How many lives are squandered and dreams surrendered by taking the "easy road?" ... The reader discovers the odds that Phoenix is up against within her surroundings. ... Phoenix's perseverance is the result of her purpose within her journey. ...
Michael Ondaatje entwines adventure, romance and history, real and invented, enmeshing us in the lives of the immigrants who built the city and those who dreamed it into being: the politically powerful, the anarchists, bridge builders and tunnellers, a vanished millionaire and his mistress, a rescued nun and a thief who leads a charmed life. This is a haunting tale of passion, privilege and biting physical labour, of men and women moved by compassion and driven by the power of dreams - sometimes even to murder. ... Something hollow, so when alone, when not aligned with another- whether i...
Eponine is used to portray another strong and proactive character within the novel. ... Eponine will let nothing get in her way and although this warning comes from an emotional place within her she is still taking action and being proactive. Eponine is clearly infatuated with Marius and she distraught over the idea that he will never love her, yet she does everything in her power to try and make her dreams a reality. ...
The first publication of the short story "Cathedral" was in the March, 1981, issue of Atlantic Monthly. It was selected to appear in "The Best American Short Stories, 1982," and became the title story in the 1983 collection, Cathedral. This volume was very well-received by critics and readers alike, receiving nominations for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Many critics note a shift in Carver's work between the publication of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love and Cathedral, and many believe that Carver reached the zenith of his career with this co...
