Category: fiction

Fiction is a branch of literature that deals with events that are not factual at the time of writing as used in storytelling where the writer seeks to portray certain arbitrary characters or ideas. Fiction in the field of literature is used for the purposes of giving instructional examples; advertising; moralizing like in the use of fables; and propaganda. The elements of fiction as used in the development of a storys theme include; plot, characters, symbols, conflict, point of view, and settings. However due to the fact that literature is an art and not a science; all these elements cannot be quantified or have representation in any given story. The author of this story has used the elements of fiction descriptively in explaining the character, settings; and conflict among other aspects of fiction as can be seen from the story (Michael, 2008).

From the story the hand; elements of fiction include; the element of conflict where the writer denotes his big arm under the small of her slim, adolescent back (240). Here the writer uses the element of conflict as a tool to make the story interesting as well as making the narration of the story easier. The author further uses the fictional element of settings; where he describes the point at which the hand of the character lay in relation to the position of the womans right elbow. His strong hand lay on the sheet next to the young womans right elbow(240). The settings given to the story, in this case, are important in helping the reader understand the real position of the characters at that time which is referred to as universal when not specified (Michael, 2008).

The author further takes the point of view of a third person character in narrating the story; as he tells the story from an invisible point of view where he is not one of the characters within the plot. In the third-place point of view, an author uses the words he, she, or it when referring to the fictional characters and contra factual events. This perspective is evident from the line, he had slipped his big arm under the small of her slim, adolescent back (240), here the words he and her are used. The author further uses the element of fictional conflict where he contrasts the blue of the brand new curtains, instead of the apricot-pink through which the first light of day filtered into the room where she had slept as a little girl (241). The writer gives the conflict of time and place in this same part of the story (Michael, 2008).

The fictional element of symbolism is put into use; where the writer notes; the charming authority exercised by weak creatures(241) in which he tries to give symbolic meaning to the charming authority of weak creatures with relation to the current situation where the wife grasps her husbands neck. The author also uses the element of fictional character where he portrays the woman as being investigative. This is used in the plot of the story severally like at the point where the lady thinks its so big! It really is bigger than my whole head(241). The wifes character is also portrayed as being obnoxious where she internally conflicts and Ive kissed that hand (241) where she was referring to the husbands hand; on which she notices curves she had not known. The fictional plot used in this case is that of a newlywed couple sleeping that goes further to explain the topic in question which is the hand (Michael, 2008).

The author of this story has fully used the functional elements of fictional; as can be seen from the story that he has related the elements of plot, character among the others to arrive at an interesting story that is so intriguing that a reader cannot stop but continue to find out what happened in the next point within the plot.

Reference

Michael, M. (2008).Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. Bedford/St. Martins

Both Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain are reputable representatives of hard-boiled crime novels. Their works are famous for overstrained plots in which their characters undergo a variety of challenges and reveal the depth of human souls in the particular historical and cultural period. The hard-boiled detective has developed from the classical detective story. Thus, there is a crime and the detective who investigates that crime and finds a villain. However, the hard-boiled detective story differs from the classical detective in several ways. First, personal emotions and passions are significant in hard-boiled detectives. Unlike classical detectives where the investigation and the explanation of crime are central, the personal confrontation between protagonist and antagonist is significant in hard-boiled stories. Also, the hard-boiled novels depict detectives as cool guys who are often trapped in dangerous situations.

When speaking about texts under considerations, it should be noted that they belong to the so-called noir fiction. According to Horsley, noir thrillers are stories that can be seen as very directly related to the socio-economic circumstances of the time (par. 1). Raymond Chandlers The Big Sleep is considered to be one of the best novels of the author. It was published in 1939. This story is famous for its complicated plot and the controversy of the situation depicted. Besides, Phillip Marlowe, Chandlers protagonist and detective, appears in this story for the first time. The story is about Marlowes investigation of the case of blackmailing of General Sternwoods daughter  Carmen Sternwood. Marlowe investigates the complicated case and finally finds out that Carmen, together with his sister Vivien, are involved in murders and criminal activities. The Big Sleep was published during the peak of the Great Depression. It depicts the peculiarities of that period taking Los Angeles as an example. Chandler criticizes American way of life at those times. He reveals the corruptness and falsity of human emotions in American society in the 1930s.

James M. Cains Double Indemnity is a 1943 noir detective that depicts the story of the average insurance agent Walter Huff and Phyllis Nirdlinger. Phyllis is a wife of some Mr. Nirdlinger, who has an auto insurance policy. Phyllis seduces Walter in the attempt to involve him in the crime  to cause her husbands death in the train accident to receive insurance coverage of forty-five thousand dollars. They both manage to conduct a crime. However, their intentions are revealed, and they decide to commit suicide to omit punishment. The story is told in a gloomy tone that is used for the depiction of the human greed. The novel, the same as The Big Sleep, describes the American society during the Great Depression in a cynical manner. The author also emphasizes the role and the potential danger of the small mans greed.

The convention of the femme fatale is of great significance for the noir fiction as far as it can reveal the historical and cultural background of Los Angeles in the 1930s. Both Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain employ femme fatale to disclose the most important concerns of their contemporary society: greed, false ideas, and immorality of life.

