Memorable Lights From Literature

Memorable Lights from Literature The Fireworks THE KITE RUNNER BY KHALED HOSSEINI 30 2003 ...flares sizzled and exploded into bouquets of fire... in one of those brief bursts of light, I saw something l'll never forget...' Amir has witnessed the rape of his best friend, and is blaming himself for not intervening. The fireworks symbolise how Amir thinks he can solve this problem, but it is brief with no real substance, much like the actual fireworks. Also, when the fireworks begin, Amir rushes back to the house to see Hassan serving drinks to his rapist, which is a vision that haunts him. The Aurora Borealis THE NORTHERN LIGHTS (HIS DARK MATERIALS) BY PHILLIP PULLMAN 1995 30 'As if from Heaven itself, great curtains of delicate light hung and trembled.' The Aurora Borealis, also known as The Northern Lights, is a gateway to another world, and reveals the delicate layer that separates the two worlds. The Aurora Borealis plays many important parts in the film, such as when Lord Asriel opens up a breach into another world by killing Roger, and it is also where Dust is more visible. The Red Pool of Light BELOVED BY TONI MORRISON 30 1987 .a pool of red and undulating light that locked him where he stood." One of the main characters, Sethe, returns home one day to find Paul D there, who was a fellow slave at Sweet Home with her. When he enters the house, he walks into a pool of eerie red light and feels a great sense of grief. Sethe explains that this is the presence of a dead baby in ghost form. The Gateway to Giant Country THE BFG BY ROALD DAHL 1982 30 'In the moonlight, Sophie caught a glimpse of an enormous, long, pale, wrinkly face with the most enormous ears.' Roald Dahl's tale describes a giant who kidnaps a young orphaned girl and takes her to Giant Country, only for them to become unexpectedly close friends. Sophie is in her bedroom in the orphanage when she peers out the window to see the BFG for the first time. Princess Eilonwy's Golden Pelydryn THE BLACK CAULDRON BY LLOYD ALEXANDER 30 1965 "She...uses the magic of the Pelydryn to light up the room. The 'bauble', as it is referred to by Princess Eilonwy, is a magical orb that is semi-sentient, and can move under its own influence. The Horned King captured Eilonwy as he thought it could show him where The Black Cauldron was hidden, but was unsuccessful and so Eilonwy remained a prisoner in the castle. The Lamp TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD BY HARPER LEE 1960 30 '..we saw a solitary light burning in the distance...' Tom Robinson is being held in a prison cell in Maycomb County. However, a group of townsmen have demonstrated that they are unhappy with this, and so Atticus goes down to the prison and sits outside, holding a lamp. This signifies a beacon of hope in a metaphorically and literally dark time, and the fact that Atticus is holding it represents that he is the one trying to shed light on the fact that prejudices are wrong. The Phial of Galadriel THE LORD OF THE RINGS BY J. R. R. TOLKIEN 30 1954 "And to you, Frodo Baggins, I give you the Light of Eärendil, our most beloved star." The Phial of Galadriel was forged by Galadriel herself, when she filled the crystal phial with water from her fountain, which contained the light of Eärendil's Star. Galadriel presents Frodo with this gift in Lothlorien in order to serve as a light in dark places. Frodo uses it for this purpose, an example being when he defends himself from Shelob in The Return of the King. The Lamppost THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA) BY C. S. LEWIS 1950 30 "...if we pass this post and lantern, either we shall find strange adventures or else some great changes of our fortunes." The lamppost marks the beginning of Narnia, as is told by Mr Tumnus to Lucy Pevensie, and is the first place where Lucy meets the faun. The lamppost originated when the White Witch threw a bar of iron, that she had torn from a London lamppost, at Aslan. It hit the ground, and as Aslan was creating the living things of Narnia through his song, the iron bar grew into a full-sized lamppost. The Green Light THE GREAT GATSBY BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD 30 1925 'A single green light, minute and far away'. The green light represents Gatsby's dreams and hopes for the future, the main wish being Daisy. This light also symbolises the American dream, as Daisy is broadly associated with this ideal. The fact that the light is 'far away' explains how it is impossible to reach, as is true for Gatsby, which becomes clear as it is impossible to achieve the American dream. The Light on the Moor THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES BY SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE 1902 30 '...for a tiny pinpoint of yellow light had suddenly transfixed the dark veil, and glowed steadily in the centre of the black square framed by the window.' Watson and Sir Henry catch Barrymore staring out of an upstairs window in the middle of the night. Watson and Holmes later discover that the convict, who has escaped and is roaming the moors, is actually the Barrymores' son, and they use the signal of a light to inform him that it is clear for him to come into the house. The Fires JANE EYRE BY CHARLOTTE BRONTË 30 1847 'I let down the curtain and went back to the fireside." Fire is a recurring and important theme in Brontë's novel, with many of the significant scenes involving a fire. Firstly, Bertha sets fire to Mr Rochester's bed, thus trying to kill him, but then it is also Bertha who starts the fire that kills herself, and severely injures Rochester. However, fire is also seen as a warm and secure image, with fires often being lit in rooms where Jane Eyre sits with friendly characters, such as Miss Temple. The Ghosts A CHRISTMAS CAROL BY CHARLES DICKENS 1843 30 '...a bright clear jet of light." One of Dickens' most revered novels tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserable man who detests Christmas. He is then haunted by three different ghosts: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. These ghosts appear as a light in the middle of the night to show Scrooge the error of his ways, and changes him into a kind, warm and generous man. Sources: www.disney.wikia.com thegreatgatsbysandm.blogspot.co.uk www.narnia.wikia.com solarcentre www.enotes.com www.shmoop.com www.sparknotes.com www.cliffsnotes.com solar lighting that works www.bookrags.com www.classroom.synonym.com www.lotr.wikia.com www.thesolarcentre.co.uk www.tolkiengateway.net www.crossref-it.info