...and also for many diverse reasons. I believe that literature is another way to view our historical past as well. Throughout history, society has been grateful exposed to different styles of literature; non-fiction, fiction, poems, plays, etc. Literature has a variety of styles; American literature, Irish literature, African American literature, and also Women’s literature are only a few examples. I am charmed by Women’s literature, everything from Annie Bradstreet to Judy Blume. My focus is to show how women portray a major role in the making of great literature, and also their existence in the works of art themselves. Distressingly, for years we women didn’t have a voice and our ideas were pushed aside. An American Editor Joan Goulianos wrote, “There exists a rich and complex literature by women that goes back to the Middle Ages, a literature that consists of diaries, of autobiographies…of stories- a literature in which women wrote about their lives and from which women and men today can draw insight about theirs.” I want to examine literary works and extract examples of the role of the women; revealing empowering and the undervalued identity of women. I want to explore how women writers affected American literature, and how the literary works...
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...Satonga Brown How to Escape From Conflicts? Everest University The character that I feel, that escape the most compared to the other characters would most definitely be Tom Wingfield, the son of Amanda Wingfield. Tom and his mother Amanda always seem to butt heads between one another, no matter what. Tom had a job in a warehouse that paid him only sixty-five dollars a month. He had become friends with a guy named Jim, who was a clerk in the same warehouse as he worked. He had a sister named, Laura who was born with a childhood illness that later left her crippled. And, his overbearing mother Amanda is just caught up in her own little world of realization. Tom has always seen himself being more than just working in a warehouse, he actually wanted to become a seaman and explore the many different adventures that a seaman could explore. But, he put his dreams on hold to take care of his mother and his disabled sister. It seems as though Tom haven’t been pleased lately at how his mother treats him and sort of boss him around as if he is a little boy. Tom always wanted to move out his mother apartment and venture out on his own to see what the world had in-store for him, but it seem as if his mother was always his downfall and holding him back from achieving his goals. Every time Tom and his mother would get into an argument, he would say “I’m going to the movies!” (CCi Custom Edition, 2008). The movie was a way for Tom to have peace and quiet from his mother and to...
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...the down fall of those who betrayed her. It tells how Charlotte’s innocence prevents her from seeing the true evil intentions of Mademoiselle La Rue and the evil nature of Belcour. Her naïve and innocence also prevents her to think rationally when it came to love and Montraville. Throughout the novel, there are many aspects of this story that makes it uniquely American. The American dream, importance of education and religion and the fact that nature always win are some of the qualities that makes a novel American. All these American qualities are introduced and presented in this tale of Charlotte Temple. Many immigrants risk their lives by crossing the treacherous ocean to come to America in hopes to pursue the American dream for themselves and their future generations. To obtain the American dream of success, fame, status and fortune, some are even willing to achieve it at any cost. In the novel of Charlotte Temple, there are many examples where the characters are willing to pursue this dream even if it means to do evil. Montraville is a prime example of someone who came to America in hopes of achieving the American dream. He was a soldier from England that came to America in hopes to further advance his career as a soldier. Not long after Montraville arrives to New York with Charlotte, he meets a Miss Julia Franklin. Though Montraville himself comes from a wealthy family, he was told by his father that unless he has succeeded in his career and was able to provide for his...
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...Romantic literature is such that an author writes in an attempt to convey his feelings on what the world should be like. It is unrealistic, unreasoning, and imaginative writing. William Cullen Bryant and Edgar Allen Poe are two examples of romantic writers. Though Poe fits the mold of a romantic writer it is obvious that his writings do not mirror those of Bryant or many other known romantic authors. His works share a uniqueness that is not found amongst the other writers, it is this uniqueness that separates Poe’s works from the rest. Bryant’s poem “Thanatopsis” is a good example of romantic literature. This work compared to Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” will show that characteristics of Poe’s work that, both, make him a romantic writer and separate him from other romantic writers. “Thanatopsis”, by William Cullen Bryant, is a very romantic poem about the relationship between man and nature. Bryant’s purpose for this poem is to spread his belief that at the last hours of life man is joined with the Earth and when that last hour is over man will join all those who have passed before him. From the first two lines of the poem it is obvious that this poem is romantic in nature. “To him who in the love of Nature holds – Communion with her visible forms,” (470). Bryant personifies nature in this poem by referring to it as a “she”. He does this to establish a common thread between the reader and Earth. It is easier for someone, reading Bryant’s work, to begin believing his ideas...
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...Douglass, was able to recollect and share his childhood through his book entitled “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.” Slave Narrative author, Harriet Jacobs, also shared her slave childhood through her book “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.” Both authors take out a piece of them and put it down on paper for the public to be aware of the things they suffered through. However, the contrast in their gender influences the differences in their experiences. Although it would be coming to an end, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs were born into slavery. Together, they suffered pain and agony of seeing things that children should see. In recalling their childhood, both authors can remember pain. Douglass watched African-American men and women beaten by their masters for any or no reason at all. Jacobs had her family torn apart from her every time one of her masters died. The two wrote explaining not only their suffering and agony, but also their excitement. Douglass was being taught to read and write by his mistress and even when she was instructed to discontinue his teachings, he continued to learn any way he saw fit. When he describes challenging other boys who he knew could read and write, the reader can feel his accomplishments as well. One could sense how proud he is of himself. As said before, both Jacobs and Douglass were born into slavery. Jacobs, however, did not know she was even a slave until she was six years old. This in turn makes her story and...
