Stingo, the narrator, is a southern boy, born and bred, who moved to new york with the ambition of becoming a writer. It is about three people who are faced with a series of choices, some frivolous, some tragic. As he becomes friendly with sophie meryl streep and her lover nathan kevin kline, he learns that sophie is a holocaust survivor. Sophie s choice modern library 100 best novels william styron.
And sophie s choice will probably draw similar accusations about styron s use of the holocaust. Stingo, a young aspiring writer from the south, and the jewish scientist nathan landau and his lover sophie, a polish catholic survivor of the german nazi concentration camps, whom he befriends. Sophies world by jostein gaarder plot summary litcharts. Sophie was a polish survivor from the nazi concentration camps during the second world war and her traumatic experiences, including the choices that she had to take brought her in the throes of a. Historical accuracy summary sophies choice historical accuracy contd would you let someone like. When he describes sophies experiences, he either directly quotes what sophie is saying and she takes over the narrative for a bit, or stingo retells what happens when she tells him the story.
Historical accuracy summary sophie s choice historical accuracy contd would you let someone like. Identify a symbol of significance that is in sophies choice. Afterwards, she receives a packet of papers, part of a course in philosophy sophie, without the knowledge of her mother, becomes the student of an old philosopher, alberto knox. Sophie amundsen is a 14yearold girl who lives in norway the book begins with sophie receiving two messages in her mailbox and a postcard addressed to hilde moller knag. And though the holocaust casts a shadow over the entire film, only a portion of its 150minute.
William styron 19252006, a native of the virginia tidewater, was a graduate of duke university and a veteran of the u. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. As they flounder in the bewilderment of being human in an age of madness, they become our friends, and we love them. Styron is the author of several books such as sophies choice, the confessions of nat turner and darkness visible. Sophie isnt sure what to make of these questions, but she doesnt tell anyone that shes receiving someone elses mailnot even her best friend, joanna ingebritsen, or her mom. Sophies choice, novel by william styron, published in 1979, that examines the historical, moral, and psychological ramifications of the holocaust through the tragic life of a roman catholic survivor of auschwitz set in the late 1940s, the novel is narrated by stingo, a young southern writer who is the authors thinly veiled alter ego. I think that sophie s number that is tattooed on her arm is a significant symbol in the novel. Youve reached the hub for any and all dramatica analysis of sophies choice. I have very mixed feelings about the book as a whole.
Belongs on that small shelf reserved for american masterpieces. Sophies choice tells the story of three young friends who lived in brooklyn in 1947. I was still thinking about this book a few days after reading it. Instead, he picked william styrons sophies choice, which runs almost 600 pages and couldnt be more different from a reacher novel in style and structure. We will discuss this in much greater detail in class, but for those of you who wish to begin with your annotations, here is an example. It talked of sophie the main character, in the perspectives of a confidant and observer her friend stingo. Stingo, a young aspiring writer from the south, and the jewish scientist nathan landau and his lover sophie, a polish catholic survivor of the german nazi. The family let sophie choose a name for the puppy, suggesting things like patch or pirate in keeping with his appearance, but when the puppy urinates in a corner of the room, sophie decides call him puddle. Sophies choice is a 1979 novel by american author william styron. Sophies choice modern library 100 best novels william styron. Sophies choice does dramatize the madness of antisemitism without itself being antisemitic. William styron, the wellknown american novelist, received the pulitzer prize in 1967 for the confessions of nat turner. He was awarded the pulitzer prize for fiction, the howells medal, the.
Sophies choice 1979 is one of william styrons betterremembered novels. Sophie s choice is a 1979 novel by american author william styron. Sexual politics and confessional testimony in sophies choice by. First, this book will counter the many critics who have assailed the novel as antisemitic. Stingo, a young aspiring writer from the south who befriends the jewish nathan landau and his beautiful lover sophie, a polish survivor of the german nazi concentration camps. Sophie s choice, william styron sophie s choice is a 1979 novel by american author william styron.
