Octavia Butler Essay - 3243 Words

Table of Contents Page 1. A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH OCTAVIA E. BUTLER Page 2 - 4. Biography Page 5 - 9. Synopsis Page 9 - 14. Analysis of Criticism Page 14 – 15. Influences on Society Page 16. Footnotes Page 17. Bibliography A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH OCTAVIA E. BUTLER 1. Who is Octavia E. Butler? Where is she headed? Where has she been? Who am I? Im a 51-year-old writer who can remember being a 10-year-old writer and who expects someday to be an 80-year-old writer. Im also comfortably asocial - a hermit living in a city-a pessimist, a student, endlessly curious; a feminist; and African-American; a former Baptist; and an oil-and-water†¦show more content†¦Shortly after Butler was born, her father died leaving Butlers mother and grandmother to raise her. Octavia’s mother used to read her bedtime stories until she was six years old. As soon as she got to like the stories, her mother said, â€Å"Heres the book. Now you read.† She didnt know what she was setting her both up for. Just at the age of ten Octavia began to write short stories of fiction. Octavia lived most of her life in Pasadena. All through Junior High and High School, even college, Butler was a very shy person. She would not get up in front of class to do anything, her teacher’s thought this was because she didnt do the work and was unprepared. One time, she even went as far as to record her presentation on a tape and turn that in instead. During her years in school, there were three teachers who made a critical difference in Butlers development. The first was Butlers home economics teacher in seventh grade, Miss Peters. Peters took the time to read 2 Butlers stories and offer encouragement. The second teacher was Mr. Pfaff, an eighth grade science teacher who typed her first story, quot;typed it the way it was supposed to be, with no holes erased into the paper. He even corrected my terrible spelling and punctuation. The third teacher was Butlers first Black teacher. Miss Buggs taught ninth grade English, social studies, and drama. Butler remembers her as the only teacher who truly understood how muchShow MoreRelatedMy Creation Of A Soundtrack For Octavia E. Butler s Parable Of The Sower2146 Words   |  9 Pagesparticular emotions. A good soundtrack not only allows for the listener to understand the film better, but it should also bring to mind particular scenes, images, or characters. Soundtracks for books can do the same. In my creation of a soundtrack for Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower, I strove to encompass Lauren’s journey throughout the novel and the various emotions that she experiences. Lauren wr ites about her experiences, and therefore, her reactions become central to the audiences’ feelingRead MoreKindred, By Octavia Butler Essay1434 Words   |  6 Pagessignificant other? In the novel Kindred, by Octavia Butler, Rufus learns this the hard way, after inheriting power over slaves; he was caught between love and reality. Where Alice, the one Rufus loved, was in love with another man; but Rufus being the slave owner, had the power to make her love him†¦or so he thought. Love/power can make you do some of the most questionable acts in life, just as it did to Rufus and Alice in the bygone days of slavery. Octavia Butler shows us the compelling force that overtakesRead MoreKindred, By Octavia Butler Essay1679 Words   |  7 PagesIn Octavia Butler’s novel Kindred, she creates a unique science fiction, first person slave narrative that illustrates the structures designed by white people to suppress black people in America. Just as other slave narratives, her novel helps bring remembrance to slavery and how it is still apparent in today’s society. Butlers makes it clear in her book that white people were able to gain their power by the establishment of a racial hierarchy and an additional marginalization of black women, whichRead MoreKindred by Octavia Butler671 Words   |  3 Pagesperiod of time by examining a fiction novel. Ironically, some argue fiction can educate us about part of our life by enabling us to relate and empathize. I a m certain that many people can learn factual items in fictional stories. In Kindred, by Octavia Butler, the near death experiences of Rufus Weylin transported an African American woman named Dana from 1976, to the antebellum south to gain an unbelievable experience of what it is like to have been a slave. Through her daily life on the Weylin plantationRead MoreKindred, By Octavia Butler1527 Words   |  7 Pagessame frame of reference because perspective varies from person to person. All human beings have experienced their own experiences and have backgrounds that, at times, play a great role in molding who that individual is. In the book Kindred by Octavia Butler, this notion of varying perspectives is tackled very head onwards. Kindred is primarily about a a young black women named Dana living in the 1970’s with her husband Kevin, an older white man. The whole story is centered around Dana and her experiencesRead MoreKindred, By Octavia Butler1061 Words   |  5 Pages Published June 1971,Octavia Butler’s science fiction narrative, Kindred, gives a glimpse into how life was for African Americans during slavery in the Antebellum South. Kindred serves as a time portal between the 1800s and the year 1976. As the main character Dana goes from an 1800’s plantation to her home in 1976 it is obvious that time period changed, however being that Dana is constantly back and forth between the two times, she is able to see exactly how drastic the change was and what libertiesRead More`` Kindred, By Octavia Butler1624 Words   |  7 PagesIn Octavia Butler’s novel, Kindred, Butler presents to the reader the controversial character of Rufus Weylin, a white plantation owner who is also the ancestor of the novel’s protagonist, Dana. As the story progresses, Rufus commits various heinous and agreeable acts that would have the reader question his innate goodness, or lack thereof. Butler never explicitly states whether Rufus is naturally good or inherently evil, but, through a number of incidents that merge to illustrate his true characterRead MoreKindred, By Octavia Butler Essay1556 Words   |  7 Pagesthe novel Kindred, by Octavia Butler, the main character Dana is exposed to the brutality and exhausting existence inflicted on slaves in the 1800’s. Through intentionally suppressive measures, slave owners used a series of methods to control and manipulate an entire race of people into submission. Dana describes this process as dulling and her experiences haunt her as she is slowly broken down. â€Å"See how easily slave are made?† (Butler 177) her thoughts say; this is Butler attempting to illustrateRead More Kindred by Octavia Butler Essay1397 Words   |  6 PagesKindred by Octavia Butler Octavia Butler’s novel Kindred is categorized as science fiction because of the existence of time travel. However, the novel does not center on the schematics of this type of journey. Instead, the novel deals with the relationships forged between a Los Angeles woman from the 20th century, and slaves from the 19th century. Therefore, the mechanism of time travel allows the author a sort of freedom when writing this slavery narrative apart from her counterparts. Butler is ableRead More`` Bloodchild `` By Octavia Butler834 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Bloodchild† is a story that pushes the limits of humankind, creating blurry interpretations of good and evil that challenges everyday societal norms. Octavia Butler takes a traditional action-filled story and twists it into an unexpected and intensified tale. Through this heightened piece of work, the most compelling argument can be found from the structure of the narrative itself. From the first-person narrative, readers are able to receive first hand perspective in which no omniscience of any

