The backdrop in opposition to which a story unfolds in Footage of Hollis Woods considerably shapes the protagonist’s emotional journey and the general themes of belonging and self-discovery. This encompasses not solely geographical places, reminiscent of the agricultural landscapes of Branches, New York, but in addition the inside areas and emotional climates that outline Hollis’s experiences.
The association of environments throughout the story is essential for underscoring Hollis’s emotions of displacement and her eager for a steady residence. The stark distinction between the idyllic summer time spent with the Regan household and the foster properties that preceded and adopted highlights the affect of a nurturing setting on a toddler’s sense of safety and id. The bodily areas immediately affect her character arc, emphasizing the significance of steady relationships and a way of place.
Inspecting the particular locales and their corresponding emotional resonance supplies deeper insights into the novel’s exploration of household, artwork, and the therapeutic energy of connection. Additional dialogue will elaborate on the distinct traits of Branches, the foster properties, and Hollis’s inventive representations of those environments.
1. Branches, New York
Branches, New York, serves as a pivotal locale throughout the framework, performing as the first setting for Hollis Woods’ transformative summer time and representing a stark distinction to her earlier experiences. Its significance stems from its embodiment of stability, familial connection, and the potential for belonging components largely absent from Hollis’s life earlier than and after her time there.
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The Embodiment of Stability
Branches gives Hollis a set level, a bodily area related to the unwavering presence of Josie and the non permanent however profound reference to the Regan household. This stands in opposition to the transient nature of foster care, the place properties and caregivers are continuously altering. The bodily rootedness of Branches mirrors the emotional stability Hollis craves, making it an emblem of potential permanence.
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Familial Connection Via Shared House
The setting fosters intimate interactions between Hollis and the Regans. Shared meals, artwork tasks within the studio, and exploration of the encircling panorama contribute to a way of belonging. Branches isn’t merely a home; it’s a shared setting the place familial bonds are cast, creating lasting recollections and altering Hollis’s notion of what a household might be.
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The Panorama as Reflection of Interior State
The pure setting of Branches, with its open areas and alternatives for remark, supplies a canvas for Hollis to replicate on her interior turmoil. The act of sketching the panorama turns into a method of processing her feelings and making an attempt to reconcile her previous with the probabilities offered by her time with the Regans. The bodily magnificence and tranquility of Branches contribute to her emotional therapeutic.
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Reminiscence and the Preservation of Place
Even after leaving Branches, the recollections related to the setting stay a robust pressure in Hollis’s life. Her drawings of the home and surrounding areas function tangible representations of her constructive experiences, performing as a reminder of the love and acceptance she discovered there. The enduring affect of Branches underscores the significance of place in shaping id and fostering hope.
The sides collectively spotlight Branches as greater than a geographical location; it’s an embodiment of hope, stability, and the potential for familial connection, contrasting sharply with the impermanence that has outlined a lot of Hollis’s life. These options underscore the narrative’s exploration of belonging, id, and the transformative affect of setting.
2. Foster Houses’ Transience
The transient nature of foster properties in Footage of Hollis Woods is a important component throughout the narrative’s setting, immediately shaping the protagonist’s character and contributing considerably to the story’s thematic depth. The fixed motion between non permanent residences fosters a way of instability and detachment in Hollis, impacting her means to kind lasting connections and contributing to her defensive exterior. This impermanence acts as a catalyst for her inventive expression, as she makes an attempt to seize and protect recollections within the face of fixed change. For instance, Hollis’s incapacity to safe a everlasting placement stems from each her perceived behavioral points and the inherent challenges throughout the foster care system, reflecting a systemic difficulty that impacts many youngsters in comparable circumstances.
The visible descriptions of those foster properties, typically sparse or generic, reinforce the non permanent nature of Hollis’s stays. They lack the personalised touches that signify belonging and stability, emphasizing the distinction with the heat and character of Branches. Every new foster residence necessitates adaptation and readjustment, stopping Hollis from establishing a safe sense of self. Her inventive endeavors turn out to be a method of making a private area, a conveyable residence that transcends the constraints of her bodily setting. This may be virtually seen by her recurring drawings of the Regan’s home, a transparent image of the place she felt she belonged.
