Ceremony By Leslie Marmon Silko

Title: Ceremony Author: Leslie Marmon Silko Introduction: Ceremony is a novel written by Leslie Marmon Silko. It deals with the gender roles of three women are significant to the development of a character namedd Tayo who is half-white and half-Indian. These three women are Tayo's birth mother, Auntie, and Old Grandma. His mother left him when he was four years old and that began his sense of emptiness and abandonment. She could not bear to raise a child that brought the reservation shame by her mistake. Summary: Auntie raised Tayo and was the mother figure he lacked. She had no problem accepting to take him, but only to conceal the shame of her younger sister. Auntie was always hesitant toward Tayo as he was not her real son and was also a half-breed. For Tayo, this only added to his feeling of displacement and emptiness. She would give her affection and attention to her real son Rocky, but would let Tayo just sit there alone. After the war Auntie nursed him because he was all she had left after Rocky got killed. He would wake up crying after dreaming about how much Josiah had loved him and always hugged him when he was a littlt child . Now he realized that there was no place left for him and he would never find peace. Auntie may have been a mother figure to him, but to Tayo she was just someone who looked after him. Old Grandma, unlike Auntie, does accept Tayo and wants what is best for him. When Auntie rejected the idea of a medicine doctor because he's not full blood, Old Grandma got angry and said that he was her grandson and why should she care what they say anyway. She has been around for many years and doesn't worry about what other people will say about Tayo or about their family. The significance of Montano to the novel, Ceremony is very powerful and vital to the recovery of Tayo. She lives up in the rim rock and is in touch with the earth and her surroundings in every way. Being torn between the white world and the Indian world is what leaves Tayo feeling invisible and hollow inside. Montano helps him to become more in touch with his Indian side and to feel the strength and power from the earth. She teaches him the importance of certain plants, flowers, and ceremonies and how they are significant to Indian culture and survival. Tayo falls in love with her, and through his love, he begins to feel alive again. He realizes that he does have a place and that he is not invisible to everyone and to his surroundings. When he is not with her, instead of the nightmares, she fills his dreams. He woke up one night and thought about the overpowering love he felt for her. He shed tears filled his eyes and the ache in his throat ran deep into his chest. Tayo no longer feels like a walking shadow, but finally a real person with feelings and emotions. It is through Montano that he discovers himself and ultimately is able to deal with being a half-breed in a changing world. When she finally leaves him, he is able to go on living and remembering all that she taught him. Conclusion: I really enjoyed this story. It was a great portrayal of how family might mistreat you just because you are a little different than them. Sometimes people can’t deal with the fact that a family member is only half of the race that they are. I would definitely recommend this book to others, especially to anyone who feels that they are secluded and have no friends just because they are bi-racial. Words: 627

