Unit 6 Novel

[kpsmith]

The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde, addresses a variety of skills, including the ones found in, CHR 1.A, STR. 3.A, and FIG 5.C. The first skill, CHR 1.A, is shown through different characters and their thoughts, about the main protagonist, Dorian Gray. For example, two of his close friends, both viewed him as young and beautiful, one of the most attractive men they’ve seen, even to a point of worship. However, one of them encourages a morally corrupt attitude, while the other tries to prevent him from changing. While both characters have the similar view in his looks, they have differing emotions about the way he acts. This gives us an insight into the kind of character Dorian Gray is into his background and develops different attitudes in the readers. Another different perspective in Dorian Gray is that of Sybil Vane. She was a love interest in the book, and she found Gray just as beautiful as the other characters did. However, his true colors were shown one night when he had caused a scene, yet she still loved and begged him for him. So, it’s clear that most of the characters are attracted to Dorian Gray’s looks alone, rather than the type of person he is.
The second skill, STR. 3.A, is shown by Dorian’s thoughts (stream of consciousness). He is seen tackling his emotions and with the way he acts. But this feud between himself is easily influenced by one of his vain friends. Readers may have thought that there’d be a moment of redemption for Dorian, but it’s immediately shot down when he goes back to his old ways due to this influence. This gives us another insight into his character, that the people have a stronger effect on him than his own mind does.

[jonathaniskandar]

In my book, 1984 by George Orwell, the main character can be viewed in three ways: physically, emotionally, and psychologically. The main character is described in the book as a thirty-nine year old man in rather poor health. He has fair coloured hair, rough/reddened skin, and a frail figure. In addition to his poor health, it seems like he also has some sort of problem in his back and he probably drinks alcohol excessively. He can be described emotionally unwell, as he is anxious that the government will be out to kill him. In the beginning of the novel, he is terrified and anxious as it seems like he has done something wrong in the eyes of the government from his perspective. He can be described psychologically as a thinker as he is thinking logically in a dystopian world where thought is being monitored. Orwell implements a third person narration for his novel, as everyone is described as he or she and the narrator knows some of the other people's thoughts or actions. Winston, the main character, is described as a hero archetype as he is a figure that searches for self fulfillment resulting in his own demise. The setting takes place in a dystopian society somewhere in Oceania. In HTRLLAP, it talks about a hero's journey. As this story portrays Winston as a hero archetype, it could relate in a way that he has many obstacles and hurdles to overcome, and afterwards, he will find a true answer. But in the dystopian nature of this book, the conclusion is not what in essence, the main character was looking for. When looking at the book by its genre, the more it can resemble an antihero plot. You see, the main character, Winston, is a very flawed man. There are other traits like his paranoia that frames him into the antihero archetype. But all the same as the story does follow the path of overcoming hurdles and tribulations.

[charlottetram]

In the story Life of Pi by Yann Martel, I found usage of skill 1.C to develop the plot. This skill introduces a FOIL character, which highlights the values of the main character, Piscine, and that character is his brother. A FOIL character is a character that provides contrast to the main character, either by having similar traits to magnify the main character or opposite to magnify the differences. Piscine’s older brother has a careless attitude, who enjoys making fun of Piscine and does not have any religious beliefs at all. This magnifies the differences between him and Piscine, who thinks kindly of everyone and very open beliefs. Through the story, Piscine believes in Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity, showing his dedication and love for religion and openness. The contrast with his brother allows for Piscine’s unique personality to be highlighted. The critical theory presented in this skill would be the author, as the author in the story interviewed a real person he met in a coffee shop. Although the story is largely fiction, the basis of the love of God is created through the interview for Piscine’s character. This influences the validity of the plot and creates a more realistic tone for the story.
Skill 4.D discusses how a narrator can be unreliable due to biases, ulterior motives, and emotional struggles. These factors can influence how much you believe the narrator’s description of the plot, creating dimension to the overarching storyline. In the story Life of Pi, the narrator, Piscine could be unreliable in telling this story. This is due to his young age and his innocence of the world, which could potentially create biases. For example, when describing why he moved to Canada, he tells the reader that he does not listen to the politics his father discusses, and yet becomes angered when he finds that his father wants to move to Canada for these reasons. He tells the reader that he hates when his dad worries, and he wishes he wouldn’t worry so much. However, the situation could possibly be much more dire than Piscine had realized. This allows the reader to see how young Piscine really is, building his innocence and immaturity. Without this, the reasoning and decisions Piscine makes could just be seen as ignorant rather than lack of experience of life.
Skill 5.C. discusses the importance of symbols, which are objects, characters, images, etc which have literal meanings, but when taken in the context of the story, explore a broader meaning. In the story the Life of Pi, the symbol that I found significant was the appearance of tigers. The tiger is shown when Piscine’s dad introduces it for the first time as ferocious to his sons, and makes them watch a goat get eaten alive by the wild cat. This paints a picture of the vicious nature of the tiger. By including the image of this to Piscine as a young child, it symbolizes all things foreign to Piscine, making him wary of new encounters such as moving to Canada.