Finally, the transience of the foster properties isn’t merely a backdrop however an lively pressure shaping Hollis’s journey. It highlights the detrimental results of instability on a toddler’s improvement and underscores the significance of discovering a everlasting, loving residence. Understanding the position of this transience throughout the total setting permits for a deeper appreciation of Hollis’s resilience and her craving for connection, emphasizing the thematic core of household, belonging, and the enduring energy of reminiscence and artwork.
3. Hollis’s Inventive Depictions
The inventive output of Hollis Woods features as a significant element in understanding the broader narrative offered inside Footage of Hollis Woods. Her drawings are usually not merely ornamental; they function reflections of her inner state and provide a singular lens by which the importance of the setting is revealed. These depictions are intrinsically linked to the story’s spatial context, offering perception into her notion of residence, belonging, and the affect of transience.
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Preservation of Reminiscence
Hollis’s artwork acts as a device for preserving recollections, notably these related to locations that maintain emotional significance. Her drawings of Branches, the Regan household’s home, are recurring motifs, serving as tangible reminders of the steadiness and connection she skilled there. That is particularly pertinent given the transient nature of her foster care experiences, the place bodily areas typically lack permanence. The drawings turn out to be a conveyable residence, a method of sustaining a way of continuity amidst fixed change.
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Expression of Unstated Feelings
Artwork permits Hollis to specific feelings that she struggles to articulate verbally. Her drawings typically depict her emotions of isolation, concern, and longing. The visible illustration of those feelings supplies the viewers with a deeper understanding of her inner struggles, notably in relation to her emotions in regards to the totally different settings she inhabits. For instance, a drawing of a stark, impersonal foster residence would possibly convey her sense of detachment and lack of belonging extra successfully than phrases may.
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Reinterpretation of Actuality
Hollis’s inventive depictions are usually not all the time literal representations of her setting. She typically imbues her drawings with symbolic that means, reinterpreting actuality to replicate her emotional state and needs. A drawing of Branches is perhaps idealized, exaggerating the heat and luxury she associates with the place. This reinterpretation reveals her craving for a steady and loving residence, highlighting the distinction between her idealized imaginative and prescient and the tough realities of her foster care experiences.
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Management and Company
Creating artwork supplies Hollis with a way of management and company in a life typically outlined by uncertainty. By depicting her environment, she asserts her perspective and reclaims possession of her experiences. The act of drawing permits her to form her narrative, providing a method of dealing with the emotional challenges of displacement and fostering a way of self-determination.
These sides reveal that the inventive depictions inside Footage of Hollis Woods are usually not merely elaborations; they’re integral to understanding the protagonist’s emotional panorama and her notion of the assorted settings that outline her journey. Via her artwork, Hollis communicates her innermost emotions and needs, offering a robust commentary on the themes of belonging, id, and the enduring seek for residence. The importance of her drawings underscores the profound connection between setting and emotional well-being.
4. Emotional Local weather
The emotional local weather inside Footage of Hollis Woods exerts a profound affect on the protagonist’s experiences and interpretation of her environment. The psychological environment of every locale immediately impacts Hollis’s conduct, shaping her notion of stability, belonging, and self-worth. Understanding these emotional nuances is essential for comprehending the importance of the setting throughout the narrative.
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Branches: A Haven of Acceptance
The emotional setting at Branches, fostered by Josie and the Regans, is characterised by acceptance, persistence, and real affection. This constructive local weather permits Hollis to decrease her defenses and expertise a way of safety beforehand absent from her life. The heat of this setting contrasts sharply with the coldness and indifference she encounters elsewhere, highlighting the transformative energy of a nurturing setting.