Catcher In The Rye

The Catcher in the Rye In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, the first person narration is critical in helping the reader to know and understand the main character, Holden Caulfield. Holden, in his narration, relates a flashback of a significant period of his life, three days and nights on his own in New York City. Through his narration, Holden discloses to the reader his innermost thoughts and feelings. He thus provides the reader not only with information of what occurred, but also how he felt about what happened. Holden's thoughts and ideas reveal many of his character traits. One late Saturday night, four days before the beginning of school vacation, Holden is alone, bored and restless, wondering what to do. He decides to leave Pencey, his school, at once and travels to New York by train. He decides that, once in New York, he will stay in a cheap motel until Wednesday, when he is to return home. His plan shows the reader how very impetuous he is and how he acts on a whim. He is unrealistic, thinking that he has a foolproof plan, even though the extent of his plans are to take a room in a hotel.., and just take it easy till Wednesday. Holden's excessive thoughts on death are not typical of most adolescents. His near obsession with death might come from having experienced two deaths in his early life. He constantly dwells on Allie, his brother's, death. From Holden's thoughts, it is obvious that he loves and misses Allie. In order to hold on to his brother and to minimize the pain of his loss, Holden brings Allie's baseball mitt along with him where ever he goes. The mitt has additional meaning and significance for Holden because Allie had written poetry, which Holden reads, on the baseball mitt. Holden's preoccupation with death can be seen in his contemplation of a dead classmate, James Castle. It tells the reader something about Holden that he lends his turtleneck sweater to this classmate, with whom he is not at all close. Holden's feelings about people reveal more of his positive traits. He constantly calls people phonies, even his brother, D.B., who has sold out to Hollywood. Although insulting, his seemingly negative feelings show that Holden is a thinking and analyzing, outspoken individual who values honesty and sincerity. He is unimpressed with people who try to look good in other's eyes. Therefore, since it is obvious that Holden is bright, the reason for his flunking out of school would seem to be from a lack of interest. Holden has strong feelings of love towards children as evidenced through his caring for Phoebe, his little sister. He is protective of her, erasing bad words from the walls in her school and in a museum, in order that she not learn from the graffiti. His fondness for children can be inferred when he tells her that, at some time in the future, he wants to be the only grown-up with all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. He'll stand on the edge of a cliff and catch anybody who starts to fall off the edge of the cliff. He got this image from his misinterpretation of a line from the Robert Burns poem, if a body catch a body comin' through the rye. When situations are described, in person or in a book, they are influenced by the one who describes them, and by his or her perceptions and experiences. Through Holden's expressions of his thoughts and feelings, the reader sees a youth, sensitive to his surroundings, who chooses to deal with life in unique ways. Holden is candid, spontaneous, analytical, thoughtful, and sensitive, as evidenced by his narration. Like most adolescents, feelings about people and relationships are often on his mind. Unfortunately, in Holden's case, he seems to expect the worst, believing that the result of getting close to people is pain. Pain when others reject you or pain when they leave you, such as when a friend walks off or a beloved brother dies. It would not have been possible to feel Holden's feelings or understand his thoughts nearly as well had the book been written in third person.


Words: 712

Brave New World

The ideas presented in Huxley’s Brave New World are expressed as fundamental principles of utopia, which could be achieved by classism. However, living in a so-called “utopia,” comes with a price. In this society, every being’s destiny is planned out while they are still in their bottles. Depending on their caste, each person has his or her clearly defined role. Community, Identity and Stability is the motto and prime goal of Huxley’s “utopia.” This goal can only be achieved by having a society divided into five caste social groups, because in such a society it is easier to maintain overall control of the people. Classism is the key to achieving the three goals of “utopia,” because it helps the world controllers have control and power over the people. Every society needs individuals with different talents and capabilities to perform different functions. The class system makes it easier for the world controllers to categorize the people they create. That way, the society isn’t lacking any talents. Mr. Foster said, “I’m working on a wonderful Delta-Minus ovary at this moment.” (6) Due to classism, the “creators” know what kind of people are necessary to fulfill the particular needs of the time. They even have control over how people in each caste think. The director was talking about Deltas when he said, “They’ll grow up with what psychologists used to call and ‘instinctive’ hatred of books and flowers.” (18) Classism is a way of organizing and keeping track of people so that the world controllers are in charge of achieving utopia. The new world maintains community by enforcing classism because each person belongs to a certain caste, which is their community. The lives of the people are organized in a way so that a person is almost never alone. The World State’s motto emphasizes the importance of the group and the subsequent unimportance of the individual. Community stresses the importance attached to the individual as a contributor to society. “Everyone works for everyone else. We can’t do without anyone. Even Epsilons are useful. We couldn’t do without Epsilons.” (66) This way, the Alpha community is no more important that the Epsilon community. Reference is made to the contribution the individual makes even after death. “Now they recover over ninety-eight percent of it [Phosphorus]. More than a kilo and a half per adult corpse. Fine to think that we can go on being socially useful even after death. Making plants grow…” (65) The body is cremated and the phosphorus is obtained equally from every class, thus making each caste equally important. Therefore, a class system provides an organized way of insuring that everyone belongs and is useful to a community in this “perfect” world. Identity is in large part the result of having the ability to create different castes due to genetic engineering. A particular character is often spoken of as a Beta or an Alpha, as a means of identification. People’s castes can also be identified by their job. Alphas invariably rule and Epsilons invariably toil. “ ‘Ninety-six identical twins working ninety-six identical machines,’ the director ‘s voice was almost tremulous with enthusiasm.” (5) From this quote it can be concluded that the director has intelligence and must be an Alpha, while the workers must be either Deltas, Gammas, Epsilons or Morons. If the quote mentioned what kind of uniforms the workers were wearing, one could determine exactly what caste they belonged to. “Eight-month-old babies all exactly alike (a Bokanovsky group, it was evident) and all (since their caste was Delta) dressed in khaki.” (17) Castes are also distinguished by their uniforms. Although there are different ways of identifying people in the society, the true identity is determined by the class they belonged to. Stability means minimizing conflict and classism ensures that people in each caste are conditioned the same, because that way they could understand each other and conflict would be avoided. Since the individuals (according to their caste) had been conditioned physically and psychologically to perform specific tasks, they functioned happily in that capacity. “I’m so glad I am a Beta. Alpha children work much harder than we do because they’re so frightfully clever. I am really awfully glad I’m Beta because I don’t work as hard.” (24) Conditioning definitely programs people of each caste to be in the same state of mind. Since people are the same, they are less likely to argue. “ ‘Bokanovsky’s Process is one of the major instruments of social stability!’ Standard men and women; in uniform batches. The whole small factory staffed with the products of a single Bokanovsky egg.” (5) The workers will all be compatible, since they are from the same caste, which would provide a happy environment and a stable society. The aim of the “perfect” World State is to have Community, Identity and Stability, and the caste system provides an ordered way of going about reaching that goal. A class system gives the controllers power over the people. It ensures that everyone belongs to a community. It guarantees an important identity for everyone. Finally, it reduces conflict among people and therefore creates a stable society. Reaching these goals should result in “happy people” and a true “utopia.” However, after reading Brave New World, one realizes that the book gives happiness and utopia a bad name! BibliographyI am in grade 12. I live in Canada. I hope this essay is useful!



