‘Seraglio ‘ centres on a cardinal enigma: the complexnesss of a hubby and married woman ‘s relationship. The barrier that they experience between them is farther emphasized through being from two different civilizations, which is portrayed as about being from two different universes, ‘close but non affecting, like two continents, each with its ain imposts and history, between which there is no span. ‘ It is apparent that Swift sets this barrier from the start as his interesting pick of rubric refers to a room where the adult females are kept secluded from the work forces.

The narrative is in first individual remarkable and is enhanced by the chief supporter – the hubby. The alien scene which the characters are indulged in, contrasts deeply with the dark events that have the taken topographic point in their lives ; the hubby ‘s matter, his married woman ‘s abortion, the bad luck of non being able to hold kids in the hereafter and the ways in which they try to mentally get away from these sufferings. Cosmic sarcasm is common in Swift ‘s work as his characters are barely of all time happy, and when they are, the feeling is about foreign to them.

‘Seraglio ‘ seems to withstand the common narrative construction as there is no solution to the quandaries the characters face. The hubby as a level character means he has no map other than to supply us with the narration, which is utile to us as readers when construing the necessities of the narrative.

Swift ‘s saving of names and item of the characters lives evokes farther wonder in the reader, suggesting a desire for us to larn more about the characters. In comparing, if we look at Swift himself, the Telegraph provinces ‘No modern-day writer is such a closed book ‘ , bespeaking that his characters may be mirroring himself. In contrast to the deficiency in item of the characters, Swift is rather descriptive when exemplifying the metropolis, perchance to indulge the reader ‘s attending further into the narrative.

When it comes to the hubby ‘s personal life such as his current matrimony, he makes more usage of narrative transitions, go forthing the reader to delve in farther for hints about the twosome. It is as if Fleet uses these narrative transitions as a device for the writer to patch certain things together, including the sensitiveness of the twosome ‘s relationship and the feelings associated.

In ‘A Family Man ‘ , Pritchett narrates in 3rd individual whilst presenting to us the chief supporter Berenice, a adult female who is involved in a ‘piquant ‘ matter with William Cork. We sense that it is on the brink of being discovered when Florence ( Mrs. Cork ) enters the narrative, ‘a big heavy adult female ‘ who instantly grips the reader ‘s attending due to this presentation of her. Initially, the reader is drawn to her size, but subsequently it is who she truly is that keeps us drawn to her farther. Pritchett besides injects wonder into the narrative when depicting how one character is towards the other, in this instance, Berenice with Florence as the reader is stepping into her places and sing what she feels and how she reacts. The writer uses her as a tool to help us in construing this, as we are placed merely in her places. Pritchett makes this easier for us as we read of Berenice ‘s character from a 3rd individual limited point of position.

The tenseness is shortly created when Florence reveals herself to be Mrs. Cork, the married woman of William Cork, and continues to mount throughout the narrative as we observe how the two characters react with each other. Pritchett presents to us the two adult females run intoing for the first clip, at first low towards each other but finally confrontational, ‘Is that what he has been stuffing you up with? I know what you and he are up to. ‘

Firenze is indefinite about the matter, nevertheless the reader knows wholly good that it occurred, bespeaking elements of dramatic sarcasm within the narrative. However, we are besides left in the dark every bit much as Florence is when it comes to cognizing the precise inside informations of the matter ( for illustration when it started ) , making farther suspense and enigma.

Berenice is a dynamic character, in that she lies to Florence and changes her narrative to acquire around the hard state of affairs she finds herself in. We see another side to her, particularly as Pritchett provinces in the beginning, ‘She had been brought up by Religious society of friendss and thought it incorrect to state or move a prevarication. ‘ This avowal wholly contradicts what she does subsequently, making a composite in her character. She encounters struggle and transforms as a consequence of it.

On the other manus, Florence serves as a level character as there are no multidimensional traits in her personality. Besides, she is readily recognized as the fornicator ‘s married woman, doing her a stock character. Obviously, Prichett may hold placed her there to convey out the multidimensional traits in Benerice.

The other level character in the narrative is Mrs. Brewster, who ‘s engagement in the novel is minimum, but her importance is great. It is through her words that we view ( for the first clip ) another mentality on Benerice.