Femme fatale is one of crucial conventions of noir fiction. Femme fatale represents an archetype of the extremely attractive woman whose beauty makes men being involved in dangerous and risky situations. The image of femme fatale has been known since the beginning of humankind. Many mythologies share the story of attractive women who seduce men and kill them or use for their purposes. Succubus, the women demon, can serve as a vivid example.

Lafayette writes, Essentially, a femme fatale is a woman who uses men and women to accomplish her agenda; all means and tactics are allowed; Men fall for her, because she is divinely attractive, mesmerizing and challenging. Some men know up front she is up to no good, she is treacherous and canning, mais domage, her charm is irresistible (13).

Usually, Femme fatale works with the anti-hero and leads them in the work. They have a close relationship in the novel in order to achieve their goals. Jaber states that femme fatale has become an integral image of the mid-twentieth century noir films and crime fiction in the United States of America (1). The femme fatale is always involved in the investigation or commitment of crime, violence, betrayal, or corruption that are described on the background of the large urban city. In the novel Double Indemnity, Phyllis can be defined as the femme fatale and Greed is the primary reason, which forces her to murder her husband and gain her own power and money. She is depicted as a beautiful and attractive woman at the beginning of the novel, She was maybe thirty-one or two, with a sweet face, light blue eyes, and dusty blonde hair (Cain 2). Phyllis uses her outstanding appear to seduce Walter to help her murder her husband and get the money from the insurance company. She wants to escape from the loveless and sexless home.

As a femme fatale, she brings death to not only to her husband, but also Walter and herself. Phyllis compares herself to Death at the beginning of the novel when their plan to kill her husband is made up: I think of myself as Death, sometimes. In scarlet shroud, floating through the night (Cain 20) In my opinion, Phylliss greed for money and independence make her a femme fatale. She doesnt have enough power to get the things she wants. Therefore, she needs a man to help her. She uses Walter as a tool for approaching her desires. The genre element of femme fatale is used to provide a critical overview of the social life in America in the 1930s. The period of Great Depression is characterized by substantial losses to everyone. When people feel scarcity of something, they tend to become even more greedy and corrupt. The image of Phyllis is connected to the problem of human greed. The author depicts the weak-minded Walter as one who is ready to kill the person to receive some money. Phyllis is a strong woman though her intentions are evil. Cain criticized the American society for sharing false ideals and vain beliefs.

In The Big Sleep, Raymond Chandler employs the convention of femme fatale as central. Two female characters are Vivian Sternwood and her sister  Carmen. Both of them are femme fatales though they are very different as personalities.

The novel presents two models of women: Carmen is a medicalized woman, an epileptic and infantile murderess who is taken away by the end of the novel, while Vivian is a powerful woman who covers for her sisters crimes and ultimately walks away with her familys money and power (Jaber 62).

In the book, the author provides the description of these characters via the words of their father  General Sternwood, who says, Vivian is spoiled, exacting, smart and quite ruthless. Carmen is a child who likes to pull wings off flies. Neither of them has any more moral sense than a cat (Chandler 12). Vivian tries to seduce Marlowe to distract him from the investigation. These lines describe Marlowes thoughts about Vivian  She was worth a stare. She was trouble (Chandler 16). I believe that Vivians readiness to hide murders using any possible means (such as her beauty) makes her femme fatale. Via this image, the author shows that American people share false ideas.

Carmen is depicted as a woman who shares features of an innocent child and murderer at the same time. Marlowe thinks There was something behind her eyes, blank as they were, that I had never seen in a womans eyes (Chandler 140). Her role is purely that of femme fatale. Carmen uses sex as a method of achieving her goals. Men that had some connection with her, Regan, Geiger, and Brody, are already dead. Carmen is a femme fatale that demonstrates that life in American society is sunk in selfishness, corruption, pornography, and murders.

The noir fiction can be relevant in current historical and cultural context. The aim of the noir fiction is to show the dark side of humanity. In my opinion, nothing changes about humanity. People still are greedy, selfish, and immoral. Only the settings change. No longer there are heavy days of the Great Depression. We live in a society where almost everyone can earn enough money for living. Still, people continue to desire more, kill others for money, and share vain beliefs. Noir fiction can be used to investigate the nature of evil in humankind. Current historical and cultural context proves that history changes but peoples minds and souls continue being dark and ready for everything to follow their selfish goals.

Works Cited

Cain, James. Double Indemnity. London, United Kingdom: Hachette, 2010. Print.

Chandler, Raymond. The Big Sleep. New York City, New York: Vintage Crime/ Black Lizard, 1988. Print.

Horsley, Lee. American Hard-Boiled Crime Fiction. n.d. Web.

Jaber, Maysaa. Criminal Femme Fatales in American Hardboiled Crime Fiction.

Basingstoke, United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. Print.

Lafayette, Maximillien. Hollywood Femme Fatales and Ladies of Film Noir. Raleigh, North California: Lulu, 2011. Print.

Introduction

Domestic and adventure fictions have several characteristics that distinguish them from other types of imaginative writing. One Crazy Summer and Hoot are some of the most intriguing novels that show the features of domestic and adventure fiction. The core need for using the two books is to identify how these two genres have been used in the texts and how they help create a crucial difference from other genres.