Words: 885

Away

KRISTY HEWITT 11B “AWAY” ANALYTICAL ESSAY Throughout “Away” many characters go through changes, Gwen changes from a nagging housewife into a sympathetic and more balanced individual. Roy goes from being very insecure about life to knowing how to deal with his problems and live life as it comes. Coral, is also very insecure about life after the death of her son, she is longing for attention and doesn’t know how to be around people. By the end of the play she is at least trying to be social and be around people. At the beginning of the play Gwen is a nagging housewife. She is always right, well she thinks she is anyway. She changes into a more sympathetic and balanced individual. Vic has showed her to put love, not possessions and status, first. She was obsessed with orderliness and comfort because of her deprived childhood. This has ruined her relationships with her husband and Daughter. Towards the end of the play Gwen hears of Tom’s illness (Leukemia) this turns her towards more humane and fitting values. Gwen at the Beginning: Act 2 Scene 2 “Well do you think they’ll pack themselves?” “Do you think holidays happen on their own?” to Gwen at the end: Act 4 Scene 1 “What do you think of me? You must hate me? Why do you still bother?” Roy goes from being in complete denial as he lost his son in the Vietnam War to being a little more caring and understanding toward others. He doesn’t talk to his wife Coral very much except to patronize her and give her lectures about “snapping out of it” his insensitivity extends Coral Grief period beyond what it need be. He threatens her with Electro-compulsive therapy (a physical horror to follow her mental one.) This forces Coral into total isolation and to run away. By the end of the play Roy is seeking for forgiveness, as well as love and reconciliation from Coral. (When he kisses her hands.) Roy at the Beginning: Act1 Scene 3 “ I thought I told you to stay in the car!” to Roy at the end: Act 3 Scene 3 “ Coral? Sweetheart? Come back to the party.” Coral was deep in grief at the beginning of the play, her worldview was distorted by the pain she can not escape. Her husband Roy is of little help, so she turned to others in hope of their willingness to help. The substitute son Rick and to some extent Tom. The play “The stranger on the shore” helps express her predicament and the taking of belief in life that she has found. In the end she is finally reunited with Roy and this changes her life. She begins to over her grief and live life as it comes. Coral at the start: Act 2 Scene 3 “I don’t ignore anyone.” To Coral at the end: Act 3 Scene 3 “ I like to talk.” Everyone goes through changes thoughout their lives some are noticeable and some are not so noticeable. Some changes are drastic and some are only minor. You can never know when someone will change it just happens. We all change at different stages of our lives.


