1971. The significance of a title such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is so easy to discover. However, in other works (for example, Measure for Measure) the full significance of the title becomes apparent to the reader only gradually. Choose two works and show how the significance of their respective titles is developed through the authors' use of devices such as contrast, repetition, allusion, and point of view.
It is true that some titles portray the inner context in a quite obvious manner. What is "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" about? Oh, some boy named Huckleberry Finn goes on some adventures; it is clear. However, titles such as "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" or "Brave New World" do not explain the anything about the plot when one looks at the cover of the book.
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is actually about patients within a mental ward, and they are not treated with respect a lot of the time. The protagonist, Randle McMurphy, is entered into the ward because he was diagnosed as a psychopath after he was sentenced to serve time in prison. McMurphy is the "one" who flies over the cuckoo's nest. This is not apparent in the title, and the "cuckoo's nest" is the ward, itself. A reader needs to piece these elements together in order to understand the title of the book. Throughout the novel, things change throughout the ward the moment McMurphy enters. He helps and hurts those around him, but he is a major impact over all. Basically, the novel develops themes of independence and confidence. There are many, many symbols that create the image of the title, and McMurphy's impact is a major one.
"A Brave New World" uses personification in its title, and that makes it an engaging and creative title; however, it is not simple to guess what goes on during the text of the novel. The idea of a "Brave New World" is created in the novel by a society that is fully dependent on the work of the government. The government controls every aspect of the society, and they place people in different classes based on the development that is forced upon them at birth. This is a perfect example of a dystopian society in which everything seems to run smoothly and VERY controlled, but at the same time, there are many flaws in the system. The idea of "brave" that is portrayed, has to do with the fact that the society was able to survive amongst the all-powerful government. It is a world that one would not here of today; it is a new world, a brave one.
Both of these titles take some thinking and studying to truly see the themes that they are portraying, but the hidden message inside of the titles are quite prominent. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Brave New World" are classic pieces of literature with very different ideas but the same idea in the structure of their titles.