Summary of the Novels

One Crazy Summer comprises Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern, who live in Brooklyn New York. Their father sent them to Oakland, California so they could stay there with their mother, Cecile. Bobby Hutton who was one of the members of the Black Panther was shot by the police and he died while other members were wrongly jailed. The sisters returned home after the San Francisco trip and found their mother and other two members of the Black Panther Party being arrested. The girls performed a poem their mother had written before her arrest. The sisters mother is released from jail and returns home, prompting the girls to hug her for the last time as they decide to return home.

In Hoot, Roy becomes acquaintances with Dana Matherson in Florida. Motherson is one of the worst-known bullies in the area, a trait that becomes unfortunate for Roy. Motherson presses hard his thumbs against Roys temples and pushes him against the school-bus window. While in this situation, Roy observes a boy with no shoes, no backpack, no booksstrange, indeed, on a school day. (Hiaasen, 2019, p. 6). He chases him to where he meets different creatures that he begins to become attracted to and decides to protect. He becomes friends with Beatrice, who has a connection to the barefoot boy. He later realizes that the boy has relationships with vandalism occurring at the site where some construction was happening and endangered the lives of the burrowing owls. The three children then take the fight to the crooked politicians and police hoping to save the animals.

Characteristics of Domestic and Adventure Fiction

Domestic fiction is evident in the text of One Crazy Summer and Hoot. Firstly, both novels are set in around the home (Mallett et al., 2019). For instance, One Crazy Summer talks about the three sisters, the grandmother, and their mother, while Hoot deals with Roy and his other family members leaving Montana for Florida. Secondly, the novels also have elements of social and personal issues that include family and community relationships (Mallett et al., 2019). For instance, Cecile and her sisters were abandoned by their mother and at one point their father sends them to stay for a while with her. On the other hand, Roy enjoys a good lifestyle but is intrigued by that boy who instead of taking the school bus, runs away from it and has no shoes. Thirdly, domestic fictions emphasize social class issues, such as opulence, poverty, and property (Mallett et al., 2019). For instance, the sun is considered a crucial element in the daily lives of the people, since its failure to spin around its axis would result in no harvest among poor farmers and a lack of food for the less privileged.

Domestic fiction also has elements of motivations and psychological knowledge passed to the characters. For instance, Fern asked Cecile why she changed her name. Cecile answers that it was because she considered her name to reflect who she is currently, hence did not see the need for calling herself by an old name. On the other hand, when Curly leaned hard against Roy, Roy managed to beat him, portraying defeat against the bully. Moreover, domestic fictions portray rewards in form of moral or social benefits to the affected parties. For instance, the hugging between Cecile and her daughters depicts she learned the need for loving her family while in prison. Similarly, those who bullied Roy and his friends become fugitives and have to stay on the run with their dirty clothes.

Domestic fiction usually talks about girls and women being the main characters in the story. As evident in One Crazy Summer, most of the texts revolve around the three sisters and their mother. In the same way, when the girls go to live with their mother, they encounter other women fighting for their freedom especially because they are sidelined for being black. In Hoot Roy meets Beatrice who is also struggling to fight for the rights of endangered animals.

Adventure fictions are evident in different parts of One Crazy Summer and Hoot. Firstly, both novels take the storyline from the outside of the homestead and make the characters explore exotic distances and journeys (Mallett et al., 2019). The three sisters are sent by their father to go and stay with their mother for a while, though the mother lives in a hostile environment, where she has to join the Black Panther Party to survive. The party experienced various turbulences, and the mother was arrested forcing the sisters to remain homeless for some time to avoid getting into trouble facing the movement. Roy also follows the barefoot boy into the wild, where he encounters owls, crocodiles, and snakes. Secondly, adventure fiction involves surviving dangerous obstacles and retrieving valued goals (Mallett et al., 2019). For example, Roy understood that the owls were endangered and thus had to mobilize his friends to fight against those who were causing harm to the animals. Fern and her sisters also went on a journey to get back to their mother but met several obstacles that made it difficult for them to be with her.

Adventure fictions also involve action and struggle to achieve the desired goals. In the case of Roy, he met several challenges ranging from the police and the construction site to other boys. One of the pieces of evidence of struggle is when Cecile says, How can you send them to Oakland? Oaklands nothing but a boiling pot of trouble cooking. All them riots. (Williams-Garcia & Johnson, 2010, p. 9). In this case, Cecile understands that the situation in Oakland is unconducive for the girls because of the constant struggle for freedom. The sisters witness the harsh condition their mother lives in when they find she is arrested for being a member of the Black Panther Party. Curly had Roy pinned down because of this struggle to attain the course Roy had decided to achieve. Similarly, Fern and her sisters were also forced to join forces with the Black Panther party to help address the plight of the community in which their move lived. When Cecile was arrested, the girls began to be more active in the fight for reformation, which included reciting the poem their mother had written and giving speeches.

Conclusion

Several characteristics distinguish domestic and adventure fiction from other types of novels. Some of the most outstanding attributes of domestic adventure in One Crazy Summer and Hoot include the setting around the home, touching on social and personal issues, focusing on females, and having rewards in form of morals. The properties of adventure fiction in the two novels include setting outside, involving escape and survival, having extraordinary goals, being associated with dangerous activities and struggle, and focusing on males.

Reference

Hiaasen, C. (2019). Hoot. Pan Macmillan.

