ESSAY CEMETERY

A Spoon Full of Fiction: Imagination as Mitigator in The History(s) of Love Nicole Krauss's novel The History of Love is filled with grave themes of societal and personal trauma. Its protagonists have experienced varieties of losses: Leopold Gursky is a holocaust survivor who has lost his mother and siblings, the love of his life, and his child to the Holocaust; Alma and Bird Singer have lost their father to cancer and their mother to grief. Despite these sober subjects, The History of Love is written with whimsy, wonder, and imagination. Through the original Alma, Gursky's lover, Nicole Krauss proposes her own literary aesthetic. Her ideas of literature are reflected both in the History of Love as well as the book-within-a-book of the same title. Writing is central to Leo's life. Alma, his beloved, is central in shaping his literary style. His first attempt at a novel results in a heavily realistic work, too realistic for Alma's taste. When he showed it to he

THEMES/MOTIFS - QUOTATIONS Love-hate relationship with women It seemed to him that he had been so schooled by bitter experience that he might call them what he liked, and yet he could not get on for two days together without  “the lower race".  He recalled her slender, delicate neck, her lovely grey eyes. “There’s something pathetic about her, anyway,” he  thought, and fell asleep. Adultery Pedophilia As he got into bed he thought how lately she had been a girl at school, doing lessons like his own daughter; he recalled the diffidence, the angularity, that was still manifest in her laugh and her manner of talking with a stranger Physical descriptions Then he looked at her intently, and all at once put his arm round her and kissed her on the lips, and breathed in the moisture and the fragrance of the flowers; and he immediately looked round him, anxiously wondering  whether any one had seen them. Different kinds of women: careless, good natured (Anna);

Watt, Ian. "Chapter 1: Realism and the Novel Form."   The Rise of the Novel . Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1970. Print. The literary form of novel appeared in the 18 th century among a group of writers who had very little in common- Defoe, Richardson and Fielding. However there must have been something prevalent in that era which led them to create this new form. The novel differs from previous work in that it is characterized by realism. Realism isn't to be defined as the opposite of idealism. Realism is the attempt at portrayal of all aspects of human experience. Realism lies in the manner in which life is represented. The novel is marked by the attempt to view life scientifically. The modern idea of realism is that which we perceive via our senses. In the middle ages it was universal ideas which were thought to be true reality. Descartes however hypothesized that reality is perceived by the individual and is not attached to previous ideas on reality. The develop

The story takes place in Yalta, a vacation spot. It is told in the third person. Dmitri notices a young lady with a dog on the sea front. He wants to meet her. Dmitri is unhappy in his marriage, is unfaithful to his wife. Even though he thinks women are inferior he admits to needing them. He is jaded by his vast experience with women. Dmitri engages the women after showing affection to her dog. They have a good conversation. He learns that her name is Anna and that she too is married. Even though he clearly desires and admires her he finds her pathetic. The two begin spending a lot of time together. A week after they meet, Dmitri kisses Anna. She takes him back to her hotel room, where she feels bad for what took place. She expresses regret at her hasty marriage. He is bored with her conscientiousness but comforts her. He continuously feels conflictingly about her. Anna and Dmitri keep meeting every day. She expresses her fear that he doesn't respect her as well as being

THEMES/MOTIFS - QUOTATIONS Death Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him. Apathy in the face of death "his eyes were large and dark gray, and had a kindly expression which one would hardly have expected in one whose neck was in the hemp." "His face had not been covered nor his eyes bandaged. He looked a moment at his "unsteadfast footing," then let his gaze wander to the swirling water of the stream racing madly beneath his feet. A piece of dancing driftwood caught his attention and his eyes followed it down the current. How slowly it appeared to move, What a sluggish stream!" He gave the struggle his attention, as an idler might observe the feat of a juggler, without interest in the outcome. What splendid effort!--what magnificent, what superhuman strength! Ah, that was a fine endeavor! Bravo! The cord fell away Fear He awaite

I A man is standing on a hanging apparatus with a noose around his neck. He is on a railroad bridge in Alabama. Two privates are preparing the apparatus, overseen by a sergeant, and a captain is standing on the bridge as well. Two sentinels stand at either side of the bridge to prevent people from coming on the bridge. A company of infantry headed by a lieutenant stands on one bank of the river, motionless, as part of the execution ceremony. The condemned man seems to be a kind civilian planter. He seems to be relaxed. However, suddenly he hears a sharp metallic percussion. It arouses fear in him. The tolls become spaced farther and farther apart. It is the ticking of his watch. Suddenly he thinks how he might escape- and the sergeant tilts the platform on which he stands. II It is the American Civil War. The condemned, Peyton Farquhar is indeed a plantation owner, and a secessionist. He wants to be a soldier but circumstances prevented him; instead he contributed as much to