Practice Essay

Through my study of Gail Joness novel Five Bells, Khaled Hosseinis novel A

Thousand Splendid Suns, and Art Spiegelmans graphic novel Maus, I have
encountered various notions of crossing boundaries. The crossing of personal
boundaries in human experience leads to positive effects such as a greater
resilience and spiritual development, however, the inability to cope with traumas
of the past results in a sense of restriction and oppression. Also, the use of
unconventional writing techniques in a text allows for a more meaningful
examination of the ideas conveyed.
The inability to move on from past traumatic events may limit an individuals
future, as resounding emotional and mental disturbances will affect the way an
individual perceives their surroundings and connects with others. In Gail Joness
novel Five Bells, Jamess great difficulty in moving on from the past is
emphasised through the inner monologue she did not look back, though James
willed her to do so in which there is distinct contrast between Ellies fluid
movement into the future and Jamess inertia and fixation on the events of the
past. There is an overwhelming sense of restriction in Jamess life, as he is not
capable of reconnecting with Ellie as an adult, due to his intense dwellings on the
past and inability to cope with grief and loss. Ellies joyful and hopeful nature is
established through her perception of Sydney Harbour bowl of bright water
clear sky looking upwards key to a new world and this is contrasted with
Jamess dark and disturbed character portrayed through the negative imagery of
detritus cold metal pole bits and pieces of commercial junk and his refusal to
interact with his environment as he turned his back to the harbour. Jamess
dismal outlook on life and lack of hope prevent him from reaching out to Ellie, as
their ways of thinking are now too different and he does not know how to
approach her. Jamess emotional vulnerability and inability to face his
psychological pain is highlighted through his final act of suicide to escape his
troubles forever. Joness narration it was not a decision, but an act reveals his
helplessness as he truly felt that there was no way out, and so resulted to the
sad sinking of giving up and letting go. Through the characterisation of James
who was constantly reliving his memories of the past, it is clear that his failure to
cope with his past traumas has had a largely negative impact on his life.
Both Joness and Hosseinis texts explore the idea that overcoming the
adversities of human experience is a necessary process for an individual to grow
in emotional resilience. In the novel Five Bells, Pei Xing was previously oppressed
by her experiences of the Cultural Revolution, but realises that she must escape
from the hateful circle of vengeance in order to cross her psychological
boundaries and become at peace with herself. Her act of extending forgiveness
towards Dong Hua, results in a sense of inner peace and harmony and allows her
to grow in emotional resilience and develop spiritually as a person. The lexical
word choice of no longer and nor in Pei Xing no longer dwelt on the two
years she spent in prison. Nor on the injuries Comrade Peng and others inflicted
reflects Pei Xings feelings of empowerment as she persists to adopt an optimistic
mindset, in order to prevent herself from falling into self-pity and resentment, and
as a result, allowing herself to live freely with nothing pulling her down. This
notion is further articulated in Hosseinis novel, which initially explores the
hardships of two women, Mariam and Laila, living a patriarchal society but
reveals the effects of being able to overcome the adversities in ones life. The use
of dramatic and descriptive imagery his powerful hands clasped her jaw then
forced the cold, hard pebbles into it accentuates the harsh physical abuse that

Mariam is subject to, but despite the intense trauma that Mariam endures, she
perseveres and allows her religious faith to sustain her. The repetition in Mariams
inner dialogue Give sustenance, Allah. Give sustenance to me signifies her
spiritual growth and maturity in times of hardship. Additionally, the narration
Laila has moved on. Because in the end she knows thats all she can do. That
and hope. illustrates that her ability to accept Mariams death and conquer the
barrier of loss permits her to live a life that is not burdened by past sufferings.
Therefore, both the texts depict that the crossing of personal boundaries is
necessary for the psychological growth of an individual, and the success of
conquering these adversities will grant a sense of freedom.
As illustrated in Gail Joness novel Five Bells and Spiegelmans graphic novel
Maus, the crossing of textual boundaries allows the reader to see things from a
different perspective and gain a deeper understanding of the ideas explored in a
text. In the novel Five Bells, Jones breaks the conventional ways of story-telling
and plays with notions of time to shape the characters in the text, giving the
reader a deeper understanding of their personalities and how their present
identities have been shaped through their past experiences. The technique of
fragmentation is utilized to compare the characters different responses to
experience and give the readers a holistic sense of the life-changing nature of
human experiences. An epigraph from Kenneth Slessors poem Five Bells is
included, and the metaphor describing a memory as the flood that does not
flow depicts the constantly evolving nature of memory and how it unfailingly
continues to shape a persons present life. The graphic novel Maus challenges
the traditional role of a graphic novel by merging several genres together into
one text and exploring a subject that would not normally be discussed using this
text form. The use of metafiction in Arts dialogue reality is too complex for
graphic novels questions whether the Holocaust is an appropriate subject to
discuss in a graphic novel and makes the reader think deeply about the serious
nature of the issue in reality. By using the text form of a graphic novel, and
incorporating the genres of biography, autobiography and history, the events of
the Holocaust are presented in a fresh and original way to a wider audience,
combining many different ideas to provide depth and dimension to our
understanding of the issue. Furthermore, postmodern techniques such as the
depiction of Jews and Germans as mice and cats are used to highlight the distinct
cultural differences and evoke interest from the readers. By challenging the
traditional ways of storytelling, Gail Joness Five Bells and Spiegelmans Maus
both provide the readers with unique insight into the ideas explored in the texts.
In conclusion, different notions of crossing boundaries such as coping with past
experiences, overcoming personal boundaries and challenging the conventional
ways of shaping a story are depicted in Gail Joness novel Five Bells, Khaled
Hosseinis novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, and Art Spiegelmans graphic novel
Maus through a vast array of literary techniques.