.... cellar's gloom…She went toward it like a woman hypnotized…her old trunk had held the curled-up body of a woman." Thus, the readers can relate to the character's feelings of fear and anticipation making them more drawn to the story and its outcome. Making the difference between whether or not a piece of literature makes an impact on the reader, a main factor is wording, also known as, diction. The idea that one perceives from a situation in a story depends on the word choice. For instance, one walking up stairs is not equivalent to when "she almost flew up the stairs," for one gains a greater sense of fear from the latter .....

.... scaffold was the only way society would acknowledge, and later forgive one for their sins. It is the first step on the long road to acceptance back into the strict, Puritan society. In the first of three scaffold scenes, Hester stands before the community, wearing a scarlet A. For her punishment, she was required to stand for hours upon the scaffold, and the truth pertaining to her sin of adultery and her inner struggle were put on display, “…for, haughty as her demeanor was, she perchance underwent an agony from every footstep of those that thronged to see her, as if her heart had been flung into the street for them .....

.... could not comprehend that his family is average. No matter what his family members do he thinks that the entire world revolves around them. The have made their names famous for a small amount of time in high school, but they haven’t done anything important since. Willy doesn’t pay attention to anything other than the positive aspects of their lives. Biff tries to explain that the are an average family to him and in the final argument Willy understands what Biff is telling him. That catharsis brings upon a realization of what his life means and what he has achieved. Willy’s realization of his life causes him .....

.... mission of conveying biblical messages, mystery and morality plays have considerable differences. The "mystery" in mystery plays refers to "the spiritual mystery of Christ's redemption of humankind" (308). Mystery plays were typically written in "cycles" (a series) that would begin with the Creation, chronicle the major events of the Old Testament through the New Testament and the Last Judgment. The mystery plays "endeavored to make the Christian religion more real to the unlearned by dramatizing significant events in biblical history and by showing what these events meant in terms of human experience" (363). They are thought .....

.... after Gordon has explained the technical meaning of irony, "In today’s context, irony is a sensibility that values cleverness and style above passion and commitment. It attacks bad taste by seeming to celebrate it. It mocks devotion to important causes by feigning devotion to trivial causes… Which makes it sound pretty awful, and it can be." After the first few paragraphs in his essay, it becomes clear which side Gordon is on. However, he does show that he is not totally putting down irony, just the people using it incorrectly, "… there is a line between irony and cheap cynicism that not everyone finds eas .....

.... ideologies. This can be seen heavily in the novel ‘Cloudstreet’ by Tim Winton. In this text many characters are seen to have somewhat different roles in the family that one would expect. Lester Lamb is an excellent example of this. The traditional role of the man in the house is to go out and work hard for his money and come home to a wife who would support him and look after the house and the kids. However, Lester is portrayed as a sensitive man who cooks and cleans regularly aswell as helps with many of the household chores. He also seems to have no quarrel with his wife having most of the control over the househ .....

.... the man has never seen one, his response is, "I might have, just because you say I haven’t doesn’t prove anything" (170). This shows the defensive nature of the man, and when the woman implies the he is unable to differentiate between what is beautiful and what is not. Another issue that is discussed in this story is abortion and two opposing views. When the conversation turns from the hills to the operation one is able to comprehend the mentality of the woman. "Then what will we do afterward?" (171) shows the woman is concerned about what will occur after the operation. "And if I do it you will be ha .....

.... it well. “Like the old timer’s photos, Leon’s papers and Grandpa Leong’s lost s, it reminded me to look back, to remember. I was reassured. I knew what I held in my heart would guide me. So I wasn’t worried when I turned that corner, leaving the old blue sign, Salmon Alley, Mah and Leon- everything- I think this passage summarizes well, the concept of needing to know where you came from in order to move forward. As in anything we study or live, we must understand or have some sort of knowledge of history before we can be innovative or truly aware of whom we are. .....

.... should see them, Hedda." Hedda - "No thanks, it really doesn't interest me'. In another gender role reversal, Hedda displays a financial awareness, which her husband, Jorgen does not posses. Although Brack corresponds with Tesman about his honeymoon travels, he corresponds with Hedda concerning the financial matters. This is a role that is usually reserved for men. Hedda does not only display traits, which are definitively masculine, or feminine, she also objects to and often defies the conventions established for her gender by society. She rejects references to her pregnancy as a reminder of her gender: Tesman - "Have you noti .....

.... loses his job and is forced to kickback a third of his paltry salary in order to get a new job working in a dark, damp, ³pickle room², Jurgis begins to lose faith in America. Jurgis witnesses the darkside of American society, and the resultant lassitude in the workforce. Jurgis observes the butchery of pregnant cows and their unborn calves, which are illegally mixed with other carcasses, including those of sick animals dead on arrival to the stock yards, for consumption. He witnesses beatings, graft, and dirty deals. As winter approaches, the marriage of Jurgis to Ona becomes cheerless. The pressures of work, poverty, and ill .....