symbolic significance supporting the writer's key themes in the Sorrow of War

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Here Kien is on his body collecting mission, putting to rest the bodies and souls of the soldiers who died fighting in the war. There is a strong presence of the spiritual realm in this passage. “Disease and successive famines had erased all life” and they “set the village alight to cleanse it.” However even after the fire “soldiers were still terrified” of the place because of the “civilian souls loose in the wood.”

From this passage the writer explores the erasable damage war causes. They can try destroying the physical evidence by burning it however the souls of all those killed in war will always haunt the area and the sorrow of war will forever be marked in the Jungle of Lost Souls.

In the line: “emitting a stink that penetrated the imagination” has symbolic significance in supporting the writer’s key themes. The “stink” symbolizes the sorrow of war. This line represents how the impact the sorrow of war can get to even the bravest of men, even those who do not believe in an afterlife. This supports the key theme of the strong spiritual force the sorrow of war has on all people.

Background reading on The Sorrow of War

Innocents Abroad Too: Journeys Around the World on Semester at Sea by Michael Pearson.

In the Vietnam chapter of the book, the author talks about his experience of the Vietnam War even though he did not participate in the physical fighting.

Even though the author was American, he still felt for what the Americans had done to Vietnam after reading The Sorrow of War. He expressed that Boa Ninh's book had a heavy impact due to the insight it gave the readers to the scaring effects the war had on the Vietnamese.

The author tells the reader about a friend. He describes this friend as being "a confident, smiling boy, the companion who always knows how to talk to the girls, the one who always finds the right thing to say." He later goes to fight in the Vietnam War and returns "a silent older man." This displays the common traumatic scarring war has on almost all of whom survive.

Whilst The Sorrow of War tells the story from a survivor’s point of view, Innocents Abroad Too: Journey around the world on semester at sea tells the story from an observer. What he observed was war completely change this young man. War took away “confident, smiling boy" and replaced him with a stranger. In the end, the author simply just "wanted [his] old friend back." Sadly it was too late and "he was gone forever."

This change of personality was common for all who fought in the war. As humans we experience guilt, and how is it possible to not feel guilt when you kill? This would likely to lead up to constant stress for the family and friends of these soldiers. Even if they survived(which was unlikely) they had become a different person. This could lead up to stress on families when the surviving soldiers return home, bringing with them the sorrow of war.

Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House - Krogstad

a) What role does Krogstad serve in the play?
Krogstad acts as the main antagonist in the play, however in some ways he does mirror Nora's character. For example: Both Krogstad and Nora have been limited in what they are able to do by society. Krogstad's reputation obtained by his crime of forgery and Nora's status as a woman takes away opportunities from them. Both believe that committing an unethical deed is acceptable in order to save loved ones.

b)In what ways does Ibsen develop the characters?
Ibsen develops the characters by putting both Nora and Krogstad under extreme situations. When Krogstad's job therefore his reputation is put on the line, he blackmails Nora even after his past experiences with crime. "For the last eighteen months I haven't touched anything dishonest" In his desperate attempt to save his family and himself, Krogstad returns to his darker side.
Nora on the other hand, is revealed to be a lot less naive then she appears to be. Nora acts superficial because that is her current vision of a perfect life. However when Krogstad threatens to take that "perfect" life away from her, in desperation she shows a more aggressive and passionate side to her.

c)What themes does the characters assist in conveying to the audience?
Redemption is the theme conveyed by Mrs Linde and Krogstad's reuniting conversation.
After many years of separation, the two lovers help one another redeem themselves. Mrs Linde is able to redeem herself by putting her faith back into Krogstad and being willing to mother his children. She is motivated in life now that she has someone to work for, to care for and to rely on her.
Krogstad Redeems himself by giving Nora back her bond and offering to ask for the letter back, "Oh, if only I could undo it." This proves to himself to be a changed man. This good deed shows that he has a sympathetic side to him and is capable of doing the right thing. "Now I shall be able to set myself right in the eyes of the world".

Ibsen's: A Dolls House - Mrs Linde

Ibsen has created Mrs Linde as a foil character, she brings out Nora's character well because their personalities contrast so dramatically.

ACT ONE
Nora and Mrs Linde's conversation in act one allows us to see both of their strong character traits.
Nora, is asking questions, sympathizing and giving a lot of response.
Mrs Linde however, shows little emotion, contributing little to the conversation.

NORA: It was very bad of me, Christine. Poor thing, how you must have suffered. And he left you nothing?

MRS.LINDE: No.

NORA: And no children?

MRS.LINDE: No.

Throughout their conversation in this first act, there is a constant repetition of the word "no". Although Mrs Linde is told to have much more independence and life experience compared to Nora. However, we see her as a somber, emotionless and a cold character. There Ibsen's is putting across the idea that there is a high price to be paid for independence and freedom.

