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  • Essay / Novels of Novelty and Rebirth: “Room”, “Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded” and “Robinson Crusoe”

    The idea of ​​rebirth and newness is a theme of crucial importance in the novel “Room” and a main factor in the story itself. The novel is all about newness, since for Jack, having lived all of his five years of life inside Room, the act of escaping into the World is in a sense a rebirth, and in the novel we learn that Jack is initially completely incapable of functioning. in The World, as his development was severely stunted by his upbringing, hence why basic everyday objects like cars or the sidewalk are so completely foreign to him, Room is a novel about rebirth and life again in a strange world. Yet while the newness of the world coming out of Room is the most obvious point to mention, there is a more subtle sense of newness that will be on display; the need on Jack and Ma's part to invent new games, stories, and ways to pass the time in Room in order to avoid the madness and boredom that are integral to the first half of the novel. Finally, the idea of ​​novelty is challenged in a post-modernist sense to the extent that the story itself reflects the situation of the two main characters; the first half of the novel is confined, restrictive and very repetitive, but during their escape the narrative changes and becomes more open and just as the characters experience new things, so does the reader, as the prose takes us to new and exciting places. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The formative years of childhood are a learning experience for them, where they learn about the world and begin to develop socially and emotionally. , where a child can have new experiences. When a child is denied the normal method of development, it can leave him severely delayed, as is the case with Jack. So, as mentioned above in the introduction, Jack is constantly experiencing new things, but for the first 5 years of his life, he has lived his entire life. The world consisted only of the room, which is later revealed to be a small shed with a skylight. This, coupled with a child's natural curiosity, makes the first act of the novel a surprise, especially since the novel is told through Jack's point of view, so that we, the reader, hear his monologue interior. Jack constantly asks his mother questions; questions about television, questions about its origins, questions about what is real or not, in one case where Jack decides that "the mountains are too big to be real", but of course later in the novel he will experience all these objects outside. television. In contrast to his questioning earlier in the novel, it is interesting to mention his awareness of the world outside Room, on page 85 of my edition, Jack states "so hospitals are real too, and motorcycles" before proclaim “[his] head is going to burst because of all the new things I have to believe”2. This is an important quote because not only does it illustrate how overwhelming this whole new reality must be for the 5-year-old boy, but the language itself is remarkable: "I must believe." To elaborate, Jack cannot inherently believe in everyday places and objects that exist outside of his room, he feels he must believe however, which seems a matter of faith, particularly faith in his mother's word, as Ma says, who grew up in Le Monde knew full well that there is more tolife than what is contained in the Chamber, and she told it to Jack through parables, stories and evocations of her youth. From a narrative point of view, Ma embodies the outside world, and Jack personifies a “blank slate” that is formless and unshaped by the outside world. Ma is a particularly interesting character to watch, when you consider that Ma had a life before being kidnapped by Old Nick who destroyed that, so his return to the world is a true rebirth and he differs from Jack, while Jack experiences things for the first time, Mom rediscovers them after years, as she says to Jack during the shower scene at the hospital: "I'm just trying to enjoy my first shower in seven years"3. There is considerable juxtaposition between Jack's and Ma's attitudes; Jack wants to stick to the routine he learned in the bedroom, while Ma no longer feels obligated to adhere to the same schedule they had in captivity. “Breakfast precedes bath,” Jack says on page 164, he conforms so rigidly to his preconceived idea of ​​routine and cannot understand doing anything differently, but consider how, at the end of the novel, Jack begins to adapt to his new existence, certainly Jack. is not a so-called "wild child" like some real-life cases such as "Genius" who tragically never adapted to re-enter society, thus establishing that the novel is a story of regeneration, as with Ma. Yet , although Jack has more difficulty adapting to the outside world, it is Ma who attempts suicide. This illustrates the mental torment that must have been inflicted on Ma, whose life was taken when she was just a young adult. Once again, from a narrative point of view, his suicide attempt is representative of the trial which will lead to the eventual and inevitable "rebirth" in the conclusion of the novel, it also allows Ma and Jack to separate, for the first significant time. a lot