Nazis and Woodchucks Essay Example for Free

Nazis and Woodchucks Essay Nazi racial ideology has baffled the cultured mind since the atrocities were first made known to the world with the end of WWII. Though the inconceivable horror Jews and other nationalities endured under Nazi reign is common knowledge in our culture and is found in almost any modern history textbook, the mindset that made such atrocities acceptable to Nazis under Hitler’s regime remains a mystery to many. Maxine Kumin admirably conveys the thought process behind this oppressive outlook through the seemingly simplistic poem â€Å"Woodchucks†. The purpose of the poem is to align the readers with the narrator’s apparently reasonable yet somewhat sociopathic view of the woodchucks as an inferior life form while building an allegory to the Nazi’s justification for mass extermination that will shock the audience when made explicit by the poem’s end. In the first stanza, Maxine introduces the narrator’s problem with the woodchucks and how she justifies attempting to gas them. The narrator states how killing the woodchucks with gas â€Å"didn’t turn out right† (1). This phrase emphasizes how the narrator views killing the woodchucks as a mundane and emotionless task, the same way a batch of cookies or pot of coffee may not â€Å"turn out right†. Gassing has connotations of a slow agonizing death, but the poem continues: â€Å"the knockout bomb from the Feed and Grain Exchange / was featured as merciful, quick at the bone† (2-3). This contrast in connotation and given definition is meant to show how the narrator is striving to justify their deaths. The second stanza begins to make the narrator’s view of the woodchucks as lesser clearer to the audience. Maxine uses alliteration to draw attention to the words cyanide, cigarettes and state-store Scotch when the narrator states the woodchucks are â€Å"No worse / for the cyanide than we for our cigarettes† (7-8). In this comparison, the narrator gives the impression that she considers gassing the woodchucks a favor to them, like giving them scotch or cigarettes. While it is not explicit in the poem by the second stanza, this metaphor hints at the narrator’s unbalanced views of life regarding the woodchucks. Maxine also introduces war imagery in this stanza. The narrator describes how the woodchucks â€Å"took over† the vegetables by â€Å"nipping† and â€Å"beheading† (11-12). These verbs not only personify the vegetables as victims, but turn woodchucks into a force of evil in a war-like manner in the narrator’s mind. It is important to note that the narrator never addresses the woodchucks’ need to eat and survive and only views it as an unjustified invasion. This mindset closely aligns with the anti-Semitism that led to the Holocaust. The narrator treats the woodchucks with no right to the garden the same way that â€Å"Jews still carried the burden of proof that they simply had the right to be there† (Hartmann 636). By the third stanza, the Maxine solidifies the narrator’s hatred and blood thirst towards the woodchucks, using a Nazi related scapegoat excuse to rationalize killing them. â€Å"The food from our mouths† (13) starts the stanza; a sentence fragment most likely muttered bitterly by the narrator that fortifies the idea that woodchucks are not simply invading and eating food, but stealing food from the narrator. To the narrator, the woodchucks become the scapegoat for the garden’s ruin the same way the Jews were used to â€Å"blame for the economic collapse of Germany† (Foster 13). However, Maxine also undertones the narrator’s scapegoat claim as unsubstantial and exaggerated. In a vegetable patch containing numerous vegetable types, a small family of woodchucks is unlikely to be as deadly of a threat as the narrator makes it out to be. Similarly, â€Å"The Nazi claim that Germany was being ‘Judaized’ can hardly be substantiated† as Germany’s Jewish inhabitants in 1933 made up a mere â€Å".80 percent of the total population† (Foster 15). The third stanza also starts to unearth the poem’s greater implications towards Nazi ideology with the line â€Å"puffed with Darwinian pieties for killing† (16). The â€Å"Darwinian† aspect is an outstanding piece of the third stanza because it applies a fairly exclusive human social concept to the killing of woodchucks. This is directly related to the Nazi’s ideology which had â€Å"evolved over the previous 80 years from the related notions of eugenics and Social