In what ways do authors use “tension” in their work? Consider tension in diction, between characters, in tone, in contrasting settings, in narrative structure, in dialogue, etc.
As in any play, whether audience or reader, the awareness of tension is prominent. Shaffer uses an intentional tone of tension to exemplify the struggle between patient and doctor. The largest theme of struggle so far in the story is the boys search for normalcy as the psychologist tries to guide him to this place. The boy is caught between two worlds, one in which his parents have raised him with strict values and ideals and another in which he finds in horses. In his world of horses, he is taken out of the moral rules and released by the beauty of the animal, just as many riders today would attest too, the power of a horse is captivating. As the therapy continues, the doctor decides to talk with both Alan’s parents about the event that occurred with their son blinding the horses. The goal of the therapy is to return Alan to his life and understand the motives behind his crude act. Alan’s mother, Dora, yells at the doctor, “Oh I know. I know, all right! I’ve heard it all my life. It’s our fault. Alan’s just a little victim. He’s really done nothing at all! [Savagely.] What do you have to do in this world to get any sympathy- blind animals?”(Shaffer 76). At this point in the play the tension has risen between Alan and his mother, resulting in hostility between Dora and the psychologist. Dora is struggling with the concept that her son, though she loves him dearly, might be rewarded sympathy for a crime he committed simply because of his upbringing. Dora might possibly be suffering from guilt having raised a disturbed son, neglect from a husband who does not feel the need to show his affection, and loneliness because she has lost her only true companion, Alan. Because Equus is a play, it is much more fluent exhibiting tension than the author of a novel only being able to use dialogue to show this emotion. Shaffer writes as a producer and a novelist, utilizing stage directions, dialogue, action, and tone to convey the tension in the script. Similar to therapy sessions in real life, the tension of the meetings come in waves and vary by person. Shaffer knows if the tension was constant throughout, the reader or audience would become numb to the tone. It is when tension flares, it becomes obvious and sparks the readers interest. Without this subtle variation the play would seem monotonous. Seeing how clearly a simple mood such as tension can be exhibited on paper, it would be fascinating to witness this play on stage. It causes me to wonder whether the changes would be as obvious without written stage directions and actor cues. The play is incredible because it utilizes the reader’s empathy to create an emotional draw to convey emotion unlike any other work in the world of literature or play writing.
Henry James uses tension in his novel “Daisy Miller” to further enhance the dissimilarities between characters, but more specifically to relay the tension between Winterbourne’s interests in Daisy and his fear of her rowdy persona that stems from his aunt’s manipulative comments. From their initial meeting, Winterbourne believed Daisy to be an innocent, young American but it wasn’t until his aunt strongly disagreed with their casual relationship did he doubt Daisy’s sincerity. The way in which James displays Winterbourne’s tone through the third person perspective highlights the contrasting emotions he has towards his own feelings for Daisy Miller. Additionally, James adds tension between the European and American characters by directly expressing so through his dialogue. While readers might assume the tension in “Daisy Miller” with regards to Winterbourne’s interaction with Daisy would be between Mrs. Costello and Winterbourne, it is really within Winterbourne’s feelings that he struggles. Due to the third person perspective, the novel appears very gossipy, so while writing with true emotion isn’t expected, readers can hint at how Winterbourne perceives the women around him through direct phrases here and there. After a period of separation, Mrs. Costello recaps Winterbourne on Daisy’s time in Rome when she explains “The girl goes about alone with her foreigners…they are hopelessly vulgar” (James 40-41). In response, Winterbourne defended Daisy’s innocence, but “he was so annoyed at hearing of a state of affairs so little in harmony with an image that had lately flitted in and out of his own meditations” (James 41). By expressing Winterbourne’s mixed and confused approach towards Daisy’s gregarious nature, James also befuddles readers so they too have not solidified their opinion of Daisy. Besides the internal tension in “Daisy Miller,” there is also tension between Europeans and Americans. The primary example would be Daisy and Mrs. Costello; although it is rather one-sided, the tension Winterbourne’s aunt feels toward Daisy is consistent throughout the book thus far. Mrs. Costello’s attempts to vilify Daisy and her family, while they are extreme, reveal partial truth and add to the distinctions between Europeans and Americans. In “Daisy Miller,” James portrays Europeans as judgmental and reclusive and through the tension, James describes the worst traits in Americans to be flirtatiousness, disrespectful, and uncultured. Even though Daisy holds no true disliking for Mrs. Costello, she has expressed her disapproval of Mrs. Costello’s control over Winterbourne (wanting to be in control of him herself) when she explains, “I don’t want you to come for your aunt…I want you to come for me” (James 38), displaying a slight “tension” from Daisy’s side. From this point in the short book, the ending is unclear but if the tension means anything or is as important as it appears, the contrasting worlds of Europeans and Americans will play some part in the ending of the book. It seems as though Winterbourne, in the process of determining whether he trusts the world of his aunt or Daisy, must first decide on his opinion of Daisy by calming the tension within his mind. I am curious as to how Henry James will end his story, and how I will perceive Winterbourne after he has made up his mind; as of now I am unsure of my opinion of him.
There isn't much tension in the fore front of "Catch-22". A few characters create tension with others but it doesn't necessarily have an affect on the plot.
Colonel Cathcart creates tension between himself and the people he commands because he cares more about his rank rather than his men. Colonel Cathcart compared himself to men in the same position as him and were the same age. He wanted to be better than all the other colonel's at thirty-six, "He could measure his own progress only in relationship to others, and his idea of excellence was to do something at least as well as the men his own age who were doing the same thing even better" (Heller 187). Later in this chapter he is agonized by his belief that he is a failure since there are men younger than him who are generals. Because Colonel Cathcart wanted to increase his rank he would always volunteer his men to do missions, "He was a valorous opportunist who pounced hoggishly upon every opportunity Colonel Korn discovered for him and trembled in damp despair immediately afterward the possible consequences he might suffer" (Heller 188).
Colonel Cathcart volunteered his men to embark on a dangerous mission over Bologna to bomb enemy ammunition caches which would be heavily guarded. This caused fear and anger with the pilots including Yossarian who would do anything to delay the mission. Colonel Cathcart did not see the possibility of losing men only the chance of a medal or appreciation from his superiors. He would try anything to become a general, "Colonel Cathcart wanted to be a general so desperately he was willing to try anything" (Heller 189). Yossarian and the other men had a problem with that though. Yossarian is most concerned with surviving unlike the other pilots who want honor.
Yossarian constantly complains to Doc Daneeka and Major Major Major Major to ground him so he won't have to be in any missions. There are many conversations with Doc Daneeka about being grounded but it will not work because of Catch-22. Doc Daneeka says you can be grounded if your crazy but if your crazy you wouldn't ask to be grounded. If you did ask and were grounded you would be put back on duty because you were sane enough to ask. That is Catch-22, a very confusing concept. Catch-22 and Doc Daneeka are causing tension and problems for Yossarian and his will to live another day.
As said before the tension in the novel plays a minor role in the plot. Although Catch-22 is the focus of the novel, hence the name, and is problematic to Yossarian mostly but other pilots as well like Hungry Joe. Tension remains a minor problem in the novel so far but could become something major because of its affect on Yossarian and Catch-22.
Jennifer Page Algieri Algieri 1 Mrs. Barnhart AP Literature and Composition 8 December, 2014
Tension in Madame Bovary exists in a variety of ways, but the most prominent is the tension between Emma and Charles. It in itself is a fascinating type of pressure because of how subtle, and how one sided it is. It is always Emma giving a taunt reply or comment to Charles, who is clueless to her indifference and disatisfaction. At the Chateau Emma gives constant warnings to Charles about his behavior, telling upon his his concerns about his trousers for dancing, “Why, you must be mad! They would make fun of you; keep your place,” which he listened to, of course, and spent the rest of the evening watching the other men play cards.
Though the tension is not limited to dialogue between Charles and Emma, but exists between Emma and her boring life. Complaining constantly of how dull her life is, Emma laments in thoughts more and more frequently as the story progresses, up until she begins to lead her life apart from Charles, who she once saw a charming, but now sees only as clumsy and foolish. There is pressure building throughout part one, and most of part two, where Emma Bovary becomes less impressed with her life and desires more and more to be like on of the women in her novels who lead luxurious lives of romance, thrill and wealth. It is like a string being pulled and the reader is left waiting for it to snap; waiting for Madame Bovary to do something to get the life she desires, whether she be in the right or wrong for wanting it.
Eventually that string is snapped, and Madame Bovary, after moving to Totes, discovers she is in love, or is at least infatuated with the young clerk Leon, adding him to her collection in this fantasy life she pretends to lead. At home life gets remarkably worse, with her mood swings get out of control, becoming more violent after Leon moves away. This is where the tension between Emma and Charles, and between Emma and her life finally overlap. On edge about everything,it is a constant battle reading the novel and trying to guess what exactly is going to happen, since Emma has become violently unpredictable.
It is an interesting use of tension. Most authors introduce tension to reveal typically two characters as the protagonist or the antagonist. In this Charles is no enemy, and really neither is Emma, not Emma’s mundane life. All could co-exist if not for the barriers Emma puts of between them. In all the tension in the text lives really to carry the plot and is what makes the novel readable, as it leaves something to be anticipated by the reader.
Tension between many of the characters is evident early on in Anna Karenina as it is these conflicts which shape the story and add to the theme of love. I know a theme is supposed to be a lesson or truth about a particular subject. At this point in my reading I am unable to accurately assess Tolstoy’s take on love, however, by examining the tension among the characters different aspects of the central topic (love) are evident. These will form the theme’s base, which will be cultivated as the novel progresses.
One of the first times tension presents itself can be found when Oblonsky and Levin go to lunch. At this point in the story, the audience knows Oblonsky cheated on his wife as well as how he really feels about her and their marriage. Tolstoy, up to this point, has also provided pivotal insight into Levin’s love for Kitty. When the two go to lunch Levin decides to ask Oblonsky for advice on how to proceed with Kitty which invariably presents problems as Levin genuinely loves Kitty and Oblonsky does not feel the same about his wife (who also happens to be Kitty’s sister). When Oblonsky explains his affair, Levin responds with an analogy, stating “Excuse me, but I absolutely cannot understand how after eating my fill here I could go past a bakery and steal a roll” (Tolstoy 42), exhibiting his sole devotion to Kitty. Here Tolstoy makes a point to evaluate love as a virtue and exhibit how different members of society perceive it.
The relationship between Kitty and Vronsky represents another facet of love: presumption or misunderstanding. Kitty and her family believe Vronsky is preparing to propose to Kitty when in fact Vronsky, while liking Kitty, has no intention of marrying her. This becomes especially apparent after Anna Karenin is introduced. She and Vronsky slowly start to develop a relationship and Kitty, upon realizing this, is heartbroken. Her mistakenness regarding Vronsky further angers her as she also lost Levin in the process, turning him down because she assumed Vronsky would propose.
Other tensions are forming between characters yet I have no fully discovered them as I am still in the midst of reading. Another notable one is the emotional tension between Lenin and Kitty. After Kitty’s refusal and Levin’s heartbrokenness, it will be interesting to see how the remainder of their relationship develops as Vronsky is no longer a possibility. Regardless of the outcome, tension reveals different aspects of love. It also contributes to understanding of theme which is Tolstoy’s message regarding love.
I always love reading your responses to prompts because you have such an elegant way of putting things. You give a lovely summary of what is happening, while not giving away too much information. It lets me understand what you are reading and writing about, without making me feel like I don't have to read the book just because I know what is happening.
It is interesting to compare your novel to mine. Our themes and overall plots are quite different yet the ways in which tension with love is expressed is very similar. Your characters are finding love between each other and are having conflicts regarding who really loves who. I can relate specifically to this as one character, Mariam, if forced into a marriage with a man who she does not know or love. One day she finds he is keeping magazines filled with pictures of other women and is mortified at how he can keep her hidden inside their home while these other women can be photographed nearly/completely naked. Her issues with her husband are hard to resolve because he is abusive and she is unable to confront him. While she believes he loves her, he really is looking for a new son, because his first son drowned in lake. This creates increased tension in their household. Beyond their household rebellions and revolutions and changes are coming about and Mariam is stuck, forced by her husband, to stay in the ways of older beliefs of that of Middle Eastern religions and traditions. To see how this unwinds in the end is intriguing!
One of my favorite things about this book so far is that it may center so fully on love at times, yet it is not a love story. It's not about romance, or seduction. Nor is it about what is wise and unwise, or good and bad in love. *ALERT* Potential spoiler follows, so don't read what is in the parentheses yet if you don't want to! ((Tolstoy basically skips over the part where Anna and Vronsky consummate their relationship, which, in a love story, would be a pivotal event.)) I believe Anna Karenina features love as context for greater themes of balance, fate, passion, and our powerlessness against circumstances and our determination to change them. I feel as if Tolstoy also is more interested in love's extreme consequences rather than love itself. Then again, I am also in the earlier stages of the book so there is much to learn!
`Before searching for tension in "The Color Purple", it often goes unnoticed. However, the tension which occurs in this novel greatly affects the reader's experience. From the beginning of the novel, the reader can guess the outcome of Celie's father's sexual frustration, but the hopeful audience waits impatiently to discover the truth. Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario does occur and immediately causes the reader to feel sympathy for the girl. Suddenly, the author then removes the tension and tells us up-front of the next unfortunate event,"My mama dead" (Walker 3). While that initial sympathy for Celie remains, it almost seems as if the author gives the audience a brief moment of respite before returning to tense situations. The father becomes more violent towards Celie and more predatory to Nettie, "He beat me today cause I winked at a boy in church... Sometime he still looking at Nettie" (Walker 6). However, this pattern of "clench-and-release" tension repeats again and again. The father marries girl (release), the wife gets sick (clench), Mr.______ asks to take Nettie away and marry her (release), father denies this request and offers Celie instead (clench). Progressively, the Walker introduces these contrasting situations and creates a sense of unease in the reader. However, this trend ceases, or at least slows down when Shug Avery comes into the picture. By creating a sense of calm and contentment around Shug Avery, who by all means does not fit that description in the least, the author invokes Celie's feelings for Shug in the readers. Whenever, Celie talks about Shug, she almost always ONLY talks about her. Sometimes, the author takes this to such a level that the author "forgets" to write about her whenever a stressful situation emerges, further disassociating Shug with anything Celie may find uncomfortable. For example, from page 84 to page 111, Celie mentions Shug twice and even then, she just offhandedly states that Squeak wore Shug's hat and started to sing Shug's songs. During these pages, Sophia gets thrown in jail, the sheriff rapes Squeak, and then Sophia gets forced into becoming a maid as punishment. However, immediately after this section, the tone becomes suddenly more lighthearted with the addition of Shug, "Shug write she got a big surprise, and she intend to bring it home for Christmas" (Walker 112, first line). Up to this point of the novel, the author only includes any form unease with Shug under one circumstance. The first involves Celie describing her misfortunes to Shug. Although Celie feels an immense amount of sadness at this part, it further supports the author's theme of Shug's presence comforting Celie. The young woman never has opened up to any person in her life except for Shug, portraying and intensifying the reader's understanding of Celie's emotions. In general, the tension which occurs in this novel generates a feeling of unease in the reader. With this unease, the author effectively portrays Celie's innermost struggles and then depicts how Shug Avery can disperse this discomfort.