[Isabela Sanchez]

Skill 1.C.1: In the Kite Runner, the usage of foils helps illuminate contrasting traits between the protagonist and deuteragonist. The protagonist, Amir, grew up with his best friend, Hassan, but the two were raised within vastly different conditions which worked to bring out certain traits within each of them. While Amir had a wealthy upbringing and never dealt with oppression due being Pashtun, the ethnic majority of Afghanistan, Hassan grew up in a small hut outside of Amir’s house and served as a family servant, further justified through his Hazara heritage. This unique dynamic of friendship and servitude combined incited a sense of superiority within Amir, which he mostly suppressed throughout his childhood. This is furthered through Hassan’s sentiments towards Amir, as he is shown to possess a subservient level of loyalty towards him. This unique complex, which placed the boys on unequal levels, is evened out through Amir’s admiration towards Hassan that often spiraled into jealousy. While Amir was educated and Hassan illiterate, Amir noted that Hassan had intelligence and perceptiveness far beyond his own. While the two boys fended off bullies, Amir marveled at Hassan’s bravery- a trait he quickly wished he possessed himself.
While Amir and Hassan’s characters highlight differences in class and ethnicity within Afghan society, this primarily serves to bring out the major flaws within Amir’s character. Hassan is painted through only positive traits, conjuring the image of an innocent character and seeming to represent the good in the world, effectively bringing out the negative within Amir. While Amir admired Hassan’s bravery, his most significant flaw was cowardice; While Hassan always stood up to Amir, Amir was unable to return the favor and stand up for Hassan when he needed it most. Despite Amir’s memories with Hassan, he buries them into his mind as his positive traits only seem to foil the evils within him, reminding him of his flaws and inability to be “good.”, and paving the path for the struggle with regret he would face for the rest of the novel.

[egardea]

The novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude” written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez uses character details in the text to reveal characterization. This relates back to collegeboard video 1.A in which the presenter describes how adjectives describe the emotional, psychological, and emotional aspects of characters within a story. The main character in the beginning of the novel is Jose Arcadio Buendia who is described by others as someone who is selfish, stubborn and curious which can be seen by readers when he interacts with his wife and becomes captivated by innovation so much so that it disrupts his own family and village. This behavior is amplified later when he becomes so blinded by innovation that neglects his family completely which can be seen by people describing him as passionate but far away from reality. His characterization helps serve a purpose in the novel by continuing the progression of the novel by uprooting his family to start a new village continuing the plot of the story. This allows the reader to describe the land which relates to the HTRLLAP chapter titled “Geography Matters…”. When the main character of the novel is exploring land it is thick forest, closed off from society, and flat. This can show how isolated the people in the village are and how trapped Buendia felt because he couldn’t communicate or see others which inspired his work in the first place showing his conflict between where he lives and what he desires. This ultimately can symbolize all of his feelings and offer some insight to readers about what will happen next in the novel in an act of foreshadowing. Another collegeboard video that can be related back to the novel is narration. In the novel, the narrator is third person omniscient. Readers are able to go back and fourth between characters and the narrator delves into individual thoughts, actions, and feelings. This is critical to the story as it fully allows readers to understand the similarities and differences between the family in the story which further adds nuance to the conflicts and actions taken within the story. Going back to the previous of Jose moving his whole family to start a new village the narrator describes his wife Ursula's disinterest and annoyance but ultimate decision of compliance in the decision allowing for further depth into her character. The narrator also helps characterization by being able to go back in time and explain events that happened showing character development from the past to the present.

[Chayse Gomes]

In Toni Morrison’s, The Bluest Eye, the novel, which is told mainly in first person, follows a stream of consciousness as it continuously interrupts the chronological order while being interpreted into the main characters’ main, private thoughts. In the beginning of the book, the main character explains her overall observations and feelings about societal and political forms of oppression, which creates a connection between both the reader and the character (Skill. 3A). There are sudden contrasts which involve the difference between ‘blackness’ and ‘whiteness.’ At that time, people were divided as African Americans were seen as inferior, as white people were depicted as superior in terms of beauty standards and social acceptance. Another source of contrast in this book was how beauty and ugliness played a vital role in the norms when it came to perceptions and realities. This is seen when the character, Pecola Breedlove viewed blue eyes as the best beauty (Skill 3.B/3.D).