Mallett, M., Goodwin, P., & Mallett, D. (2019). Realism: Domestic, adventure and school stories. In Choosing and Using Fiction and Non-Fiction 311 (pp. 117-126). Routledge.

Williams-Garcia, R., & Johnson, S. A. (2010). One crazy summer. New York: Amistad.

Fiction Defined

Fiction is best regarded in the world of literature as composed of scripts and tales or a gathering of false or fictitious phenomena as illustrated in articles, movies, or other types of illustrations. Therefore, the most obvious fact is that fiction is a false phenomenon. Nevertheless, its concept had no latter expounded to cover other areas aside from literary contexts or the social events, which include history. It may now include the reviewing of happenings and initiatives outside the narrating mechanism of the book or media. Fiction can possibly include the happenings of everyday life and is reliant on the person that narrates the happenings, the manner of its narration, and its composition. It transforms into a transcribed and a collection of personal events (Scholes, p. 4).

Poetry Defined

Poetry, on the other hand, is an artistic description of social interactions, communities, leisure, human initiatives, films, and other pertinent topics that happen in everyday life which in their existence connect individuals together, or divert them away. This implies that poetry can absolutely include authentic happenings and situations with individuals as respondents and with the meaning or theme establishing the framework of the poetry. Another significant factor that distinguishes poetry from fiction is the aspect of length and duration between the fictional literature to the authentic and realistic poetical works. While the duration and series of happenings are what distinguishes the framework of fictional literature, poetry would rely on the length and the topic rather than the storyline (Phillips, p. 5). Poetry is still a complicated form in the subject of art.

The Comparison of Poetry and Fiction

Studies illustrate both poetry and fiction as systematic and alive frameworks that transform all the rumors into written stories. They enable the transformation of the interaction to something logical and it enables itself to be changed and transferred from one reader to an individual listener, and authenticate itself in a series of interactions, topics, and societies. Fiction and poetry manipulate the creative minds and a persons experience in a manner that is solid and logical (Bethea, p. 7).

The force towards fictional literature and poetry is based on the desire to make people fascinate and the happiness established by the idea that the author is able to formulate an impact on a persons intellect. Both fiction and poetry are highly anticipated by communities, but there are instances that it is totally neglected due to the efforts to connect towards others at the danger of being allowed or denied. Excellent fictional literature and poetry possess the capacity to connect societies. The absolute and the logical are achieved and allowed in a society. Both fiction and poetry change the basic facts which are often viewed as impossible by integrating leads to consequences and proofs to observations.

The Contrast of Poetry and Fiction

The fiction involves plenty of learning procedures happening in it. The initiative of telling fictional literature involves significant talents and capabilities and also significant review particularly when the themes include the following: social etiquette, perceptions, problems, and objectives that impact and influence human communications. This is tremendously directed by the way of life. The fictional literature and the narrators need to be allowed and loved by the public. For fiction to be totally accepted by people, there must initially be the enthusiastic participation of interaction which will inform people what the information they must have (Cahill 3). Eventually, out of this narration of fictional storylines will evolve something authentic from the people through the choosing of situations and through the knowledge of language and feelings that the public will provide.

On the other hand, hearing a poetic masterpiece, like viewing a theatrical performance, is a usually thrifty way of exploring ways of living, cases, and emotional feelings that a person may never feel, or like to feel, in their respective private lives. The emotions, among others, of the desire for learning, happiness, and frustration guarantee that poetry induces those boring impacts of fictional storylines. Poetry touches the intellects of its listeners and readers. This means the impact poetry has involved feeling the ideas of the poet without the need to practically understand its entirety. Poetry is able to confirm, develop and alter beliefs based on the way the poets view this (Turco 2). In this aspect, the poets are in an advantaged setting and in a dominant theme of controlling ideas based on the way they view congruence because they will be considered as realistic and manipulative people.

Conclusion

Both poetry and fiction are a way towards self-assurance and guarantees the identity of every person. It enables a poet and a writer to portray his or her identity and establish as well as illustrate a persona that will be able to be distinguished from the rest of writers. Poetry and fiction are interactive media for self-preservation that needs to include the participation of the public to make them appealing. They harness various feelings in its storylines and themes and they establish creativity and experiences in the aspect of the people who hear them as narrated by the poets and writers (Muth 4). A poetical and fictional masterpiece wont be important and victorious until these two sides are participative and alive, the people who hear as well as the poet. In between these two, both the poetical and fictional masterpiece communicates and links the most probable and factual ideas that may be transformed as reality.

Works cited

1. Bethea, Arthur. Technique and Sensibility in the Fiction and Poetry of Raymond Carver. Routledge; 1st edition, 2002
2. Cahill, Susan. Women Write: A Mosaic Of Womens Voices in Fiction, Poetry, Memoir and Essay: A Mosaic Of Womens Voices in Fiction, Poetry, Memoir and Essay. NAL Trade: 2004
3. Muth, Marcia. Writing and Selling Poetry, Fiction, Articles, Plays, and Local History. Sunstone Press; 1st edition, 1985
4. Phillips, Robert. Breakdown Lane (Johns Hopkins: Poetry and Fiction). The Johns Hopkins University Press: 1994
5. Scholes, Robert. Elements of Literature: Essay, Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Film. Oxford University Press, USA; 4th edition, 1991
6. Turco, Lewis. The Book of Dialogue: How to Write Effective Conversation in Fiction, Screenplays, Drama, and Poetry. University Press of New England; Rev edition, 2004