After believing Benerice would hold learnt her lesson in respect to about acquiring caught by Mrs. Cork, Benerice visits another twosome and we see elements of a flirty nature through Mrs. Brewster ‘s position of her, ‘She ought to acquire married…I wish she would n’t lap her hair around like that. ‘ Through this dry stoping, Pritchett is about touching to a possible return of another matter with a married adult male ( Mrs. Brewster ‘s hubby? ) , which presents the reader with a whole new series of events to look frontward to.

‘The Prophets Hair ‘ portrays a household from the vale of Kashmir who are broken by a strand of the Muslim prophesier Mohammed ‘s hair. This narrative is full of overtones, sing the effects of faith on others, and the manner in which corruptness is associated with money. Ultimately, Rushdie highlights two strong forces within our society: money and faith, and how they conflict with each other. In the terminal, the hair itself raises this point through the manner it affects each character ; the mercenary Hashim & A ; household and Sheikh Sin the stealer who craves gems, who all perish finally.

The gap of the narrative is filled with overtones of faith and money, which are emphasized from the start as we learn that Hashim is a ‘money-lender ‘ and ‘not a reverent adult male. ‘ From the beginning we are informed that Hashim sees value in nil else but money. Besides, on detecting the spiritual bangle, Hashim instantly thinks of ‘American millionaires who buy stolen pictures and conceal them off ‘ , which may propose one of his thought procedures of desiring to sell the vial in future.

Hashim is a dynamic character and Rushdie demonstrates utmost contrasts and complexnesss in his character: the supporter starts off as an atheist so transforms into ( what he thinks ) a profoundly spiritual person ( even though he continues to crush others and has sinned to his married woman ) , enforcing rigorous spiritual Acts of the Apostless onto his household. His character besides becomes dislikeable to the audience after the effects of the Prophets hair. On detecting the discovery, he does non make the honest thing of returning it to the radiance. The reader expects this as we learnt in the beginning that ‘he set great shop by ‘living uprightly in the universe ‘ , nevertheless, his actions were non honest and resemble that of a stealer.

In contrast to Hashim, Atta is a level character in that he does non undergo any alteration throughout the class of the narrative. Rushdie may hold used him as a device to heighten the secret plan as he is at one point involved in taking the spiritual bangle from the place, and besides represents the household ‘s wealth in the gap scene. He besides wakes up Hashim in the terminal, doing a series of unfortunate events to blossom.
Huma is one of the chief supporters alongside her male parent, who besides enhances the secret plan ( possibly more than Atta ) as she introduces Sheikh Sin to the state of affairs. She evokes poignancy in the reader, and we can sympathize with her more than Atta, as she is victimized by her male parent for no ground, whereas in the beginning Atta lands himself in problem when looking for a stealer, which the reader may construe as foolish behaviour.

Other unit of ammunition characters include Sheikh Sin and his married woman. She is a circular character as she evokes involvement in the reader in respects to how she got her vision back when her hubby was killed.
Rushdie ‘s usage of symbolism is extended throughout the narrative. I believe the spiritual bangle may typify the two elements of corruptness involved in our society, folded into one. The vial has a pecuniary value whilst the hair contains great religious value. To achieve the prophesier ‘s hair is selfish and incorrect, but the pecuniary value of the vial is greatly desired by all, perchance typifying that these two elements are non compatible with each other. Fiona Richards from the University of Leeds besides states, ‘It illustrates the extent to which the icon ‘s significance is determined by the context in which it is placed, and its ability to overthrow and destabilise the bounds placed upon its significance by such a framing. ‘

Rushdie besides prepares the reader with the series of events that are to happen, ‘the glassy contentment of that house clasp, of that life of porcelain daintiness and alabaster esthesias, was to be shattered beyond all hope of fix ‘ , indulging the reader ‘s involvement farther.

Rushdie besides induces cultural mentions through his usage of words from the Kashmiri linguistic communication, such as ‘kukri knives ‘ and ‘shikara. ‘ This gives the reader an penetration into the civilization by uncovering to us different Kashmiri words. He is somewhat spread outing our cognition of the Kashmiri civilization here.