[Jenelle Eugenio (Period 2)]

CHR 1.C In Sylvia Plath's novel, The Bell Jar, Doreen and Betsy can be seen as foils to the main character, Esther Greenwood to highlight the theme of the struggle against social norms. Esther describes Doreen as coming from "a society girls' college down South and had bright white hair... and blue eyes" (Plath 4). Esther, on the other hand, is from Boston and has brown hair and brown eyes which the majority of the world's population have in contrast to Doreen's bright white hair and blue eyes. This shows the theme of the struggle against social norms especially since many American women didn't dye their hair especially in the 1950s when this novel takes place, yet Doreen decides to dye her hair showing her rebellion against the social norms while Esther still has her natural hair. On the other hand, Betsy is described as someone with a "bouncing blonde ponytail and Sweetheart-of-Sigma-Chi smile" (Plath 5). This positive connotation of the description of Betsy's appearance contrasts with Esther's cynicism and pessimism showing how Betsy is a foil to Esther. This is another example of the struggle against social norms since Betsy is easily able to fit in with society with her positive attitude while Esther struggles with her mental health and feels isolated from society as a result. 

Fig 5.C In Sylvia Plath's novel, The Bell Jar, the fig tree is used as a symbol to represent the life choices that face an indecisive Esther. The fig tree is first mentioned when Esther is reading a story about Jewish man and a nun meeting under the fig tree until "the nun didn't come out to pick figs with the Jewish man any more" (Plath 29). Esther compares this story to her relationship with Buddy Willard and how she feels that their relationship is doomed similar to the Jewish man and the nun. This relationship showcases one of the life choices that face Esther and how it paralyzes her with indecisiveness as a result. The fig tree is mentioned again when Esther sees her "life branching out before [her] like the green fig tree in the story" (Plath 40). However, Esther imagines herself starving because she can't decide which fig to choose, representing how she can't decide which path to take. In the same chapter, Esther reminisces her time with Eric and spends time with Constantine further demonstrating the many relationships she has with different men and how those relationships make her indecisive about the future.

[julia]

    In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini the author's use of contrasting characters with different personalities adds conflict and resolutions to the novel. In The Kite Runner Amir is the main character, who is Pashtun and of a high social status, and his best friend Hassan, who is a Hazara with low social status because he and his father are servants to Amir’s family. Amir is the Kite Flyer in the story and he is described to be selfish, disloyal, educated, insecure, and cowardly. Hassan on the other hand is selfless, loyal, illiterate, secure and brave. Throughout the story Hassan consistently stands up for Amir whenever they are faced with conflicts throughout the novel however, when Hassan was cornered and outnumbered by Assef and he friends, the main antagonist, of the story Amir is too afraid to stand up for his friend and allows the other boy to harm his best friend. This permanently tarnished the two boys' friendship as their relationship was hindered after this event. The differing characters with different personality traits helps to keep the story engaging and helps to create a smooth storyline even with conflict throughout the novel.
    Shifting to the structure of the poem where it is evident that the story includes a stream of consciousness. This is seen when the narrator takes a sudden break, the thoughts are jumbled or disorganized, nonlinear thoughts, and/ or a lack of normal punctuation. The most common in The Kite Runner is Amir adding his own opinions and thoughts about the events he is experiencing throughout his life. Amir constantly seeks approval from his father, Baba, however he feels that he can never live up to his fathers expectations and he is not the son his father always wanted. This is shown when Amir brakes away from the linear storyline to describe how he thinks his father, Baba, dislikes him. Additionally this is also seen when Amir regrets his decision to not help his friend Hassan towards the beginning of the book when he was assaulted by the antagonist. Amir thinks back on this day through the rest of the story as he feels that he will never be able to move on or resolve his feelings of regret. Throughout the story the stream of consciousness builds suspense. For example, the addition of Amir’s thoughts recalling the events that happened to Hassan urge the reader to anticipate how Amir will resolve these thoughts and finally move on from his past after having it haunt him for many years. Finally, we see that the structure of the plot is also displayed through contrasts. In The Kite Runner this is most evident through the character foils that were discussed in the previous paragraph,and also the physical settings. In the beginning of the story Amir and hassan are both living in Afghanistan but later in the story Amir and his father move to the United States. Amir realizes the extreme differences between the two countries when he returned to his home country after many years.
    Finally, the narration of The Kite Runner is done by Amir throughout the entire novel. This allows the reader to see his unique perspective and attitude on the situations and events happening around him throughout the story. The author’s choice of diction and sentence structure helps the reader to understand and connect with the characters because it feels informal and as if they were having a normal conversation. We see that Amir is a person too who also has emotional struggles and his own biases, thoughts, and opinions.

