Catharine Sedgwick’s Hope Leslie, Stephen Gould’s Dinosaur in a Haystac

Catharine Sedgwick’s Hope Leslie, Stephen Gould’s Dinosaur in a Haystack, and Sebastian Junger’s The Perfect Storm all display similar characteristics, so that though they are seemingly unrelated, they can be compared. Mainly the comparisons exist through the imagery the authors use to weave the stories together, the structure of each book, the authority of each author, and the use of nature. A character or objects are the images that the three authors use to tie the plots of the books together. Gould’s essays seem to be completely unrelated, but in reality, they are tied together under the general theme of evolution and the metaphor of dinosaur in a haystack that is linked into each essay. The persistent use of the storm in The Perfect Storm, and its development in the chapters serves to show that the storm is the object that ties the story together. Much like the dinosaur in Dinosaur in a Haystack, it becomes a sort of central character that evolves through the developing plot. It appears that Sedgwick does not utilize one metaphor to bring her novel together, but in fact, the recurrent images and pictures are used instead. There is no dominant common theme like the dinosaur or quilt, but the story of Hope and Magawisca bring the characters together. Sedgwick’s sympathy lies in Hope’s views and story, but some can be inferred from Magawisca. Magawis ca is linked to Everell, and links Hope and Faith together. Their stories help to create the plot and bring in the links to the scattered plot. Hope Leslie " . . . and her Indian counterpart, Magawisca" (x) comprise the opinions of the author and relate the plot through prejudiced perspectives. In fact, "The text is dominated by two decidedly unconventional women: Hope Leslie, fos... ...thors are the images that hold the books together, the structure of the books, the authority of each author that is already presumed and then gained, and the use of nature. Sedgwick uses Hope and Magawisca, Junger uses the storm, and Gould uses the dinosaur to tie the plot of the books together, and to hold the story as a whole together. All three of the books are structured into chapters that divide the information into easier to understand material. Hope Leslie and Dinosaur in a Haystack contain parts that further separate the plot. The authors, Sedgwick, Gould, and Junger assume a certain amount of authority before the books are read, yet they gain even more credibility as the book is read. Each book also contains a the use of a certain aspect of nature. Therefore, the authors and their works, though seemingly very different, are similar enough to be compared.