Words: 536

An Analysis Of “Chimes Of Slience”

An Analysis of “Chimes of Slience” Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright, and the author of the prose poem “Chimes of Silence”. In order to describe his experience in solitary confinement Soyinka uses descriptive language involving his vision to better enlighten the reader to his experience. The most dramatic passages in “Chimes of Silence” describe his limited vision, which expresses to the reader how difficult and horrible of an experience it must have been. Soyinka’s efforts to see any sign of life through peepholes in order to have some way of connecting with the outside world, shows just how lonely he really is. The poem opens with Soyinka struggling to see through a peephole in the door of his cell. His interest in the boring details outside of his cell shows just how lonely he is, and how much he longs to have any kind of contact with reality. “A little square hole cut in the door, enough for a goaler’s fist to pass…enough for me to…steal a quick look at the rare flash of a hand, a face, a gesture…(140).” Soyinka is desperate to see anything that he can relate to human life. Anything that assures him that even though he has no contact with humans that life is still going on. Anything that reminds him that there’s the possibility that he could one day enter back into the life that he has been exiled from. Soyinka continues describing things he strains to see thorough the peephole including, “…more often a blur of khaki, the square planted rear of the guard on the other side (140).” Not only does Soyinka strain to see any part of the human body itself, but also anything else that reminds him of human beings. Something we take for granted everyday Soyinka finds as a connection to the outside world. It’s clear through his description of vision seeing through the peephole that Soyinka is desperate for human interaction and is clearly very lonely. Later in the essay Soyinka makes reference to the limited but present amount of sky that he is able to see in his cell; “…a sky the size of a napkin trapped by small spikes and broken bottles, but a sky (140).” Through his describing the sky Soyinka finds another way of connecting to the outside world. The sky that he looks upon is the same one that people look upon everyday, and to him it makes the correlation to the human life he longs to be living. Soyinka knows that when he was once living and surrounded by human contact that he was covered by the same sky that he sees in his cell. It serves as a reminder to him that although trapped he can still carry a piece of his old life within him. His memories of his old life can help make up for the emptiness inside of him in his time of being alone. Soyinka also describes the birds he can see from his cell, “Vultures perch on a roof just visible from another yard. And crows. Egrets overfly my crypt and bats swarm at sunset (140).” Through his description of the birds Soyinka once again describes something living in order to make up for the fact that he feels so alone, and in a sense dead. It seems that in Soyinka’s description of the birds that he almost longs to be them, to be able to fly and be free. Soyinka envies the birds for they aren’t trapped alone and they have access to the world unlike him. Soyinka eventually discovers a new peephole in his cell and once again he strains to see anything he can to keep himself from being so lonely. Soyinka talks of counting feet walking by in order to keep some kind of reality “And now feet…the procession goes by and I count (141).” By counting the feet Soyinka can establish the slightest relationship to any kind of outside life. Its almost as if by counting the feet Soyinka can relate to the prisoners and make up for the emptiness he is feeling, and not seem to be so alone. Although they aren’t trapped there with him the routine of having them be there at the same time everyday makes it seem as though he isn’t so alone and he can look forward to them being there to make everything easier for him. At the end of the essay Soyinka describes a hallucination that he sees in his head; “…a boy’s face! A guileless hunter unmasks, in innocence-an evil labyrinth (141).” Soyinka apparently eventually has a nervous breakdown despite his attempts to keep it from happening by making any kind of human relation. This goes to show just how lonely Soyinka became after lack of human contact and communication. The key to Soykina’s vision is the fact that it involves people and faces things he was so desperately trying to see before. In the end his efforts to see prove ineffective and he apparently loses it completely. After reading “Chimes of Silence” it becomes quite clear just how lonely a person in solitary confinement might be. We begin to understand why Soyinka treasures the limited sight that he has in order to keep his sanity. We realize the loneliness that is so much a part of his world. It goes to show that vision is extremely important and that although maybe it didn’t prove very successful in helping keep Soyinka’s sanity it definitely helped him to be able to postpone it a little longer than it would had he not been able to see at all.


