On the Road, Things Fall Apart, and Pride and Prejudice - Essay Example

Monia Al-Haidary Allison Aurnhammer IB English Literature June 3, How the of "On the Road", "Things Fall Apart", and "Pride and Prejudice" Use Friendship as a Method of Portraying and Developing the Characterization of the Protagonist “On the Road,” “Things Fall Apart,” and “Pride and Prejudice” use friendship as a method for portraying and developing the characterization of the Protagonist. There are clear ties within all the three books, and the authors’ use of the main characters to exemplify or change the vision that is practical or expected during the period and time that the novels were published. This paper will first lay the groundwork with a brief summary of all three books. It will then proceed to analyze: the literary devices such as allegory, imagery, and symbolism; the main characters depending upon their friendships as a method of finding themselves and dictating the change their society needed; and the characterizations built off of each other and allowed the authors to portray the protagonists in a method painted a picture for the reader to view their societies and lives as they saw lived them. On the Road Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty meet in the winter of 1947 when Dean is recently released from jail. Sal is fascinated with Dean and this was the beginning of the literal cross country friendship. The friends enjoyed hitchhiking and bus rides to the West. Sal traveled with friends and Dean to Denver. However, Sal leaves the others to go further west. Among other things, he finds work in the field of California fields. Enjoying a normal life for a while, Dean comes and ruins his stable life. They drive west together again. Dean settles in New York and Sal goes to Denver.  They then reunite and travel to Mexico City.  There are colorful dramas, crazy excitement, and changing of personal development. Dean has four children and three wives throughout their journey. Sal changed from a depressed and weak individual to a character that finds his own joy and purpose at the end of the story, as well as love. In the end we find that Dean and Sal have many similarities that aid in each others finding of who they are.  Things Fall Apart This novel is set up in the village of Igbo, Umuofia, Nigeria shortly after the European colonists introduced Christianity in the country. The main character, Okonkwo, is a clan member who is inflexible, ambitious, and determined to overcome his weak father’s legacy. The clan allows Okonkwo to differ from his father, and dictate his own achievements. He is a brave warrior, wrestler, and respected clan member who thrives on his ability to uphold his customs and traditions. It is his method for honoring his ancestors and their ways. Okonkwo has his challenges with the laws of the clan because of his rigidness and impetuousness. For example, he beats his wife during the Week of Peace. Okonkwo’s temper and ideals lead him to take drastic measures. He shoots his wife and inadvertently hits one of his clansmen, which essentially leads to his exile. The law demands his property to be destroyed and he has to vacate his father’s land for seven years. This requires him to flee to the homeland of his mother, and this is where he has contact with the Christians. Okonkwo returns to Umuofia after his ban is lifted, but finds that life has changed there. There had been disenfranchisement of the members based upon the inroads of culture that the missionaries have laid. Okonkwo’s son decides to leave for mission school. He disliked his father because of his participation in the death of a boy that his family had befriended. Okonkwo continually protects his culture against the missionaries. He kills a British messenger and realizes he is the only one defending his culture. As a result of standing alone, Okonkwo kills himself. Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen portrays a period when women were viewed differently and the ultimate goal was to find a good man. The story revolves around the Bennett family, primarily Elizabeth who lives in Longbourn. Their virtue is challenged when Mr. Bingley moved next door closer to them. The mother immediately began to wonder which one of her five daughters he would marry. Mr. Bingley brought many friends such as Mr. Darcy, Mr. Collins, and Mr. Wickham, which gives Mrs. Bennett many options for her daughters. She has no reservation with using simple-minded and very forward advances to get their attention for her five girls.  Mr. Bingley pursues Jane while Mr. Darcy pursues Elizabeth. The villain of the story, Mr. Wickham settles for Lydia. Elizabeth, the main character challenges everything that she is expected to be. She also proves that societies expectations comes with real flaws that need to be changed despite opposition and difficulties.  Four out of the five girls end up married as Mrs. Bennett strived to achieve. Allegory All three novels have symbolism that added greater meaning to the ideas that were being portrayed. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth is truly portrayed as a protagonist in her ability to change what dictates the role of women to Mr. Darcy and others in this novel. The self-confidence and refusal to conform allowed her to be viewed in both negative and positive manner. The greater depth that is played out through the entire novel, and primarily through Elizabeth, is the failure to be who she was expected to be. Education and social status was dependent on finding the right catch of a man to give the woman that life. However, Elizabeth’s character allowed the reader to see the potential for variation to societal expectations. The dominant eighteenth-century ideology of feminism suggested a “natural association between women and the private sphere, domesticity and leisure and the identification of women with feeling and sensibility rather than reason” (Jones 5-6). Clearly the ideologies of women during this time period affected the portrayal of the women. In Pride and Prejudice, the main female protagonist is Elizabeth Bennet. It would appear to the reader that she would be more or an avant-garde as a character. Perhaps, the character was merely a symbol for the author to challenge the standards by which she was governed or the literary allegory was just to allow the reader to look deeper than the superficial story. The situation for women in general during this period was that they were under the dominion of men all of their lives: first, their father’s and later, if they married, that of their husbands (Brophy 41-42). In order to have a substantial life for oneself, they had to marry for wealth. The characters in this book focused on finding a husband as a means of securing the future. The conceited Mr. Collins proposed to Bennet out of convenience, and she declined. This action sparked an antagonistic view, which contradicted what the society during this period believed to be acceptable. This clearly showed one example of how Elizabeth challenged the symbolism for greater meaning. It was not merely about money or fitting into a social class. It was about matters of the heart as well. She knew that she had enough to offer in order to have the picture perfect life based on love, not male dominion and a strong financial future. When Mr. Darcy proposed for a second time, Bennet believed he was not right for her, contrary to societal beliefs. “If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once.  My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever.”  Elizabeth . . . gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone a significant change since the period to which he alluded as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances (Austen 305). A much deeper meaning during this time is a woman’s position to do what they feel is best on their mothers or fathers or want-to-be husbands. Even though she ended up finding love with Mr. Darcy, she did not have it the same time that he had been asking her to marry him. “Pride and Prejudice” was not the only novel that had a protagonist character that influences their friends and families, as well as literary relevance. “On the Road” also provided many different considerations as well. Sal Paradise is the main character and a protagonist in Kerouac’s book “On the Road”. Dean and Sal became friends upon his release from reform school prison. He had relocated to New York to participate in the intellectual and artistic scene. Sal is captivated by Dean, a wild man with a lust for drugs, alcohol, and women that accelerates his lust for living. He sparked Sal’s vision for adventure. “A young Gene Autry—thin-hipped, blue-eyed, with a real Oklahoma accent—a side burned hero of the snowy West” (Kerouac 7). The literary allegory in this novel is directed towards Sal, the protagonist. Dean’s mother passed away when he was young. He traveled with his father who proved to be a drunkard traveling from city to city, and then to jail and back. He believed that “America and its ridiculous system of order and laws” (Kerouac 66). This allowed Dean to get into mischief and find society to be lawless for him. Therefore, he based fun upon what he enjoyed, regardless of ethics, practicality, or any other factor. Sal believed “all my New York friends were in the negative nightmarish position of putting down society and giving their tired bookish or political or psychoanalytical reasons, but Dean just raced in society, eager for bread and love; he didn’t care one way or another, . . .” (Kerouac 10). Dean’s character, which was portrayed so carefree, clearly had more to him than the reader would have initially thought. Sal also influences Dean on many occasions even though on the surface it appears that Sal is following Dean’s lead. Sal had his own demons, and that was what he was hoping to release in following a carefree reckless life, unlike he was previously accustom to. Sal chose not to address his problems, and travel to the West. The bad decisions cost him most of his money on bus fares to Denver. After partying, he heads to San Francisco and stays with his friend, Remi Boncoeur. Sal works as a security officer. However, Remi and his are no longer getting along so he decides to leave. Sal meets Terry, a Chicano girl who works on a farm. They work together in California on the cotton fields. He feels he is falling in love and finds joy in being a part of the marginalized culture. However, the winter weather mandates his return to New York. The allegory consideration in this novel will be the desire for Sal to escape his issues, and in his travels. He never truly escapes and faces new issues along the way. Much like the other two novels, “Pride and Prejudice” and “On the Road”, “Things Fall Apart” has a protagonist character, Okonkwo, whose actions also portray a certain amount of symbolism, holding a greater meaning. Okonkwo held his culture and cult with such pride and there was no means of stopping him from honoring them. But he also had his own tempers that proved to ultimately challenge the standards that he swore to. Even though the character had some favorable actions, he truly was challenged for being a villain or a