Preview

The Stylistic Analysis of “the Supreme Illusion” by Arnold Bennette

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
794 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Stylistic Analysis of “the Supreme Illusion” by Arnold Bennette
The Stylistic Analysis of “The Supreme Illusion” by Arnold Bennette

I`d like to speculate upon Arnold Bennette and one of his works. Arnorld Bennette is a British novelist, playwright, critic, essayist and journalist. His first published novel was The Man From The North. This was followed by Anna of The Five Towns, The Old Wives` Tale, Clayhanger, The Card and Hilda Lessways. Bennette is credited with more than 80 books and during the 1920s was considered among the leaders of English literature. And now I`d like to analyse a tragic tale from The Matodor of the Five Towns which is called The Supreme Illusion. As for the title, it`s a topical one. This text is about one of man`s disillusions and this suitable title helps us to understand the contents of the story, which deals with such themes as art, theatre and famous people and their satisfied ambitions. According to its form, it`s a short story in 2 parts. A narrator comes to Paris for the production of Notre-Dame de la Lune but at the hotel an ugly woman upsets his arrival. He meets his friend Minor Boissy and they talk about Minor`s careeras a playwright. Boissy tells about his leading actress Blanche and the narrator believes that she`s a young and pretty woman but in fact Blanche is just that woman whom he met having arrived at the hotel. In the plot structure there`s exposition where we make the acquaintance of the characters and Minor tells about his life and Blanche; climax, where the narrator expects Blanche to be magnificent, and denouement – his disappointment. It seems to me that the message of the story can be formulated as a proverb “If you want no disappointment, don`t indulge in illusions” The author uses some stylistic means to create the atmosphere and to convey it to the reader: flashback- to explain the reader the reason of the narrator`s state of excited annoyance; here we can see a great number of epithets describing French hotels (reasonable little hotel,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    It is the exposition of the story. This is what starts the story and the main conflict.…

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    I believe that the theme/lesson of the story is that when you really want something and you don't get it then don’t go and blame it…

    • 225 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Near the end of the short story, as the protagonist comes back to the stable from a long day of moving items from one location to another, she notices a difference in the stable she once thought was filled with magic. The narrator says,”...which had once seemed to me to contain more magic and charm than even the cave of Aladdin!” (Pg. 1084, par. 11) This particular comment tell the readers that the young girl sees the contrast in the one place she thought was filled with glamour. The images of the once magical and charming stable transforming into a dull, lifeless stable symbolises the illusion of one’s beliefs and how reality can alter their perspectives. In a way, the protagonist loses some innocence and will not be able to alter her outlook on the old location. This image displays that reality can be harsh, yet effective to those whose expectations are unrealistic. The “after” image of the stable represents a reality one has to face, and will be difficult to accept.…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    From the stylistic point of view the text falls into two parts. In the first part of the story the author uses a lot of literary stylistic devices such as epithets, trite metaphors and similes. For example metaphors: Frogs were flying all around me; similes: like a schematic diagram of an amphibian; like a deflating football; like a kicked tent. The author uses a lot of cases of epithet: it was a monstrous and terrifying thing; winter-killed grass; dumbstruck. The reason of using epithets and similes is to create…

    • 344 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The character Blanche is quite a complex member of the play; you do not see a true representation of her until several scenes in. The two opening scenes show different sides to the character depending on whose company she is in. Having come from a good family with a “proper” upbringing, it can be said that she has led a somewhat sheltered life and therefore finds it hard to relate and sympathise other characters that did not experience the same quality of life. Her actions are impulsive, spontaneous and often she acts without thinking of the consequences; this makes it difficult for the audience to feel difficult toward her and can ultimately be traced back to the fact that she has little self-awareness. However, just as there are examples of other reasons that she is disliked by the audience and other characters, there are also examples of Blanche feeling and showing sympathy.…

    • 1266 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    macbeth plot analysis

    • 738 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The conclusion part of the story in which the outcomes of the story are revealed.…

    • 738 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The last element of literature that holds so much tragedy is the characters themselves. Blanche is a tragic, fading beauty. She has many tragic things happen to her in the play. Blanche before coming to New Orleans had an afair with one of her students.She ends up losing her mind and being commited to a mental instituition by the end of the play. Stella is abused by her husband both physically and mentally. She loves her husband even though he does that and will not leave him. Stanley is a inferior male that beats his wife. He treat his wife like she is good for only sex.…

    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    At certain points you find yourself believing that Blanche will succeed in getting what she has been looking for. When Mitch falls for Blanche and speaks of marriage with her you see the potential of Blanche having a happy ending she has always wanted. The play then takes an unexpected turn. This feeling is pulled away from you when the animal act of rape dooms blanche. This is where the realization that blanche will never achieve her goals hits you. Instead of an outright death that would end the play, blanche is striped of her dignity. Stanley strips Blanche of any chance she has of fulfilling her dreams of having the perfect life and the perception that she is indeed what she has been portraying herself as.possibility of victory must be there in tragedy. Where pathos rules, where pathos is finally derived, a character has fought a battle he could not possibly have…

    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The author distinctively creates a mysterious combination of two different narratives in his book. Some chapters are titled “Hard-Boiled Wonderland”, others are presenting a description of the end of the world. “Hard Boiled Wonderland” reminds me of the narrative common for science fiction or fantasy tales. This is a world where no one has a name, only a role or occupation. The part of the book titled “The End of the World,” on the other hand, is a story of an amateur who is seeking for a place in an isolated town, surrounded by an enormous wall. The narrator has been separated from his shadow and will soon be separated from his mind. Even though the stories seem…

    • 1629 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “The Future of an Illusion” by Sigmund Freud, Freud disagrees with the notion that the masses accept and should accept the renunciation of their instincts in order to form a society, while the leaders who impose these limits on instincts are not constrained (Freud 8). The idea that the individual has to give up some aspect of their behavior, whether it be their instincts like Freud suggests, is additionally proposed in theories of creating a government. The idea of a social contract, which is the notion that the individual has to give up certain rights in order to form a society as a whole, is similar to Freud’s proposition. These limits, though bemoaned by Freud, can be seen as necessary to form a society. Without certain constraints on…

    • 335 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The way the story is written is very straightforward. The author tells you exactly what is happening but still leaves enough room for your imagination to fill in the blanks. For example, when Chopin describes Louise's room with "the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair" (page 378), and then goes on to describe what Louise sees outside, she tells us that our protagonist isn't living a bad life monetarily. Louise has a nice comfortable chair in her bedroom where she has a nice view of a square with trees and people.…

    • 890 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Most people would agree with Mr. Nash that tragedy depicts man’s troubles. But this is only half the story, for tragic drama does not stop with troubles, but goes on to achieve some sort of affirmation, and thus it is optimistic rather than (as commonly thought) pessimistic.…

    • 2229 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are nine types of heroes in this world, each of them with their own unique stories, plots, cliches etc. Among those is the classic tragic hero, one who is destined to fail no matter what. In a Streetcar Named Desire, the tragic hero is Blanche Dubois, an aging Southern Belle living in a state of perpetual panic about her fading beauty. In this essay it will be discussed what makes Blanche a tragic hero and how she compares to a typical tragic hero.…

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The book focuses on Marie-Laure a 16 year old girl that was left blind due to congenital cataracts. Her father works at a museum in Paris and when Germany occupies Paris they flee to Saint-Malo. Her father is tasked with an important duty. He is given a dimond that puts his life’s and Marie’s life at risk. When they Arrive in Saint-Malo they’re plans are not what they expected…

    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Villa 4 Sale

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This play is considered as a one-act-play and it was written by Sacha Guitry. It is a comic play that delights the audience. It starts with a comic conversation between the maid and her lady "Joliet". This conversation reveals how the relationship between the master and his servant was at that time. It seems simple and somehow comic since the maid offers her lady act with here in a film as a cooker despite the lady was rich. In addition, the maid says that lady seems comic when she wears a dress. This comic situation shows us how they fond in acting and even the maid who asks her lady to allow her to act. She says that even the butcher became an actor. She discusses her lady about the money and how they may gain. This discussion shows that they were interested in collecting the money in any way. However, Gaston is not an exception. He is ready to make any opportunity may come to him to gain money. At first, he insists not to buy the villa. He uses all the means to prevent his wife buying it. He accuses his wife that she wants the villa for her parents and her tribes!. Then, he offers a very cheap price which means that he doesn’t want to buy it. But, when the chance came to him, he made use it in a clever and witty way. His wit cleverness and diplomatic way in speech were perfect in managing the situation. Moreover, his wit and his perfect controlling of the situation, made him win the villa in addition to one hundred thousand francs. Consequently, we can get many lessons that Sacha wants to deliver to the audience that we need to have the skills of the management of each situation. Sometimes, we find ourselves obliged to try all means to control our life and even these means may be illegal. Man has to make use any chance which may change his life. Another point that the playwright want to shed the light on, is that money has a very strong power that can change anyone completely. Gaston was completely different after the chance had approached him. Also, the theme…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics