Impact of Narrative Voice on Tone, Meaning and Characterization
Gish Jen, the author of the short story, "Who's Irish" effectively uses narration voice all through. The author uses the first-person point of view as an elderly woman, a character in the story, is the narrator. By using this point of view, aspects such as tone and the whole meaning of the story are impacted. The tone of this short story can be outlined as informative. The author's narrative voice choice has helped establish the tone as informative as the narrator is giving elaborative information to the audience. Here, the narrator takes her time to educate her grandchildren about culture in which she strongly defends the Chinese culture. In so doing, a teaching-learning encounter is inferred. The reader therefore is able to identify the tone form the activities happening.
Characterization is also impacted by the author's choice of narrative voice. By using the first-person point of view, one can promptly tell the nature of the narrator as a character. The narrator is outlined as loving as she parades her grandchildren as a family and makes efforts to instill cultural aspects to them. The narrator is passionate about her culture and takes her time to explain it to her grandchildren. The meaning of any work of art is another area impacted by the author's narrative style choice. Through using the first person's narration voice, the author authenticates the message he or she is passing through. The audience is easily convinced that what the narrator says is true as their mind is put into the narrator's situation. Through this, identifying the meaning in a given piece is made easy and profound as one relates directly to the narrator’s situation.
In the ‘Open Letter to the South,’ Langston Hughes decides to forget the past and speak on unifying whites and blacks. Even though throughout the USA history blacks have experienced inequality and systematic racism, Langston decides to bury the hatchet. In the poem, the writer insists on unifying the two races. Unity will make the two races powerful and enable the removal of systematic racism that has existed for years (Hughes np). In addition, unity will create equality among blacks and whites. The underlying reason for writing the poem was to bring to light humanity. The historical context within the poem brings out the cultural background of the entire situation. This essay will discuss alliteration, repetition and simile in the poem.
Repetition
Repetition creates insistence and persistence which creates consistency in terms of message and relevance. The poet’s message is to bring unity among the blacks and whites. In order to capture the underlying reason of the poem, the poet applies repetition to reiterate his message into the reader’s conscious. One of the most prominent ways of using repetition is at the beginning or the opening of a poem or any literary work. For instance in line 14, 15 and 17, the poet makes use of repetition only for it to again line 58-61. At the beginning, ‘that the land might be ours, and the mines and the factories and the office towers’ (14, 15). Another instance where the poet makes use of repetition is in line 17,’ that the plants and the roads and the tools of power’ (line 17). Also, in the closing sections of the poem, the poet makes use of repetition to reinstate his message and remind the reader of the objective of the poem,’ take land, take factories, take office towers, take tools and banks and mines’ (line 58, 61). Repetition affects the reader’s ability to make a decision between unity equality. More so, the reader used this stylistic device to show how unity would make a difference in the lives of blacks and whites. Furthermore, the poet used repetitive words to show that the words are important than the rest of the words.
Alliteration
Apart from repetition, alliteration appears in line 28 of the poem. In line 28, the‘s’ sound is constantly, repeated a number of times. For instance, ‘helpless, stupid, and scattered’. Alliteration captures perceptions, feelings and the present reality of the poem hence helps the poet push forward his quest for unity. The multiple use of alliteration in one particular line informs brings to attention those particular words hence strengthen the message and pushing the poet’s agenda further. In addition, in this particular poem, alliteration ensures links the theme of the poem to regulatory mechanisms so as to capture the core essence of the theme while regaining its relevance through various audience. Therefore, alliteration considers the main message of the poet and facilitates decision making within the confines of the writer’s ideology. In summary, alliteration builds up the main concepts of the poems and allows the reader to gain deeper understanding and even regain an analytic point of view of the poetry and the entire ideas revolving around unifying blacks and whites.
Simile
The combination of alliteration and repetition generates poetic flow hence entertaining the reader. The, a reader tends to lean forward and finish the poem due to the effective use of the stylistic devices. Another stylistic device used in the poem is similes. The roles of similes in this particular poem is setting the tone and establishing the tone of the poet to the reader. After establishing a firm connection between the reader and the poet assists in creating a relatable situation. For instance, since the poet’s talking points are on unifying blacks and whites, the similes function to demonstrate the benefits of unity and the disadvantageous of failing to form a united front against injustice. Hence, similes perform three functions- uniting blacks and whites, changing the society and a call to action. In line 20, the poet writes, ‘separate as the fingers’. Hence, similes give the reader an image on the importance of unity among blacks and whites. This way, the reader easily passes his point across the audience and transcends age and limitations of levels of education. Thus, it is safe to say that the similes standardizes the message and gives the poet a chance to explore an illustrative aspect of unity. Therefore, the similes makes the poet interesting and easily understandable as the reader can easily indicate the connection made in the similes with the main message in the poem.
In summary, the poem makes use of similes, alliteration and repetition to pass a message on the importance of unity. Repetition helps the poet generate cohesiveness and consistency from the opening to the finishing lines of the poem. Alliteration creates flow as a reader moves from one stanza to another thus the reader retains the message and meaning of the poem. Similes tend to make comparison and bring out the importance of the main theme within the poem.
Works Cited
Hughes, Langston. "Open Letter to the South.”." 2020
Rhetoric analysis – discusses the author, affiliations and what makes his work credible.
Audience analysis – discusses the target audience and approaches taken by the author to tailor the content to the needs of the target audience
Purpose analysis – discusses the author’s ability to reveal his intent and also the impact it has on the audience.
