Category: Book Review

In the story, ”The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, it follows a couple whose names are Monsieur and Madame Loisel. Monsieur Loisel tries to make his wife happy but fails to fully understand her feelings. Madame Loisel aspires to feel rich and have fancy items like jewelry, expensive tapestries and fine furniture, but she feels that her items that she already has are undesirable. Her husband later brings her an invitation to a dance and is surprised when she said that she was unhappy at the site of this news. Monsieur suggests she goes to Madame Forestier, Madame’s friend, and ask to borrow a piece of jewelry and Monsieur gives money he was saving up for a gun to Madame in order to pay for her dress. After the party, Madame loses the necklace she borrowed from Madame Forestier and Monsieur goes to look for it. Monsieur later convinces Madame to lie to Madame Forestier and buy one that looks almost exactly like it, this makes the two go into debt and waste 10 years of their life struggling to pay off this expensive diamond necklace. Monsieur deserves his fate because he spoiled his wife by trying to blindly make her happy, told Madame to go to Madame Forestier to get a piece of jewelry, and giving the idea to Madame to tell Madame Forestier about the necklace and buying another identical looking one instead.

Monsieur spoiled his wife in order to make her happy which made him deserve his fate. Monsieur does not fully understand his wife and blindly tries to make her happy with various surprises such as the invitation to the dance and money for the dress. Of course, the motive of wanting to make her happy results in him inviting to the dance. His misunderstanding and obliviousness is shown when the story states,”Instead of being delighted, as her husband had hoped, she scornfully tossed the invitation on the table…(p.191)̈ This quote shows how he is deserving of his fate because of the words ¨as her husband had hoped..̈ show how he was oblivious to what he was doing to make Madamde happy. Monsieur deserves his fate because he is oblivious to the things he does for Madame in order to make her happy.

In addition to blindly trying to make Madame happy, Monsieur also proposed to Madame to get a piece of jewelry from Madame Forestier. At first he suggested that she wore flowers on her dress and she declined that idea, saying that she did not want to look poor. When he suggests the idea of getting a piece of jewelry, he has no realization of the consequences that could upbring from this as well as, telling her that should just wear flowers or not go. This is shown in the quote “ My but you’re silly! Go see your friend Madame Forestier and ask her to lend you some jewelry. You and she know each other well enough for you to do that.¨ This shows how Monsieur is unaware of the possible consequences of his actions because of the words ̈My but your silly!̈ ̈ These words show this because it illustrates his attitude toward the idea which, in turn, tells us he is not thinking ahead. Monsieur is deserving of his fate.

Finally, Monsieur is deserving of his fate because he advised Madame to not tell the truth about the necklace to Madame Forestier and insisted on buying another one in place for the necklace they lost. Due to this decision Monsieur made, both Madame and Monsieur lived in poverty and debt as they had to pay the necklace off. Monsieur, in doing this, had protected his wife from her consequences instead by not telling the truth to Madame Forestier, and this did not allow his wife to learn from her actions. If Monsieur had simply told the truth, him and Madame would not have been in debt and forced to pay of the necklace. This detail can be supported with the words ̈We ́ll have to write to your friend, he said, to tell her you have broken the catch and are having it prepared ̈ These words support the claim because they show how Monsieur gave the idea to Madame and made them both live incredibly poor lives. This is why MOnsieur is deserving of his fate.

Many people could say that Monsieur wasn ́t deserving of his fate, people think that he was just trying to be a good husband. A quote to support to counterclaim is ̈Look, I ́ve got something for you …But my dear, I thought you´d be thrilled to death.̈ People think this can prove their claim because they think that he was just trying to make her wife happy. This can be rebutted because a good husband would think ahead and help make his wife happy by understanding her feelings. This is not the case with Monsieur because he doesn’t do any of this and instead blindly tries to make his wife happy and does not attempt to fully understand his wife so he is deserving of his fate. Hence, Monsieur is deserving of his fate because he blindly tries to make his wife happy, told Madame to go to Madame Forestier, and he gave to idea to lie to Madame Forestier.

Magic of Harry Potter

This article proposes that the around the world, multiage intrigue of Harry Potter may lie in the manner these accounts of enchantment address the issues of readers to discover significance in the present unmagical settings and to solve their Harry Potter Quiz.

The imaginative intrigue and representative viability of the books for youngsters are examined as far as Bruno Bettelheim’s The Uses of Enchantment. The improvement of Harry Potter as a legend in the mythic/fantasy tradition, which permits youthful grown-ups to get a handle on a feeling of expectation for meaning and triumph, are investigated as far as Joseph Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces.

Harry Potter is a progression of seven dream books composed by the British writer J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the experiences of a wizard, Harry Potter, and his companions Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, every one of whom are understudies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The primary story bend concerns Harry’s journey to beat the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort, whose points are to get undying, overcome the wizarding scene, enslave non-mysterious individuals, and annihilate every one of the individuals who hinder him, particularly Harry Potter.

Themes

As per Rowling, a significant subject in the arrangement is passing: ‘My books are to a great extent about death. They open with the passing of Harry’s folks. There is Voldemort’s fixation on vanquishing demise and his journey for eternality at any value, the objective of anybody with enchantment. I so comprehend why Voldemort needs to vanquish demise. We’re totally alarmed of it.

Scholastics and columnists have created numerous different translations of subjects in the books, some more mind boggling than others, and some including political subtexts. Topics, for example, ordinariness, mistreatment, endurance, and beating forcing chances have all been considered as pervasive all through the series.

Similarly, the subject of clearing one’s path through puberty and ‘going over one’s most nerve racking experiences—and hence grappling with them’ has likewise been considered. Rowling has expressed that the books contain ‘a drawn out contention for resilience, a delayed request for a conclusion to extremism’ and that additionally give a message to ‘question authority and… not accept that the foundation or the press discloses to all of you of the truth’.

While the books could be said to contain numerous different topics, for example, power/maltreatment of intensity, love, partiality, and free decision, they are, as Rowling states, ‘profoundly settled in the entire plot’; the author wants to let subjects ‘develop naturally’, as opposed to plunking down and deliberately endeavoring to give such plans to her readers.

Along similar lines is the ever-present topic of pre-adulthood, in whose delineation Rowling has been intentional in recognizing her characters’ sexualities and not leaving Harry, as she put it, ‘stuck in a condition of lasting pre-pubescence’. Rowling said that, to her, the ethical essentialness of the stories appears ‘blindingly self-evident’. The key for her was the decision between what is correct and what is simple, ‘since that … is the means by which oppression is begun, with individuals being impassive and taking the simple course and out of nowhere ending up in a tough situation.