Darwinism† (Erdos 6), but Maxine has not made this relation entirely explicit yet. With the last two stanzas, the narrator degrades the death of the woodchucks. Rather than describe it in detail, the woodchucks â€Å"died down† (18). The evasive language hides any aspects of horror in the killing and gives the deaths a cartoonish aspect when the mother â€Å"dropped† and â€Å"flip-flopped† (19-20). The narrator even portrays their deaths in an eerie sing-song tone when â€Å"O one-two-three / the murderer inside me rose up hard† (22-23). This is linked to the way Holocaust victims were killed systematically (one-two-three) and their bodies were piled up for disposal. The language describing death in the poem and the way killing was carried out in Nazi concentration camps are connected in the way both were dehumanized. The fourth stanza also has a tone shift when the narrator explains â€Å"the murderer inside me rose up hard. / the hawkeye killer came on stage forthwith† (23-24). This part of the poem shifts the tone from the woodchucks as aggressors to the narrator becoming the aggressor. The indirect yet clear tone change indicates that the poem is now less related to the Nazi’s perspective, but the modern view of Nazis as the invaders. The last stanza in this poem brings an ultimate shock to the audience by directly referencing the Nazis in the ending line: â€Å"If only they’d all consented to die unseen / gassed underground the quiet Nazi way† (29-30). Any slight relations to Nazi ideology throughout the poem are now highlighted by this last line. At this point the readers have been carried through an unsteadily reasonable rant by the narrator of the woodchucks as a lesser life form, and then slammed into the allusion to the Nazi’s killings. The entire poem, even the spread-out rhyme scheme, threads into this central idea accented in the last line. Maxine, through the language and design of the poem â€Å"Woodchucks†, ultimately presented how frightening ideology similar to the Nazis is not as uncommon on a small scale as one may think. Works Cited Erdos, E. G. Regarding German Science and Racismroots of the Nazi Holocaust The FASEB Journal 22.6 (2008): 1623. Print. Foster, C. R. Historical Antecedents: Why the Holocaust? The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 450.1 (1980): 1-19. Print. Hartmann, Dieter D. Anti-Semitism and the Appeal of Nazism. Political Psychology 5.4 (1994): 635-42. Print.

To Have a Baby Essay Example for Free

To Have a Baby Essay When couples have their own babies, they will experience positive things in life. For one, having a baby can change their life for the better as babies symbolize the miracle of life. Another is that it can also bring joy and happiness into their lives while easing away any of their emotional burdens. Finally, it can also train couples to become more responsible as they grow older. Babies symbolize the miracle of life and for perhaps the best reason. A newly born baby provides people a reminder of the wonders of life. From the baby’s moving arms and legs to the baby’s first cry, all of the things that a baby does are proofs of life and can only assure couples that their child is a symbol for their fruitful existence. Babies can ease any emotional burdens of couples since babies bring joy and happiness into their lives. A simple smile or chuckle from a baby can easily lighten the mood of anyone, especially the parents of the baby. It can be said that the laughter of a baby is infectious; those around a chuckling baby is sure to feel the same way, if not act in almost the same way as the baby. A â€Å"bad† day can easily turn into a bright and happy one when babies begin to smile at their parents. Having a baby is in itself a training process since the tasks involved in rearing a child from birth onwards are crucial. From changing diapers to making the baby fall asleep in one’s arms, all of the things that couples do for the welfare of their baby is a training process that nurtures them into becoming responsible individuals as parents and as members of the society. There are more positive things that babies can bring into the lives of couples, thereby making life happier for these people with fewer reasons, if any, to be disheartened. To raise a child from infancy is a challenging but rewarding experience that can only be compared next to nothing. To have a baby is to essentially have all the reasons in life to be happy and satisfied.

