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Noticing the use of symbols and irony in The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

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Noticing the use of symbols and irony in The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

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Patroclus' mothers lyre is a significant symbol throughout the novel. The price of Patroclus' exile to Phthia is his weight in gold, and the lyre that belonged to his mother. This payment is made to Peleus and Achilles, and Achilles takes the lyre, unaware of its association with Patroclus. Patroclus adores the way Achilles plays the lyre, and it represents the home that the two young men create together, and it highlights the qualities of Achilles that Patroclus adores, such as his musicality and kindness. After hearing about the war, the men never see the lyre again, representing the change and dynamic in their relationship.

A tomb also serves as a symbol throughout the novel. When recounting his life, Patroclus compares rooms and spaces without Achilles as tombs. After his death, he is trapped as a spirit in a literal tomb until he is properly honoured, at which point he can be reunited with Achilles. As the tomb is vast, grey and cold, so is Patroclus's existence without Achilles.

Thetis, Achilles' mother, spends the majority of the novel hating Patroclus and attempting to remove him from her son's life, so there is evidence of irony that she is the one who releases him to live with her son forever.

"And perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone." (Miller, 79).

"I will never leave him. It will be this, always, for as long as he will let me." (Miller, 95).

"We were like gods at the dawning of the world, and our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but each other." (Miller, 96).

"He is half of my soul, as the poets say." (Miller, 284).

"In the darkness, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood like a hundred golden urns pouring out of the sun." (Miller, 369).

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Noticing the use of metaphors and similes in Matt Haig's The Midnight Library 

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Noticing the use of metaphors and similes in Matt Haig's The Midnight Library 

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On the back of the book, the author has written, "Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices... Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?"

In his novel, Haig employs numerous metaphors and similes. Each object in the library represents a different aspect of Nora's existence.

Nora's depression prevents her from seeing any future, hope, or possibility for happiness. She compares herself to a black hole after viewing a picture of one in a scientific magazine. The novel perfectly depicts the difficult and heart-wrenching reality of depression - that it is not a fleeting moment of sadness, but a serious condition that left her feeling like there was no other option but suicide.

The metaphor of doors is intriguing, because when she makes the decision to kill herself, she views doors as an escape from her life. However, doors are typically symbolic of opportunities, and Nora is ultimately presented with an infinite number of opportunities - books of life and doors to any life she could possibly desire. Nora ultimately decides to enter the door/life she fought so desperately to escape from, because it is her life, and where she was meant to be.

Mrs. Elm's passion for chess is one of the things Nora discovers about her at the Midnight Library. But chess is also another method Mrs. Elm uses to teach Nora the truth about life. She attempts to convince Nora that life is a game of chess. It is perfect at the beginning, before any moves are made, but once a move is made, it can proceed in an infinite number of ways. It devolves into disorder and confusion, and there is no move that guarantees the desired outcome. Nevertheless, the game is not over until there is not a single pawn left standing.

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Other literary elements used in The Midnight Library 

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Other literary elements used in The Midnight Library 

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"As Nora escaped the shop, she wished there were nothing but doors ahead of her, which she could walk through one by one, leaving everything behind." (Haig, 24). This quote foreshadows future events and the concept of the Midnight library, as in the future Nora has the opportunity to leave everything behind by entering all of her possible lives.

Also utilized is visual imagery of the Midnight Library. She describes discovering a strange place, with nothing but grey mist and a strange building in front of her, symbolizing the manifestation of a place that provided Nora with the most comfort.

Another example of imagery is when Nora is confronted by a polar bear, the physical manifestation of death. She is seen as nothing more than a tasty meal, and for the first time in her life, Nora feels a strong desire to survive. Prior to this event, Nora lacked that desire, thereby also creating a paradox.

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Taken from the text, "The Sun and her Flowers". 

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Noticing the use of simple word structure in "The Sun and Her Flowers". 

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Noticing the use of simple word structure in "The Sun and Her Flowers". 

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The poems in “The Sun and Her Flowers” deal with a variety of subjects ranging from love to death. It is split into five different sections: wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming. With each section emphasizing the central metaphor of the book, which is the title, comparing human life to that of a flower, and describing their shared stages.

While reading "The Sun and Her Flowers", I noticed the stanzas were brief and concise, employing only the most essential emotions and ideas. This leaves the reader with a vivid mental image without requiring them to engage in unnecessary thoughts or actions to uncover it. In addition, Kaur rarely uses punctuation in the middle of her poems, which I found enhanced the cadence and rhythm of each line. The carefully planned line breaks also demonstrates the strength of Kaur's formatting and structure, and gives the impression that she is allowing the reader access to her direct thoughts. Overall, Kaur’s easy to read poems ultimately leave room for her readers to impart their own stories from the pages.

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

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"When you're given an opportunity to change your life, be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen. The world doesn't give things, you take things." (Reid, 35).

"People think that intimacy is about sex. But intimacy is about truth. When you realize you can tell someone your truth, when you can show yourself to them, when you stand in front of them bare and their response is 'you're safe with me' - that's intimacy." (Reid, 113).

"I'm bisexual. Don't ignore half of me so you can fit me into a box." (Reid, 124).

I wanted to highlight and share these quotes from The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo because, in my opinion, they exemplify the central themes of Reid's text: determination, love, and sacrifice. Through the course of this novel, we discover that the protagonist, Evelyn, is so much more than meets the eye. These quotations prompted me to significantly reconsider my perception of fame and my initial impression of Evelyn from the beginning of the book. The book examines the corrupting and dehumanizing effects of fame, as well as the oppressive weight of public perception and what it means to be a woman in society. It was so fascinating to be able to read about these topics in a manner I never have before. After finishing the book, I was left with that empty feeling you get after becoming so engrossed in the book you’re reading, and desperately did not want it to be over. This was one of my favourite reads by far.

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Noticing the use of irony in the short story "Nothing Extraordinary" by Jennifer Kim

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Noticing the use of irony in the short story "Nothing Extraordinary" by Jennifer Kim

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Throughout this short story, the character, as well as the reader discover the difference of what something appears to be versus its literal meaning. The author initially believes her mom goes unnoticed in crowds, "Mom is short. Skinny. It is easy to overlook her in a crowd simply because she is nothing extraordinary to see." (Kim, 3). However, she later realizes that this is actually what sets her apart, "My mom is nothing extraordinary, yet at that moment she stood out because she was just so plain." (Kim, 12). This creates verbal irony, as her initial statement means something very different then what she actually said.

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Taken from the text, "The Sun and her Flowers". 

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I found this poem interesting, and was able to connect to the content of this poem in significant ways as it similarly discusses my theme layers of "Loss, Growth, and Hope" from my "Know I'm Here" assignment.  I believe it is crucial to be able to reflect on and remember my failures, as they have shaped who I am today. Throughout my process of development, I've gained self-awareness and a measure of compassion for others who may also be struggling. Appreciating the difficult times has kept me motivated and humble for the future.