American Themes

American Theme-Individualism Literary works reflect the main ideas of the American mind. An American theme that is seen in various works of literature is individuality. Individuality is expressed in three different literary works from Frost, Chopin, and Paine. These works of literature aid us in developing an open mind about what the American people should expect in society. Following others doesn’t guide us in any way because it does not allow for us to express our innermost feelings. Throughout these three works, individualism is expressed in various ways. Although all three works do illustrate the idea of individualism, Paine seems to approach it in a different way. Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken, is an insightful idealistic attempt in illustrating the paradox of free will. In the first line, Frost uses the metaphor Two roads diverged (1), to establish not only the hard decision the traveler must make in the poem, but life itself. The decisions we make in life, like the traveler in this poem are not to be taken carelessly. Many have a desire to be adventurous, yet we fear possibilities of failing if we are different from others. In this poem, the road that he decides to take is “wanted wear.” This road is not a well-traveled path and no one has taken it before. The central idea of Frost’s poem is individualism. Frost shows that being his own person makes life so much easier. Frost shows us that we should all express our feelings and be our own person, even if no one else will follow. He took the path that no one else did “and that has made all the difference.” Similarly, in Kate Chopin’s short story The Story of an Hour, the central theme of individuality is also expressed. When Mrs. Mallard received the news of her husband’ s death, she was in a deep state of grief. After she realized that she would now have freedom, she began to rejoice. Even though she loved her husband and will weep for him again, one thought comes to her over and over again: “free, free, free!”(546). Mrs. Mallard realizes at that instant that her life from now on is her own to live as she chooses; no more will she have to give in to the needs and wishes of her husband. She experiences a sense of independence to be who she wants to be without having to worry about her husband. This reflects the idea of individuality because Mrs. Mallard “would live for herself”(548). She was delighted to be able to make her own decisions and be “free! Body and soul free”(548). In contrast, Thomas Paine’s The Crisis, Number 1, expresses the theme of individualism in a different way. “I love the man that can smile at trouble: that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection”(124). Thomas Paine illustrates the idea that those who are free and can look at themselves and see that they live their own life without anyone else, have courage. People, who decide to be independent and not follow anyone else, demonstrate their bravery. Paine expresses his thoughts on giving up on something. He feels that we should strive for what we want to do “for though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire”(125). Therefore, we can see that American themes do imitate the essential thoughts of the American mind. Most American people illustrate the American theme of individualism and it plays a major role in shaping our world today.

All New People By Anne Lamott

I believe All New People by Ann Lamott was chosen for the Independent Thinkers Ser Sex, drugs, presidential scandals, all this and more is to be found in the magnificently written novel All New People by Anne Lamott. Probing into a timeless array of chaos and personal tragedy, Lamott manages to tie the story together with a mixture of personal experiences and documented historical references creating an almost nostalgic, dreamy tone. As Naddy Goodman, the narrator and main character of the saga is introduced, she is undergoing a series of hypnosis sessions which reveal many painful childhood memories. While none too extreme, the sheer simplicity of her emotional problems is ironic. After a lifetime of longing for emotional and physical acceptance from others, she has come full-circle to the realization that she must first accept and love herself. I especially enjoyed the way the author expresses her feelings about the breakdown of morals in society. This, to me, was best exemplified when the neighborhood fathers, including Naddy’s, decided the world held more fascinating things for them than they could find within the boundaries of their own, settled lives. Before this time it was almost unheard of for a father to leave his family because he was “tired of it.” Lamott clearly and loudly states the meaning of her book in the title, All New People. This book was written for anyone who has ever looked back on his or her life with regret. Whether a pessimist or an optimist, “In a hundred years? -All new people.”

Alice And The Wonderland

To millions around the world, Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” is merely a childhood dreamland filled with riddles, fairy tails, and games without rules. However, to the trained eye, Alice’s world translates into much more than a child’s bedtime story. There are many undeniable patterns and connections seen throughout his story that are simply too radical to be mere coincidence. The story of Alice is both a mixture of contradictory patterns and a metaphor for growth. With the right train-of-thought and a little imagination, this otherwise straightforward fairy tale becomes a key to Carroll’s inner thoughts. Psychoanalysts have analyzed Alice in Wonderland since the early 1900’s. Psychoanalysis is,“ the theory of the talking cure.” In other words, it is used to help understand inner (subjective) meaning. Psychoanalysis was first used as a clinical practice to help people suffering from troubles without any organic cause. (Bokay 2) However, it has also proven very effective in uncovering subliminal motives in dreams, art, and literature. The following should not be looked at as definite concepts, but more like a key to help understand some popular interpretations of lewis’ text. If the whole of Alice’s journey may be read both as a passage from the surface to the abyss and as an achievement, a hard conquest from the abyss to the surface, the leaven, the ‘engine’ of this twofold passage is to be found in the series of events which are written in Alice’s body. (Roncada 2) To grasp the concepts and to fully understand underlying ideas in wonderland, it helps to think of wonderland as a real world with real rules. Non-law and a non-measure of Alice herself govern wonderland, which in turn results in a large amount of… nonsense. What is isn't, what isn’t is, a very hard concept for young Alice to grasp at first. Alice morph’s from tall to short, from small to big, and always maintains her psychological and biological age. Her body (the engine) is disconnected from her physical life. (Roncada 4) Her body goes through four phases throughout this trip: 1) and unexpected growth/decrease 2) a growth/ decrease openly driven by the other characters 3) a growth/decrease manipulated by Alice (with bits of mushroom) 4) the spontaneous, self induced growth without the use of any object (during the trial). (Roncada 4) This is the most obvious metaphor suggesting growth seen throughout Alice’s trip. Alice does not look for any explanation for her re-occurring metamorphic changes. To Alice, eating and drinking does not mean nourishment just as growing up does not mean maturing or getting old; it is only used for alteration. The use of food in this world is not incidental. In Wonderland there are many distinguishing factors between eating and drinking. The act of eating is not “ritual”, it is necessary for Alice’s metamorphosis, it is a prize at the end of the Caucus race, and a never-ending punishment at the mad tea party. The food never becomes a real meal because it is broken into several snacks. (Roncada 6) Food categories are separated into liquid and solid (which share the same result: grow shrink), raw and cooked, and sweet and salty. A fine example of this is during Alice’s first size change in the hall. When Alice drinks the liquid marked appropriately “drink me” she states, “ It had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavor of cherry-tart, custard, pine-apple, roast turkey, toffee, and hot buttered toast.” This part entwines a number of distinct patterns contradicting each other. First off, the liquid assumes the flavor of solid food. Sweet (cherry-tart, custard, pineapple, toffee) and salty (roast turkey and hot buttered toast) stay together. Inside the “sweet” category there are other contradictory patterns: toffee is solid and custard is non solid; cherry-tart, custard, roast turkey, and toffee are all cooked (or mixed) while pineapple is raw and natural. And finally, the tastes have been organized according to different culinary techniques: custard, toffee, and cherry tart are all made with low heat and turkey and toast are made with high heat. Roasted Turkey, hot buttered toast, and custard are all served hot while toffee and cherry-tart are served cold. ( Roncada 4) This seemingly innocent observation made by Alice contains too many patterns to have been plain train of thought. Perhaps Lewis had something else on his mind while he wrote it. In Wonderland everything has the potential to be food, even non-edible items. The characters form a simple, somewhat idiotic, pattern that combines food with whatever is at hand. For example, during the tea party the Mad Hatter’s watch is smothered with butter. This implies that WATCH=TOAST, which becomes clearer when the watch is dipped in the cup of tea. (Roncada 57) This begins a new pattern of events which could be formulated as-food on object-object is food. The Doormouse himself, who also has been in contact with food (tea had been dipped on his nose) is eventually dipped in the teapot as well. As the tea party continues, the relationship between food, objects, and characters mingle further until no definition of eatable and drinkable exist. This is seen finally as the Mad Hatter takes a bite from his tea cup. It is here that Alice begins to accept food as a factor able to influence one’s character: “Maybe it’s always pepper that makes people hot-tempered…and vinegar that makes them sour…and camomile that makes them bitter…and …barley-sugar and such that make children sweet tempered.” (73) There is a special pattern through which Alice treks through Wonderland. Her journey begins at the riverbank, she falls down the rabbit hole into a long narrow hall, and from there she enters an open pool. This “open outside to closed inside” pattern is a constant through Wonderland. (Brandt 4) Also, she is constantly separated from spatial objects by her size. In the hall, it is impossible for Alice to reach the garden because of her size. For a rational person, with an unstable body, transferring from the hall to the garden would be easy. However, Alice takes things as they come at this point in time and simply says “oh well” to the fact that she was the wrong size for the door, (as any child would). Her size control system at this point in time is bottle (liquid, wet) shrink vs. cake (dry) grow. The rabbit’s fan also turns out to be a shrinking operator. At this point in time Alice also looses linguistic control and begins speaking homophonic nonsense to insult the mouse, “tale…tail…not…knot”. (Brandt 5) The pool and the rabbit’s house are spatially connected, with the help of Alice running off. Here the growing system reverses: bottle (liquid) grow vs. cake (dry) shrink. Even in Wonderland Alice’s size control appears to be unique. This is seen when Alice grows too large for the rabbit’s house and her arm startles both the white rabbit and the lizard Bill. “An arm you goose! Who has ever seen one that size?” says the white rabbit. If size control were an everyday event in wonderland, Alice’s connection with the real world obviously still remains, as seen when she confuses growing large with growing old. While stuck in the rabbit’s house she says to herself “there’s no room for me to grow up anymore here” referring to her size in comparison to the house’s. “Shall I never get any older than I am now? That’ll be a comfort, one way-never to be an old woman.” Throughout her journey, each time she enters a house she sees and experiences something unpleasant. From the house to the wood, there is a second motory transition, Alice running off. Here she meets the caterpillar. He is sitting on a mushroom and smoking out of a hookah. Whether or not these two objects were placed purposely to represent the use of mind-expanding substances shall forever be left unknown. However, the idea of such subliminal messages should not be ruled out. Alice here finds it almost impossible to answer simple questions such as “who are you” and “why?” Here the caterpillar introduces a new growth system to Alice: right hand mushroom-shrink vs. left hand mushroom-grow. From now on Alice uses her growth system a bit more wisely and has wise rebuttals towards characters she comes across. She is slowly growing familiar with the ways of Wonderland. The second house she comes upon belongs to the Dutchess. Once again the house is a horrible place for Alice to visit. The Dutchess is a mean tempered woman. She is also considered by many as the most radical pole of madness. She is first aggressive towards Alice and then more conciliatory as their conversation proceeds. (Roncada 7) The deformed pig baby, which Alice holds, is another taste of the horror seen when Alice enters a house. Perhaps the violence of this scene (the Dutchess throwing pots and pans) sends the white rabbit now to the queen instead of the Dutchess: a significant switch between female characters. (Brandt 6) From this point on Alice will not enter anymore houses, they are too violent. Once again Alice walks off through the wood and to the final house, the Mad Hatter’s. Here they sit outside and she once again becomes frustrated by her company’s lack of sense. Alice walks through the wood, finds a tree with a door in it, and stands once again in a hall. Now, a more intelligent Alice, takes the key, nibbles the mushroom, and enters into the garden. She has now figured out how to use Wonderland’s resources for her own benefit, (the second obvious step in the growth metaphor). Finally Alice enters the long desired garden. However she finds this place to be anything but an area of refuge. The characters: an upset gryphon, a melodramatic Mock Turtle, a lesbian Dutchess and a murderous queen, and a ridiculous king. Here we see strange transformations of words, which do not apply to their general rule, but to their particular use in sentence. This is called legisign. An example of legisign is when the king of hearts fails to distinguish between the antonyms “important” and “unimportant”. “That’s very important” the king said, turning to the jury, when the white rabbit interrupted: “unimportant, your majesty means of course” he said. “Unimportant, of course, I meant” the king hastily said, and went on to himself in an undertone, “important-unimportant-important” as if her were trying which word sounded best. (Noth 15) In Wonderland, the phrase “Do what I mean, not what I say” really comes into play. At first the king is only confused as to which word to use. He eventually forgets totally the linguistic rules that distinguish both words as antonyms. Finally he concerns himself only with how the word sounds in the sentence. Alice now enters her final growth stage seen in Wonderland. During the trial, Alice becomes so furious that she accomplishes self-metamorphoses without the use of any outside substances. She grows until the deck of cards becomes, “nothing but”, and runs once again runs to the open outside, out of her “day dream”, and back to the riverbank. Humans in general tend to find interest in literature that they themselves posses some sort of relation towards. Alice in Wonderland pertains to all people; it signifies growth. The patterns seen throughout this story had obviously been carefully placed and thought out. Anyone that ties these patterns solely to coincidence should re-read Lewis’ text. Lewis Carroll had a message to get across and many believe that it lies within Alice’s Wonderland.