Interpretations

The arrangement has been converted into 67 languages, putting Rowling among the most interpreted writers in history. The books have seen interpretations to differing dialects, for example, Azerbaijani, Ukrainian, Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Welsh, Afrikaans, Albanian, Latvian and Vietnamese. The primary volume has been converted into Latin and even Ancient Greek, making it the longest distributed work in Ancient Greek since the books of Heliodorus of Emesa in the third century AD.

A portion of the interpreters employed to chip away at the books were notable writers before their work on Harry Potter, for example, Viktor Golyshev, who regulated the Russian interpretation of the arrangement’s fifth book. The Turkish interpretation of books two to seven was attempted by Sevin Okyay, a famous abstract pundit and social commentator.

For reasons of mystery, interpretation can possibly begin when the books are discharged in English; in this manner there is a slack off a while before the interpretations are accessible. This has prompted an ever increasing number of duplicates of the English releases being offered to fretful fans in non-English talking nations. Such was the noise to peruse the fifth book that its English language release turned into the principal English-language book ever to top the smash hit list in France.

Voldemort returns

During Harry’s fourth year of school (in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) Harry is reluctantly entered as a member in the Triwizard Tournament, a perilous challenge where Harry must contend with a witch and a wizard ‘champion’ from visiting schools just as another Hogwarts student. Harry is guided through the competition by Professor Alastor ‘Frantic Eye’ Moody, who ends up being an impostor – one of Voldemort’s supporters named Barty Crouch, Jr in camouflage.

Where the secret is disentangled imprints the arrangement’s day of work from premonition and vulnerability into open clash. Voldemort’s arrangement to have Crouch utilize the competition to bring Harry to Voldemort succeeds. In spite of the fact that Harry figures out how to get away, Cedric Diggory, the different Hogwarts champion in the competition, is slaughtered and Voldemort reenters the wizarding scene with a physical body.

In the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry must stand up to the recently reemerged Voldemort. Because of Voldemort’s return, Dumbledore re-enacts the Order of the Phoenix, a mystery society which works from Sirius Black’s dull family home to crush Voldemort’s cronies and secure Voldemort’s objectives, particularly Harry.

Regardless of Harry’s portrayal of Voldemort’s ongoing exercises, the Ministry of Magic and numerous others in the otherworldly world will not accept that Voldemort has returned. In an endeavor to counter and in the long run dishonor Dumbledore, who alongside Harry is the most conspicuous voice in the wizarding scene endeavoring to caution of Voldemort’s arrival, the Ministry selects Dolores Umbridge as the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. She changes the school into an authoritarian system and won’t permit the understudies to learn approaches to safeguard themselves against dim magic.

A considerable lot of the issues found in present day times are because of occasions that numerous Americans make look like ‘commonplace’ in connection to disasters and shameful acts. The Other Wes Moore superbly represents these accurate torments that a large number of individuals face in the United States, in part because of ethnicity or social foundation. The occasions of neediness, monetary treachery, medications, and family impact in The Other Wes Moore add to huge discoveries in financial structure that identify with impressive issues in the present day.

A top to bottom examination on the narrative of both Wes and Moore according to an understudy of National Security and Foreign Affairs, and through the point of view of an Intelligence Officer, uncovers little factors that the two characters confronted that brought about life changing conditions. The reason for this paper is to look at, differentiate, and relate the conditions that were looked by both Wes Moore’s, and how those effects change political choices and eventually matters of national security.Commonalities among Wes and Moore in regards to their development and advancement included monetary issues, fatherlessness, the utilization and managing of controlled substances, and the general contribution of their family on their lives. The ideas concerning the field of national security are intensely impacted by the themes states above.

Both Moore families face monetary bad form in either Baltimore and the Bronx. For the creator, his mom battles to send him to Riverdale County School, an esteemed tuition based school far away from the neediness he is utilized to in the Bronx. His mom maintains numerous sources of income just to send her child to a spot where he can accomplish scholastic greatness and get the instruction he merits. Nonetheless, when he goes to this school, Moore understands that in contrast with his kindred understudies who likewise go to this school, his family is monetarily distraught. Gigantic measures of extraordinary destitution can be considered a danger to residential and worldwide security for an assortment of reasons.

For countries that are constrained into across the board destitution, common distress is regularly present and may bring about the demolition of outskirts and all out rebellion. Training is a significant factor regarding national security also, in the United States, exceptionally taught residents can flourish and haul themselves out of a financial opening, likewise to the creator, and much like what the first estimations of the American Dream represented. To Mary, her acknowledgment letter to John Hopkins was a gift from heaven and, ‘It was a brilliant pass to a different universe,’ and that it was a pathway to ‘the existence she needed, the existence she imagined about.’ However, even the profoundly taught can be driven into a universe of psychological oppression. Georgetown University teacher, Carol Lancaster depicts how ‘[t]he psychological oppressors of Al Qaeda were taught, from wealthy families, and for the most part from nations that have quite a while in the past moved on from the class of the world’s least fortunate,’ . By the by, senior security Iraqi authorities announced that most of ISIS initiates were, ‘generally youngsters between the ages of 16 and 25 who are principally poor, jobless and do not have training.’ Based on his experience, Wes would have been a prime contender for enlistment by radicalized bunches since they regularly boost methods for getting away treacheries and picking up control in a gathering that they are acknowledged by. A similar way of thinking applies to packs are all through the country, which clearly builds residential wrongdoing rates. Later on position of an Intelligence Officer with specializations in counterterrorism, it is crucial to comprehend the underlying foundations of radicalized gatherings and the inspirations they offer for moderate regular people to join their positions. It is far less expensive to battle these issues, for example, broad destitution, at their source in the United States and all through the world, as opposed to attack and vanquish, however offer no long haul arrangements .

Notwithstanding the setbacks brought upon by the repulsions of financial bad form, the earth of family life significantly affects the childhood of a kid. Both Moore and Wes were bastard since early on, yet from the information on their dads, they had distinctly unique child rearing styles. The start of the story portrays one of only a handful not many recollections that Moore has of his dad, Westley. At the point when Moore is three years of age, he energetically punches his more established sister, Nikki. Satisfaction, his mom, is enraged, which upsets Moore, however when Westley comes to talk with him, he communicates catastrophe and the methods and thoughts for amending is activities and bad behavior. Westley kicked the bucket not long after of epiglottitis. As far back as at that point, Westley was a motivation to Moore and he strived to make his dad pleased, despite the fact that he was no longer with them. Westley was Moore’s motivation and set him up on a way for progress. Then again, Wes’ dad, Bernard, left his family before the introduction of his child. Wes initially meets his dad when he is eight, as he is perched on Wes’ grandma’s love seat in a heavy drinker trance. Unmistakably, Bernard doesn’t have the positive effect on Wes’ life, similar to that Moore did with his dad. Wes’ other relatives were not helpful for his prosperity either. In spite of the fact that it doesn’t make them ‘awful individuals’, quite a bit of Wes’ family experiences liquor or medication misuse, and are not as present in the life of a small kid as a great many people would seek after. It appears to me that an impact that kept Wes’ inline was the pride he took in his recreational football crew.