Words: 936

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 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 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 Belief System- The Crucible

After reading The Crucible by Arthur Miller, one cannot help but wonder why when given the chance to confess to the accusations and live, did the characters choose to stay firm and die? For people today that question is not easily answered. In the past however, this was not a question at all. The answer was found within the strong religious background that most of the accused were raised on, and the feeling of pride and honor they felt in their hearts. John Proctor exemplifies the importance of a strong name through his actions and choices throughout the play; most significantly the fourth act when he chose death over disgracing his name. Giles Corey's refusal to reveal the name of the informant who accused Putnam of conspiracy also shows the role of justice in these individuals' lives, letting God be the judge of their actions in life and not their peers. Sometimes you have to stand for more. Throughout the play one of the central themes continues to be John Proctor’s, Giles Corey’s, and Rebecca Nurse’s refusal to degrade their souls with lies of confession only to save themselves from the unjust accusations of witchcraft. In this time and era the people living in and around Salem, Massachusetts were from Puritan faith and lived very strict lives. At this point in history there was still no separation between church and state, so the church had a major role in each individual’s life. When Reverend Parris came upon the children of Salem dancing and conducting against their religion, they were accused of being in a pact with the devil by many of the town’s people in the beginning. Rumors spread, and innocent people were charged of witchcraft. Some of the accused were, in every aspect, a perfect Puritan. Rebecca Nurse was one of these individuals. She was held in high opinion by almost everyone, except for Ann Putnam, who blamed her for the unexplained deaths of her seven children Rebecca had delivered. Ann Putnam claimed that Rebecca sent her “spirit” out on them. At one point there was even a testament signed and proposed in court declaring many people’s good opinion of Goody Nurse. Giles Corey was an old, strong-willed man, accused of witchery. After trying to disprove the faulty actions of the court and refusing to give up the name of his informant he was killed. Proctor was accused of witchcraft while trying to defend his wife, and was then later executed when he refused to slander his name. These three proud individuals did not want to confess to the lies they were accused of doing only to save their lives. For what is a name when you have no soul to go with it? That is what these individuals faced. The religious background of these individuals was the cause of their refusal to confess to the accusations toward them. Both Giles Corey and John Proctor believed in letting God be the judge of their faults. When Giles Corey refused to answer to his indictment in order to preserve his land's ownership for his family, he was trusting in a higher power, God, even when death was his punishment. Proctor also felt this way, and when arguing with Danforth about his confession of adultery, he turned to God as his judge when he said, I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It is enough! (4.132). These two individuals lost hope in the justice system that ruled their lives here on earth, so instead they decided to put their trust in their religious background and their belief in God as the definitive judge. Times have changed since the era in which John, Giles, and Rebecca lived. During the Salem witch trials confessing to a lie to save your life was an option many people chose, others did not out of a sense of pride and honor. John Proctor was the perfect example of this. He had self-respect, particularly for his name. After verbally admitting his sin, Danforth wished for him to sign his name on a document, which would be displayed in public as evidence for his confession. He refused saying, How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name! (4.133). John would rather die then give up his name. He had already given up his “soul”; he refused to give them the joy of his name. Hale then pleaded with his wife to take John’s shame away before it was to late; Elizabeth defended his choice saying He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him! (4.134). Elizabeth knew that John had made a decision he believed in. She could not tell him that what he felt in his heart was wrong. Rebecca Nurse summed it up best when she said to John, “Let you fear nothing! Another judgement waits us all!” (4.133). Throughout history people have chosen to die with honor instead of living full of guilt the remainder of their life. The above mentioned characters chose to die for their belief's, not wishing to demean their lives, names, or families. The Salem witchcraft era was another extreme example of man's fear of the unknown, the unexplainable. Often in life people take for granted what it is that truly makes them who they are. Too many times people are willing to sacrifice their name or beliefs for something that is not admirable. The honor felt by those individuals in their heart and their knowledge of the truth is what prevented them from confessing to lies. History has a way of repeating itself. Over and over again there are examples of individuals who decided that they stood for something more than lies. In biblical times John died for his beliefs. Joan of Arc did the same. The Crucible shows a historical event in recent history, which reaffirms people’s belief in themselves and their reason’s for not degrading their souls. Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture of life and decide what you stand for. John, Giles, and Rebecca all discovered what was truly important to them and for that they died.