superhero. He took this out on his wife on many occasions and in the end, he took her life. Killing his wife and a clansman with whom his loyalties lied. The symbolism with this shows his disregards backfired despite his best intentions. After his return to his father’s native land, he had new challenges. “A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their own homes. When we gather together in the moonlit village ground it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so” (Achebe 20). The biggest symbolism is that Okonkwo had no idea why he practiced or believed half of what he did. He acted on it because his ancestors did and that was reason enough for him. Imagery One of the most powerful tools in literary work is Imagery. “Pride and Prejudice” also used many descriptive words and realistic presentations that allowed the reader to see what was happening. When Elizabeth dines with Lady Catherine de Bourgh at Rosings, the latter asks if she plays or sings, to which Elizabeth replies, to Lady Catherine’s satisfaction that she does so a little. After further questioning, Lady Catherine understands that Elizabeth’s accomplishments are not comprehensive, due to her insufficient education and this fact appalls her. Despite being brusquely put under public scrutiny by Lady Catherine, Elizabeth retains a temperate and collected attitude and informs her that she and her sisters received a liberal education, which encouraged them to acquire the knowledge they desired from reading books (Austen 109-110). This event was portrayed in the manner that allowed readers to see a confrontation that Elizabeth won. She presented herself as a true protagonist and allowed herself to walk away on a higher level than the more educated women who challenged her. Elizabeth’s actions portrayed a virtuous woman, who was able to act with self-control, which was contrary to Lady Catherine’s actions. She contradicted the standard and implied that ornamental accomplishments hold more relevance than the virtue of women. Elizabeth’s vision for virtue was not passed on to her sister Lydia who was trying to go on a trip to Brighton void of parental accompaniment. Elizabeth fought by stating, “[i]f you were aware […] of the very great disadvantage to us all, which must arise from the public notice of Lydia’s unguarded and imprudent manner” (Austen 151). She was not void of consideration for what society deemed virtuous. She just knew how to pick and choose the true battles. This imagery allowed the character of Elizabeth to be respected, not viewed as a trouble maker. Elizabeth Bennet argues the fact that accomplishments and virtues cannot both be easily obtained. Women during this time were not expected to excel, but merely hold a specific ideology. Rather, she was supposed to learn enough to present her in a respectable manner and keep her from becoming vain in the pursuits of acquiring more knowledge (Fénélon 104). She wanted to survive on her own and not under the shadow of the man to whom she was to be submissive. The standards did not suit the image she painted for her future, so she challenged them. This made her to be viewed as a leader in the family and why she was the protagonist character in the novel “Pride and Prejudice.” Elizabeth did not let her short-comings in societal expectations to hinder who she is or was. Lady Catherine clearly had issues with Elizabeth and her failure to be the perfect women in society. Her demanding questioning of Elizabeth in regards to her relationship with Mr. Darcy caused Elizabeth to lose all respect for her. Lady Catherine also stated that there was no possibility that her nephew had feelings for Elizabeth. “If you believed it impossible to be true, sa[ys] Elizabeth, coloring with astonishment and disdain, I wonder you took the trouble of coming so far” (Austen 230). This unexpected boldness of address is rather shocking to Lady Catherine, who claims never to have been spoken to in such language (Austen 231). Elizabeth declines to allow the actions to influence her. She responded with `[y]ou have widely mistaken my character, if you think I can be worked on by such persuasions as these. How far your nephew might approve of your interference in his affairs, I cannot tell; but you have certainly no right to concern yourself in mine. […] You can now have nothing farther to say`…[y]ou have insulted me, in every possible method´ (233). Lady Catherine’s education, which is continually presented as being ideal for women of this time period, is discredited by Elizabeth’s actions and intelligent responses on many occasions. Elizabeth’s role as a protagonist merely challenged how women were to be situated within society. She proved that virtue served far higher in quality than other ornamental characteristics that were expected. The interactions between Lady Catherine and Elizabeth were imagery of good and evil. It painted the picture of what their culture viewed as ‘ideal’ for a woman and Elizabeth’s actions clearly disproved that ideal. She, the less educated and the less suitable for marriage because she was not as educated as a woman should be. However, she continually came out on top when challenged by other jealous women. Jane Austin had a very good grasp on what imagery was needed to step into her story and see the characters as they were intended to be seen. The imagery is significant in “On the Road.” However, it is not void of criticism. The controversial portrayal ra­ther than descriptive terms and the group-specific idiosyncrasies, are piled up to “long, rambling, association-filled monologues” (Jones 501).Kerouac also