1000 words book analysis, due 48 hours

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ENGL101CWeek1B-SymbolismHemingwayCapote.pptx
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English 101C

Week 2: Symbolism, “Hills like White Elephants,” & “Miriam”

Theme

The most important stance in your critical analysis

Different from plot (meaning vs. structure)

Better to be more specific than too general

There can be multiple interpretations of the theme of a singular story

Symbolism

Symbolism Helpful Hints
“Zoomed in” on one particular object, person, word of special significance in the story Look for only one object/word
Often reoccurs within story; represents a deeper meaning connecting to theme See if the author has repeated it numerous times
The lightning-shaped scar on Harry’s forehead in The Philosopher’s Stone symbolizes his lingering childhood trauma. Explain how the symbol connects to the theme of the work

Remind: Symbolism does not always mean the story is an overall allegory . Allegories are often morals

3

Ernest Hemingway

American: “Lost Generation” era

Spanish Civil War correspondent; U.S. Army correspondent

Minimalist style

Writings display “brutal, cynical and callous signs…but on the other hand he possess a heroic pathos….a natural admiration of every individual who fights the good fight” (Hotchner 145)*

Iceberg theory: the theory of omission in writing (omits extraneous details, focusing mostly on facts; the meaning is hidden in the subtext)

*Hotchner, A.E. Papa Hemingway.

New York: Random House, 1966.

Hills Like White Elephants: Hidden Meanings

Explicit (tip of the iceberg)

What is the narrative telling us explicitly?

What is happening? (Basic plot points)

Implicit (under water)

What is happening in terms of:

Emotions?

Tensions?

Inferences (based on physical actions,

dialogue “clues”)

Symbolism in Hills Like White Elephants

“White Elephants”

“They look like white elephants,” she said.

“I’ve never seen one,” the man drank his beer. “No, you wouldn’t have.” (475)

Bags/carrying baggage

“He did not say anything but looked at the bags against the wall of the station. There were labels on them from all the hotels where they had spent nights.” (478)

Symbolism (continued)

Drinks/Anis del Toro

“I wanted to try this new drink. That’s all we do, isn’t it – look at things and try new drinks?” (476)

The train & train station

“He looked around the tracks but could not see the train. Coming back, he walked through the barroom, where people waiting for the train were drinking…They were all waiting reasonably for the train.” (478)

Canvas Discussion Question

Choose one of these four symbols (white elephants, baggage, drinks/Anis del Toro, or the train station) and explain how they connect to the theme of difficult life choices. Quote from the text to indicate which passage you’re using.

EXAMPLE: The symbol of Anis del Toro drinks connects to the theme of difficult life choices, as the couple in the story uses drinking to temporarily “forget” about the hard decision they have to make. When the man says, “The beer’s nice and cool” (Hemingway 476), he’s trying to convince Jig to stop focusing on their issues and instead give into distractions.

Violence & The Lost Generation

“Then what will we do afterward?”

“We’ll be fine afterward. Just like we were before.”

“What makes you think so?” (476)

“And we could have all this,” she said. “And we could have everything and every day we make it more impossible.” (477)

Critical Interpretation: Example 1

The [American] man in Hemingway's story seeks only to reconstitute the Europe of the lighter international tradition, the Europe that offers an escape from American temporality and bypasses performance altogether. 

“Being fine”—not action—will constitute [the characters’] life after the abortion. The language of health that creeps into the man's tropes here links Hemingway's story in another way to that aspect of the traditional representation of Europe. The man's assurance that “we'll be fine afterward” helps to explain how he can later insist that Europe will remain theirs…For the man, to be fine is to remain “just like we were before.” 

Grant, David. “Hemingway’s ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ and the Tradition of the American in Europe.” Studies in Short Fiction, vol. 35, no. 3, Summer 1998, pp. 267–276. Link. Accessed 14 January 2019.

Critical Interpretation: Example 2

The woman's concern can be established by a discussion of the significance of the title: the woman, unlike the man, wonders if the baby, which seems to be a white elephant (something burdensome and difficult to get rid of), might turn out to be of significant value. The white elephant is considered a sacred animal by some cultures and, therefore, as Kenneth G. Johnston points out, that the woman reveals her "reverence for life" (127) in her comparison of the mountains to white elephants. In this context the child symbolizes the [man's] inability to see that the child might provide a meaning to life which he lacks.

Bauer, Margaret D. “Forget the Legend and Read the Work: Teaching Two Stories by Ernest Hemingway.” College Literature, vol. 30, no. 3, Summer 2003, pp. 124–137. Link. Accessed 14 January 2019.

Truman Capote

American (b. New Orleans, 1924)

Early works: Southern Gothic style (commenting on the American South, often with elements of exaggeration/surreal)

Themes of social status, propriety, hidden desires

“Call it precious and go to hell, but I believe a story can be wrecked by a faulty rhythm in a sentence—especially if it occurs toward the end—or a mistake in paragraphing, even punctuation.” –Capote to The Paris Review, 1957

Southern Gothic literary style

Though this story is set in New York City, Capote borrows from the Southern Gothic tradition of writing, which was popular at the time.

