiration, and hope.

The strength of the human spirit

Many of the works in the anthology affirm the strength of the human spirit. These works show how people can overcome adversity and find hope in the face of despair.

Conclusion

Women Writing in India: 600 B.C. to the Present is a groundbreaking and comprehensive anthology that celebrates and explores the rich and diverse tradition of women’s writing in India. It is an essential resource for anyone interested in Indian literature, history, culture, feminism, or postcolonial studies.

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