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...Characteristically a Trickster – A Critical Review He’s sly, cunning, good-looking and suave. He appears from nowhere and returns to the same. He is your friend and your enemy. Keep a close eye on him, but also believe what he says, for he may help you to see clearly. Who is this man? He is the TRICKSTER! He is present in nearly all Native American stories; however, the form to which he adapts is constantly changing. From dirty old men, to young good-looking heart breakers, the trickster provides an outlet for much humor, irony and truth. It is from the article “Ambigere: The Euro-American Picaro and the Native American” by Franchot Ballinger that most of the trickster qualities are described. “A roguish traveler(s)” (21-39), the Trickster is seen as a character who rebels against moral and civil code. Their tales, which exist mostly in myth, are notable for their lack of an adequate ending. The ending is nearly impossible to accomplish because the Trickster is a figure that never ends. Reappearing in nearly every Native American piece of fiction, the Trickster’s story continues, although the persona changes. “This young man (occasionally women) usually (by the standards of society) are of low birth or of obscure origins (perhaps orphaned…) and come from a disreputable background… surviving by his wits, which often means living by begging, theft, deception…” (21-39). Many of these traits, present is so many Trickster figures, have developed into genres of...
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...I. Introduction In his foreword to a collection of the radio scripts of comedians Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. endorses these entertainers as somehow new and different—and relevant—since they draw their humor from the plight of the (American) Common Man. In the process, Vonnegut offers us an insight into his own writing, and the philosophies that inform it. “They aren’t like most other comedians’ jokes these days,” Vonnegut writes, aren’t rooted in show business and the world of celebrities and news of the day. They feature Americans who are almost always fourth-rate or below, engaged in enterprises which, if not contemptible, are at least insane. And while other comedians show us persons tormented by bad luck and enemies and so on, Bob and Ray’s characters threaten to wreck themselves and their surroundings with their own stupidity. There is a refreshing and beautiful innocence in Bob’s and Ray’s humor. Man is not evil, they seem to say. He is simply too hilariously stupid to survive. And this I believe. Jerome Klinkowitz, in the introduction to his essay collection entitled Vonnegut in America, has used this quote—as he certainly should—to support his claim that Vonnegut’s humor has its roots in the comedic response to the Great Depression. But of course there is much more to it than that. The reader is left with a nagging question: Were humanity’s case really as Vonnegut describes it, and were this truly his belief, wouldn’t it seem that the...
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...differences in culture and work ethic between Americans and Japanese. It shows how each group handles conflict in the work place, as well as at home. The main characters and leaders are faced with dilemmas and have to figure out how to work as a team to keep the automobile manufacturing plant up and running smoothly. According to Western Washington University (2011), there are many different sociological differences between the Japanese and Americans. Most importantly, the views of conflict and conflict resolution differ greatly. In the United States, conflict is seen as something that is inevitable, or bound to happen, whereas in Japan, conflict is considered dangerous to all relationships and should be diffused before it begins or avoided at all costs (Western Washington University, 2011). This fact along plays a major roll in the struggles between the Americans and the Japanese at the automobile manufacturing plant in Gung Ho. The American workers almost seemed as though they were looking for conflict to solve, but the Japanese executives were quick to avoid it at any cost possible. Culture also plays a major roll in determining how the characters approached and completed tasks presented to them. In the movie, a few of the American and Japanese main characters argue about their differences in spending time with family. The Japanese say that their job is their life; it is most important so they can provide for their families. For the Americans, they preferred to spend as much time...
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...(High-Context & Low-Context Culture Styles. (n.d.)). According to Edward Hall, these cultures prefer group harmony and consensus to individual achievement. They focus more on a speaker’s tone of voice, facial expression, gestures, posture, etc. than the actual words said. Travel effect stated four reasons why American workers chose not to use their vacation time. The first reason was the dread of returning from a vacation to piles of work, followed by the belief that no one will be able to step in and do their job for them while they're gone, not being able to afford going on vacation and lastly the fear of being seen as replaceable. “Indians are more efficient. Americans believe in more action and fewer words.” (SocialPC. (n.d.)). As previously stated, there are many differences between American and Indian work culture. Americans tend to be more relaxed work wise, while Indians tend to be extremely hard working. Due to their hard work, Indians quickly learned to adapt to new cultures and are very successful in other countries. Many of the differences between American and Indian culture arise from the fact that Indian cultures are based around their religions. Americans tend to be more individualistic and live life at their own will while Indians tend to rely more on the values of religion and family. Reference Chapter 1 Lecture: High-Context & Low-Context Culture Styles. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.marin.edu/buscom/index_files/Page605.htm Goudreau, J. (2013)...