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Foster Houses: A Spectrum of Indifference to Hostility
The emotional local weather within the foster properties ranges from indifference to outright hostility. Some foster dad and mom are merely neglectful, failing to supply the emotional help Hollis wants. Others are actively unkind, creating an environment of concern and nervousness. This inconsistent and infrequently damaging emotional panorama reinforces Hollis’s emotions of isolation and contributes to her mistrust of adults.
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Artwork as an Emotional Outlet and Reflection
Hollis’s artwork serves as each an emotional outlet and a mirrored image of the emotional local weather surrounding her. When experiencing constructive feelings in a supportive setting like Branches, her artwork displays a way of peace and pleasure. Conversely, in damaging environments, her artwork turns into a method of expressing her anger, disappointment, and concern. The fashion and material of her drawings function a barometer of her emotional well-being.
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Guilt and Worry: Shaping Perceptions of Place
Hollis’s personal emotions of guilt and concern additionally contribute to the emotional local weather, influencing how she perceives and interacts along with her environment. Her concern of abandonment and her guilt over previous occasions coloration her experiences, making it troublesome for her to completely belief and embrace new environments. These inner emotional states work together with the exterior local weather, creating a posh and nuanced portrayal of the psychological affect of displacement and trauma.
The interaction between exterior emotional climates and Hollis’s inner emotional state is a central theme inside Footage of Hollis Woods. The stark distinction between supportive and hostile environments underscores the significance of emotional stability for a kid’s improvement and highlights the profound affect of the setting on Hollis’s journey in the direction of therapeutic and self-discovery. The guide makes use of locations and characters to point out the affect of emotional local weather on a toddler’s improvement.
5. Rural vs. City
The dichotomy between rural and concrete environments in Footage of Hollis Woods supplies a major framework for understanding the protagonist’s evolving sense of self and belonging. These contrasting locales are usually not merely backdrops, however moderately lively forces that form Hollis’s experiences and affect her emotional improvement. The interaction between these settings underscores the novel’s themes of displacement, id, and the seek for a steady residence.
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Branches: Rural Idyll and Emotional Refuge
Branches, with its pure landscapes and slower tempo of life, represents an idealized rural setting. This setting permits Hollis to attach with nature and expertise a way of tranquility that’s absent from her earlier city foster properties. The agricultural environment fosters a way of freedom and permits for deeper reference to Josie and the Regans, contributing to her emotional therapeutic. The isolation of the countryside additionally encourages introspection and self-reflection, fostering her inventive improvement.
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City Foster Houses: Anonymity and Isolation
In distinction to the agricultural heat of Branches, the city foster properties are sometimes characterised by anonymity and isolation. The crowded cityscapes and impersonal interactions contribute to Hollis’s emotions of detachment and displacement. The fixed motion between totally different city environments prevents her from establishing roots and creating a way of neighborhood. These city settings typically lack the pure magnificence and alternatives for outside recreation that Hollis values, additional exacerbating her sense of unease.
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Artwork as a Bridge Between Worlds
Hollis’s artwork serves as a method of bridging the hole between the agricultural and concrete settings. Her drawings of Branches turn out to be an emblem of her eager for stability and connection, providing a stark distinction to the often-bleak realities of her city foster properties. Via her artwork, she reclaims a way of company and creates a conveyable residence that transcends the constraints of her bodily environment. The act of drawing permits her to protect recollections of the agricultural idyll and preserve a connection to the pure world, even when confined to city environments.
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Perceptions of Household and Neighborhood
The agricultural setting of Branches fosters a way of close-knit neighborhood and prolonged household, whereas the city foster properties typically lack these connections. The Regan household’s help community and Josie’s involvement in the local people create a way of belonging that’s absent from Hollis’s city experiences. This distinction highlights the significance of social help and neighborhood ties in fostering a toddler’s sense of safety and well-being. The novel subtly critiques the city foster care system’s failures in offering satisfactory social and emotional help to youngsters in want.
