Tori Morrison.docx
- 文档编号:26891484
- 上传时间:2023-06-23
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:9
- 大小:21.79KB
Tori Morrison.docx
《Tori Morrison.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《Tori Morrison.docx(9页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
ToriMorrison
ParadisebyToniMorrisonWouldyoubeembarrassedifyouwereinlovewithanuglyperson,andwereveryattractiveyourself?
Intheworldtoday,appearanceisofmostimportanceandifyouloveanuglypersonwhenyouarebeautiful,youareseenasdatingbelowyourself.InthecaseofParadise:
byToniMorrison,Ronistellingthestorybothinfirstandthirdlimitedperson.ThereasonforthisstyleofnarrativeispreciselybecauseRonisembarrassedboththathelovedahomelyunattractivewoman,andofthewayhehastreatedher.
Atthebeginningofthestory,Ronstartsoffinfirstperson,introducinghimselfbysaying,"IamthemanandmyfriendSarahColeisthewoman."ThisprovestousrightatthestartthatRonindeedisthemanthatisinthenarrative.RonisashamedofhimselfandthereforehastowaituntilheknowsthatSarahisdeadtogethisstoryoutofhissystembytellingitinthisway.BanksusesfirstpersonandthirdpersonlimitedpointsofviewtoillustratethatRonisapprehensiveabouttellingthestoryashimself,sohetellsitasifitisanothercharacter.ButhethenflipsitbackbytellingthereadersthatheisindeedRon,forexample,"IsaidearlierthatIamthemaninthisstory."HedoesthisbecauseheisembarrassedaboutthewayhetreatedSarah.
BankschoosestotellthestoryinalimitedpointofviewsoweasthereaderscanreallyneverknowexactlywhatisgoingthroughSarah'sheadatthistime.IknowthatifIwasseeingagorgeousrichmanIwouldbeecstatic,butwereallyarenotabletoseewhatshefeelsaboutthesituation,orhowshefeelswhenRonrejectsher.IsympathizewithRon,becausehehasinasenselostsomeonethathedearlycaredfor;butIespeciallycanrelatewithSarahbecauserejectionisreallyhardtodealwith.However,Ronisgoingthroughasocialproblem,andasImentionedatthebeginningsocietyisbigonappearanceandattractiveness,soheisafraidtotakeSarahintopublic.Iunderstandhispoint,buthoweverIfeltthatifhereallylovedherheshouldnothavebeenafraidofwhatothersthought.Onlyuntilshewasdeadcouldheadmitthathelovedher,andeventhenpeopledidnotbelievehim.
Ronstartsthenarrativeoffasalovestory,buildinguptothatfirsttimetheymadelove,butheendsitasatragicstoryofthelossofawomanthathetrulycaredfor.Banksstartsthenarrativeoffatwhentheymet,andthenskipstothetimesthattheyjusthappentobumpintoeachother.Finallyhetellsaboutthemmakingloveandtalkingforhours,andRonevengoesoutintopublicwithher.However,heendsthestoryasifhehimselfhaskilledherwiththewords,"Leavemenow,youdisgusting,uglybitch."ThereasonforthischangeinframeofmindisbecauseSarahhasdiednowandheisbothtryingtorememberhisloveforher,andreleasingtheguilthehasoverherdeath.
IthinkthatBanksreallydoesnotsharehisviewsorinterjecthisopinionintothenarrative,butIbelievethathefeelsbadforRonbecausehelovesanuglywoman,butintheendhepresentsRonashavingkilledSarah,whichisalittlebitironic.
IfBankshadtoldthestoryfromSarah'spointofview,itwouldhavebeenmoreofafairytalestory.ForexampleBanksstates,"Shewalkedoutthedoor…determinedtomakelovetoamanmuchprettierthananyshehadseenupclosebefore,andIwalkedoutdeterminedtomakelovetoawomanmuchhomelierthananyIhadmadelovetobefore."Thisquotesupportsthefactthatthestory,iftoldfromSarah'spointofview,wouldstartoffasafairytale.However,thisfairytalewouldnothaveahappyendingbecauseshedoesnotgettheprinceintheend,shegetshertoadofanex-husbandback.SobytellingthestoryfromRon'spointofview,BankscomplicatesitandmakesusreadersthinkmoreaboutwhatisgoingthroughRon'shead.
Inconclusion,Banksusesbothfirstpersonpointofview,andthirdpersonlimitedpointofviewinthisnarrative.Heusestwodifferentviewstoillustratethefactthatthecharacter,Ron,isashamedtotellthewholestoryashimself,sohepresentshimselfasanactualcharacterinthestory.BanksalsotellsthestoryfromRon'spointofview,becauseitismorecomplexandmakesusasreadersthinkthroughRon'sviewinsteadofreadingitandsaying,"AwepoorSarah,thatRonguyisarealjerk."
SymbolisminBeloved
ToniMorrisonenhancestheeffectivenessofBelovedwithsymbolism.Thissymbolismhasamyriadoforiginsaswellasforms.Numbersymbolscomefromastrologicalsources,whilecharacters'namesareallusionsfromancientEgyptianmythology,theBible,andAfricanculture.Furthermore,importantcolorsymbolsarediscerniblethroughoutthenovel.
