Silas Marner (originally published in 1861): Betrayed by a beloved friend and accused of a crime he didn’t commit, awkward Silas Marner is expelled from his beloved religious community — the only community he has ever known. He exiles himself in the remote village of Raveloe. Friendless and without family, set apart from the villagers by their superstition and fear of him, he plies his weaving trade day after day, storing up gold which becomes his idol.
The image of the elephant can be found throughout world cultures as a symbol of intelligence, strength, and loyalty. Wylie draws on a rich array of examples to document that symbolic power, ranging from symbols of the Hindu god of wisdom, Ganesh, to the beloved children’s works Dumbo and Babar the Elephant.
When slavery has torn apart one's heritage, when the past is more real than the present, when the rage of a dead baby can literally rock a house, then the traditional novel is no longer an adequate instrument. And so Pulitzer Prize-winner Beloved is written in bits and images, smashed like a mirror on the floor and left for the reader to put together.
Alan Patton's Cry, The Beloved Country, part of Chelsea House Publishers' Bloom's Guides collection, presents concise critical excerpts from Cry, The Beloved Country to provide a scholarly overview of the work. This comprehensive study guide also features "The Story Behind the Story" which details the conditions under which Cry, The Beloved Country was written. This title also includes a short biography on Alan Patton and a descriptive list of characters.
Toni Morrison's Beloved, part of Chelsea House Publishers' Bloom's Guides collection, presents concise critical excerpts from Beloved to provide a scholarly overview of the work. This comprehensive study guide also features "The Story Behind the Story" which details the conditions under which Beloved was written. This title also includes a short biography on Toni Morrison and a descriptive list of characters.
