American Bibliographical Article - Essay Example

American Bibliographical Article Part 1: List of Five Notable Books i. Enon by Paul Harding. The author of this book follows Charlie Crosby life. He is a musical and author. He was at one time the drummer of Cold Water Flat Band between 1990 and 1996. The author tries to come in terms with a tragedy of a shattering personality. The novel follows up on Harding’s Pulitzer prize-winning novel, Tinkers (Slouka), and continues the history of Crosby (Robson ). ii. Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat Edwidge Danticat is an American writer of Haiti descent (Sontag). He has written a number of books and novels as well as short stories. The latest novel was Untwine in 2015. The novel, Claire of the Sea Light, by this author has been described as the Haitian story of love and loss; the devastating Haitian earthquake of 2010 happened when the book was halfway through and the writer was able to cleverly sneak the event into the book (Shamsie). iii. Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See by Juliann Garey Juliann Garey is a great writer, having written various screenplays as well as TV pilots, specifically to Sony Picture, as well as other TV works such as NBC, Columbia, CBS, and Lifetime TV among others. She is a journalist by profession and has made many publications. This novel, inspired by the experience of the writer (Silverman ), narrates Greyson Todd’s struggle for happiness and stability in the face of bipolar disorder (Nelson). iv. The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messud This author is typically a creative writing professor, literature, and novelist; best known for The Emperor’s Children novel. Her novel focuses on three friends within their early thirties, who lived in Manhattan, a few months before the 9/11 attack. They are well educated as very privileged, although they are forced to struggle to realize the lofty expectations regarding personal as well as professional lives. The novel was ranked among the top 10 books of 2006 (The New York Times). Along the lines of Chekhov’s short story, The Lady with the Pet Dog (Kakutani ), Claire Messud’s novel has been considered great. v. Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki The books was authored by a Canadian-American novelist and filmmaker who has been working in media production and commercial television for over ten year. Regarding this novel, two characters narrate the work. They include Nao, a sixteen-year-old girl living in Tokyo and a writer who lives on an island off British Columbia (Downer). Nao keeps a diary that the writer finds on the seashore in the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami. Ozeki’s story has been described ad meditative and era-flipping (Jensen ). Author Chosen The author chosen for this bibliographical essay is Claire Messud. Her biography is considerably fascinating since besides writing novels, she has been teaching literature and creative writing. Her best-known work is The Emperor's Children, published in 2006. Messud is well-known for her riveting style of writing. The Woman Upstairs exemplifies her style; the title itself creates suspense and gets one reading the novel to find out what is special about the woman upstairs. Part 2: Thesis The following are four thesis statements that describe Claire Messud: i. The themes of multiculturalism, displacement and exile dominate most of Messud’s work. ii. Messud’s writing career has been more successful than her teaching career. iii. Messud is one of the greatest multicultural writers since 1945. iv. Messud is heavy-handed in the way she depicts the characters in her stories. Typically, Messud is one of the greatest multicultural writers the world has known since 1945. The reason for this assertion is that multi-culturalism is a dominant theme in the literary works that emerged after the Second World War and has endured to date and is highly associated with the themes of displacement and exile, which are also depicted. Messud’s works are no exception and her early life seems to have prepared her for multicultural writing. Claire Messud is an American novelist and professor of literature and creative writing born in Greenwich, Connecticut. Messud was born of a Canadian mother and an ethnic French father from Algeria, a former colony of France until 1962. Besides the United States, as a child, Messud grew up in Canada and Australia. She attended the University of Toronto Schools and Milton Academy. She took her undergraduate and graduate studies at Yale and Cambridge Universities, respectively. While at Cambridge University, she met James Wood, her spouse. Today, Wood is a literary critic in the United Kingdom. Thus, the background and early life of Messud prepared her for her career as a multicultural writer. Part 3: Outline This essay seeks to illustrate three themes that dominate Messud’s works as depicted in her various novels. The main themes are multiculturalism, displacement and exile, which first play out in When the World was Steady; a series of misfortunes displace the two in this story from the security of their homes and they are forced to make new homes elsewhere In The Last Life, the fifteen-year-old Sagasse Le Basse is raised by multicultural parents whom circumstances have displaced from their native countries; the girl struggles with her identity. The same fate befalls the characters in A Simple Tale and The Hunters, the two novellas in Messud’s third book; the first novella is about Maria Poniatowski, a Russian woman who survives torture in a German concentration then loses her husband