Adversities in of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Adversities in of Mice and Men Essay SteinbeckIn the novel Of Mice and Men, the problems experienced by the characters are often over looked in favor of the themes of the book. However, by looking at the adversities of all of the characters, one can see the same adversities expressed in our own lives; by examining these said adversities, one can also learn to face such difficulties in the real world and better determine how to handle them. In the novel, Lennie faces difficulty in explaining himself to the rest of the world. Since he is mentally challenged, most people, even George sometimes, underestimated his intelligence and logic skills. In Weed, the ranchers assumed the worst about him and didn’t stop to think of his motives. They chased George and Lennie out of town with a mob of angry ranchers. At the ranch in Soledad, Lennie is given most of the basic tasks. Everyone assumes he cannot do work like a normal ranch hand. And again, after he kills Curly’s wife, everyone, except George and perhaps Slim, assumes he killed her out of pure spite. This lack of interest in his true motives is similar to the lack of interest the world has for our motives for anything. The world focuses more on what we have done than on why we have done it. If one cannot display ones motives or desires, then the world assumes the worst, and often society labels situations in a less than satisfactory manner. George faces a barrier in achieving his dream of owning a ranch of his own. Partially this is his doing, as shown with the wasting of money on cathouses and booze, but there are other factors as well, like the death of Lennie. Also, George seems to abandon any hope in his dream at the end of the novel. In this case, one can see that if ample efforts are not taken in the right direction one cannot achieve his goal to its entirety. Furthermore, the way the workmen take away Candy’s dog is similar to the way the world takes away the joys experienced by some members of the society. Candy’s dog, symbolic of Candy’s life and livelihood, was more important to him than some of the other ranch hands. Carlson, the representative of the world, took Candy’s dog from him and killed it, just as the world will sometimes take what we hold most dear. One can learn from this to hold on to what is most important to them. One should never let the world dictate how to make decisions on how to live life. In conclusion, the problems of the characters in Of Mice and Men are very similar to the problems in the real world. In the novel, however, the difficulties are more apparent than in the world. By applying the experiences of the characters to one’s own life, one can learn how to better himself for his own benefit.

The Narrator in Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man Essay examples -- racism

The Narrator in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man The narrator in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man views himself as invisible because he believes the world is full of blind men who cannot see him for who is really is. In the beginning of the story, the narrator is treated by white men as the stereotypical black male - sex-hungry, poor and violent. These white men are completely blind to what black men really are. However, as the novel progresses, the narrator finds a way to remain invisible, yet take power from those who previously held it. Later on, we find that the invisible man eventually develops into a man capable of fighting stereotypes and racism in a very visible way. Through this progression, the narrator is able to beat away racist attitudes. In chapter one, we are introduced to the narrator and quickly we see that he is being dominated by white confines of racism and stereotypes. The narrator starts by reminiscing about his class speech during his high school graduation. The speech stressed submission as the way for black Americans to advance in the social structure. The speech was so well received that the town arranged for him to give the speech in front of the town's most influential white leaders. In the narrator's eyes, the white men are rewarding his submissive nature. But the reader is presented with the truth of what is actually going on when he arrives to meet these men. First, the white men bring out a naked blond woman and force the black boys to look at the women. Some become sexually aroused - playing o... ...ible Man. Ellison places himself in the novel because he is showing how a proactive approach can be taken to approach society is a complex individual. By writing this book and tackling complex ideas of racism, he is making a proactive contribution to society. So when the narrator begins to use the dozens and discovers a piece of his cultural heritage, and then he sees in the full light who he really is, he is conveying the idea to anyone reading this book that there is more to African Americans than just violence and slavery. He is forcing others to acknowledge him as well as the existence of other beliefs and behaviors of blacks outside of their prescribed stereotypes. So, we see at the conclusion of this progression that the narrator can emerge from his cloak of invisibility, and make a visible difference in society. The Narrator in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man Essay examples -- racism The Narrator in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man The narrator in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man views himself as invisible because he believes the world is full of blind men who cannot see him for who is really is. In the beginning of the story, the narrator is treated by white men as the stereotypical black male - sex-hungry, poor and violent. These white men are completely blind to what black men really are. However, as the novel progresses, the narrator finds a way to remain invisible, yet take power from those who previously held it. Later on, we find that the invisible man eventually develops into a man capable of fighting stereotypes and racism in a very visible way. Through this progression, the narrator is able to beat away racist attitudes. In chapter one, we are introduced to the narrator and quickly we see that he is being dominated by white confines of racism and stereotypes. The narrator starts by reminiscing about his class speech during his high school graduation. The speech stressed submission as the way for black Americans to advance in the social structure. The speech was so well received that the town arranged for him to give the speech in front of the town's most influential white leaders. In the narrator's eyes, the white men are rewarding his submissive nature. But the reader is presented with the truth of what is actually going on when he arrives to meet these men. First, the white men bring out a naked blond woman and force the black boys to look at the women. Some become sexually aroused - playing o... ...ible Man. Ellison places himself in the novel because he is showing how a proactive approach can be taken to approach society is a complex individual. By writing this book and tackling complex ideas of racism, he is making a proactive contribution to society. So when the narrator begins to use the dozens and discovers a piece of his cultural heritage, and then he sees in the full light who he really is, he is conveying the idea to anyone reading this book that there is more to African Americans than just violence and slavery. He is forcing others to acknowledge him as well as the existence of other beliefs and behaviors of blacks outside of their prescribed stereotypes. So, we see at the conclusion of this progression that the narrator can emerge from his cloak of invisibility, and make a visible difference in society.