How very fortuitous that this blog topic should be about tension as Chapter Four of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is really the first chapter to have any tension. Although, the tension is a different sort because it is never said, only implied. Hallward, in the first few chapters, insists that Lord Henry will tarnish young Dorian by taking away all that makes him beautiful, specifically his innocence about life. Now poor Hallward finds young Dorian engaged to Sybil Vane and he’s upset because he believes it is Henry’s fault. But the text never expresses Hallward’s disappointment, rather it is felt. The first time Hallward and Dorian meet up after learning of Dorian’s engagement Hallward only speaks two times to Dorian. He mentions how he does not forgive Dorian for “not having let me know of your engagement” (Wilde 133) because although Dorian did not inform Hallward, he does tell Lord Henry about his love for Sybil and leaves him a note about the engagement. The only other thing he says is in response to Dorian’s question about whether he was right in asking Sybil to marry him so soon after having met. “’Yes, I suppose you were right’ said Hallward, slowly.” (Wilde 134) The tension, however present it may be in these sentences, is felt more prominently when Hallward does not speak. As Henry and Dorian talk it feels rather like Hallward is a stranger joining two best friends for the first time, even though he’s known both these men longer than they have known each other.
I felt the tension specifically when Lord Henry told Dorian “You will always like me, Dorian” (Wilde 136) because that is exactly what Hallward wanted Dorian to feel for him. But Henry got it instead, he got all the affection from the one person who made Hallwards life complete. In the first chapter Hallward was insistent that Dorian and Henry should never meet because he did not want Dorian to be influenced by Henry. But they were introduced and Dorian was influenced heavily. Everything Dorian does is affected by his meeting Lord Henry, even his dining places as he made sure to mention to Henry how he had eaten at “that curious little Italian Restaurant in Rupert Street you introduced me to” (Wilde 134) which must bother Hallward to no end. But this anger is never commented on, none of the men notice anything strange in Hallward and Hallward makes no ill remarks towards Dorian or Henry. But the tension is there. His having to listen to the man he adores most fawn over another hurts him, and makes it so that “Dorian Gray would never again be all that he has been in the past” (Wilde 137). This is a really cool writing choice, because tension is hard to get just right in literature. Readers cannot just be told that a scene is tense and suddenly feel it, there has to be more to it. And not describing the tension, just letting the silence describe it, brings about that sensation far better than an explanation could. At least for this particular book.
It's funny that our book choices are different in the ways they convey tension, but still end up making us feel that tension ourselves. In your novel, tension is more often implied; in mine, the author makes it clear when tension is there -- sometimes she'll even tell readers herself. But I definitely felt tension, too, when I was reading. You might find as you read on that Wilde varies his methods of conveying a sense of tension, as my author seems to be doing. Keep me posted either way -- it would be cool to compare and contrast our two books through this lens.
Harriet Beecher Stowe creates tension in Uncle Tom’s Cabin through a balanced combination of characters’ dialogue and her own narration. I’m finding this balance across the board in terms of literary devices, which convinces me more and more with each read that Stowe wrote her novel to convey a specific message on multiple levels in the text. In the case of the selling of the two slaves early on in the story, tension helps reveal the true nature of the individuals involved, which in turn affects their actions and interactions with each other.
The dialogue between characters includes examples of tension in several different devices. For example, I found that in a tense situation such as the unwanted selling of valued slaves, the word choice of certain characters indicated feelings of angst. Mrs. Shelby referred to Mr. Haley, the man who held power over Mr. Shelby’s assets, as “low-bred” (Stowe 31) and a “creature” (Stowe 32). Mrs. Shelby hasn’t used such unkind terms like these before this point in the story, which suggests the tension of the situation concerns her greatly. Tension truly acts as a revealer of character here -- once the immorality of the situation becomes clear to her, Mrs. Shelby openly criticizes the institution of slavery, referring to it as “a curse to the master and a curse to the slave” and a “deadly evil” (Stowe 34).
Characters’ actions and behavior in the face of uncomfortable situations demonstrates tension through tone. In the same conversation, Mr. Shelby showed signs of uneasiness as soon as his wife mentioned Eliza’s concern that her son might be one fo the sold slaves. Mr. Shelby “turned himself rather uneasily in his chair” (Stowe 31) when the discussion began, and demonstrated “a certain embarrassment in his manner” (Stowe 31). Although the device is different -- tone here, as opposed to word choice and diction -- tension reveals character just the same. Through his movements and behavior, Mr. Shelby shows that he does not feel comfortable with the decision he made, but needs to find a reason to stand by it.
Stowe’s narrative presence is another avenue by which tension can be detected. I found that Stowe sometimes takes a more direct route, simply describing what is going on in a way that makes it clear to readers that there is tension in the situation. At one point, she states that Mrs. Shelby is “hurriedly and abstractly fingering her gold watch” (Shelby 34) while considering selling some of her valuables to pay for the slaves. Personally, I found that imagery created stronger impressions of tension in my mind. To describe Eliza’s grief at learning her young son would be sold, Stowe writes, “in such straits as these, the heart has no tears to give, -- it drops only blood, bleeding itself away in silence” (Stowe 36). With an image like that, direct from Stowe’s narration, it doesn’t surprise the reader to find that Eliza runs away with her child. Similarly, when Uncle Tom himself is told he will be sold, Stowe establishes the connection herself between the character’s tension and the reader’s sympathy: “in life's great straits and mighty griefs, ye feel but one sorrow!” (Stowe 39). In Tom’s case, the tension of his future provokes the most important revelation of character yet. Even though he has the chance to escape, Tom refuses, saying, “I never have broke trust, nor used my pass no ways contrary to my word, and I never will” (Stowe 38).
While Stowe may vary her presentation of tension in the story, her ultimate use of tension seems fairly consistent: in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, tension says a lot about the nature of a character. It’s the decisions these characters make when put in an uncomfortable, tense situation that define the types of people they are and direct the plot and message of the story itself.
Euripides creates a great tension within his piece “Medea” by skillfully allowing his characters to interact in specific ways. The traits of some character are such that when they interact, a volatile cocktail of emotions erupts from within them. This in turn reveals new information and detail about the characters, adding depth and complexity to the piece. Euripides chooses his words and tones wisely in order to create a feeling which captures and relates to the audience. The best example of this situation comes with the intense argument between Medea and Jason, the man who abandoned their marriage for another woman. The passionate hatred which Medea holds against him prevents her from listening to any plea to which he might give. In this scene Euripides crafts this argument in such a way as to incorporate not only characters and dialogue, but also tone and setting to create a dangerously tense atmosphere.
Although the audience would have had prior knowledge of each character, it would be the dialogue between these two characters which grabs the attention of the audience. Jason begins the argument, making bold claims such as putting the blame of Medea’s exile on her, arguing that had she stayed calm and eased her temper, she would not have received punishment. Although the audience has been trained to dislike him, Jason makes some very valid arguments. “But you could not control your craziness,” he says, “never letting up on your abuse of the royal family. That is why you are to be exiled from this land” (Euripides 12). Jason wants to help her and admits that he could never think badly of her. But Medea will not hear his pity. The one-sidedness of this argument creates a feeling of tension between the two characters and the feeling also reverberates with the audience. Progressively, the word choices between characters grow more and more virulent as Medea continues to persist. The small room which the characters are set in provides no escape for the trapped emotions arising between them.
The argument escalates even further when Medea makes the decision to insult Jason to his face. Reminding him of how it was she how saved him in Argo and she who murdered Pelias in front of his daughters for him (not a very good argument for her sanity in this case, but she continues on). She explains how Jason might have been excused for leaving the marriage had they not conceived children. But because they did, his absence is inexcusable. To which Jason replies that it was not he who gained anything from being rescued, rather it was her. Not only did she adopt a new household and fame from the marriage, but she became wealthy and secure. As the argument progresses it not only resonates with the audience in 431 BC but also with today’s audience. The problems presented here so long ago are still problems that many people struggle with today. By relating the audience with the piece in this way, Euripides allows the tension to really hit home and sell his point.
Jason, who has been the subject of much verbal abuse my Medea, finally snaps under all of the pressure at the end of the argument and yells out “There should be some other way for men to produce children. Women would not have to exist at all. And then humanity would be saved a lot of trouble” (Euripides 14). This is the climax of the argument and this line sends a great shock through the audience. The tension snaps and the rest of the argument falls apart. Jason regresses into a state of calm, once again offering peace to Medea. Even after this abuse, he still wants to help her. But by this point, not even the usually unbiased Chorus agrees with him.
Euripides uses tension to his advantage in this piece. Other, more modern authors use similar methods of producing tension in their pieces, but it must not be forgotten that this was written a very long time ago.
Euripides sets a standard for character behavior and it remains an example to follow to this day. Other examples of tension arise throughout the play, and its presence is very consistent. But no other scene is as tense as this one. The incorporation of moving dialogue and strong word choices, as well as its ability to be related to the audience all help to make the tension in this piece a great presence.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is in general a novel with a lot of tension. Having been set in the Middle East during a time of war between communists and rebellions, the characters are all alert and aware. The characters face difficult and harsh situations between parents, children, arranged marriages, gender equality, and a lack of control in their lives.
Hosseini, the author, uses a unique technique by introducing Middle Eastern language into his novel during important events or dialogues. Usually, when a conversation or event between characters becomes serious, Hosseini weaves in words from common Middle Eastern languages such as: kolba, hijab, mashallah, tashakor, and azan. Sometimes the meanings of these words are given and other times they are not. Most of these words are used in argumentative dialogue between very different characters or when an adult is talking actively about the war. For example, when Mariam and her Nana argued, a common word in their arguments was harami, especially when the argument became extremely heated. And when one of the school teachers, Khala Rangmaal, spoke of the war she preferred to use the word inqilabi meaning revolution, rather than the word coup. Not all of these foreign words are used to emphasize certain parts of arguments or entire arguments; some of the words are used in general terms or for items that there is no English word for. But for the most-part, Hosseini is careful of where he inputs his unique dialogue and after keeping track of some of the words used, I can see them being repeated in similar instances and arguments.
Another way Hosseini creates tension is through appearance. Since this is a time of war and rebellion, many of the women are trying to become equals, and some of the men are supportive of women and their wives while others are stuck in the older ways and wish to keep their “property” hidden. Farbia for example, is one of the women who wears no hijab or scarf and shows her knees in public. Mariam, on the other hand, is forced to wear a burqa, which is like a gown that covers the entire body accept for the eyes, although in Mariam’s case, even her eyes are hidden by a mesh square. This causes tension because Mariam and Farbia and have spoken in small instances before and are neighbors with many others who life around them as well. This shows how the war is effecting places other than where the soldiers are stationed and how even their small towns are beginning to have controversies.
Even though the novel is set in a place of extreme tension, controversy, and rebellion, Hosseini does not hesitate to further emphasize specific instances that are causing this tension to increase. Certain attire, such as hijab’s and burqa’s are being diminished when they were such a strong cultural aspect not too many years before. Not only is this area in the Middle East losing some of its long know traditions, but it is losing its government, customs, heritage, and even religion to some extent. Husband and wives are not praying as much during the day and children are not being taught the same ways of the Koran as their parents and grandparents were. The area is evolving and changing and with the author including diction that used to have such great meaning to these communities while at the same time showing how some of these citizens are willing to change and others are not, the extreme difference between people becomes apparent and the tension between them becomes almost terrifying.
From the very offset of "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin, tension in its various forms is extremely prevalent. The feelings Edna has towards other characters in the book, whether it be hatred, lust, or love, is what drives the story forward and what shapes the themes in the novel.
As Edna becomes aware of the restrictions society has placed on her to conform to a certain set of standards, the tension between her and her husband increases exponentially. Up until Edna's encounters with Robert, she had been complacent to her husband and his demands. This all changed when she felt her first pangs of desire for a man she was not married to. With this, everything Edna had been taught since childhood came into question. If being married didn't mean being in love, then what other rules were untrue as well? This is not more clear than when Mr. Pontellier arrives home from a night at the beach and orders Edna inside with him. Any other "time she would have gone in at his request. She would, through habit, have yielded to his desire, not with any sense of submission or obedience to his compelling wishes, but unthinkingly..." (Chopin 77). But not anymore. No, instead Edna takes a stand, refusing to obey her husband’s wishes. She wishes to stay outside, so that's exactly what she does. While this is the first step towards her awakening, it also creates immense tension between the husband and wife. Mr. Pontellier is stuck in the old ways of thinking, representing society as a whole, while Edna is moving on, taking back control of her life and becoming the representation of independence and freedom for the readers of "The Awakening."
Edna's discovery of her needs and wants bring along with them other forms of tension as well. When she first marries Leonce, Edna accepts the fact that her days of passion are over, being replaced with a life of rules and responsibility. This, however, all changes when a new man enters her life. With the arrival of Robert, a sexual desire awakens in Edna that had been gone for many years before. Despite this, there are still a set of rules and regulations that the two of them have to follow. As much as Edna and Robert want to be together, the fact of the matter is that Edna is married and has children to take care of. Jumping into a relationship right away would be reckless. Not to mention the fact that despite Edna’s realization that she has been limited by society, breaking out of this structure takes time, as she’s been conforming to them her entire life. As much as she would like to, Edna can’t jump into a relationship with Robert. Instead, he removes himself from the temptation my traveling to Mexico.
Thus far in the book, these are the most dominant tensions in the novel. Despite the fact that Robert has a clear attraction to other women such as Adele, and Edna and Robert clearly have feelings for each other, the three of them are unable to act on their feelings due to the marriage between Mr. Pontellier and Edna. Of course, the tension in the novel could shift as the story progresses. It’s more than likely that as Edna claims more of herself the tension between her and the more traditional characters will increase substantially.