Culture in North East India

Culture in North East India Historians maintain that the boundaries of ancient India roughly coincide with those of the present day South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). There are some who believe that except for the period under the British rule, India has never been a nation state. Other historians disagree and maintain that India has always been a cultural and economic entity and the North East has always been an integral part of India. There is also a school of thought which maintains that the population of North Eastern India has greater affinity with the people of South East Asia than with those from the rest of India. The political and cultural isolation of the Seven Sisters has spawned these observations. Perhaps, it is because of such divergent views and the prevailing situation that it is not very uncommon to hear the Indian leaders emphasising the importance of early integration of the people of the North East into the national mainstream.   The North East is a magnificent tragic tapestry of people, events nature. You can be touched by its rivers, rain mist, overwhelmed by the seeming gentleness of its people stirred by its powerful evocative history. There are not less than 220 ethnic tribes in the eight states comprising the region with a population of about forty million people. There are communities with kin in the neighbouring countries. There are sensitive and complex problems that have defied solution for as long as independent India has existed. The population is about three percent of the national figure. Its people are an anthropologists delight an administrators nightmare. A settlement in a district that satisfies one group will alienate a handful of communities in another part of the same district, not to speak of the state. There are special laws, constitutional provisions such as the Sixth Schedule Article 371A which seek to protect the traditions, land rights of various hill communities. North Eastern India has been facing increasing challenges as it copes with pressures emanating from its ethnic diversity. The rising challenges of ethno-nationalism and erosion of the state authority pose an increasing threat to the national security. The present socio political scene in the North East thus underlines disturbing trends. According to an estimate, there are more than 40 insurgent groups operating in the region. Absence of credible conflict management mechanisms is evident from the situation which is deteriorating by the day. Widespread poverty and unemployment, increasing economic disparities as compared with the rest of the country and those within the region and growing corruption in public life are further adding fuel to the fire. Increasing mobilisation for economic and political space by more and more socio-economic groups is causing turbulence in an environment of limited resources and constrained capabilities of redistribution of wealth. Thus, the fear of identi ty is further compounded by a social security factor, which essentially boils down to protecting the land from outsiders and in some cases within the region from other ethnic groups. Social, Cultural Educational Background Of People Of The North Eastern States Assam The people of Assam inhabit a multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious society. They speak languages that belong to three main language groups: Indo-Aryan, Austro-Asiatic, and Tibeto-Burman. The large number of ethnic and linguistic groups, the population composition and the peopling process in the state has led to it being called an India in miniature. Ethnic Groups. Tai-Ahoms were historically the dominant group of Assam and were the ethnic group associated with the term Assamese. More recently, the Assamese language speaking ethnic group has been associated with the term Assamese. Bengalis are another major group of Assam and are a majority in the Barak Valley. Bengalis are often stereotyped by many ethnic Assamese as Bangladeshi illegal immigrants, especially if they are Muslim. Bodos are the dominant group in Bodoland. They mostly speak the Tibeto-Burman Bodo language and live in Bodoland. Culture Of Assam. The culture of Assam is traditionally a hybrid one, developed due to cultural assimilation of different ethno-cultural groups under various politico-economic systems in different periods of pre-history and history. With a strong base of tradition and history, the modern Assamese culture is greatly influenced by various events those took place in the British Assam and in the Post-British Era. The language was standardised by the American Missionaries with the form available in the Sibsagar District (the nerve centre of the Ahom politico-economic system). A renewed Sanskritisation was increasingly adopted for developing Assamese language and grammar. A new wave of Western and northern Indian influence was apparent in the performing arts and literature. Assamese culture in its true sense today is a cultural system composed of different sub-systems. It is more interesting to note that even many of the source-cultures of Assamese culture are still surviving either as sub -systems or as sister entities. In broader sense, therefore, the Assamese cultural system incorporates its source-cultures such as Bodo (Boro) or Khasi or Mishing (Micing) but individual development of these sub-systems are today becoming important. However, it is also important to keep the broader system closer to its roots. Some of the common cultural traits available across these systems are:- (a) Respect towards areca-nut and betel leaves. (b) Respect towards particular symbolic cloth types such as Gamosa, Arnai. (c) Respect towards traditional silk and cotton garments. (d) Respect towards forefathers and elderly. (e) Great hospitality. (f) Bamboo culture. Status of Women in Assam. (a) In Assam, the status of women is high in comparison to the women of some other States of India. (b) There is greater gender equality in Assam. The society doesnt suffer from practices like dowry, child-marriage and bride-burning. This could be due to the fact that the Assamese society evolved partially from a tribal background and has thus retained some of the original value system of equity. (c) In the field of education, women in Assam are in a better position than the all-India average. As per 2001 census the literacy rate for Assam is 64.28 per cent as against 65.38 per cent for India. While male