Rhetoric analysis
The article ‘Vaccines for Covid-19 moving closer’ gives a breakdown of vaccines, their history and how the evolution has made it possible to generate the Covid-19 vaccine faster. The author, Shiv Pillai is a professor of science and technology at Harvard Medical School, a PHD and Masters in medical sciences and has written different articles related to medicine. The author’s credibility is increase by his reliance on information from other researchers and studies carried by organizations such as NIH. The information is credible as it discusses the history of vaccines and combines the information with current findings on the search for a covid-19 vaccine.
Audience analysis
The use of words like attenuated, herd immunity and hybrid adenovirus vector vaccines suggest that the article is formal and targets an audience that is educated and has a detailed understanding of terms used in medicine when discussing vaccines. The author may have used this level of language to reach an audience that already possesses general information about vaccines and seeks to have a better understanding. The information appears to the reader’s logos as it offers a breakdown of what has transpired over time in the history of vaccines.
Purpose analysis
The main purpose of the article is to inform the audience about vaccines and how we have managed to get a Covid-19 vaccine in a short time. The author maintains a serious tone when discussing the origin and development of vaccines and this enables him to stick to facts and proven information regarding vaccines. The author is able to achieve his intended purpose as the article offers great insight on vaccines. Due to the existence of false information regarding vaccines, the author may have opted to conduct the research in order to bring clarity and help people access factual information about the covid-19 vaccine.
Rhetoric analysis
The article ‘Kenya to get Covid-19 vaccine from 2021’ analyses information regarding the development of the Covid-19 virus to determine when it will become available to countries like Kenya. The author Verah Okeyo is the senor global health reporter and the founding editor of the diversity, inclusion and equity center at the Nation Media Group. The author has written different pieces on embracing diversity and the need for equality which demonstrate her capabilities in research. Her work has credibility in that he information covered is sourced from reporting from credible organizations such as the World Health Organization.
Audience analysis
The author relies on a semi formal approach as is evident from the use of simple grammar and words like doses and portions when discussing the vaccine. The target audience is therefore people with a basic understanding of vaccines and what attempts are being made to make the vaccine available to countries affected by Covid-19. The decision to use a semi-formal approach could be because majority of people in the country are not familiar with vaccines and how they are made. The author relies on logos as she uses information from credible sources to give updates on the development of Covid-19 as well as measures taken to ensure that the vaccine reaches patients in Kenya.
Purpose analysis
The author may have been influenced by the contrasting information regarding Covid-19 and how it has created confusion on the safety of any vaccine released for use. The author maintains a serious tone and explains how the vaccines will be made available in Kenya. The author’s propose is therefore to create awareness on the importance of the vaccine and also to get rid of misconceptions or biased information that people may have regarding Covid-19.
Sign literature such as sign language poetry plays an important role among deaf as spoken poetry does for wider community. Sign language poetry creates and expresses the deaf poet’s identity as they view the world. Sign language poetry creates a similar effect despite the different linguistic, national, and cultural backgrounds (Novak 80). The poems utilize neologism and symmetry to celebrate the visual experience of the deaf people. The poetic language empowers both the poet and their audiences to analyze and understand the place they occupy within their national communities.
Such as in the scholarly article, Wikipedia reiterates the importance of sign language literature though not in an in-depth analytical manner. The deaf community uses the literature such as sign language poetry to share experiences. The resource mostly concentrates on establishing the origins, literacy, features, genres, theatrical performances, and common themes. For example, it highlights how the form of literature has challenged the notion that literacy can only be gained by reading and writing.
The scholarly article concludes that artistic sign language offers a new realm of comprehending national heritage and history intertwined with that of the deaf community (Esmail 7). Signing strive to understand to comprehend the conditioning of the deaf audiences in responding to poetry. They try to create a connection by utilizing the shared cultural and linguistic experiences of the audience. They also wish to attract hearing audiences to understand the deaf culture by encouraging them to learn sign language. The relationship between the artistic work, the artist, and the targeted audience is intertwined making them inseparable.
Research Questions
What are the signing deaf poets’ intentions and hopes in their performance of their artistic works?
Who are the poets targeted audience and how do they perceive and influence the artist’s performances?
What challenges do the audiences experience in striving to understand the poems and ways poets can help them overcome those challenges.
Thesis Statement
An analysis of the opportunities and challenges signing poets encounter in trying to connect with the hearing audience by encouraging them to learn sign language thereby fostering understanding of deaf culture.
Outline
Introduction
Much of the research on “sign literature” such as poetry for the deaf concentrates on the poems, the processes, but not the artists and audience of the artistic work.
The analysis explores opportunities and challenges to connect with non-traditional audience of sign language poetry to foster understanding of deaf culture.
The inseparable relationship between the poem, poet, and target audience
Deducing the intentions of the deaf poet and the need to connect with the audience in performance poetry context and interaction with the audiences.
The relationship between signed poetry performances and connecting with the audience in live performances
Understanding the connection between difficulty in the poetic texts and performances
The reader interpretation of text and perceptions of difficulty.
Signing poets’ engagement with different audiences and cultural differences to overcome the difficulties.
Signing poets’ presentation of “uncomfortable” truths and the modal difficulties they face.
Signing poetry’s cultural message and language
The deaf audiences’ understanding of the poem’s language and cultural message.
Signing poems’ accommodation of hearing audiences to increase the deaf culture legitimacy.
Hearing people’s commitment to interpret signing poetry
Conclusion
Sign language poetry is rich in culture that hearing people can benefit from by learning sign language.
Closer community ties by eliminating the barriers that exist through poet and audience relationship management.
Works Cited
Esmail, Jennifer. “The Power of Deaf Poetry: The Exhibition of Literacy and the Nineteenth-Century Sign Language Debates.” Sign Language Studies, vol. 8, no. 4, 2008, pp. 348–368. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/26190547. Accessed 2 Oct. 2020.