Great post Taylor! This reminds me of the same "self vs society" tension my protagonist, Oscar, experiences in my novel. He is bewildered by a sexualized Dominican culture which he cannot grasp. Similarly, he questions his role and his belonging in the community. I think that as tension drives plot, this sort of "fight or flight" alienation is what drives our characters to mature. The questioning of our roles in a society and the pondering of our place just brings us back to one question--do I do something about it? So far in my novel, Oscar has yet to know.
"As Edna becomes aware of the restrictions society has placed on her to conform to a certain set of standards, the tension between her and her husband increases exponentially"
In my novel, Jane Eyre, Jane has recently transformed from a small girl obsessed with standing up for herself to a young woman perfectly fine with conforming to society's restrictions and wishes. She accepts the treatment placed upon her by Mr. Rochester, whereas before she may have struck out against him and informed him of the undeserved cruel treatment he places upon her. After reading your post, Taylor, I began to think that maybe Jane will have her own awakening, where she rejects the restrictions of society and transforms back into that girl fueled by rebellion. Possibly, like with your character, when she falls in love, or maybe under another circumstance. Foreshadowing in the novel certainly lends it as a possibility.
Hey Taylor, I'm in the part of Pride and Prejudice where Lizzie rejects Mr. Collins' marriage proposal, and see it as similar to when Edna refuses to obey her husband. However, in Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Collins pretty much refuses to believe that Lizzie is deviating from the norm, and continues to pursue her throughout the conversation. Is Edna's husband like Mr. Collins in that he refuses to believe that she, too is deviating from the norm, or does he internalize it and act on it, for example, in aggression? Great job, by the way. ;)
“Billy has gone to sleep a senile widower and awakened on his wedding day. He has walked through a door in 1955 and come out another one in 1941. He has gone back through that door to find himself in 1963. He has seen his birth and death many times, he says, and pays random visits to all the events in between.” (Vonnegut 22).
Kurt Vonnegut uses tension in unique ways throughout Slaughterhouse Five, where instead of creating tension between elements within the story, he rather employs literary devices creating tension with the reader themselves. Rather than start directly with the main story with each character, Vonnegut hooks the reader in with vague foreshadowing sentences. From these sentences, Vonnegut gives no additional information, yet lets the curiosity and tension of the reader build up as he leaves connecting pieces of anecdotes woven together until finally revealing the context behind the plot points given away at the beginning. However, Vonnegut does not limit his enigmatic practices to simply the beginning of the story, but rather expands others throughout the anecdotes, of which the most apparent form to find is repetition. Vonnegut can install a single phrase at different points in a story, marking its significance such as when he repeats the words “So it goes” (Vonnegut 22) after talking about the death or deaths of a person or people. It is later revealed the reasoning behind the phrase being repeated after the mention of a death is because “’When a Tralfamadorian [Aliens that see in 4 dimensions] sees a corpse, all he thinks is that the dead person is in bad condition in that particular moment, but that the same person is just fine in plenty of other moments. Now when I myself hear that somebody is dead, I simply shrug and say what the Tralfamadorians say about dead people, which is ‘So it goes’’” (Vonnegut 23). When the meaning behind the phrase is finally shown to the reader, the awkward tension is then relieved for the small story arch in which it is encompassed.
Additionally, Vonnegut increases the overall amount of tension a reader feels by inserting random spouts of exposition about different characters, especially before a major plot development. These anecdotes vary in subject anywhere from explaining what a character is thinking at that precise moment to their entire backstory given within a few brief paragraphs. Even though Vonnegut’s random spouts of expositional content inform the reader and provide them with newfound insight and knowledge into some of the characters’ actions, the placement of the anecdotes before a major revealing plot point is enough to increase a reader’s tension, as they are eager to see what happens. As human beings, readers love having resolve at the end of something, and this is no stranger within the realms of literature. However, Vonnegut takes the emotions of readers and plays with them, like making a dog do tricks to receive a treat. The tension itself is built perfectly for the story as it is not contained in the story, but rather how the story itself is written.
In The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao Junot Diaz establishes tensions by creating incongruencies between the character’s dreams and their realities. Characterization emphasizes this tension as well . The theme of escape dominates the piece, so tension naturally guides the novel.
Oscar Wao is a virgin. He is also a Dominican man, which according to his family, contradict one another. Born in a masculine society, the male Dominican ideal is confident and brave, suave and good with the ladies. Oscar is none of the above. Fat and indescribably nerdy, Oscar battles the conflict between living up to his familiar and cultural expectations and his reality. He experiences both a subtle, yet alienating conflict between his family and culture, and a more painfully blatant one within himself. To escape his reality, Oscar reads and voraciously writes fantasy fiction; which paradoxically only alienates him more.
Lola too battles the desire to escape, mainly from her mother. A tough woman, Belicia and Lola’s relationship was frequently tense but even more often abusive causes Lola to flee. Lola escapes, only to be “caught” once betrayed by her brother Oscar, who tells of her location.
As with Oscar, similar conflict transcends throughout Belicia’s relations as a girl living in the Dominican. She feels alienated in her world, misunderstood and seeking reprieve. She is neither orphan (after her parents died when she was one) nor upper-class (it was only until much later until she was adopted by her humble abuela). She has the expectations of the elite, yet the upbringing of a street child. Bored, she only wants one thing-- Jack Pujols--yet has banished herself into solitude by her sullen differences. Finally, she grows into a woman, at first insecure of her new body then later using it as a means to achieve Pujols. He takes advantage of her, most tragically leaving her pining for him, waiting for the day he returns. She experiences a conflict between her culture and environment, one between herself in her new body and most uniquely-- a conflict she is unaware of, one between her and the truth.
I think Diaz subtly evoked tension by placing strong characters in situations incongruent to their true selves--and making them work their way out of it. Whether the conflict be singular, familiar or cultural; it creates a tension between the character and themselves. This tension leaves not only the characters yearning for escape, but the reader hoping to see them at ease.
Oscar Wao is a virgin. He is also a Dominican man, which according to his family, contradict one another. Born in a masculine society, the male Dominican ideal is confident and brave, suave and good with the ladies. Oscar is none of the above. Fat and indescribably nerdy, Oscar battles the conflict between living up to his familiar and cultural expectations and his reality. TO escape his reality, Oscar reads and voraciously writes fantasy fiction.
As me and Emilio are both reading Catch .22 I find it very interesting to read his interpretation of the role of tension in the novel. I find that I myself would tend to agree with him on several of his arguments but also agree to disagree with him on others.
One aspect of the novel that I would have to agree upon with Emilio is the existence of tension between several of the officers and the enlisted men. Colonel Cathcart, for example, views his men as dispensable utilities of which he can use for his own benefit. After the return of each mission another is assigned, which definitely causes some emotional anxiety, but not as much as the reader would expect. The tension is created as a result of the decision to increase the number of missions, allowing Yossarian and the men to direct their anxiety to authority figures. Fear is a separate issue, one which Yossarian experiences with the thought of previous missions and the expectations of upcoming ones. In addition to Colonel Cathcart, Major Major is another character that experiences tension within the novel. However, Major Major’s tension is not so much as a result of him trying to distinguish himself (such as Colonel Cathcart) but rather from trying to fit in. Major Major is an alienated character and Chapter 9 discusses the Major’s life story. From birth he has been isolated as a result of his ridiculous name and eventually his obedient attitude. He is rather “awkward” and when trying to participate with enlisted men (who technically he’d have been included if not for his unjust promotion) he is often denied.
Unlike Emilio I believe that tension does play a prominent role within the plot. The concept of the catch .22 itself creates tension not only for Yossarian but also the reader, as it is a difficult concept to grasp. Also tension does exist within the men, as I previously stated, but is directed more at the government (indirectly of course) and unseen officials. This is important because this aids in delivering one of the main themes of the text; the power of bureaucracy. For instance, Doc Daneeka is upset at being drafted because it has taken away his booming business back home. Also, many would agree that Yossarian is fighting in what seems to be World War II. However, as the story progresses, the tension created exists more between Yossarian and the bureaucrats, rather than Yossarian and the Germans.
It can be oftentimes difficult to identify tension within the novel as a result of Joseph Heller’s writing style. As the piece is considered to be a satire, he often implements humor and irony into the text. His sarcastic approach makes it burdensome to extract moments of tension from the novel because the reader is sometimes wondering “is this a literal action or is this some type of metaphor?”
When Jane Eyre, the main protagonist of Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre, first enters Thornfield, the tension exhibits itself immediately to the reader. Thornfield lays secluded from the nearby town, unknown even to the waiter of the George Inn, 6 miles from the estate. Jane describes the estate as secluded and eerie, stating how inside the furniture looks, “as if they belonged to a church rather than a house,” and how, “a very chilly vault-like air pervaded the stairs and gallery, suggesting cheerless ideas of space and solitude” (Brontë 97). The tenseness arises from the loneliness of the house, the strange, possibly supernatural events experienced by Jane, and a life unknown to Jane. The unknown mysteries of house prevent Jane from relaxing and accepting her present situation. Brontë contrasts Jane’s previous, lively life at Lowood, a school filled with young girls and teachers, to her future, secluded life at Thornfield, an estate containing less than ten people at a time. The contrast foreshadows the struggle Jane may face conforming to the ways of Thornfield, specifically the ways of Thornfield’s owner, Mr. Rochester.
Nobody screams tension more than Mr. Rochester. Prior to Jane’s arrival at Thornfield, Brontë writes Jane in several situations which makes the mood of the novel tense, such as her final encounter with Mrs. Reed at Gateshead Hall and her described encounter with Mr. Brocklehurst at Lowood. Yet, no scene exhibits as much tension as when Jane meets Mr. Rochester for tea the day following his arrival. Although the two previously met when Mr. Rochester falls off his horse on the way to the household and Jane attempts to help him, the meeting marks the first time where Jane acknowledges the man as Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester addresses Jane with curt statements and commands, directing “’Let Miss Eyre be seated’” in an “impatient yet formal tone” with a “forced stiff bow” (Brontë 120). Through Brontë’s choice of diction, using vocabulary such as ‘forced’ and ‘stiff,’ the reader grasps the tension in Mr. Rochester’s posture and gains a clue into the nature of the undiscovered man. He acts cold to Jane, being incredibly meticulous in the info he shares with the girl.
Brontë wants to depict Mr. Rochester as a closed off man who has no problem keeping secrets. The nature of the man foreshadows the secrets which Jane eventually discovers later on in the novel, contributing to a great portion of the novel’s plot. Without such tension and secrets, Jane’s life would part very little from that of a normal governess’s. Therefore, Brontë exploits the tension to create mystery, deepen Mr. Rochester’s character, and progress the novel’s plot.
As an additional observation, Jane’s reaction to Mr. Rochester’s tense posture and rude demeanor also reveals information about the girl’s character. In response to the man’s nature, Jane addresses how she, “sat down quite disembarrassed… I felt interested to see how he would go on” (Brontë 120), showcasing her transformations made while at Lowood. As a young girl, Jane told Helen how, “When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard,” (Brontë 54). Yet, when Mr. Rochester treated Jane poorly, insulting her paintings and piano playing, without a reason, Jane responds almost in humor. She wants to know how the rest of the scene unfolds, almost as if she represents an outsider looking upon and removed from the situation. She appears curious about, but unaffected by, the man’s word. Seemingly, Jane’s character progresses from a small girl fueled by rebellion to a young woman focused on obedience with a slight spark of curiosity. Therefore, Brontë also deploys tension in her novel to disclose information concerning character progression, emphasizing the significance of the mood in the novel.
Hi Jill! =) Thus far from reading about Jane, I believe I like her more than I did Lucy, the protagonist of my novel (at least I did not like her before). Up until recently, Lucy has no rebellion in her and remains quite traditional besides her love for adventure. Her inability to think for herself actually has me rooting for her to stand up for herself, which she finally did today! Like Brontë, I believe Forster also uses tension to further character progression. Awesome blog!
“she turned back and gave the two outsiders a nervous little bow…the son acknowledged it, not by another bow, but by raising his eyebrows and smiling” (Forster 11)
Within “A Room with a View,” Forster creates tension between characters and within other elements of the novel to further reveal his central themes.
Much of the societal differences and strains contribute to the tension. Miss Bartlett, though admirably strong in her opinions, causes tension between characters in her opposition of Lucy’s involvement with the Emersons. During an encounter with Mr. Eager, another clergyman, Forster reveals tension through body language and diction, and the time period of the novel allows Forster to play with gender equality. Overbearing and condescending Mr. Eager carries most of the conversation between himself and the two cousins, but upon his mention of the murder and then Mr. Emerson, Lucy finds herself defending the kind man out loud. In her anger, “Lucy’s rebellious thoughts swept out in words – for the first time in her life” (Forster 59), allowing an immense character development to occur as she momentarily stands up for her friend. Forster incorporates important diction within this particular scene of tension, using “frigid,” “indignant,” and “retorted” to portray the battle between Lucy and Mr. Eager.
On their outing with Mr. Eager, Mr. Beebe, Miss Lavish, and the Emersons, the planned seating arrangements went out the window, causing quite a tense situation with the characters. Mr. Eager fancies Lucy, who fancies George, who Charlotte does not approve of, who admires Miss Lavish, who is aware Mr. Eager does not like her. Meanwhile, Mr. Beebe remains quite neutral, while the two drivers of the carriage passionately love each other, fully supported by Mr. Emerson, who asks the party, “Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there?” (Forster 67). Foster combines these various, widely opposing characters to reveal the contrast between the Italian drivers and the English, the women and men, and the traditional and unconventional.
The strain of Lucy and George’s relationship exists due to their social differences. Lucy overhears a conversation between Miss Lavish and Miss Bartlett about how George worked on the railroads, a pitiful job. Meanwhile, Lucy hardly ever completes any strenuous tasks and at home, can do anything she pleases. At first, Lucy rejects the idea of her and George, but in a private moment of the outing in a field of flowers, George “stepped quickly forward and kissed her” (Forster 73), not only causing Lucy to fall in love, but also deepening the divide between their social class and adding the problematic issue to the plot.
While the various forms of tension could easily be resolved, its existence remains vital to the novel because the plot moves along, carrying a multitude of problems in need of insight, reflection, and resolution.
I would also like to add that the summary of "A Room with a View" provides many spoilers. Because of this fact, I can safely assume much more tension between characters will arise when Cecil Vyse falls into the picture!
I am so sorry but I thought of another tidbit to add to my post!
The novel's setting provides a profuse amount of tension. Lucy, away from her normal London setting, finds herself in Italy, a new place with new faces. However, her visit of the city marks many firsts, such as love and speaking up for herself. Lucy begins to find her voice from her visit to Florence, "a magical city where people thought and did the most extraordinary things" (Forster 60), which she finds at times quite alarming.