Agamemnon's Clytemnestra

Analysis of Clytemnestra's Character in Agamemnon In Aeschylus' tragedy Agamemnon the character of Clytemnestra is portrayed as strong willed woman. This characteristic is not necessarily typical of women of her time. As a result, the reader must take a deeper look into the understanding of Clytemnestra. In Agamemnon she dominates the action. Her most important characteristic is like the watchman calls it, male strength of heart. She is a strong woman, and her strength is evident on many occasions is the play. Later in the play after Clytemnestra murders her husband, Agamemnon, and his concubine, Cassandra, she reveals her driving force and was has spurned all of her actions until this point. Clytemnestra is seen by the Elders of Argos (the Chorus) as untrustworthy and although suspicious of her they still could not foresee the impending murders. Her words are plain but her meaning hidden to all those around her. She more or less alludes to her plan of murder without fear of being detected. Only the audience can seem to understand the double meaning in her words. One example of how Clytemnestra hides meanings in otherwise plain words is stated in her hope that Agamemnon and his soldiers do not commit any sacrilege in Troy that might offend the gods. Now must they pay due respect to the gods that inhabit the town, the gods of the conquered land, or their victory may end in their own destruction after all. Too soon for their safety, the soldiery, seized with greed, may yield to their covetousness and lay hands on forbidden spoil. They have still to bring themselves home, have still the backward arm of the double course to make. And if no sin against heaven rest on the returning host, there is the wrong of the dead that watches. Evil may find accomplishment, although it fall not at once. This can be interpreted in two ways. The first being that her wish for Agamemnon to return safely is so she may kill him herself. The second, is that of sarcasm. Perhaps she really does wish for Agamemnon to upset the gods. That way when she murders him she will divine sanction. Another instance that there is a double meaning in her words is in her pleadings to the herald to take this message back to Agamemnon, let him come with speed to the people that love him, come to find in his home the wife faithful, even such as he left her, a very house-dog, loyal to one and an enemy to his foes… The audience knows this to be untrue because not only has she not been faithful, but the person she was unfaithful with is the rival to Agamemnon's crown, his cousin Aegisthus. The Chorus' distrust in her is shown by their comment to the herald in which they are trying to explain her boastful and yet sarcastic attitude, She speaks thus to teach you; to those who clearly can discern, her words are hypocrisy. Time and again in the play her strength is demonstrated when she forces Agamemnon, Aegisthus, and the Elders of Argos to bend to her will. For example, she influences the Elders to sacrifice to the gods for Agamemnon's safe return and temporarily wins their trust and support. In fact they sing her praises for suggesting it by saying, Lady, no man could speak more kindly wisdom than you. For my part, after the sure proof heard from you, my purpose is now to give our thanks to the gods, who have wrought a return in full for all the pains. Her shrewdness is also shown by the way she coaxes her husband into submission. She wants him to walk on rich purple tapestries in hopes that this would anger the gods and they will aid her in his murder. She does so by challenging his manhood like in the statement, Then let not blame of men make you ashamed. In which she is basically calling him a chicken. He gives in and takes off his sandals and walks on the tapestries even though he fears it may not please the gods. She single-handedly plots the murder of Agamemnon and Cassandra. When she is successful in taking away their lives she professes it loudly, For me, I have had long enough to prepare this wrestle for victory, though it has come at last. I stand where I struck, over the finished work. According to Clytemnestra, she believes she is doing right, an offering of thanks to the nether god, to Hades, safe keeper of the dead. Once again her persuasive tactics are put to good use as she tries to persuade the Elders that she was correct in killing their king, So stands the case, nobles of Argos here; be glad of it, if you will; for me, I triumph upon it. The Elders are shocked not only to find their king dead, but at the hand of his wife, and now she has the audacity to say she is right. They reply, We are astonished that your mouth bears so bold a tongue, to boost over your dead lord in such terms. They threaten to cast her out in exile, but she asked why she must be banished for killing the very person who sacrificed her child. Which in her own opinion was not necessary. She says, though his fleecy herds had sheep enough, he sacrificed hid own child, the darling born of my pains, to charm the winds of Thrace. With this the elders can't argue but the do warn, you shall find yourself friendless and pay retaliatory stroke for stroke. But Clytemnestra with her cunning ways justifies this double murder by stating how her husband was unfaithful with many women, …my husband-the darling of each Chryseis in the Trojan camp!-and with him his captive, his auguress, his oracle-monger mistress, who shared with him faithfully even the ship's bench and the canvas! But they did it not unpunished! For here lies as you see, and she, having sung swanlike her last sad song of death, lies by him lovably, adding to the sweet of my triumph a spice of sex. After fighting back and forth over the matter, the Elders are torn between love of their king and whether Clytemnestra was right in killing him. Clytemnestra believes that she was in the will of the gods because she was seeking revenge not only for her sacrificed daughter, but Agamemnon's cousins (the brothers of Aegisthus, Clytemnestra's lover). She was carrying out punishment for being unfaithful. According to her, she was allowed by the gods because of these and other repeated sins toward them (i.e. walking on the tapestries) as well as carrying out the curse of his household. This situation arouses mixed emotions in the Elders and perhaps the same in the readers. But if the audience would put themselves in the time and culture of the Greeks, was a person not shunned unless revenge was taken for their loved ones. The entire Trojan War was based on one act of vengefulness after another, spawned from the seduction of Helen. So in that sense the reader can offer only sympathy for a broken hearted mother whose rage encouraged by her culture drove her to kill her husband and his concubine. And with this same tradition of revenge for one act to another, she too will face a day when she is killed for revenge by her son, and the cycle will continue.

Adventures On The Rapids

Adventures on the Rapids This could be your last meal, my mother jokingly said before we left that day. The day was bright, and the sun gleaming. The group packed into the muggy van, it was stifling hot, and downright uncomfortable. On a hot summer Missouri day, in the middle of July, your shirt clung to your damp skin. The mission: White Water Rafting. The drive to the river, where we would begin our incredible journey, seemed to last endless miles. The humidity was almost unbearable; the van had absolutely no ventilation. Fifteen people packed like sardines, anticipating beginning the trip over the rapids. Envisioning the cool water splashing on our sunburned faces. Fleeing from the van was like jumping from a burning building. Bathing suits on, sunblock applied, strength in tact, we were set. Waiting for the moment when we were able to jump into the raft, and head down stream. Savoring our feet splashing in the chilly water. What we didn't know, was what the day was about to become, and how it could have changed our lives forever. Less than two hours from now, we would know. I was assigned to a raft with my brother, my friend, and the river guide. The adults went in another. About an hour after we left, we made our first stop; an enormous rock midstream. We sat there for several minutes hopped back into the raft and we were on our way, rushing down the river, nearing towards the end. As we approached the last of the rapids, our guide asked if we wanted to surf up them. Surfing is basically paddling up a rapid. We practiced for several minutes, because you have to get used to paddling against the current, then you can go up against a rapid. We were prepared, and ready for the last of the excitement in our adventure on the rapids. Fighting our way up the rapid, it all played out in slow motion. We paddled hard, and so powerfully. I remember it being like a space ship bursting into the sky, or a bomb exploding, when another raft came charging down the rapid, crashing into my side of the raft. I was thrown off the raft, into the bitterly frigid water. All playing back in my head now, even slower I found myself panicking. I realized that my foot had been lodged in between two rocks. As my life is flashing before my eyes, I saw fearful people above the water. I was unbelievably frightened. I heard screams, and yelling from above water. Then I thought to myself, What if I can't see images of my life seconds from now? What if I can't feel terrified? What if I can't see the people just above me? Abruptly, as if I was released from a funnel cloud. I was pushed into the stream. Now I was gliding downstream. My foot was released, my fear calmed, and the images weren't flashing anymore. I was safe.