The book would be unsuitable for younger readers because of its explicit treatment of sex. For me, it would have been much better if it had focused on the choice and the consequence without the completely unbelievable sex scene, which replaced the much more poignant climax of the choice. Before i explain what i did and didnt like about sophies choice, let me give you a. I think the film is quite popular so i suggest leaving the. The letters offer her sophie a series of lessons in the history of western philosophy. A sophies choice joke is the kicker to season 10, episode 5s when you dish upon a star. The characters, plot and scenery are very well done. Jun 23, 2011 the book was beautiful and i devoured the sexually charged writing, but the plot lost all the momentum in the end.
Stingo, a novelist who is recalling the summer when he began his first novel, has been fired from his lowlevel. Stingo peter macnicol, a young writer, moves to brooklyn in 1947 to begin work on his first novel. Stingo later goes back to the building where he met sophie and nathan, only to find everybody in a state of shock. Flashbacks reveal her harrowing story, from prewar prosperity to auschwitz. Stingo, the narrator of william styrons 1979 novel sophies choice, asks, why hadnt she played dumb.
Despite its prevalence in the cultural landscape, im not going to assum the term sophies choice, which derives from a critical plot point in william styrons eponymous novel, has become a prominent american idiom. Explores the book sophies choice, by william styron. I think that sophies number that is tattooed on her arm is a significant symbol in the novel. The book was beautiful and i devoured the sexually charged writing, but the plot lost all the momentum in the end. Sophies choice note on annotations in progress 10 february 2002 you will have enormous latitude in putting together your annotated chapters. Much is made in the book of sophie s blonde, blueeyed good looks, how a certain amount of special treatment helped her survive the concentration camp, how it showed the nazis to be insane about the whole aryan thing, and how her blonde good looks gave the idiot narrator a stiffie. In an exclusive clip from a new roundtable discussion that is part of the new sophie s choice bluray out april 29, streep says she didnt act when the soldier ripped lejeune from her. Sophie has left him a note, saying she has gone back to nathan, but that stingo is a great lover. Nathan, his charismatic but violent jewish neighbor. There he strikes up a friendship with research chemist nathan landau and polish refugee sophie zawistowska.
Read online or download sophies choice by william styron download sophies choice ebook overview three stories are told. A contemporary casebook xi portrait of vichy france. The plot ultimately centers on a tragic decision which sophie was. Sophies choice by william styron overdrive rakuten. The other narrator, contained within stingos story, is sophie herself, who remembers what happened to her during world war ii, and shares her memories with stingo. Sophies choice has become famous, even to those who have neither seen the film nor read the book, for the awful moment that gives both their title. Posttraumatic stress disorder and sophie in sophies choice. His stifling ninetofive job at a publishing company kills his spirit and. In this sophies choice excerpt he describes a young polish mother, sophie, with her two small children, being transported in a crowded train by german soldiers during world war ii to auschwitz, the nazi concentration camp. It concerns the relationships between three people sharing a boarding house in brooklyn.
If the title sarah s key evokes sophie s choice, that s surely by design. An exlibrary book and may have standard library stamps andor stickers. Meryl streep stars as sophie, a polish immigrant who shares a boarding house in brooklyn with her tempestuous lover, nathan kevin kline in his feature film debut, and a young writer, stingo peter macnicol streeps performance was acclaimed, and she received. Sophies choice is the title of a 1979 novel by william styron, and in 1982 sophies choice was made into a critically acclaimed film starring meryl streep. Profoundly moving and superbly structured, styrons great novel of the holocaust asks searching questions about the desperation of war and. Complete summary of william styrons sophies choice. When a husband and wife attempt to break some sad and lifechanging news to their ten year old daughter sophie, their disclosures are far from what anyone could expect. Sophies choice ebook by william styron 9781936317172. When nathan broke out in anger, would you have helped sophie with nathan, or taken sophie away. Winner of the national book award and a modern classic, sophies choice centers on three characters. Also of relevance was the celebration, in october 2006, of the birth. Sophie s choice is a 1982 american drama film directed by alan j. Sophie continues to receive letters marked for hilde.