[raphaelseva]

Within my choice novel, Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club, we can see a proper representation of many of the unit 6 skills. For instance, Skill 1.A is regarding how specific details within a text can show characters identities and personalities. This is then properly exemplified by how many of the daughters of the novel act during important events in their lives, especially regarding their families. Jing-Mei Woo’s false submission to her relatives wishes, An-Mei Hsu’s restraint of showing affection for her disgraced mother after being told to not pay her any attention, and Lindo-Jong’s compliance to her arranged marriage, it shows these women’s actions in order to keep their families happy, yet their thoughts diverting from their actions to try have some sort of semblance to their individual rebellion from the wishes of their ancestors. This all is shown through specific sections of the text that exemplify both their faux-actions and their true intentions.

Another skill that I believe The Joy Luck Club exemplifies greatly is the skill 3.A. This skill refers to the idea that the plot causes the ordering of events within a story. This then applies to the unique structure of the novel. Within the first section of the novel, we see the multiple daughters of The Joy Luck Club in their youth. These women are described in different scenarios in non-chronological order, which creates a sort of origin story for them, showing how the plot can impact the placement of events in a narrative. We as readers are shown the backstories of Jing-Mei's mother's life in the old provinces of Kwellin and how that impacted both the mothers life and how she would then proceed to raise her daughter with those same values. We then also see backstories of An-Mei Hsu growing without a mother, and how that has impacted her upbringing, while the next chapter brings Lindo-Jong's unfortunate past and how that leads to an unwanted arranged marriage. These backstories are constantly strewn through the novel, breaking free from the traditional chronological order of events that many novels utilize, but now using a unique unorganized order of events, in order to create motivation behind the characters actions and how that furthers the plot.

An additional Unit 6 skill I believe my novel properly exemplifies is skill 5.C. This skill is regarding identifying and expanding on the function of symbols, and many symbols can be seen within the novel. One very prominent symbol is the scar on the back of An-Mei Hsu. After a whole brawl between her mother and her fathers family, the moment An-Mei's now disgraced mother walks out the door, a bowl of boiling hot soup spills onto the back of An-Mei Hsu, leaving an extremely large burn on her back. This wound nearly kills her, but through the help of her grandmother and other relatives, the scar slowly starts to heal, just like how that void left by her mother had left her spiritually broken, but then slowly grows to live with that fact, and adapts.

[amydinh]

The establishment of character in 1984 contributes greatly to the plot of the novel, and its characters are used to convey the idea of totalitarianism effectively. The novel is written in a limited third person perspective, through the point of view of Winston, the main character. Winston is a part of the party’s propaganda campaign, and is constantly debating with himself about the morality of the party, and describes going against “Big Brother”, the controlling entity of the government (the party). Winston lives in fear of the government, despite working for Big Brother himself, and questions if everything that the government has said is a lie. It characterizes both Winston himself and the surrounding environment, setting up a main conflict between Winston and Big Brother as he finds himself committing direct treason to the party. Winston is seen as a very mild mannered man, though with time finds himself disliking Big Brother. As Winston goes about his days, he finds himself infatuated with O’Brien, another man within the party. O’Brien, initially, signifies a possible ally to Winston, subtly showing signs that Winston misinterprets as purposeful defiance, in hopes of finding someone like him. He wants to find comradery with others, despite living in a totalitarian society. O’Brien tricks Winston to join the Brotherhood, a group that actively goes against Big Brother, though later tricks him and tortures Winston in the name of treason against the state, though not without admitting that he once too, was rebellious, but was ‘caught’. O’Brien’s character serves to show the mystic around Big Brother, and his supposed power over the government. It makes the reader realize the true power of the government, as well as question everything they know about the character himself. Winston’s biggest foil in 1984 is his mistress, Julia; both characters rebel against the government, but in different ways. Julia rebels through her sexual relationships, evading authority best she could while pretending to be a part of the party. On the other hand, Winston believes that the government should be overthrown publicly and replaced. Their differing opinions led to both of them getting caught by Big Brother, effectively placing them as tragic characters, reflecting similar but different ideals. Winston is a clear example of the hero archetype as the main character, whose story is set in tragedy due to the consequences of his rebellious nature. He is seen fighting for what he morally thinks is right, but is ultimately punished due to the cruel nature of Big Brother.