‘The Prophets Hair ‘ terminals ironically, as the spiritual bangle AIDSs hapless Sheikh Sin ‘s married woman and handicapped kids but destroys the affluent Hashim and his household. In the terminal, it merely worked for those who genuinely needed it.

Weldon ‘s ‘Weekend ‘ nowadayss the accustomed and normalcy of a standard in-between category household, and the force per unit areas that the chief supporter Martha faces. Weldon, who is a women’s rightist besides challenges conventional feminism here.

The narrative is illustrated from an all-knowing point of position, as Martha and at times Martin ‘s ideas are revealed to the reader. The writer portrays Martha as a perfect, loyal and hard-working married woman, but her attempts are thankless by her dominating hubby Martin, who she tries difficult to delight but ( sometimes ) gets austere expressions from him. As the narrative follows, it is apparent that Martha ‘s day-to-day battle of being the perfect female parent to her childs, maintaining life organized and keeping Martin ‘s satisfaction has had an consequence on her head province, to an extent that her ideas have been tormented by fright and paranoia, ‘You do n’t desire his secretary supplying a passion you neglected to develop. Make you? ‘ The presence of Katie ( Collin ‘s new married woman after Janet ) may besides trip Martha ‘s paranoia as she represents what Martin could hold after Martha. In her despair to delight Martin, Martha besides changes her ideas and ways to fit that of Martins, ‘No such thing as an accident. Accidents are Freudian faux pass: they are willful, bad tempered things. ‘ Although it appears as Martha is talking, this is really something Martin may hold conditioned her to believe. Her ain ideas have transformed to reflect Martins.

The narrative contains heavy subjects of gender stereotype and gender inequality. Weldon alludes to this when speaking about the autos ; Martin has a posh ‘sports auto ‘ whilst Martha drives ‘an old estate auto ‘ . Besides, the reader can detect that Martin tends to make the ‘manly ‘ occupations such as drive and illuming the fire, whereas Martha cooks and cleans. Predominately, Martin is the dominant force in the narrative and Martha is the secondary force, who is threatened.

Martha is besides associated with farther negative intensions, such as kicking excessively much, being paranoid and dull, and at times slow. This could stand for the modern attitudes of homemakers as they do n’t work but remain at place all twenty-four hours. This thought is farther emphasized when we see elements of quoted duologue from Martin. He chiefly speaks in jussive moods to her, ‘You should n’t hold bought it so mature, Martha ‘ ‘Be honest now! ‘This creates tenseness in the reader as one may acquire tired of hearing demand after demand. This besides enables us to see the restlessness Martha may experience.

Martha contrasts to Katie, who is childlike in stature and besides in mode, as Martha can non swear her in the kitchen. She can besides be viewed as being more independent than Katie, as Katie is ‘in [ her ] mid mid-thirtiess with nil at all to her name, neither hubby, nor kids, nor belongings. ‘ However, in the narrative it is about as if Martha feels threatened by Katie because Martin provinces that she is ‘exciting ‘ and ‘wonderful ‘ and has restored Collin ‘s young person.

Weldon cleverly reveals to the reader Collin and Janet ‘s yesteryear relationship to typify what could happen if Martin was non satisfied with Martha ; he could happen person like Katie who is more extravert and relaxed, and who could ‘bring out the young person ‘ in him. We learn that Janet was besides ‘dull and quieter than her hubby ‘ merely as Martha is.
The stoping can be viewed as either being pessimistic or optimistic. Is it that Jenny has motherhood, matrimony and friendly relationship to look frontward to? Or are these the things that she will happen difficult to encompass? In the terminal, Weldon leaves the reader to presume their ain sentiments.

The narrative of Philomela is told in first individual narrative, and it is Philomela ‘s sister Procne who narrates the narrative. This contradicts the reader ‘s outlooks as the rubric is ‘Philomela ‘ , so ab initio, we expect the narrative to be from from her point of position.

Procne narrates in a cold and house tone throughout the narrative, which creates more poignancies without any excess item being needed to make this temper.
The reader can non assist but notice comparings with Ovid ‘s narrative of Philomela as it is a much more elaborate version, supplying an luxuriant history of Philomela ‘s agony. On the other manus Tennant has smartly condensed her version of the narrative, go forthing the reader to raise up ideas about what might hold happened themselves.