John B. Updikes Short Story Trust Me - 980 Words

John B. Updike is a novelist, poet, short story author, playwright, children’s book author, literary critic, art critic, and essayist. Updike is one of the world’s most versatile, serious, and prolific writers. Though his writing style and subjects vary greatly, he is committed to addressing the moral, social, and cultural conditions of his generation. Updike was born on March 18, 1932 and raised in a small town by the name of Shillington, Pennsylvania, right outside of Reading. He lived there as an only child, until the age of thirteen. As he grew older, he attended Harvard University, where he majored in English and contributed to and later edited the Harvard Lampoon. In 1955 he married his first wife Mary Pennington, with whom he†¦show more content†¦In the story the main character, Harold, was married twice and in Updike’s life he was married twice. John and Harold also both only had children with their first wives. John Updike grew up in the northeast part of America, as did Harold. As John Updike’s children grew up with divorced parents I’m sure there were many trust issues within the family, this relates back to â€Å"Trust Me† because Harold’s children had trust issues with him on account of the divorce from his first wife as well. There are many ideas this story portrays that lead the reader back to the idea that John Updike’s â€Å"Trust Me† is really about his own life. Being known primarily as a fiction writer, Updike’s readers may believe that everything he writes has no relation to his life or the people in it. Just because he is known as a writer of fiction doesn’t mean that’s all he writes. Having wrote over 50 books and short stories, I’m sure at least one of his ideas were about his life in some way. Since â€Å"Trust Me† was written in the time period of the twentieth century, and all of Updike’s related works were fi ction and made up readers believed that â€Å"Trust Me† was as well. People believe â€Å"Trust Me† is a made up story that has no correspondence to Updike’s real life. Since Updike is one of the greatest American fiction writers of his generation, and he was the most written about living American novelist of his time, people believe that he onlyShow MoreRelatedANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesthat may prove helpful. PLOT The Elements of Plot When we refer to the plot of a work of fiction, then, we are referring to the deliberately arranged sequence of interrelated events that constitute the basic narrative structure of a novel or a short story. Events of any kind, of course, inevitably involve people, and for this reason it is virtually impossible to discuss plot in isolation from character. Character and plot are, in fact, intimately and reciprocally related, especially in modern fiction