allowed the times to show how the characters interacted. The characters are beaten by social, economic, and political circumstances, which allow them to go from a hot war to cold and the oppression that coincided with political opinion. In maintaining their identity, they kept with the ideals of social outcast, which mandates racial discrimination and segregation during this period. The Blacks were still idealized and blues singers as well. “I was only myself, Sal Paradise, sad, strolling in this violent dark, this unbearably sweet night, wishing I could exchange words with the happy, true-hearted, ecsta­tic Negroes of America” (Kerouac 180). Clearly the novel was not void of cultural circumstances that face the society during this time period. If racism was prevalent, the characters had to be challenged as concerns which side to take. It also provided an image for the reader to see that time period. The imagery in “Things Fall Apart” is used to counteract the vision that is portrayed of Africans as savages. Africans are often portrayed as bloody savages, which leads critics to devour the ideals being presented. William Harris stated the portrayal as " Nevertheless, it was stroke of genius on his part to visualize an original necessity for distortions in the states of appearance that seem sacred and that cultures take for granted as models of timeless dignity" (Harris 335). Achebe found himself astride crossroads and was lucky to return to his people "with the boon of prophetic vision" (Achebe 191). This is important because Okonkwo still promoted savagery in his own manner. He was in control of his life and surroundings in spite of his brutal nature. The author allowed the reader to see the image of him with his actions towards his wife and other members of the clan that he held with such reverence. After his return to his native land when his seven year ban was lifted, he was challenged with the change of society that he once loved. “Then listen to me, he said and cleared his throat.’ Its true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mothers hut. A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland. Your mother is there to protect you. She is buried there. And that is why we say that mother is supreme. Is it right that you, Okonkwo, should bring your mother a heavy face and refuse to be comforted? Be careful or you may displease the dead. Your duty is to comfort your wives and children and take them back to your fatherland after seven years. But if you allow sorrow to weigh you down and kill you, they will all die in exile” (Achebe 134-135). This allowed the reader to see Okonkwo loyalties to his father despite his shortcomings and why his attachment to this land brought him to his death. Symbolism Lastly, these three novels utilized the literary device of symbolism. Many actions and events hold multiple meanings, which essentially provides layers for the reader to understand. Clearly Elizabeth Bennet was the full of symbolism and after re-reading sections; you see that there were much deeper purposes behind the story than mere entertainment. It has been questioned if Jane Austin was writing about her own life and the thoughts that consumed her. However, it did clearly symbolize the cultural and societal standards are not necessarily as effective as one would believe. Just because one chooses a specific path does not mandate that the same path will work the same way for others. As Elizabeth showed on many occasions, she challenged what was viewed as acceptable or ideal for a woman. She also succeeded in her own manner. This is significant for symbolism. Dean Moriarty is a symbol of freedom for Sal. Dean is passionate and reckless. He represents at best what it means to be young and a man as portrayed in this time. Dean is viewed by his friends to be untrustworthy and irresponsible, but Sal does not agree. He believes that Dean lives on a higher plane than the rest of society. While in Denver, Dean had been arrested for stealing cars. The symbolism that Dean shows is that his energy and joy is what triggers his criminal activities. Dean’s behavior is also portrayed sympathetically. Dean “seems to me headed for his ideal fate, which is compulsive psychosis dashed with a jigger of psycho­pathic irresponsibility and violence” (Kerouac 147). There are clear layers of understanding between these two characters; one was an upstanding citizen and one a menace to society. However, they both had far more to them than initially thought. Kerouac implies that Dean’s actions are merely symbolic of his quest for a pure life. He cannot be held responsible for what society views as irresponsible or criminal. Sal and Dean are looking to define the true meaning of life. The natural appetite as portrayed by Kerouac is to find joy over any social or legal ramifications. This includes doing drugs, stealing cars or having sexual relations with young women. They are merely actions of living natural lives. However, Dean’s self-destructive actions show through his own physical changes. He is eventually mutilated, which allows his wounds to be symbolic of separation from his surroundings. This is also show in Sal’s disaffiliation from his last two trips, which show that what was once a life force is now a death principle. This is “An ironic savior who founders because he is neither able to understand himself nor make himself understood to others (Possin 54).The symbolism in this shows the struggle these men were facing in pursuing their identity and who they really were. He learns there are new destinations he needs to reach. After the first set of