‘To her we are not separate people. Over here, we have become a single unit known as all of you’. (page 28)
This quote relates to the theme of family and relationships. The profound barrier between Niang’s biological children and step-children is portrayed through the different treatment of the two groups, with Niang’s ‘real’ children favoured immensely.
‘In no time at all big sister went over to the other side. I knew Niang loathed me and despised my aunt.’ (page 59)
This quote relates to the theme of family and relationships. The reader feels disgust and sadness for Adeline, and pity for her as Niang’s despise for her tears her and her siblings apart by bringing Big Sister over to ‘their side’.
Abandonment & Loneliness:
‘One by one they were greeted and led away by anxious mothers. Nobody came for me.’ (page 30)
This quote relates to the theme of abandonment and loneliness. The reader pities Adeline and it is easy to empathise with her as she watches *** her friends taken from school with loving mothers and it is left alone to ponder her misfortune.
‘I took the duckling to my heart... it comforted me to know I was needed.’ (page 84)
This quote relates to the theme of abandonment and loneliness. The duckling made Adeline feel as though she was not completely worthless and was needed. This was a change for Adeline.
Self-esteem:
‘If you had not been born, Mama would still be alive. She died because of you. You are bad luck.’ (page 3)
This quote relates to the theme of self-esteem. The reader feels very sorry for Adeline and it is easy to see why she does not feel good about herself and carries guilt if she is constantly spoken to this way.
‘I was overjoyed! Not only had Niang finally acknowledged me, she had given me a task to perform!’ (page 169)
This quote relates to the theme of self-esteem. Adeline’s feelings are always affected by her parents’ and are altered depending on the way her parents respond towards her. She has lived in a dark shadow all her life, and is well immune to being ignored and forgotten. When her parents acknowledge her presence, or even say a few harmless words to her, she feels immensely pleased.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
(E) The author is showing how terrible the family’s live was. The family members were separated and was worse when a tragedy had happened earlier.…
- 485 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
In the beginning of paragraph twenty-seven, the children of Granny Weatherall were not scared and did not have to hang on to their mother because the lamp was lit. Additionally, Anne Porter wrote, “Their eyes followed the…
- 768 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
This passage makes me feel sad because of the sudden death of Liesel. As a result, this prompts me into realizing that one of theme of this book is about how life is unpredictable. An example of this is when Liesel dies without warning. I can relate to this theme because a friend of mine from elementary has committed suicide and none of her friends knew until her parents posted a post on Facebook declaring that she has died. Therefore, I've learned that cherishing the people around me is important as they might die without warning, like…
- 98 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
“Feeling wouldn’t run half so high if this had happened to anyone except the Clutters. Anyone less admired. Prosperous. Secure. But that family represented everything people hereabouts really value and respect, and that such a thing could happen to them –well , it’s like being told there is no God. It makes life seem pointless.” (88)…
- 1206 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
The most evident psychological problem Tayo’s Auntie is dealing with is her lack of self-esteem. This was brought upon by her siblings’ disappointing choices. Her siblings’ brought shame to the family and the main cause for such disgrace was Auntie’s sister’s…
- 958 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
| You receive so much information and deep emotions from this one quote. The author tells us that this boy has gone through traumatic events which have changed his life. He is hurt by the memory of it and must remember it everyday.…
- 6349 Words
- 26 Pages
Better Essays -
* “In this place, it is every man for himself, and you can not think of others. Not even your father. In this place there is no such thing as a father, brother, friend. Each of us lives and dies alone.”…
- 1250 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Carl Jung once said, “Loneliness does not come from having no people around you, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to you.” After all, people in desperate situation will often feel defeated because all of their plans and ambitions in life have failed. The fact that these individuals lack a meaningful and open relationship causes them to feel depressed and unwanted, a condition that we refer to as loneliness. Loneliness is not just limited just to everyday life, but can be found as a theme in both modern and traditional literature. An example of this is Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome, which takes place in Starkfield, a fictional town in the New England countryside. In this tragic love story, Wharton uses the theme…
- 809 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
In this short story we meet Sister and four members of her family. The Protaganist of the story ia Sister , the oldest child of two girls, and her younger sister Stella-Rondo is the family favorite. It seems everything Sister wants, Stella-Rondo gets. Sister says that Stella-Rondo stole her boyfriend for it was Sister who had been dating Mr. Whitaker first until Stella- Rondo, being the jealous person she was told him that Sister was "one-sided," unequal on both sides. And that in-turn ended the relationship.Sisters real problem is that she is extreamly jelous of Stella-rondo. And she, Sister, at times can be a little selfish. For instance at the end Sister says to herself, "And if Stella-Rondo should come to me this minute, on bended knee, and attempt to explain the incidents of her life with Mr. Whitaker, I'd simply put my fingers in both my ears and refuse to listen" (153). That statement alone defines her jealously and selfishness towards her sister, because it seems Mr. Whitaker is the only thing she is really upset about for she makes no mention about any of the other family members,…