of time in the novel, thus giving the reader a glimpse of Jack coping without Ma, someone he literally hasn't been without his entire life. All of this contributes to the ever-increasing independence and novelty that is pervasive everywhere. The idea of ​​rebirth could also be evoked for the character of Mr. B in Samuel Richardson's epistolary novel, Pamela, but unlike Jack and Ma in Room, it is not a question of physical reeducation, but moral, and even that may be nebulous, but when we look at Mr. B in Pamela, we can very well see him as a lustful man who tries to take advantage of Pamela, and yet at the end of the novel is supposed to be transformed into a husband honorable and decent. Indeed, in one of the last letters, Mr. B is described as a “generous husband”, for the less cynical this could be interpreted as a comment on the redemptive powers of love. This certainly refers to the full title of the novel itself, "Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded", as Pamela is "rewarded" with a husband and a steady income for maintaining her purity. She “enjoyed... the reward of her virtue, her piety and her charity.” Both novels explore the idea of ​​being reborn, whether in a religious, moral, or physical sense. Literary critic Janice Harayda, paraphrasing Sue Donoghue, comments on how Room uses religious allegory to convey its themes, about how the novel is "a battle between Mary and the Devil for young Jesus" and this is believable, given the connotations of the name. “Old Nick.” Additionally, the idea of ​​being reborn is linked to the core beliefs of Christians, how Jesus died and was born again. Again, if we confuse the idea of ​​rebirth and religion, that is, rebirth as a religious transformation, then Robinson Crusoe presents suchthemes. prominently, since the entire novel can be read as a religious allegory with Robinson Crusoe shunning his sinful past and ultimately becoming a devout believer in God. At the beginning of the novel, Crusoe disobeys his father by going to see, against his father's wishes. As Crusoe says, “If I took this foolish step, God would not bless me.” Even after facing a storm at sea and receiving a warning from the ship's captain, Crusoe still ventures out in search of wealth and adventure, so his "imprisonment" on the island takes on the role of a kind of emotional purgatory. From a religious perspective, Crusoe made a grave error when he "made many vows...that if God would...spare [his] life on this one journey...[he] would return directly at home with [his] father. ". He openly disobeys this prayer and forgets "the vows and promises that [he] made in [his] distress." Throughout the novel there are events which, if one interprets the book through a religious lens, could be a test of faith on the part of God, and indeed there are many instances where Crusoe calls in question God. Upon landing on the island, Crusoe considers suicide due. at the "dismal prospect of [his] condition", but then seems to accept his fate and, in that particularly English way, continues his way higher and higher with a stiff upper lip and makes the best of it. The rebirth aspect comes into play around page 63 of my edition of the novel, which is when Crusoe really begins to have true faith in God and the "wonder of nature". Robinson Crusoe transforms into a man, learning to love the island as "the nicest place in the world", the redemptive arc is very important. If we consider Old Nick as the "God" figure in Room, while Jack learns to live far from him, from his authority and from Room, on the other hand Crusoe abandons his rebellious ways and, at the end of the novel, is grateful to God for his misfortunes. and is a devout believer.Keep in mind: This is just a sample.Get a custom paper from our expert writers now.Get a custom essayThe ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, and feeling new are explored in Room, Crusoe and Pamela, with Room focusing more on adapting to life after a traumatic event and reintegrating into society, and in Pamela, rebirth is more akin to religious conversion, manifesting in a spiritual sense /moral. For Jack in Room, his release from captivity allows him to explore with childlike surprise this vast new world of possibilities. Jack's character arc establishes that he is able to leave Room and fully accept his position in the new world. Mom even asks him if he "would like the door to be closed for a minute", to which Jack replies "no". This solidifies his decision to move forward and is a considerable sign of progress and maturity, further demonstrating the theme of rebirth that is prevalent throughout the novel, as it is here that the Room becomes simply a room . This gives the reader and protagonists a sense of closure worthy of their ordeal. Although Room and Pamela certainly have religious overtones, Robinson Crusoe is the novel with the most overt religious narrative, as the story resolutely depicts one man's spiritual redemption amid the horror of the crushing, collective misery of the tropical island. Although linked to Mr. B in Pamela, Crusoe's redemption is not only uniquely religious, but also moral. So we can see how in every novel there is a feeling of newness and rebirth of all kinds; ultimately leaving each character inexorably changed at the end of the. .. 315)