Absurdity Of Catch-22 Through Comedy

ABSURDITY OF CATCH-22 THROUGH COMEDY The novel, Catch-22, is a comedy about soldiers during World War II. However, this comic scenes and phrases are quite tragic when they are thought about, as most things related to war are, which makes this comedy completely absurd. The best way to represent this idea is through the characters in the book, specifically, Yossarian, Huple, and Nately’s whore’s kid sister and the events that occur with their thoughts and their actions. Clearly, the main character and one whose life is chiefly described, is Yossarian. Yossarian has a slightly sick sense of humor and way of looking at things. In the first chapter, Heller tells us that letters sent by the soldiers had to be reviewed in order to prevent any secret information going out to the public, or, even worse, to the enemy. Yossarian, from lack of anything better to do, censors all the letters. Sometimes he crosses out everything but a, an and the, sometimes adjectives, whatever he feels like that day. For his final gag he signs these letters as Washington Irving to totally confuse the readers of these letters. This is funny, however it is ultimately tragic. These are the letters that every wife, mother and daughter runs to the mailbox for in order to see that their husbands, fathers and sons are all right. This is a letter that could say: “Honey, I’m coming home”, or “I love you. When I come home I want to marry you.” These letters could change the whole lifestyle of so many people and Yossarian alone is tampering with them. The absurdity of that is immense. A gag of slightly higher consequence occurred in Chapter 12, when Yossarian decided to move the bomb line over Bologna. What I believe is the most ridiculous in the whole process was his reason for doing it. Everyone did not want to go on this mission to capture Bologna. They prayed the rain would never go away, or that the bomb line would mysteriously move, anything just mot to go on this mission. Clevinger, in disbelief at the stupidity of these men, tells Yossarian: “They really believe that we wouldn’t have to fly that mission tomorrow if someone would only tiptoe up to the map in the middle of the night and move the bomb line over Bologna. Can you imagine?” So Yossarian figures “Why not?”. As hysterical of a joke as this may be, an important city that was taken by the enemy had to be bombed, and now everybody thinks that it was captured already. This “joke” could have and may have lead to the deaths of innocent people, which is yet not only absurd but is also catastrophic. Two character that, for me, expressed the highest, but the most true absurdity in life are Huple and Nately’s whore’s kid sister. These two characters have one thing in common. They both want to be adults too fast. Huple is only fifteen, and lied about his age to get into the army. The kid sister is twelve years old, but wants to be just like her older sister and seduce men. However the absurdity of this is not at all that they want to become older, because everyone at that age does. The absurdity is that the things they want to do as adults are the things that most adults resent most about being adults. The last thing most men want to do is to be drafted, and the last thing that most women want to do is to become a prostitute in order to support themselves. It is clear that Joseph Heller does not write in a certain pattern visible in the works of other writers. he has his own unique way of expressing the absurdity of the universe in a comic way. This style, in my mind, is very commendable because he makes us laugh, yet understand the meaning and maybe even seriousness of the idea he is trying to get across. The alternative would be to write a tragic novel about men at war which really would not grab the reader’s attention as comedies do and as this book did.

About Elephants...

Somewhere in eastern Canada, there is a place where elephants live. Elephants seem to enjoy the place where they live, they even seem to enjoy the cold weather. During winter, elephant wants to go in the freezing, icy water; the male breaks the ice to swim in the water. The elephants seem to have a protection against the cold; it could be the fat that keeps them warm. So elephants adapt very well, even in the cold winters of Canada, the thermostat can go below minus twenty degrees Celsius. This place in eastern Canada, it is like an oasis, who would think that in Canada, there are elephants. Charlie Gray is the trainer but also the friend of the elephants, for him it is not just a job, but a passion. When he saw an elephant for the first time, he was fascinated and he stood up in front of the elephant when his parents were gone. Charlie Gray always feeds the elephants before going to bed, an elephant always sleep wake up, because otherwise the elephant will die of choking, because of his own weight. The elephant is the biggest mammal on the continents. An elephant can walk twenty miles a day. Like the human, the elephants need free time to socialise, with the other elephants by going in a lack. During spring, the elephants always have visits but during the winter there is no income so some elephants go to the circus with Mathieu Daley Mathieu is an eager apprentice. The circus, which goes Mathieu and Calvin, is situated in Montreal. Calvin, who is an elephant, loves to travel, like any other elephant. Calvin and Mathieu are partners, Calvin can stand up on his two legs, when Mathieu is on Calvin heads, and they can many other things. It is nice too see someone who enjoys very much his job.

Abolishing Mandatory Attendance For Schools

So that nobody has to go to school if they don't want to, by Roger Sipher states that compulsory attendance laws should be abolished. His argument is that students that don't wish to be in school are antagonistic to the school and prevent others form learning, and therefore not be forced to attend school. There are six advantages. Although these six advantages produce enormous dividends, there are still some major flaws with his plan. First flaw with the plan is where are the children going to go? The children can't just run the streets not being able to even read or write. Therefore you need supervision, but with supervision comes money. And there are not many people who would even take this babysitting job because of the money. Money is the second big issue. The funds are just not there to run a quality, high-tech school and pay the teachers. Thirdly, can children of that age make a sound decision about something as important as school? No, of course not. Children of this age just don't have enough experience with life to make that important of a decision for their future. Another motive for children not performing up to standards is the pressure. Maybe to much pressure is being put on students to perform in this high-tech world. The emphasis as faded away from the basic skills of reading and writing and arithmetic and has now focused on technology. The pressure needs to be taken off the children at such a tender age in their lives. And be put back on what really matters. The students who chose to be antagonistic can be sent to alternative schools such as Boot camps, Boys and Girls club, YMCA, and other local programs and organizations. The problem here is not attendance; the problem here is attitude. Although this plan has great features there is however an effect that is detrimental. The ability to read, write, and even the basic arithmetic are skills that everyone NEEDS to know. What in the world are you going to do with a kid that is in his twenty's and can't perform these basic skills. This is not going to be good. Although Sipher's plan is a very good idea, the cons outweigh the pros. This plan would solve many problems, but in the long run it would create more.

A Worn Path

Conflict in Eudora Welty's A Worn Path In Eudora Welty’s A Worn Path the conflict was not apparent at the very beginning. What was a poor, elderly sick woman doing gallivanting in the forest during the dead of winter? The reason became clear towards the conclusion of the story as the action revealed that the conflict was obtaining the necessary medicine for her grandson. When this conflict became obvious, another question came to mind. What kind of society did this woman live in that she had to go all the way from her home in the countryside to the city by herself to get the medicine? The conflict being illustrated is that of an individual versus society and the four problems that Phoenix faces as a result of this was her old age, her health, her grandson’s health and her state of poverty. Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles… (paragraph 2). This quotation was one of many indications of Phoenix Jackson’s old age. Normally, in society there are benefits for the elderly and those of the golden age. There are various organizations that help people who are over the age of sixty-five. They also provide various services towards them such as meals on wheels. Was there not someone who could have delivered the medicine to this woman of nearly 100 years of age? Perhaps Phoenix Jackson was too shy or had too much pride to ask for a service of that nature. The doctors from the medical building knew about the condition of Phoenix’s grandson and did nothing to try and help. This showed the lack of respect that was present in the society. In today’s society, someone of that age commands and deserves the proper respect. She carried a thin, small cane made from an umbrella, and with this she kept tapping the frozen earth in front of her, (paragraph 1). The next conflict that plagued her is that of her health. In the preceding quotation, there was one important note that readers should take into consideration. The fact that she kept persistently tapping the earth in front of her could only indicate one thing—that she was visually impaired. She may not have been completely blind, but she had to have been substantially impaired to have kept tapping her cane in a redundant manner. Someone who is even remotely visually impaired should not be traveling in the forest. Phoenix also suffered from a problem that often plagues people at an old age. This problem is senility. But she sat down to rest… She did not dare to close her eyes and when a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble-cake on it she spoke to him. That would be acceptable, she said. But when she went to take it there was just her own hand in the air, (paragraph 15). This was just one out of many instances in the story where Phoenix talked to herself and had hallucinations. Talking to one’s self in the forest is a definite sign of senility. Phoenix did not allow her two disabilities to get in her way, but had society cared for her properly she would have been in an institution for the elderly. As for her grandson’s health, the readers know that he also, was not doing well. The only pertinent information given was that he swallowed lye, (paragraph 91). He, also, should have been receiving professional care. An American society in the nineteen forty’s did not provide free health care, and that sets up the final conflict, the state of poverty of Phoenix Jackson. It’s Christmas time, Grandma, said the attendant. Could I give you a few pennies out of my purse? Five pennies is a nickel, said Phoenix stiffly, (paragraph 100) This quotation, a conversation between Phoenix and the attendant at the medical building, came after Phoenix had arrived at the doctor’s office and had already received her medicine from the attendant. Phoenix was not ashamed to ask for the extra pocket change so that she could buy her grandson a windmill made out of paper. That nickel was the second nickel that she had managed to obtain. The first five cents was basically obtained through theft. She distracted a hunter she had met in the forest so that she could pick up a nickel that he had dropped. Phoenix had no reason to be ashamed of the ten cents that she had acquired through begging and stealing. Her perspective was that society had no respect for her, so why should she have respect for society? In conclusion, poverty was probably the main conflict out of all the other four mentioned. Had she not been poor, she would have been able to afford proper care for herself and her grandson and would therefore be living a higher standard of life. Had she not been poor, she could have paid for a cab ride to the city or she could have paid for delivery of the medicine. She would not have had to beg for meaningless nickels. Without money society doesn’t care for you and has therefore no respect for you no matter how old you might be.

