'to Da-Duh, in Memoriam’ and ‘a Horse and Two Goats’ Present Conflict
In ‘To Da-Duh, In Memoriam’ and ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ both writers present conflicting ideas through language techniques, symbolism and themes. Paule Marshall’s ‘To Da-Duh’ expresses competition between the two main characters, her and her grandmother as an autobiographical story told from the point of view of an adult looking back on a childhood memory. R K Narayan wrote ‘A Horse and Two Goats’ in 3rd person displaying verbal difference between Muni, a poor Tamil-speaking villager, and a wealthy English-speaking businessman from New York. These short stories convey a form of conflict between the main characters which progress throughout the story.
Initially the two writers suggest instant conflict at the beginning of the novel between the different lives of each of the characters. Marshall focuses on a rivalry between grandmother and granddaughter; this conflict is based on several opposing forces, particularly the rural world versus the urban world, tradition versus modernity, and age versus youth. Although an old woman, the narrator’s grandmother is lively and sharp. When she meets her grandchildren, Da-duh examines them. She calls the narrator’s older sister ‘‘lucky,’’ but she silently looks at the narrator, calling the child ‘‘fierce.’’ At this point there is an instant competition but also a connection between the characters. Each of them has a stubborn strength and confidence that their way of life way of living is the right. The rivalry symbolisms conflict between modern world and old world, which becomes apparent when Da-duh takes her granddaughter to see the tallest ‘palm tree’ on the island. She asks the child if they have anything as tall in New York. The narrator replies and she tells her about the ‘Empire State building is way taller than that’ showing a constant argument between her and her grandmother. This shows conflict between the two worlds and the main characters. Narayan also demonstrates a conflict between the two different worlds in ‘A
Initially the two writers suggest instant conflict at the beginning of the novel between the different lives of each of the characters. Marshall focuses on a rivalry between grandmother and granddaughter; this conflict is based on several opposing forces, particularly the rural world versus the urban world, tradition versus modernity, and age versus youth. Although an old woman, the narrator’s grandmother is lively and sharp. When she meets her grandchildren, Da-duh examines them. She calls the narrator’s older sister ‘‘lucky,’’ but she silently looks at the narrator, calling the child ‘‘fierce.’’ At this point there is an instant competition but also a connection between the characters. Each of them has a stubborn strength and confidence that their way of life way of living is the right. The rivalry symbolisms conflict between modern world and old world, which becomes apparent when Da-duh takes her granddaughter to see the tallest ‘palm tree’ on the island. She asks the child if they have anything as tall in New York. The narrator replies and she tells her about the ‘Empire State building is way taller than that’ showing a constant argument between her and her grandmother. This shows conflict between the two worlds and the main characters. Narayan also demonstrates a conflict between the two different worlds in ‘A