trips, Sal decides the next option is to visit Mexico City. Mexico is a physical, plebeian, primordial. The visitors from Rio Bravo are denied in the U.S., but allowed the right to privileged treatment. Life in Mexico is cheap. Dean is continually harassed by the American police. Their Mexican counterparts are “the guardians of the sleeping town, period” (Kerouac 295). These police are also corrupt and able to be bribed. Sal had his exposure through a Spanish-American woman named Terry. After moving to the Mexican jungle he hoped ”to confront the primal source of pure being, to dis­cover life as it was—shapeless, formless, dark—be­fore being molded into self and society; in short, to find once and for all the womb he has been seeking for all his life” (Vopat 446). Sal was faced with excessive mosquitoes, steamy weather, and life in the jungle. He sees a ghost, “a wild horse, white as a ghost, came trotting down the road directly towards Dean” (Kerouac 295). He attempts to avoid stepping on him and the ghost vanished within the darkness. This was not his first vision. He once had a white horse show up in his dreams, “as a child lying back in my father’s car in the back-seat” (Kerouac 207). This shows the symbolic unification in nature, the mere experiences that affected his nature both inside and outside; a method in which he found himself instead of destroying himself. The main character in “Things Fall Apart”, Okonkwo, is also the protagonist in this story, and within the Igbo culture. He is an influential and respected leader within the Umuofia community, which lies in eastern Nigeria. After defeating Amalinze the Cat in wrestling, he brings honor to the village and earns personal distinction and fame. Despite his father’s weaknesses, Okonkwo becomes a wealthy and powerful man. The symbolism in this novel shows the challenge that Okonkwo faces in honoring his father and ancestors, even though they fell short of being who he wished they would be. This was a clear contradiction, but it also showed the battle that he himself was facing finding this fit into the culture that he held so high. Okonkwo was not intended to be a villain despite his actions. This is shown through the tone of the narrator. "The detached yet tolerant tone of the narrator creates this perspective, and acts as a most effective mediator between the individual and the community, between the present and the past." (Carroll, 33) In fact, Carroll points out that "…when the narrator begins to delve into the single mind we anticipate with foreboding an unpleasant turn of events." (Carroll, 34) "By situating itself in opposition to the depiction of relationships between Africa and Europe in such texts as Heart of Darkness or Mister Johnson, Things Fall Apart opens a complex literary dialogue that challenges not only the content of such texts, but also the fundamental rationalist, individualist and historicist assumption upon which those texts are constructed." (Booker, 76) The symbolism of this novel shows the challenges of honoring history and modern day. Okonkwo strived to honor his clan, culture and people, however failed and ended his life as a result. Ironically, suicide is considered the ultimate disgrace by the clan and his people are unable to bury him. The characterizations built off each other and allowed the authors to portray the protagonists in a method painted a picture for the reader to view their societies and lives as they saw or lived them. The protagonists were not the only main characters, but in all three novels they presented themselves as leaders or advocates for their specific beliefs or actions. The literary relevance had a significant amount of depth and allowed room for the reader to draw many different conclusions. However, all three books held some type of purpose in association with the culture during the time of its publication. There is no doubt that re-reading the events could open the eyes of the reader to many new issues that transpired on a much deeper level. The significance of these works portrays a series in time and individuals who failed to conform to societal expectations they did not believe in. Work Cited: Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. London: Heinemann, 1958. Print. Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Norton, 2001. Print. Booker, M. Keith The African Novel in English: An Introduction Portsmouth: Heinemann, 1998. Print. Brophy, Elizabeth Bergen. Womens lives and the 18th-Century English Novel. Tampa: University of South Florida Press, cop. 1991. Print. Carroll, David. Chinua Achebe 2nd ed. New York: St. Martins Press, 1980. Print. Fénélon, Francois. ‘Treatise on the Education of Daughters.’ Women in the Eighteenth Century. Ed. Vivien Jones. London: Routledge, 1990. 102-104. Print. Harris, Wilson. "The Frontier on Which Heart of Darkness Stands." Falling into Theory. Ed. David H. Richter. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2000. 334-39. Print. Jones, Granville H. “Jack Kerouac and the American Coinscience.” On the Road.Text and Criticism. Scott Donaldson, ed. New York: Viking, 1979. 485-503. Print. Jones, Vivien ed. Women in the Eighteenth Century. London: Routledge, 1990. Print. Kerouac, Jack. On The Road. Penguin Books Limited, New York. 1955. Print. Possin, Hans-Joachim. “Jack Kerouac: On the Road.” AmerikanischeErzählliteratur 1950-1970, Frieder Busch and Renate Schmidt-von Bardeleben, eds. München: Fink, 1975. 49-56. Print. Vopat, Carole Gottlieb. “A Re-Evaluation of On the Road.” On the Road.Text and Criticism. Scott Donaldson, ed. New York: Viking, 1979. 431-450. Print. Read More