literacy is 71.93 per cent (India-75.85 per cent), female literacy stands at 56.03 per cent (India-54.60 per cent). (d) Female work participation is another indicator of womens status in the society. Assam has a largely rural agrarian economy, which is characterized by high rate of work participation of women. Though Female Work Participation Rates (FWPR) are high, as it is subsistence farming, women do not benefit economically, though they share a disproportionate share of the work burden. Nagaland Nagaland is almost entirely inhabited by the Naga tribes except some Kukis, Kacharis, Garos, Mikris, Benglas, and Assamese etc. in the plains sector. Originally, the Nagas were not known by the names of the tribes as they are known now, but by the name of a group of villages. Gradually they have settled down to the tribe names as are found now, but still then the process of amalgamation or separation is still going on. According to the census report, there are 16 Naga tribes and four non-Naga tribes inhabiting Nagaland. Society. The people are simple, straight-forward, hard-working and honest people with a high standard of integrity. They possess a strong sense of self respect and rarely submitted to anyone who roughshod over them. A hallmark of their character was their hospitality and cheerfulness. The Naga tribals have an egalitarian society, and the village is a closely knit unit consisting of households of different clans. The Village. They traditionally live in villages. The village is a well-defined entity with distinct land demarcation from neighboring villages. Each has a dialect of its own and as such there is a strong sense of social solidarity within it. The people in it are held together by social, economic, political and ritual ties. The villages have their own identity but not in isolation as there are interdependent relationships with neighboring villages. The impact of modernization is slowly but steadily eroding the centrality of villages as a social unit as large commercial towns are rapidly coming up in every region of the Naga hills. This is bringing about drastic changes in the values, lifestyles and social setup of the people. The Family. The family was the basic unit of the Naga society. Marriages were usually monogamous and fidelity to the spouse was considered a high virtue. Marriage within the same clan is not permitted and it amounts to incest. Incestuous couples used to be ostracized from the villages. The family was the most important institution of social education and social control. There used to be a deep respect for parents and elders. Material inheritance, such as land and cattle, is passed on to the male offspring with the eldest son receiving the largest share. Status Of Women. In the classless, caste-less Naga society, women have traditionally enjoyed a high social position, with a pivotal role in both family and community affairs. However, being a patriarchal society with strong warrior tradition, it is considered an honor to be born as a man. The traditional culture and customs expect a Naga woman to be obedient and humble; also expect her to perform the roles of wife, mother, child bearer, food producer and household manager. She also supplements the household income by weaving colorful shawls, an activity which is done exclusively by women. Women are highly respected and given a great deal of freedom, however, they are traditionally not included in the decision-making process of the clan or the village. Social and Cultural Heritage. The cultural traditions of the Nagas include features which are common to all the tribes like head hunting, common sleeping house for unmarried men which are taboo to women, a sort of trial marriage, or great freedom of intercourse between the sexes before marriage, disposal of dead on raised platforms, the simple loom for weaving cloth etc. Life in Nagaland is replete with festivals throughout the year as all the tribes have their own festivals, which they greatly cherish. They regard their festivals sacrosanct and participation in them is compulsory. Most of these festivals revolve round agriculture, which is still the mainstay of the Naga society. Over 85% population of Nagaland is directly dependent on agriculture. Transformation And Challenges.  The Naga society is undergoing tremendous transformation. The spread of Christianity, the growth of education and developmental programs undertaken by the government have all unleashed forces which are churning up the tribal society and rapidly changing its complexion and character. The modern set up of detached nuclear families is fast catching up with the people as they have greater intercourse with the modern world. This is leading to the erosion of the role of the clan and the village as agents of social control. Manipur Manipur is a place where different waves of races and culture met through the ages, which ultimately mingled together. The main population of the people is of Manipuries known as Meities. The Meitei speak Manipuri language, which is in Kuki chin group. They are divided into seven endogamous groups locally known as Salai. The general characteristics of the Meiteis are of Mongoloid type small eyes, fair complexion, rudimentary beards etc. generally they are thin built with well-developed limbs. The men among them do not exceed 57 in height and women on an average about 4 shorter than their counterparts. Society. The society is patrilineal though the women bear the major yoke of labour. Women share the responsibilities of earning and are not confined only to household duties. The household is a true social unit ant the head of the family has to perform certain religious duties. Their families consist of man, his wife and unmarried children. They practice both types of marriage by engagement and elopement. Though monogamy is the usual rule, there being more women than men, the practice of polygamy is also not uncommon. Meitei women have always enjoyed high economic and social status in Manipur, and today they work in nearly every social and economic sphere of society. In particular, they control traditional retail, including the Meitei markets and the trade in vegetables and traditional clothing. The Meitei people are well-known for their sporting prowess, hockey and polo are traditional and the Meitei form of martial art, thang ta, has recently been recognised as one of the official forms of international martial arts. Culture. Agriculture is the main stay of the people. About 88% of the total working population in the hills and about 60% of the working population in the valley depend entirely on the agriculture and allied pursuits like animal husbandry, fisheries and forestry. The people of Manipur have inherent love of performing art with lyrical beauty and rhythm. Their rich culture and tradition are also reflected in their handloom, tasteful clothes and in finer workmanship of handicrafts. Weaving among them is a traditional art of women and finds an easy market. They are deeply sensitive and their unique pattern of life with inherent love of arts is reflected in their dance and music. Their dances, whether folk or classical or modern, are devotional in nature.   