A View From The Bridge Letter

201 Jabroni Drive, Moulnani Blvd. , Italy My dearest Maria, I miss you every second of every day and every day of every week. Sometimes I ask myself “How can I live without your love and affection?” You can’t imagine how lonely I sometimes feel without you beside me. I miss you deeply and I am sure you do the same. America is many thousands of miles away from Italy but my heart is less than a pin away from yours… I am deeply concerned about the health of Julius. I pray day and night for his health and I hope that the money I sent would help him. I expect a lot of him because he is the oldest and it might seem like that I am pressuring him a lot but tell him that I love him. On the other hand tell our other three babies to keep on smiling because America is really the land of opportunity. I love all of you, and tell them that I would sacrifice everything for your pleasure, even if it meant not to set sight on them for some years. Please tell me in your next letter how everyone is doing? Maria, you know very well that I had to come to this alien land. I would never want to leave you alone with the children but if we want to raise this family and make sure they survive in this world, I had to take the risk and leave for America. I want my children to go to school and eat the pastas and foods that I’ve never even seen; I want them to have a youth, which I never had. Maria, so please bare the pain with me, we must live apart for a few years. I will surely return to you but it will probably take about seven to eight years before you see my aching face again. I can’t even wait for a minute to see your beautiful face. Remember I miss you all and I cannot wait to hear from you in your next letter. We have now been cleared into America for sure and the fear of getting caught has died out. We live in peace and we work almost every hour of the day or at least it seems like it. Our cousin Beatrice helped us a lot and her husband Eddie made us most welcome at his own house. They seem to be a very kind family and I fell that they are doing to best for us. They also have a niece who they treat as their own daughter and her name is Catherine, she is very beautiful and intelligent. She is only 18 years old and she is full of youth! Everyone has helped Rudolpho and I a lot; they cook, dine and provide somewhere to sleep everyday for us and I am deeply thankful to them. They are not extremely rich but they are middle classed and they seem to be very traditional and Eddie is very dominant in the family. I have a feeling that Eddie has a short temper and that we might trigger this anger by accident. On the other hand, Beatrice seems to be a nice-hearted and kind woman. The funny thing is that in Italy, there is not a job in sight, but here in America; we got a job the day after we arrived in America. We basically work at the dock where we load and unload heavy cargo of many different things. The pay here is much better than the pay in Italy and we earn almost twice or thrice as much as we did in Italy. I love the working environment here and the work isn’t that hard. I promise you that every cent I get, I will send to you and I will first think about the family and then my stomach but I’m sure cousin Beatrice will help us until we get on our feet. Rudolpho has also found a lot of friends around in America. He has become extremely popular amongst the guys because of his sense of humor and his talents. He gives the men at work something to laugh about and he livens up the atmosphere. A lot of the men like his sense of humor very much. I have a feeling that Eddie doesn’t like it that much though. I think Rudolpho has found his future wife in America as well! I think Catherine and Rudolpho have fallen in love and they go out to see movies together. They seem to be deeply in love with each other. Beatrice likes Rudolpho very much and I think she approves the relationship between Catherine and Rudolpho but I think that Eddie has an objection to them loving each other. He has been agitated many times when Rudolpho and Catherine seem to come together just a little closer and I have a feeling that he does not particularly like Rudolpho for some reason. I do not understand why though, Rudolpho hasn’t done anything wrong! Last night was one time where the tension in the house burst and Eddie was angering me by the way he was trying to point out that Rudolpho wasn’t a real man and suggesting that Rudolpho was gay. He was saying that Rudolpho cooks, makes dresses and sings, so the dock is no place for him. This angered me but I hid my anger! Then Catherine asked Rudolpho for a dance and the two danced in the apartment when Eddie brought up the topic of boxing. He then pretended to teach Rudolpho how to fight when he purposely punched him lightly. Rudolpho backed off and Eddie apologized. But I would not stand someone mocking my brother, so I showed my strength to Eddie by lifting up a chair above my head with one hand. I think that he got the message and from now on, he will think twice before he touches Rudolpho. Otherwise, everything over here is going well. Maria, only if you were over here, you would see all the lights sparkle in the night and all the skyscrapers almost touching the clouds and most importantly we could be together. Hopefully, after I become a citizen after a few years, I can bring you and our whole family here to live forever. I am sure that you will like it here but this time will be a long time from now. For now, please take care of yourself and our children. I love you very much and I miss all our children equally. Please take extra care of Julius as he is sick and I will send more money to make sure he is fine. Yours truly, Marco Ps. I love all of you

A Tale Of Two Theories

A Tale of Two Theories Macbeth(c.1607), written by William Shakespeare, is the tragic tale of Macbeth, a virtuous man, corrupted by power and greed. This tagedy could in fact be called A Tale of Two Theories. One theory suggests that the tragic hero, Macbeth, is led down an unescapable road of doom by an outside force, namely fate in the form of the three witches. The second suggests that there is no supernatural force working against Macbeth, which therefore makes him responsible for his own actions and inevitable downfall. It must be remembered that Macbethis a literary work of art, and as a peice of art is open to many different interpretations, none of them right and none of them wrong. But the text of the play seems to imply that Macbeth is indeed responsible for his own actions which are provoked by an unwillingness to listen to his own conscience, the witches, and his ambition. First, Macbeth ignores the voice of his own psyche. He knows what he is doing is wrong even before he murders Duncan, but he allows Lady Macbeth and greed to cloud his judgement. In referring to the idea of the murder of Duncan, Macbeth first states,We will proceed no further in this business(I.vii.32). Yet, after speaking with Lady Macbeth he recants and proclaims,I am settled, and bend up/Each corporal agent to this terrible feat(I.vii.79-80). There is nothing supernatural to be found in a man being swayed by the woman he loves, as a matter of fact this action could be perceived as quite the opposite. Second, the witches have to be dispelled as a source of Macbeth's misfortune before the latter theory can be considered. It is admittedly strange that the weird sisters first address Macbeth with,All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee Thane of Cawdor!(I.iii.49), a title which not even Macbeth is aware he has been awarded. Even stranger is the third witch calling to Macbeth,All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!(I.iii.50). However as stated by Bradley,No connection of these announcements with any actions of his was even hinted by [the withches](232). Some are still not convinced though of the witches less than supernatural role; nevertheless, Macbeth appears throughout the play to be completely aware 3 of his actions, as opposed to being contolled by some mystic force. The effect of the witches on the action of the play is best summarized by these words: ...while the influences of the Witches' prophecies on Macbeth is very great, it is quite clearly shown to be an influnce and nothing more.(Bradley 232) Most important to the theory that Macbeth is reponsible for his own actions would be a point that the infamous witches and Macbeth agree upon. Such an element exists in the form of Macbeth's ambiton. In the soliloquy Macbeth gives before he murders Duncan, he states, ...I have no spur/To prick the sides of intent, but only/Vaulting ambition,...(I.vii.25-27). Are these the words of a man who is merely being led down a self dustructive path of doom, with no will of his own? Or are they the words of a man who realizes not only the graveness of his actions, but, also the reasons behind them? The answer is clear, Macbeth is a totally cognizant principal and not a mindless puppet. Later the head witch, Hecate, declares,Hath been but for a wayward son,/Spiteful and wrathful, who, as others do,/Loves for his own ends, not for you. (III.v.11-13), which again highlights Macbeth's ambitious nature. The most significant part of the play is the part that is missing, and that is a connection between Macbeth's ambition and some spell cast by the weird sisters which might be said to magically cause an increase in his desires. While purposely played in a mysterious setting, the location is not meant to cloud the true theme of the play with the supernatural. Macbeth simply succumbs to natural urges which take him to a fate of his own making. Everyone has character flaws that he must live with; Macbeth simply allowed those flaws to destroy him.

