Concept of Suffering in Briar Rose
How has Yolen explored the concept of suffering in Briar Rose?
The sufferings of individuals are the incidents of unfortunate events that traumatize and change the perspective on reality. In the novel, Briar Rose, Yolen bases the concept of suffering in reference to the Nazi regime (1939-1945). Yolen has created a bleak, inhumane past for certain charecters that are survivors from the mistreatment of the Nazi regime to share their first hand experience and highlight their continuous suffering.
In the novel, Briar Rose, Gemma’s suffering was suggested through her behaviour telling Becca the story of Sleeping Beauty that allegorises to her experience during the Nazi regime. Yolen bases Gemma’s story as an allusion to the fairytale, Sleeping Beauty, in order to suggest that Gemma’s past may have been too traumatizing to comprehend. “Bad Fairy, the one in big black boots and silver eagles on the hat.” Alliteration is used to emphasize that Gemma is telling a fairytale where everything isn’t too brutal and traumatic as it is a story for children. This hints to the audience that Gemma’s dark past may have been too disturbing and tragic for the children and herself to This symbolizes to the Nazi’s military uniform in which forebodes to the audience that Gemma’s stories are not just fairytales, but hold a deeper meaning. This creates suspense and curiosity within the readers to further read and discover the reason to Gemma’s suffering.
Josef Potocki is another character who has dealt with the Nazi because of his homosexuality. The suffering of his past is shown as he detaches himself when storytelling to Becca. “Josef stared down into the bodies, but only one in the thousand did he really see-a child, no more than three or four, fair haired, on the very top of the heap.” The emotionless tone used emphasizes Josef’s disconnection to the story he is sharing. This further suggests to the readers that Josef’s suffering was far too traumatic for him resulting to his
The sufferings of individuals are the incidents of unfortunate events that traumatize and change the perspective on reality. In the novel, Briar Rose, Yolen bases the concept of suffering in reference to the Nazi regime (1939-1945). Yolen has created a bleak, inhumane past for certain charecters that are survivors from the mistreatment of the Nazi regime to share their first hand experience and highlight their continuous suffering.
In the novel, Briar Rose, Gemma’s suffering was suggested through her behaviour telling Becca the story of Sleeping Beauty that allegorises to her experience during the Nazi regime. Yolen bases Gemma’s story as an allusion to the fairytale, Sleeping Beauty, in order to suggest that Gemma’s past may have been too traumatizing to comprehend. “Bad Fairy, the one in big black boots and silver eagles on the hat.” Alliteration is used to emphasize that Gemma is telling a fairytale where everything isn’t too brutal and traumatic as it is a story for children. This hints to the audience that Gemma’s dark past may have been too disturbing and tragic for the children and herself to This symbolizes to the Nazi’s military uniform in which forebodes to the audience that Gemma’s stories are not just fairytales, but hold a deeper meaning. This creates suspense and curiosity within the readers to further read and discover the reason to Gemma’s suffering.
Josef Potocki is another character who has dealt with the Nazi because of his homosexuality. The suffering of his past is shown as he detaches himself when storytelling to Becca. “Josef stared down into the bodies, but only one in the thousand did he really see-a child, no more than three or four, fair haired, on the very top of the heap.” The emotionless tone used emphasizes Josef’s disconnection to the story he is sharing. This further suggests to the readers that Josef’s suffering was far too traumatic for him resulting to his