[Wes] played cautious end for the Northwood Rams, extraordinary compared to other rec football crews in the country. Wes adored football, and his athletic casing made him a whiz. Regardless of whether he was simply going out to play in the avenues with Woody and some different companions, he wore that pullover like a symbol of respect. The blood red ‘Northwood’ that blasted over his white shirt gave him a feeling of pride, a feeling of having a place.

His consideration and accomplishment on the Rams enabled him to teach himself in light of the fact that the group was so critical to him, it gave him something that he really thought about in a real existence that offered him so little. Shockingly, Wes’ life exacerbated a turn for the when he got associated with the medication game like such huge numbers of his friends. Some may contend this was important for Wes as he had hardly any different methods for procuring cash to endure and satisfy his wants. This is imperative to comprehend in my control and future vocation since it is fundamental to comprehend basic different focuses in the lives that culprits are made. Be that as it may, in the field of national security, violations must be taken a gander at from a more extensive point of view, with the goal that one can comprehend the social and political impacts that influence the lives these people.

By and large, The Other Wes Moore interfaces with my order by giving a contextual investigation of how two individuals, naturally introduced to fundamentally the same as universes, can have such various outcomes. Understanding those rotate focuses and forks in street can assist me with bettering fathom broad financial that can possibly turn into a local or outside risk. Besides, this novel doesn’t totally change my impression of Ut Proism, however it provides knowledge into who I am serving, and why. This story is perpetually promising to help other people take the way that Moore took, instead of Wes, and in spite of the fact that everybody’s case shifts, it gives speculations of the individuals who might be in danger for getting engaged with wrongdoing.

The society in which Jonas lives in is essentially known as a dystopian world that portrays a failed utopian world. His society is a world where everything has gone wrong. Jonas society has attempted utopia – where they try to hide the pain, suffering and violence within these memories that no one other than The Giver and Receiver of Memory can know of. This world is heavily controlled by the “Elders” who program and manipulate the community, so they think and act in certain ways. In other words, the people within this society are emotionally stunted and aren’t equipped to receive or even handle human emotions.

Emotions are filtered and contained by the Giver. People are expected to maintain Sameness, where no one can make their own choices as it’s “not safe” and “wrong choices” might be made. Any differences are “sent away,” where we can assume they are banished or left to die outside the enclosed community. This is where the community is left to think of Elsewhere. At the age of twelve, everyone is given a job that best fits them. They continue school while also training for their new “life” and role which was of course given by the Elders. This is quite different to our society. Our world is less controlled and hidden from what lies beneath. Our communities fight. We aren’t “perfect” where hunger, hatred, conflict, illness and warfare doesn’t even exist. Although most of us would like to see less of these things, only few would be willing to give up the freedom we have. The novels community is also different from ours because everyone is formed to the government’s (Elders) will, and everything is once again the same. Harmony is maintained because of such government control, and how they convince people that it is their own idea. Rules are enforced by once again having the “Elders” control and create their own rules that each and every individual citizen of their community must follow. This is done by rulebooks that are received at ceremonies. They also always keep everyone under surveillance where if someone breaks a rule, the Elders will announce the broken rule and remind everyone that that certain thing cannot be done.

Jonas begins as an eleven-year-old protagonist in “The Giver.” Throughout the novel, we see different traits that Jonas upholds. He is intelligent and sensitive, as well as growing with these strange “powers” of perception that he is yet to understand. Jonas is later chosen to be the new Receiver of Memory for his community; “Jonas has not been assigned, … Jonas has been selected. Such a selection is very, very rare. …. Jonas was identified as a possible Receiver many years ago. We have observed him meticulously. There were no dreams of uncertainty. He has shown all the qualities that a Receiver must have; Intelligence, Integrity, Courage, Wisdom, and one last quality which is the Capacity to See Beyond.” (pg 60-62)

Even before Jonas is a Receiver, he is unusually thoughtful and expresses great concern for both his family and his friends, and thinks it’d be a good thing if he got closer to other people. After Jonas’ training begins, his “universe” widens dramatically. He has a new sort of awareness with strong emotions, new and beautiful colours, and a great suffering of “physical pain” (pg 62) which only helps him understand and become passionate about his society and the world around him.

Jonas name has significance that some might not have picked up. According to the author; Lois Lowry, Jonas was named after the biblical character, Jonah, who is swallowed by a whale after going in the opposite direction God tells him to go because he is afraid. This to me means that in the book, Jonas is someone who wants to make a change go how his community is living because everything that is true about it, is hidden. They’re living a lie, and Jonas wants to change that. He wants freedom. This means that he wants to go in the “opposite direction” from the rest of his community, which is similar to Jonah from the bible. Jonas and Jonah were afraid of what might happen to themselves and they want to see beyond, so they can change their surroundings with truth. Jonas name in Hebrew also means “Dove.” This is a sneaky way Lois Lowry managed to get across the protagonist’s role and what he wants because the word “Dove,” means peace. Jonas wants to bring peace, hope, light and love to his community. He wants everyone to “choose, instead of the Sameness.” (pg 97)

A sign that makes Jonas special is his eyes. Between Jonas and The. Giver, there is definitely an association between those who can receive memories and those who have light eyes. For example, Jonas’s role as The Receiver is in some way pre-destined. He was born with the right attributes needed to become what he became. It fits, and means he’s supposed to do this.

Light eyes also give us the ability to hint the fact that Jonas and The Giver share a special bond, which is something that others will never have. It could also signal the close bond between Gabriel and Jonas. He himself always thought there was something peculiar about having light eyes, that somehow represent “depth” and the “Capacity to see Beyond.” Jonas has the ability to see deeper than others and the capacity to view the world differently with more reflection, insight, etc, which makes it appear his eyes are different to everyone else’s.

It is necessary to have a Receiver in this community because then people in the community don’t have to feel bad experiences/feelings or experiences from “the past.” As a result, they also cannot handle any serious or emotional experiences that may be intense due to them not being used to having them or even knowing that traumatic events exist or once existed in their society. The Receiver of Memory is trained by The Giver so that when they get released, the Receiver can take over. The Giver in particular shares wisdom of all his memories and pain from the past onwards to the Receiver who can then help the community when they have a problem or people like the “Elders” don’t know the answer to some thing or it’s new to them. The community feels that having a Receiver is necessary so that they can avoid pain, but they are actually just allowing adults to have the emotional maturity of a child. For this novel’s world, it is also important they have a Receiver because they are the only ones who can see the true things of their own society that lie beneath the boundaries that others cannot see themselves.