A Snap And A Pop And It Was Over

To love something so much and to be so good at it, but then have it stripped away from you when you least expect it is tragic. Soccer has been the sport of my choice since I have been three ½ years old. It was the love of my life. I loved everything about it from the sweet smell of the grass to the most exhilarating feeling of scoring a goal. The sport of soccer was what motivated me to do better in everything I did, but that soon changed in a split second when I tore my Anterior Cruciated Ligament and my Meniscus Cartilage in 5 places. I grew up in a family that lived, breathed, and played soccer. My Dad coached soccer and both of my older brothers played soccer through High School, so when it came to me I had no choice but to play. I started playing when I was only 3 ½. I was a little terror on the field. I loved to score right from the beginning. When you are at that age you play “bunch ball”, so what my father told me to do was to stand outside the bunch and wait till the ball squirted out. This plan worked brilliantly, I scored goal after goal with this method. As I continued to play and move through the ranks of soccer I began to enjoy it more with every game I played. I went to tournaments all across California and even some out of state. I was having the time of my life playing the world-renowned game of soccer. When I reached Jr. High I played on the school’s soccer team. I started as a 7th grader, but didn’t really do anything special until my 8th grade year. During my 8th grade year of soccer I lit up the stats’ in goals and assist’s scoring 16 goals and having 12 assists. My biggest moment came in the championship game. My team was down 2 – 1 when I got a break down the side lines, I took the ball towards the goal and slid it into the side netting, tying the game 2 – 2 with three minutes to play. The game went into penalty kicks where I made a crucial shot that helped lead us to victory. I led my team in goals, assists and points; with these stats I was named MVP of my team. High School started as quickly as Jr. High ended and I was back playing soccer again. I tried out for the High School soccer team, which I made and earned a starting position on the Varsity squad. I thought I was the coolest person a alive because I was playing with all the big boys on the varsity soccer squad, but the seniors were quick to let me know that I was still a freshmen, by taping me to a block of ice and setting me in the middle of gym during the 1st pep rally of the school year, and pushing me around anytime they saw me in the hall way. I went on to start every game that year. It wasn’t my best year I only had a few goals and assists, but not bad for a freshmen. After High School soccer was done for the year I continued to play club soccer. When summer came around I joined an indoor team, which was so much fun, but the start of all my troubles. My team was half way through the season and we were still undefeated. We had just got done finishing a game, which we had won, when the teams after us never showed up for their game. So we decided to play another game against the team we had just beaten since the indoor field was free for us to use. During the game I was feeling it, my touch was down and my moves were on. I received a pass from my teammate and then did a spin move that split the defenders giving me some open space to shoot. I planted my left foot to crack a shot when I felt my knee shoot out to the left. I dropped to the ground in extreme pain, with visions running through my head of when my brother tour his ACL in his knee. I was carried off the field and packed down with ice to keep the swelling down. I went to the knee doctor the next day. He said that I just pulled a ligament in my knee and that I should stay off of it for three weeks. After waiting patiently for three weeks I went back to the soccer field and picked up were I left off, but I was a little nervous to go into tackles. My knee seemed to hold up just fine, during a Reno tournament and San Francisco Tournament. After the Reno tournament I had High School tryouts. I was in the best shape of my life. The morning sessions were all conditioning and the afternoons were scrimmaging. During the conditioning no one could keep up with me, I felt so quick. My coach could not believe how much I improved from my freshmen year. He started talking to me about major Universities and that if I kept my skill and speed I could play for one. After our morning conditioning for the day was over I was pumped to go into the scrimmaging. I just new I was going to tear things up. The teams were picked and the scrimmaging began. I was doing all right, but not quite as well as I hoped for. Then all of a sudden I got a break away. I took off towards the goal, but the keeper came out and grabbed the ball. I couldn’t stop in time so I just jumped over him and when I did, I heard four or five pops in my knee. I fell to the ground, but not in too much pain, it was weird feeling. When I went to get up and my foot touched the ground and I could feel pain racing up and down my leg. I was helped off the field to the bleachers, where I sat down and straightened my leg out. When I did this I saw my knee snap back into place and it gave a loud pop. My knee then became really loose and any movement would cause my knee to slide in and out of place. I went to the doctor’s a few days later to find out what the problem was this time. The doctor told me that I needed an MRI so he could see exactly what was wrong with my knee. I went to the Hospital and got an MRI done on my left knee. I then had to wait a week for the results. That was the worst week of my life. Just the fact of not knowing what was wrong with my knee ate at my soul. The week went by and I went back to the doctor’s office to find out the results. The results were not good, I had torn my ACL completely and my Meniscus Cartilage in 5 places. After that day at the doctor office I fell apart; I cried and cried. I did not know what to do with myself. Soccer was all I had. At the time that this occurred I was on three different soccer teams. All I could do was cry about everything that I was leaving behind; I thought my life was over. I never would of thought of it at the time, but everything with my knee turned out to be a blessing in disguise. If I had never hurt my knee I never would of known anything else, but soccer. That’s all I thought there was to life. But this situation slowed me down and showed me that there are all kinds of other thing to do in life. I believe it was Gods way of slowing me down and showing me that He was apart of my life to. I loved soccer and everything about and I still do, but now there are so many other things I enjoy doing also, I am no longer one-dimensional. To love something so much and to be so good at it, but then have it stripped away from you when you least expect it is tragic. Soccer has been the sport of my choice since I have been three ½ years old. It was the love of my life. I loved everything about it from the sweet smell of the grass to the most exhilarating feeling of scoring a goal. The sport of soccer was what motivated me to do better in everything I did, but that soon changed in a split second when I tore my Anterior Cruciated Ligament and my Meniscus Cartilage in 5 places. I grew up in a family that lived, breathed, and played soccer. My Dad coached soccer and both of my older brothers played soccer through High School, so when it came to me I had no choice but to play. I started playing when I was only 3 ½. I was a little terror on the field. I loved to score right from the beginning. When you are at that age you play “bunch ball”, so what my father told me to do was to stand outside the bunch and wait till the ball squirted out. This plan worked brilliantly, I scored goal after goal with this method. As I continued to play and move through the ranks of soccer I began to enjoy it more with every game I played. I went to tournaments all across California and even some out of state. I was having the time of my life playing the world-renowned game of soccer. When I reached Jr. High I played on the school’s soccer team. I started as a 7th grader, but didn’t really do anything special until my 8th grade year. During my 8th grade year of soccer I lit up the stats’ in goals and assist’s scoring 16 goals and having 12 assists. My biggest moment came in the championship game. My team was down 2 – 1 when I got a break down the side lines, I took the ball towards the goal and slid it into the side netting, tying the game 2 – 2 with three minutes to play. The game went into penalty kicks where I made a crucial shot that helped lead us to victory. I led my team in goals, assists and points; with these stats I was named MVP of my team. High School started as quickly as Jr. High ended and I was back playing soccer again. I tried out for the High School soccer team, which I made and earned a starting position on the Varsity squad. I thought I was the coolest person a alive because I was playing with all the big boys on the varsity soccer squad, but the seniors were quick to let me know that I was still a freshmen, by taping me to a block of ice and setting me in the middle of gym during the 1st pep rally of the school year, and pushing me around anytime they saw me in the hall way. I went on to start every game that year. It wasn’t my best year I only had a few goals and assists, but not bad for a freshmen. After High School soccer was done for the year I continued to play club soccer. When summer came around I joined an indoor team, which was so much fun, but the start of all my troubles. My team was half way through the season and we were still undefeated. We had just got done finishing a game, which we had won, when the teams after us never showed up for their game. So we decided to play another game against the team we had just beaten since the indoor field was free for us to use. During the game I was feeling it, my touch was down and my moves were on. I received a pass from my teammate and then did a spin move that split the defenders giving me some open space to shoot. I planted my left foot to crack a shot when I felt my knee shoot out to the left. I dropped to the ground in extreme pain, with visions running through my head of when my brother tour his ACL in his knee. I was carried off the field and packed down with ice to keep the swelling down. I went to the knee doctor the next day. He said that I just pulled a ligament in my knee and that I should stay off of it for three weeks. After waiting patiently for three weeks I went back to the soccer field and picked up were I left off, but I was a little nervous to go into tackles. My knee seemed to hold up just fine, during a Reno tournament and San Francisco Tournament. After the Reno tournament I had High School tryouts. I was in the best shape of my life. The morning sessions were all conditioning and the afternoons were scrimmaging. During the conditioning no one could keep up with me, I felt so quick. My coach could not believe how much I improved from my freshmen year. He started talking to me about major Universities and that if I kept my skill and speed I could play for one. After our morning conditioning for the day was over I was pumped to go into the scrimmaging. I just new I was going to tear things up. The teams were picked and the scrimmaging began. I was doing all right, but not quite as well as I hoped for. Then all of a sudden I got a break away. I took off towards the goal, but the keeper came out and grabbed the ball. I couldn’t stop in time so I just jumped over him and when I did, I heard four or five pops in my knee. I fell to the ground, but not in too much pain, it was weird feeling. When I went to get up and my foot touched the ground and I could feel pain racing up and down my leg. I was helped off the field to the bleachers, where I sat down and straightened my leg out. When I did this I saw my knee snap back into place and it gave a loud pop. My knee then became really loose and any movement would cause my knee to slide in and out of place. I went to the doctor’s a few days later to find out what the problem was this time. The doctor told me that I needed an MRI so he could see exactly what was wrong with my knee. I went to the Hospital and got an MRI done on my left knee. I then had to wait a week for the results. That was the worst we

A Show About Nothing

A Show About Nothing In the artcle, “Is Seinfeld the Best Comedy Ever?”, author Jay McInerney agrees with Seinfeld the best comedy on television. Seinfeld is a real life show. The behaviors of Jerry, Kramer, George and Elaine, the failed communication, and the everyday embassassment represent “nothingness” but a peculiar everyday life. These “nothingnesses” happen to all of us, but when it is put on TV, people will laugh at these. Besides, the author appreciates the fact that Seinfeld is a New York story but it is filmed in Los Angeles. “The lumpy texture of life in the city, the random looniness of the street, the idioms and speech inflections of Manhattan, and the claustrophobia of New York apartment living” in the show fascinates the New Yorker as it is so real and funny. Seinfeld takes those little nothings and combines them to create something realistic. Nothingness and reality give the author the reasons to believe that it is the best comedy ever. When people consider Seinfeld as a “show about nothing”. It could be humorous that “nothingness” can provide such an interesting topic for the comedies of life. In life people care about details and worry about trouble, the little nothings made are soon forgotten. Thus, these “nothingnesses” are actually fragments of out real life. Seinfeld gathers the nothingness into a show, and it spreads out the idea that everything in the show that actually happens all around us. For example, losing the car in a parking garage, working for an eccentric boss and coping with the trials and tribulations of dating, it is common for a lot of people. And these realities come into the nothingness of Seinfeld. In Seinfeld, the fabulous four characters George, Kramer, Elaine and Jerry share the nothingnesses which life have granted them. George cannot attract thr girl because of his limitiations as a short, bald, fat man. Kramer struggles with the fact that he has not achieved anything in his life yet.. Elaine worries her hold on to a good boyfriend and a good job for long. And Jerry, living with his nothing friends, as well as his own LEX Luthurs which seem to always abstract his plans to find his own Lois Lane and live the life of Superman. The four were cramped in small apartments of New York and live a life of nothingness. Besides, even the settings in Seinfeld for great adventures appear muchlike nothing. Seinfeld always takes place in Jerry’s apartment. Jerry fears germs greatly so he keeps a neat apartment. From the apartment the four plan trips to the movies or coffee shops. The coffee shop is a place where Elaine, George, and Jerry converse. The movie house is a place where Jerry, George, and Elaine often go to watch movies together or bring dates. Jerry gets caught making out during Shindlers List. Elaine gets caught not like the English Patient. They always get into trouble at the movie theater. The settings of Seinfeld are simple in design, telling people that they are living in a common way. In conclusion, I agree with the description that Seinfeld is a “show about nothing”. However, the nothingness in the show actually represent reality. That is, Seinfels is a “show about reality”. George, Kramer, Elaine, and Jerry are not stereotyped, they have unique characters and they just represent the way that they live. The settings are simple and make people more easily to get connected with them. And the plot, it is about fragments of lives. It is a show about reality that it may happen around us. Seinfeld creates an identity that watching “nothing” can present laughter and humor to everyone. Besides, the gift of “nothingness” has transformed the lives of millions around the world.