How Does Golding Show Conflict in Lord of the Flies? Essay

In lord of the flies, Golding presents a strong sense of conflict, between the boys, the boys and nature and the boy’s personal lives. The theme of conflict is an important one within the novel, as it helps to represent the disagreement and fighting of World War II which was happening during the time that Lord of the flies was written and that Golding experienced first-hand. Golding’s main message in Lord of the flies was how cruel men could be to one another and conflict is an obvious link to this idea. We begin to see conflict very early in the novel, even before the story begins, as Golding tries to introduce the key themes at the start of the novel. The boys are actually brought to the island itself by the conflicts of World War II. While conflict and violence is happening in the macrocosm that is the world, it starts to arise on the island, a microcosm of the world. We also see conflict and tension between Ralph and Piggy for a number of reasons. Ralph straightaway thinks of himself as superior to Piggy because he is physically more attractive and athletic then Piggy. While Jack is described as a ‘fair boy’ a stereotypical sign of goodness and pureness who ‘might make a boxer as far as width and heaviness of shoulders went’ and with ‘size and attractive appearance’ that ‘marked him out’. Piggy on the other hand is ‘plump,’ ‘shorter than the fair boy and very fat’. Ralph also mocks piggy by calling him by the nickname he dislikes. This is a deliberate act of cruelty as Piggy says confidently: ‘I don’t care what they call me..as long as they don’t call me what they used to call me at school†¦They used to call me â€Å"Piggy†.’ But Ralph ignores this and mocks Piggy, he ‘shrieked with laughter †¦Jumped up..†Piggy!†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. He is also rude to him by disregarding his health problem, saying, ‘sucks to your ass-mar!’. This immediate superiority Ralph feels over Piggy and his cruelty towards him could be a representation of how people in society generally act and think, and the behaviour towards thinkers or people with disabilities, that appearance and physical attractiveness is important and superior and that health impairments such as very poor eyesight and asthma marks so meone out as being different and therefore strange. It is also important that Golding has shown that Ralph has the capability to be cruel. Although we later find out that he is a representation of democracy, Ralph as a person can’t be holey good but he can’t be holey evil either. This links to Golding’s main message of Lord of the flies, which was inspired by seeing the awful things men could do to one another: that man, no matter how good, democratic or orderly can be holey good and are capable of being cruel, mostly for no valid reason and often as a result of discrimination and hunger for power. We also see a feature of emotional conflict between the boys. Ralph’s father is in the navy, another person who contributes to the conflict within the world and the island. As well as this, he is not only in the navy but a commander in the navy and taught Ralph how to swim. When Ralph asks Piggy about his father, piggy ‘flushes suddenly’ and replies: ‘‘My dad’s dead’ he said quickly, ‘and my mum—‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢I used to live with my auntie†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. His words give us the indication that his father is dead, his mother has left him and that his auntie used to look after him but no longer w ants him. His upbringing, especially in comparison to Ralph’s, makes him feel insignificant and upset and evokes pathos in the reader. From this, and his cockney accent (‘all them other kids’, ‘we was attacked’) we can conclude that Piggy represents the underclass in the 1950s. However, out of all the boys, the majority of which attended private school or were educated in grammar school, piggy is the best one, even though he has had to live in care and has been neglected through his childhood, all things which Golding uses to make the reader feel empathy and sympathy towards him. As a character, Piggy is the cleverest among the boys: ‘what intelligence had been shown was traceable to piggy’ but he is really a weak boy with good ideas. Golding could be making a point that your background does not