Novak, Julia. Live Poetry: An Integrated Approach to Poetry in Performance. Amsterdam: Editions Rodopi, 2011. Internet resource.
The book depicts a community free from crime. However, beneath it all, society is built on crime. The author of the book tries to bring out an action-oriented perspective filled with mysteries and tangles. Serenity is a town known for its perfect life. Its residents are at peace with everything. Four children suspect their parents of living a double life. Everything within the town seems suspicious. The children dig deeper into the lives of their parents only to realize they are children of hardcore criminals, ‘All decent highways cross New Mexico well to the south. If you hit Serenity, chances are you’re lost (Korman 56).’ The separation of Serenity from the rest of the society helps the writer establish suspense and create a solid background upon which the story revolves.
The author described serenity town as a peaceful place with passable roads and nicely kept infrastructure, ‘only one road passes through Serenity, a two-lane paved ribbon everybody calls Old county Six. There is little fear of meeting traffic in either direction ( Korman 100….’ The main of describing the town is to help the reader gain an understanding into way of the life of that particular town. Hence, describing the town helps to paint an accurate picture of Serenity to the readers.
The town is named ‘serenity’ but beneath all the glamour and quietness, crime is deeply rooted in the very inner core of the town. The town’s name is an irony. Even though the surrounding is serene and beautiful, the people who live within the town have buried secrets. For instance, Eli Frieden's life is perfect however when he encountered the harsh reality of the past, he had to look for help from his friends. Thus, serenity masks a lot of challenges and problems which are left unsolved due to crime. Also, when Eli arrives on Serenity Plastic Works rooftop he refers to it as the higher point of the universe, ‘This must be how it felt to stand on the summit of Mount Everest for the first time (Korman 118).' It is well known that Eli rarely moves out of Serenity town and its environs. Coming into contact with new places has him perplexed and worried. The writer tries to compare the main character's feeble mind to the highest altitude in the world to capture the feelings and the situation he was facing while trying to solve an intricate crime.
Eli was an obedient child and had to ask permission before doing anything he was not allowed to, ‘I felt a little bit strange about not telling dad (Korman101).’ In spite of an evident crime, Eli wanted to stand for what was right hence the need to inform his father of what he was up to. The ability of a person to judge right from wrong. ‘I’m not breaking any rules, but I know he’ll be disappointed if he finds out about this (Korman 156…' doing the right thing is not justified, the right procedure has to be followed for the sake of retaining peace and showing respect to the elderly people. Eli is determined to do the impossible, ‘as we bike, I spot the gully that was the site of the fossil hunting trip. I am now further from home than I’ve ever been in my life. Can it be this easy (Korman 216)?’ this passage only proves the resilience of Eli as he pursues the truth hidden under Serenity.
The narrative or pictorial aspect of a motion picture can be considered its melody underscore. With this concept in mind, the theme song of any film shapes its message and even influences moods and perspectives. Tim Burton’s Batman’s theme song was composed by Danny Elfman. Steve Bartek orchestrated the theme song with Smalley Steven and Sinfonia performed the masterpiece (Halfyard, 2004). The Batman theme song was later adopted in other Batman-related films and animations. On the other hand, the ‘Dark Knight Rises’ is a follow-up to Nolan’s The Dark Knight. The music album contained three songs which were also featured in the movie. Hans Zimmer composed ‘Dark Knight Rises’ soundtrack. Hans Zimmer composed a memorable theme song. Even though Danny Elfman’s theme song design was dark and heroic hence befitting the character and the storyline perfectly. Hans Zimmer had a lot to retain the work of his predecessor. This essay will demonstrate the similarities and differences between the two composers and draw tangle and physiological features of the music.
Composer’s biographies
‘Batman’s soundtrack was contained in an album dubbed ‘Batman’. As stated earlier, Danny Elman was the main composer of the album and produced by Jon Peters. Elfman also played the main songs in the album as instructed by Tim Burton. Born Daniel Robert Elfman in 1953. He grew up to be a composer, vocalist, and music producer. He first burst into the limelight with his 1980's song Oingo Boingo and since then he rose to international recognition for composing more than one hundred songs (Denby, 2008). His newly acquired fame and status made him recognized all over the world. He was later to compose the Batman soundtrack. Apart from doing soundtracks for motion pictures, he composed songs for ‘desperate housewives’ series. Due to his consistency and talent, he was nominated for an Oscar and two Emmy awards. Elfman was raised in California and observed his family’s Jewish and Russian customs. Adopting to a racially integrative community situated in the Baldwin Hills. His interaction with music in the local theater led to his love for composing movie soundtracks.
In ‘The Dark Night Rises' the leading soundtracks were composed by Hans Zimmer. From the composition to the sound, Hans made a mark with the melodies. Hans Zimmer was born in 1957 in Germany and is known for his music composition and production in the movie arena. Zimmer’s work is well-known across the board due to its integrative electronic melodies and customary orchestral structures. All through in the 1980s he made music for more than 150 motion pictures, Zimmer’s most notable works were from the lion king animation and inception. He even was nominated for a Grammy for his exemplary compositions (Nolan, & Thomas, 2012). Zimmer spent his early career in the United Kingdom and later went on to the USA. Before moving to the US, he played piano at his home and also had part-time lessons as he never liked the strict routine associated with ceremonial music lessons. In the end, his drive and passion for music drove him to teach himself music composition and production which went a long way in influencing his motion picture soundtracks. This led to his long-awaited fame and best-known composure to date.