later the second novella is about an anonymous American scholar who is displaced from their country and finds refuge in a run-down neighborhood in London. The chief character in The Woman Upstairs is Nora, a thirty-seven-year old third grade teacher; at her age, she is single and struggling with identifying her niche in a community that looks at women like her with scorn. Part 4: Rough Draft Messud’s life has significantly influenced her interest to explore various cultures through writing like the multiculturalism them portrayed in most of her novels. In the works by Messud, three major themes run through her novels: multiculturalism, exile and displacement (Amoia and Knapp 346). Throughout her novels, female protagonists grapple with finding their niche and cultural identity in the midst of historical injustices and family problems. This aspect is specifically a part of the author’s life, since she has to identify herself with either of the three culture; American, Canadian, or French. In When the World was Steady, the sisters have been brought up to value the security that the family has to offer (Amoia and Knapp 346). However, unexpected events disrupt that security. As a result, they embark on an emotional journey to adapt to the new realities. Following a bitter divorce, Emmy, the younger sister is forced to leave Australia for Bali. Virginia goes through a series of devastating events that cause her to question her faith. Together with her mother, Virginia travels from London back to their rural home in Scotland. Having been used to the comfort of life in big cities, the two sisters must now quickly come to terms with their new lives. Sagasse Le Basse, the main character in The Last Life is the fifteen-year-old daughter of exiled parents (Amoia and Knapp 347). Her mother is an American who was forced to move to France. Her father, a French-Algerian, is also forced to move to France in the wake of independence: his family considered him a traitor for collaborating with the colonialists. Thus, when their country gained independence, they expelled him from the family. In the face of forced relocation, unrealized family dreams and the ripple effects of many years of deprivation during colonialism, Sagesse must find her identity as a woman. The breakdown of their family is brought to the fore when Sagesse’s commits what the girl considers a cruel act: she bars her from meeting her friends and making new ones. The third work of Messud is a collection of novellas. Two of these will serve the purposes of this paper: A Simple Tale and The Hunters. A Simple Tale is the story the story of Maria Poniatowski, a Ukrainian woman who survives torture in a German labor camp (Amoia and Knapp 347). At the beginning of the novella, Maria is already advanced in years, but still holds on to her job as a cleaner even though her sons want her to retire. Maria’s last client becomes bankrupt and is unable to run her home. The plot of the second novella, The Hunters, is quite different. The narrator of the story is an anonymous American scholar living in a run-down section of London (Messud , The Hunters: Two Short Novels 102). Unable to find a lasting relationship, the narrator grows more frustrated by the day. To escape their frustration, they immerse themselves into research on death. A Simple Tale gives the historical context by Maria; by contrast, neither the gender nor the history of the narrator is revealed. Rather, the story focuses on the isolated inner life of the narrator. The story has been described as one of psychological suspense. The narrator becomes engrossed in the life of their neighbor, Ridley Wandor, a caregiver for the elderly who has lost several of their clients to death in recent years. The narrator believes that Wandor is a murderer and begins to investigate them secretly. Towards the end, Messud gives the story a twist that surprises both the narrator and the reader. The mismatch between appearance and reality that is inherent in the plot symbolizes the emotional and cultural displacement of the narrator. The Woman Upstairs is Messud’s latest novel. The novel’s main character and narrator is Nora (Messud 2). We soon learn that Nora is an angry woman who is struggling with her identity, just like in the author’s real life situation. In conclusion Messud’s career as an author and writer has is greatly influenced by her past life and experiences as depicted in her novels. Growing up in the US, she had developed a rich English culture and language. She has also had an experienced in various culture following her travelling experience to various places like Canada, and Australia among other place. Her parents are even from two ethnic background in which case her father is French, from Algeria, while her mother is a Canadian. Part 5: Revision and Proofreading notes Revisions to the draft essay are highlighted in yellow and red colors Aspect of the essay being biographical has been ensured; by including the personal life and elements influencing their careers and novels The way her struggle to identify with a specific culture is also compared to the way she handles the same theme Again, revisions are done regarding the removal of meaningless content. Proofreading had been done to eliminate grammar issues The final draft is thus free of grammar and other related issues Part 6: Final Draft The life and relative experiences of Messud have significantly influenced her interest to explore various cultures through writing like the multiculturalism them portrayed in most of her novels. In the works by Messud, three major themes run through her novels: multiculturalism, exile and displacement (Amoia and Knapp 346). Throughout her novels, female protagonists grapple with finding their niche and cultural identity in the midst of historical injustices and family problems. This aspect is specifically a part of the author’s life, since she has to identify herself with either of the three culture; American, Canadian, or French. In When the World was Steady, the sisters have been brought up to value the security that the family has to offer (Amoia and Knapp 346). However, unexpected events disrupt that security. As a result, they embark on an emotional journey to adapt to the new realities. Following a bitter divorce, Emmy, the younger sister is forced to leave Australia for Bali. Virginia goes through a series of devastating events that cause her to question her faith. Together with her mother, Virginia travels from London back to their rural home in Scotland. Having been used to the comfort of life in big cities, the two sisters must now quickly come to terms with their new lives. Sagasse Le Basse, the main character in The Last Life is the fifteen-year-old daughter of exiled parents (Amoia and Knapp 347). Her mother is an American who was forced to move to France. Her father, a French-Algerian, is also forced to move to France in the wake of independence: his family considered him a traitor for collaborating with the colonialists. Thus, when their country gained independence, they expelled him from the family. In the face of forced relocation, unrealized family dreams and the ripple effects of many years of deprivation during colonialism, Sagesse must find her identity as a woman. The breakdown of their family is brought to the fore when Sagesse’s commits what the girl considers a cruel act: she bars her from meeting her friends and making new ones. The third work of Messud is a collection of novellas. Two of these will serve the purposes of this paper: A Simple Tale and The Hunters. A Simple Tale is the story the story of Maria Poniatowski, a Ukrainian woman who survives torture in a German labor camp (Amoia and Knapp 347). At the beginning of the novella, Maria is already advanced in years, but still holds on to her job as a cleaner even though her sons want her to retire. Maria’s last client becomes bankrupt and is unable to run her home. The plot of the second novella, The Hunters, is quite different. The narrator of the story is an anonymous American scholar living in a run-down section of London (Messud , The Hunters: Two Short Novels 102). Unable to find a lasting relationship, the narrator grows more frustrated by the day. To escape their frustration, they immerse themselves into research on death. A Simple Tale gives the historical context by Maria; by contrast, neither the gender nor the history of the narrator is revealed. Rather, the story focuses on the isolated inner life of the narrator. The story has been described as one of psychological suspense. The narrator becomes engrossed in the life of their neighbor, Ridley Wandor, a caregiver for the elderly who has lost several of their clients to death in recent years. The narrator believes that Wandor is a murderer and begins to investigate them secretly. Towards the end, Messud gives the story a twist that surprises both the narrator and the reader. The mismatch between appearance and reality that is inherent in the plot symbolizes the emotional and cultural displacement of the narrator. The Woman Upstairs is Messud’s latest novel. The novel’s main character and narrator is Nora (Messud 2). We soon learn that Nora is an angry woman who is struggling with her identity, just like in the author’s real life situation. In conclusion Messud’s career as an author and writer has is greatly influenced by her past life and experiences as depicted in her novels. Growing up in the US, she had developed a rich English culture and language. She experienced various culture following her travelling experience to various places like Canada, and Australia. Her parents are even from two ethnic background in which case her father is French, from Algeria, while her mother is a Canadian. Works Cited Amoia, Alba and Bettina Knapp. Multicultural writers since 1945: an A-to-Z guide. Santa Barbara: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004. Web. Downer, Lesley. Lost and Found: ‘A Tale for the Time Being,’ by Ruth Ozeki. 10 May 2013. Web. 24 February 2015. Jensen , Liz. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki – review. 15 March 2013. Web. 24 February 2015. Kakutani , Michiko. On the Outside, Looking In: ‘The Woman Upstairs,’ by Claire Messud. 2 May 2013. Web. 24 February 2015. Messud , Claire. The Hunters: Two Short Novels. London: Pan MacMillan, 2011. Web. Messud, Claire. The Woman Upstairs. Knopf Canada, 2013. Web. Nelson, Samantha. Juliann Garey: Too Bright To Hear Too Loud To See. 28 January 2013. Web. 24 February 2015. Reference and User Services Association (RUSA). 2014 List. n.d. Web. 24 February 2015. Robson , Leo. Enon by Paul Harding – review. 26 September 2013. Web. 24 February 2015. Shamsie, Kamila. Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat – review . 28 December 2013. Web. 24 February 2015. Silverman , Jacob. Juliann Garey impresses in sharp-tongued debut novel. 11 January 2013. Web. 24 February 2015. Slouka, Mark. And Then Everything Changed: Paul Harding’s ‘Enon’. 20 September 2013. Web. 24 February 2015. Sontag, Deborah. Island Magic: ‘Claire of the Sea Light,’ by Edwidge Danticat. 30 August 2013. Web. 24 February 2015. The New York Times. Sunday Book Review: The 10 Best Books of 2006 . 2006. Web . 12 March 2015. Read More