Eng 125 Final
Journey through Literature
ENG125
Deborah Zeringue
July 22, 2013
No matter what type of story we are reading there is always something to be found if you look a little deeper. The writer is able to bring readers in with the use of rhythm, characterization, or setting, among many other things throughout their writing. It is imagination that allows us, the readers of these stories and poems, to be able to fill in the blanks or mentally visualize what the writer wants us to see through use of descriptive words or symbolism. In the story “Used To Live Here Once” by Jean Rhys and the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, I recognized a similar theme; It doesn’t matter what we are doing in life or where our journey is taking us, everyone has the opportunity to choose their own destiny. Don’t be fooled by the comparing theme, these stories are very different when it comes to symbolism and also in the way that they were written.
The theme in each of these works is much the same, but it is presented in very different ways. In “I Used to Live Here Once” by Jean Rhys, this woman in the story was in this journey alone. The author in this story explains of a woman who is alone and reflecting on her life. In each piece of literary writing being discussed in this paper, the loneliness throughout the journey is clear. However, the ending to the journeys vary because of the choices the characters make. “The Road Not Taken”, Frost used “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” which told me that he was on a journey; he also used “and sorry I could not travel both” as a way to tell the audience that he had to make the decision of which path to take. The author did not speak of anyone traveling with the subject, which lead me to the conclusion that he was traveling alone.
A story’s setting also affects the kind of engagement that the readers will have with the story. An illustration would be the title of the Road Not Taken. From the title itself, the reader can already
ENG125
Deborah Zeringue
July 22, 2013
No matter what type of story we are reading there is always something to be found if you look a little deeper. The writer is able to bring readers in with the use of rhythm, characterization, or setting, among many other things throughout their writing. It is imagination that allows us, the readers of these stories and poems, to be able to fill in the blanks or mentally visualize what the writer wants us to see through use of descriptive words or symbolism. In the story “Used To Live Here Once” by Jean Rhys and the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, I recognized a similar theme; It doesn’t matter what we are doing in life or where our journey is taking us, everyone has the opportunity to choose their own destiny. Don’t be fooled by the comparing theme, these stories are very different when it comes to symbolism and also in the way that they were written.
The theme in each of these works is much the same, but it is presented in very different ways. In “I Used to Live Here Once” by Jean Rhys, this woman in the story was in this journey alone. The author in this story explains of a woman who is alone and reflecting on her life. In each piece of literary writing being discussed in this paper, the loneliness throughout the journey is clear. However, the ending to the journeys vary because of the choices the characters make. “The Road Not Taken”, Frost used “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” which told me that he was on a journey; he also used “and sorry I could not travel both” as a way to tell the audience that he had to make the decision of which path to take. The author did not speak of anyone traveling with the subject, which lead me to the conclusion that he was traveling alone.
A story’s setting also affects the kind of engagement that the readers will have with the story. An illustration would be the title of the Road Not Taken. From the title itself, the reader can already
References: Abel, Elizabeth. Women And Schizophrenia: The Fiction of Jean Rhys. 2nd ed. Vol. 20. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Spring 1979. Contemporary Literature. Web. 6 July 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1207964?uid=3739920&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21102517455227>. Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. (https://content.ashford.edu/books) Frost R. (1916). The Road Not Taken. Mountain Interval. New York: Holt. Rhys, J. (1976). “I Used to Live Here Once”. Sleep it off, lady. London: Penguin Books.