A Good Man Is Hard To Find by Flannery OConnor Essay Example For Students

A Good Man Is Hard To Find by Flannery OConnor Essay A Good Man Is Hard To Find by Flannery OConnorA Good Man Is Hard To Find, by Flannery OConnor, presents many topics that can be discussed and debated. Christianity is one of the main topics that influence this paper and its meaning. The exploration for the meaning of the Christian faith is continuous throughout OConnors paper. Christianity is filled with sin and punishment, good and evil, belief and unbelief, but grandmother fully tells her opinion as she tries to convince The Misfit that he is a good Christian man before he kills her. Foreshadowing, personification, and the meaning of religion are all main points effecting the reader as they interpret this story. Foreshadowing is one of the most prominent elements of speech throughout the story. Grandmother says, in the beginning of the story, I wouldnt take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldnt answer to my conscience if I did (OConnor 1063). This is only the beginning of grandmas ironic statements that later come true with an eerie frequency. Grandmother seems not to want to go on the trip, but the next morning is the first out to the car, ready to go. The quotation above demonstrates how the grandmother has absolutely no control over the family. She truly thinks that what she says will sway the decision of the true decision-maker, Bailey. As the story continues to develop, grandmother becomes more hypocritical. Grandmother says, In my time, children were more respectful of their native states and their parents and everything else. People did right then. Oh look at the cute little pickaninny! (OConnor 1065) This quote illustrates what a hypocrite gra ndmother really has become. She is scolding her kids to be more respectable and then all the sudden sees a black boy and makes fun of him. The foreshadowing continues as the grandmother speaks up again to ask the question, Yes and what would you do if this fellow, The Misfit, caught you?(OConnor 1064) She has no idea how true this statement will become in just a few short hours. Everything that grandmother says early on in the story, in someway, comes true later on in the story. Its almost like God is listening to every word that grandmother says and makes it come true. Also, one of the most ironic happenings in the story is when each time a number becomes relevant to the story, it always happens to be five or six.This is also the number of people in the family. The grandmother never had a more true statement then when she described the plantation from Gone with the Wind (OConnor 1065). Another on of the most prevalent figures of speech throughout the story is personification. Everything throughout the story is personified. The most commonly personified item is trees. All at once they would be on a hill, looking down over the blue tops of the tress for miles around, then the next minute, they would be in a red depression with the dust-covered trees looking down on them (OConnor 1068). The trees are looking over the family. Its almost like God is looking over the family himself. God realizes that this family must be punished somehow for not realizing that he is their Supreme Being. Throughout the story, trees are personified while surrounding the family. The most ironic part of OConnors personification of the trees is the final killing spot of the whole family is the trees. I think the trees are reminiscent of Gods children. The whole family, except grandmother, is killed among the trees. All the killings are among Gods children. OConnor is trying to make us realize that no matter what we do in life, we are among God and his children. Christianity is laced throughout the whole story. Almost every figure of speech, action, or quote from the story is laced with influence by some form of religion. The grandmother is described as a perfect, almost God-like figure. The old lady settled herself comfortable, removing her white cotton gloves and putting them up with her purse on the shelf in front of the back window. The childrens mother still had on slacks and still had her head tied up in a green kerchief, but the grandmother had on a navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of white violets on the brim and a navy blue dress with a small white dot in the print. Her collars and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet. In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady (OConnor 1064). .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32 , .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32 .postImageUrl , .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32 , .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32:hover , .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32:visited , .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32:active { border:0!important; } .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32:active , .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32 .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua49aed60663239d3c91cc8cb4afc2f32:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Its a right handed world EssayMy personal feelings swayed often throughout the story. At the beginning of the story, I thought grandmother was a religious person through and through. Her outer appearance has an impression at the beginning of the story. Her clothing, her perfection, and her attitude are perceived as a truly religious person. As the story goes on, her attitude changes. She projects an aura of holiness, while at the same time making fun of the little pickaninny standing in the doorway. The most important and most dramatic part of the story is the grandmothers total transformation while facing her final moments of her life. She is facing The Misfit after the r est of the family has been taken into the woods and killed. The Misfit is reminiscing on his life with his mother and father. The grandmother is listening to the whole story about his life and at the same moment, grandmothers head clear for an instant. She saw the mans face twisted close to her own as if he were going to cry and she murmured, Why youre one of my babies. Youre one of my own children! She reached out and touched him on the shoulder. The Misfit sprang back as if a snake had bitten him and shot her three times through the chest. The he put his gun down on the ground and took of his glasses and began to clean them (OConnor 1074). The grandmother realized that everyone is a child from God above. She wants The Misfit to realize God forgives everyone and is saved by the grace of God.No matter what people have done in their life, God gives us his grace and forgives us in time of need. The grandmother needed this epiphany to occur to realize this free gift from God. The grandmother wants The Misfit to recognize this present from God before his time for death comes around. Grandmother would have acted like a new person if she had realized that God forgave her for everything she did wrong in her life. She didnt understand that she didnt have to act like a saint to get in good with God.Flannery OConnor says, herself, if I took out this gesture and what she says with it, I would have no story (OConnor 1551). I, along with OConnor, agree that this is the most influential part of the story. Without this part of the story, Christianity would have fewer ties to the entire story. To many people, Christianity has ties to every part of life. Throughout this story, Christianity has relations with many things. Flannery OConnor connected religion in many different and unique ways. The personification and foreshadowing throughout the story are filled with religious links. Works CitedOConnor, Flannery. The Element of Suspense in A Good Man Is Hard To Find. The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction. 4th ed. Ed. Ann Charter. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martins Press. 1995. 1549-1552. OConnor, Flannery. A Good Man Is Hard To Find. The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction. 4th ed. Ed. Ann Charter. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martins Press. 1995. 1063-1074.