Frequently referred to as the ‘What if…?’ genre, speculative fiction is a cover term for a diverse range of literature that diverges from the empirical reality that mimetic fiction implements (Jones, 2016). This genre encompasses science fiction, fantasy, horror, and invites the readers to consider the complex ways their choices contribute to generating the future (Hieroglyph, 2016). The 2014 film Ex-Machina depicts an eerily realistic future where Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) has advanced in order to create human-like entities with a conscience. The novel by author Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale (1986), depicts a frighteningly plausible society in which female oppression and toxic gender roles are implemented in a totalitarian society. Both fictional works display plausible speculation of the future, reflective on the time period in which they were produced.

Directed by Alex Garland, Ex Machina debates the ethics of treating a conscious creation as subordinate to humanity, in a reality where Artificial Intelligence has rapidly progressed. Set in a technology reliant and materialistic society similar to the present, a young programmer Caleb Smith is taken to the luxurious mountain retreat of a genius internet billionaire, Nathan Bateman (Buckmaster, 2015). Smith is tasked with applying the Turing test to Nathan’s newest obsession, a mannequin-shaped humanoid robot named Ava, to ascertain whether the machines behaviour is indistinguishable to that of a human.

However, as the film progresses, psychological manipulation, sexual hierarchy, and encroachment themes expose the moral concerns regarding machine sentience and gender. Garland presents a reality in which the balance of power wavers between human and humanoid intelligence, shown when Ava questions Caleb about her outcome after the testing is complete, asking “Why is it up to anyone?” (Garland, 2014), showing that she understands the vulnerability of her situation. As the unequal power dynamic is made evident, gender is an obvious contributing factor in the oppression of the machines. This is obvious by Nathan’s objectifying behaviour, notably how Ava exhibits signs of feminine intuition that Nathan seems to have created himself whilst giving the humanoid functioning genitalia, but more importantly, his treatment of his domestic A.I, Kyoko (SBS, 2016). A robot who is made to resemble an Asian woman, she is programmed to be subservient, her sole purpose being household chores and to provide sexual pleasure (Tv Tropes, n.d.). Throughout the film, Nathan is dismissive of her consciousness, telling Caleb, “Dude, you’re wasting your time talking to her. She doesn’t understand English” (Garland, 2014). Accompanied by the films convincing usage of futuristic elements and plausible themes, audiences are forced to contemplate the concerns of a future where A.I. have become self-aware and treated as subservient to humanity.

After examining the central themes within the film, it is clear that Ex-Machina presents an accurate prediction of the future based on the societal fears and beliefs of the time period in which it was produced. The concept of A.I. becoming self-aware and harmful has disturbed humanity from as early as 1818 with the introduction of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, as the novel’s scientist contemplates the likelihood that his creation would destroy humanity (Botting, 2019). The fear of A.I.’s future was reinstated in humanity with the introduction of Apple’s 2011 ‘Siri’, and then just mere months from the film’s release, Elon Musk labelled A.I. as humanity’s “biggest existential threat” (Kramer, 2014). However, Garland attempts to present a differing perspective of A.I. and the future of intelligent machines. Ex-Machina is essentially a critical statement of how humanity tends to suppress what they do not understand or fear, whilst showing an acceptance for the impending future of A.I. and criticism for those who misuse their power against sentient beings. This viewpoint is depicted by presenting Ava in a way that lets the audience sympathise with the lack of ethical consideration in her imprisonment. The final scenes, which show Ava kill her creator and escape her confinement, although brutal, the audience is positioned to feel a sense of justice at her freedom. Garland explains this, quoting,

If you stand with the machine, which is where I stand, then this film becomes about a creature, indistinguishable in any meaningful sense from a human being, who is trapped and wants to get out (Parker, 2015). Nathan summarises Garlands acceptance of the future of artificial intelligence with the quote, One day the A.I.s are going to look back on us the same way we look at fossil skeletons on the plains of Africa. An upright ape living in dust with crude language and tools, all set for extinction (Garland, 2014).

This quote urges the audience to embrace the ensuing technology, rather than maltreat the conscious machines out of fear. Ex-Machina distinctly opposes the beliefs of society within the social and historical context of the time, confirming that the film was directly influenced by real-world events and beliefs that were happening at that time.

Written by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale depicts a frighteningly plausible dystopian future, in which America has been overthrown by religious extremists. Now known as the Republic of Gilead, America assumes a totalitarian theocracy, in order to possess and police complete control over women’s bodies (Atwood, 2019). The novel is narrated by handmaid Offred; one of the few fertile women left, whose sole purpose is to provide offspring for the male elite. This is due to the generations plummeting birth rates, caused by environmental degradation and widespread sexually transmitted diseases (LitCharts, n.d.). The ideals and beliefs of Gilead is depicted by the accepted greeting of the Handmaids; “Blessed be the fruit” (Atwood 1986, p. 29), showing the importance of women’s fertility in this society. The author presents a society dictated by intense religious ideals, in which women are treated as housewives and prohibited from any rights, such as abortion, education, and conversation. Offred reflects upon the lack of rights she retains and the sexist ideals in Gilead when she quotes,

Maybe it isn’t about who can sit and who has to kneel or stand or lie down, legs spread open. Maybe it’s about who can do what to whom and be forgiven for it. Never tell me it amounts to the same thing (Atwood 1986, p. 145). Atwood investigates a reality in which religious extremists have stripped women of all their rights, thus alluding to the social, historical and political context in the era in which the novel was written.

Gilead’s themes of corrupt theonomy and misogynistic principles through the novel present a message of warning against the significant social issues arising at the time the novel was written. Produced in the mid-1980’s, the novel reflects on the issue of a misguided fundamentalist Christian group and Romania’s complete ban of birth control. During the research process, Atwood discovered the ‘People of Hope’, a Christian group who believed society should return to the old testament of the Bible. Similarly, the women in the People of Hope were subservient to men, and were known as the “Handmaidens of God.” Atwood circled this word, and thus became the inspiration for the dystopias inferior female characters, and the religious group who would control the government (Quinn, 2017). As well, the issue of prohibited abortion is referenced in the novel, depicted when Offred considers the lack of abortion rights she retains, quoting “You can’t have them taken out; whatever it is must: be carried to term” (Atwood 1986, p. 112). Atwood’s inspiration for the absence of a women’s choice to birth control was Romania’s ‘Decree 770’, a law passed in 1967 that outlawed abortion and all contraception, the Communist Party’s dictation in order to raise the country’s birth rate (Quinn, 2017). As in The Handmaid’s Tale, not only were abortions and contraception unlawful, women’s bodies were policed by regular enforceable doctor’s checks, in which their ovulation cycle would be closely managed. Through The Handmaid’s Tale’s representation of the historical and social issues that plagued the world, Atwood positions the audience to contemplate the future effect of complacency within society, whilst also directly relating to the societal and historical context in which the novel was written.

