Smruti's Blog

Trends & Movements of 20th Century   This blog is part of flipped learning acitivty, assigned by Megha Trivedi Ma'am. For more details- click here.   Stream of Consciousness  The video discusses stream of consciousness narration, a literary technique that immerses readers directly into a character’s thoughts and emotions as they unfold. It highlights different methods authors use to convey character psychology, such as describing actions, expressions, or directly stating thoughts. However, stream of consciousness goes further by presenting raw, often fragmented thoughts in a natural flow, mirroring real cognition. The concept was first introduced by psychologist William James in 1890, who described consciousness as a continuous stream rather than discrete segments. The video then provides notable literary examples, particularly from James Joyce and William Faulkner. Joyce’s Ulysses features an extended internal monologue by Molly Bloom, characterized by a lack of pun...

The Great Gatsby  This blog is assigned by Prof. Dilip Barad sir as part of thinking activity on 'F. Scott Fitzgerald's' " The Great Gatsby", for background visit 'Gatsby' . The novel is a profound critique of the American Dream and the rigid class divisions of 1920s America. Set against the backdrop of the Jazz Age, the novel explores the illusions of wealth, power, and love through the tragic story of Jay Gatsby. While Gatsby appears to achieve the American Dream through his immense fortune, his ultimate failure to win Daisy Buchanan highlights the hollowness of material success and the inescapability of class divisions . Through vivid symbolism, such as the green light and the valley of ashes , Fitzgerald portrays a society driven by greed and superficiality, where those with inherited wealth remain in control while the self-made and working class struggle to find lasting fulfillment. This blog delves into the novel’s exploration of the American Drea...

Orlando: A Biography This task is a part of thinking activity assigned by Prakruti Bhatt Ma'am. Analyze Woolf's use of time in Orlando. What effect does it have on the narrative of the text? In Virginia Woolf's 'Orlando: A Biography', time is a fluid and malleable construct, rather than a linear, fixed progression. Woolf's unconventional treatment of time serves several key purposes in the narrative, profoundly shaping the text's themes, structure, and exploration of identity. 1. Fluidity of Time and Gender                Orlando's transformation from a man to a woman midway through the novel is mirrored by the fluidity of time. The narrative spans over 300 years, yet Orlando ages only 36 years, suggesting that time is not a rigid force but one that bends to the needs of the story and the character's development.                This fluidity parallels the novel's exploration of gender as a flexible...

Exploring Robert Jordan and the Flashback Technique: "For Whom the Bell Tolls" This blog is part of thinking activity assigned by Megha Trivedi ma'am for the unit "For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Ernest Hemingway. In what ways is the flashback technique used in " For Whom the Bell Tolls" ? Introduction Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls exemplifies a masterful use of the flashback technique, seamlessly weaving past and present to deepen both character development and narrative complexity. Through this literary device, Hemingway provides a multidimensional perspective, particularly on the protagonist, Robert Jordan, while enriching the broader themes of the novel, including loyalty, sacrifice, and the moral ambiguities of war. The flashbacks not only illuminate the characters’ psychological landscapes but also anchor their present actions in a tapestry of memories, ideologies, and emotions. By employing this technique, Hemingway transforms the novel into ...