Ernest Hemingway creates literary tension in two main formats, through the larger scope of the war, and the smaller spectrum of Frederic Henry’s relationship with Catherine Barkley. Both elements intertwine and cause disruptions, creating even more tension within the plot. Hemingway uses this device to portray his own emotions during wartime and by using the first person, he increased the potency of his sentiment.
The war, World War I, is seen through the eyes of Frederic, an ambulance driver. Several battles occur with Frederic present, one of which wounds him. Tension does not end with fighting, however, and incorporates the entire war. The novel opens by describing how the Italian army, in a year’s worth of time, only gained a distant mountain and a few minor victories. Despite the constant fighting, no large amounts of ground had been taken by either side. Hemingway also describes 7,000 army deaths from cholera alone. Through the political indifferences, Frederic finds a way to enjoy himself in the town of Gorizia. While stationed, he met Catherine Barkley, his lover. Through their relationship, the two find themselves constantly torn apart, being sent to the front lines for days on end.
Since the war never abated during their time together, the two lovers seldom spent more than a week together. When in the hospital in Milan, Frederic only saw Catherine while she worked during the night. The war pressed harder upon the relationship once a baby appeared in the near future.
The relationship between Frederic and Catherine also causes a second layer of tension until the resolution. These star crossed lovers felt a connection from the moment they met. Despite constantly tearing apart from each other, the two managed to connect frequently. In the hospital in Milan, Catherine tells Frederic she has been with child for three months, increasing the severity of the war. Should either of the characters lose the other, all could be lost. This thought remains through several battles and many months until the tension is relieved in a dramatic way. Due to childbirth complications, both Catherine and the newborn die. At this moment, all tension is released from Frederic’s mind as he walks off into the night.
Ken Kesey toys with tension quite differently than most authors would. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, he creates a tension between the relationships of other characters. Rather than presenting a challenge for the protagonist to face head on, Kesey presents the challenge to be a character or group of character’s for McMurphy to deal with.
Ever since the beginning of the novel RP McMurphy has been a hassle for Nurse Rachet and her staff to deal with. According to the novel “They both look back and forth at each other sizing each other up” (Kesey 23). This is hard for the troubled Nurse as she had been in complete control of the facility until McMurphy, “the freedom fighter” if you will, came in. McMurphy showed all of the other patients that she really isn’t in as much control of them as they thought.
Where Nurse Ratchet fails, McMurphy succeeds. The “therapy” sessions that the Nurse gives are more emasculating than helpful. This is most likely due to the fact that, like most women in the novel, she is feared by most of the patients. McMurphy on the other hand proposes the idea of a fishing trip. This allows the men to feel like men instead of having to fear castration. This angers Ratchet as he is actually helping the patients more than she ever could.
Kesey’s use of tension is really what drives the narrative in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Patient vs. Nurse is an interesting battle to read about to say the least and unlike any that you would see in other books. It makes me wonder what Kesey is trying to say about this relationship and about the world in general.
As I steadily and surely conquer “Pride and Prejudice” page by page, chapter by chapter, I notice a number of ways that Austen produces tension. The first, and likely the most obvious, is through dialogue and between characters. Take, for instance, Mr. Collins’ proposal to Lizzie in Chapter 19. As Mr. Collins asks politely that he have a private audience with Lizzie, Mrs. Bennet becomes excited at the assumption a proposal is to be made, “‘Oh dear!-yes-certainly. I am sure that lizzie will be very happy…’” (89). As Mrs. Bennet is excited, Lizzie appears almost terrified, pleading, “‘Dear madam, do not go. I beg you will not go’” (89). Mr. Collins, in his rehearsed manners, expresses his prolonged opinion that he and Lizzie should be wed (taking up about a half page, mind you). Lizzie attends to his drawn out speech until he makes the assumption that she’d say yes, by which time she curtly turns his offer down. Not only are his responses prolonged, but so also is his internalization of the fact that Lizzie has no intention of marrying him, leaving the reader in a sort of suspension as Mr. Collins practically refuses to believe that Lizzie could possibly be rejecting his offer. Keeping in mind the historical context – that for a woman of the time, as Mr. Collins later states, “…[a second] offer of marriage may never be made [her again]” (92) – and the extremely common motif of courtship/marriage being called into question, these outside items also form tension for the reader. As for Austen’s diction in this situation, one noticeable spot which creates tension in the scene is the alteration of verbs following the quotations of the dialogue. Normally, Austen simply writes, “said ___,” or, “Mr.___ said.” However, as Lizzie desperately tries to convince Mr. Collins of her disinterest in marrying him, Austen uses, “cried Elizabeth,” or, “cried Mr. Collins,” in order to more strongly convey a concept of greater inflection, which, based on the situation, is not a pleasant kind. Therefore, the reader picks up on these cues and consumes him/herself in the thought of a discussion reaching the borders of argument (though because Mr. Collins appears to keep a level head, I won’t grant the dialogue such a name). Even in her tone, Jane Austen creates a major tone shift as she begins the chapter. Her description of Collins’ intentions seem much like the man himself – rehearsed and orderly. However, even as Mr. Collins asks that he be alone with Lizzie, the tone shifts from this orderly way to that of a sporadic one, as Mrs. Bennet demands that Lizzie stay, while Lizzie begs that she go. In this small shift, it itself does not produce tension, but instead helps lead into the root of the tension for the chapter. Primarily, tension in this particular part of the book relies on Austen’s diction and use of dialogue structure. However, her shift in tone creates a perfect transition into the mess of a conversation Lizzie and Mr. Collins later have.
My favorite example of tension between characters in this book is the tension building up between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth because of the pride and prejudice they both have--especially the latter!
“All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow,” (Tolstoy 57)
Leo Tolstoy's novel, Anna Karenina is swarming with tensions which seem to lure the reader's mind utterly into the world of Anna Karenina and all the conflicts near and around her. There is a constant presence, and often focus, of light and shadow in nearly every relationship and circumstance.
Most plainly, tension develops the apparent action of the novel. This is especially prominent in the steeplechase with Vronsky. The competition between Vronsky and Makhotin is very tight during the race. First, Makhotin is in the lead, then Vronsky passes him. Moments later, after attempting to leap over a ditch, Vronsky shifts in his saddle and ultimately breaks his horses back, and is then forced to shoot the mare to put her out of her misery. Vronsky and those supporting him had so much hope that he would win, which was all taken away in a frightening moment which surely affected Anna, who made clear her distress. This suspense provides a context and catalyst to reflect and enrich the tension between characters.
Because of her love for Vronsky which she made clear at the steeplechase, Anna is losing faith in her husband, Karenin, and vice versa. Unfortunately for Karenin, he still loves and wants to keep his wife, but no longer receives reciprocation. His distrust causes him to be jealous, naturally, and commands Anna not to see Vronsky anymore. Anna continues to love Vronsky, and Karenin continues to accuse Anna of being all sorts of things, from adulterous to improper. Karenin states his observations so dispassionately, "I must tell you that you've behaved improperly today" (222), which is perhaps what Anna sees in Vronsky that her husband is lacking. Karenin struggles to remain logical on the subject of his wife's philandering, and even rejects his own jealousy by deeming it illogical. This only creates further tension between Karenin and his wife.
Although Anna loves Vronsky and Vronsky loves Anna, there remains tension between the two, for how could it not? There is never an absence of shadow. Anna Karenina is married to a wealthy suitor and lives with her husband and beloved son in a comfortable home. Vronsky threatens all of this. All that frightens Anna however is the thought of leaving her son for Vronsky, or even tainting her son with her sins. Vronsky however has no sense of family, and from the start was never discouraged from pursuing Anna because she was married.
Part of the strain between the two is created by the judgments of the world surrounding them. When Anna's adultery becomes more apparent to the world she becomes an outcast. She is rejected by those who once called her friend, and tagged by shame. Since Vronsky is not married he is not made an outcast. Still, society expects him to marry and start a family in the future. There is a sort of tension between private passions and public social conventions. Passions are commonly rejected, and it is the popular thought that certain logical things like marriage must always trump passion. Karenin's reaction to Anna's adultery greatly reflects this when he decides to not allow a divorce between himself and Anna in order to uphold his image and continue the pretense of a happy family.
As a book beginning with the line, "All happy families are like one another; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way" (17), the reader can expect an interesting, unhappy and controversial plot marking the importance of the harmony and tension between light and shadow.
Ever since Elizabeth respectfully declined Mr. Collins' invitation to marry him, there has been immense tension in the Bennet house. To begin, Mrs. Bennet refuses to talk to Elizabeth, holding true to her word of becoming a stranger to her own daughter. Also, Jane Bennet, Elizabeth's sister, received a letter from Caroline Bingley, the sister of her suitor Mr. Bingley, whom she is engaged to. The letter states that Mr. Bingley is moving out of the area for the winter and that his sisters are travelling with him in hopes to keep him away long term. The reason behind this is that Miss Bingley finds Miss Darcy, Mr. Darcy's sister, to be a much better suitor than Jane. The news in the letter throws Jane for a spin, resulting in her confiding in Elizabeth.
While Miss Bingley's letter loomed in the background, tension also arose between the Lucas and Bennet households. Mr. Collins, the man that originally asked Elizabeth for her hand in marriage, asked her best friend, Charlotte Lucas. Charlotte agreed to marry him. This upset Elizabeth greatly. She felt embarrassed for her friend, having to remind her sister "Mr. Collins is a conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly man...and you must feel, as well as I do, that the woman who marries him, cannot have a proper way of thinking" (Austen 93).
Not only was Elizabeth more or less annoyed with Charlotte's decision to wed Mr. Collins, but Mrs. Bennet took the news the hardest. She did not believe the news at first, mentioning Mr. Collins asked for Elizabeth's hand only days before. Then, she became paranoid that the Lucas' were planning to overtake her as the successor of the Longbourn estate. According to Austen, "The very mention of any thing concerning the match threw her into agony of ill humour, and wherever she went she was sure of hearing it talked of" (Austen 90). This made for tension between Mrs. Bennet and Mr. and Miss Lucas.
Pride and Prejudice practically revolves around the tension between Lizzie Bennett and Mr. Darcy. Not only this, but as a book that mainly revolves around socialite interactions, the tension and the drama created drive the narrative forward in Darcy’s pursuit of Lizzie Bennett, despite how much his physical actions suggest that he is most definitely not interested in her. In fact, these physical actions create an ever growing tension between the two, such as their fight about accomplished women. Darcy sets very high, ridiculous standards for women to meet, and Elizabeth, finding it ridiculous that Darcy could possibly have expectations of the other sex at all, especially such high ones, and she feels belittled and fights him on them. Mrs. Bingley, who does not like the fact that Elizabeth is spunky and a bit different than most other girls of the time period, takes Darcy’s side in the argument.
Austen uses the actions and words of her characters conversations to create tension within Pride and Prejudice, influencing the actions of everyone in the situation. Especially Lizzie’s mother, who lives to create conflict in order to ensure her daughters end up well-off and married. Darcy and Lizzie continue to create conflict between themselves and drive up tension, becoming one of the burgeoning factors (VOCAB WORD :D) in possibly one day admitting their love for one another (because let’s be real here, we all know this is going to happen). The plot and romance of this novel revolves around the tension and drama and tone between Darcy and Lizzie.
Hawthorne intelligently uses tension between his characters to reveal their motives. The greatest tension occurs between Hepzibah and Judge Pyncheon. The judge is defined by his alluring smiling; a smile so charming it almost masks his dubious intentions against another character, Clifford. Judge Pyncheon believes Clifford holds the key to the whereabouts of the late Colonel Pyncheon's inheritance. As such, the Judge continuously harasses Clifford and threatens to place him in an asylum.
If the stress of being heckled by "righteous" and "lawful" isn't enough, the tension in the novel is heightened by the relationship between the characters. The trio, Clifford, Hepzibah, and Judge Pyncheon, are all related under the Pyncheon name. Clifford and Hepzibah are siblings while the Judge is their cousin. Family quarrels always occur every so often but this is a whole new level. The only ones who can see through the Judge's smile are his family. This helps them to no avail as the townsfolk consider him the entity of all things righteous (and his pompous ego supports such entirely). It is suspected that the Judge framed Clifford for the death of his uncle in order to further his search for the deed to the inheritance. The in-depth background and history of the story makes the tension palpable all because the feud flares between those of the same "family".
In the simplest terms, WWII is responsible for tension between characters in Catch 22. The war puts many of the bombardiers on edge, along with the lack of any real chance of going home (due to Colonel Cathcart perpetually raising the required number of missions). One example of tension between characters in Catch 22 is between Captain Flume and Chief White Halfoat. The Chief threatens to slit his roommate's, Captain Flume's, neck open from ear to ear, causing the Captain to hide off in the woods for the majority of the novel. In the solitude of the forest, Captain Flume slowly drifts into paranoid madness as he hides from all members of the squadron. Tension also flares up between the non-combatant officers and officials, and the enlisted men. One of the most hilariously named and memorable characters in the novel, Major Major Major Major, is consistently disliked by the enlisted men. The Major was promoted from the moment he walked into boot camp solely because of his name. His quick promotion is a source of discontent among the enlisted men. Instead of thinking the obvious, they believe he was promoted because of his resemblance to Henry Fonda and they hate him for it. The tension becomes so stressful and disheartening for the Major that he takes after Flume's approach and attempts to hide from the enlisted men. Major x 4 takes his meals alone and will only allow men to come to see him in his office when he isn't there. Perhaps the person who should create the most tension, Milo, does not. Milo, the assigned procurer of nourishment for many of the Italian base squadrons, takes it open himself to create a black market syndicate in which 'everyone owns a share'. Milo's owes his only allegiance to coin, and much of it. He is willingly to do just about anything for a profit, as he attempts to make enlisted men eat raw cotton, and worst of all, takes money from the Germans to bomb his own company with his planes. Regardless, nobody particularly cares when Milo discloses the fortune he's made, for 'everyone owns a share' even if they'll never see it. Heller's use of tension, and its lack in some places, keep the novel fresh and hilarious as his characters continue their illogical shenanigans.
As in any play, whether audience or reader, the awareness of tension is prominent. Shaffer uses an intentional tone of tension to exemplify the struggle between patient and doctor. The largest theme of struggle so far in the story is the boys search for normalcy as the psychologist tries to guide him to this place. The boy is caught between two worlds, one in which his parents have raised him with strict values and ideals and another in which he finds in horses. In his world of horses, he is taken out of the moral rules and released by the beauty of the animal, just as many riders today would attest too, the power of a horse is captivating.