Essay topic: Things I would like to do but am unable to or do not have time for

First of all, I would like to be able to drive car. Unfortunately I am not able to because I am under aged. I have to wait until I am seventeen years old before I can apply for a license. So I have to be patient and wait until I am eligible.Another thing I would like to do is to participate in the 100 meter in the Olympics, and win it. This is just a wild dream for my physique does not allow me even to win a 100 meter race in my school. So the Olympics is an impossibility.One thing that I can do but have no time for, just yet, is to hitch-hike around the country. Right now I am so busy studying for my examinations that I hardly have time for anything else. Perhaps when I leave school in a year or so, I will get on the road and see things a bit. They say that travel is a good way to learn things. I do not know that for sure, so I am going to find out, that is, if my mother allows me to do so in the first place.Talking of travel makes me dream of traveling around the world to visit interesting places, to meet people and thoroughly to enjoy myself. However, I can see that, for the time being, it is impossible for me to do such a thing simply because I do not have the means. World-travel costs money, lots of it. Right now I do not even have enough for a bus ticket to Penang. So traveling around the world is out of the question. Even if someone were to pay my way, I would not be able to go because I have to finish school first, or incur my mother’s wrath.Finally, I would like to be able to eat everything I fancy and not put on weight. I am one of those less fortunate ones who can put on weight just by thinking about food. I am not exaggerating of course. The point is that it is easy for me to put on weight and I have to watch my diet. I cannot simply eat or I will suffer.I suppose each person has his or her limitations as to what he or she can do or have time for. No pygmy is going o be a high jump champion just as no seven-footer is going to be a limbo dancing champion. No busy businessman is going to have time to relax and no lazybones is going to be a multi-millionaire. We do what we can or have time for. We leave the rest alone.

Essay topic: An autobiography of a dancing doll

My name is Rosita. I am a Spanish dancing doll made in Spain. I am dressed in a red frilled dress and I wear a pair of red high-heeled dancing shoes. My hair is black, long and wavy.My friends and I arrived in Singapore by aeroplane. When we reached our destination, we were taken to a big shopping center and displayed there with many other different dolls. The place was full of toys. I loved looking at the other toys and I enjoyed watching the children playing with them. Some of them would stop to admire me with wide open eyes, but I was too expensive to be bought.One day a rich, grandly dressed lady came to the store. She looked around the place and her eyes felon me. She looked at me in admiration. She at once bought me. I was given as a birthday present to her only daughter Pam.I was very happy with my new mistress but the happy time did not last long. One day Pam’s friends brought along their own dolls to play at her house. They envied me because I looked very attractive. Pam refused to let her friends handle me. When Pam was not attending to me, one of her friends picked me up. Pam was furious and tried to pull me away form her friend. In the tussle they accidentally ripped my pretty red dress. Pam cried and her mother consoled her by promising to buy a new doll.I was given away to the servant’s daughter, who accepted me with great delight. She skillfully mended the tear in my dress. She treasured me and took very good care of me. I am indeed fortunate to have a mistress who loves me despite the fault in my dress.

Essay topic: An autobiography of a watch

I am a round-faced ladies’ watch. I come from a large family in Japan. A watch merchant bought me together with my siblings and sent us on a plane to Singapore.On arrival, we were comfortably arranged in a showcase of a department store. The salesgirls handled us with care and wiped us with clean dry cloth every day. After each round of cleaning, we would greet our potential owners with brighter smiles.One day, a couple bought me for their daughter. Betty, my little owner, was overjoyed and took good care of me. However, one day, she forgot to take me off her wrist when she went swimming. Poor me, I was badly choked! I was sick and after that and could no longer keep accurate time. Sometimes, Betty was even late for school because of me.Betty’s parents bought her a new waterproof digital watch and sold me to the rag-and-bone man. I was very upset. Fortunately, the rag-and-bone man gave me to his daughter, Xiaozhen. Like Betty, she took good care of me and loved me dearly.I am old and sickly now. I may soon be of no use to anyone. Nevertheless, I feel fortunate to have had two such loving owners in my lifetime.

Essay topic: If I had three wishes

If a fairy were to grant me three wishes, I know what I would like to wish for.First of all, I would wish for plenty of money. With lots of wealth, I could help the poor. I could donate lots of money to the orphanages, homes for the aged, schools for the blind and so on. Many would benefit from the money as it could be put to good use.Secondly, I would like to wish for the good health of my parents and my family. Health is very important to man. Without good health, it would be impossible to enjoy a lot of things. With good health, we could travel around the world, do whatever we want to do and live our lives the way we want to.Thirdly, I would like to wish for a book that has everything to know in it. It will be thick and informative. There will be science, mathematics and other topics. I would read it and be a wiser person.