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a widely known and highly discussed disease. American Psychiatric Association (2013) describes a feature of PTSD as the development of characteristic symptoms following exposure to one or more traumatic events (p.274). This disorder is primarily found in victims of physical assaults and sexual abuse or war participants. PTSD can be diagnosed even in fiction characters of films and books. This discussion board post will examine the criteria the protagonist of the film Rambo meets for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Rambo is the main hero of the eponymous film, and he is shown as a military veteran exposed to traumatic events that affected his mental health. According to the American Psychiatric Association (2013), experiencing traumatic events, witnessing the events, learning that a traumatic event occurred to a close person, and is exposed to aversive details of events are the triggers of PTSD. As a participant in the war, Rambo killed many enemies and witnessed his close friends deaths that indicate his predisposition to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

The other criteria for PTSD that Rambo meets is the apparent presence of symptoms. Throughout the film, Rambo often recalls moments of him killing people or his comrades deaths. He has been experiencing such flashbacks for a considerable time. According to the American Psychiatric Association (2013), recurrent intrusive memories of traumatic events, distressing dreams, and dissociative reactions are the symptoms of PTSD. The mentioned evidence proves that Rambo has a predisposition to PTSD and the actual symptoms.

In addition, it is possible to notice the avoidance of stimuli associated with traumatic events in Rambos behavior. He intentionally tries to avoid triggers of these memories and can lose control in situations that remind him of war. American Psychiatric Association (2013) states that efforts to avoid distressing thoughts, feelings, and external reminders are the symptoms of PTSD. Evidence supports the statement that Rambo has Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, as he meets several criteria.

Reference

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Association.

The topic of womens experience in immigration has been broadly addressed in the field of social sciences. Multiple obstacles, psychological, cultural, and social barriers that women who immigrate to the USA encounter have been covered in numerous literary works. In the article under the title Women in Diaspora: A Study of Chitra Banerjee Divakarunis Fiction, Padmaja analyzes the novels and short stories written by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni about the particularities of Indian womens assimilation in American culture. The author of the article presents an in-depth analysis, deriving insights from the fiction of Banerjee Divakaruni, and explains the dilemmas and difficulties experienced by Indian women as immigrants in the western world. The study also reflects on the controversial female identity on the background of two cultures collisions, patriarchy, discrimination, and womens response to different cultures that they experience. The article argues that, as demonstrated in Divakarumis fiction, Indian women must incorporate the particularities of both American and Indian cultures into one unique culture to benefit from the advantages of immigration.

Divakarunis works acknowledge that immigrant women in the USA continue to value Indian culture, though they also accept the new cultural reality to some extent. As stated by Padmaja, Divakarunis novels deal with the theme of immigrant conflict-acquired values versus adopted ones (52). The implications of a patriarchal society that is traditional in India obstruct Indian females freedom even in diaspora. Commonly, women are supposed to be passive and subordinate in India. The culture has decided preordained roles for them that they are expected to fill (Padmaja 50). They are perceived as preservers of culture, heritage and are psychologically programmed to comply with patriarchy in their native country, as well as in western countries. They are expected to be submissive, and their conventional roles are of obedient nature. In the new countries, they struggle to come to terms with a new form of life and expectations. At the same time, there are new opportunities for an Indian woman in the USA. It is better for Indian divorced women to live in the USA because social stigma is associated with divorced women in India, which makes it harder for them to live their lives there.

The historical perspective allows for identifying the reasons for Indian migration and facilitates the understanding of the observed challenges. Padmaja explained the history of immigration of Indians to the USA during the 20th century (51). Till the mid-1960s, the USA required agricultural laborers; later on, in 1965, the immigration rules showed a preference for professional and educated people. The state of immigrants in the USA has markedly improved from their past. Now, the Indian immigrants in the USA are educated and have higher social statuses; they have also gained confidence and self-esteem. Nonetheless, cultural issues remain significantly influential for women in diaspora due to the differences in values, beliefs, and traditions.

Indeed, Indian women in western countries suffer from racial discrimination that affects their personal and public life. The immigrant Indian women in the USA are unclear about their identity. They question their prior identities as they see patriarchy muted in western countries. They learn about the struggle of societies in the USA against patriarchy and the movement for women empowerment. Instead of confirming and being submissive, they can think independently and decide about their lives by understanding themselves better. Still, the immigrants and their children in the USA can be subject to racism. For instance, Jagjit Singh reports a similar incidence in the novel entitled The Mistress of Spices, where the boy was continuously insulted by other children both verbally and physically (Padmaja 52). To manage these difficulties, Divakaruni suggests that Indian women should not just continue their previous culture in the new world but must incorporate certain aspects and culture of the new world in their personalities.

The author favors the interaction and absorption of the immigrant Indian females in the societies of the USA. However, all Indian immigrants in the USA experience clash of values, the values of their origin, and that of the new culture that they adopted (Padmaja 52-53). It affects the personality of those immigrants because leaving the land of origin is both pain and pleasure for immigrants that generate a duality of immigration. Immigrants try to analyze and adjust the new values and cultures with their original culture to adapt to their new area of residence. Immigrant women are identified as submissive and compliant by Divakaruni. They accept the culture of the west the same way they accepted the culture of India.