necessarily determine how intelligent you are and that a lower class child can be very intelligent. We experience more tension between Ralph and Piggy due to Ralph’s attitude that he is superior, through linguistic conflict. Piggy continuously asks Ralph questions, such as ‘what’s your name?’, ‘you haven’t seen the others have you?’ and making comments and telling Ralph about himself: ‘My auntie told me not to run†¦on account of my asthma’ and ‘I expect we’ll want to know all there names’. He is enthusiastic and keen to talk to Ralph, possibly due to the usual lack of attention he receives back home. However Ralph ‘tried to be offhand and not too obviously uninterested’ and replied to Piggy’s comments with just a shake of his head or not even acknowledging him at all. As well as this, when Piggy asked Ralph his name he ‘waited to be asked his name in turn but this proffer of acquaintance was not made’. This yet again shows how Ralph thinks of himself as superior to Piggy and doesn’t feel he needs to treat or show piggy the same respect and interest that he gave to Ralph. Piggy also partly creates a gap between himself and Ralph by following Ralph and showing so much interest in him. Piggy ‘hung steadily at his shoulder’ and ‘stood by him, breathing hard’. This could show that Ralph has a natural sense of leadership about him which makes Piggy feel as though he should look up to him. However, it is mainly due to the fact that Piggy is neglected, of love and also friendship, which makes him feel he needs to attach himself to someone like Ralph. As well as this, Piggy is frightened by the prospect of ‘no grown-ups’ and needs a sense of authority, like Ralph, to latch onto. We can see how nervous and lacking in confidence Piggy can be, due to neglect as he ‘took off his glasses†¦then started to wipe them’, an action he seems to be doing all the time. This fidgeting behaviour is especially seen when Piggy is feeling particularly insignificant and upset talking about his upbringing: ‘†My dad’s dead,’ he said quickly, ‘and my mum—‘†¦. He took of his glasses and looked vainly for something with which to clean them on’. Another important conflict within the book can be seen between two of the main leaders, Ralph and Jack. Before the boys even interact with each other we can foresee that there will be tension between the two characters. Jack’s choir is describes a ‘creature’. This description could indicate that the choir (le d by Jack) cloud later become more savage, like a ‘creature’. As well as this, the colour black that Jack and the choir’s uniforms are made from is symbolic, with black being symbolising evil and bad things. The description of Ralph is set in antithesis of Jack – Jack is described as ‘black’ and ‘ugly’ and Ralph as ‘golden’. Later in the book we see that the two boys makes choices and live in ways that would be expected by their description, Jack as savage and cruel and Ralph as democratic and reasonable. Golding could be implying that one can make valid judgements from appearance. He also writes that Jack was ‘underneath the floating cloak†¦tall, thin and bony. His face was crumpled and freckled and ugly with silliness’. This description once again draws up an image of Jack being a ‘bad’ character because of his ugliness. However, by using the modifier ‘without t silliness’, Golding modifies the statement on Jack’s appearance, that although he is ugly, the children would not be able to laugh at him. This could represent Jack’s power and intimidation towards the other children through sheer appearance and manner. Jack also speaks in imperative sentences (e.g. ‘choir, stand still! ) and the boys ‘huddled together’ in fear of him and stand with ‘wearily obedience’. This shows us they are used to taking orders from Jack. We can also see that Jakc thinks of himself as having superiority, as he wants to be called by his surname ‘Merridew’. Jack is obviously from a posh background and will have been to private school. Having characters like Jack and Ralph as leaders, boys who attended public school, could be Golding’s representation of society, how many leading roles and responsibilities are taken by upper-class privately educated people, while many lower-class people, some who may be intelligent like piggy, are left behind, as they have not been in an environment where being confident and superior is normal and expected. When