Symbols in Annabel Lee

Two characters, mysterious pasts, problems with fathers, and murders. This is what is happening in Annabel Lee and Jazz’s worlds. These two are shrouded in secrets, and it will take everything they have to figure out what is happening. Annabel Lee is from Jessica Verday’s “Of Monsters and Madness,” and Jazz is from Barry Lyga’s “I Hunt Killers.” Let’s explore how these two are alike and different.

Jessica Verday’s novel “Of Monsters and Madness” is a twisted retelling of a gothic romance, with characters such as Edgar Allan Poe and Annabel Lee.

Set in 1820s Philadelphia, Annabel Lee is the main character with a secretive past, sailing from Siam after her mother passed away to live with her father. However, Annabel Lee’s father is now a crippled, mean, cold ex-doctor who, with the help of his assistants, conducts secretive things in his laboratory. Annabel Lee soon becomes enamored with one of her father’s assistants, Allan Poe. But Allan’s cousin Edgar, who bears a striking resemblance to Allan, creeps Annabel out. Crushing her dream of becoming a physician is Annabel’s father. Her only comforts are her mother’s scarf, a book, and her two friends – Mary her maid and her grandfather. Eventually, she will uncover the house’s secrets and the strange murders.

Barry Lyga’s “I Hunt Killers,” on the other hand, is set in a more modern time. Jazz is the main character, living in a town named Lobo’s Nod. Jazz, however, has a more twisted story; his dad was a notorious serial killer. Now a teenager with a best friend with hemophilia and a girlfriend, murders have started up again in Lobo’s Nod. In a bid to disprove the maxim ‘like father like son,’ Jazz joins forces with the police. Jazz and his friends end up breaking into morgues and uncovering something more significant than anyone ever thought.

Annabel Lee is a sweet girl with a secretive and chaotic life. She has major problems with her father and only has a few friends. She yearns to pursue one thing, but her father disapproves. Annabel is a strong lead who fights for her beliefs, not allowing others’ opinions to influence her decisions. Jazz, conversely, spends most of the novel with his past shrouded, giving only a few clues about it. With an unconventional father who was a murderer and taught his son things no child should know, Jazz strives not to become like his “Dear Old Dad” and thus chooses a different path. Jazz wants to follow his own path and not be ensnared in his father’s past. Both characters have a lot to work through, but with support and determination, they refuse to let people bring them down and are eager to pursue their desires.

Annabel Lee’s story is set in the 1800s, whereas Jazz’s is in modern times. Annabel is a strong heroine with a love interest that develops over the course of the novel. She also creates a bond with her father over time due to the events unfolding in their town, allowing her to understand who he is and what he does. Jazz, on the other hand, is a strong male lead with an existing love interest. Jazz severs ties with his father and his past life because he realizes the wrongness of the situation.

Although these characters are from different eras, they have both similarities and differences. In time, Annabel Lee gains newfound friendships and discovers a father she never knew. Jazz, meanwhile, breaks his bond with his father and builds new friendships to move on from his past.

Did you like this example?

723

30