The writer identifies that despite the independence of women in the USA, men have a significant role in the encouragement of a change, as they take part in following it first. Indian men are also more absorbed in the culture of the west in comparison with Indian women. The Indian men soon adopt clothing common for the USA while living in the country, whereas women in diaspora keep wearing clothing approved by their Indian culture. The difference in culture between India and the USA is immense, which creates a dilemma for males who immigrate. However, men remain influential within the Indian communities, which is why, in addition to assimilating in the new culture of their country, the Indian women retain the values of India and continue struggling with patriarchy. It is also fractionally their mindset that is programmed to believe in patriarchal values, in addition to external limitations. They strive to comply and conform to the norms of their Indian culture while living in the USA.

The realities and cultures of the Americans continue to change too. Divakaruni explains how she was compassionate and proud of the land of her origin and was fond of its rich literature and folklore. Divakaruni also expresses positivity and hopefulness for India. She takes pride in different aspects of the culture of India, for instance, folklore and rich literature (Padmaja 55-56). To express positive sentiments for India, she used proverbs, lullabies, mythological allusions, stories, and popular songs. Thus, the article demonstrates how the writers ambiguity of feelings in immigration reflects the general situation affecting all Indian immigrants by opposing their homeland with their new environment.

Hence, to survive and compete in the USA, the Indian women retrospect and recognize the requirements of the new culture. Despite numerous difficulties in the form of adjustment to patriarchy and acknowledging the opportunities for freedom, maintaining their cultural uniqueness and dealing with discrimination, as well as loving their homeland and their new country of living. Divakaruni encourages immigrants to adjust to the new country. The new world order should be based on the acceptance of certain cardinal values and a shared vision for the future that harmonizes the nation and individuals with international order.

Work Cited

Padmaja, C. V. Women in Diaspora: A Study of Chitra Banerjee Divakarunis Fiction. The IUP Journal of English Studies, vol. 12, no. 3, 2017, pp. 50-56.

More than any modern genre of fiction, science fiction is predominantly written with a social purpose. Such a goal is rarely to explicitly to predict the future, especially since in many cases the predictive features of science fiction are at best mediocre. While in hindsight, it is easy to select stories with elements of fiction that came to be in life, there are far more examples of predictions that fizzled. Instead, these works are written to caution society about the potentially adverse impact of todays actions, such as war as well as to explore the ramifications of radical political systems, as supported by Orwells 1984.

Because of this, science fiction is usually read with a particular purpose  its consumers are usually concerned with the future of the modern world and apart from embracing fantastic worlds, want to reflect on their reality. Therefore, instead of realistically depicting the future, science fiction reflects the present in which it is written. Through seeking to create fantasy, fiction writers draw upon personal life experiences and knowledge of their culture as well as elaborate on their reality it in their works. This topic will be explored through referencing the short stories of three authors Octavia Butler, Nora K. Jemisin, and Hafissa Thompson-Spires, the fiction works of whom have been noted for their exploration of such themes as cultural conflict and oppression of the vulnerable. Particularly, Thompson-Spires Heads of the Colored People: Four Fancy Sketches, Two Chalk Outlines, and No Apology, Jemisins Valedictorian, and Butlers Speech Sounds will be explored in the current analysis.

Science fiction is meant to be read with a purpose in mind because, although speculatively, works of this genre provide a nod to realism and present a thoughtful perspective of societys common future. Thus, when reading novels or short stories of this genre people tend to reflect on the various ways in which they interact with each other, their past and present, as well as with the world. A good science fiction story posits a vision of the future that is built on the basis of realism, with social issues often being at the center, albeit hidden to the naked eye, discussion. In Four Fancy Sketches, Thompson-Spires raises the topic of cultural bias and the issue of police violence, which is highly relevant in the modern social agenda.

The story could have been occurring at any time in the present or the nearest future as it depicts a Black man named Riley with a quite unique appearance of blue contact lenses and bleached hair, which was made some mornings into Sonic the Hedgehog spikes on his way to a comic book convection (Thompson-Spires 20). The description of the main character may be very close to modern readers who may also have similar to their interests. To understand the authors references to popular culture, including the mentions of Neil deGrasse Tyson or Naruto, one has to be in their twenties. This makes the fictional story so realistic, as anyone could find themselves in Rileys situation. His altercation with another black man who did not like Rileys appearance escalates to a police shooting. The story ends abruptly, with the two men ending up being killed by officers who should have resolved the conflict peacefully, but contributed to the creation of two chalk outlines on the ground, thus eliminating any opportunity for an apology.

In Speech Sounds, Butler also raises the question of ineffective communication among people that leads to further violence and aggression. In a post-apocalyptic society, human beings are forced to use symbols to authenticate themselves when communicating. The storys protagonist, for example, uses a pin shaped like a wheat stalk to represent her last name, Rye. Living in silence and using non-verbal communication to interact harbors the feelings of rage and aggression among the population, with fights caused by wrong facial expressions. Subsequently, even the number of obscene gestures increased: He gestured obscenely, and several other men laughed. Loss of verbal language had spawned a whole new set of obscene gestures. The man, with stark simplicity, had accused her of sex with the bearded man (Butler 95). This theme echoes how people in modern times can be hostile to one another by misinterpreting intentions and over-reacting, with violence being returned with violence. The importance of the short story to the discussion of modern society also lies in the authors criticism of preventing women from speaking their minds. References to the pre-Civil Rights Movement times are seen as African American women who lived in the past could not stand for their own voices in a white patriarchal society.

