Free Essays on Lifes Values

create an image of a death camp. One can infer this though the author does not come out directly and say it. Throughout the whole story the description paints a picture of despair. In this particular situation Stella’s value become warped. Stella becomes envious of the child; â€Å"Stella wanted to be wrapped in a shawl,† (Ozick 1) like the sleeping baby Magda was. Rosa’s values however remain steadfast as she becomes fixated with ensuring the life of the child even though she is convinced that the child’s death is eminent. The main symbol that appears in â€Å"The Shawl† is in fact the shawl itself. It becomes the source of life. The shawl is described as a â€Å"magic shawl† that could â€Å"nourish an infant for three days and three nights† (Ozick 5). The shawl was a source of warmth and support for the child. Rosa also found sustenance in the shawl; with it she was able to conceal the child from the danger of the camp. Stella reveres the shawl for warmth. She began to envy the child and eventually let her greed take over. She stole the shawl from the child and the n... Free Essays on Life's Values Free Essays on Life's Values Life’s Values In Ozick’s â€Å"The Shawl† and O’Conner’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find,† the characters find themselves in different, trying circumstances. In these testing situations the character’s core beliefs and values they have acquired through life are shown throughout the story as well as in their horrific, climactic moment. Through symbolism, word choice and other literary devices the author displays varying life values in each of the characters. The word choice in â€Å"The Shawl† paints a bleak picture. Rosa with â€Å"sore breast† and Stella, â€Å"her knees were tumors on sticks, her elbows chicken bones† (Ozick 1) display the tragic lifestyle that the two are facing. The two main women in the story are desperately hungry and tired. â€Å"Rosa and Stella were slowly turning into air† (Ozick 6). These descriptions and words create an image of a death camp. One can infer this though the author does not come out directly and say it. Throughout the whole story the description paints a picture of despair. In this particular situation Stella’s value become warped. Stella becomes envious of the child; â€Å"Stella wanted to be wrapped in a shawl,† (Ozick 1) like the sleeping baby Magda was. Rosa’s values however remain steadfast as she becomes fixated with ensuring the life of the child even though she is convinced that the child’s death is eminent. The main symbol that appears in â€Å"The Shawl† is in fact the shawl itself. It becomes the source of life. The shawl is described as a â€Å"magic shawl† that could â€Å"nourish an infant for three days and three nights† (Ozick 5). The shawl was a source of warmth and support for the child. Rosa also found sustenance in the shawl; with it she was able to conceal the child from the danger of the camp. Stella reveres the shawl for warmth. She began to envy the child and eventually let her greed take over. She stole the shawl from the child and the n...

Showing, Not Telling, Personality Through Speech and Thought

Showing, Not Telling, Personality Through Speech and Thought Showing, Not Telling, Personality Through Speech and Thought Showing, Not Telling, Personality Through Speech and Thought By Mark Nichol You know the fiction-writing dictum â€Å"Show, don’t tell.† But how does it apply in practical terms when it comes to communicating characterization without exposition? People in different eras have unique speech and speech patterns, but restrain yourself from indulging in periodization in your historical novel; if your Elizabethan-era characters talk like Shakespeare’s, people 1) won’t understand much of what they say and 2) will be distracted by your forced and fatally flawed attempt at authenticity. Do, however, immerse yourself in that period’s society: What did people know about history and sociology and psychology and spirituality (even if they didn’t use those terms to identify them)? What were prevailing political and social and religious viewpoints? How open were people about expressing themselves? Be careful not to let modern sensibilities intrude on the way your characters speak and think, but do permit them and their speeches and thoughts to be accessible to modern readers. The extent to which characters will express their ideas and opinions, or ruminate about them, and the language with which they will do so, depends on a few other factors: People of different generations and different social backgrounds generally speak differently. Geriatric characters should exhibit speech and speech patterns distinct from juvenile ones and consistent with norms unless an exception is a deliberate dramatic point for instance, if a teenager who has switched bodies with an elderly person is trying to pass vocally as well as visually as a senior citizen. Likewise, the speech and thoughts of well-educated characters will usually be distinguishable from that of those of others with less formal schooling. Of course, no one should assume that a person with only a high school education is less intelligent than a college graduate, or the reverse, but their vocabulary and the level of sophistication of their thoughts will, unless they are self-educated, likely differ. Further individualization of characters makes fiction writing more vivid. How does one’s personality affect words and thoughts? A repressed person’s speech patterns will differ significantly from an extrovert’s. A tense, angry character will exhibit different rhythms of speech and thought than a carefree individual. Length of speeches and thoughts is also a consideration: Children do not soliloquize, and philosophically minded people do not tend to make snap judgments. Match the extent to which people speak and think to their personalities. But keep in mind that various sentence lengths and paragraph lengths have differing dramatic values, too long passages tend to be soothing (but, when too long, are soporific), while short bursts create or maintain tension (though, in excess, can be just as wearying as extensive paragraphs). In essence, capitalize on your knowledge of individual characters to establish vocabulary and modes of speech and thought, as well as on familiarity with societal norms for speaking and thinking appropriate to the era in which your characters live. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in S45 Synonyms for â€Å"Old† and â€Å"Old-Fashioned†While vs. Whilst