it comes to actually voting for a chief, ‘the most obvious leader was Jack’, described by Golding as ‘this was the voice of one who knew his own mind’. This shows us that Jack already asserts himself as a leader in opposition to that of Ralph who doesn’t. However it is Ralph who is chosen by the boys to be chief. It is not only ‘his size and attractive appearance’, but there was also ‘a stillness about Ralph†¦that marked him out’ and ‘most powerfully there was the conch†¦the being that had blown that†¦was set apart’. The conch links to democracy, order and civilised society and there is a link between Ralph, ‘the being that had blown that’, that the boys also see. Golding would have been making the point that the boys chose, even when they didn’t know him, Ralph, the link to democracy, order and civilised society, to be their chief because a democratic leader is the right leader to have and the boys can see this and therefore choose Ralph even without knowing him. When Jack did not get voted as chief, ‘the freckles disappeared on jack’s face under a blush of mortification’. This shows us how embarrassed, angry and upset Jack was for not being chosen as Chief. This could be a point of conflict between Ralph and Jack within the book, however Ralph tries to keep peace with jack and ‘looked at him, eager to offer something’. This demonstrates Ralph’s eagerness to be a good and fair leader. However, another point at which Ralph tries to avoid conflict between Jack and himself is when laughs at Jack’s name calling at piggy and says, ‘he’s not fatty†¦his real name’s Piggy!’. This brings Ralph and Jack closer and creates common ground between them but yet again demonstrates the fact that Ralph can be capable of cruelty. We also see Ralph’s attempts to avoid conflict with Jack over the role of leader by allowing jack that ‘the choir belongs to you obviously.’ This action gives Jack some leadership and makes him feel more powerful as well as foreshadowing Ralph’s later attempts to break the conflict between him and Jack and bring the two together again. Nearing the end of the chapter, we experience the boy’s conflict with nature. This is represented by Golding, when the boys go to push a rock down from its original place on the mountain top. During their attempt, ‘the great rock loitered, poised on one toe’. This behaviour, and other actions, is typical of the way humans have often treated the planet, destroying natural objects or areas from their original state for human need and want. Golding was aware that humankind is stupid enough to destroy the very land that gives it food and life and we see this idea explored further in the novel, when the boyâ₠¬â„¢s destroy a lot of food and firewood, elements that keep them alive, in a n uncontrollable fire. This, and the rolling of the rock, demonstrates that even if the boys are intelligent or strong humans, they will never really overpower nature and that it will always be in conflict with them. As well as this, the rolling of the rock down the mountain side is proleptic of Piggy’s death. We later also see that Jack experiences self-conflict. During Simon, Ralph and Jack’s expedition of the island they come across a pig which Jack tries to kill, but isn’t able to. He felt he couldn’t, as he understood ‘what an enormity the downward stroke would be’. The boys also ‘knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife: descending and cutting into living flesh: because of the unbearable blood.’ This shows us that Jack is not yet be far enough removed from civilised society to be able to kill a pig. However, he ‘snatched his knife’ and ‘slammed it into a tree trunk’, saying, ‘Next time!’ and ‘he looked round fiercely, daring them to contradict’. This shows that his natural, evil, menacing and savage instincts are in him that only now on the island are recently coming across. Notice how Golding uses the verb ‘flesh’, a word which is not clearly specific to a pig and could easily be confused with the ‘flesh’ of a human. This shows us that when jack does ‘next time’ kill, his knife could be coming down into the flesh of a pig, or the flesh of a human. It is important that Golding has introduced the variety of conflicts in the first chapter, so that the key themes are established early on and can develop throughout the book and as to foreshadow events that will happen later on in the novel.

A Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen - 909 Words

It is inevitable to find two completely different perspectives in life, especially in art. In regards to the play A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, this is not the exception. The previously mentioned play has caused controversy among conservative and liberal critiques as a consequence of the actions of the protagonist. Nonetheless, I strongly believe the play A Doll’s House is suitable for presentation to students and families at a county high school due to the learning outcomes, such as comprehending certain aspects of the past, realizing the importance of self-individualization, and being tolerant to other people’s actions before pre-judging them. In A Dollhouse, Nora, the protagonist is presented as a financially and emotionally dependent woman of Torvald Helmer, her husband. He was a successful banker, and together they had children. However, before his success, at some point Nora had to borrow money since Torvald was ill, but she never told him. When Torvald discovered what Nora did, he was infuriated at first. Eventually he composed himself, but it was too late, Nora decided to leave her home, children and husband behind to pursue her independence. Henrik Ibsen, the author of A Doll’s House was an important dramatist and a defender of women’s rights. In fact, he was one of the few authors during his era that advocated for women. Additionally, â€Å"he is known to be the father of realism and has been a pioneer in the transformation and revolution of modern drama† (HossainShow MoreRelatedHenrik Ibsen s A Doll House1563 Words   |  7 Pages In the play, A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen, the title itself symbolizes the dependent and degraded role of the wife within traditional marriages. Ibsen portrayed the generous nature root into women by society, as well as the significant action of this nature, and lastly the need for them to find their own voice in a world ruled by men. Ibsen wrote this play in 1879, this is the era where women were obedient to men, tend the children until their husband came home, and stood by the Cult of DomesticityRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1717 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"A Doll, a Partner, and a Change† Social movement of women liberation toward equal rights and independence has been a big subject in human history. It happens not only in Europe but also all over the world. Though making progress, this movement has been advancing slowly and encountered backslashes from time to time. Maybe there is something deeply hidden which the society has not figured out yet, even women themselves. What do women want, freedom or good life? Most of the time, they are notRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1291 Words   |  6 Pages A Doll s House by Henrik Ibsen, is a play that has been written to withstand all time. In this play Ibsen highlights the importance of women’s rights. During the time period of the play these rights were neglected. Ibsen depicts the role of the woman was to stay at home, raise the children and attend to her husband during the 19th century. Nora is the woman in A Doll House who plays is portrayed as a victim. Michael Meyers said of Henrik Ibsen s plays: The common denominator in many of IbsenRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1288 Words   |  6 Pages Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is based in the Victorian society of the 19th century. It assesses the many struggles and hardships that women faced because of marriage â€Å"laws† that were crucial during that time period. The society was male- dominated with no equality. Nora is the protagonist in A Doll’s House and the wife of a man named Torvald. This play is about Nora’s voyage to recognizing her self- determination and independence. She transforms from a traditional, reserved woman to a new, independentRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1298 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"There is beauty in truth, even if it s painful. Those who lie, twist life so that it looks tasty to the lazy, brilliant to the ignorant, and powerful to the weak. But lies only strengthen our defects. They don t teach anything, help anything, fix anything or cure anything. Nor do they develop one s character, one s mind, one s heart or one s soul.† (Josà © N. Harris). Nora Helmer’s choice to lie and deceive is inappropriate and wrong for women to do to her husband during this time period; itRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1037 Words   |  5 PagesHenrik Ibsen s A Doll s House is a work of literature genius. This three-act play involves many literary technics that are undermined by the average reader such as the fact that the plot shows the main characters Torvald and his wife Nora live the perfect life. An ironic paradox based around the fact that Nora and Torvald’s relationship is the complete opposite of perfect. Also, bringing upon a conflict as well, appearance versus reality. These little hidden meanings within stories are what areRead MoreHenrik Ibsen s A Doll House Essay1501 Words   |  7 PagesHenrik Ibsen’s play â€Å"A Doll House† was set in the Victorian era, a time where women were highly respected. Women in this time period did not work, they had nannies to take care of their children and maids to take care of their homes. Many women had no real responsibilities, they spent their time having tea parties and socializing with their friends. Henrik Ibsen dared to show the realism of the Victorian era while everyone else would only focus on the romantic aspect. In the play, â€Å"A Doll House†Read MoreA Doll s House : Henrik Ibsen962 Words   |  4 PagesDrama Analysis A Doll’s House (Henrik Ibsen) And Trifles (Susan Glaspell) In comparing both dramas, the overwhelming aspect of convergence between both is the open discussion of gender identity. Both dramas make similar points about what it means to be a woman. Modern society in both dramas is constructed with men holding power over women. This is seen in Trifles in how men like George Henderson and Mr. Hale are myopic. The premise of the drama is how women worry over trifles, and the dismissiveRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1421 Words   |  6 PagesIn A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen examines conventional roles of men and women in the nineteenth century. In the play, Nora exemplifies the conventional feminine standard during that period. She seems to be powerless and confines herself through high standard expectations, demonstrating what the role of a women would be as a wife and mother. The protagonist of A Doll’s House is a woman named Nora Helmer. Ibsen shows how Nora’s design of perfect life gradually transforms when her sec ret unravels. InRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen876 Words   |  4 PagesA Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen A Doll’s House takes place in the home of Torvald and Nora Helmer. Through conversation with Nora’s good friend Kristine Linde it is revealed that Mr. Helmer was ill around the same time Nora’s father died. Luckily Nora’s father left her enough money that Torvald and Nora could go on a life saving trip to Italy. But the truth comes out when we find out Nora’s father did not leave her a penny. We find out that Nora got a hold of the money through a loan but she signed