- 1143 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
One of the challenges of growing up is loneliness. As a small child living in Brooklyn Francie had no friends her age, the kids in her neighborhood that would have been candidates for friends either found her too quiet or shunned her for being different. "So in the warm summer days the lonesome child sat on her stoop and pretended disdain for the group of children playing on the sidewalk" (pg. 106). Francie played with her imaginary companions and made believe they were better than real children. But all the while her heart beat in rhythm to the poignant sadness of the song the children sang while walking around in a ring with hands joined." As time went by and Francie got older she began to get to know a different kind of loneliness. "Spring came early that year and the sweet warm nights made her restless. She walked up and down the streets and through the park. And wherever she went, she saw a boy and a girl together; walking arm-in-arm, sitting on a park bench with their arms around each other, standing closely and in silence in a vestibule. Everyone in the world but Francie had a sweetheart or a friend she seemed to be the only lonely one in Brooklyn without a friend. (pg. 403)" Loneliness is one of the challenges we must all conquer as part of maturing and it helps us learn to be independent and overcome hardship.…
- 1240 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
The lasting impact of early life lessons is shown in this quote. This idea was an ever-present theme in the book, particularly from Aibileen’s side of the story. After raising and coming to love 19 babies, only one of which was her own, in her lifetime Aibileen has made non prejudice and equality a big point of childhood upbringing. Most of the maids, including Aibileen, find it hard to understand that they take care of and love on these children their entire childhood, but the children still end up treating the help as their lesser when they are grown ups.…
- 1171 Words
- 5 Pages
Powerful Essays -
“She was the golden thread that united him to a Past beyond his misery, and to a Present beyond his misery: and the sound of her voice, the light of her face, the touch of her hand, had a strong beneficial influence with him almost always.”…
- 870 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
“Actually, feeling lonely has little to do with how many friends you have. It 's the way you feel inside. Some people who feel lonely may rarely interact with people and others who are surrounded by people but don 't feel connected” (Karyn Hall 2013). Truthfully, loneliness is something almost all people fear. It 's a deeper feeling then just being isolated. It 's feeling distant or disconnected from others. Loneliness is so much more than just feeling secluded, it 's feeling rejected by society, or even like an outcast. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck suggests that there is a deeper meaning to being lonely than just the superficial sense of loneliness. This is portrayed through Crooks, Candy, and Curley 's Wife.…
- 1327 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men deals with many different themes. Revolving these themes are characters overcoming issues and conflicts in their lives. One of the themes that have created the biggest impact on the characters in the novel is loneliness. Loneliness occurres in every character’s life, and impacts it drastically. Ronald Anthony says “When we truly realize that we are alone is when we need others the most.” This quotation means a person never fully realizes the importance of a friend and the impact they can set on a life, until they are gone. This quotation is illustrated in the novel various times by the characters, Lennie, Candy, Curly’s wife, and Crooks. Each of these characters come from a small town called “Soledad” which is South of California in the Salinas Valley. Soledad means “lonely,” so clearly Steinbeck has a way of introducing words to the novel to create a lonely and blue atmosphere. Furthermore, These characters all live a life of loneliness and despair. He makes it clear that all men that work on the ranch are lonely, with particular people who are lonelier then others. There are many situations when each character feels so alone in such an ominous world. Therefore, the purpose of this essay is to clearly show the many examples where each character needs someone by their side, so they are not alone. Evidence to support the validity of this thesis will be proven throughout the remaining of the essay.…
- 1955 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays -
We examines one story of Amy tan in our course that was ' Voice from the opposite side of the divider " From his story, we comprehend that regardless of what the moms are doing, they are really endeavoring to secure their little girls and enable them to make tracks in an opposite direction from threat and troubles. For instance, Ying-yang revealed to Lena must not go to any heading but rather just school and back home to stay away from any perils. Furthermore, we should regularly express our considerations to our moms. In spite of the fact that reasoning about the most exceedingly bad conceivable thing which may happen can help us to stay away from it, having an uplifting state of mind is critical excessively in light of the fact that in the…
- 661 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays