What is Paradise? Throughout history man has sought to create, find, or at least image a paradise on earth, a place where there is peace, harmony, and a surcease from the pain that plagues our lives. On the eve of World War II, James Hilton imagined such a place in his best-selling novel, Lost Horizon.
The story itself begins when an evacuation of Westerners is ordered in the midst of revolution in Baksul, India. A plane containing four passengers is hi-jacked and flown far away into the Keun-Lun Mountains of Tibet. The plane crashes and the passengers are welcomed to the valley of the Blue Moon, and the lamasery of Shangri-la. Here they see an isolated monastery shrouded in mystery, which combines Christianity and Buddhism with a focus on the progression of knowledge. .
The four passengers who land in Shangri-la are Barnard, a boisterous American, Miss Brinklow, a Christian missionary, Mallinson, a headstrong and passionate English youth, and Conway, the main character and WWI veteran who is unattached and somewhat passionless. All of the characters except Mallinson enjoy life in Shangri-la. Conway especially finds himself at home there and eventually the High Lama of the lamasery unveils all its mysteries of to him. Conway learns that the inhabitants, thanks to the climate and a special drug, live to an extreme old age. They devote the length of their lives to the pursuits of knowledge and do everything in moderation. They believe that their hidden society will escape the destruction toward which the outside world is heading. He also learns that the lamas of Shangri-la intend to keep him and his companions there forever.
Almost immediately Conway feels he is ideally suited to their way of life. He meets other lamas who have been at Shangri-la for a long time, including Lo-Tsen, with whom he quietly falls in love with. All the newcomers desire to stay, except for Mallinson.
This obviously affects the type of voice and themes present in the two stories. ... The underlying theme that seems to be present in this passage is the enjoyment of freedom. ... Twain describes the river as being wide, and depicts what is on the horizon just as he does in the passage from Huck Finn. ... I feel that is also the underlying theme of the passage. ... It also seems like he has lost his love for the river. ...
This obviously affects the type of voice and themes present in the two stories. ... The underlying theme that seems to be present in this passage is the enjoyment of freedom. ... Twain describes the river as being wide, and depicts what is on the horizon just as he does in the passage from Huck Finn. ... I feel that is also the underlying theme of the passage. ... It also seems like he has lost his love for the river. ...
He wrote to convince his audience of mature readers that there exists a thrashing struggle between man and nature, and in order to do so, he used symbolism and his diction was centered around a melancholy and remorseful theme. ... This sets the stage for the overall theme of the poem. ... But at the same time, using sanctuary, garden verge, heart shaped leaves, and cooling shores, a picture of a green paradise is created in the readers' minds, and they figure, all is not lost, hope is on the horizon. ...
The simple beauty of the mountainous landscape and the morning horizon ultimately supports the power and splendor of this period. Romanticism was characterized by themes and elements, including individualism, that Shelley and Friedrich expressed. ... Lost loved ones and diminishing glories are imminent in both Shelley's and Friedrich's work. ... All undergo passionate feelings throughout the story related to themes and elements of Romanticism. ... Yet in all these passions there is still a gothic theme focused around the story because of the romantic and unknown elements Shelley pr...
One of the main themes to emerge from "Lord of the Flies" is Mr.Goldings opinion of the deterioration of modern society reflected in the intensifying evil on the island. ... It is also obvious when Ralph recognizes that when he blows the conch and the boys don't come, it means that he his lost his power to Jack. ... Not surprisingly the most obvious theme throughout the book is "man's necessity for civilisation". ... The thematic devices used to portray this theme are the 'conch' and the 'laws and rules' set by Ralph. Once these things were lost, so was the ...
There is an overlapping theme in these eras, one of the youth wanting to take their bodies back from a society they felt they had no control over. ... If the theme of the song was not already made obvious by the title, she still insists on using her body to demonstrate. These artists have almost lost the original idea of taking their bodies from society; their bodies are exploited by managers and the demands of advertisement. If the youth theme of dance has almost been lost by now, does the future of dance have any hope? ... With the economy in the state it is in, and the threat of another ...
Writers of the mid 18th century typically ignored the themes of destiny and self-indulgence. ... Realize that Defoe had lost his sanity just before completing Robinson Crusoe. ... She looked to the bleak horizon. ... Consider this passage: "She looked to the bleak horizon." ...
All my first-rated projects for the Science Fairs, which I used to coordinate, were based on this vital theme. ... The clean-up activities, tree-planting sessions and educative field trips are just my small part in the mammoth affair of reviving our lost world. ... The horizons of the Kenyan Coast lie cluttered with ancient wonders of architecture. ...
This is due to Brecht use of epic theatre and alienation techniques as well as the main themes running through the play, such as capitulation, war as business, virtues and religion. ... Music is another important theme in the play. ... The main themes of Mother Courage are that of using the war as business, capitulation and virtues. ... In scene one, Mother Courage has all three of her children with her, and there is the feeling that there are new horizons to be explored. ... This shows that Mother Courage is getting on with her life even though she had lost everything and encourages th...
