...Glory Soc 150 11/20/13 The 1989 film Glory is a classic Civil War film based on the history of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment. The film focuses on the courage displayed by the first black regiment in the Civil War, also known as the “Fighting Fifty-fourth.” The regiment headed by the admirable Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, Matthew Broderick, must overcome an enormous amount of adversity during the war. The film was daring for filmmakers Zwick and Fields because it was a film not only with, “vivid and frightening battle scenes and finely etched dramatic characters, but a film that shattered the great Civil War taboo-it told a story of African Americans. Many articles and texts leading up to the film failed to mention the participation of African Americans in the Civil War. In fact, the participation of African Americans helped turn the course of the war and nearly 300,000 fought for the North. Glory earned an impressive three Academy Awards due to its exceptionally talented cast and arguably some of the most realistic and memorable Civil War reenactments ever shot. The soundtrack, cinematography, and acting captivated my attention with a combination of triumph and tragedy. These men were fighting to free their very own race which adds to the emotion and sentiment this movie invokes. Zwick effectively builds the characters of the 54th regiment by portraying the grueling months of training and development. One prominent example of this is in the end of their movie...
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...Dignity is universally essential to one's sense of self-worth, and is gained through the respect of peers, as well as one’s self. When a human is emotionally and physically stripped of their pride, it weakens his will to live. Dignity proves to the characters in both the Nazi concentration camps in Elie Wiesel’s Night, and the Japanese prison camps in Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, to be the main source in which they use to rebound from a terrible situation. The central theme shared by both novels is the struggle to preserve one’s dignity in the face of severe adversity, trying to weaken their will to live. Mistreatment of the captives in the camps physiologically scar the men, leading to the loss of respect for others and themselves. In...
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...The theme in a story is associated with an idea that lies behind the story. Every story narrows a broad underlying idea, shapes it in a unique way, and makes the underlying idea concrete. That's how theme is created. In other words, the theme in a story is a representation of the idea behind the story. (Clugston, 2010) This paper will compare and contrast the theme of the stories Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer and The Welcome Table by Alice Walker. The first story which is Country Lovers which is about a boy named Paulus Eysendyck, who is a white farmer’s son, and Thebedi, the black daughter of one of the farm workers. As children, Paulus and Thebedi played together, but when they are teenagers they began a sexual relationship. They have tender feelings for each other, even though their relationship is ultimately doomed. They continue a relationship throughout the years when Paul comes home on visits. Thebedi later marries Njabulo, a kind young black man who has loved her for years. Two months later, Thebedi gives birth to a light-skinned child. Although Thebedi is pregnant when she marries it is not considered scandalous because men in this culture often insist on finding out before marriage if their women are barren. The child’s light skin, however, reveals who the father really is. Although Njabulo knows the baby is not his, he treats the child as his own and buys things that the baby needs. When Paulus comes to visit he learns that Thebedi has married and has a light-skinned...
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...maintain positive emotional well-being even with all the adversities they had experienced, and this shows resilience (Bundy-Fazioli et al., 2013). Grandparents do have negative outcomes at times, but their ability to adapt and be flexible can be associated with resilient individuals (Bundy-Fazioli et al., 2013). Robinson and Wilks (2006) conducted a study with custodial grandparents to look at issues regarding being the caregiver of a grandchild. A sample size of 25 grandparents was obtained from a grandparents’ support groups, and qualitative data was obtained, and the themes found were generation gap, health concern, problems of discipline, and relationship strain with spouses (Robinson & Wilks, 2006). With the first area was the generation...
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...The Secret Life of Bees The movie, The Secret Life of Bees, takes place in the summer of 1964 in Sylvan, South Carolina. This movie was not my first pick for the course paper, but it came on TV one night recently and I decided to watch it. This was a really good film and it showed how racism plagued our country not so long ago. Conflict Theory, originally the brainchild of Karl Marx, is the theoretical perspective that best fits this movie (Brym and Lie, 11). Racism, prejudice, and discrimination are the main focus of this movie while also telling the story of a young teenage girl named Lily (The Secret Life of Bees). Lily doesn’t see in colors or race, but sees only in the love, character, and value of a person. Lily, a young white girl,...
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...In the novel , “Frankenstein”, by Mary Shelley, it is composed by the theme of family, society, and isolation. With this in mind, tragedy, murder, and despair occur simply because of lack of connection. People ask why the monster seeks revenge on his creator. At first it is nothing but joy and happiness because Victor creates a monster brining him from the dead. However, the monster begins to feel emotions and begins to have desires of his own. With this in mind, the novel's theme of how revenge can affect someone and his or her family creates and paints a picture of drama and suspense. The novel includes Family, Society, and Isolation. As a result, the monster victor has created demolished Visitor’s family. Victor had denied the creatures desires of having a woman monster to live with. The monster became really upset and he threatened Victor by telling him,”It is well. I go; but remember, I shall be with you on your wedding-night..” (Shelley 74). Victor became really frightened and decided to flee away in a boat. Once he arrived to town they gave him the news that Justine, Clerval, and William had been murdered. Furthermore, Victor was put in jail two months later where...
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...begins with the genealogy of Jesus. He does this to prove that Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, coming from the line of David, being born of a virgin, and being born in Bethlehem. I could only imagine the birth of Jesus as something extra special. That night after Mary gave birth to Jesus they were visited by some special people. The Magi visited King Herod looking for the new born king in Bethlehem. After their visit Herod was concerned. He ordered the killing of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two. Joseph, Mary and Jesus escape Herod and fled to Egypt. We know little to nothing of Jesus in his early years. Later after returning to Nazareth, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. This marks the beginning of Jesus’s ministry. Some of the other major events we find in Matthew is when he goes on to pick his twelve disciples and begins to preach on the “Kingdom of Heaven”. We learn that Jesus came to fulfill the Law. During his ministry he performs miracles, he teaches, and preaches the word. At the end of the book we learn of Jesus’s arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, burial, and his resurrection. Acts The Book of Acts is of narrative genre. The Major themes of Acts provides a detailed, orderly, eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the early church and the spread of the gospel after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There was a growing opposition to the new Church and many people were persecuted for their beliefs. Saul, whose...
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...A Literary Analysis of “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” and “The Things They Carried” ENG125 Sharon Linne January 26th, 2015 Sources of conflict provide a unifying factor that enables an audience to relate to a literary work’s respective authors on a psychological level. This is particularly important when an author seeks to place his or her audience in their own perspective. A strong case for the conflict of individual versus self can be identified in the texts “They Things They Carried” (O’Brien, 1990) and “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” (Thomas, 1952) This shared trait offers insight towards the human element and increases both works’ depth as a result. It also allows the audience to experience timelines and situations they would never have been able to otherwise, especially when dealing with sensitive topics such as death and war. We will be exploring the combined use of persona, fate, point of view, flashbacks, epiphanies and irony towards further contributing towards the authors’ visions. The texts “The Things They Carried” and “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” both share the conflict of individual versus self. The pair both vary greatly in their presentation as well as what substantiates them. They however, simultaneously both touch on the universally shared trait of human emotion in extenuating circumstances. O’Brien and Thomas both depict situations where the concept of death is always lurking just around the corner. The realization...
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...Being placed in new situations can be challenging for anyone. Depending on how new the situation is, change may require difficult habituation and the overcoming of hardships. “All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.” (Keller, 1960) The autobiography The Story of my Life by Helen Keller and the novel The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri reflect this quotation. The life experiences of non-fiction character, Helen Keller, greatly reflect those of fictional character, Ashima Ganguli. Both of these women and their families are faced with the similar challenges of adaptation, overcoming adversity and forming a positive sense of identity throughout their lives. These challenges are overcome using literature and the consistent,...
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...musical form emerged from the Deep South of America; often defined as a repetitive and poetic music structure derived from jazz, blues music became an influential role in the astounding American identity. On the basis of originality and artistry, Billie Holiday is noted as one of the most influential jazz and blues singers. Throughout a dark life of poverty, drugs and adversity that arose from sexism and racism, Billie Holiday turned to her passion of music and singing. One of “Lady Day’s” most well-known pieces was recorded in 1936 and was titled “Billie’s Blues” This piece is structured as a 12-bar blues piece with a short introduction and six choruses. Throughout this blues song, there is a repetitive and invigorating harmonic pattern present. “Billie’s Blue’s” reflects a very laid back style through Holiday’s signature “lazy” style using many jazz embellishments such as blue notes; moreover, these melodies sung by Billie Holiday, as well as the two improvised solos performed by Bunny Berigan and Arty Shaw, are extremely artistic and original. In despite of a poverty stricken life filled with drug abuse and adversity, Billie Holiday was able to establish herself as a prominent blues and jazz singer; she was able to display this in “Billie’s Blues,” a 12-bar blues piece, with exceptional use of harmony and melody. Before Billie Holiday took on her stage name, the blues sensation was born as Eleanora Fagan in Baltimore, Maryland where she spent most of her young life. Holiday’s...
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...Social Mobility Paper Willie J. Williams Jr. University of Phoenix/Sociology 100 Becky Russell December 14, 2009 “Introduction” Citizens can move up or down the social ladder throughout their existence or from one generation to the next. Everyone is offered the same chance and opportunity at improving their lives socially and the way each generation handles adversity lies behind the idea of equal opportunity and how you utilize your god giving talents. Social Mobility Social Mobility is measure in one by seeing whether rich parents give birth to rich kids and poor parents give birth to poor kids, or see if the incomes of parents and their children are distinct. Can children of poor parents become rich? It looks as though the American Dream is far more likely to remain a mirage for Americans than it is for citizens residing in other countries. A larger disparity of results seems to make it effortless for wealthy parents to leave their advantages. While income differences have expanded in the USA as well as Britain, social mobility has slowed up. Bigger incomes contrasts can make it tougher to attain opportunity fairness because they amplify social class segregation and possibly bigotry. Willie James Williams Sr. Willie James Williams Sr.; born the 3rd child of Frank and Alma Williams on the 4th of July, 1939. He didn’t get to know his father like most sons do, because his father was killed on the train tracks of Sylacauga, Alabama. The cause of death was stated in a report...
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...during its time of publishing due to its somewhat short length and topic. Charlotte Temple is a story of an innocent and ignorant young girl who is seduced by a man, which ultimately leads to her death. The novella was considered to be somewhat taboo during its time period because of its nature dealing with lust and young love, a prevalent theme noticeable throughout the entire story. The story begins with the introduction of the English soldier Montraville whose attention has been caught by the young woman Charlotte Temple. Montraville describes her beauty to his friend Belcour, who seemed more interested in the idea of a looming war (The American Revolutionary War) than the woman that has caught the eye of his friend. For three days Montraville cannot get Charlotte out of his head and therefore decides to go to her home to see her. After deciding that he should leave and not think of or see her at all, he catches a glance of two women walking in a field. One of the women is Charlotte and the other is her French teacher Mademoiselle la Rue. Montraville later meets up with and bribes la Rue, so long as Charlotte will meet him the next night in the same field. Montraville also gives Charlotte a note. The novella then mentions how Charlotte’s parents met and how her father, Mr. Henry Temple, married her mother, Miss Elridge, despite the disapproval of Mr. Temple’s father, who ultimately cuts Henry off from his fortune. Mr. Temple pays off Mr. Elridge’s debt, buys a cottage, and...
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...CLASS –X ENGLISH NCERT SOLUTIONS LITERATURE READER TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA Answers Answer1: Answer2: I think the story is about a person who bears amiable nature. The story is based on the theme of human ethics. Answer4.1: (a) the boys were untidy and poorly dressed Answer4.2: (b) willingness to work Answer4.3: (a) did not want a stranger to become involved with their plans Answer4.4: (a) he did not want to intrude into their privacy Answer4.5: (c) the Germans had ruined their family Answer4.6: (a) he thought the boys would prefer to keep their secret Answer5.1: This statements shows that the two boys were not ashamed of doing menial jobs such as shoe polish or fruit-vending. When the narrator saw them working as shoe shine boys he was surprised as he had seen them selling wild strawberries the previous day. He asked them about it. Then Nicola, the elder brother spoke that they did many things. Nicola said that they also did a lot of other things for a living. The boys hoped that the narrator would ask for their services and in return would earn some good money. Answer5.2: This statement shows the uneasiness of the speaker, Nicola. The narrator was astonished to see that boys worked hard day and night and yet lived meagerly. He wanted to know what the boys did with the money they earned. When he questioned Nicola, he appeared uncomfortable. Perhaps the boys were not used to anybody questioning them regarding their earnings, and the narrator’s question embarrassed them. Material...
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...Throughout American history, the ideal of freedom has been a perpetual belief held as a cornerstone of the country. Despite this assertion, many within the nation have been chasing freedom since the 1600s. African Americans have an especially unique relationship with the pursuit for liberation, due to their roots in slavery. Within the renown alternative historical novel, The Underground Railroad, author Colson Whitehead chronicles the life of the slave Cora, and her pursuit for freedom and complete liberation from slavery within the south during the 1800s. For the duration of the story, the changing concept of freedom is depicted through the adversity and difficult decisions Cora has to make to chase freedom. Throughout the novel, Colson Whitehead...
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...Tekela Genous October 28, 2009 ENG 435 Langston Hughes “Mother to Son” is written entirely from a weary mother’s point-of-view and presents inspiration, themes, and imagery concerning the appearance and the reality of the poem. Every mother wants to see her child be successful in life through the hardships and the good times. The poem was written from a mother to her young son demonstrating the love and concern a mother has for her son and educating him on how life may be. The overall message is to never give up, although life is hard, one can never give up no matter what your struggles are, keep pushing forward. This poem implies that experience can teach life lessons, which the mother has been through time after time. She explains to her son in a well spoken way that things may go wrong, don’t get content, move forward and never give up. This poem reminds me of a novel named Push, written by Sapphire in 1996, it illustrates the conditions of living in Harlem in the 1980’s and the suffering of a girl, Claireece Precious Jones, who experienced sexual harassment, being committed twice by her own father, having two children by him, but never giving up. The first couple of stanzas show that the son may have asked his mother a question, because she starts with, "Well, son, I'll tell you." The mother then goes on and uses the metaphor “Life for me ain't been no crystal stair,” which can symbolize her spiritual pursue towards Christ or telling her son that life is...
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