An Analysis of The Rain Child And Antigone - 3516 Words

Short stories play an important role in literature, being sometimes more expressive than any novel of a more considerable length. Many people prefer them to novels: they are usually not so complex as novels are, there are only a few characters in them, they are easier to follow, and so on. They are popular all over the world. In this paper I would like to deal with short stories written by such great Canadian authors as Margaret Laurence and Sheila Watson. Their works are well-known not only in the English speaking countries, but also in other parts of the world. Their books and other writings have been translated into several languages and receive attention and praise from many countries. The first short story that I am now going to deal†¦show more content†¦In spite of the long time she has spent in Africa, she still remains English-centred. In her eyes African parents are unenlightened, she simply cannot get used to their culture and habits. Violet Nedden is the exact opposite of her. I think she has really got used to the Africans and she can understand their way of life, as well as their behaviour. She wants to help these people and when reading the short story, I got the impression that she is totally altruistic. She tries to help everybody who need her advice. When Ruth refuses to adapt to her new environment, she encourages her. She also helps Ayesha and Yindo, who are both miserable in some way. What Miss Nedden does is more than simple missionary work. As she tends to treat children as her own and tries not to segregate them by colour or race, I personally would say she accomplished more than Miss Povey, for Miss Nedden is the one who really put Bibl e into practice. Unlike Miss Povey, Miss Nedden has no English flowers. It also seems to represent that she identifies with Africa much more than Miss Povey. Miss Nedden doesnt refuse African culture, although she clearly knows she is English. When the local festivals, the Odwira take place, she goes along with the girls, while Miss Povey regards it as dangerously heathen. However, there is a line in the story which made me look closer at her nature and to revalue her personality. It is a line which contradictsShow MoreRelatedtheme of alienation n no where man by kamala markandeya23279 Words   |  94 Pagesï » ¿ANTIGONE KEY LITERARY ELEMENTS SETTING This tragedy is set against the background of the Oedipus legend. It illustrates how the curse on the House of Labdacus (who is the grandson of Cadmus, founder of Thebes, and the father of Laius, whose son is Oedipus) brought about the deaths of Oedipus and his wife-mother, Jocasta, as well as the double fratricide of Eteocles and Polynices. Furthermore, Antigone dies after defying King Creon. The play is set in Thebes, a powerful city-state north of