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...The Evolution of Langston Hughes In the 1900s America was constantly evolving. Langston Hughes, an African American poet, wrote poems about civil rights, hope, and the American dream that inspired other African Americans to fight for equality in the 1900s. Hughes wrote during a time period that African Americans were not treated equally. In 1964 the Civil Rights Act was signed creating equality and ending segregation for African Americans. As America changed, Hughes perspective on America and equality evolved affecting his writing. In the beginning of Hughes’s writing career he was critical of America, but was inspiring to the lower class. For example, In “Let America Be America Again”, by Langston Hughes, he states, “There’s never been equality...
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...Patrick Henry's name will forever be remembered forever in American History. Born on May 29, 1736 in Hanover County, Virginia, he grew up living the colonist life. His father, John Henry, had studied at King's College, University of Aberdeen. He then educated young Patrick at home. Patrick was taught to read Latin and other important skills, but he studied law on his own. As Henry grew older, he decided to become a lawyer. He took his attorney's examination in 1760 in Williamsburg. In 1754, Henry married Sarah Shelton, but she soon died, and Patrick married Dorothea Dandridge in 1777. He was destined to make history. Patrick Henry soon began making a difference. In 1763 he argued his famous "Parson's Cause" in Hanover County. He argued that...
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...Grant Wood, American Gothic English Assignment American Gothic American Gothic is a classic American painting by Wood Grant. The traditional painting was created in the year 1930. Wood paints an image of two farmers in the Midwest. Due to time period that the painting was created in (1930s), American Gothic refers to the Great Depression. Wood paints the two farmers expressions with much importance. The man looks right at the viewer with strong determined eyes. He is holding his pitchfork with strength. The woman looks of to the left of the painting. Her expression portrays fear and sadness. Behind the two subjects is a house lit up by the afternoon sun. American Gothic is a very simple painting; two people and a house. The viewers eyes looks first at the man’s intense stare and then continues to wander around the painting. Wood's choice of clothing, hairstyle, color all play important rolls in determining the time setting and to give the painting an overall mood. First of all, the color scheme is very muted one. This gives the painting a depressing mood and a one- dimensional feeling. The many vertical and horizontal lines generate eye movement from pitchfork to the coat of the man on up to the faces of both figures to the window between them; then, as the roof angles, the viewer's eye is led toward the left and right with the roofs of the house and barn. The repetition of shape with the pitchfork and the window helps the viewer to see the...
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...play again. Additionally, the narrator comes on to say “Chevy Silverado, from the beginning of your work day to the end of the world, Chevy runs deep.” The advertisement appeals more to the male population, alluding to the idea that the truck is indestructible, therefore, so will you be if you drive a Chevy Silverado. On the other hand, Chryslers ad campaign titled half-time in America wrote by David Gordon Green (poet) and directed by Matthew Dickman produced this touching presentation by using the metaphor, “halftime in America” The ad clearly depicts the fight to revive the American economy with a specific focus on the decline in Detroit and the automotive industry. This two-minute piece starts when Clint Eastwood begins to speak, “It’s halftime. Both teams are in their locker room discussing what they can do to win this game in the second half.” The dark silhouette of the man walks through a dimly lit...
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...I believe racial stigmata have torn apart the so-called united country we live in. In Staples’, “Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space,” I can really sense the frustration he feels towards people who automatically label him a thug, yet understand the cautious approach someone may have given a particular situation. What I do not think people understand is many factors play a part when a person forms an opinion and acts accordingly. Personally, I believe some people may be too sensitive. I understand the hardships African Americans have faced, and do believe small minded racist people inhabit the world, but not everything is insinuating racism. One thing mentioned in the essay was the woman walking faster and faster until she was far enough away to find comfort in distance. Personally, if I were walking down a dimly lit street late at night, I would be weary of anyone walking close behind me and perhaps even cross the street. There is also the factor of surroundings. In the words of the Rabbi in Lucky Number Slevin, “When a third person calls you a horse it might be time to buy a saddle.” A woman of any color would be afraid to walk in to a biker bar known for hurting women. A well rounded Catholic would be weary of a satanic church. When places are known for crime and acts of violence by specific gangs, that just so happen to be of a particular race, it is to be expected that an individual may be weary of the intent of anyone resembling...
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...little, with its borders spanning a radius of only a few blocks. Walking from one end of the town to the other took no more than five minutes. That afternoon, we started our trip right in the middle of all the activity, into the mouth of a little alley known as the Japanese Village Plaza. People were walking in and out of cosmetic stores, bakeries, bars, gift shops, a brightly lit Sanrio store, cafes, a market, and a number of restaurants serving sushi, shabu shabu, ramen, even Korean barbeque. Many of these shops were playing traditional Japanese music, and interestingly, almost all of the employees that worked in these shops were women. The same could be said about the restaurants, as many of the servers were also women. The chefs on the other hand were all men, which may be one aspect of gender roles in the neighborhood. The Japanese had great pride in serving the food they prepared, something my sister and I noticed while eating at one of the more traditional ramen houses. There was a mixture of different kinds of people that afternoon: several Caucasians and Hispanics, a handful African-Americans, and of course plenty of Asians. There was also a...
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