In this film, set in 1947, aspiring author stingo heads to new york. If the title sarahs key evokes sophies choice, thats surely by design. Their doomed relationship is observed by their young friend, stingo, who records sophie s memories of the war years and the horrible choice she is forced to make that will doom all her future chances of happiness. In this sophie s choice excerpt he describes a young polish mother, sophie, with her two small children, being transported in a crowded train by german soldiers during world war ii to auschwitz, the nazi concentration camp. If he reads at all, the book thief is being marketed in the us as a young adult novel. More than once in this smugly autobiographical novel, styron pouts about how his last book, the confessions of nat turner, drew accusations of exploitation, accusations that i had turned to my own profit and advantage the miseries of slavery.
To ask other readers questions about sophies choice, please sign up. The movie, like the book, is told with two narrators. Washington post book world winner of the 1980 national book award, sophies choice is william styrons classic novel of love, survival, and regret, set in brooklyn in the wake of the second world war. Sopies choice is a fine, absorbing, wonderfully acted, heartbreaking movie. Apr 28, 2014 sophies choice has become famous, even to those who have neither seen the film nor read the book, for the awful moment that gives both their title. His books include lie down in darkness, the long march, set this house on fire, the confessions of nat turner, sophies choice, this quiet dust, darkness visible, and a tidewater morning. That scene falls late in the action, a climactic revelation sophie has fled for the entire story. Stingo is led up to sophie and nathans room where he finds they have committed suicide. Sophies choice won the american book award and sold more than three million copies worldwide, but the novel has remained controversialfor its perceived treatment of women, its mixing of sexual comedy with high tragedy, and its legitimacy as an. This book will demonstrate, however, that sophies choice is styrons most audacious, original, and artistically successful novel to date.
Sophies choice by william styron, bantam edition, sophies choice edition open library. However, i had a big problem with the unfolding of the plot. Sophies choice 1982 was a movie adaptation of a novel with the same title. Much is made in the book of sophies blonde, blueeyed good looks, how a certain amount of special treatment helped her survive the concentration camp, how it showed the nazis to be insane about the whole aryan thing, and how her blonde good looks gave the idiot narrator a stiffie.
And sophies choice will probably draw similar accusations about styrons use of the holocaust. He was awarded the pulitzer prize for fiction, the howells. Identify a symbol of significance that is in sophie s choice. When he describes sophie s experiences, he either directly quotes what sophie is saying and she takes over the narrative for a bit, or stingo retells what happens when she tells him the story. Adapted from a bestselling novel whose original french title translates as she was called sarah, this holocaust. One is stingo, who remembers these people from that summer in brooklyn, and who also remembers himself at that much earlier age. It is described as an american classic or historical fiction, though it falls squarely into the category of adult literary fiction. Discussion questions would you have chosen like sophie had, or let the nazis choose. His stifling ninetofive job at a publishing company kills his spirit and his hopes, and the young man quickly becomes jaded. In addition to the storyform, youll also find any additional analysis or media related to the story in question more analysis south park. Lucky a pony who appears in the final book sophies lucky.
She first encounters lucky when visiting aunt al up in the scottish. Open road media 0 22 0 summary this awardwinning novel of love, survival, and agonizing regret in postwwii brooklyn belongs on that small shelf reserved for american masterpieces the washington post book world. William styrons sophies choice is a landmark of mid20thcentury american fiction an impressively fat novel that most literate americans. Sophie s choice is the story of a concentration camp survivor named sophie and her emotionally volatile lover, nathan.
Sophie s choice tells the story of three young friends who lived in brooklyn in 1947. I think william styron may have based sophie on someone he knew in the 1950s but sophie and her situation are fiction, not history, per see. A contemporary casebook is a collection of interpretations and reactions to william styrons famous 1979 novel of the holocaust. Pakula, who adapted william styrons 1979 novel of the same name. This awardwinning novel of love, survival, and agonizing regret in postwwii brooklyn belongs on that small shelf reserved for american masterpieces the washington post book world.
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