Jemisins Valedictorian has similarities to Butlers Speech Sounds since the author also describes a post-apocalyptic society in which humans are trapped in a mysterious place of Firewall. Children are raised in strict conditions, with both the smartest and the least smart being taken out of Firewall, with their fate remaining unknown. The storys protagonist, Zinhle, is the highest-achieving in her class, which means that she risks being taken away from her family. The girl does not want to get pregnant, which prevents her from being captured, proceeding to excel in her class: each paper she writes must be more brilliant than the last. She tries to finish every test faster than she did the last one (Jemisin 151).

Presented with an opportunity to speak to one of the representatives of the government due to her academic achievements, Zinhle learns that her world is run by Artificial Intelligence that welcomes her to becomes one of them. Being herself, the girl does not betray any of her own principles and nails the test to see whether the Firewall would take her to become one of them (Jemisin 169). The parallels between totalitarianism and the Firewall are indisputable; however, the key theme of the story is linked to womens empowerment. As a young woman, the storys protagonist refuses to get pregnant to avoid life challenges, nor does she agree to fail her studies just to be like anyone else. Jemisins fictional world alludes to the centuries of womens oppression both in political and social life, which led to suffrage and the subsequent acceptance of women as valuable contributors to society.

Reading the short stories, one cannot help but reflect on the current issues that bother people each day. The worlds created by the authors are mostly restricting in their barriers, causing humans to adapt to them in the effort to survive. Both in the past and the present, people have been learning to change in to fit their surrounding environments. The fictional works came to be through a reflection of the writers on their own experiences of negative events, including oppression, violence, and cultural or racial biases. As mentioned by Jemisin in her essay Dreaming Awake, as a black woman, I believe I wasnt supposed to be a writer. Simultaneously I was supposed to write about black people  and only black people. [&] Took me years after I started writing to create a protagonist who looked like me. And then once I started doing so, it took me years to write a protagonist who was something different. This shows that authors experience heavily influences the shaping of their storytelling since it is hard for people to overcome their history and mythology.

The implications of Thompson-Spiress story are especially relevant in the current discussion as there is a direct parallel drawn to police brutality that has not left the news even today. While the story has a witty tone with a narrative voice that always keeps readers on their toes, the abrupt and tragic ending is akin to everything that happens in life. The characters in the story, most importantly, are freed from metafictional narration from any representation burdens, they are just getting by as if they are anyone else. The unpolished nature of the narrative makes the issue of race-based violence even more real as life is both comedic and tragic at the same time. As Jemisin writes that science fiction reflects the present in which it is written, it becomes clear why Thompson-Spires talks about police brutality against African Americans. Published in 2018, in the aftermath of deaths of Freddie Gray, Sam Dubose, Walter Scott, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and many others, the story explores issues that are close to the authors heart.

Concerned with womens opportunities to speak out and become successful in life, both Jemisin and Butler created stories that indirectly criticized the gender inequality and underlined the need for young women to be proactive in their choices and achievements. Both being African American women, the writers experienced oppression and disregard for their social roles, which enabled them to turn their knowledge and wisdom into prose. The stories and the fictional worlds that they created came to be because the authors were, lived, and had experienced both the positive and the negative in life. At certain times in history, the oppression of women was not groundbreaking, with their marginalization to be expected. Jemisin and Butler wanted to turn things around and provide a critique of oppressive societies to ensure that history does not repeat itself, especially for women.

It cannot be doubted that the near future worlds will evolve from racial bias, poor communication, and gender inequality. Since the publishing of Butlers Speech Sounds in 1983, for example, the social climate in the United States has shifted toward the greater acceptance of African-American women in the workforce, with more and more of them becoming prominent in politics, social justice, and entertainment. Science fiction works that are being written today are highly likely to depict such issues as terrorism, and rising income inequality between the richest and the poorest as these problems bother many people globally. The fictitious worlds created by writers explored in this paper mirror the issues that society faces today, which supports Jemisins hypothesis that science fiction reflects the present in which it is written.

Works Cited

Butler, Octavia. Speech Sounds. Bloodchild and Other Stories, edited by Octavia Butler, Asimovs Science Fiction, 1983, pp. 89-110.

Jemisin, Nora K. Dreaming Awake. NKJemisin. 2012, Web.

Nora K. Jemisin, editor. Valedictorian. How Long till the Black Future Month? Hachette, 2018, pp. 150-169.

Thompson-Spires, Nafissa. Heads of the Colored People: Four Fancy Sketches, Two Chalk Outlines, and no Apology. Heads of the Colored People, edited by Nafissa Thompson-Spires, 37 Ink, 2018, pp. 2-14.

Science fiction (SF) stands amongst the worlds most popular genres of literature and cinematography alike. To define it, one should first look more closely at the two parts its name consists of  science and fiction. When separated, they seem incompatible since fiction stands for something not real by default, while science operates with more than real things like proofs, facts, or numbers. That is precisely the heart of the matter: SF is born in an attempt to provide a realistic proof of existence for something that does not, or even cannot, realistically exist. Well, for the time being, at least.

