Hawaii By James Michener
Summation
Hawaii, by James A. Michener, is a novel which covers, on both a
fictional and a non-fictional level, the total history of Hawaii from its
beginning until approximately 1954. The work traces Hawaiian history from
the geological creation of the islands ("From the Boundless Deeps) to the
arrival of its first inhabitants, ("From the Sun-Swept Lagoon"), then to
the settlement of the islands by the American missionaries, ("From the Farm
of Bitterness"). In the novel, as the island's agricultural treasures in
pineapple and sugar cane were discovered, the Chinese were brought as
plantation workers to Hawaii ("From The Starving Village"). Years later,
when it was realized by the ...
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show the different situations that each of the
many "types" of Hawaiians are confronted with. Michener uses mostly
specific, fictional details to support the general ideas of the islands and
their various people, that he conveys through Hawaii. I will go into more
detail about the plot in the "Documentation" section.
Michener's Hawaii is a superb example of a great work of literature. He
paints vivid literal pictures of various scenes throughout the novel. For
example, in the first chapter, the Pacific Ocean is described:
"Scores of millions of years before man had risen from the shores of
the ocean to perceive its grandeur and to venture forth upon its turbulent
waves, this eternal sea existed, larger than any other of the earth's
features, vaster than the sister oceans combined, wild, terrifying in its
immensity and imperative in its universal role."
Many other stylistic devices are employed; most of them fall into the
category of figurative language, (i.e. ...
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what actually happened.
For example, a comparison of Hawaii to actual history can be made through
selected events in each chapter of the novel. In order to compare the
events in Michener's Hawaii, it is necessary to recap the events of the
novel. The following selected events from each chapter will serve this
purpose.
The first chapter of Hawaii, "From the Boundless Deep", describes the
formation of the islands, very descriptively. It states that the creation
of Hawaii took place "millions upon millions of years ago, when the
continents were already formed, and the principal features of the Earth had
been decided." Although the creation is a purely fictional account, it ...
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Hawaii By James Michener. (2006, January 14). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Hawaii-By-James-Michener/39624
"Hawaii By James Michener." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 14 Jan. 2006. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Hawaii-By-James-Michener/39624>
"Hawaii By James Michener." Essayworld.com. January 14, 2006. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Hawaii-By-James-Michener/39624.
"Hawaii By James Michener." Essayworld.com. January 14, 2006. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Hawaii-By-James-Michener/39624.
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