ReplyDeleteAs the therapy continues, the doctor decides to talk with both Alan’s parents about the event that occurred with their son blinding the horses. The goal of the therapy is to return Alan to his life and understand the motives behind his crude act. Alan’s mother, Dora, yells at the doctor, “Oh I know. I know, all right! I’ve heard it all my life. It’s our fault. Alan’s just a little victim. He’s really done nothing at all! [Savagely.] What do you have to do in this world to get any sympathy- blind animals?”(Shaffer 76). At this point in the play the tension has risen between Alan and his mother, resulting in hostility between Dora and the psychologist. Dora is struggling with the concept that her son, though she loves him dearly, might be rewarded sympathy for a crime he committed simply because of his upbringing. Dora might possibly be suffering from guilt having raised a disturbed son, neglect from a husband who does not feel the need to show his affection, and loneliness because she has lost her only true companion, Alan. Because Equus is a play, it is much more fluent exhibiting tension than the author of a novel only being able to use dialogue to show this emotion. Shaffer writes as a producer and a novelist, utilizing stage directions, dialogue, action, and tone to convey the tension in the script. Similar to therapy sessions in real life, the tension of the meetings come in waves and vary by person. Shaffer knows if the tension was constant throughout, the reader or audience would become numb to the tone. It is when tension flares, it becomes obvious and sparks the readers interest. Without this subtle variation the play would seem monotonous.
Seeing how clearly a simple mood such as tension can be exhibited on paper, it would be fascinating to witness this play on stage. It causes me to wonder whether the changes would be as obvious without written stage directions and actor cues. The play is incredible because it utilizes the reader’s empathy to create an emotional draw to convey emotion unlike any other work in the world of literature or play writing.
Fantastic job Catherine!
DeleteHenry James uses tension in his novel “Daisy Miller” to further enhance the dissimilarities between characters, but more specifically to relay the tension between Winterbourne’s interests in Daisy and his fear of her rowdy persona that stems from his aunt’s manipulative comments. From their initial meeting, Winterbourne believed Daisy to be an innocent, young American but it wasn’t until his aunt strongly disagreed with their casual relationship did he doubt Daisy’s sincerity. The way in which James displays Winterbourne’s tone through the third person perspective highlights the contrasting emotions he has towards his own feelings for Daisy Miller. Additionally, James adds tension between the European and American characters by directly expressing so through his dialogue.
ReplyDeleteWhile readers might assume the tension in “Daisy Miller” with regards to Winterbourne’s interaction with Daisy would be between Mrs. Costello and Winterbourne, it is really within Winterbourne’s feelings that he struggles. Due to the third person perspective, the novel appears very gossipy, so while writing with true emotion isn’t expected, readers can hint at how Winterbourne perceives the women around him through direct phrases here and there. After a period of separation, Mrs. Costello recaps Winterbourne on Daisy’s time in Rome when she explains “The girl goes about alone with her foreigners…they are hopelessly vulgar” (James 40-41). In response, Winterbourne defended Daisy’s innocence, but “he was so annoyed at hearing of a state of affairs so little in harmony with an image that had lately flitted in and out of his own meditations” (James 41). By expressing Winterbourne’s mixed and confused approach towards Daisy’s gregarious nature, James also befuddles readers so they too have not solidified their opinion of Daisy.
Besides the internal tension in “Daisy Miller,” there is also tension between Europeans and Americans. The primary example would be Daisy and Mrs. Costello; although it is rather one-sided, the tension Winterbourne’s aunt feels toward Daisy is consistent throughout the book thus far. Mrs. Costello’s attempts to vilify Daisy and her family, while they are extreme, reveal partial truth and add to the distinctions between Europeans and Americans. In “Daisy Miller,” James portrays Europeans as judgmental and reclusive and through the tension, James describes the worst traits in Americans to be flirtatiousness, disrespectful, and uncultured. Even though Daisy holds no true disliking for Mrs. Costello, she has expressed her disapproval of Mrs. Costello’s control over Winterbourne (wanting to be in control of him herself) when she explains, “I don’t want you to come for your aunt…I want you to come for me” (James 38), displaying a slight “tension” from Daisy’s side.
From this point in the short book, the ending is unclear but if the tension means anything or is as important as it appears, the contrasting worlds of Europeans and Americans will play some part in the ending of the book. It seems as though Winterbourne, in the process of determining whether he trusts the world of his aunt or Daisy, must first decide on his opinion of Daisy by calming the tension within his mind. I am curious as to how Henry James will end his story, and how I will perceive Winterbourne after he has made up his mind; as of now I am unsure of my opinion of him.
There isn't much tension in the fore front of "Catch-22". A few characters create tension with others but it doesn't necessarily have an affect on the plot.
ReplyDeleteColonel Cathcart creates tension between himself and the people he commands because he cares more about his rank rather than his men. Colonel Cathcart compared himself to men in the same position as him and were the same age. He wanted to be better than all the other colonel's at thirty-six, "He could measure his own progress only in relationship to others, and his idea of excellence was to do something at least as well as the men his own age who were doing the same thing even better" (Heller 187). Later in this chapter he is agonized by his belief that he is a failure since there are men younger than him who are generals. Because Colonel Cathcart wanted to increase his rank he would always volunteer his men to do missions, "He was a valorous opportunist who pounced hoggishly upon every opportunity Colonel Korn discovered for him and trembled in damp despair immediately afterward the possible consequences he might suffer" (Heller 188).
Colonel Cathcart volunteered his men to embark on a dangerous mission over Bologna to bomb enemy ammunition caches which would be heavily guarded. This caused fear and anger with the pilots including Yossarian who would do anything to delay the mission. Colonel Cathcart did not see the possibility of losing men only the chance of a medal or appreciation from his superiors. He would try anything to become a general, "Colonel Cathcart wanted to be a general so desperately he was willing to try anything" (Heller 189). Yossarian and the other men had a problem with that though. Yossarian is most concerned with surviving unlike the other pilots who want honor.
Yossarian constantly complains to Doc Daneeka and Major Major Major Major to ground him so he won't have to be in any missions. There are many conversations with Doc Daneeka about being grounded but it will not work because of Catch-22. Doc Daneeka says you can be grounded if your crazy but if your crazy you wouldn't ask to be grounded. If you did ask and were grounded you would be put back on duty because you were sane enough to ask. That is Catch-22, a very confusing concept. Catch-22 and Doc Daneeka are causing tension and problems for Yossarian and his will to live another day.
As said before the tension in the novel plays a minor role in the plot. Although Catch-22 is the focus of the novel, hence the name, and is problematic to Yossarian mostly but other pilots as well like Hungry Joe. Tension remains a minor problem in the novel so far but could become something major because of its affect on Yossarian and Catch-22.
Jennifer Page Algieri Algieri 1
ReplyDeleteMrs. Barnhart
AP Literature and Composition
8 December, 2014
Tension in Madame Bovary exists in a variety of ways, but the most prominent is the tension between Emma and Charles. It in itself is a fascinating type of pressure because of how subtle, and how one sided it is. It is always Emma giving a taunt reply or comment to Charles, who is clueless to her indifference and disatisfaction. At the Chateau Emma gives constant warnings to Charles about his behavior, telling upon his his concerns about his trousers for dancing, “Why, you must be mad! They would make fun of you; keep your place,” which he listened to, of course, and spent the rest of the evening watching the other men play cards.
Though the tension is not limited to dialogue between Charles and Emma, but exists between Emma and her boring life. Complaining constantly of how dull her life is, Emma laments in thoughts more and more frequently as the story progresses, up until she begins to lead her life apart from Charles, who she once saw a charming, but now sees only as clumsy and foolish. There is pressure building throughout part one, and most of part two, where Emma Bovary becomes less impressed with her life and desires more and more to be like on of the women in her novels who lead luxurious lives of romance, thrill and wealth. It is like a string being pulled and the reader is left waiting for it to snap; waiting for Madame Bovary to do something to get the life she desires, whether she be in the right or wrong for wanting it.
Eventually that string is snapped, and Madame Bovary, after moving to Totes, discovers she is in love, or is at least infatuated with the young clerk Leon, adding him to her collection in this fantasy life she pretends to lead. At home life gets remarkably worse, with her mood swings get out of control, becoming more violent after Leon moves away. This is where the tension between Emma and Charles, and between Emma and her life finally overlap. On edge about everything,it is a constant battle reading the novel and trying to guess what exactly is going to happen, since Emma has become violently unpredictable.
It is an interesting use of tension. Most authors introduce tension to reveal typically two characters as the protagonist or the antagonist. In this Charles is no enemy, and really neither is Emma, not Emma’s mundane life. All could co-exist if not for the barriers Emma puts of between them. In all the tension in the text lives really to carry the plot and is what makes the novel readable, as it leaves something to be anticipated by the reader.
Tension between many of the characters is evident early on in Anna Karenina as it is these conflicts which shape the story and add to the theme of love. I know a theme is supposed to be a lesson or truth about a particular subject. At this point in my reading I am unable to accurately assess Tolstoy’s take on love, however, by examining the tension among the characters different aspects of the central topic (love) are evident. These will form the theme’s base, which will be cultivated as the novel progresses.
ReplyDeleteOne of the first times tension presents itself can be found when Oblonsky and Levin go to lunch. At this point in the story, the audience knows Oblonsky cheated on his wife as well as how he really feels about her and their marriage. Tolstoy, up to this point, has also provided pivotal insight into Levin’s love for Kitty. When the two go to lunch Levin decides to ask Oblonsky for advice on how to proceed with Kitty which invariably presents problems as Levin genuinely loves Kitty and Oblonsky does not feel the same about his wife (who also happens to be Kitty’s sister). When Oblonsky explains his affair, Levin responds with an analogy, stating “Excuse me, but I absolutely cannot understand how after eating my fill here I could go past a bakery and steal a roll” (Tolstoy 42), exhibiting his sole devotion to Kitty. Here Tolstoy makes a point to evaluate love as a virtue and exhibit how different members of society perceive it.
The relationship between Kitty and Vronsky represents another facet of love: presumption or misunderstanding. Kitty and her family believe Vronsky is preparing to propose to Kitty when in fact Vronsky, while liking Kitty, has no intention of marrying her. This becomes especially apparent after Anna Karenin is introduced. She and Vronsky slowly start to develop a relationship and Kitty, upon realizing this, is heartbroken. Her mistakenness regarding Vronsky further angers her as she also lost Levin in the process, turning him down because she assumed Vronsky would propose.
Other tensions are forming between characters yet I have no fully discovered them as I am still in the midst of reading. Another notable one is the emotional tension between Lenin and Kitty. After Kitty’s refusal and Levin’s heartbrokenness, it will be interesting to see how the remainder of their relationship develops as Vronsky is no longer a possibility. Regardless of the outcome, tension reveals different aspects of love. It also contributes to understanding of theme which is Tolstoy’s message regarding love.
I always love reading your responses to prompts because you have such an elegant way of putting things. You give a lovely summary of what is happening, while not giving away too much information. It lets me understand what you are reading and writing about, without making me feel like I don't have to read the book just because I know what is happening.
DeleteIt is interesting to compare your novel to mine. Our themes and overall plots are quite different yet the ways in which tension with love is expressed is very similar. Your characters are finding love between each other and are having conflicts regarding who really loves who. I can relate specifically to this as one character, Mariam, if forced into a marriage with a man who she does not know or love. One day she finds he is keeping magazines filled with pictures of other women and is mortified at how he can keep her hidden inside their home while these other women can be photographed nearly/completely naked. Her issues with her husband are hard to resolve because he is abusive and she is unable to confront him. While she believes he loves her, he really is looking for a new son, because his first son drowned in lake. This creates increased tension in their household. Beyond their household rebellions and revolutions and changes are coming about and Mariam is stuck, forced by her husband, to stay in the ways of older beliefs of that of Middle Eastern religions and traditions. To see how this unwinds in the end is intriguing!
DeleteOne of my favorite things about this book so far is that it may center so fully on love at times, yet it is not a love story. It's not about romance, or seduction. Nor is it about what is wise and unwise, or good and bad in love. *ALERT* Potential spoiler follows, so don't read what is in the parentheses yet if you don't want to! ((Tolstoy basically skips over the part where Anna and Vronsky consummate their relationship, which, in a love story, would be a pivotal event.)) I believe Anna Karenina features love as context for greater themes of balance, fate, passion, and our powerlessness against circumstances and our determination to change them. I feel as if Tolstoy also is more interested in love's extreme consequences rather than love itself. Then again, I am also in the earlier stages of the book so there is much to learn!
Delete`Before searching for tension in "The Color Purple", it often goes unnoticed. However, the tension which occurs in this novel greatly affects the reader's experience. From the beginning of the novel, the reader can guess the outcome of Celie's father's sexual frustration, but the hopeful audience waits impatiently to discover the truth. Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario does occur and immediately causes the reader to feel sympathy for the girl. Suddenly, the author then removes the tension and tells us up-front of the next unfortunate event,"My mama dead" (Walker 3). While that initial sympathy for Celie remains, it almost seems as if the author gives the audience a brief moment of respite before returning to tense situations. The father becomes more violent towards Celie and more predatory to Nettie, "He beat me today cause I winked at a boy in church... Sometime he still looking at Nettie" (Walker 6). However, this pattern of "clench-and-release" tension repeats again and again. The father marries girl (release), the wife gets sick (clench), Mr.______ asks to take Nettie away and marry her (release), father denies this request and offers Celie instead (clench). Progressively, the Walker introduces these contrasting situations and creates a sense of unease in the reader. However, this trend ceases, or at least slows down when Shug Avery comes into the picture. By creating a sense of calm and contentment around Shug Avery, who by all means does not fit that description in the least, the author invokes Celie's feelings for Shug in the readers. Whenever, Celie talks about Shug, she almost always ONLY talks about her. Sometimes, the author takes this to such a level that the author "forgets" to write about her whenever a stressful situation emerges, further disassociating Shug with anything Celie may find uncomfortable. For example, from page 84 to page 111, Celie mentions Shug twice and even then, she just offhandedly states that Squeak wore Shug's hat and started to sing Shug's songs. During these pages, Sophia gets thrown in jail, the sheriff rapes Squeak, and then Sophia gets forced into becoming a maid as punishment. However, immediately after this section, the tone becomes suddenly more lighthearted with the addition of Shug, "Shug write she got a big surprise, and she intend to bring it home for Christmas" (Walker 112, first line).