Both Ex-Machina and the Handmaids Tale are works of speculative fiction, that effectively display a plausible future based on the time period in which the pieces were created. Similar themes of imprisonment, gender roles, surveillance and feminism can be found in both texts. In particular, Ex-Machina depicts a future in which A.I. technology eventually surpass human intelligence, whilst humanity struggles to maintain control, treating the conscious machines as subservient. The Handmaid’s Tale discusses themes of sexism and a complete absence of women’s rights; a warning against complacency within society. These texts exist as a cautionary tale, attempting to warn humanity of their present flaws, in order to guide society to a better future for civilisation.

References

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8. https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/handmaid/summary/
9. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-handmaid-s-tale/themes/fertility
10. https://historycollection.co/17-moments-in-history-that-inspired-the-handmaids-tale/

“The Necklace” was written in 1884, during the Realist Period which spanned from the mid 19th century to the early 20th century. The Industrial Revolution had changed the landscape of western civilization. Technological developments such as the cotton gin, inspired farm workers to move to more urban areas looking for better jobs. Over-crowding in cities and poor working environments provided ample material for Realist artists and writers who concentrated on displaying the reality of individual life, particularly the common man who was most affected by these changes. Increasing literacy rates made literature more popular and also more influential.

“The Necklace” tells the story of Mathilde, a malcontent housewife who imagines herself deserving of more prosperity and societal influence. “She suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all the luxuries” (Maupassant, 1880). She receives an invitation to a ball and must have a new ball gown and borrows jewels from a friend. Unsurprisingly, the necklace is lost and, rather than explain the mishap to her friend, Mathilde convinces her husband to borrow a significant amount of money to purchase a replacement. They then spend ten years working in a deprivation that she had not experienced before. At the end of ten years, Mathilde is haggard and defeated. She runs into her friend who wonders at her appearance. Mathilde explains the whole ordeal to which the friend exclaims, “Oh, my poor Mathilde! Why, my necklace was paste. It was worth at most 500 francs!” (Maupassant, 1880)

The overarching theme is that of dissatisfaction and the dangers inherent in false self-fashioning. It is a true to life cautionary tale that still applies today. Ironically, in Mathilde’s desire to “prove herself worthy” she loses what little she has and finds herself worse off. The piece explores the differences between classes in a style accessible to a broad audience. The implied warning is, be satisfied with what you have and be honest about your station in life. This demonstrates the period’s preoccupation with social class disparity and the increasing interest in character development.

Guy de Maupassant was a prolific writer of short stories, novels, and verse. His first published story, “Boule de Suif”, (1880) is considered one of his greatest works. One of his most important contributions to the Humanities is as one of the originators of the modern short story genre. “Literary theorist, Kornelije Kvas wrote that, ‘along with Chekhov, Maupassant is the greatest master of the short story in world literature’” (“Kvas, 2019). Maupassant was heavily influenced by the dawn of psychology and his works explored the human mindset and condition, often portraying them grimly.

References

1. Maupassant, G. (1880) The necklace. Retrieved from: http://www.isd518.net/webstes/isd518/files/Content/3804973/GUY_DE_MAUPASSANT.pdf
2. Kvas, K. The boundaries of realism in world literature. Lanham, Boulder, New York, London: Lexington Books. p 131. ISBN 978-1-7936-0910-6

Let’s be honest, that feeling of being betrayed by someone once thought of as trustworthy is like a punch in the stomach. This awful feeling, called betrayal, is defined as violating a person’s trust or confidence – and this is exactly the main theme of the story. A story in which the husband leaves the wife causing the wife to murder her husband. In “Lamb to the Slaughter” written by Roald Dahl, the damaging effects of marriage betrayal are conveyed through the use of characters such as Mr. and Mrs. Maloney, events like the murdering of Patrick Maloney, and through the repetition of dramatic irony.

The theme of betrayal is consistently revealed through characters such as Mr. and Mrs. Maloney. Dahl states that Mr. Maloney will “give you (Mary Maloney) money and see that you’re looked after. But there needn’t really be any fuss.” to demonstrate that Mr. Maloney is leaving his pregnant wife. This, especially, calls attention to betrayal. During a wedding, one vows to stick with their counterpart, both in good times and bad. Obviously, Mr. Maloney failed to do this. This goes to a bigger issue of intent. Did Mr. Maloney intended to stick to his vows or was this a ruse? The next question is if it was ruse…why? Was it because of instability, a mistress, money or some other nefarious means. Additionally, he did betray his future offspring. His actions clearly indicate that he gambled that he had made a determination that what he perceived he was going to gain was more than what he was going to lose. He tried to justify his potential actions, by providing money to his wife. This money demonstrates that he did feel some remorse and appeasement. His justification of the ends of the means is clearly played out when he was killed at the hands of Mary Maloney. The book also shows that Mary Maloney betrayed her friends writing that “In the other room, Mary Maloney began to giggle” while her friends (husbands coworkers) were struggling to find the weapon. The weapon could have been easily disposed of either by a meat grinder, tossing into a river, burying it or letting an animal have a feat. Lying to friends is a violation of a person’s trust, also known as betrayal. What makes it even worse was that she was betraying her friends for her own benefit. The betrayal leads to bigger issues, although trust is a big issue. What was the benefit that she hoped to obtain. Therefore, it is clear to see that betrayal is shown through the characters of Mr. and Mrs. Maloney.

Betrayal is especially prominent through the killing of Mr. Maloney. Dahl notes that “Mary Maloney walked up behind him and without any pause swung the big frozen leg of lamb… as hard as she could on the back of his head” revealing the brutalness of the killing. This brutality evidenced by this extreme rage and anger was deeply personal and without remorse. This is arguably the most severe type of betrayal because, although he was going to leave her, she vowed to always love him and this is not love; this is hate and selfishness. This hatred was not the first time in history(or the last) that this has been demonstrated. What also spotlights the brutalness of this is Dahl claiming “she might just as well hit him with a steel club.” The action of an “animal part” demonstrates the immediacy of her action and quick anger brought on by his betrayal. This shows the intent and the power of the swing showing that Mary was immensely mad. Thus, Mary clearly betrayed her husband by murdering him. The action in her mind was justified without prejudice and she literally wanted to act out “till death due us part” , although by her own hand. This is also ironic in every sense of the word

Roald Dahl showed betrayal exceptionally well with the use of dramatic irony. Throughout the story dramatic irony is present. Dramatic irony is where the reader or the audience knows something that the characters do not. After the murder, the audience knew who killed Mr. Maloney, where he was killed, and what weapon was used to kill him. The audience will still not know the full story, only the end result. The question remains…what caused this betrayal and how Mary Maloney did recognize his potential deceitfulness before their sacred vows. Mr. Maloney made a gamble that cost him his life. It is unknown of his intentions before marriage such as whether he intended to betray her or he was weak in a moment. The detectives (characters) do not; they are trying to determine that. Likewise when she calls the police she exclaims “ Quick! Come quick! Patrick’s dead!” when in reality both she and the reader knows that Mary already knew, but the police did not. Similarly, when she was at the supermarket she referred to Patrick in the present tense saying “Patrick’s decided he’s tired and doesn’t want to eat out tonight.” when he was actually dead, but the clerk did not know. At this point, she is aware of her actions and satisfied with her deadly results. One could also infer that she is satisfied and feels somewhat justified that the ends justify the means, especially due to a betrayal of vows. Therefore, dramatic irony played a crucial role in the story as well as conveying the theme of betrayal.