Composers’ Filmographies
In the motion picture ‘Charlie and the Chocolate factory’ Elman wrote and sang all the melodies. He had to record himself singing in various ways and also cautiously manipulated the audio to make the songs attain different pitches- both high and low vocals. Elfman was also part of the group which created the ‘Forbidden Zone’ (1980) soundtrack. In this motion picture, Elfman mixed classical music with rock and roll. The audience could match the mood of the film to the soundtracks playing in the background and this gave Elman a lot of credit for such good composure in music taste (Gilmore, 2013). The ability to write several kinds of music in more than one style showed Elman's talent and creativity in music. Additionally, in 1993, he produced ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ where he is credited for writing, singing, and composing the entire sound in the Tim Burton film. The style was lush and threatening hence perfectly highlighting Elman's vocals. Not forgetting ‘Beetlejuice’ (1988), Elfman ensured that he styled the melodies to fit the intensity and persuasive nature of the entire motion picture in terms of instrumentation, dramatic buildup, and even percussions.
On the other hand, Hans Zimmer composed ‘Driving Miss Daisy' (1989). Zimmer's sonic sound is bold and extremely polished. Most of the time, it is loud, consistent, and intense. He accredited for most of the time and accurately depicting characters promptly and basis. In this particular motion picture, Zimmer ensures that the sound is light and welcoming as it depicts the family life of people. This movie showed his ability to make soundly based on the need and character foundations of a particular style. Furthermore, in ‘The Amazing Spiderman 2' (2014) Zimmer composed and wrote a ravenous and uninhabited brass soundtrack. The combinations of dubstep rhythm, metal choruses, and guitars made the sound energetic and entertaining. Zimmer ensured that he used his creativity to push up the plotting scenes and the music. In this particular sideman motion picture, Zimmer combined efforts with Pharrell Williams to form a sound which many people would admire and like for the superhero flick. In the 2006 controversial film, ‘Da Vinci Code' Zimmer used musical pomposity and subtleness at the same time. Astonishingly, he insinuates piousness through a range of choral parts and modest orchestral openings.
Composition and Style
In Batman, the soundtrack depended on the themes dark and heroic. This matched Batman's heroic stature. The soundtrack has its exceptional sound influenced by the creators and singers. As stated earlier, Danny Elfman composed and wrote the score. The music ushers in a glorious and dashing heroic sound. This makes it sound dramatic and malleable hence making an authoritative statement. One of the main features in the score is Prince who wrote and sang some of the songs in the album. These features and styles of composition applied to composers of both films. One of the primary elements in Batman's (1989) soundtrack is Prince's input in the sound and singing style. Elfman does his part and changes the entire theme song into a love song for the main character and his lover. Featuring Prince as the main singer makes some of the songs have a gothic feel to them. After the main theme, Elfman balances both the scenic acts as he creates atmospheric energy within the tunes and time placement of the beat (McGowan, 2012). The middle and final runs of the score are and intuitive as the audience can sing along and even tend to reply to some of the lyrics. In ‘The Dark Night Rises' (2012) the music has a calm beat to it swoop-dum-dum-dum. The motion picture made use of various musical instruments such as violins and guitars to make them sound natural and alive. The right claustrophobic mixture and multisided chants in different scenes made the movie good and effective in steering the storyline above the normal. Besides, the chants included numerous voices hence complicating the tempo and entire music theme.
In short, in terms of similarities, the two composers ensured that the movies had a heroic theme to it. Nevertheless, flow and instrumentation completely differed due to time and time and trend. A modern-day Batman hero is to be respected and strong as compared to a past Batman who had to rescue the day. Thus, years and time affected the sound. In the late 1980s, rhythm and blues was a popular genre but in 2012. Hence the two composers heavily relied on the trends and target audience. In ‘The Dark Knight Rises', (2012) the composer only retains some elements of instrumentation and orchestration so that he can retain sonic emblems of previous sequels. Music is a form of continuity and trying to create something new sometimes may backfire on the composers and this is the reason sometimes people try to retain the cohesive elements of past motion pictures. The scores of both the motion pictures align the tone from the beginning to the end. The aesthetic and experimental veers into a fantasy dynamics and customary storyline structure.
References
Denby, D. (2008). Past Shock. New Yorker, 21.
Gilmore, J. (2013). Absolute Anxiety Test: Urban Wreckage in The Dark Knight Rises.
Halfyard, J. K. (2004). Danny Elfman's Batman: a film score guide (Vol. 2). Scarecrow Press.
McGowan, T. (2012). Should the dark knight have risen. Jump Cut, 54.
Nolan, C., Nolan, J., & Thomas, E. (2012). The dark knight rises. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video.
Troy is the protagonist in August Wilson’s play ‘Fences’. Although he is at first presented as a responsible man who strongly believes in himself, his confidence in the self-created illusions that control his decisions and actions leads to him developing strained relationships and a lot of conflict with the people in his life. Troy’s beliefs are deeply rooted in the illusions that he has created about society and the way it operates as well as his perceived capabilities. As events transpire however, Troy evolves from the optimistic and delusional character who is misled by his personal philosophy to a troubled individual who falls into a life of misery, and eventually death, after he destroys most, if not all of the relationships he has with other members of his community. Although the attitude that Troy has is as a result of the experiences that he has had, the decision to only stick to his beliefs creates a lot of challenges for him. By the end of the story however, Troy comes to the realisation that his approach towards life is not the only way to handle issues that come up in society. This however goes against everything he believed in at the beginning of the story.