On killing her boy, the reader can still sympathize with Procne when she states, ‘Years and old ages will go through, and these proceedingss will still be longer than them all. Every hr will be made up out of them. ‘ Although she keeps an unemotional tone during this scene, Tennant still informs the reader that this calamity will ne’er get away her head, prosecuting our understandings with her.

Tennant ‘s usage of symbolism is reflected through the birds in the narrative, ‘I moped, like the birds my kids bring back when they go out for a walk. ‘ Procne associates herself with these birds, and this association may touch to the adult females of that epoch who were n’t allowed to talk out, who did n’t hold a voice.

The absence of Philomela has led the bereaved Procne to insulate herself, and it is the sound of birds that is the lone thing which keeps her content, ‘It was summer, and birds were singing in the brush of olives. ‘ This could possibly forshadow the events that are to happen, as the birds are the lone thing which give her hope and besides represent the voiceless adult females, peculiarly Philomela who will give her the power to revenge subsequently.

Procne turns from a bereaved sister to a liquidator and an retaliator. These complexnesss in her character cause her to be a dynamic one. Philomela is besides a dynamic character as she encounters struggle and is changed by it. She besides introduces and enhances the secret plan. She evokes the choler and ill will needed towards her hubby in order to transport out the retaliation, ‘She reached my side and took my manus so I could lift with new strength. ‘

On the other manus, Tereus is a level character because he has no other map other than to function as a scoundrel in the narrative, who offers to take Philomela to Thrace but so rapes her.
Isyth is a level character as he has no major engagement in the narrative apart from being served on a home base to his male parent and used as portion of retaliation.

Procne invariably describes Philomela ‘s physical characteristics, ‘I watched her all the time- for marks of felicity, or discontent, or merely to see what her eyes would state to me. ‘ Her eyes which speak their ain linguistic communication provide the reader with an penetration into how she feels, as this is the lone manner we can understand her.

Mentions

Books

Bradbury, Malcom ( 1988 ) , The Penguin Book of Modern British Short Stories, Penguin Books

Internet Beginnings

Malcom, David ( 2003 ) , Understanding Graham Swift [ Online ] University of South Carolina
hypertext transfer protocol: //books.google.co.uk/books? id=EttQoAGfCcsC & A ; pg=RA1-PA72 & amp ; lpg=RA1-PA72 & A ; dq=criticism+on+seraglio+by+graham+swift & A ; source=bl & A ; ots=s3rfxl9fbv & A ; sig=3LdeVZlPHVfNg2 02fSIWzw2dHc & A ; hl=en & A ; ei=lWWJS4P2H4n60wSF0p3UCw & A ; sa=X & A ; oi=book_result & A ; ct=result & A ; resnum=4 & A ; ved=0CA4Q6AEwAw # v=onepage & A ; q= & A ; f=false
[ Accessed: 25/02/10 ]

KCS, ( 2007 ) Analysis: Rushdie ‘s The Prophet ‘s Hair [ Online ] hypertext transfer protocol: //www.associatedcontent.com/article/226858/analysis_rushdies_the_prophets_hair.html
[ Accessed: 10/01/10 ]

Richards, Fiona The Desecrated Shrine: Movable Icons and Literary Irreverence in Salman Rushdie ‘s ‘The Prophet ‘s Hair ‘ [ Online ] University of Leeds hypertext transfer protocol: //www.soas.ac.uk/soaslit/issue2/RICHARDS.PDF
[ Accessed: 25/02/10 ]

Marks, Tracey ( 2000 ) , Philomela in Ovid ‘s Metamorphoses [ Online ] Ancient Sites Communityonline treatments on Greek and Roman mythology
hypertext transfer protocol: //www.webwinds.com/thalassa/philomela.htm
[ Accessed: 25/02/10 ]

Gradua Networks ( 1995-2009 ) “ A Family Man ” by V.S. Pritchett: How the author makes the narrative interesting and entertaining [ Online ]hypertext transfer protocol: //www.cheathouse.com/essay/essay_view.php? p_essay_id=103107 # ixzz0gmm2K9D7http: //www.cheathouse.com/essay/essay_view.php? p_essay_id=103107
[ Accessed: 18/12/09 ]