Everything after this post is for African-American Lit

Dr. Nolan's Role in the Bell Jar

Dr. Nolan's empathy, relatability, and supportiveness set her apart from other characters in The Bell Jar , contributing to her role as one of the most influential figures in Esther's recovery. While Esther is drowning in uncertainty and doubt, Dr. Nolan is the only character she completely trusts, acting as a role model and mother figure to her. From the beginning of their relationship, Esther recognizes something unique about Dr. Nolan and values her presence. She notes how Dr. Nolan is "a cross between Myrna Loy and [her] mother". This sense of motherly authority combined with the relatability of a younger person makes Dr. Nolan easier for Esther to respect, understand, and trust. In addition, Dr. Nolan's identity as a professional woman makes her a role model for Esther. In this regard, she's almost the exact opposite of Esther's mother. Mrs. Greenwood reinforces the sexual double standard and encourages her daughter to conform, while Dr. Nolan challen...

Rememory

One concept from Beloved that I found particularly intriguing was rememory. Rememory paints the idea of memory as a dynamic, always-changing representation of an event, and in this regard, a central characteristic to an object or memory is the perspective from which you're viewing it. What an object is depends on the person whose perspective you're considering it from, as well as the time—past, present, or future—from which you're considering it. For instance, I initially thought Sweet Home exists in the novel's present just as it's described and remembered by Sethe, but upon further thought, it's probably drastically different from what Sethe remembers now. Yet what matters is how Sethe thinks of and remembers it for what it was in the past, since that's what impacts her present and future most. Paul D remembers Sweet Home in a different way—even though he lived there at the same time as Sethe, he experienced different events and theref...

Hugo vs. Holly

Hugo and Holly Deblin are two of the characters in Black Swan Green who seem like they couldn't be more different, but both help shape Jason into who he becomes by the end of the novel. Despite their clearly contrasting personalities, Hugo and Holly also have similarities underlying their differences that help Jason figure out what type of person he wants to be. The most obvious similarity I noticed between Hugo and Holly is that they both seem eager to act as "mentors" to Jason and give him advice on growing up. Hugo and Holly both appear at points in the novel where Jason seems particularly insecure about himself, and both jump in to help. Beyond that, however, the similarities between Hugo and Holly largely end. Hugo and Holly both enter Jason's situation as friends but Hugo does so with selfish purposes in mind, whereas Holly is genuinely curious and concerned for Jason's well-being amidst getting bullied. These intentions are evident ...

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