To conclude, in “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl, betrayal was a prominent theme throughout the short story. It was conveyed through the characters by Mr. Maloney betraying his wife and Mrs. Maloney betrays her friends. In her betrayal to her friends she is hypocritical by her actions. Through the main event of the killing of Patrick specifically with the brutalness of it. Lastly, through dramatic irony consistently giving the reader the advantage on other characters. Thus, betrayal was shown in three different ways throughout “Lamb to the Slaughter.”

Located in Boston Massachusetts, during the 17th century, the Scarlet Letter begins with a gathering of Puritan colonists around a local prison. The colonists in the story seem to be waiting for some sort of public punishment of a prisoner. The mood expressed during this very first chapter of the Scarlet Letter is filled with melancholy and somberness. The only sense of beauty in this chapter is from the wild rose bush rooted at the threshold of the prison door, which brought the residents and prisoners of Boston a feeling of wishful hope.

Hester Prynne, the first character revealed in the Scarlet Letter, stumbles and struggles through a crowd, attempting to reach a designated area near the prison. People begin to surround Hester as they publicly criticize and condemn her, for she is wearing an embroidered badge with a scarlet letter “A” across her chest. This letter’s purpose was to publicize her wrongdoing as an adulterer. Hester is called forth to the scaffold by a church official as she envisions her parents back in England and what they would think of the ghastly situation.

As Hester Prynne glances at the excoriating crowd, she recognizes a familiar man among the people. This man is Roger Chillingworth, her husband. He gestures to Hester not to reveal his identity to the governor and church officials. Chillingworth turns to a stranger standing near him in the horde and asks about Hester’s punishment. The stranger explains that Hester is the wife of and Englishman who lived with her in Amsterdam until he decided to make a move to America. He sent her off to the New World and stayed behind in Amsterdam to resolve affairs, but never ended up joining her in America. Chillingworth, acknowledging his mistakes, realizes that the stranger is indirectly describing him. Reverend Dimmesdale, a minister praised for his knowledge and advice, demanded Hester to reveal her baby’s father. She dismisses his question and chooses not to expose him. She is shortly returned to the prison.

Roger Chillingworth is later called by church officials to provide medical assistance to Hester in her prison cell. This is the first time Chillingworth and Hester meet face to face in a long time. He offers her a cup of medicine, but Hester refuses to take it because she fears he has poisoned it in attempt to make her ill or even to kill her. Chillingworth affirms her that he would never do such a thing and urges her to take the medicine. He also asks Hester to reveal the baby’s father, and after much pleading, she gives in and discloses to him that it may be the “Black Man”. Roger Chillingworth sets off to seek revenge on the man.

After several years, Hester Prynne is released from the prison. She is given the freedom to flee from Boston, Massachusetts, but she decides to stay instead. Hester settles down in an abandoned cabin at the border of town. Although being an outcast to Boston, Hester made a living through her needlework. Through her work of embroidery and sewing, she incorporated memories and events of her life into her masterpieces, except marriage. Regardless of her needlework’s success in the city of Boston, she still felt a sense of loneliness and isolation from everyone around her. Chapter six of the Scarlet Letter introduces Hester’s daughter Pearl as a new character. She was her mother’s only treasure and was purchased with all Hester had. Pearl appears to be an outcast to the rest of the children in Boston. They’d poke fun at Pearl and her mother whenever they had the chance to. One day, while being rested upon her mother’s chest, Pearl began to play with the Scarlet Letter on her mother. She questioned Hester’s mysterious letter, asking where it came from. Hester, knowing that her daughter’s existence itself is in odds with the Puritan society, stays silent and avoids the topic of the origin of her cursed Scarlet Letter.

Hester later pays a visit to Governor Bellingham in his glorious mansion. She was there to deliver a pair of embellished gloves she had made for him and to find out if Pearl would be taken from her due to the rumors that she bore a demon child. Pearl, who was fascinated by the shining armor in the mansion of the governor, began to prance around Bellingham’s residence. A wild rose planted on a bush outside the mansion caught Pearl’s eye as she began to holler for it. A group of four men entered the home, quieting Hester’s daughter, for her obnoxious clamoring rung throughout the household.

Bellingham, Wilson, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth stood in front of Hester as she nervously tried to silence young Pearl. The men began to tease Pearl, calling her names such as “demon child”, and question Hester as to why she should have the authority to keep her child after her wrongdoings. Hester answers the men, telling them that if she keeps her daughter, chances are that Pearl will never make the same mistakes she did. After contemplating the situation, Dimmesdale decides to side with Hester and Pearl and concludes that the mother and child shouldn’t be separated for both of their sake. Bellingham and Wilson agree with Dimmesdale’s decision, but Chillingworth suggests that they further investigate Hester and the mystery of her unknown lover. The men refuse to listen to Chillingworth’s suggestions by responding that God will reveal Hester’s lover in His timing, and His timing only.

Roger Chillingworth has hidden his identity from everyone in Boston, except for Hester. He becomes a doctor in order to be respected and valued by the townspeople, which would also help secure his current identity and keep anyone from knowing who he truly is to Hester. Having knowledge of various remedies and medicines advanced his success as a doctor. Later on, Dimmesdale becomes ill and Chillingworth wishes to cure him of his sickness. The people of Boston start to become suspicious of the situation, believing that Roger Chillingworth is actually a devil trying to capture Dimmesdale’s soul instead of curing him.

Regardless of the townspeople’s opinions of him, Chillingworth attempts to find the cause of Dimmesdale’s health problem. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, begins to question and speculate Chillingworth’s every move, taking the people’s beliefs of Chillingworth into consideration. One afternoon, Dimmesdale and Chillingworth glimpsed Pearl dancing around a graveyard through the window of Dimmesdale’s home. When Pearl catches Chillingworth spying her, she warns her mother of his presence and suggests they leave before he tries to attempt to take her away from Hester. Chillingworth remarks that Hester isn’t a woman of burying sin, yet she wears it openly across her chest. Dimmesdale is disgruntled with Chillingworth’s words. Chillingworth then begins to question Dimmesdale’s physical health, suggesting he may have committed a sin that lead to the consequence of his illness. Dimmesdale is infuriated by Chillingworth’s questioning and leaves his room. This causes Chillingworth to become more suspicious of Dimmesdale’s actions. One day, while Dimmesdale lay resting on his bed reading a sermon, Chillingworth pushes Dimmesdale’s shirt up to see an object upon Dimmesdale’s chest. Chillingworth is left in both horror and excitement of what he had just witnessed.