Despite experiencing great challenges while growing up, Troy is still convinced that he can provide the kind of life he dreams for his family, even with the restrictions that black people are subjected to in the community. His father’s failure as a sharecropper does little to shift his belief in the delusions that govern his life. As a tribute to the Maxon family, Troy builds a bridge joining the south and the north (Keyes 1). The bridge however ends up being used as a tool to further oppress people of colour as it provides better access. To troy, the bridge offers convenience and access to opportunities that exist in both regions. In reality however, the bridge intensifies the issue of slavery that has negatively affected people of colour for generations. The bridge further has a negative impact that Troy has with his sons as it acts as proof that Troy’s delusions about society have been misplaced (Keyes 1). The exposure created by the bridge reveals to his sons that Troy’s belief that people have the means and freedom to achieve their dreams without any unfair restrictions is based on wishful thinking as blacks face a lot of unjust restrictions. Troy’s delusion also affects the way he perceives relationships with his partner and his employers. His determination to only view things the way he imagines them in his head rather than observing actual trends makes it difficult for him to maintain normal relationships.
A good example is the expectation that his partner should be responsible and lead a practical life that is in line with the morals and principles that govern the society he lives in (Stephens 18). The restrictions are however limited to his loved ones as he believes it is possible for him to have an affair without it having negative consequences on his marriage. Troy’s delusions mislead him into thinking that he can do as he pleases, even if his actions go against constructs that have governed society for generations. The delusions that govern Troy’s life are responsible for the strained relationships that he has with his family and other members of the community. Another example is the case when Cory, Troy’s son, gets the chance to go to college on a football scholarship (Wilson, 77). Despite it being a shared passion between Cory and his father, Troy discourages the idea and focuses more on discouraging his son rather than offering support. The negative attitude that Troy has is as a result of the experiences he had as a pro baseball player in the negro leagues (Wilson 78). After experiencing racial discrimination, Troy has developed a negative attitude and shares the same opinion with his family. His fears prevent him from allowing his son to pursue his dreams as he is convinced that Cory will face the same form of discrimination.
Troy succumbs to the challenges and hardships that arise from his determination to only follow what he believes in, rather than basing his decisions on facts. His last name, Maxson is made by combining the names Mason and Dixon which are used in reference to an imaginary line used in his community to separate states occupied by slaves and free states. The name is thus an indication that Troy had the tendency to live his life between two contrasting ideas. On the one hand, his experiences give him hope for a better future that is achieved through determination and hard work (Stephens 13). On the other hand, however, his experiences have made him cautious due to the various disappointments he has encountered. Unlike other characters in the play, Troy is determined to live a life according to his beliefs, regardless of whether they are based on wishful thinking and lack of proper understanding of how his society functions. The bridge he built for instance makes it easier for him to witness forms of racism not only in his community but other regions as well. While he was oblivious to the hardships that people of colour were facing, his experiences in the negro leagues prove that racism is still a major factor, despite his belief that society offers equal opportunities. He also learns the importance of living under the same principles he sets for others.
The events that transpire force Troy to stop following his delusions and pushes him to live in the real world where decisions are based on constructs that govern society rather than personal beliefs. The affair that Troy has also teaches him the importance of living under the same principles he uses to judge others in the community. The relationship he has with his son forces him to rethink why he is against Cory playing football. The experiences that Troy has are as a result of the delusions that he relies on to define life. It is not until he shifts his focus from his misconceptions, allowing him to develop a better understanding of life.
Work cited
Keyes, Allison. “Troy Maxson: Heart, heartbreak as big as the world” NPR, 2008
Bodega’s dream was El Barrio’s dream because the novel consists of people from different cultures and backgrounds that shared a common goal which was to live better lives and achieve their own American Dream. Bodega’s dreams were strange in that he would finance a welfare state in Harlem with drug money (Quiñonez 2000). He believed that every great fortune was raised with crooked money and he happens to be the first person in his family to raise the fortune. Bodega hands out money for tuition, rent, and anything else that anyone needs and only asks for loyalty in return. Chino who is a character in the novel and grew up in Spanish Harlem tells of his story and how he has struggled to achieve the American Dream. According to Chino, living in Spanish Harlem was not easy more so when you are trying to fit in El Barrio, and you are surrounded by tough people. He met his best friend Sapo when he was young and back then, Sapo had Chino’s back in fights. When they grew up, chino felt obligated to return the favor by helping his best friend Sapo. Chino attends a school outside of El Barrio but Sapo drops out and eventually works his way up working with Bodega.
The illegal aspects of Bodega concern Chino to the point that he refuses to work for him in the beginning but he is intrigued by the promise of a better future in Harlem. He gets married to Blanca after high school and when Blanca becomes pregnant, Chino worries about their future. That is when he realizes that Bodega is interested in Blanca’s aunt Vera, he thinks of an opportunity if he could be able to bring them together (Quiñonez 2000). This could put him in a position to get a bigger apartment. He learns that Vera is visiting New York City and in return, Bodega offers a two-bedroom apartment at half the rent. As Vera’s visit approached, Chino became more drawn to Bodega’s world and meets Bodega’s business partner Nazario who is his lawyer.
When Vera reconnects with Bodega, they seem interested in recapturing the past and ignore the fact that Vera is married. Chino is therefore eager to cut ties with Bodega but there always seemed like he owed him a favor and he couldn’t walk away. Chino’s new apartment was set on fire and he needed to find another house that could only have been made possible by Bodega. It is said that the fire was started by Fischman who is Bodega’s rival. Chino at some point realizes he is in too deep and couldn’t leave because he knows too much. Blanca ends up leaving him and move in with her mother because of Chino’s lies and secrets (Quiñonez 2000). Vera and Bodega agree to talk to Blanca on behalf of Chino if he agrees to be present when they tell Vera’s husband that she is leaving him. When things did not go as planned, Vera shoots the husband and when Bodega is on his way to turn himself in for the murder, he is shot dead. Chino learns that the whole thing was a setup and Nazario had planned it all. He turns everyone in except for Sapo to the police. Chino begins to live out some of Bodega’s dreams for a better Harlem by giving the vacant bedroom in his apartment to two Puerto Rican immigrants. The residents of El Barrio honor Bodega at the end of the book.