A Seperate Piece

A Separate Peace - Gene's Journey Gene Forrester's difficult journey towards maturity and the adult world is a main focus of the novel, A Separate Peace, by John Knowles. Gene's journey begins the moment he pushes Phineas from the tree and the process continues until he visits the tree fifteen years later. Throughout this time, Gene must become self-aware, face reality and the future, confront his problems, as well as forgive and accept the person that he is. With the jouncing of the limb, Gene realizes his problems and the true person he is inside. Fifteen years later, when revisiting the tree, he finally accepts and forgives himself. This journey is a long and painful one. At the end of this long and winding road filled with ditches, difficulties and problems, Gene emerges a mature adult. Gene jounces the limb and causes Finny's fall and at that moment becomes aware of his inner-self and learns of his true feelings. This revelation comes to him back in his room before he and Finny leave for the tree. It surrounds him with the shock of his true self until he finally reacts by jouncing the limb. Up in the tree, before the two friends are about to make their double-jump, Gene sees Finny in this new light. He realizes that Finny feels no jealousy or hatred towards him and that Finny is indeed perfect in every way. Gene becomes aware that only he is the jealous one. He learns of his animosity and that he really is a savage underneath. Over a long period of time Gene had been denying his feelings of hatred towards Finny, saying that it was normal for him to feel this way. Now all of the feelings come back to him and he sees how terrible he really is. The realization that these feelings are one-sided causes Gene to to fall dramatically in comparison to Finny (he paints himself black for these feelings and because Finny doesn't share them, he puts a halo around Finny's head), concludes with the neccessity for Finny to be brought down to his level, and results with Gene jouncing the limb. After the realization of the person he truly is, in his room and up in the tree, Gene must now confront his problems, face reality, and deal with the future. He must learn that communication is very important in a relationship and that he must express himself instead of keeping his feelings inside, as he had always done with Finny. He must learn to listen to himself rather than to others. These were just a few of the many problems there were in his relationship with Finny. He must face reality and acknowledge the fact that he isn't as great as Finny, that he is his own individual person and that Finny isn't as perfect as he thought. Gene must accept the guilt for Finny's difficulties after his injury and must help Finny as a punishment and act of repentence for his deed. Gene does this by giving a part of himself to Finny as we see with the case of sports throughout the rest of the novel - how Gene becomes Finny when it comes to sports. Although the above are all of great importance, the greatest hurdle Gene must overcome is learning to live with what he's done. This painful step is the one which will allow him to completely mature. The final stage of Gene's maturation is his self-acceptence and self-forgivness. He has to accept that he isn't perfect and that he, like any other normal being (even Finny), has faults. Accepting that his innocence has been lost helps Gene move on into another part of his life and realize that he can never return to the days of his innocent youth again. He can now become a man, enter the war and adult world and leave his youth behind. Forgiving himself is the step which allows Gene to lead a normal life and enter society. He must finally forgive himself completely for his blind act and allow himself to come in out of the rain. By accepting as well as forgiving the person that he is, Gene enables himself to move on and join the adult world. Gene's maturation is long, painful. It is a painful and difficult process that reveals a darker side of Gene that he doesn't neccessarily wish to see. However painful, Gene is made a better person during his maturation through his suffering. Through his pain and awful revalations about himself, Gene matures from an insecure child to a self-knowledgable adult.

A Modest Proposal By Swift

A Modest Proposal was a satirical essay written by Jonathan Swift depicting the horrific conditions of Ireland and the lives of the Irish people in 1729. The author portrays and attacks the cruel and unjust oppression of Ireland by its oppressor, the mighty English and ridicules the Irish people at the same time. However, Swift's opposition is indirectly presented. Jonathan Swift is able to do so by using the persona, irony, and wit in order to expose the remarkable corruption and degradation of the Irish people, and at the same time present them with practicable solutions to their unscrupulous and pathetic lives. The author uses a satire to accomplish his objective not only because he is able to conceal his true identity but also because it is the most effective way to awake the people of Ireland into seeing their own depravity. Swift creates a fictional persona because by hiding his true identity he is able to convince the readers of the significance of Ireland's problem and allow them to see truth and reality. The persona is a concerned Irishman who is very intelligent, sound, and serious. He appears to be a brute and a monster for proposing something evil and immoral very calmly as if it is normal to consume the flesh of another human being. What makes his proposal to be even more depraved is that he proposes to eat the babies. The persona declares, and at exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them, in a such a manner as, instead of being a charge upon their parents, or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding and partly to the clothing of many thousands. The persona justifies his proposal with numerous reasons. Besides the prevention of voluntary abortions and infanticide, it will also prevent the loss of money for maintenance of children and the abuse of women and children. The number of Papists would be reduced and the children will not become beggars, thieves, or prostitutes. The proposal will aid in the increase in the status of the peasantry, promote love, and care from the mothers towards their children. However the persona alone is inadequate to make the narrator seem too plausible. The persona must utilize irony and wit in order for his essay to be more efficacious. A Modest Proposal is so effective and appealing because of the authors' copious uses of irony throughout his essay. The title itself is definitely ironic. It provides the reader with false expectations of decency and sensibility on the part of the writer. The butchery of innocent babies and the use of their skin for clothing is way beyond being modest. It is brutal and insane. The proposal is intended to shock and throw the reader off balance. The narrator also ridicules the Irish. His proposal would be a great incentive for marriage, not because the Irish will marry for the expected reasons, of love and happiness. Instead they will marry for money. As the persona pronounces, this would be a great inducement to marriage, which all wise nations have either encouraged by rewards or enforced by laws and penalties. Moreover, this proposal if put into effect would aid in establishing love and care in families, between spouses and towards the children. The mother would provide her babies with better nourishment. Since, plump, fat, and juicy babies are worth more than the lean and abused ones. The husbands will become fond of their wives and refrain from abusing them, to avoid a possible miscarriage. Furthermore, normally the child is introduced to Christianity to celebrate his or her birth and introduction to Christianity. However, ironically Christenings will celebrate a baby's impending death. The baby must be murdered in order for the parents to profit. Thus, the primary motive of the Irish is money. The persona's ingenious display of irony serves a purpose for attacking, scorning, and exposing the vices of the Irish people. The narrator's brilliant and clever use of wit is definitely noteworthy throughout A Modest Proposal. In order to make cannibalism sound like the most practicable solution, the author wisely uses his wit. He is implying that cannibalism cannot possibly be more barbaric and unethical than what the Irish are already doing to themselves. Swift is reproaching the Irish for their indolence and pride. The people of Ireland are being reviled and scorned for their lack of action in order to mitigate the current circumstances. The narrator proclaims, for we can neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture; we neither build houses, nor cultivate land. The responsibility of being oppressed is blamed on the Irish more than on the oppressors, the English. Incredibly, the narrator is able to enthrall the readers' attention through his accurate use of sarcasm and mockery. What makes the persona so credible is the precise and skillful use of diction and wit. The author characterizes the mothers as breeders, swine, and cattle. The children are described as numbers, statistics, and debased to mathematical computations. The author does so shrewdly, because statistics are facts and the truth in peoples' minds. The narrator writes, the number of souls in Ireland being usually reckoned one million and a half. Then further goes on, the question is how this number shall be reared, and provided for. People are living like animals and are dehumanized. The persona is also plausible because he appears to have everything planned and well researched. He even goes into specific details. The narrator's states, a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled, and I make no doubt that it will serve in a fricassee, or a ragout. The brilliance in the use of witticism and sarcasm by the persona play a critical role in awakening the Irish to the physical existence of their debauched environment. By convincing the people of Ireland to reform, Jonathan Swift proved his satire A Modest Proposal to be an effective means for accomplishing his intent. The people of Ireland went through a stage of awakening due to Swifts' scintillating portrayal of their corrupted, exploited, and dehumanized lives. The satire gave the Irish a better scope on the reality. They were able to see the severity of their crisis and that they were complicit on their oppression. Jonathan Swift fabricated a fictional character in order to persuade the readers to approach his essay and his proposal with endmost seriousness. However once Swift took off his mask, the readers finally realized that they were being derided and scolded. Once Swift took off his mask he stopped his criticism and presented the Irish with applicable solutions. All he wants the Irish people to do is tax their absentees, purchase only Irish goods, become more wise and thrifty with money, and be less haughty, futile, and indolent. Also, Swift asked the landlords to be more lenient on their people. Furthermore, Swift impelled and inspired the Irish into rebelling by presenting them with feasible solutions to cease the anguish of Ireland's people.