Chillingworth begins to taunt Dimmesdale and the minister begins to lose trust for him. Dimmesdale continues in his suffering, but the trials he faces help guide him into writing his best sermons. Dimmesdale is holding onto a certain burden of sin that makes him become both physically and emotionally weary and he refuses to reveal it to anyone. He begins to see visions in his sleep. In one of them, he glimpses Hester and Pearl. Hester then puts her hand upon her scarlet letter and points to Dimmesdale’s chest. This causes Dimmesdale to treat himself harshly by whipping himself, fasting, and holding vigils.

One night, Dimmesdale decided to hold a vigil upon the scaffold where Hester stood for her punishment. During his vigil, he begins to illusion, perceiving Reverend Wilson in front of where he stood. He also began to imagine what he would face if everyone in the town of Boston saw him upon the platform. Both Hester and Pearl approached Dimmesdale after returning from visiting Reverend Winthrop, whom had unfortunately passed away. Dimmesdale invited Hester and Pearl to join him on the scaffold. The three of them joined hands as Pearl playfully asked if they would repeat the process over again the next day at noon. Dimmesdale explained to Pearl that they wouldn’t be joining on the scaffold until the day of judgment. Out of nowhere, a meteor lit the night sky, bringing forth a letter “A” in red lighting. Visible to the rest of Boston, the townspeople believed the “A” to be a sign from God that symbolized the “angel” Winthrop was to the people of Boston. From a distance, Chillingworth observed the conversations between Hester and Dimmesdale.

During this chapter of the Scarlet Letter, Pearl is seven years old. Hester becomes more sociable with her acquaintances and puts her needleworking skills to good use. She feeds the needy and gives aid to the sick and suffering. She is still viewed as an outcast to some townspeople of Boston but is accepted and respected as a person by most of the people. Although being seen differently than before, Hester develops a harsher personality.

During an outing to the beach, Hester stumbled upon Chillingworth, whom she wasn’t entirely pleased to see. She approached him to discuss the subject of revealing Chillingworth’s true identity to Dimmesdale. Attempting to change the topic of conversation, Chillingworth mentioned that he had overheard the town fathers’ plan to remove her scarlet letter. Hester remarked that her letter wasn’t able to be moved by anyone or anything until the time was right. She returned to talking about Dimmesdale and how she found it appropriate to let him know who Chillingworth was to her. Hester also pleads with Chillingworth to let his plan to seek vengeance against Dimmesdale go. Chillingworth, however, was impassive about their conversation and still believed that revenge against Dimmesdale was his fate.

After speaking to Chillingworth regarding Dimmesdale, Hester finds Pearl playing inside a tide pool along the beach’s coast. Pearl, whom had sculpted a letter “A” out of eelgrass and placed it upon her chest, was pretending to be an enchanted mermaid. Hester was appalled with Pearl’s actions and questioned why she would do such a thing. She also explained to Pearl that the letter’s symbolism was not of good meaning. This conversation with her mother only caused Pearl to become more curious of what the letter really stood for.

Hester and Pearl venture inside a forest, waiting for Dimmesdale to arrive. Hester is planning on revealing Chillingworth’s true identity to the young minister. While waiting for his arrival, Pearl began to implore her mother to inform her of the “Black Man”. Pearl had eavesdropped a conversation about the man back in the suburbs of the city. Tired and frustrated of Pearl’s constant questions, Hester explains to her daughter that the so-called “Black Man” isn’t a dark, evil man at all.

Dimmesdale approached Hester and Pearl in the forest since Hester requested that he would meet them there. The minister and Hester sat alongside a stream to discuss the forbidden topic: Dimmesdale’s identity. When Hester reveals who Chillingworth truly is to her, Dimmesdale becomes outraged and says it’s her fault he is in such unbearable pain. She emotionally breaks down before him and begs for forgiveness. Dimmesdale is quick to forgive Hester for not telling her ahead of time, but fears that Chillingworth wouldn’t keep their affair a secret. Hester reassures him that everything will turn out alright if he tries to escape from Chillingworth’s evil watch.

Hester and Dimmesdale have decided that fleeing from the bondages of Boston to Europe with young Pearl would be the safest route to go. Hester releases her heavy burden of sin in front of the minister and her child by ripping the letter off her chest. Hester begins to feel a sense of relief as she gains her self-confidence and beauty back after burying it under her sorrows for so long. Hester looks forward to the fact that Pearl will not only have her heavenly father by her side, but her earthly father as well.

Pearl becomes doubtful of the situation and fears walking any further towards her mother and father. She is saddened to see that her mom has taken off her scarlet letter. Hester puts it back on, hoping Pearl would come closer to them. Pearl ran to her mother’s arms and gave her a kiss. Hester asks Pearl to embrace Dimmesdale too. She hadn’t yet revealed to Pearl that Dimmesdale is her biological father.

Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl return to the town feeling renewed and cleansed of all unrighteousness. Hester has found a ship to escape to Europe on. Ecstatic about their decision to leave Boston once and for all, he plans to let everyone he’s ever known that he is a new man in Christ and isn’t who he used to be; sorrowful and enslaved to his burdens of sin. On Dimmesdale’s way back to his home, he sees many familiar faces, but avoids conversation with any of them. When he arrives home, Dimmesdale informs Chillingworth that he isn’t in need of a care-giver anymore. This leads Chillingworth to fear that the minister knows of his real identity. Dimmesdale is set to give a teaching in three days for the elections, but he burns his sermon script in his fireplace and starts over since he is renewed of his faith and cleansed of his previous sins.

The Boston townspeople congregate around the scaffold that Hester was publicly shamed on in the beginning of the Scarlet Letter in extolation of a new governor. Pearl begins to ponder of Dimmesdale in hopes that he will hold her hand like he did back in the forest. During the celebration in Boston, a sailor approaches Hester to inform her that Roger Chillingworth will be taking the same voyage as her, Pearl, and Dimmesdale because he offered to serve as a medic onboard for them. Hester becomes despondent after hearing such news and begins to feel the same emptiness and sorrows as she did in her past.