Essay topic: An odd incident

It was very odd. There were no people on the bus, but the engine was running and their belongings were there. But the bus stop was deserted.I had just visited my aunt who lived in the countryside. The bus that would take us back to town came only once every hour. I thought I would miss it so I ran all the way from my aunt’s house. But when I reached the bus stop, this strange sight confronted me. Where were the driver and the passengers?There was a sandy field behind the bus stop and I went there to investigate. I saw footprints on the sand which were probably made by the passengers. The footprints were all leading to one direction – towards the centre of the field.I plucked up my courage and ran towards it. As I was about to reach it, an unusual sight caught my eyes. There was a big crater in the sand, and a bright light, as though from an explosion, shone upwards. People stood at the edge of the crater, looking into it.I continued to run towards it. Then I felt a hand grabbed my arm and I screamed. “Hey, don’t be frightened. Don’t run to the crater, or you will be like them,” said the stranger. I turned to face him, and saw that it was an old man whom I had seen in the village.“Look at those people,” the old man continued. “If you look carefully, you can see that they are not moving. They are frozen like statues.” He told me that when the bus was about to leave, a glowing, bright object crashed into the field and formed the crater. The pull of the light was so strong that everyone seemed drawn and rushed towards it. Even the young children were not frightened by it. The old man could not keep up with the rest of them because of his weak leg. He noticed that whoever looked at the object in the crater became immovable, as though transfixed by it.I asked the old man what we should do. I wanted to run back to the village for help. “Wait,” he said. “I think something is about to happen that will save them. The sky is dark. I hope the gods will bless us with rain.We waited for the rain to fall. I could not help stealing looks at those immovable figures surrounding the bright light. It was very eerie.Then it rained, followed b a heavy downpour. The old man and I watched an incredible sight. The bright light grew weaker and disappeared, and at that moment, the people started to come “alive” again. We approached them and they seemed not to have any knowledge of what had happened to them. They were all busily talking about the crater, and had no memory that some minutes of their lives had been frozen by an alien force.I looked into the crater and saw that there was a smooth globe inside it. But when the rain wiped out the light, it lost its power. The old man looked at me, and I nodded at him. We both understand that we would not tell the passengers the truth about the incident. They were better off not knowing, and besides they might not believe us, anyway.

Essay topic: Retelling an old story

The Master SwordsmanIn old Japan, the ultimate weapon was the sword. It was a much respected weapon often carried by a samurai and other people of Japan’s violent past. There have been many stories told about these skilful swordsmen and their incredible feats of valor. The following is about how a man became one of the most skilful swordsmen in Japan.A brash young man approached a renowned master swordsman and beseeched the master to teach him how to use the sword. The master refused and asked him to go away, but the young man was very persistent. Finally the master relented and accepted the young man as a pupil.For the next two years the master forbade the young man to even touch a sword and was given all sorts of chores to do. He had to cut firewood, fetch water, sweep the floor and attend to the master’s every need. The young man did everything as told but as time went on he grew impatient.One day he asked the master why he still never received any sword-fighting lesson. In reply the master took a stick and hit him so hard that he had to run away.From that day on the master would come up on him when he least expected it and beat him with a stick. He could not fight back for the master was far better a fighter than he.The beatings continued while he had to carry out his chores. But gradually he learned to dodge and parry the master’s blows. After a year of this harsh beatings, he became very adept in anticipating and avoiding the blows. Soon he could cope with anything the master threw at him.As his skill in avoiding the beatings increased he realized that this was the master’s way of teaching him how to deal with being attacked! What a strange way the master used, but it worked, for now he could handle any attack.The master, on seeing that this young man had become so adept in avoiding being attacked, then gave him a sword and taught him how to handle a sword properly.After a short time the young man became very skilful in handling a sword. So the master told him that it was time for him to leave. The young man knew now that the master had first taught him to be humble by making him do all sorts of chores. Next he learned how to cope with being attacked and finally he learned how to handle a sword. All these things he learned without really realizing it. So with a heart full of gratitude to the master, he left and continued to be one of the greatest swordsmen Japan had ever known.