Tripura The Tripuri people are the original inhabitants of the Kingdom of Tripura in North-East India and Bangladesh. The Tripuri people through the Royal family of the Debbarmas ruled the Kingdom of Tripura for more than 2000 years till the kingdom joined the Indian Union in 1949. The Tripuris live on the slopes of hills in a group of five to fifty families. Society Culture. The indigenous Tripuri people comprise various hill tribal communities who migrated to this land in successive waves in the ancient past. Each community had its own elementary social and administrative organization starting from the village level and up to the chieftainship of the whole tribe. The tribes enjoy their traditional freedom based on the concept of self-determination. The Tripuri people have a rich historical, social and cultural heritage which is totally distinct from that of the mainland Indians, their distinctive culture as reflected in their dance, music, festivals, management of community affairs, dress and food habit has a strong base. Mizoram Historians believe that the Mizos are a part of the great wave of the Mongolian race spilling over the eastern and southern India centuries ago. Mizo comprises of 5 major tribes and 11 minor tribes known under the common name Awzia. Mizos are of Mongoloid origin, speaking a dialect of Tibeto- Burman origin. The Mizos came under the influence of the British missionaries in the 19th century and today the majority of the Mizos are Christians by faith. The literacy rate is the second highest in the country. The people are mostly non- vegetarian and their staple food is rice. The Mizos are a close- knit society with no class distinction and discrimination on grounds of sex, status or religion. They are hospitable, sociable and love music, singing and dancing. Mizos are agriculturists all their activities revolve around this cultivation and their festivals are connected with such agricultural operations. Society And Cultural. A gregarious and close- knit society, they evolved some principles of self-help and co- operation to meet social obligations and responsibilities. Constructive social works were executed through voluntary community works. Every family was expected to contribute labour for the welfare of the community. The Mizos are a distinct community and the social unit was the village. Around it revolved the life of the Mizo. The Mizos have been enchanted to their new- found faith of Christianity with so much dedication and submission that their social life and thought- process have been altogether transformed and guided by the Christian church organisations directly or in directly and their sense of values has also undergone drastic change. No class distinction and no discrimination on grounds of sex are not seen in Mizo society. 90% of them are cultivators and the village exists like a big family. Birth of a child, marriage in the village and death of a person in the villag e or a community feast arranged by a member of the village are important occasions in which the whole village is involved. Arunachal Pradesh There are 26 major tribes and a number of sub tribes living in the state. Most of these communities are ethically similar having derived from an original common stock but their geographical isolation from each other has brought amongst them certain distinctive characteristics in language, dress and customs. Society and Culture. The whole population of Arunachal can be divided into three cultural groups on the basis of their socio- politico religious affinities.For about 35% of the population of Arunachal Pradesh, agriculture is the main occupation. Festivals are an essential part of the socio- cultural life of the people. The festivals are usually connected with agriculture and are associated with ritualistic gaiety either to thank God or to pray for bumper harvest. Summary Of Characteristics Of People Of The NE States Having seen the characteristics of the social, cultural other factors pertaining to the people of insurgency effected North Eastern states, it is imperative that the peculiarities be summarized. It is difficult to profile such a vast diverse anthropology, however for the ease of the study, certain basic similarities could be clubbed together a basic framework of behavioural attitudinal pattern could be listed as under :- (a) People have a strong affinity to their race, ethnicity have strong inclination for preservation of the same. (b) In the rural areas, where people reside in their particular ethnic group, there are stringent rules, customs traditions to be followed flouting them is taken very seriously. (c) As the people belong to the lesser developed part of the country, their basic culture beliefs are intact there is less proliferation of modernity in their values. (d) They have strong values regarding respect to the elders, women and could go to great extent to preserve their honour. (e) They are basically agrarian community, hardworking, innocent socially active within their own community. (f) They have rich cultural heritage bonds which gives them a sense of exclusivity belongingness. (g) The various societies are religious and secular. (h) The division of societies is not based on caste system. It is based on ethnicity, in a particular tribe, everybody is treated as equal. (j) Women have a pivotal important role to play in their communities. Few of the societies are male dominated but most of them have equal status for women in the respective society. (k) Education awareness is on an increase over a period of times have reached even the remote areas. (l) The languages / dialects spoken are specific to a tribe it does not have any semblance with most of the languages of rest of the country.