ReplyDeleteUp to this point of the novel, the author only includes any form unease with Shug under one circumstance. The first involves Celie describing her misfortunes to Shug. Although Celie feels an immense amount of sadness at this part, it further supports the author's theme of Shug's presence comforting Celie. The young woman never has opened up to any person in her life except for Shug, portraying and intensifying the reader's understanding of Celie's emotions.
In general, the tension which occurs in this novel generates a feeling of unease in the reader. With this unease, the author effectively portrays Celie's innermost struggles and then depicts how Shug Avery can disperse this discomfort.
Jessica Algieri
ReplyDeleteMrs. Barnhart
AP Lit. & Comp.
8 Dec. 2014
How very fortuitous that this blog topic should be about tension as Chapter Four of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is really the first chapter to have any tension. Although, the tension is a different sort because it is never said, only implied. Hallward, in the first few chapters, insists that Lord Henry will tarnish young Dorian by taking away all that makes him beautiful, specifically his innocence about life. Now poor Hallward finds young Dorian engaged to Sybil Vane and he’s upset because he believes it is Henry’s fault. But the text never expresses Hallward’s disappointment, rather it is felt. The first time Hallward and Dorian meet up after learning of Dorian’s engagement Hallward only speaks two times to Dorian. He mentions how he does not forgive Dorian for “not having let me know of your engagement” (Wilde 133) because although Dorian did not inform Hallward, he does tell Lord Henry about his love for Sybil and leaves him a note about the engagement. The only other thing he says is in response to Dorian’s question about whether he was right in asking Sybil to marry him so soon after having met. “’Yes, I suppose you were right’ said Hallward, slowly.” (Wilde 134) The tension, however present it may be in these sentences, is felt more prominently when Hallward does not speak. As Henry and Dorian talk it feels rather like Hallward is a stranger joining two best friends for the first time, even though he’s known both these men longer than they have known each other.
I felt the tension specifically when Lord Henry told Dorian “You will always like me, Dorian” (Wilde 136) because that is exactly what Hallward wanted Dorian to feel for him. But Henry got it instead, he got all the affection from the one person who made Hallwards life complete. In the first chapter Hallward was insistent that Dorian and Henry should never meet because he did not want Dorian to be influenced by Henry. But they were introduced and Dorian was influenced heavily. Everything Dorian does is affected by his meeting Lord Henry, even his dining places as he made sure to mention to Henry how he had eaten at “that curious little Italian Restaurant in Rupert Street you introduced me to” (Wilde 134) which must bother Hallward to no end. But this anger is never commented on, none of the men notice anything strange in Hallward and Hallward makes no ill remarks towards Dorian or Henry. But the tension is there. His having to listen to the man he adores most fawn over another hurts him, and makes it so that “Dorian Gray would never again be all that he has been in the past” (Wilde 137). This is a really cool writing choice, because tension is hard to get just right in literature. Readers cannot just be told that a scene is tense and suddenly feel it, there has to be more to it. And not describing the tension, just letting the silence describe it, brings about that sensation far better than an explanation could. At least for this particular book.
It's funny that our book choices are different in the ways they convey tension, but still end up making us feel that tension ourselves. In your novel, tension is more often implied; in mine, the author makes it clear when tension is there -- sometimes she'll even tell readers herself. But I definitely felt tension, too, when I was reading. You might find as you read on that Wilde varies his methods of conveying a sense of tension, as my author seems to be doing. Keep me posted either way -- it would be cool to compare and contrast our two books through this lens.
DeleteHarriet Beecher Stowe creates tension in Uncle Tom’s Cabin through a balanced combination of characters’ dialogue and her own narration. I’m finding this balance across the board in terms of literary devices, which convinces me more and more with each read that Stowe wrote her novel to convey a specific message on multiple levels in the text. In the case of the selling of the two slaves early on in the story, tension helps reveal the true nature of the individuals involved, which in turn affects their actions and interactions with each other.
ReplyDeleteThe dialogue between characters includes examples of tension in several different devices. For example, I found that in a tense situation such as the unwanted selling of valued slaves, the word choice of certain characters indicated feelings of angst. Mrs. Shelby referred to Mr. Haley, the man who held power over Mr. Shelby’s assets, as “low-bred” (Stowe 31) and a “creature” (Stowe 32). Mrs. Shelby hasn’t used such unkind terms like these before this point in the story, which suggests the tension of the situation concerns her greatly. Tension truly acts as a revealer of character here -- once the immorality of the situation becomes clear to her, Mrs. Shelby openly criticizes the institution of slavery, referring to it as “a curse to the master and a curse to the slave” and a “deadly evil” (Stowe 34).
Characters’ actions and behavior in the face of uncomfortable situations demonstrates tension through tone. In the same conversation, Mr. Shelby showed signs of uneasiness as soon as his wife mentioned Eliza’s concern that her son might be one fo the sold slaves. Mr. Shelby “turned himself rather uneasily in his chair” (Stowe 31) when the discussion began, and demonstrated “a certain embarrassment in his manner” (Stowe 31). Although the device is different -- tone here, as opposed to word choice and diction -- tension reveals character just the same. Through his movements and behavior, Mr. Shelby shows that he does not feel comfortable with the decision he made, but needs to find a reason to stand by it.
Stowe’s narrative presence is another avenue by which tension can be detected. I found that Stowe sometimes takes a more direct route, simply describing what is going on in a way that makes it clear to readers that there is tension in the situation. At one point, she states that Mrs. Shelby is “hurriedly and abstractly fingering her gold watch” (Shelby 34) while considering selling some of her valuables to pay for the slaves. Personally, I found that imagery created stronger impressions of tension in my mind. To describe Eliza’s grief at learning her young son would be sold, Stowe writes, “in such straits as these, the heart has no tears to give, -- it drops only blood, bleeding itself away in silence” (Stowe 36). With an image like that, direct from Stowe’s narration, it doesn’t surprise the reader to find that Eliza runs away with her child. Similarly, when Uncle Tom himself is told he will be sold, Stowe establishes the connection herself between the character’s tension and the reader’s sympathy: “in life's great straits and mighty griefs, ye feel but one sorrow!” (Stowe 39). In Tom’s case, the tension of his future provokes the most important revelation of character yet. Even though he has the chance to escape, Tom refuses, saying, “I never have broke trust, nor used my pass no ways contrary to my word, and I never will” (Stowe 38).
While Stowe may vary her presentation of tension in the story, her ultimate use of tension seems fairly consistent: in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, tension says a lot about the nature of a character. It’s the decisions these characters make when put in an uncomfortable, tense situation that define the types of people they are and direct the plot and message of the story itself.
Euripides creates a great tension within his piece “Medea” by skillfully allowing his characters to interact in specific ways. The traits of some character are such that when they interact, a volatile cocktail of emotions erupts from within them. This in turn reveals new information and detail about the characters, adding depth and complexity to the piece. Euripides chooses his words and tones wisely in order to create a feeling which captures and relates to the audience. The best example of this situation comes with the intense argument between Medea and Jason, the man who abandoned their marriage for another woman. The passionate hatred which Medea holds against him prevents her from listening to any plea to which he might give. In this scene Euripides crafts this argument in such a way as to incorporate not only characters and dialogue, but also tone and setting to create a dangerously tense atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the audience would have had prior knowledge of each character, it would be the dialogue between these two characters which grabs the attention of the audience. Jason begins the argument, making bold claims such as putting the blame of Medea’s exile on her, arguing that had she stayed calm and eased her temper, she would not have received punishment. Although the audience has been trained to dislike him, Jason makes some very valid arguments. “But you could not control your craziness,” he says, “never letting up on your abuse of the royal family. That is why you are to be exiled from this land” (Euripides 12). Jason wants to help her and admits that he could never think badly of her. But Medea will not hear his pity. The one-sidedness of this argument creates a feeling of tension between the two characters and the feeling also reverberates with the audience. Progressively, the word choices between characters grow more and more virulent as Medea continues to persist. The small room which the characters are set in provides no escape for the trapped emotions arising between them.
The argument escalates even further when Medea makes the decision to insult Jason to his face.
Reminding him of how it was she how saved him in Argo and she who murdered Pelias in front of his daughters for him (not a very good argument for her sanity in this case, but she continues on). She explains how Jason might have been excused for leaving the marriage had they not conceived children. But because they did, his absence is inexcusable. To which Jason replies that it was not he who gained anything from being rescued, rather it was her. Not only did she adopt a new household and fame from the marriage, but she became wealthy and secure. As the argument progresses it not only resonates with the audience in 431 BC but also with today’s audience. The problems presented here so long ago are still problems that many people struggle with today. By relating the audience with the piece in this way, Euripides allows the tension to really hit home and sell his point.
Jason, who has been the subject of much verbal abuse my Medea, finally snaps under all of the pressure at the end of the argument and yells out “There should be some other way for men to produce children. Women would not have to exist at all. And then humanity would be saved a lot of trouble” (Euripides 14). This is the climax of the argument and this line sends a great shock through the audience. The tension snaps and the rest of the argument falls apart. Jason regresses into a state of calm, once again offering peace to Medea. Even after this abuse, he still wants to help her. But by this point, not even the usually unbiased Chorus agrees with him.
Euripides uses tension to his advantage in this piece. Other, more modern authors use similar methods of producing tension in their pieces, but it must not be forgotten that this was written a very long time ago.
Euripides sets a standard for character behavior and it remains an example to follow to this day. Other examples of tension arise throughout the play, and its presence is very consistent. But no other scene is as tense as this one. The incorporation of moving dialogue and strong word choices, as well as its ability to be related to the audience all help to make the tension in this piece a great presence.
ReplyDelete(My second post is the second half of my concluding paragraph)
ReplyDeleteA Thousand Splendid Suns is in general a novel with a lot of tension. Having been set in the Middle East during a time of war between communists and rebellions, the characters are all alert and aware. The characters face difficult and harsh situations between parents, children, arranged marriages, gender equality, and a lack of control in their lives.
ReplyDeleteHosseini, the author, uses a unique technique by introducing Middle Eastern language into his novel during important events or dialogues. Usually, when a conversation or event between characters becomes serious, Hosseini weaves in words from common Middle Eastern languages such as: kolba, hijab, mashallah, tashakor, and azan. Sometimes the meanings of these words are given and other times they are not. Most of these words are used in argumentative dialogue between very different characters or when an adult is talking actively about the war. For example, when Mariam and her Nana argued, a common word in their arguments was harami, especially when the argument became extremely heated. And when one of the school teachers, Khala Rangmaal, spoke of the war she preferred to use the word inqilabi meaning revolution, rather than the word coup.
Not all of these foreign words are used to emphasize certain parts of arguments or entire arguments; some of the words are used in general terms or for items that there is no English word for. But for the most-part, Hosseini is careful of where he inputs his unique dialogue and after keeping track of some of the words used, I can see them being repeated in similar instances and arguments.
Another way Hosseini creates tension is through appearance. Since this is a time of war and rebellion, many of the women are trying to become equals, and some of the men are supportive of women and their wives while others are stuck in the older ways and wish to keep their “property” hidden. Farbia for example, is one of the women who wears no hijab or scarf and shows her knees in public. Mariam, on the other hand, is forced to wear a burqa, which is like a gown that covers the entire body accept for the eyes, although in Mariam’s case, even her eyes are hidden by a mesh square. This causes tension because Mariam and Farbia and have spoken in small instances before and are neighbors with many others who life around them as well. This shows how the war is effecting places other than where the soldiers are stationed and how even their small towns are beginning to have controversies.
Even though the novel is set in a place of extreme tension, controversy, and rebellion, Hosseini does not hesitate to further emphasize specific instances that are causing this tension to increase. Certain attire, such as hijab’s and burqa’s are being diminished when they were such a strong cultural aspect not too many years before. Not only is this area in the Middle East losing some of its long know traditions, but it is losing its government, customs, heritage, and even religion to some extent. Husband and wives are not praying as much during the day and children are not being taught the same ways of the Koran as their parents and grandparents were. The area is evolving and changing and with the author including diction that used to have such great meaning to these communities while at the same time showing how some of these citizens are willing to change and others are not, the extreme difference between people becomes apparent and the tension between them becomes almost terrifying.
From the very offset of "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin, tension in its various forms is extremely prevalent. The feelings Edna has towards other characters in the book, whether it be hatred, lust, or love, is what drives the story forward and what shapes the themes in the novel.
ReplyDeleteAs Edna becomes aware of the restrictions society has placed on her to conform to a certain set of standards, the tension between her and her husband increases exponentially. Up until Edna's encounters with Robert, she had been complacent to her husband and his demands. This all changed when she felt her first pangs of desire for a man she was not married to. With this, everything Edna had been taught since childhood came into question. If being married didn't mean being in love, then what other rules were untrue as well? This is not more clear than when Mr. Pontellier arrives home from a night at the beach and orders Edna inside with him. Any other "time she would have gone in at his request. She would, through habit, have yielded to his desire, not with any sense of submission or obedience to his compelling wishes, but unthinkingly..." (Chopin 77). But not anymore. No, instead Edna takes a stand, refusing to obey her husband’s wishes. She wishes to stay outside, so that's exactly what she does. While this is the first step towards her awakening, it also creates immense tension between the husband and wife. Mr. Pontellier is stuck in the old ways of thinking, representing society as a whole, while Edna is moving on, taking back control of her life and becoming the representation of independence and freedom for the readers of "The Awakening."
Edna's discovery of her needs and wants bring along with them other forms of tension as well. When she first marries Leonce, Edna accepts the fact that her days of passion are over, being replaced with a life of rules and responsibility. This, however, all changes when a new man enters her life. With the arrival of Robert, a sexual desire awakens in Edna that had been gone for many years before. Despite this, there are still a set of rules and regulations that the two of them have to follow. As much as Edna and Robert want to be together, the fact of the matter is that Edna is married and has children to take care of. Jumping into a relationship right away would be reckless. Not to mention the fact that despite Edna’s realization that she has been limited by society, breaking out of this structure takes time, as she’s been conforming to them her entire life. As much as she would like to, Edna can’t jump into a relationship with Robert. Instead, he removes himself from the temptation my traveling to Mexico.
Thus far in the book, these are the most dominant tensions in the novel. Despite the fact that Robert has a clear attraction to other women such as Adele, and Edna and Robert clearly have feelings for each other, the three of them are unable to act on their feelings due to the marriage between Mr. Pontellier and Edna. Of course, the tension in the novel could shift as the story progresses. It’s more than likely that as Edna claims more of herself the tension between her and the more traditional characters will increase substantially.