FromtheverybeginningofBeloved,thenumber124isdistinguishable.Infact,itappearsasthefirstcharacterofeachbookofthenovel.Astheaddressofthe
homewheremostoftheplottakesplace,thisnumberisextremelyimportant.Accordingtoastrology,thenumbers1,3,7,and22are"ascribedwithmagicalpowers"(Samuels135).Thesemagicalpowersaresaidtobesymbolsofcompletionandcreation.124fitsthisastrologicaldelineationbecausethesumofthethreedigitsinthenumberadduptotheaforementioned7.Inaddition,asignificantassociationamongcharactersinthenovelisintheformofthreepeople--Sethe,Beloved,andDenver.
Secondly,thenameoftheprotagonistofthenovel,Sethe,isassociatedwith"oneofthemajorgodsofancientEgyptandtheBiblicalSeth,whowasthechildofAdamandEve"(Samuels136).ThisEgyptiangodwaspartmanandpartanimalorbird,whichexplainstheanimalimagerysurroundingSetheinthenovel.Forexample,whenexplaininghersecretaboutBelovedtoPaulD.,Setheisdescribedasifsheisacirclingfalconorbird.Morrisonwrites,"Shejustflew...andthehummingbirdwingsbeaton"(163).
ThenameSetheisalsouniqueasanameforafemaleslavebecauseitisderivedfromthenamesofEgyptianandBiblicalmales.MorrisonusesthenametoaddtothemasculinityofSethe'scharacter.Sethe'sabilitytoovercomeoverwhelmingtragediesandchallengessuchasherescapefromslaveryinKentuckyandthemurderofherchildidentifiesherwiththisquality.
Additionally,thenameSixosymbolizesthedehumanizationofslavesduringthelate19thcentury.Hisname,derivedfromthenumber6,impliesthatwhitemastersdidn'tconsidertheirslaveswithenoughrespecttorecognizethemwithmorethananumber.Thisrenamingalsosymbolizesthepowertheslaveownersfeltbystrippingslavesoftheirindividuality.
ThedistinctionofcolorinslaveryaddstothecolorsymbolismwhichpervadesBeloved.Alongwiththeobvioussymbolsofblackandwhite,Morrisonconsiderscolorssuchasblue,green,yellow,pink,andred.Blue,green,yellow,andpinkarethecolorswhichBabySuggsandeventuallySethespendthelastmomentsintheirlivescontemplating.PinkalsoissignificantasthecolorofthegravestoneSethe"purchases"forBeloved.
Ironically,thecolorwhichescapesfinalscrutinybyBabySuggsandSetheistheonewhichismostdistinguishableinthenovel.Thiscolor,red,isfoundinBeloved'sblood,the"carmine"velvetforwhichAmyinnocentlylongs,aswellasinStampPaid'sluckyredribbon.Bloodsymbolizesending,whileAmy'svelvet"isliketheworldwasjustborn"(Morrison33).StampPaid'scharmrepresentshope.Furthermore,PaulDcomparestheredinarooster'scrowntothelackofredinhistobacco-tinheart(73).ForPaulD,slaverytookawaynotonlyfreedombutalsothebrightnessinhisheart.Evenasimplebarnyardanimalcanbeproudofhiscolor,butPaulDcannot.
Africanculture,astronomy,andEgyptianandBiblicalmythologyaresourcesforvaluableandmeaningfulsymbols.ToniMorrison'sBelovedcontainsmanyofthesesymbols,suchasnumbers,names,andcolors.TheeffectofthesesignscomplimentsMorrison'sstyleintheoraltraditionaswellasheremotionalsubjectmatter.
ToniMorrison:
ThebluestEyeandSula
African-AmericanfolkloreisarguablythebasisformostAfrican-Americanliterature.Inacountrywhereaslateasthe1860′stherewerelawsprohibitingtheteachingofslaves,itwasnecessaryfortheoraltraditiontocarrythevaluesthegroupconsideredsignificant.Transitionbythewordofmouthtooktheplaceofpamphlets,poems,andnovels.Themessuchasthequestforfreedom,thenatureofevil,andthepowerfulversesthepowerlessbecamethethemesofAfrican-Americanliterature.InabookcalledFictionandFolklore:
thenovelsofToniMorrisionauthorTrudierHarrisexplainsthat“Earlyfolkbeliefsweresopowerfulaforceinthelivesofslavesthattheirmasterssoughttoco-optthatpower.Slavemastersusedsuchbeliefsinanattempttocontrolthebehavioroftheirslaves”(Harris2).Masterswouldplacelittleblackcoffinsoutsidethecabinsoftheslavesinaefforttorestraintheirmovementsatnight;theyperpetuatedghostloreandcreatedtalesofhorriblesupernaturalanimalswonderingtheoutsidesoftheplantationinordertofrightenslavesfromescapeortrans-plantationvisits.Talesofslavesrunningtothenorthbecamelegendary.Oraltalesofescapesandlongjourneysnorththroughdangerousterrainwereverycommonamongeveryslaveoneveryplantation.ManyofthesetalesseemtobesimilartotheuniversaltalesandmythslikeTheOdysseyorGilgemish.SlavesoneveryplantationweretellingtalesthatwouldlaterbethegroundworkforAfrican-Americanliterature.
African-Americanfolklorehassincebeentakentonewlevelsandforms.Writershaveadoptedthesethemesandhavefitthemintocontemporarytimes.MostrecentlyauthorToniMorrisonhastakentheAfrican-Amer
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- Tori Morrison