References
Quiñonez, E. (2000). Bodega dreams. New York: Vintage Contemporaries.
Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’ as known to many, is about life’s many journeys. Up and downs are part of the journey of life. The American poet illustrates a situation where one is standing between a rock and a hard place, contemplating the decisions he will make, ‘two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I –I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.’ (Frost np) The main character is at crossroads. On one path, he stretches his eyes as far as possible, trying to see where the path leads, and after giving it a thought he chooses an isolated and deserted path.
As demonstrated above, the poem's main theme is choice. The choices people make, shape, and influence their life's destinies. When the main character encounters a fork-shaped road, he has to choose between two paths (Frost np). The road symbolizes life choices one encounters all through life’s journeys. However, he has to arrive at one decision. Choices have consequences and this is the main reason the character spends most of his time analyzing the situation before he can make an informed decision.
In summary, the choices people make define their lives in the long run. When the speaker arrives at the fork-shaped crossroads, the character has to choose one path and live with the consequences of his choices. Even though people might wish to forego some choices, other choices cannot be avoided hence this forces human beings to face the truth and go through the agonizing process of making a good decision. There can be little intervention one can take to alleviate the burden as one faces the life-changing choices alone. In the end, the speaker opts for the road less traveled and claims that it made all the difference in his or her life.
Work cited
Frost, Robert. The road not taken: A selection of Robert Frost's poems. Macmillan, 2002.
The differences and similarities between ‘To Kill a Mockingbird' novel and the movie.
Lee’s novel and film talk about racial injustice. In the novel and the film, Harper Lee is concerned with the theme of racism and how individuals from different races create misunderstandings and stereotypes (Sergel & Lee, 1970). For example, in both the novel and the film, Scout's family does not support racism but they display sympathy to other races. Scout is the protagonist. Both the novel and the film are concerned with feminine behavior. Scout represents the gender role though she is unable to conform to the social role due to lack of exposure. Similarly, in the film, the protagonist is still struggling with gender identity (Sergel & Lee, 1970). For example, when she joins schools, she feels uncomfortable wearing dresses. However, the novel and the film do not concentrate much on gender identity but they pay much attention to the issue of racism and prejudice. Atticus is defending Tom Robinson who is accused of rape crime. In the novel, Atticus defends the defendant and in the film, he wants to appeal the case although the defender is killed (Sergel & Lee, 1970). There is a similarity of the nature of relationship between Boo and the children. The children fear him and they are also curious about seeing how the Boo's house looks like. The novel and the film also present Atticus as a person who is respected by the community due to his intelligence, wisdom, confidence.
Even though the film and the movie have the same theme, they differ in narration. For example, it is easier to narrate the story in the novel than in the film. In the book, Scout is narrating the story in her point of view simply because she is the main character and hence narrates about her experiences (Sergel & Lee, 1970). The audience can sense the first-person point of view from childhood. However, in the film, the narrator is not straightforward. The narration is presented as a third-person narrative and it concentrates much on the adult perspective (Sergel & Lee, 1970). In other words, Scout focus on the life of Atticus. In general, the books tell more than the film. Focusing on character, the film does not concentrate much on character development. For example, the readers can detect Calpurnia's character development as she warns the people about the mad dog. The novels also contain symbolism in that Atticus kills the dog as an indication of fighting racism.
Reference
Sergel, C., & Lee, H. (1970). Harper Lee's To kill a mockingbird. Woodstock, Ill: Dramatic Pub.
Janie Crawford is a beautiful, assertive, middle-aged black lady who returns to her Florida home after years of absence. The town's residents speculate on her whereabouts. Amidst all these dramas, the storyline depicts a bold black woman's journey to independence and self-discovery. This is not an easy task, especially for a black woman (Bailey, np). All through her journey to self-identity, Janie finds herself in three marriages and later into her ancestry roots. This essay will analyze the portrayal of body image, independence, and symbolism in the novel, ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’.
Body Image
This book recounts and tells the oppressive reality of trying to shape a self-image which contradicts the norms of the society. Patriarchy subdues the main character's voice and its tangible manifestations of domination deny Janie the chance to enjoy her body image. Nevertheless, against all the odds Janie reclaims her body image. She had to fight off racism and gendered cruelty (Hurston, np). In the 1930s, a woman's body belonged to a man implying the husband had total control over his wife. Returning home without a husband aroused suspicions among the residents. This only proved that Janie was not complete without her husband and her body image was seen in relation to a husband figure.
Persistently throughout the book, the main character’s second husband, Joe is evaluated in terms of his physical appearance. Janie is physically attracted to Joe. This physical attraction develops into respect and desire. On the train trip, Janie equates Joe’s physical appearance to financial stability. Later on, Joe becomes the mayor of a town these scenes signify the influence of body image on personal life (Marquis, p81). Janie loves Joe due to a body image that depicted financial stability. Moreover, body image can be evident through the reactions of other characters such as Hezekiah. Hezekiah recounts Mr. Stark’s fond memories of Joe’s potbelly. Also, Janie openly disrespects Joe in front of his peers and this destroys his robust male image. In other words, body image pushes Janie to get into a marriage with Joe and also manifests oppression her oppression in a male-dominated society.