Great post Taylor! This reminds me of the same "self vs society" tension my protagonist, Oscar, experiences in my novel. He is bewildered by a sexualized Dominican culture which he cannot grasp. Similarly, he questions his role and his belonging in the community. I think that as tension drives plot, this sort of "fight or flight" alienation is what drives our characters to mature. The questioning of our roles in a society and the pondering of our place just brings us back to one question--do I do something about it? So far in my novel, Oscar has yet to know.
Delete"As Edna becomes aware of the restrictions society has placed on her to conform to a certain set of standards, the tension between her and her husband increases exponentially"
DeleteIn my novel, Jane Eyre, Jane has recently transformed from a small girl obsessed with standing up for herself to a young woman perfectly fine with conforming to society's restrictions and wishes. She accepts the treatment placed upon her by Mr. Rochester, whereas before she may have struck out against him and informed him of the undeserved cruel treatment he places upon her. After reading your post, Taylor, I began to think that maybe Jane will have her own awakening, where she rejects the restrictions of society and transforms back into that girl fueled by rebellion. Possibly, like with your character, when she falls in love, or maybe under another circumstance. Foreshadowing in the novel certainly lends it as a possibility.
Hey Taylor, I'm in the part of Pride and Prejudice where Lizzie rejects Mr. Collins' marriage proposal, and see it as similar to when Edna refuses to obey her husband. However, in Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Collins pretty much refuses to believe that Lizzie is deviating from the norm, and continues to pursue her throughout the conversation. Is Edna's husband like Mr. Collins in that he refuses to believe that she, too is deviating from the norm, or does he internalize it and act on it, for example, in aggression?
DeleteGreat job, by the way. ;)
“Billy has gone to sleep a senile widower and awakened on his wedding day. He has walked through a door in 1955 and come out another one in 1941. He has gone back through that door to find himself in 1963. He has seen his birth and death many times, he says, and pays random visits to all the events in between.” (Vonnegut 22).
ReplyDeleteKurt Vonnegut uses tension in unique ways throughout Slaughterhouse Five, where instead of creating tension between elements within the story, he rather employs literary devices creating tension with the reader themselves. Rather than start directly with the main story with each character, Vonnegut hooks the reader in with vague foreshadowing sentences. From these sentences, Vonnegut gives no additional information, yet lets the curiosity and tension of the reader build up as he leaves connecting pieces of anecdotes woven together until finally revealing the context behind the plot points given away at the beginning. However, Vonnegut does not limit his enigmatic practices to simply the beginning of the story, but rather expands others throughout the anecdotes, of which the most apparent form to find is repetition. Vonnegut can install a single phrase at different points in a story, marking its significance such as when he repeats the words “So it goes” (Vonnegut 22) after talking about the death or deaths of a person or people. It is later revealed the reasoning behind the phrase being repeated after the mention of a death is because “’When a Tralfamadorian [Aliens that see in 4 dimensions] sees a corpse, all he thinks is that the dead person is in bad condition in that particular moment, but that the same person is just fine in plenty of other moments. Now when I myself hear that somebody is dead, I simply shrug and say what the Tralfamadorians say about dead people, which is ‘So it goes’’” (Vonnegut 23). When the meaning behind the phrase is finally shown to the reader, the awkward tension is then relieved for the small story arch in which it is encompassed.
Additionally, Vonnegut increases the overall amount of tension a reader feels by inserting random spouts of exposition about different characters, especially before a major plot development. These anecdotes vary in subject anywhere from explaining what a character is thinking at that precise moment to their entire backstory given within a few brief paragraphs. Even though Vonnegut’s random spouts of expositional content inform the reader and provide them with newfound insight and knowledge into some of the characters’ actions, the placement of the anecdotes before a major revealing plot point is enough to increase a reader’s tension, as they are eager to see what happens. As human beings, readers love having resolve at the end of something, and this is no stranger within the realms of literature. However, Vonnegut takes the emotions of readers and plays with them, like making a dog do tricks to receive a treat. The tension itself is built perfectly for the story as it is not contained in the story, but rather how the story itself is written.
In The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao Junot Diaz establishes tensions by creating incongruencies between the character’s dreams and their realities. Characterization emphasizes this tension as well . The theme of escape dominates the piece, so tension naturally guides the novel.
ReplyDeleteOscar Wao is a virgin. He is also a Dominican man, which according to his family, contradict one another. Born in a masculine society, the male Dominican ideal is confident and brave, suave and good with the ladies. Oscar is none of the above. Fat and indescribably nerdy, Oscar battles the conflict between living up to his familiar and cultural expectations and his reality. He experiences both a subtle, yet alienating conflict between his family and culture, and a more painfully blatant one within himself. To escape his reality, Oscar reads and voraciously writes fantasy fiction; which paradoxically only alienates him more.
Lola too battles the desire to escape, mainly from her mother. A tough woman, Belicia and Lola’s relationship was frequently tense but even more often abusive causes Lola to flee. Lola escapes, only to be “caught” once betrayed by her brother Oscar, who tells of her location.
As with Oscar, similar conflict transcends throughout Belicia’s relations as a girl living in the Dominican. She feels alienated in her world, misunderstood and seeking reprieve. She is neither orphan (after her parents died when she was one) nor upper-class (it was only until much later until she was adopted by her humble abuela). She has the expectations of the elite, yet the upbringing of a street child. Bored, she only wants one thing-- Jack Pujols--yet has banished herself into solitude by her sullen differences. Finally, she grows into a woman, at first insecure of her new body then later using it as a means to achieve Pujols. He takes advantage of her, most tragically leaving her pining for him, waiting for the day he returns. She experiences a conflict between her culture and environment, one between herself in her new body and most uniquely-- a conflict she is unaware of, one between her and the truth.
I think Diaz subtly evoked tension by placing strong characters in situations incongruent to their true selves--and making them work their way out of it. Whether the conflict be singular, familiar or cultural; it creates a tension between the character and themselves. This tension leaves not only the characters yearning for escape, but the reader hoping to see them at ease.
Oscar Wao is a virgin. He is also a Dominican man, which according to his family, contradict one another. Born in a masculine society, the male Dominican ideal is confident and brave, suave and good with the ladies. Oscar is none of the above. Fat and indescribably nerdy, Oscar battles the conflict between living up to his familiar and cultural expectations and his reality. TO escape his reality, Oscar reads and voraciously writes fantasy fiction.
As me and Emilio are both reading Catch .22 I find it very interesting to read his interpretation of the role of tension in the novel. I find that I myself would tend to agree with him on several of his arguments but also agree to disagree with him on others.
ReplyDeleteOne aspect of the novel that I would have to agree upon with Emilio is the existence of tension between several of the officers and the enlisted men. Colonel Cathcart, for example, views his men as dispensable utilities of which he can use for his own benefit. After the return of each mission another is assigned, which definitely causes some emotional anxiety, but not as much as the reader would expect. The tension is created as a result of the decision to increase the number of missions, allowing Yossarian and the men to direct their anxiety to authority figures. Fear is a separate issue, one which Yossarian experiences with the thought of previous missions and the expectations of upcoming ones.
In addition to Colonel Cathcart, Major Major is another character that experiences tension within the novel. However, Major Major’s tension is not so much as a result of him trying to distinguish himself (such as Colonel Cathcart) but rather from trying to fit in. Major Major is an alienated character and Chapter 9 discusses the Major’s life story. From birth he has been isolated as a result of his ridiculous name and eventually his obedient attitude. He is rather “awkward” and when trying to participate with enlisted men (who technically he’d have been included if not for his unjust promotion) he is often denied.
Unlike Emilio I believe that tension does play a prominent role within the plot. The concept of the catch .22 itself creates tension not only for Yossarian but also the reader, as it is a difficult concept to grasp. Also tension does exist within the men, as I previously stated, but is directed more at the government (indirectly of course) and unseen officials. This is important because this aids in delivering one of the main themes of the text; the power of bureaucracy. For instance, Doc Daneeka is upset at being drafted because it has taken away his booming business back home. Also, many would agree that Yossarian is fighting in what seems to be World War II. However, as the story progresses, the tension created exists more between Yossarian and the bureaucrats, rather than Yossarian and the Germans.
It can be oftentimes difficult to identify tension within the novel as a result of Joseph Heller’s writing style. As the piece is considered to be a satire, he often implements humor and irony into the text. His sarcastic approach makes it burdensome to extract moments of tension from the novel because the reader is sometimes wondering “is this a literal action or is this some type of metaphor?”
When Jane Eyre, the main protagonist of Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre, first enters Thornfield, the tension exhibits itself immediately to the reader. Thornfield lays secluded from the nearby town, unknown even to the waiter of the George Inn, 6 miles from the estate. Jane describes the estate as secluded and eerie, stating how inside the furniture looks, “as if they belonged to a church rather than a house,” and how, “a very chilly vault-like air pervaded the stairs and gallery, suggesting cheerless ideas of space and solitude” (Brontë 97). The tenseness arises from the loneliness of the house, the strange, possibly supernatural events experienced by Jane, and a life unknown to Jane. The unknown mysteries of house prevent Jane from relaxing and accepting her present situation. Brontë contrasts Jane’s previous, lively life at Lowood, a school filled with young girls and teachers, to her future, secluded life at Thornfield, an estate containing less than ten people at a time. The contrast foreshadows the struggle Jane may face conforming to the ways of Thornfield, specifically the ways of Thornfield’s owner, Mr. Rochester.
ReplyDeleteNobody screams tension more than Mr. Rochester. Prior to Jane’s arrival at Thornfield, Brontë writes Jane in several situations which makes the mood of the novel tense, such as her final encounter with Mrs. Reed at Gateshead Hall and her described encounter with Mr. Brocklehurst at Lowood. Yet, no scene exhibits as much tension as when Jane meets Mr. Rochester for tea the day following his arrival. Although the two previously met when Mr. Rochester falls off his horse on the way to the household and Jane attempts to help him, the meeting marks the first time where Jane acknowledges the man as Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester addresses Jane with curt statements and commands, directing “’Let Miss Eyre be seated’” in an “impatient yet formal tone” with a “forced stiff bow” (Brontë 120). Through Brontë’s choice of diction, using vocabulary such as ‘forced’ and ‘stiff,’ the reader grasps the tension in Mr. Rochester’s posture and gains a clue into the nature of the undiscovered man. He acts cold to Jane, being incredibly meticulous in the info he shares with the girl.
Brontë wants to depict Mr. Rochester as a closed off man who has no problem keeping secrets. The nature of the man foreshadows the secrets which Jane eventually discovers later on in the novel, contributing to a great portion of the novel’s plot. Without such tension and secrets, Jane’s life would part very little from that of a normal governess’s. Therefore, Brontë exploits the tension to create mystery, deepen Mr. Rochester’s character, and progress the novel’s plot.
As an additional observation, Jane’s reaction to Mr. Rochester’s tense posture and rude demeanor also reveals information about the girl’s character. In response to the man’s nature, Jane addresses how she, “sat down quite disembarrassed… I felt interested to see how he would go on” (Brontë 120), showcasing her transformations made while at Lowood. As a young girl, Jane told Helen how, “When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard,” (Brontë 54). Yet, when Mr. Rochester treated Jane poorly, insulting her paintings and piano playing, without a reason, Jane responds almost in humor. She wants to know how the rest of the scene unfolds, almost as if she represents an outsider looking upon and removed from the situation. She appears curious about, but unaffected by, the man’s word. Seemingly, Jane’s character progresses from a small girl fueled by rebellion to a young woman focused on obedience with a slight spark of curiosity. Therefore, Brontë also deploys tension in her novel to disclose information concerning character progression, emphasizing the significance of the mood in the novel.
Hi Jill! =) Thus far from reading about Jane, I believe I like her more than I did Lucy, the protagonist of my novel (at least I did not like her before). Up until recently, Lucy has no rebellion in her and remains quite traditional besides her love for adventure. Her inability to think for herself actually has me rooting for her to stand up for herself, which she finally did today! Like Brontë, I believe Forster also uses tension to further character progression. Awesome blog!
Delete“she turned back and gave the two outsiders a nervous little bow…the son acknowledged it, not by another bow, but by raising his eyebrows and smiling” (Forster 11)
ReplyDeleteWithin “A Room with a View,” Forster creates tension between characters and within other elements of the novel to further reveal his central themes.
Much of the societal differences and strains contribute to the tension. Miss Bartlett, though admirably strong in her opinions, causes tension between characters in her opposition of Lucy’s involvement with the Emersons. During an encounter with Mr. Eager, another clergyman, Forster reveals tension through body language and diction, and the time period of the novel allows Forster to play with gender equality. Overbearing and condescending Mr. Eager carries most of the conversation between himself and the two cousins, but upon his mention of the murder and then Mr. Emerson, Lucy finds herself defending the kind man out loud. In her anger, “Lucy’s rebellious thoughts swept out in words – for the first time in her life” (Forster 59), allowing an immense character development to occur as she momentarily stands up for her friend. Forster incorporates important diction within this particular scene of tension, using “frigid,” “indignant,” and “retorted” to portray the battle between Lucy and Mr. Eager.
On their outing with Mr. Eager, Mr. Beebe, Miss Lavish, and the Emersons, the planned seating arrangements went out the window, causing quite a tense situation with the characters. Mr. Eager fancies Lucy, who fancies George, who Charlotte does not approve of, who admires Miss Lavish, who is aware Mr. Eager does not like her. Meanwhile, Mr. Beebe remains quite neutral, while the two drivers of the carriage passionately love each other, fully supported by Mr. Emerson, who asks the party, “Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there?” (Forster 67). Foster combines these various, widely opposing characters to reveal the contrast between the Italian drivers and the English, the women and men, and the traditional and unconventional.
The strain of Lucy and George’s relationship exists due to their social differences. Lucy overhears a conversation between Miss Lavish and Miss Bartlett about how George worked on the railroads, a pitiful job. Meanwhile, Lucy hardly ever completes any strenuous tasks and at home, can do anything she pleases. At first, Lucy rejects the idea of her and George, but in a private moment of the outing in a field of flowers, George “stepped quickly forward and kissed her” (Forster 73), not only causing Lucy to fall in love, but also deepening the divide between their social class and adding the problematic issue to the plot.
While the various forms of tension could easily be resolved, its existence remains vital to the novel because the plot moves along, carrying a multitude of problems in need of insight, reflection, and resolution.
I would also like to add that the summary of "A Room with a View" provides many spoilers. Because of this fact, I can safely assume much more tension between characters will arise when Cecil Vyse falls into the picture!
DeleteI am so sorry but I thought of another tidbit to add to my post!