The contrasting representations of rural and concrete settings in Footage of Hollis Woods are instrumental in conveying the protagonist’s emotional journey. The agricultural idyll of Branches gives a glimpse of stability and connection, whereas the city foster properties underscore the challenges of displacement and isolation. The novel means that the setting performs an important position in shaping a toddler’s sense of self and belonging, highlighting the necessity for nurturing and supportive communities to foster emotional well-being.
6. Seasons’ Symbolic Function
The seasonal cycle in Footage of Hollis Woods operates as an important symbolic component intricately linked to the narrative’s settings and the protagonist’s emotional development. Every season corresponds with distinct phases in Hollis’s life, mirroring her inner state and highlighting the affect of her setting. The affiliation of particular settings with explicit seasons amplifies their symbolic weight, reinforcing the novel’s themes of change, development, and the seek for stability. As an illustration, the idyllic summer time spent in Branches, New York, turns into synonymous with heat, connection, and the potential for a steady household life. This contrasts sharply with the following autumn and winter, representing a interval of decline and emotional hardship following her separation from the Regans. The bodily places, subsequently, are usually not merely backdrops however are actively imbued with seasonal symbolism, influencing the viewers’s interpretation of occasions and character improvement.
The significance of seasonal symbolism extends past mere atmospheric enhancement. It supplies a structured framework for understanding Hollis’s journey. Her preliminary summer time exuberance at Branches provides approach to the anxieties of autumn because the season mirrors her impending departure and the concern of dropping her newfound household. The chilly, isolating winter displays her return to the foster care system, highlighting her emotional vulnerability. The cyclical nature of the seasons, nevertheless, additionally gives a way of hope. Simply as winter provides approach to spring, the narrative suggests the potential for renewal and a brighter future for Hollis. Sensible utility of this understanding lies in analyzing the recurring seasonal imagery throughout the novel, recognizing the way it reinforces the characters emotional states and the general trajectory of the plot. Understanding how these components intertwine to form the reader’s emotional engagement with the story is significant.
In abstract, the seasonal symbolism varieties a vital part of the general narrative tapestry. The strategic pairing of seasons with particular settings creates a potent emotional resonance, underscoring Hollis’s inner struggles and her craving for stability. Whereas the narrative showcases the cyclical nature of hope and despair, it’s essential to acknowledge the inherent challenges in overcoming trauma and displacement. Additional evaluation of this component permits for a extra profound appreciation of the novel’s artistry and its exploration of the complexities of household, belonging, and the human spirit’s capability for resilience. The deliberate use of seasons enhances the setting and its impact on the primary character.
7. Dwelling as Discovered Household
The idea of “residence as discovered household” is intrinsically linked to the importance of the setting in Footage of Hollis Woods. The novel explores the concept a real residence isn’t essentially outlined by blood relations or a conventional familial construction, however moderately by the emotional connections and sense of belonging fostered inside a specific setting. The bodily settings within the story immediately affect Hollis’s understanding and acceptance of this different definition of household.
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Branches as a Catalyst for Connection
The agricultural setting of Branches, with its tranquil environment and shut proximity to nature, supplies a fertile floor for Hollis to kind significant relationships with Josie and the Regans. The bodily area fosters shared experiences and intimate interactions, permitting Hollis to expertise a way of belonging that transcends conventional familial bonds. The idyllic setting encourages vulnerability and emotional openness, enabling her to attach with others on a deeper degree. Sensible utility: the open area permits for actions that promote bonding.
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The Regan Household: Redefining Familial Roles
The Regan household embodies the idea of discovered household by their unconditional acceptance and unwavering help of Hollis. Regardless of not being associated by blood, the Regans provide Hollis a way of affection, safety, and belonging that she has by no means skilled earlier than. The setting of their residence, with its heat and alluring environment, reinforces their dedication to making a nurturing setting for Hollis. The discovered household isn’t predetermined.
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Josie’s Steadfast Presence: A Non-Conventional Caregiver
Josie, as a non-traditional caregiver, supplies Hollis with a constant and unwavering presence in her life. Her residence turns into a haven for Hollis, a spot the place she feels secure, valued, and understood. Josie’s distinctive character and unconventional method to caregiving problem conventional notions of household and reveal the significance of emotional connection over organic ties. Josie’s home serves as the first setting for this redefinition.