Movies Serendipity and An Affair to Remember :: Serendipity Affair Movie Film Essays

Movies Serendipity and An Affair to Remember Can once in a lifetime happen twice? Can two people get a second chance at love? While reality more than likely suggests no, some movies would suggest otherwise. The films An Affair to Remember and Serendipity are only two examples of how society depicts romance as an exaggerated fabrication of reality only to have a negative effect on its viewers. Both films share the storyline of two lovers who separate, only hoping that fate will bring them back together As the film Serendipity begins, Sara Thomas and Jonathon Trager meet each other for the first time at Bloomingdale’s. Conversation sparked between the two when both reached for the same pair of gloves. Enjoying themselves at Bloomingdales, Sara and Jonathon decide to further their discussion at a nearby restaurant called Serendipity. Here, Jonathon realizes that he wants to see Sara again and politely asks for her phone number. Instead of just handing her number over, Sara writes in down on the inside cover of book, which she then tells him that she will sell the next day at a used bookstore. She continues to explain to Jonathon that if they are truly meant to see each other again, the book will find him. Jonathon then opens his wallet to take out a dollar bill. He writes his phone number on it and gives it to Sara, who spends it immediately. Using the same logic as before, she tells him that the dollar bill will find it’s way to her. As the years pass, the two both go on living their lives. But, Sara and Jonathon can’t seem to shake the feeling of each other. Every time Sara has a dollar bill, she always looks for a phone number and Jonathon can’t count all the used bookstores he’s been to. They both eventually meet someone new and become engaged. They wonder if these people they plan on marrying are their true soul mates. The night of Jonathon’s wedding rehearsal, he fiancà © gives him a present. Opening it slowly, he comes to realize it’s the title of the book Sara had once written her phone number in. He opens the front cover and he reads Sara’s name and number. Meanwhile, Sara is on an airplane returning home from visiting a friend. Pulling out her wallet, she discovers that she doesn’t have her wallet, but she has mistakenly taken her friend’s. Movies Serendipity and An Affair to Remember :: Serendipity Affair Movie Film Essays Movies Serendipity and An Affair to Remember Can once in a lifetime happen twice? Can two people get a second chance at love? While reality more than likely suggests no, some movies would suggest otherwise. The films An Affair to Remember and Serendipity are only two examples of how society depicts romance as an exaggerated fabrication of reality only to have a negative effect on its viewers. Both films share the storyline of two lovers who separate, only hoping that fate will bring them back together As the film Serendipity begins, Sara Thomas and Jonathon Trager meet each other for the first time at Bloomingdale’s. Conversation sparked between the two when both reached for the same pair of gloves. Enjoying themselves at Bloomingdales, Sara and Jonathon decide to further their discussion at a nearby restaurant called Serendipity. Here, Jonathon realizes that he wants to see Sara again and politely asks for her phone number. Instead of just handing her number over, Sara writes in down on the inside cover of book, which she then tells him that she will sell the next day at a used bookstore. She continues to explain to Jonathon that if they are truly meant to see each other again, the book will find him. Jonathon then opens his wallet to take out a dollar bill. He writes his phone number on it and gives it to Sara, who spends it immediately. Using the same logic as before, she tells him that the dollar bill will find it’s way to her. As the years pass, the two both go on living their lives. But, Sara and Jonathon can’t seem to shake the feeling of each other. Every time Sara has a dollar bill, she always looks for a phone number and Jonathon can’t count all the used bookstores he’s been to. They both eventually meet someone new and become engaged. They wonder if these people they plan on marrying are their true soul mates. The night of Jonathon’s wedding rehearsal, he fiancà © gives him a present. Opening it slowly, he comes to realize it’s the title of the book Sara had once written her phone number in. He opens the front cover and he reads Sara’s name and number. Meanwhile, Sara is on an airplane returning home from visiting a friend. Pulling out her wallet, she discovers that she doesn’t have her wallet, but she has mistakenly taken her friend’s.

Story Of An Hour :: essays research papers

The Story of an Hour depicts a single hour in Mrs. Mallard life, in which the lady who has a weak heart experiences the momentary joy of freedom after hearing that her husband has been killed in a railroad accident. Mrs. Mallard initial reaction, upon hearing of her husband death, is not far from what readers expect: she is deeply grieved, weeps and wants to be left alone. However, during the hour she spends alone in her room, her state of mind changes dramatically. Sitting in the armchair motionlessly, she sees spring trees from the open window, smells pure air after the gentle rain, hears a faint but pleasant song, even the patched clouds outside seem to be dispersing decently in the warm and powerful sunshine eventually. All these features imply that an unconscious wish in her heart is quietly but quickly expanding. At first, she feels something is approaching her, something almost tangible, which she is not sure about: t was too subtle and elusive to name. 71) However, from that moment on, her weeping ith sudden, wild abandonment disappears, he storm of grief goes away, she is turning to the situation where she has longed for. ree, free, free! 71) The first voice of protest breaks out after those tedious, miserable years. Now she realizes the feeling approaching her and possessing her occupies her entire soul and body: his possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being. Free! Body and soul free! 72) These unbelievably radical words show her enormous hunger for freedom, her strong wish to be herself again. Her husband sudden death has made her lifetime emotional torment come to an end, and she can be as free as a man now. On the other hand, Mrs. Mallard may cry again for the loss of her oving husband not only because of her gender role in the society, but for he still loves her and she herself had loved him as well. Moreover, the story does not tell us whether Mr. Mallard is an abusive or irresponsible husband, but this couple certainly strives for maintaining their unsatisfactory marriage. Besides, no love or security can compensate for a lack of control over her own existence (Skaggs, 53), let alone the fact that there is hardly any love in that fragile relationship.