Independence
Janie’s sexual escapades and experiences have been a source of criticism in her life. The primary unwillingness to look at her as a person with justifiable sexual needs unveils a barrage of racism and a patriarchal society. The ancient stereotypes associated with sexual desires are some of the issues unfairly heaped on Janie. No one looks at her as a human being but a woman who is to be controlled. The sexual exploitation of the black woman is brought to light by the simple fact that Joe subdues Janie and does not give her any space to become her own woman. With time her identity cripples (Crabtree, 58). Society norms force Janie to hide her sexual desires and her underlying challenges. The Pear Tree symbolizes hidden sexuality. In her teenage years, Janie would lie under the tree's shade and her experience hides her sexual desires and need for a perfect relationship. Thus, she hides her human needs so that she can fit into the societal way of life. Anyone who breaks cultural norms may be deemed as an outsider hence the sheer need to stay within the confines of things which seem acceptable by the people and society as a whole.
Symbolism
As stated earlier, the author joints Janie’s sexuality with that of a pear tree. The tree orgasm is conveyed as Janie’s orgasm. For instance, Janie’s sexual reawakening triggers romance and marriage to Joe. Hence, the transformation and her growth as a person are tied to the transformation of the pear tree (Bailey np). Moreover, Janie's relationship and pear tree symbolism reappear when she meets Teacake, a man she falls in love with after being in two abusive relationships with men who believed in subduing the woman. Janie perceives that a woman's thoughts are similar to that of a Teacake. Additionally, a Teacake is sexual fantasy and brings out Janie's sexual side which in turn regurgitates her sense of wellbeing and life. Janie is able to put away regretful memories and consider a better life with future husbands or lovers. Her desire for tea also symbolizes and reinforces sensual descriptions and symbolism of the pear tree. This symbolisms allow Janie to find herself image living in a free world and unbothered by patriarchy (Crabtree, 57). The use of symbolism was able to break the societal norms and give the author a channel to drive the story into the openness and sincerity of the Janie. Most of the time blossoming connotes rebirth and youthful years of a woman. The Journey to self-identification is one way of ensuring that a woman remains authentic and unaverred by negative opinions from naysayers. Hence, symbolism and imagery defies usual norms cemented through years of patriarchy and conceptualizes the need to move on and build a new society away from the prying disapproving eyes. All in all, the Janie obtains power through the application of symbolism to her story.
Conclusion
Janie is the central character in ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ and drives the narrative of the story forward. She was able to make her own path in life despite of all odds being against her. Her resilience, patience and courage drove her to become leave abusive patriarchal marriages and find her way through life. Against a harsh environment, Janie expresses her freedom through her independent actions and sexual choices. Even though some members of the society deem her an outcast, she does not shy away from her quest for liberty and self-identity.
Works cited
Bailey, Amanda. "Necessary Narration in Their Eyes Were Watching God." The Comparatist 40 (2016): n.p
Crabtree, Claire. "The Confluence of Folklore, Feminism and Black Self-Determination in Zora Neale Hurston's" Their Eyes Were Watching God"." The Southern literary journal (1985): 54-66.
Hurston, Zora Neale. Zora Neale Hurston: A Life in Letters. Anchor, 189-1960
Marquis, Margaret. "When De Notion Strikes Me": Body Image, Food, and Desire in" Their Eyes Were Watching God." The Southern Literary Journal 35.2 (2003): 79-88.
Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain
The Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain refers to 18 historic caves that are located in separate parts of the North of Spain. The cave of Altamira was acknowledged as a world-historic establishment in the year 1985 and the year 2008, the site was enlarged to include the other 17 sites. Because of its paintings and history, it became the most visited site throughout the years by both natives and tourists. The cave is among the most significant painting successions in history and is a representation of an apogee of the Paleolithic cave art.
The caves are well preserved due to painting galleries which are secluded from the external effects of climate. They are adorned as the work of art of innovative mastermind and the original art that was accomplished by humans. The caves are also adorned as unique testimonials to social custom and also a mark of a very important passage in the history of human (Peredo, Roberto & Asensio 40). The colors in the caves were so appealing and the animals appeared to be alive such that they appeared to be only a few years old yet they had existed for years. Unfortunately over the years, the visitors who came to admire this cave were a cause of destruction. The external influences of climate also had a part in the destruction of the cave.
Due to many visitors who visited cave art, the ecosystem of the cave including the gases, temperature among others was altered and the paintings started being damaged (Peredo, Roberto & Asensio 49). The limestone ceiling which had been intact for many years started to show and the colors started fading and flaking. The deposits of whitish crystals started appearing. The historic paintings started getting destroyed getting other features because of the cracks and fissures from the cave. Limestone is soluble in water and the creation of the cave occurred by water dissolving the limestone and carrying it away but the water is also a threat to the Altamira paintings. Other signs of decay could be seen in the cave. The paints began to dry and flake or could be seen to have faded. In some areas of the cave, the rock base itself was becoming more damaged.
This led to the closure of the cave Altamira in 1977 and later handed over to a team of investigators. The investigators brought with them all the measuring equipment to take the temperature measurements, humidity levels, and water. Other components that were measured included how air flowed inside and outside of the cave, industrial contaminants, the acidity of water, and carbon dioxide (Peredo, Roberto & Asensio 49). The scientific intervals were taken at very close intervals, videos of the paintings were taken and saved in a computer to make it possible to check and notice any alterations for the paintings.
Studies of the cave took one year and a half without allowing visitors and the only ones that were allowed came in for brief periods to note the changes. The conclusions that were made from the cave studies indicated that the presence of many people had caused a radical change to the environment. They altered what the water was composed of and the alterations made it bathe the paintings. This could be explained by a person’s expiration of water plus the release of carbon dioxide which when combined acts upon the natural water whereby it solidifies the colors and the rock leaving crystals behind (Ingrid, et al 117). That is the reason why no crystals had ever formed long before until people began visiting the caves.