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Artwork as a Reflection of Discovered Household Bonds
Hollis’s inventive depictions of Branches and the Regan household function tangible representations of her newfound sense of belonging. Her drawings seize the heat, love, and connection she experiences on this setting, solidifying her understanding of residence as a spot the place she feels accepted and cherished. The act of making artwork turns into a approach for Hollis to specific her gratitude and have fun the bonds she has shaped along with her discovered household. Artwork can cement these discovered household experiences.
These sides spotlight the profound affect of the setting on Hollis’s understanding and acceptance of “residence as discovered household.” Via her experiences in Branches and her connections with Josie and the Regans, she learns that household isn’t outlined by blood relations, however moderately by the love, help, and sense of belonging fostered inside a specific setting. This transformative understanding underscores the facility of human connection and the enduring seek for a spot to name residence, regardless of how it’s outlined. This idea profoundly results the setting of the novel and vise versa.
8. Reminiscence and Place
The interaction between reminiscence and place is a central element of the setting. Locations are usually not merely bodily places; they’re repositories of expertise, indelibly marked by the feelings, occasions, and interactions that happen inside them. These recollections, in flip, form how characters understand and work together with their setting, creating a posh relationship the place place each influences and is influenced by the subjective expertise of reminiscence. In Footage of Hollis Woods, this connection is especially pronounced, because the protagonist’s sense of self and belonging is immediately tied to her recollections of particular places, most notably Branches, the Regan’s home, and the sequence of foster properties she inhabits. The settings turn out to be exterior representations of her inner panorama, holding inside them the echoes of previous joys, traumas, and longings. These recollections have an effect on her interactions with different characters.
An instance of this dynamic is Hollis’s recurring inventive depictions of Branches. The home and surrounding panorama are usually not merely rendered as goal representations; they’re filtered by the lens of her recollections, imbued with a way of heat, stability, and belonging that contrasts sharply with the impersonal nature of her foster properties. Her drawings function a tangible hyperlink to a previous that she desperately seeks to protect, reworking the bodily location into an emblem of hope and a possible future. Conversely, the much less detailed and infrequently stark descriptions of her foster properties replicate the transient and emotionally indifferent nature of these experiences, suggesting that the absence of constructive recollections contributes to her incapacity to kind lasting attachments to these locations. Actual-life parallels might be seen in how people typically affiliate particular places with important life occasions, shaping their emotional responses to these locations lengthy after the occasions have handed.
Understanding the connection between reminiscence and place in Footage of Hollis Woods is important for appreciating the profound affect of the setting on Hollis’s journey. It highlights the significance of making constructive and steady environments for kids, recognizing that these environments won’t solely form their instant experiences but in addition turn out to be integral to their sense of self and their means to kind significant connections with others. The novel emphasizes {that a} “residence” isn’t merely a bodily construction; it’s a repository of shared recollections and experiences that fosters a way of belonging and contributes to the event of a powerful and resilient id. The absence of such environments can have lasting penalties, underscoring the necessity for proactive intervention and help for kids in unstable residing conditions. Reminiscence is essential to how Hollis offers along with her place.
Regularly Requested Questions
This part addresses frequent inquiries relating to the importance of the spatial context in Footage of Hollis Woods, providing clarifications and insights into its position throughout the narrative.
Query 1: How does the agricultural setting of Branches, New York, contribute to Hollis’s emotional improvement?
Branches supplies a stark distinction to Hollis’s earlier experiences in city foster properties. Its tranquility fosters a way of peace and permits for deeper reference to nature and the Regan household, selling emotional therapeutic and a way of belonging.
Query 2: In what methods do the foster properties characterize instability in Hollis’s life?
The transient nature of the foster properties underscores Hollis’s lack of a everlasting residence and contributes to her emotions of displacement. The customarily-impersonal environments reinforce her sense of isolation and hinder her means to kind lasting attachments.