Sympathy for PIP :: essays research papers

Great Expectations Dickens’ gripping novel of 1861, Great Expectations, portrays his distinguishing tendency to exaggerate both plot and characters. Chapter eight enhances his main aim of initiating sympathy for Pip, and this, consequently, lasts for the novel’s entirety. We are shown similarities between Dickens’ early childhood memories and the protagonist’s inability to defend himself against the injustices he discovers throughout the early years of life. Dickens successfully creates a sympathetic mood through a range of techniques, including an exquisite use of emotive dialogue, sophisticated imagery and symbolism. He explores and brings originality to timeless themes such as fear, loneliness, luck, classism, social justice, humiliation, and humor, which is cleverly incorporated into his writing for the first time to bring an uplifting mood to an otherwise dark and disturbing tone. His use of Miss Havisham and Estella as tools to evoke sympathy and casting the central character as the narrative voice increases compassion and creates a dramatic attitude. In this essay, I will also examine the opening and ending of the chapter, which contribute to its overall effect. Opening and Ending of the chapter After the initial detailed account of Pumblechook and his home, we are immediately endeared to Pip and express sympathy when he begins to depict the low ceiling of his attic space. Our sympathy is again increased and contained throughout the entire chapter – from the humorous torment of Pumblechook’s sums to meeting the somewhat frightening Miss Havisham and stepping inside her lonely, dilapidated abode. Pip’s already dire situation is once again worsened by Estella and Miss Havisham’s cruel and menacing comments about the situation in which he finds himself. They arouse our consideration through the way in which they interact, both with each other and with Pip, making him feel ‘much more ignorant’ than he had considered himself the previous night. His growing obsession with Estella and her view upon him drags down his self-esteem to an all time low and consequently builds our sympathy towards him. It is here that his feeling of despair and worthlessness present him with the new target of becoming a gentleman, so far from his status at that present time. Social Class Great Expectations frequently refers us to the present class system of a post-Industrial Revolution Victorian England. The theme of social underlines the book’s overall plot and moral theme that loyalty and conscience are worth more than social advancement, wealth and class. During the 19th century, there were vast differences in social class. Although it was incredibly easy to slip down the social ladder, the poor often resorted to begging or stealing in order to

Hawk Roosting

Hughes was fascinated by the ‘animism' of ancient cultures, especially American Indians. Animism is the belief that spirits live inside all the parts of nature. Hughes poem seems to conjure the fierce spirit of a kind of Hawk God. In this poem, Hughes writes in the imagined voice of a hawk. The hawk, in other words, is personified. For the sake of simplicity, I will call the hawk ‘he'. The hawk's tone of voice is proud, arrogant, he thinks of himself as master of his world. Indeed, like a God, he has power over life and death.His whole life is spent either being in ‘sleep' or hunting for prey. And even when he is asleep he dreams of mastering his hunting and killing technique. The physical description the hawk gives of itself, ‘Between my hooked head and hooked feet', confirms this obsession. Its weapons, the hooks, are the things that matter most to the bird. The hawk says that he has no ‘falsifying dream', nor any ‘sophistry' within himself, and that ‘no arguments assert' his rights. Sophistry means false, but clever arguments.In other words then, unlike humans, the bird is free of rules and regulations, it does not have to justify itself to anything or anyone. Imagery Hughes achieves some of his effects in this poem by changing the scale of things. The small hawk imagines itself to be as big as a God: ‘Now I hold Creation in my foot Or fly up and revolve it slowly. ‘ It is as if the world is only spinning because the hawk's claw turns it looking for its next victim. Form The poem is set out in six equal, four line stanzas. Unlike ‘Work and Play' there is no development or change in form at the end of the poem.Why not? Because the Hawk will not allow change/does not want change. It is happy with the way things are arranged. The world of the hawk is ordered, neat, efficient, controlled, and the form of the poem matches those qualities. The lines are fairly short and many end with full stops. For insta nce, the four