Love and Sacrifice in Literature - 2318 Words

The concepts of love and sacrifice are closely related and feature consistently throughout literature. To study the relationship between these ideas in more depth I have selected a range of texts over an extensive time period, these include Romeo and Juliet by Sir William Shakespeare, Titanic by James Cameron, Saint Joan by Bernard Shaw and Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson. The different eras that these texts explore will be instrumental in establishing the type of connection the two concepts hold in literature. The type of love and sacrifice varies however the underlying message is the same right through the texts, that humans in the right context will make sacrifices for love. How this is portrayed in the texts also differs yet†¦show more content†¦The prejudice from both Hatsue’s mother who tells her, â€Å"white men would desire Hatsue and seek to destroy her virginity† and society as a whole makes the idea of their love a fairytale. Ishmael however is not accepting of this and sacrifices his life as a young man to cling to a love that can only exist in the past. It is the context that forces the decision to let go or hang on to this wishful thinking however unlike the other texts Ishmael’s love is unrequited and therefore his sacrifice is hollow. He later makes a more admirable sacrifice as he exonerates Hatsue’s husband, forfeiting his love out of his love for her. The sacrifices in the other texts are forced from the pressures of society and are a final act of rebellion for their love. To Romeo and Juliet their end is inevitable and rather than end apart they die together for each other, in Romeo’s final words he triumphs over fate, â€Å"Then I defy you, stars!† This speaks for all the texts as they make sacrifices for their love despite the restrictions of their context. The time periods that each text is set in varies and it is therefore interesting to note that this does not change the fundamentals, we are prepared to make sacrifices for love. All the characters were forced by restrictions of the time to make difficult decisions and in these cases they were willing to give their lives, either physically or emotionally, for their love. It shows the extremity of love, that it is worth more to these literaryShow MoreRelatedFiction Essay1012 Words   |  5 PagesStewart 1 Christy Stewart English 102 B18 Fiction Essay The short story has been an intricate part of literature going back as far as it’s actual â€Å"writing down† was invented. Perhaps two of the most intriguing and somewhat tragic short stories is that of D.H. Lawrence’s, â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† and Shirley Jackson’s, â€Å"The Lottery†. With the classic theme of â€Å"luck† and what that means in each story, we see two very different meanings as these two stories unfold. 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