A Modest Proposal

A Modest Proposal was a satirical essay written by Jonathan Swift depicting the horrific conditions of Ireland and the lives of the Irish people in 1729. The author portrays and attacks the cruel and unjust oppression of Ireland by its oppressor, the mighty English and ridicules the Irish people at the same time. However, Swift's opposition is indirectly presented. Jonathan Swift is able to do so by using the persona, irony, and wit in order to expose the remarkable corruption and degradation of the Irish people, and at the same time present them with practicable solutions to their unscrupulous and pathetic lives. The author uses a satire to accomplish his objective not only because he is able to conceal his true identity but also because it is the most effective way to awake the people of Ireland into seeing their own depravity. Swift creates a fictional persona because by hiding his true identity he is able to convince the readers of the significance of Ireland's problem and allow them to see truth and reality. The persona is a concerned Irishman who is very intelligent, sound, and serious. He appears to be a brute and a monster for proposing something evil and immoral very calmly as if it is normal to consume the flesh of another human being. What makes his proposal to be even more depraved is that he proposes to eat the babies. The persona declares, and at exactly at one year old that I propose to provide for them, in a such a manner as, instead of being a charge upon their parents, or the parish, or wanting food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding and partly to the clothing of many thousands. The persona justifies his proposal with numerous reasons. Besides the prevention of voluntary abortions and infanticide, it will also prevent the loss of money for maintenance of children and the abuse of women and children. The number of Papists would be reduced and the children will not become beggars, thieves, or prostitutes. The proposal will aid in the increase in the status of the peasantry, promote love, and care from the mothers towards their children. However the persona alone is inadequate to make the narrator seem too plausible. The persona must utilize irony and wit in order for his essay to be more efficacious. A Modest Proposal is so effective and appealing because of the authors' copious uses of irony throughout his essay. The title itself is definitely ironic. It provides the reader with false expectations of decency and sensibility on the part of the writer. The butchery of innocent babies and the use of their skin for clothing is way beyond being modest. It is brutal and insane. The proposal is intended to shock and throw the reader off balance. The narrator also ridicules the Irish. His proposal would be a great incentive for marriage, not because the Irish will marry for the expected reasons, of love and happiness. Instead they will marry for money. As the persona pronounces, this would be a great inducement to marriage, which all wise nations have either encouraged by rewards or enforced by laws and penalties. Moreover, this proposal if put into effect would aid in establishing love and care in families, between spouses and towards the children. The mother would provide her babies with better nourishment. Since, plump, fat, and juicy babies are worth more than the lean and abused ones. The husbands will become fond of their wives and refrain from abusing them, to avoid a possible miscarriage. Furthermore, normally the child is introduced to Christianity to celebrate his or her birth and introduction to Christianity. However, ironically Christenings will celebrate a baby's impending death. The baby must be murdered in order for the parents to profit. Thus, the primary motive of the Irish is money. The persona's ingenious display of irony serves a purpose for attacking, scorning, and exposing the vices of the Irish people. The narrator's brilliant and clever use of wit is definitely noteworthy throughout A Modest Proposal. In order to make cannibalism sound like the most practicable solution, the author wisely uses his wit. He is implying that cannibalism cannot possibly be more barbaric and unethical than what the Irish are already doing to themselves. Swift is reproaching the Irish for their indolence and pride. The people of Ireland are being reviled and scorned for their lack of action in order to mitigate the current circumstances. The narrator proclaims, for we can neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture; we neither build houses, nor cultivate land. The responsibility of being oppressed is blamed on the Irish more than on the oppressors, the English. Incredibly, the narrator is able to enthrall the readers' attention through his accurate use of sarcasm and mockery. What makes the persona so credible is the precise and skillful use of diction and wit. The author characterizes the mothers as breeders, swine, and cattle. The children are described as numbers, statistics, and debased to mathematical computations. The author does so shrewdly, because statistics are facts and the truth in peoples' minds. The narrator writes, the number of souls in Ireland being usually reckoned one million and a half. Then further goes on, the question is how this number shall be reared, and provided for. People are living like animals and are dehumanized. The persona is also plausible because he appears to have everything planned and well researched. He even goes into specific details. The narrator's states, a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled, and I make no doubt that it will serve in a fricassee, or a ragout. The brilliance in the use of witticism and sarcasm by the persona play a critical role in awakening the Irish to the physical existence of their debauched environment. By convincing the people of Ireland to reform, Jonathan Swift proved his satire A Modest Proposal to be an effective means for accomplishing his intent. The people of Ireland went through a stage of awakening due to Swifts' scintillating portrayal of their corrupted, exploited, and dehumanized lives. The satire gave the Irish a better scope on the reality. They were able to see the severity of their crisis and that they were complicit on their oppression. Jonathan Swift fabricated a fictional character in order to persuade the readers to approach his essay and his proposal with endmost seriousness. However once Swift took off his mask, the readers finally realized that they were being derided and scolded. Once Swift took off his mask he stopped his criticism and presented the Irish with applicable solutions. All he wants the Irish people to do is tax their absentees, purchase only Irish goods, become more wise and thrifty with money, and be less haughty, futile, and indolent. Also, Swift asked the landlords to be more lenient on their people. Furthermore, Swift impelled and inspired the Irish into rebelling by presenting them with feasible solutions to cease the anguish of Ireland's people.

A Man For All Seaons

A Man For All Seasons (A man Cannot Serve Two Masters) Neither Thomas More or the Common Man are able to serve two masters In the play A Man for All Seasons by Roger Bolt, The Spanish Ambassador Chapuys says to Steward, a role played by the common man, No man can serve two masters…(Bolt, 24). Within the play this statement is proven true for all the characters, especially for The Common Man and Sir Thomas More. The Common Man, shows himself time and again that he truly serves one master and that master is himself; whereas with More attempts to serve two masters. More attempt to serve King Henry of England, and God. By the end of the play it is shown that More cannot serve two masters despite all his efforts. It is apparent within the play that the Common Man is serving himself as his only master and no one else. In the play it may seem that he is not a self-serving character due to the fact that he obeys what people tell him to do, for instance in his conversations with Cromwell, and Chapuys, they ask him for knowledge about his master, Sir Thomas More. Firstly Cromwell asks him information concerning More's attitude towards the King's divorce of his wife the Queen. The Common Man replies, Sir, Sir Thomas doesn't talk about it…He doesn't talk about it to his wife, sir…Sir, he goes white when it's mentioned! Cromwell (hands coin): All Right.(Bolt, 23.). Later with his conversation with Chapuys he is asked about More's spirituality, Sir Thomas rises at six, sir, and prays for an hour and a half…During lent, sir he lived entirely on bread and water…He goes to twice a week, sir. Parish Priest. Dominican…(Bolt, 24). Chapuys then replies to the Common Man, Good, simple man. Here. (Gives coin. Going)…(Bolt, 24). As you can see he does what he wants for himself and no other especially divulging information for money. The Common Man also only holds loyalty unto himself and no other. At the first sign his needs will no longer be met to his satisfaction he leaves. For when More loses his job and no longer has an income, the Common Man collects his belongings and leaves, Now, damn me isn't that them all over…I nearly fell for it…`Matthew, will you kindly take a cut in your wages?' `No, Sir Thomas I will not.'(Bolt, 57). The Common Man is a very sly person, and holds nothing back when it comes to him and a job. This is evident as he acquires a position with Richard Rich, another very self- serving person by easily manipulating him. Richard Rich had no inclination to hire the Common Man; he was manipulated so well that the Common Man gets a job, Oh. Oh, I must contradict you there, sir; that's your imagination. In those days, sir, you still had your way to make. And a gentleman in that position often imagines these things. Then when he's risen to his proper level, sir, he stops thinking about it…Well - I don't think you find people `disrespectful' nowadays, do you sir?(Bolt, 61-62). Now, Sir Thomas More, through out the play tries to balance his life between God and King. More as he obeys God and King prays for his King, Dear Lord give us rest tonight, or if we must be wakeful, cheerful. Careful only for our soul's salvation. For Christ sake. Amen. And bless our lord the King.(Bolt, 8). To continue his service for both God and King, More is willing to sacrifice everything if it will allow him to serve both; There is my right arm. (A practical position.) Take your dagger and saw it from my shoulder, and I will laugh and be thankful, if by that means I can come with Your Grace with a clear conscience.(Bolt, 31). For in the play More is forced with a choice, to either continue in his service to King Henry and go against the Catholic Church or quite his job and continue in his service to the King, If the Bishops in Convocation submitted this morning, I'll take it off…It's no degradation.(Bolt, 48). In the play the Act of Supremacy is passed. The purpose of this act is to affirm that the King is the Supreme Head of the Church in England. If More were not to swear to this act he would be committing high treason against the King. Since More believes that he can serve two masters, he roots through the act looking for a loophole. A loophole that will allow him to continue serving his God and King. Supreme Head of the Church in England --- `so far as the law of God allow it remains a matter of opinion since the act doesn't state it.(Bolt, 48) Only at the very end of his life, as he sits in a courtroom does he finally realize that he cannot serve God and King. It is here that he realizes that he must choose, and he chooses God. After Richard Rich perjures himself to convict More in court, Cromwell offers More his last chance to choose between God and King, and More does choose God above all, To what purpose? I am a dead man. (To Cromwell.) You have your desire of me. What you have hunted me for is not my actions, but the thoughts of my heart. It is a long road you have opened. For first men will disclaim there hearts and presently they will have no hearts. God help the people whose Statesmen walk your road.(Bolt, 95). It is evident that in the play A Man For All Seasons by Robert Bolt the characters in focus, The Common Man serve's but one master himself. And Sir Thomas More who attempt to serve two masters is unable and in the end when he chooses to serve his King keep his life and lose his soul, or serve his God keep his soul and lose his life. He chooses God. This play clearly shows that, no man can serve two masters.