statements, of apparent facts, in the last stanza all end with full-stops. Do the full-stops suggest ends, finality, death and in this poem certainty? Certainly the factual tone and the end-stopped, full-stopped lines suggest the hawk would not put up with any arguments.The combined effect is menacing. Summary Subject: Hughes personifies a hawk. He describes it as a survivor and a killer. He compares the hawk's freedom to act on instinct with the way we are ruled by thoughts, arguments and regulations. ATTITUDE : The hawks' attitude is arrogant; its tone is menacing, confident, absolute, and boastful. The hawk sees itself as like a king, or a god or an executioner. Hughes's attitude is more difficult to tell. He leaves the poem open for the reader to decide on how to react to this fierce spirit.Could we just laugh at the small hawk's grand deluded view of itself? Style Almost every image refers to the hawk's control and confidence. Everything revolves around the hawk. Look at the number of times ‘I', ‘me' or ‘my' is used There are lots of short, factual sounding statements in the poem, and a lot of full-stops. These help to convey the bird's certainty. Hughes appears to be using the hawk in this poem as a symbol for power. A hawk would of course act instinctively and kill for the purposes of survival.The implications of â€Å"Hawk Roosting† are therefore that the poem is an extended metaphor for the behaviour of a tyrant or power-seeking ruler. Such a person would, as the hawk is in this poem, be self-centred and arrogant. An authoritarian despot would not allow himself or his methods to be questioned, and would see the world around him as being designed to suit his purposes. Ted Hughes, in â€Å"Hawk Roosting,† paints a picture of a creature that is ruthless and self-involved, showing how a lust for power can take over a being and end in brutality. STRUCTUREThe structure of the poem is regular, with verses of four lines each and similar length lines which creates a feeling of tight control that adds to the theme of power and perfect balance in the hawk. The punctuation is equally tight, with many sentences contained within the line, which gives an abrupt, sharp, controlled feel. However, there is some enjambement which breaks free of the stanza to run across the line break, as if the hawk can disregard the rules, creating a flowing effect as he lists his powers. THEMES – IMAGERY Many nature poems deal with the beauty of nature and God’s power as creator.This poem subverts these expectations. Here, nature is brutal: it ‘kills’ and ‘eats’. What’s slightly disturbing is that the hawk views these as ‘perfect’ and ‘rehearses them’. This almost gives the feel of a psychopath, yet he is only fulfilling his natural function. The repetition of ‘hooked’ from his head to his feet creates a feel of being captured, evok ing his sharp, deadly beak and claws. These are the parts that the hawk emphasizes when he describes himself. The hawk deals in ‘death’. Hughes uses the metaphor of the bird flying direct ‘through the bones of the living’.The uneasy juxtaposition of bones with living creates an unsettling effect, and makes the bird seem almost supernaturally powerful: as if he exists beyond this one moment in time. The voice of the bird displays god-like arrogance [hubris]. He judges that earth ‘holds itself upwards for my inspection’, as if the world only exists for his benefit. The Hawk frequently uses ‘me’ and ‘my’, which shows a possessive, self-focussed streak. He says he holds ‘Creation in my foot’. This is a literal, visual image of the bird in flight and the earth seeming small below, but also a metaphor of power.Hughes deliberately subverts [turns upside down] traditional nature poems on the majesty of creation. T he hawk lists natural features: ‘sun’, ‘air’ and the ‘tree’, which he thinks exist only in as much as they are of ‘advantage to me’. He also says it took ‘the whole of Creation’ to produce his ‘feather’ and ‘foot’: the juxtaposition of something so huge and old, and biblical against a tiny foot/feather, shows how magnificent the bird thinks he is: as if he is the reason creation exists.This is interesting because it twists the traditional anthropocentric world view (i.e. humans are the peak of creation, the whole point of it all), that is set down in Genesis. When he flies up he says he will ‘revolve’ the world slowly – as if he is making it turn. He gives the gift (‘allotment’) of death, which is an ironic juxtaposition as no one would want to receive this gift. It is as if he’s the god of death. He says he has ‘permitted no change’ and end s with a final, simple declarative statement ‘I am going to keep things like this’. The use of ‘am’ stresses his power. He doesn’t say ‘will’ or ‘might’; he’s certain.