Common features of this style include:

Elements of the supernatural/surrealism

Decayed settings: haunted mansions, castles, etc.

A lapse in ‘good Southern manners’

Absurd or grotesque situations

Thinking about Theme in “Miriam”

Who is the story about? How are we introduced to this character?

How do other characters interact with the main character?

Where is the story set?

How does the conflict in this story begin to build?

What happens in the ending? Why is the ending significant?

Symbolism in “Miriam”

What are some other examples of symbolism in this story?

Think about reoccurring or significant images, objects, colours, or names

What has the author taken time to describe in detail? This will provide you with an indication of what the story is meant to focus on.

With your partner/group, choose a symbol, discuss the qualities of the symbol, and hypothesize how you think it can contribute to the story’s theme or meanings.

Possible Themes in “Miriam”

Theme 1: The lost sense of self

Like a projection of regret, Miriam the girl represents a life that Mrs. Miriam Miller never had. The girl version of Miriam is more ‘free’ and has more of an identity. She may go wherever she pleases, contrasting the proper wifely role of “Mrs. H.T. Miller.”

MRS. MILLER: “Why isn’t that funny – my name’s Miriam too. And it’s not a terribly common name either. Now don’t tell me your last name’s Miller!”

MIRIAM: “Just Miriam.” (94)

“The French doll she was loving wore an exquisite powdered wig and its idiot glass eyes sought solace in Miriam’s.” (99)

Possible Themes in “Miriam”

Theme 2: The isolation of dementia and old age

Mrs. Miller, widowed and often shown alone, represents the common disconnect of elderly people from society. The figure of Miriam could represent a hallucination common in older people with dementia.

“The canary was singing; singing as he did in the morning and at no other time.” (96)

The finery of life – symbolized by roses, almond cakes, glazed cherries - become “not present, lifeless and petrified as a funeral parlor” (101)

The apparition of Miriam as danger: Mrs. Miller afraid “she’s about to do something terrible!” (96)

Dialogue vs. Internal Monologue

Dialogue Internal Monologue
Conversation, back and forth between two or more characters Inner voice of a character (usually the narrator’s) – thoughts, feelings, decisions
Reveals how characters behave socially – do they uphold conventions? A look into a fiction character’s mind; can often contrast with their outward actions (ie. dialogue)
"Hills Like White Elephants” – pg. 477 ”Miriam” – pg. 96: “How old is she? Ten? Eleven?...”

Miriam: Dialogue vs. Internal Monologue

Dialogue: pg. 100

”Listen,” she cried, “I’m ashamed behaving this way but – well, I’m Mrs. H.T. Miller and I live upstairs and…” She pressed her hands over her face. “It sounds so absurd…”

Internal monologue: pg. 101

Suddenly, closing her eyes, she felt an upward surge, like a diver emerging from some deeper, greener depth.

Capote to a reader (via the New York Times)

Critical Interpretation: Example

Larsen, MJ. “Capote’s “Miriam” and the Literature of the Double.”  The International Fiction Review, 7, No 1,1980. journals.lib.unb.ca

Short Analysis Assignment

Begin with your interpretation of the theme, followed by evidence from the text which supports it.

SAMPLE: The theme of The Catcher in the Rye is the inevitable loss of innocence, which can be argued by examining:

A. The subjects of the protagonist’s internal monologue (CHARACTER, POV)

B. The imagery of children in the rye field (SYMBOLISM)

C. Conversations between the protagonist and callous, jaded adults (DIALOGUE)

Short Analysis: Format

Title: The title should reference the story you’re focusing on, as well as your interpretation.

EXAMPLE TITLE: “Fakes and Phonies: The Loss of Innocence in Catcher in the Rye.”

Introduction: introduce the story - give a brief overview (main characters, main plot points) and include your thesis

Body paragraphs: topic sentences should mention the literary element being analyzed and relate back to your thesis. The paragraph itself must include direct quotes from the text and your interpretation of these quotes.

Conclusion: Summarize your main ideas. You may end with some general thoughts on how your interpretation could be expanded further, but do not incorporate new information or large ideas into the conclusion.

MLA Citation Format: Short Stories

IN-TEXT CITATIONS

If you are citing the same author throughout, you do not need to add their name into your in-text citation each time. However, the page number must always be included.

Example: The author continues this characterization by describing Zelda as ”a boisterously good time” (6).

Quotes of four lines or fewer can be incorporated into your paragraph in regular quotation format. Longer quotes should be indented and block quoted.

Link: MLA Quote Formatting

MLA Citation Format: Short Stories

WORKS CITED PAGE

Short stories are quoted rather than italicized

The name of the anthology is italicized

The editors of the anthology should be noted after the anthology name

Example: Moss, Peter. “Scarlet Dance.” Anthology of Canadian Literature, edited by Amanda Leigh, Goose Down Publishers, 2018, pp 142-150.