The Witches of Eastwick & Brazil

1. The Witches of Eastwick&Brazil John Updike

2. Tone The tone of Brazil is much different than The Witches of Eastwick. Brazil sets a romantic tone from the very beginning when Tristao and Isabel first meet on the beach. The tone is also tragic and quite ironic as well. This was another one of Updike’s fantasy novels, which allows readers to escape from reality. The tragedy in the story is created when Tristao and Isabel become a couple but are of two different races and are frowned upon. The tone throughout The Witches of Eastwickis witty and ironic. Three witches gain their power after leaving or being left by their husbands. They use most of their power for bad and soon after meet Darryl Van Horne who’s character is much like the Devil. This is one of the few fantasy comedies which Updike has written. Having such a witty tone creates a humorous story line that the readers can enjoy. Example: “Her own former husband, Oswald Spofford, rested on a high kitchen shelf in a jar, reduced to multi-colored dust, the cap screwed on tight.” Example: "I crave a world in which only you exist, all around me, like the air I am constantly eating."

3. Imagery Updike’s Brazil is full of great detail. Updike needed to use rich descriptions enable to capture the trueness and culture of Brazil itself. Updike’s use of words creates a scene that the reader can imagine being a part of. Updike is great at creating imagery throughout his works. In The Witches of EastwickUpdike describes not only the characters in great detail but the scenery as well. Having such intense descriptions creates a story that the reader can relate to more and understand. Example: “This was september, season of full tides; the marsh between here and the island this afternoon was a sheet of a skyey water flecked by the tips of the salt hay turning golden.” Example: “Between these buildings-irregularly placed, with some windows blackened like absent teeth-were rusting rails, of track where no trains ran…”

4. Voice The voice of The Witches of Eastwick, is sarcastic and witty. Once again the great description of each character and the way each of them spoke brought them to life. The characters themselves had separate personalities, and the way Updike wrote allowed them to be set apart. The voice in Brazil is strong and forceful. The descriptions allow the culture of each character to show through. All of the characters throughout this novel are strong and opinionated individuals.

5. Irony Irony is a major theme used throughout The Witches of Eastwick. It is ironic that the three witches gain their power after being left by their husbands, but they seem to also be helpless when they don’t have a man in their lives. The irony is what makes this novel clever, and witty, and interesting to read. Brazil also shows a great deal of irony. The two lovers, Tristao and Isabel face the troubles of racism throughout their entire journey. To try to fix that problem Isabel finds someone on the street who can switch their races. Isabel thinks that her being black and Tristao being white will solve much of their problems, but in reality it only makes them worse and Tristao ends up killed in the end. The irony in this book ends the novel as a tragedy.