“The Three Dirges” by Marshall Bennett Connelly Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

It is necessary to have a unique talent to awaken a particular emotion in the souls of people when writing a book. In the short story The Three Dirges, in the book Requiem Guatemala: A Story of the People, Marshall Bennett Connelly does just that. With the help of such literary elements as images and a point of view, the author achieves a better transfer of the emotions and experiences of the characters and realistically depicts war events.

One of the topics covered in the work The Three Dirges is the theme of conscience and duty. The inhabitants of Guatemala were constant victims not only of the bombing but also of genocide. So, the military commander ordered the Indian man Don Lazaro to kill five children; otherwise, “they will kill every living thing in the village” (Connelly). Torments of conscience did not give the protagonist peace because, on the one hand, the character understood that it was insensitive and wrong to kill small children, but on the other hand, there was a question about the lives of many other people.

With the help of images, the author conveys the atmosphere that prevailed at that time. During the conversation with the military commander, a “woman’s anguish pierced the still” and “an orchestration of wrenching, penetrating lamentations” are heard covering everything around “specter-like” (Connelly). With their help, the author conveys to the readers the atmosphere that occurs during the events, as if immersing them there.

The narrator is the intermediary between the author and the reader. The use of an omniscient narrator also contributes to a better understanding and presentation of the picture. In this case, the readers appear as spectators of the events and have access to the emotions that the characters experience. What is happening appears to them as a scene that they form in their imagination.

The short story also raises the topic of the suppression of minorities. The author shows the pressure of the military authorities on the Filipino community. People are outraged “the militaries want to kill us, and they will not stop until they have killed each one of us” (Connelly). The oppressed people decided to protest, and it was as if nature itself was on their side, “the moon broke through the blanket of clouds slowly drifting around the cap, illuminating the road’s winding path, a silver ribbon weaving its way toward the post” (Connelly). Despite the sad end to such a brave action, with the help of the images created by the author, the reader is fully imbued with feelings for these poor people, oppressed by pressure from the outside.

In The Three Dirges, Marshall Bennett Connelly used various literary techniques to convey the horrors of the Civil War. The creation of images and the use of a detached narrator helped him better convey the feelings and emotions of the characters and the environment in which they were located. The short story also touches on the themes of conscience and the suppression of minorities. Before one of the protagonists faces a difficult choice, the decision of which he cannot change. The author in The Three Musketeers also shows the brave spirit of the people, who so strongly want to rein in, who, despite everything, still smolders with hope for change and a better future.

Work Cited

Connelly, Marshall Bennett. Requiem Guatemala: A Story of the People. Guatemala Historical Reclamation Memorial Proj, 2019.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2022, October 24). "The Three Dirges" by Marshall Bennett Connelly. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-three-dirges-by-marshall-bennett-connelly/

Work Cited

""The Three Dirges" by Marshall Bennett Connelly." IvyPanda, 24 Oct. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/the-three-dirges-by-marshall-bennett-connelly/.

References

IvyPanda. (2022) '"The Three Dirges" by Marshall Bennett Connelly'. 24 October.

References

IvyPanda. 2022. ""The Three Dirges" by Marshall Bennett Connelly." October 24, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-three-dirges-by-marshall-bennett-connelly/.

1. IvyPanda. ""The Three Dirges" by Marshall Bennett Connelly." October 24, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-three-dirges-by-marshall-bennett-connelly/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. ""The Three Dirges" by Marshall Bennett Connelly." October 24, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-three-dirges-by-marshall-bennett-connelly/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1