...“The more you do for someone, the more that someone takes you for granted.” At the beginning of Kafka's "Metamorphosis", Gregor reveals to the audience that he has "...an exhausting profession! One the road, day in, day out" (1205). We later discover that the motivation behind his work commitment is to pay back debts owed by his parents. When Gregor's mother states " It almost worries me that he never goes out on his evenings off...his only hobby is a little occasional woodwork" (1208), we realize that Gregor has sacrificed any friendships and that he is not gaining any personal reward or motivation for his efforts. In return for his work, Gregor's parents however, were unemployed. To Gregor's father, "Breakfast was the most important meal of the day, which he liked to draw out for hours over the perusal of several newspapers" (1211). Meanwhile, Gregor had to get up and be on the early train for work on a normal basis. It appears that his father has no appreciation for all of the work and effort Gregor completes for the family. Gregor's sister, Grete, had become accustomed to "wearing pretty frocks, sleeping in late...taking part in a few modest celebrations, and above all, playing the violin (1219). These were all due to the amount of work and money Gregor contributed to his family. "They had just become used to it, both the family and Gregor; they gratefully took receipt of all his money, which he willingly handed over, but there was no longer any particular warmth about...
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...REGION 1 SHORT STORIES Authors Biography Carlos Bulosan was born in the Philippines on November 24, 1913 and immigrated to the United States at the age of 17 on July of 1930. He arrived in Seattle, Washington where he would struggle against discrimination and poverty. He traveled up and down the west coast of the United States chasing after work. After years of harsh living and working conditions, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and went to Los Angeles to have surgery at the Los Angeles County Sanitarium. Here he was confined to the hospital for two years, during which he read and wrote profusely. After three operations in this time span, he lost most of his right ribs and one of his lungs. Basically self-educated, having had only three years of formal education in the Philippines, he has become one of the most celebrated. Filipino writers in American history, his most notable work being his semi-autobiographical novel, America is in the Heart, which was published in the year 1946. The novel represents not only his own story but a collective story of Filipino men like him. The novel describes Filipino experiences on the Central Coast as one point among many, including Alaska, Seattle, Yakima Valley, all the way down to San Diego. My Father Goes To Court (Carlos Bulosan) My Father Goes To Court (Carlos Bulosan) When I was four, I lived with my mother and brothers and sisters in a small town on the island of Luzon. Father’s farm had been destroyed in 1918 by one of our...
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...Juliah N Githire 30 October 2014 M26 ENGL 1020 – M. Connelly -- Study Guide -- Act 3, Hamlet (based on assignment by R. Patton) 3.1 1. According to Hamlet, why do people prefer the troubles of life to death? Because eventually they will die. 2. When Ophelia returns Hamlet’s gifts, how does Hamlet respond? He rejects her gifts. He is being misogynist. 3. Fill in the blank: Hamlet tells Ophelia, “Get thee to a nunnery, go.” 4. Fill in the blank: Claudius plans to send Hamlet from Denmark to England, because its king owes Claudius a favor. (1 point) 3.2 5. Fill in the blank: The player queen in The Murder of Gonzago swears that she will never remarry. 6. What is Claudius’ reaction to the play? He is furious and in shock. He doesn’t like the play. Claudius is starting to suspect that Hamlet knows what happened between him and the late King. 3.3 7. When Hamlet finds Claudius at prayer, why doesn’t he kill Claudius? Hamlet doesn’t kill Claudius because he is praying, and if he kills him now he thinks he will not go to heaven. 3.4 8. Which character dies during this scene? How does the character die? Polonius. Hamlet stabs and kills him. 9. What leads Gertrude to believe that Hamlet is hallucinating? Because his father comes in during his conversation with his mom and he is trying to get his mom to see him but she doesn’t see nor hear anything of the father. She thinks he is talking to the...
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...The setting of a story often helps a reader to feel as if he were actually a part of the story. Franz Kafka and Herman Melville are two authors who chose specific settings for their stories. The settings they chose help to place their characters into perspective and to understand the problems they face. Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis and Herman Melville’s Billy Budd take place at different points in time and in different settings; Metamorphosis in an apartment in the early 1900’s, and Billy Budd on a ship in the late 18th Century. These settings help to identify the mood of each story. Metamorphosis takes place in the early 1900’s in the apartment of Gregor Samsa. Kafka does not provide a geographical setting for Metamorphosis, however, the significance of the story taking place on land is the ability of the characters to escape at their own will. Metamorphosis begins with Gregor unable to get out of his bed for work, later succumbing to the fact that he has morphed into an insect. Gregor’s extreme tardiness for work causes upheaval and chaos in the Samsa home; The father is screaming, Gregor’s boss comes to the house to find his employee, Gregor’s mother and sister are crying because they are scared, and there are guests in the home. The setting of the entire Samsa family being confined into a small apartment makes the the turmoil that arises a much larger issue than it really is. At a certain point, the Samsa family, led by their father, decides to isolate Gregor into...
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...A Tragedy or a Blessing? Years ago in Scotland, the Clark family had a dream. Clark and his wife worked and saved, making plans for their nine children and themselves to travel to the United States. It had taken years, but they had finally saved enough money and had gotten passports and reservations for the whole family on a new liner to the United States. The entire family was filled with anticipation and excitement about their new life. However, seven days before their departure, the youngest son was bitten by a dog. The doctor sewed up the boy but hung a yellow sheet on the Clarks' front door. Because of the possibility of rabies, they were being quarantined for fourteen days. The family's dreams were dashed. They would not be able to make the trip to America as they had planned. The father, filled with disappointment and anger, stomped to the dock to watch the ship leave - without the Clark family. The father shed tears of disappointment and cursed both his son and God for their misfortune. Five days later, the tragic news spread throughout Scotland - the mighty Tittanic had sunk. The unsinkable ship had sunk, taking hundreds of lives with it. The Clark family was to have been on that ship, but because the son had been bitten by a dog, they were left behind in Scotland. When Mr. Clark heard the news, he hugged his son and thanked him for saving the family. He thanked God for saving their lives and turning what he had felt was a tragedy into a...
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