Query 3: What’s the significance of Hollis’s drawings in relation to the story’s setting?
Hollis’s artwork acts as a method of preserving recollections and expressing unstated feelings, notably in relation to her notion of various locales. Her drawings of Branches, for instance, symbolize her eager for stability and connection.
Query 4: How does the emotional local weather of a setting affect Hollis’s conduct?
Constructive emotional climates, reminiscent of that present in Branches, permit Hollis to decrease her defenses and expertise a way of safety. Adverse or detached emotional climates, frequent in her foster properties, reinforce her emotions of isolation and mistrust.
Query 5: Does the novel make the most of seasonal modifications to represent Hollis’s emotional journey?
Sure, the seasonal cycle mirrors Hollis’s inner state, with summer time representing heat and connection, whereas autumn and winter symbolize decline and hardship. This use of seasonal symbolism underscores the affect of setting on her emotional well-being.
Query 6: How does Footage of Hollis Woods redefine the idea of “residence” by its setting?
The novel challenges conventional notions of residence by suggesting that it isn’t essentially outlined by blood relations or a particular location, however moderately by the emotional connections and sense of belonging fostered inside a specific setting, exemplified by Hollis’s expertise with the Regan household.
The geographical context inside Footage of Hollis Woods isn’t merely a backdrop however an lively pressure shaping the protagonist’s journey and underscoring the novel’s central themes.
The succeeding part will analyze key quotes associated to the setting of the novel.
Analyzing Footage of Hollis Woods Guide Setting: Sensible Ideas
Efficient evaluation necessitates cautious consideration of its affect on character improvement and thematic resonance.
Tip 1: Establish Contrasting Environments: Acknowledge the distinct traits of every locale, reminiscent of Branches versus the foster properties, and analyze how these variations contribute to Hollis’s emotional state.
Tip 2: Hint Symbolic Associations: Search for recurring symbols related to particular places. Branches, for example, typically symbolizes stability and belonging, whereas a naked room in a foster residence would possibly signify isolation.
Tip 3: Study Seasonal Influences: Be aware how seasonal modifications align with Hollis’s emotional journey. A heat summer time may characterize hope, whereas a chilly winter would possibly replicate despair. The correlation must be evident.
Tip 4: Analyze Character Interactions inside Particular Settings: Observe how Hollis interacts with different characters in numerous environments. Discover if relationships are strengthened or strained relying on the setting.
Tip 5: Consider the Affect on Inventive Expression: Take note of how Hollis’s artwork displays her notion of every location. Evaluate and distinction her drawings of Branches with these of her foster properties.
Tip 6: Take into account the Operate of Rural vs. City Settings: Be aware if the agricultural setting of Branches contrasts with the city setting of the foster properties. How would possibly the character really feel being displaced in these settings?
Tip 7: Discover the Theme of Discovered Household: Analyze whether or not the discovered household dynamics are highlighted in a specific setting? Does this setting present a backdrop for a household to be shaped?
A meticulous evaluation of the above factors will present a deeper comprehension of the novel’s themes and Hollis’s particular person journey.
Understanding these components will elevate the comprehension of the narrative’s complexities.
Footage of Hollis Woods Guide Setting
The previous evaluation underscores the paramount significance of the spatial context inside Footage of Hollis Woods. Via the meticulous depiction of numerous locales, together with the idyllic Branches and the transient foster properties, the narrative successfully portrays the profound affect of setting on character improvement and thematic exploration. The interaction of those settings, coupled with the symbolic use of seasons and the protagonist’s inventive representations, serves to light up the complexities of belonging, id, and the enduring seek for residence.
Continued engagement with the spatial dimensions of literary works supplies invaluable insights into the multifaceted nature of human expertise. A deeper understanding of those components promotes a extra profound appreciation of the narrative’s inventive benefit and its capability to resonate with audiences on an emotional degree. Crucial analysis and re-evaluation of those spatial representations are essential for a extra complete understanding of literature and its reflection of the human situation.