These 10 Study Hacks Will Change Your Life

Let’s face it: studying sucks. Whether you’re studying for a huge exam or a little quiz, buckling down to study and focus isn’t exactly at the top of your list of things to do. With a seemingly endless list of distractions, it’s not exactly easy to set everything aside and devote all of your attention to notes and books. And for whatever reason, no matter how hard you try, studying never gets easier. If you find yourself struggling to keep your eyes open and glued to the text, here are 10 hacks to help keep your studying game strong. 1. Use an online flashcard site, like Quizlet or Cram. Not only can you create your own cards and decks, you can find study materials through the community of premade flashcards. You’ll help yourself, help others, and find new ways to learn that you might not have thought of otherwise. 2. Looking for practice tests? Use Google, it’s your friend. Search â€Å"site:edu subject exam†, and you’ll find old exams from various schools and colleges made by actual teachers and professors. It’s a great way to practice, especially if you time yourself. 3. Take notes for yourself, for someone else. Okay, I know that sounds confusing. But what it really means is simple: when you take notes in class, pretend you’re actually taking them for someone else. That way, you’ll force yourself to be much clearer and organized. I mean, who wants to read your jumbled, half-paying-attention notes anyways? 4. Force yourself away from the internet. There are so many distractions out there (I’m talking to you, Reddit). Luckily, there are programs you can download that actually prevent you from visiting the sites you tell it to block. That way, even if you find yourself drifting, social media will be blocked. Don’t worry, it’s not permanent. You could never last without Instagram. 5. Use a new font. If you’re used to using Arial or Times New Roman, odds are, you’ll skim through what you’re reading. Use a font that’s a bit harder to read, preferably one that you don’t see as often. Sure, it might take you longer to actually read the text, but it will force you to actually read. Which is a good thing. Yes, little man. Weve all been there.6. Write everything down, again. Sometimes, simply reading and studying isn’t enough. Writing down your material again can actually solidify the content in your brain, since you’ll have read it, written it down, and read it again to check. This especially helps with math and science formulas, history events and their dates, and, well, maybe it doesn’t help as much for English. Sorry, English majors. 7. Listen to relaxing music. A layer of soft music in the background can help you relax and focus, and helps way more than you might think. Give Tycho, Bonobo, or Hammock a try. 8. Take study review breaks. Ever feel like you’ve been studying for hours and hours on end? That’s probably because you have. Odds are, you’ve probably already lost some of that material, since you’re tired and losing focus. Take breaks every 30 minutes to review what you’ve learned. Whether youre studying for the SAT or for your AP History test, taking breaks is a good thing. 9. Talk to yourself. Yes, I’m being serious. No, you won’t sound crazy (well, you might). Speaking your material out loud, as if you’re teaching someone else, can actually be a great way to test yourself. If you stumble while talking, you probably need to review one more time. 10. Color code your work. It might be annoying to switch pens every 5 seconds, but it’s an easy way to stay organized while studying without having to shift everything around. Plus, it’ll look pretty cool. If youre just starting the application process, search through essays, stats, and advice answers from thousands of students that got in. Chat with a mentor to get personalized help with your college essays and applications.