A Line Of Promises

A Line of Promises Many times simple objects in people’s lives can come to represent a part of themselves. The object can become an integral part of a person’s identity. In “Wedding-Ring” by Denise Levertov, the relationship between a woman and her old wedding ring is explored as a way to intertwine the woman’s life with the ring’s meaning. Through the ring, the woman identifies herself. The wedding ring is wishfully transformed from a complex symbol of promises to a simple gift of friendship. In the opening of “Wedding-Ring”, Levertov sets the tone of the poem, by exemplifying the interaction between the speaker’s feelings and the wedding ring. “My wedding ring lies in a basket / as if at the bottom of a well” (1,2). The first two lines of the poem paints a picture of a lonely woman trying to depart with the last memory of her marriage, her wedding ring. The comparison between the basket and the bottom of the well accentuates the low point in the woman’s ending marriage. Having compared the shallow basket to the deep well, the poet implies to the reader that the speaker is feeling sorrow, and therefore her surroundings may also seem sad and empty. This displays the relationship of how the wedding ring and her feelings are connected. This image of the wedding ring’s location is further described as Levertov writes, “It lies / among keys to abandoned houses / nails waiting to be needed and hammered” (5,6,7). Not only does the ring lie in the bottom of a well, it is along with other long forgotten objects. The use of abandoned houses brings images of loneliness and emptiness. The speaker also uses violent nouns and verbs such as nails and hammered to describe the setting of her ring. Nails alone are just mere objects, but nails that are hammered and are forced to be used to hold things together hold a much higher value. Like the woman’s wedding ring, its true value is not seen until it is put on a finger. In reality the ring is not in a well with these objects but her connection with the ring is bringing out emotions that are creating these images. It is often easy to overlook the speaker’s intentions in the poem, but upon closer examination line breaks following the word lies can help emphasize the word. In this case, “lies” can be interpreted by multiple denotations. The obvious way to denote “lies” is to continuously read through to the next line, and use the context of the poem to define the word. But the enjambment creates the possibility of lies defined as ill truth. A wedding ring is a symbol of a promise, and for it to hold ill-truth means the ring can no longer be called a wedding ring. It is now a mere piece of jewelry, which the woman attempts to forget. . The speaker has given much thought to remove the ring out of her life but each reason she gives justifies a reason for her not to. In the poem she writes, “It can’t be given away / for fear of bringing ill-luck. / It can’t be sold for the marriage was good on its own” (11-13). The repetition of “I can’t” sets a series of limitations around the woman. No matter what she tries to do, the wedding ring will always be a part of her. The line break after the word “own” gives the notion of belonging. It gives thought that she is one entity and the ring also has its own life. However, she is unable to escape the ring because she is fearful she will be violating its memory. The ring’s memory is also a part of her own memory. The reason the woman is drawing lines around herself with these restrictions is because the ring possesses some sort of power over her. The superstitious woman, on the other hand believes it can bring bad luck to whoever holds the ring after she has already worn it. The phrase “for fear of bringing ill-luck” suggests that the woman is afraid that since her marriage ended, any new owners of the ring will have the same misfortune as she did. In order for the woman to finally let go of her ring she needs to somehow change it. Words of optimism are described as she writes, “Could some artificer / beat into it bright stones, transform it / into dazzling circlet no one could take” (16-18). An artificer is some sort of trickster or wizard. The woman needs to use magic or trickery to transform her wedding ring to a circlet. She wants to change reality. This circlet holds a shape like a ring, for it is simple and round but it is no longer symbolic like a wedding ring. The woman does not want the sacred vows that the wedding ring brings; she wants to change the wedding ring into a more simple, round circlet. She wants to change this ring and by changing it she is also changing herself. The wedding ring represents her marriage. She wants to create a new ring, a ring that will represent what she wants to become. The speaker also uses a violent verb to describe the action of transforming the ring into a circlet. The use of the word “beat” suggests that it is going to take massive power and force to change this ring from what it was to something different. Previously in the poem, the woman uses another example of violent imagery in the phrase, “nails waiting to be used and hammered” (7). The woman cannot undertake this transformation on her own. Instead, she uses violent, powerful words to show that an outside strength is needed to change herself and her wedding ring. For the woman to change herself inside, she wants to first change her relationship with the people around her. Marriage is a solemn vow between a man and a woman with many constraints and restrictions. In Levertov’s poem, the speakers says in the last two lines, “Change it / into a simple gift I could give in friendship” (20,21)? Again, she gives another notion of an alteration of her wedding ring. It is clearly important to the woman for this change to occur before she is able to start a new relationship. The phrase “I could” shows that the woman is willing to try a new relationship, but she is cautious. “I could” is the past conditional of I can. The speaker had a choice to choose between these two words, and choice of “I could” gives reason to believe that she is hesitant to trying a new relationship. The woman does not think a new relationship would work for her unless certain conditions occur, like changing in her relationship with people. She cannot change transform herself unless she changes the relationship she has with people around her. The speaker wants to ultimately redefine marriage as a friendship. The complexities of marriage have left her lonely, and empty inside. A simple friendship is what she now desires. The change inside of her must coincide with the change of the ring. She is unable to move on with her life until she can really let go of the past. There are many different perspectives that can change the value or meaning of an object. This poem shows the negative aspects of being unable to let go of the past. Since the wedding ring comes to be part of the protagonist, it holds her back from moving on with her life. A great change is needed with the relationships the woman has with the people around her before she is able to change herself inside. The poem portrays the message that it is necessary to let go of the past in order to move on with one’s life.

A Jury Of Her Peers: A Character Analysis

James McMasters English 112 October 17, 2000 A JURY OF HER PEERS - A CHARACTER ANALYSIS BY SUSAN GLASPELL As in the case of most, if not all, good allegorical stories, the primary impact of the tale is strongly influenced by the author’s detailed characterization of the setting, as well as the characters’ feelings and passions. Certainly such is the case in Susan Glaspell’s story “A Jury of Her Peers”. Here we see a richness of characterization and setting that is elusive at first reading, but becomes clearer as the story evolves. In the final analysis, it becomes clear just who the jury is and the outcome of their collective verdict. It is by the use of allegorical and metaphorical rhetoric that the tension of the story is maintained so very well. Initially we are introduced to a woman, Mrs. Hale, who first seems cast as a central character, if not the central focus of the story’s plot. By use of this literary diversion, the reader is intentionally mislead by focusing on the details of the patterns of her life and her overall guiding thought processes. For example, in Paragraph 1, we are shown the concept of Mrs. Hale’s inherent instinct for “neatness”, “her bread all ready for mixing, half the flour sifted and half unsifted”. Although this appears as a seemingly innocuous detail, it later becomes a key point as the plot develops, in that this trait seems to be directly opposite the nature of the accused. Mrs. Hale is shown to be a person of neatness and detail; no job is to be left unfinished, and high importance is attached to keeping a “proper” household. She is shown to be a strong woman, a woman of principle, who is concerned, if not outright ashamed, of her failure to be a good neighbor. In direct comparison to Mrs. Hale, we meet her fellow conspirator, Mrs. Peters, the wife of the sheriff. It is interesting to note that while the author makes it clear that Mrs. Hale is well suited for her role in life, that of a farmer’s wife, Mrs. Peters seems to be ill at ease being the wife of a lawman. She initially seems to lack the very force of character that is required of someone of authority, yet we understand as the plot is developed that she is instead a woman of equally strong convictions and character, and a person who can and will, in the final analysis, rise to the occasion. Finally, we are introduced to the character around which the story is centered, the accursed murderess, Mrs. Wright. She is depicted to be a person of great life and vitality in her younger years, yet her life as Mrs. Wright is portrayed as one of grim sameness, maintaining a humorless daily grind, devoid of life as we regard it in a normal social sense. Although it is clear to the reader that Mrs. Wright is indeed the culprit, she is portrayed sympathetically because of that very lack of normalcy in her daily routine. Where she was once a girl of gaiety and laughter, it is clear that over the years she has been forced into a reclusive shell by a marriage to a man who has been singularly oppressive. It is equally clear that she finally was brought to her personal breaking point, dealing with her situation in a manner that was at once final and yet inconclusive, depending on the outcome of the legal investigation. It is notable that regardless of the outcome, Mrs. Wright had finally realized a state of peace within herself, a state which had been denied her for the duration of her relationship with the deceased. For purposes of character and plot development, the men in the story are superfluous for the most part. Their major contribution to the story is their good-natured contempt of women in general, and a woman’s ability for discernment. In this case, this ignorance on their part is a fatal flaw that is at the same time a familiar one. As humans, we all are egocentric by nature, and it is only through conscious effort and will do humans become able to fully see and appreciate those subtle nuances that form the complete human psyche. We also note that the men’s’ approach to the investigation is based on their experience with other men for the most part. The subtlety of the female mind escapes their attention entirely; in fact, it is a subject of derision. This is in direct opposition to the “investigation” conducted by the women. Although they themselves are only vaguely familiar with the accused, they are also very familiar with, and sympathetic of, the plight of her daily routine. The scene set by the author; the broken stove, the threadbare clothes, the dirty pots; all contribute to creating a sense of empathy on the part of the reader for Mrs. Wright. We know the facts of the case as presented in the story. Mr. Wright, ever the dour one, with little to no appreciation for the beauty of life, imposed his overbearing will upon his wife one time too many. By taking from her the only thing in life that she truly cherished, he in effect destroyed all that was left inside her that was good, pure and still relatively untainted. By his wanton killing of her bird, he committed the unpardonable sin; he crossed the line formed by her inner feelings by taking from her the last vestige of all that she ever held near and dear to her heart. It is equally clear to the reader that the act of murder was one which was not a matter of impulse so much as it was a calculated act based on years of mental and marital abuse. Although the actual killing was in all likelihood not premeditated, the thought pattern leading up to the actual act had been long in formation. That Mrs. Wright had been abused to the point of desperation was finally and clearly understood by the two women who were the “peers” forming Mrs. Wright’s “jury”. The telling details center on the unfinished task of putting the sugar away, and in the untidy sewing of a small piece of the unfinished quilt. We can easily visualize what occurred: Mr. Wright, after taking from his wife the only thing she truly still cared for, caused her to become distraught to the point of total distraction and fury. This is evidenced by the fact that, although the majority of the stitching was very precise, that one piece was a total mess. It is not an accident that this very piece of stitchery covered the final resting place of the bird. It is also very notable that the dead bird rested in a beautiful box that obviously was one of the last things Mrs. Wright considered of value in her life. The correlation between the bird and the box is very strong; both represented the loss of all that she ever held near and dear to her heart. The loss of them virtually simultaneously became the last straw for Mrs. Wright. We can imagine her state of mind as she sat in shock after witnessing the destruction of all that she had left in her life to love and hold dear. The fact that she put the bird in the box, that last remnant of happier times, increases the pathos experienced by the central characters as well as the reader. The visual mirror drawn by the author between the singing of the bird and that of the young Mrs. Wright strongly suggests the affinity between her and the singing of the bird. It wasn’t the bird so much that kept her sane, as much as what it represented to her of her lost youth and former life. When the bird was needlessly killed, it was as if in doing so, Mr. Wright symbolically “murdered” the last vestige of his wife’s’ innocence and youth which was the only element still sustaining her in her grim existence. In taking from her all that she truly loved, it was as if her husband physically destroyed the central core element of his own wife. This treatment she could no long tolerate. In her defense, the other women understood all too clearly what had driven her to commit the deed. The final irony of the tale is the manner of dispatch; Mr. Wright was murdered in a manner that was entirely consistent with his wife’s sense of justice. The fact that he also was choked until dead reflects wonderfully the justice required for his wringing of the bird’s neck. Note that although there was a gun in the house it was not used. Only by taking his life in the manner that he lived was justice fully and completely served. This is a wonderful tale that stands on its own merit. It is an even greater story when considered in light of the symbolic and allegorical elements contained therein. The author’s masterful use of seemingly subtle and unrelated elements is woven into a complex tapestry that illustrates fully the complexity that is the human condition. One can only hope that the “jury’s” final verdict was a binding one.