The radon studies of the cave were prompted by the drying off of the caverns caused by the presence of people. Radon is a radioactive gas that is found in indoor environments (Lario et al. 169). The elevators that were installed were found to be the major cause because they were pumping dry air in the cave and damp air out. Therefore the artificial exchange of air needed to be reduced to curb the problem mostly during summer. After the completion of the investigations, the site was opened but with a limited number of visitors that could be allowed in. later in the year 2002, the site was completely closed when body heat, light, and moisture were found to be the cause of a green mold that grew on the historic works. The visitors were given access to a nearby museum that was a replica of the Altamira cave and despite not being the real one, it still invited a lot of visitors.
There have been campaigns geared towards opening the cave. The main objective of this is achieving a balance between preserving the rock art and making the cave which is part of Spain’s heritage accessible to the natives and the tourists. But this move has been criticized by the scientists who believe that this will be endangering the paintings fragile ecosystem (Peredo, Roberto & Asensio 51). The specialists concluded that feeding the Altamira cave to the tourism industry leads to its destruction hence the opening of a replica to be able to conserve the real and most outstanding forms of art. In 2014, the site was opened again but this time allowing very few people inside and had to wear protective gear while getting inside to keep the cave and the paintings protected.
The Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain is a historical site that consists of the most appealing artworks ever seen in history. The caves are well reserved to protect them from external influences of climate that have been seen to cause great damage to the paintings and galleries. The climatic changes made the cave begin cracking and flaking destroying the beautiful paintings. This caused the inclusion of investigators to the site whereby they measured temperature, humidity gas levels, water, and carbonates to be able to figure out the root cause and get a solution. It is also said that the visiting of the site by people in large numbers was also a cause of the destruction of the cave. This caused the closure of the site and when the investigations were completed, only a small group of people were allowed to visit the site to be able to keep preserving and protecting it. This gave rise to campaigns for the site to be opened to remain to be the world heritage site that it used to be. The scientists believed in conserving the cave and that if they would allow a large number of people inside, it would cause destruction once again. A replica of the site was opened up for visiting which attracted a lot of visitors and enabled the real site to be conserved from destruction. Very few people are allowed in the Altamira cave and when they are, caution is observed.
Works Cited
Groth, Ingrid, et al. "Actinomycetes in karstic caves of northern Spain (Altamira and Tito
Bustillo)." Journal of microbiological methods 36.1-2 (1999): 115-122.
Lario, J., et al. "Radon continuous monitoring in Altamira Cave (northern Spain) to assess user's
annual effective dose." Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 80.2 (2005): 161-174.
Ontañón-Peredo, Roberto, and José Adolfo Rodríguez-Asensio. "Cave of Altamira and
palaeolithic cave art of northern Spain. Composition, characteristics and management." Cuadernos de Arte Rupestre 7 (2014): 37-57.
Illustration/Exemplification Essay explaining what good writing is to you
What good writing is to you?
Writing is a challenging and demanding task. Many students say that writing is hard and it is true that writing is not easy. Writing is complicated in that a writer must think about what to write, the audience, the format, the grammar, the voice, and other elements that are needed in effective writing. However, students must write effectively for them to gain literacy achievement. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate and explain what witting is so that the students and other audiences can learn that there is no need of being fearsome or face frustration and struggles. Writing is fun and rewarding, and students can become advanced and proficient if they only integrate purpose and meaning in the writing process.
The first point to note is that writing is a step-by-step procedure. For example, when solving math problems, students use a formula and not only a formula but an appropriate formula. The role of the formula is to show students how to work on the problem. Another example is that during scientific investigations, scientists must follow the guidelines and adhere to the ethical standards. Similarly, a good writing has a procedure. The procedure is that students must understand the different forms of writing (Manser, 7). To select the right form, they should understand the purpose of writing as well as the audience. Look at this example; you put on your socks, then shoes. The doctor first understands the patient's problem and then offers a medical prescription. This indicates that in everything is there a specific order. Also, people have a purpose or they carry out activities with an intention in mind (Manser, 7). Similarly, good writing is one that has a purpose and which involves a step-by-step procedure.
Another important point to understand is that good writing is strong in thought and language. The writer should evaluate the effectiveness of the document to ensure that it has clarity. For example, good writing does not have jargon, meaningless phrases, and noun phrases. Rather, good writing has a focus and it should stick on the central idea. The importance of avoiding tangents is to ensure that the writing makes sense and the overall piece is well-crafted and contain identifiable ideas (Manser, 37). To ensure a strong thought, the writer needs critical thinking skills. This means that good writing only presents only useful and valuable ideas. Note that the audience will assess the writing and they will pick out what is good and they will also recognize ideas that are poorly expressed. Thus, a good writing is one that contains facts and not opinions. Note that facts are true information whereas opinions are beliefs. When the writing contains opinion, it will be debatable and it may lose credibility. Thus, good writing is well researched to provide facts. For example, Hesba Stratton was born in 1832. This is a fact in that it uses dates and therefore it can be proven to be true. Whereas the statement 'Hesba Stratton was a greater writer' is an opinion statement since the writer uses judgment words such as greater. The statement may be open to questions since other people may dispute her greatness. It is important to note that good writing may also contain opinions but the writer should justify them (Manser, 37). Therefore, good writing has the clarity to maintain trust.
In conclusion, good writing is all about applying purpose and meaning in the writing process to gain satisfaction and pleasure. Writing is similar to other basic tasks such as cooking and driving. Thus, one needs to learn basic skills and follow the procedure.
Work cited
Manser, Martin. The Facts on File Guide to Good Writing. , 2005. Internet resource.
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