Ibsen has also used Mrs Linde as a shadow of Nora. During the play, Nora searches for self-realization, independence and freedom. Mrs Linde has all of these qualities. "Yes, anyhow I think it would be delightful to have what one needs." What Mrs Linde refers to as something one "needs" is in fact freedom. She is a strong working woman who knows how to live a free life. She is freed from emotional baggage "not even any sorrow or grief to live upon." She is freed from society's expectations because she is a widow. And now, she has become free of family responsibilities as well. Now that her mother has passed on and brothers have grown up. We do see the down side to all the freedom, she has become vulnerable, financially unstable and lost the child-like positive attitude Nora still possesses in the early stages of the play.

ACT THREE

In this act Mrs Linde talks to Krogstan after a long time of not seeing.

Their relationship is much deeper than Mrs Linde and Nora's friendship. This is shown through the more active responses from Mrs Linde. "Now, Nils, let us have a talk." However, she still speaks plainly, and straight to the point. She calls Krogstan by his first name, Nils. This proves that they have/had a deep relationship. We later find out how she sacrificed that possibility of love for money, so she could care for her family. Once again, Isben has enforced the idea that freedom and independence comes at a hefty price.

Reflection On a Gift of Watermelon Pickle Received from a Friend called Felicity

Reflection On a Gift of Watermelon Pickle Received from a Friend called Felicity by John Tobias is a quirky poem which explores the ideas of growing up. The poem is literally what the title expresses. The constant mention of watermelon throughout the poem is an extended metaphor, comparing growing up to watermelon. The different views the protagonist has of the watermelon reflects how their life is changing as they start to grow up. From this Tobias expresses an important message about how life changes drastically as we start to mature even tough we do not see it this way. In this commentary I will explain in detail the clever constant mention of watermelon, diction used and the overall idea Tobias is trying to get across in this piece of text.

Reading of a critic's response to A Doll's House

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=LitRC&userGroupName=per_k12&tabID=T001&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=9&contentSet=GALE%7CA99398770&&docId=GALE|A99398770&docType=GALE&role=LitRC

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This link is to a discussion of one of the major themes appearing in the play A Doll's House. In this article, the critic focuses on the downing effect of failed fathers on the events and decisions the characters make in this play make.

Nora's father and Helmer, both fathers, have put unnecessary pressure on Nora to act and think a certain way, therefore restricting her true needs and emotions. Nora explains how all her life they would "play with [Nora] just a [she] played with [her] dolls."
She continues to use the metaphor of a doll to explain further why she must leave the "play-room" which she has been living in for all these years in order to make something out of herself.

The way Hemler treats Nora directly affects how she treats their children. "I was Papa's doll-child. And the children have been my dolls in their turn." This shows the viewer the butterfly effect of how one bad father can cause a mother to walk out on her children.

This explains the title of this play "A Doll's House" refers to Nora as the doll and the house she desperately needed to escape from as the dollhouse. The title is an extended metaphor of Nora and her home being compared to a doll and it's dollhouse.

A Doll's House (Ibsen) first analysis

At this moment, we are studying "A Doll's House" by Ibsen. I have yet to get to the end of the play but much has already been revealed of the characters. From the exposition Ibsen has made it seem as the family's room is quite ordinary, with typical furnishings. However the line "furnished inexpensively, but with taste" tells me that this family is quite wealthy but would like to be higher up in the social ladder. Their wealth is further supported when Ibsen mentions that they own a piano, "handsomely" bound books, carpet, many doors and a separate study which suggests that the man of the house focuses much of his time on work.

Nora's entrance is very cliché of a housewife, cheerfully bursting in the room, humming a small tune. Just like the room, Nora at first seems very normal. However we soon see that she is hiding something when she secretly eats macaroons.

When Helmer (Nora's husband) talks to Nora he treats her like a doll, something to tease and admire but not treat as an equal. He shows this through the diminutive names he calls Nora. Such as: "skylark", something beautiful and a "squirrel", something always trying to scavenge. He comes across as a man driven by work as he is always busy "I'm busy!". Helmer is also shown to be a man whose actions and emotions are greatly affected by society’s expectations. He works hard for more money and higher social status. Helmer is sensitive and always will have a need for acception and respect by the people around him. "There's something constrained, something ugly even, about a home that's founded on borrowing and debt."

Nora and Helmer's relationship from what I've read all looks like a show. They want to seen like a happy normal cliché couple and in the process try to burry their troubles to stay seemingly happy and fine in the eyes of others. They need each other to fulfil their own fantasies of a perfect life. However their love for each other is not true and neither is the happiness they think they have together. This idea has come from the theme of their conversations, which are mainly about money and status. Unlike real loving relationships, they talk little about each others real troubles and emotions.