[Leo]

In my novel, ""The picture of Dorian Gray" the use of the narrator’s stream of consciousness reveals the development of how the narrator considers himself as corrupt. The use of this narrator's use of consciousness is used in 3.A. In the book, Dorian is described to be young and beautiful on the outside, but morally shameful on the inside due to a wish he now regrets. "The obvious influence of Lord Henry upon Dorian shows how one may corrupt another to such an extent that one's own conscience withers and dies.” It is ironic that the same painting that brought Dorian Gray such joy also brings him such pain. He expresses that the picture taught him to love his own beauty, but also dislike his own soul. The ideas planted on by the social norms of the narrator's stream of consciousness build upon the idea that, as every human being, we find first find love from within, after trying to extract it from external substances.

[christina]

Elie Wiesel’s novel, “Night”, is narrated entirely from a first person perspective in a stream of consciousness style as shown in Skill 3.A. The narrator, Elie, recalls his experiences and memories from when he was trying to survive in concentration camps, presenting us with all of his thoughts, emotions, and reflections. While doing this, he often bounces back and forth from his childhood, his time at the camp, and the present. By doing so Elie slowly unveils all the horrid memories that he has from his time at the camps, and giving us further insight in his life.

[Jasmine Segal]

In the novel "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky, through characterization of the main character Rodion Raskolnikov as being contemptuous and divided through the hierarchy of serfdom Russia in the 1860s. Based on AP Daily videos unit 3 and fig 5.C., with emphasis on such characterization to the plot- it foreshows the importance of the character on the basis of the theme in Crime and Punishment: alienation. Due to Raskolnikov's pride and sense of self to be above the law, he as a result sets himself apart from the rest of society as well as his family. To himself he is the superior one and uses others as tools. Hence based on his own ideologies, the novel centers on his interior conflict first on whether to kill the pawnbroker and later after his crime whether to confess and rejoin humanity once again.

[Jacob Holguin]

In my novel Catch-22 the characterization of the main character helps the reader understand who they are and how they came to be that way, the type of person the main character is can be seen through how he interactes with other members of the army and how he thinks to himself. There is also one long continued stream of consciousness through the lens of the main character, we see the story through his eyes and it is therfore tainted with his opinions. There is also an extreme contrast in the attitude of the main character and his comrades, this highlights the negative qualities as the other people he speaks with are kind for the most part while the main character is rude and callous to others.

[aidan k]

1.A: In Sinclair Lewis's "Main Street," the characters serve several functions within the narrative, exploring themes such as conformity, societal expectations, and the differences between rural and urban lifestyles. The main character, Carol Kennicott, is an independent-minded woman in a conservative small town environment. Her character functions as a symbol of change, challenging the status quo and pushing against the confines of societal norms. Through Carol's experiences and interactions with other characters, such as her husband Dr. Will Kennicott and the townspeople of Gopher Prairie, the novel critiques the narrow-mindedness and provincialism prevalent in American small towns.

4.C: The narrator in "Main Street" is a detached observer, standing apart from the characters and their experiences. The use of this narrator allows for an objective portrayal of the residents of Gopher Prairie, offering insights into their thoughts, actions, and motivations without being swayed by their biases or prejudices. By maintaining a critical distance from the perspectives of the townspeople, the narrator is able to provide an unbiased commentary on the social and cultural landscape of Gopher Prairie. Through this lens, the narrator exposes the hypocrisy and conformity that permeate the town, constraining individuality and innovation. Through irony and wit, the narrator exposes the absurdity of the townspeople's beliefs and behaviors, inviting readers to reflect critically on the societal norms and expectations that govern their own lives.

5.C: Sinclair Lewis’ uses of word choice, imagery, and symbols convey thematic ideas and create mood and atmosphere. Through vivid descriptions of the town's physical environment, such as its drab buildings and monotonous streets, Lewis symbolizes the stifling conformity and lack of vitality that characterize life in Gopher Prairie. Words like "dreary," "monotonous," and "mundane" permeate the narrative, creating a palpable sense of ennui and disillusionment that mirrors Carol's growing dissatisfaction with her surroundings. The imagery of dilapidated buildings, dusty roads, and colorless landscapes serves as a metaphor for the spiritual and intellectual stagnation that plagues the town, highlighting the residents' reluctance to embrace change or challenge the status quo. Additionally, symbols such as the Main Street itself, with its rows of identical storefronts and lack of diversity, reinforce the themes of conformity and homogeneity that are spread throughout Gopher Prairie.