Amongst all other definitions, those provided by SF writers might be the most authentic. In the Introduction to the 1975 edition of The Left Hand of Darkness (2000), Le Guin compared SF to the mathematical extrapolation, which serves to predict the functions course based on the given knowledge. Following this logic, she then reached SF writers to scientists experimenting with what they have to see what might become (Guin, 2000). So far, Le Guins definition corresponds to the one mentioned above  extrapolation does not define the functions course, but it provides realistic evidence of how it might look.

In the end, however, Le Guins definition becomes more emotional, in contrast to our emotionally neutral version. Le Guin (2000) points out the pessimistic tendency in the SF genre, comparing it to the results of Club of Romes modeling of the future. I think this tendency can be explained by the authors desire to draw attention to their writing. By displaying dreadful pictures of a possible future, writers try to impress readers by shocking them and leaving the rest to their imagination. Unfortunately, finding an explanation to the Club of Romes prediction might not prove to be as simple.

Reference

Le Guin, U. K. (2000). The Left Hand of Darkness: 50th Anniversary Edition. Penguin Publishing Group.

In the literary work entitled Essentials of Young Adult Literature, the author Carl M. Tomlinson gives an elaborate and clear picture of adolescent literature. This book gives a comprehensive analysis of the major troubles and issues of young adult literature. Carl M. Tomlinson, in his book Essentials of Young Adult Literature, mainly concentrated on all types of literary works like novels, drama, short stories, for all types of readers. It mostly helped the teachers and students of the present and it will be effective to the future generation too. It also Provides practical strategies for connecting secondary school students with young adult books, such as how to select books that students will read and enjoy, how to motivate resistant readers to read, and how to develop text sets for classroom study across the curriculum. (Tomlinson, & Lynch-Brown, 2009, para.3). This book helps the readers to have an awareness of all the issues which happen at present or happened in the past. Each and every chapter of the book discusses the history of a particular kind of literary work. Also, the readers get a complete vision of the character, culture, community, nature, etc in the past and present conditions. While reading historical fiction, students will go through several kinds of topics that are unknown to them. So, they will have the tendency to know more about it and in order to understand its historical background they will refer and read more books. While reading realistic and historical fiction they can compare and contrast the situations of the present with the past. Through this, the students can develop their knowledge and thereby increase their reading skill and understand the qualities of literary work.

Reference List

Tomlinson, C M., & Lynch-Brown, C. (2009). Essential of young adult literature. 2^nd ed., Infibeam. Web.

What Is Fiction?

In writing, fiction is a type of story that can be characterized by a specific set of features. To be more precise, fiction commonly refers to the kind of setting or a scenario that was made up by the author (How the language really works, 2000). Such scenario may include realistic and unrealistic events. In other words, a fictional scenario may be based on a plausible chain of events that was created by the authors imagination or it can revolve around an implausible setting and unrealistic characters and action. In its communication of the story, fiction is usually indirect, evocative, and subjective (How the language really works, 2000).

Reading a work of fiction, the readers may expect to experience the thrill of encountering implausible and unrealistic events unavailable in the real life and the intrigue of imagining alternative scenarios transforming the familiar reality, as well as the experiences that used to be typical for the generations of the past and are no longer possible in the modern world (How the language really works, 2000). Differently put, fiction offers unique scenarios and settings that attract readers due to their impossible nature and conditions.

What Is a Static Character? What Is a Dynamic Character?

The major characteristic of static characters is their stability in terms of personal changes. In particular, a static character is the one that remains the same as they were at the beginning of the story regardless of the events that occurred over its course (Dynamic vs. static character definitions and examples, 2017). A static character usually has a very steady and unchangeable persona with features so strong that they continue to persist withstanding the impact of the external environments.

In contrast, a dynamic character is the one that goes through transitions under the influence of the surrounding settings, characters, and events. For example, an unlikable and harsh character can undergo major life changes and grow into a more gentle and pleasant individual due to the experienced effects.

Identify the Different Elements of Fiction

A work of fiction usually is comprised of several elements. The first of these elements is the plot; it stands for the reason for writing a particular story, as well as its essence in terms of sense, objective, and purpose. The second element is the setting that represents the environments, periods, and places in which the plot revolves. The third element is the point of view the represents the voice of the narrator. The next element is the conflict that adds the feeling of realness to the story and serves as its point of attraction. Finally, the resolution is the element that occurs after the conflict occurs and leads to the ending of the story.

How Do Fictional Authors Use Real Life to Inspire Their Writing?

Real life usually serves as the major source of inspiration for fictional authors because, in order to produce a realistic story, the author is to connect it to the settings and experiences familiar to the general segment of readers. In that way, the events in a fictional story, no matter how unrealistic, should correspond to the scenarios and events that involve real-life basis and can evoke the readers emotional response due to their familiarity. Due to this tendency, most of works of fiction in literature can relate to real-life events in some ways or be based on the experiences of authors that happened in reality. This relation is necessary for the readers to be able to relate to the stories and scenarios as well.

References

Dynamic vs. static character definitions and examples. (2017). Web.

How the language really works: The fundamentals of critical reading and effective writing. (2000). Web.