DeleteThe novel's setting provides a profuse amount of tension. Lucy, away from her normal London setting, finds herself in Italy, a new place with new faces. However, her visit of the city marks many firsts, such as love and speaking up for herself. Lucy begins to find her voice from her visit to Florence, "a magical city where people thought and did the most extraordinary things" (Forster 60), which she finds at times quite alarming.
Ernest Hemingway creates literary tension in two main formats, through the larger scope of the war, and the smaller spectrum of Frederic Henry’s relationship with Catherine Barkley. Both elements intertwine and cause disruptions, creating even more tension within the plot. Hemingway uses this device to portray his own emotions during wartime and by using the first person, he increased the potency of his sentiment.
ReplyDeleteThe war, World War I, is seen through the eyes of Frederic, an ambulance driver. Several battles occur with Frederic present, one of which wounds him. Tension does not end with fighting, however, and incorporates the entire war. The novel opens by describing how the Italian army, in a year’s worth of time, only gained a distant mountain and a few minor victories. Despite the constant fighting, no large amounts of ground had been taken by either side. Hemingway also describes 7,000 army deaths from cholera alone. Through the political indifferences, Frederic finds a way to enjoy himself in the town of Gorizia. While stationed, he met Catherine Barkley, his lover. Through their relationship, the two find themselves constantly torn apart, being sent to the front lines for days on end.
Since the war never abated during their time together, the two lovers seldom spent more than a week together. When in the hospital in Milan, Frederic only saw Catherine while she worked during the night. The war pressed harder upon the relationship once a baby appeared in the near future.
The relationship between Frederic and Catherine also causes a second layer of tension until the resolution. These star crossed lovers felt a connection from the moment they met. Despite constantly tearing apart from each other, the two managed to connect frequently. In the hospital in Milan, Catherine tells Frederic she has been with child for three months, increasing the severity of the war. Should either of the characters lose the other, all could be lost. This thought remains through several battles and many months until the tension is relieved in a dramatic way. Due to childbirth complications, both Catherine and the newborn die. At this moment, all tension is released from Frederic’s mind as he walks off into the night.
Ken Kesey toys with tension quite differently than most authors would. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, he creates a tension between the relationships of other characters. Rather than presenting a challenge for the protagonist to face head on, Kesey presents the challenge to be a character or group of character’s for McMurphy to deal with.
ReplyDeleteEver since the beginning of the novel RP McMurphy has been a hassle for Nurse Rachet and her staff to deal with. According to the novel “They both look back and forth at each other sizing each other up” (Kesey 23). This is hard for the troubled Nurse as she had been in complete control of the facility until McMurphy, “the freedom fighter” if you will, came in. McMurphy showed all of the other patients that she really isn’t in as much control of them as they thought.
Where Nurse Ratchet fails, McMurphy succeeds. The “therapy” sessions that the Nurse gives are more emasculating than helpful. This is most likely due to the fact that, like most women in the novel, she is feared by most of the patients. McMurphy on the other hand proposes the idea of a fishing trip. This allows the men to feel like men instead of having to fear castration. This angers Ratchet as he is actually helping the patients more than she ever could.
Kesey’s use of tension is really what drives the narrative in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Patient vs. Nurse is an interesting battle to read about to say the least and unlike any that you would see in other books. It makes me wonder what Kesey is trying to say about this relationship and about the world in general.
As I steadily and surely conquer “Pride and Prejudice” page by page, chapter by chapter, I notice a number of ways that Austen produces tension.
ReplyDeleteThe first, and likely the most obvious, is through dialogue and between characters. Take, for instance, Mr. Collins’ proposal to Lizzie in Chapter 19. As Mr. Collins asks politely that he have a private audience with Lizzie, Mrs. Bennet becomes excited at the assumption a proposal is to be made, “‘Oh dear!-yes-certainly. I am sure that lizzie will be very happy…’” (89). As Mrs. Bennet is excited, Lizzie appears almost terrified, pleading, “‘Dear madam, do not go. I beg you will not go’” (89). Mr. Collins, in his rehearsed manners, expresses his prolonged opinion that he and Lizzie should be wed (taking up about a half page, mind you). Lizzie attends to his drawn out speech until he makes the assumption that she’d say yes, by which time she curtly turns his offer down. Not only are his responses prolonged, but so also is his internalization of the fact that Lizzie has no intention of marrying him, leaving the reader in a sort of suspension as Mr. Collins practically refuses to believe that Lizzie could possibly be rejecting his offer. Keeping in mind the historical context – that for a woman of the time, as Mr. Collins later states, “…[a second] offer of marriage may never be made [her again]” (92) – and the extremely common motif of courtship/marriage being called into question, these outside items also form tension for the reader.
As for Austen’s diction in this situation, one noticeable spot which creates tension in the scene is the alteration of verbs following the quotations of the dialogue. Normally, Austen simply writes, “said ___,” or, “Mr.___ said.” However, as Lizzie desperately tries to convince Mr. Collins of her disinterest in marrying him, Austen uses, “cried Elizabeth,” or, “cried Mr. Collins,” in order to more strongly convey a concept of greater inflection, which, based on the situation, is not a pleasant kind. Therefore, the reader picks up on these cues and consumes him/herself in the thought of a discussion reaching the borders of argument (though because Mr. Collins appears to keep a level head, I won’t grant the dialogue such a name).
Even in her tone, Jane Austen creates a major tone shift as she begins the chapter. Her description of Collins’ intentions seem much like the man himself – rehearsed and orderly. However, even as Mr. Collins asks that he be alone with Lizzie, the tone shifts from this orderly way to that of a sporadic one, as Mrs. Bennet demands that Lizzie stay, while Lizzie begs that she go. In this small shift, it itself does not produce tension, but instead helps lead into the root of the tension for the chapter.
Primarily, tension in this particular part of the book relies on Austen’s diction and use of dialogue structure. However, her shift in tone creates a perfect transition into the mess of a conversation Lizzie and Mr. Collins later have.
My favorite example of tension between characters in this book is the tension building up between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth because of the pride and prejudice they both have--especially the latter!
Delete“All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow,” (Tolstoy 57)
ReplyDeleteLeo Tolstoy's novel, Anna Karenina is swarming with tensions which seem to lure the reader's mind utterly into the world of Anna Karenina and all the conflicts near and around her. There is a constant presence, and often focus, of light and shadow in nearly every relationship and circumstance.
Most plainly, tension develops the apparent action of the novel. This is especially prominent in the steeplechase with Vronsky. The competition between Vronsky and Makhotin is very tight during the race. First, Makhotin is in the lead, then Vronsky passes him. Moments later, after attempting to leap over a ditch, Vronsky shifts in his saddle and ultimately breaks his horses back, and is then forced to shoot the mare to put her out of her misery. Vronsky and those supporting him had so much hope that he would win, which was all taken away in a frightening moment which surely affected Anna, who made clear her distress. This suspense provides a context and catalyst to reflect and enrich the tension between characters.
Because of her love for Vronsky which she made clear at the steeplechase, Anna is losing faith in her husband, Karenin, and vice versa. Unfortunately for Karenin, he still loves and wants to keep his wife, but no longer receives reciprocation. His distrust causes him to be jealous, naturally, and commands Anna not to see Vronsky anymore. Anna continues to love Vronsky, and Karenin continues to accuse Anna of being all sorts of things, from adulterous to improper. Karenin states his observations so dispassionately, "I must tell you that you've behaved improperly today" (222), which is perhaps what Anna sees in Vronsky that her husband is lacking. Karenin struggles to remain logical on the subject of his wife's philandering, and even rejects his own jealousy by deeming it illogical. This only creates further tension between Karenin and his wife.
Although Anna loves Vronsky and Vronsky loves Anna, there remains tension between the two, for how could it not? There is never an absence of shadow. Anna Karenina is married to a wealthy suitor and lives with her husband and beloved son in a comfortable home. Vronsky threatens all of this. All that frightens Anna however is the thought of leaving her son for Vronsky, or even tainting her son with her sins. Vronsky however has no sense of family, and from the start was never discouraged from pursuing Anna because she was married.
Part of the strain between the two is created by the judgments of the world surrounding them. When Anna's adultery becomes more apparent to the world she becomes an outcast. She is rejected by those who once called her friend, and tagged by shame. Since Vronsky is not married he is not made an outcast. Still, society expects him to marry and start a family in the future. There is a sort of tension between private passions and public social conventions. Passions are commonly rejected, and it is the popular thought that certain logical things like marriage must always trump passion. Karenin's reaction to Anna's adultery greatly reflects this when he decides to not allow a divorce between himself and Anna in order to uphold his image and continue the pretense of a happy family.
As a book beginning with the line, "All happy families are like one another; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way" (17), the reader can expect an interesting, unhappy and controversial plot marking the importance of the harmony and tension between light and shadow.
Ever since Elizabeth respectfully declined Mr. Collins' invitation to marry him, there has been immense tension in the Bennet house. To begin, Mrs. Bennet refuses to talk to Elizabeth, holding true to her word of becoming a stranger to her own daughter. Also, Jane Bennet, Elizabeth's sister, received a letter from Caroline Bingley, the sister of her suitor Mr. Bingley, whom she is engaged to. The letter states that Mr. Bingley is moving out of the area for the winter and that his sisters are travelling with him in hopes to keep him away long term. The reason behind this is that Miss Bingley finds Miss Darcy, Mr. Darcy's sister, to be a much better suitor than Jane. The news in the letter throws Jane for a spin, resulting in her confiding in Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteWhile Miss Bingley's letter loomed in the background, tension also arose between the Lucas and Bennet households. Mr. Collins, the man that originally asked Elizabeth for her hand in marriage, asked her best friend, Charlotte Lucas. Charlotte agreed to marry him. This upset Elizabeth greatly. She felt embarrassed for her friend, having to remind her sister "Mr. Collins is a conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly man...and you must feel, as well as I do, that the woman who marries him, cannot have a proper way of thinking" (Austen 93).
Not only was Elizabeth more or less annoyed with Charlotte's decision to wed Mr. Collins, but Mrs. Bennet took the news the hardest. She did not believe the news at first, mentioning Mr. Collins asked for Elizabeth's hand only days before. Then, she became paranoid that the Lucas' were planning to overtake her as the successor of the Longbourn estate. According to Austen, "The very mention of any thing concerning the match threw her into agony of ill humour, and wherever she went she was sure of hearing it talked of" (Austen 90). This made for tension between Mrs. Bennet and Mr. and Miss Lucas.
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ReplyDeletePride and Prejudice practically revolves around the tension between Lizzie Bennett and Mr. Darcy. Not only this, but as a book that mainly revolves around socialite interactions, the tension and the drama created drive the narrative forward in Darcy’s pursuit of Lizzie Bennett, despite how much his physical actions suggest that he is most definitely not interested in her. In fact, these physical actions create an ever growing tension between the two, such as their fight about accomplished women. Darcy sets very high, ridiculous standards for women to meet, and Elizabeth, finding it ridiculous that Darcy could possibly have expectations of the other sex at all, especially such high ones, and she feels belittled and fights him on them. Mrs. Bingley, who does not like the fact that Elizabeth is spunky and a bit different than most other girls of the time period, takes Darcy’s side in the argument.
ReplyDeleteAusten uses the actions and words of her characters conversations to create tension within Pride and Prejudice, influencing the actions of everyone in the situation. Especially Lizzie’s mother, who lives to create conflict in order to ensure her daughters end up well-off and married. Darcy and Lizzie continue to create conflict between themselves and drive up tension, becoming one of the burgeoning factors (VOCAB WORD :D) in possibly one day admitting their love for one another (because let’s be real here, we all know this is going to happen). The plot and romance of this novel revolves around the tension and drama and tone between Darcy and Lizzie.
Hawthorne intelligently uses tension between his characters to reveal their motives. The greatest tension occurs between Hepzibah and Judge Pyncheon. The judge is defined by his alluring smiling; a smile so charming it almost masks his dubious intentions against another character, Clifford. Judge Pyncheon believes Clifford holds the key to the whereabouts of the late Colonel Pyncheon's inheritance. As such, the Judge continuously harasses Clifford and threatens to place him in an asylum.
ReplyDeleteIf the stress of being heckled by "righteous" and "lawful" isn't enough, the tension in the novel is heightened by the relationship between the characters. The trio, Clifford, Hepzibah, and Judge Pyncheon, are all related under the Pyncheon name. Clifford and Hepzibah are siblings while the Judge is their cousin. Family quarrels always occur every so often but this is a whole new level. The only ones who can see through the Judge's smile are his family. This helps them to no avail as the townsfolk consider him the entity of all things righteous (and his pompous ego supports such entirely). It is suspected that the Judge framed Clifford for the death of his uncle in order to further his search for the deed to the inheritance. The in-depth background and history of the story makes the tension palpable all because the feud flares between those of the same "family".
In the simplest terms, WWII is responsible for tension between characters in Catch 22. The war puts many of the bombardiers on edge, along with the lack of any real chance of going home (due to Colonel Cathcart perpetually raising the required number of missions).
ReplyDeleteOne example of tension between characters in Catch 22 is between Captain Flume and Chief White Halfoat. The Chief threatens to slit his roommate's, Captain Flume's, neck open from ear to ear, causing the Captain to hide off in the woods for the majority of the novel. In the solitude of the forest, Captain Flume slowly drifts into paranoid madness as he hides from all members of the squadron.
Tension also flares up between the non-combatant officers and officials, and the enlisted men. One of the most hilariously named and memorable characters in the novel, Major Major Major Major, is consistently disliked by the enlisted men. The Major was promoted from the moment he walked into boot camp solely because of his name. His quick promotion is a source of discontent among the enlisted men. Instead of thinking the obvious, they believe he was promoted because of his resemblance to Henry Fonda and they hate him for it. The tension becomes so stressful and disheartening for the Major that he takes after Flume's approach and attempts to hide from the enlisted men. Major x 4 takes his meals alone and will only allow men to come to see him in his office when he isn't there.
Perhaps the person who should create the most tension, Milo, does not. Milo, the assigned procurer of nourishment for many of the Italian base squadrons, takes it open himself to create a black market syndicate in which 'everyone owns a share'. Milo's owes his only allegiance to coin, and much of it. He is willingly to do just about anything for a profit, as he attempts to make enlisted men eat raw cotton, and worst of all, takes money from the Germans to bomb his own company with his planes. Regardless, nobody particularly cares when Milo discloses the fortune he's made, for 'everyone owns a share' even if they'll never see it.
Heller's use of tension, and its lack in some places, keep the novel fresh and hilarious as his characters continue their illogical shenanigans.