A Literary Analysis of the Teen Novel Monster by Walter Dean Myers Essay

Education 521 Midterm PaperThe teen novel Monster by Walter Dean Myers resonates many similarities to the UNC Hospital School and the students experiences there. Steve Harmon, a sixteen-year-old convicted of armed robbery and murder must face imprisonment and stand trial while facing his own inner demons. Similarly, students at the hospital school face time away from their family and friends while reflecting on their psychological illness and how to feel better before returning to their normal lives. The characters, themes, and plot of Monsters all reflect different aspects of students and staff at the Hospital School and the situations they face on a daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly basis.The main characters in the book all hold similarities to people at the Hospital School. Steve Harmon symbolizes all of the students currently staying for extended periods of time in the psychiatric unit of the hospital. A large majority of the students have tendencies towards violence, suicide, depression, and extreme sadness or fear. Steve experiences all of these emotions throughout the story. In his first journal entry when describing his experience in jail and the fear he feels is similar to students when they first arrive at the hospital school. Many of them are reluctant to cooperate with their doctors and teachers and think they will never get used to the different atmosphere that they have been thrown into. Many students dont understand why they have been hospitalized and become increasingly angry with their situation this is similar to the hateful feelings Steve is having in his second journal entry. The continued frustration Steve feels that he cannot express himself in jail, like when he denies himself the opportunity to speak with a preacher or go to the bathroom, and his feelings his voice isnt being heard in court, both resonate with students at the hospital school. Many of the students feel that they could not fully be themselves in their public schools or in...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Character Analysis of Basil Hallward in The Picture of Dorian Gray, a Novel by Oscar Wilde Essay

The main character in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian, is a man too easily influenced by his surroundings. He is quoted as saying, Basil Hallward is what I think I am Lord Henry is what the world thinks me Dorian is what I would like to bein other ages, perhaps (Wilde). This comparison falls in line with the moral of the story because Dorian is stuck with eternal youth and beauty even though he has a wicked soul. This causes different views of him by people who observe his daily life. Dorian is a sponge throughout the novel that absorbs everything and allows it to shape his personality, morals, and actions. Dorian Gray takes influence from Lord Henry, Basil Hallward, and the culture of society during which the novel was written. Lord Henry is the epitome of a wealthy, hedonistic gentleman seeking only pleasure, with little regard to cost or consequence. Lord Henry Wotton outwardly propounds hedonism, but it is his extreme egotism that drives him to manipulate both Basil Hallward a
Read more

Religious Symbolism in The Blessed Damozel, a Poem by Dante Gabriel Rossetti Essay

Dante Gabriel Rossettis poem The Blessed Damozel is full of religious symbolism. There is talk of saints, and the poem itself takes place in heaven. But underneath the religious symbolism is a deep sensuality, that makes one wonder if the white rose of Marys gift referred to in line nine is the gift of Mary the Virgin, or the somewhat less virginal Mary Magdalene. While the Damozel is in heaven, her appearance in heaven, her behaviors in life, and what happens when she and her lover are reunited suggest some less than virginal dealings, yet the damozel is blessed and resides in heaven. Rossetti was the child of liberals kicked out of Italy a heavily catholic country for their extreme political views. While Rossetti himself was not political, he may have espoused similar views regarding politics and religion as his parents. In the poem The Blessed Damozel, Rossetti was given the chance to essentially create his own heaven. Most everything he wrote seems to show that Rossetti espoused
Read more

An Analysis of the Character of Chichikov in the Poem, Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol Essay

Dead Souls takes place in the Russia of the late 1800s, where, unlike in America, one must be born into a prosperous family in order to have opportunities. The main character, Chichikov, is clever enough to develop a scheme in which he can rise from being a petty clerk to a respected landowner. In order to do this, Chichikov moves into a new town, pretending to already be a landowner, and begins a quest to buy the names of dead serfs who have not yet been officially reported dead. Each person that Chichkov presents this offer to has a different reaction, starting with the shy and introverted Manilov. Though he does not understand Chichikov's need for the names of these dead serfs, Manilov is a character that is so desperate for company that it does not take any effort to trick him into selling his dead souls cheaply. However, as Chichikov continues his journey, he starts to deal with more clever landowners who become suspicious of his scheme. Chichikov finds that the townsmen know
Read more