Essay topic: A priceless gift

I have had this little wooden pencil case with me for about two years. It is the most precious gift that I have because it was made for me by my late grandfather for my tenth birthday.My grandfather was a carpenter. After he retired, he continued to spend his time on woodwork. He liked to work in the garden where it was cooler. I used to sit beside him and watch him while he hammered away.One day, I could not find my grandfather in his usual place in the garden. After hunting high and low, I found him in his room. His head was bent over a rectangular object and his hands were busy carving something. As soon as he saw me, he hid the object behind his back and smiled guiltily, like someone caught in a naughty act.Just before my birthday, my grandfather fell sick. On the eve of my birthday, he passed away.The next day, I found the wooden pencil case in his drawer. There were some words carved on it: “Happy birthday to my beloved grandson.” I was touched. So that was what my grandfather had been so secretive about. Since that day, I have always cherished the birthday gift from my grandfather. To me, it is a priceless gift.

Essay topic: An amusing incident

It was April Fools’ Day. My identical twin brother, Jack, and I thought of a mischievous trick. As we were in different classes, we decided to exchange places and pretend to be each other for a day.I walked into Jack’s class confidently and mingled with his friends. Nobody suspected that I was not Jack. Only our parents could tell us apart. One of Jack’s classmates happened to celebrate his birthday that day and had brought a big ice-cream cake to class. Of course, I took Jack’s share of the ice-cream cake. What a treat!Jack’s classmates tried hard to make one another the biggest fool of the day. However, I was careful not to be tricked. Jack’s closest friends were surprised and remarked, “Jack is strangely alert today.” I almost burst out in laughter but managed to keep a straight face.Pretending to be Jack seemed fun until Jack’s teacher scolded me for failing a maths test. It was so shameful! However, instead of feeling angry, I felt sorry for Jack and decided to help him with his maths in future.At the end of the day, Jack and I told each other what happened. The next day, we laughed at our class-mates for being fools not to smell a rat.

Essay topic: A case of mistaken identity

A strange incident happened to me one year ago.It all started at a fast-food restaurant where I was having lunch with my friends. Suddenly, a woman walked up to us and called, “Lisa”. We all turned and looked at her. I was surprised to find that she was talking to me. She even asked me why I did not go home. When I told her that she had made a mistake, she became agitated and started crying loudly.At that moment, a man came up to her and tried to calm her down. Then, turning around, he saw me and was startled. Gravely, he explained to me why his wife had behaved that way. They had had a daughter who looked like me. She had been killed in a road accident recently. His wife had not learnt to accept the mishap and that was why she insisted that I was her daughter.I felt sorry for her. Therefore, I decided to visit her often, hoping that it would help her recover faster. My parents supported my decision. Since that incident, I have been visiting the couple weekly. They dote on me as if I were their daughter. I believe the woman is getting better.

Essay topic: A lesson learnt

I was shopping for a wallet in a large shopping center. Suddenly, a naughty thought ran through my mind.The counter where the wallets were sold was at a corner of the store. There was nobody around me then. Stealthily, I put one of the wallets into my pocket. I felt guilt written all over my face. As I was about to leave the shop, a pair of arms grabbed me by my shoulders.“We have to refer you to the police for shop-lifting,” the man said. I was horrified. My parents were notified and they were furious to learn what I had done. However, they pleaded with the shop manager on my behalf.The shop manager finally decided to drop the charge against me. I truly regretted stealing the wallet and promised to turn over a new leaf. He nevertheless referred the case to my school principal. I was given a demerit point as punishment and my teachers explained to me the seriousness of shoplifting.It had indeed been a painful lesson. I resolve never to commit the same mistake again.

Essay topic: A cruise

It was a sunny day. My father drove the whole family to Clifford pier. We were going on a cruise on board the Equator Dream. My brother and I were very excited as we had never been on a cruise before.The Equator Dream is a big ship with four storeys. It has a huge dining room and a lounge. On the lowest level is a discotheque which my father said is not a suitable place for children. On the highest level is a sun deck where most people will gather during the day.We cruised around Singapore. We were served a buffet lunch on board. Then, we went up on the deck to enjoy the sunshine and the sea breeze. The scenery was beautiful.In the evening, we were treated to a delicious Chinese meal. After dinner, we went to the lounge to chat and laze about. Of course, we also went up on the deck again to look at the captivating night scene of Singapore. We could see the lights on the island flickering from afar.Slowly, the lights became larger and brighter. The Equator Dream docked and we disembarked at World Trade Center. It had been an interesting trip and all of us went home feeling satisfied and happy.