Foster asserts that geography can define a character. A clear example of this is in The Great Gatsby. A few of the characters including Jay Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy, all live in upstate New York and during the 1920s time period. Due to these characters' geological placement, one could argue that is why they are all so arrogant and uppity in their attitudes and also very materialistic. Being in New York, Daisy Buchanan's love for material items developed Gatsby as a character because he needed to gain wealth in order for Daisy to accept him. Gatsby attended Oxford in hopes of obtaining an education and from that point on he dedicated his time to gaining millions with the hope of winning Daisy's love. This also leads into how geography affects the plot. Later in the book, the affair between Gatsby and Daisy eventually led to the death of other characters. The Valley of Ashes resembled a dark and lifeless place while also symbolizing the inevitable darkness and death. Myrtle's death in this valley represented the pain associated in this valley, and her residency there showed that she was not as high in social standards as the others.
In the Bible, Jesus was baptized even though he didn't need to repent or be cleansed of his sins. He was still baptized and afterwards one could infer that there was a transformation or difference in the character (Jesus). Jesus's transformation is shown when he "begins" his work as the savior of the world.
Looking at Harriet Tubman in the Underground Railroad, the journey to the North could very well signify both escape and freedom. The African Americans were fleeing from their "owners" who enslaved them. They fled through the Underground Railroad with the help of anti-slavery people. The "flight" or journey to the North symbolized the African Americans escaping slavery and journeying to freedom.
The character Aslan in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was most definitely intended to be a Christ-figure. In the movie Narnia and also the book, it is stated that Aslan is viewed as "the King of Narnia," just as Christ was viewed as King. Aslan's character is good, just, right, and perfect -- all characteristics of Christ. He is also not always present physically, and has returned to "fulfill his prophecy," just as Christ did. As one of Foster's criteria for a Christ-figure, Aslan sacrificed himself in place of Edmund, parallel to what Jesus Christ did "for all the people of the world." Aslan was tormented similar to Christ and was also resurrected, paralleling Christ's death. After Aslan's resurrection, he killed the Witch and did not stay long because of the other duties he had to "tend to." He didn't stay to give advice just as Christ told His people to trust in him and pray, everything would be fine.
In Araby, the fence is once again the "flaming sword" preventing the young boy from attaining Mangan's sister. The fence is a symbol of the fact that Mangan's sister is unattainable for the young boy. It also once again refers back to how "untouchable" Mangan's sister is in a sense because of the convent school she attends.
Foster discusses two types of violence that occur in literature. First, he says that there is violence caused by other characters and secondly, violence that is out of the hands of other characters. The Great Gatsby displays the first type of violence when Jay Gatsby "accidentally" kills Myrtle. This is also an example of the second type of violence though, due to the fact that Myrtle's death was premeditated by Jay Gatsby and there was nothing the other characters could have done.
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus
William Carlos Williams According to Brueghel when Icarus fell it was spring a farmer was ploughing his field the whole pageantry of the year was awake tingling with itself sweating in the sun that melted the wings' wax unsignificantly off the coast there was a splash quite unnoticed this was Icarus drowning The poem, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, was inspired by Icarus's death. Icarus was given wings that were connected by wax and made by his father, Daedalus. Daedalus had warned Icarus about not flying too close to the sun because it would melt the wax and ruin the wings. The poem describes "the fall of Icarus," personifying the sun as "the sun that melted the wings' wax," and ends abruptly with the foreshadow of Icarus's death ("a splash") followed by "it was Icarus drowning." The poem was very straightforward and to the point when discussing Icarus's "fall." If one looks at Gregory Maguire's books (Wicked, Lost, Lion Among Men, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, etc), he/she can conclude that they all seem to create a deeper appreciation for the original fairly tale. But, looking at a different fairy tale -- Ring around the Rosie, this tale is a popular children's song and quite ironic because the real meaning of it is actually about a plague that hit a bunch of people, causing them to get rings of rashes and eventually die.
The author of Araby, James Joyce, includes a lot of references to the Bible in his writing. Near the beginning of the story, there is mention of a garden with an apple tree in its center. This setting can be easily recognized as the Garden of Eden. The two main characters in Araby are a boy and a girl who pretty obviously represent Adam and Eve. In the story, the boy starts to ignore what he has been taught at his Christian school and only turning his mind to the girl, similar to Eve tempting Adam to eat the apple from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In the example of the "two great jars," the jars seem to represent guardian angels who are trying to remind the boy not to do wasteful or sinful things. Thanks to the vases/jars, the boy finally realized what Mangan's sister's true colors were.
Intertextuality is the dialogue switching from old texts to new ones. It is also the ongoing interactions between poems and stories. Foster writes that there is one big story and every story is related to that big one. There are a few instances where certain stories have helped me to recognize big ideas in different works. The Chronicles of Narnia connects with the death of Jesus Christ when Aslan the lion sacrifices himself in place of Edmond. Aslan also rose from the dead just like Christ. Another example, perhaps maybe not as direct, is the movie Titanic which relates back to the story of Romeo and Juliet. Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt could be perceived as star-crossed lovers. They loved one another right to the end and they had not been together very long, similar to Romeo and Juliet. Although Romeo and Juliet's story ended a bit differently, the two were still very similar. Lastly, in Uncle Tom's Cabin, Uncle Tom received awful treatment from his owner and yet continually prayed to God and never lost his faith. This reflects back to Christ in the Bible, as He as the Son of God never turned away even in the toughest times.
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