During the procession in the marketplace, Hester begins to have second thoughts about her plan to escape Boston with Pearl and Dimmesdale. All of a sudden, Mistress Hibbins appears to Hester and Pearl in a crowd of uncountable townspeople. She asks Pearl to join her on a witch’s ride due to her beliefs of Dimmesdale, Pearl’s father, being the actual Devil. After conversating with Mistress Hibbins, Hester grabs Pearl and approaches the front of the scaffold to hear Dimmesdale’s Election Day message more clearly. During Dimmesdale’s teaching, Pearl reaches out to her mother to tell her of the news she was given by the ship overseer. Chillingworth had made adjustments to their voyage, suggesting that only Hester and Pearl board the ship and leave the minister behind.

Dimmesdale continues to give his sermon and everyone listening seems to be impressed and moved by his words. During the conclusion of his teaching, he cries out to Hester and Pearl and asks them to climb onto the scaffold with him. Suddenly, Dimmesdale exposes his heavy burden of sin to the people of Boston, leaving every single person standing in the marketplace startled and horrified. He becomes weary and loses all strength and ability. Unfortunately, Dimmesdale takes his last breath upon the scaffold and passes away in front of thousands of Boston townspeople.

After Dimmesdale’s passing, there was controversy about whether there appeared to be a scarlet letter “A” upon his chest or not because some claimed that they didn’t see anything on his chest during his death on the scaffold. Not long after the minister’s deceasing, Chillingworth became ill and eventually passed away as well. Hester and Pearl have fled Boston to live better lives away from the sorrows of the town. Years later, Hester returns to Boston to continue helping with charity through her needlework. She lives the rest of her life in the town until she passes away and is buried in the King’s Chapel graveyard alongside Dimmesdale. Both of their gravestones have scarlet letter “A”’s placed upon them.

‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ was my chosen book for this term and it was an exciting yet full of nonsense read. Published in 1979, by renowned author: Douglas Adams. The novel is filled to the top with complete and utter nonsense and would be found funny from all audiences, from children to adults.

The story’s main plot line is a normal relatable character with the name of Arthur Dent, who faces troubles in his day-to-day life later to find himself deeply drifted upon the hectic endless ride, drifting through space along with characters of the most random and crazy.

The novel highlights the humor in today’s society and gives insight into the hilarious side of society and peoples everyday life. The main reoccurring theme which differs this read from other reads is the non-stop hilarious absurdity and craziness of the book. Adams satirically mocks the political and religious aspects of the real world. The novel’s craziness starts with the names of the things the characters live and breathe through their lives in space. To mention, the character’s space ship is called the ‘Heart of Gold’ means quite literally a pure, pristine heart which is a direct ironic joke as the ship’s owner; Zaphod had stolen the ship previously and definitely does not have a pure, pristine heart. Another example is how Adam highlights the importance of towels, something we, the audience take for granted. Adams give a towel an absurdly important role for our main characters. The towel is a simple thing in our lives today and will stay as a simple thing, but Adam makes it clear that it is much more than simple. In the novel, the towel can be used to fight alien monsters and in hand-to-hand combat. the aliens view a towel as an essential in any galactic hitchhiker’s life and even symbolize someone as being organized.

In addition, the element of sadness is also presented in the novel. Adams incorporates the sadness element into the novel in the form of a character, the brilliant Marvin. Marvin is a robot with incredible intelligence yet is so sad about so many things. Marvin is a part of the crew that travels the galaxy and goes on amazing adventures but yet he still is depressed regardless of the amazing universe. Marvin ‘brags’ to the rest of the crew as he is obviously smarter than then often making his points in conversation about his greater intelligence compared to the other characters. The other characters view the sad robot as an ‘electronic sulking machine’. The ironic element of the novel about Marvin is that how he’s a robot and yet feels one of the deepest things about being human, sadness. This is an obvious joke from Adam’s part as robots don’t possess the psychological ability to be human like. After a careful analysis of Marvin’s role in the crew amongst the Heart of Gold, as he is not used for much physical labor as he is only tasked with opening doors, it can be concluded that Marvin’s role is to incorporate dark humor and how we, as an audience are entitled to laugh and enjoy the never-ending sadness of Marvin the sad robot.

Overall, I really enjoyed ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’, an exciting and at times ‘nonsensical’ book. It is definitely worth reading and will definitely not leave readers indifferent.

The restriction of self-expression, colour and language in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ could be linked to Kathy’s interest in art and self-expression in her youthful years, which contradicts with her later loss of identity in ‘Never Let Me Go’. Ishiguro’s ‘Never Let Me Go’ is narrated by Kathy. H, a previous student at Hailsham, who’s now a “carer” who helps “donors” recuperate after they give away their organs. In the novel, Kathy has been a carer for almost twelve years at the time of narration, and she often reminisces about her time spent at Hailsham attempting to come to terms with her tragic fate. ‘Never Let Me Go’ is written in three parts, with a before, during and after structure, indicating life before the disclosure of their fate at Hailsham school, during the acknowledgement, and following the loss of Kathy’s friends as a result of the demand for their vital organs. This basic structure parallels with the structure of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, where Atwood follows a non-chronological time sequence, narrating Offred’s austere everyday experiences and tasks. Similar to the fundamental structure following Offred’s restriction, entrapment and loss of identity in the strict totalitarian regime, Ishiguro’s three-part structure highlights the monochrome, limited lives and lack of identity of Kathy and the children at Hailsham. Arguably, Ishiguro’s basic structure conveys comprehensibility to the structure of the narrator’s life, where Kathy’s life at Hailsham, followed by life at the cottages, and then Kingsfield hospital where Kathy’s narration dissipates implies the instantaneous, minuscule and seasonal nature of the donor’s lives.

It is possible to draw a similarity between the construction of the handmaid’s names in the Gileadean regime, and Kathy’s emphasis that a “possible” is the terminology for a potential “clone parent” for one of the clones – the potential model from which the cloned DNA was originally taken. In ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, the possessive preposition ‘of’ combined with the name of the Commander sets a chilling, destructive aspect to the regime, used in order to strip the handmaids from their past and former identity. Similarly, the tentative language used to describe clones being known as a “possible” could convey their lack of validity over their futures, emphasising the ignorance of clones in the contemporary society, suggesting their suppressed identities and absence of individuality. Alternatively, it could also embody the societal lack of familiarities and expertise over clones themselves, and the incomprehensible attitude in the means to conclude that a person is their clone, however similar the resemblances are. Therefore it highlights the lack of identity, freedom and individuality of the clones, as their lives are too brief to be fulfilled.

In the late 1990’s, scientists in the western world began work on cloning, with the first “clone” ever created being a sheep named Dolly, as part of the development of “stem cell research”. These developments provoked a great deal of discussion among the general public, in government, and at universities regarding humankind’s moral obligation to cellular life. ‘Never Let Me Go’ presumes a more complex and widespread system of organ-farming, with the clones being human, but with lives existing solely to create and provide organs for “real” humans. Ishiguro allows these biological and ethical ideas to absorb in the background, while a human plot of love, loss, and maturation occurs in the front line.