Wednesday, January 29, 2020
The Human Condition Portrayed in John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums†Essay Example for Free
The Human Condition Portrayed in John Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†Essay John Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†is a story of one woman’s insecurities because of her age and her need to feel beautiful and worthy. There are many ideas portrayed in this story; including sexism, marital roles, basic human needs and emotions and many other ideas. The focus of this essay however, is the human condition of aging; the insecurities which can develop as a person ages.            Aging is one of many aspects of the human condition; according to Websters Dictionary. Human condition is â€Å"the positive and negative aspects of existence as a human being†and â€Å"inevitable events†of life such as; love, sex, aging and death (Webster’s, 1). â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†is a story of a woman who is uncomfortable with her age, and disappointed in her lot in life.            Steinbeck gives the reader the impression that Elisa, the main character, has a problem accepting her age. In the fifth paragraph of the story, the reader is told that Elisa is thirty-five. In today’s standards thirty-five is quite young, but in the 1930s the average life span was only forty years old (Koncelik, 2002). Eliza likely felt her life was coming to an end.            Steinbeck introduces the reader to Elisa as she is â€Å"cutting down the old year’s chrysanthemum stalks with a pair of short and powerful scissors†(207; par. 7). When the reader is first introduced to Elisa, Steinbeck describes what others would see when looking at Elisa; she has a lean, strong face, and clear eyes (206; par. 5). This description implies that Elisa is a healthy, strong woman; however the way Elisa is dressed suggests that she is ashamed of her appearance. Steinbeck writes; Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clod-hopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron with four big pockets to hold the snips, the trowel and scratcher, the seeds and the knife she worked with. She wore heavy leather gloves to protect her hands while she worked (206; par. 5).            Steinbeck’s description demonstrates that Elisa is dressed both practical and in a way which hides her body because of her insecurity. Her corduroy pockets are used for her gardening tools and the heavy gloves protect her hands. The author’s description of her low pulled down hat and the figured print dress that is almost completely covered gives the impression that Elisa is trying to hide herself. Elisa is allowing her age to define her.            Elisa is proud of her Chrysanthemums, something she creates with her â€Å"planting hands†(210). The Chrysanthemums are a symbol of beauty and perfection, something Elisa wants to see in herself. When she first meets the newcomer she feels annoyance until he asks about her flowers; â€Å"the irritation and resistance melted from [her] face (209; 51). The newcomer played on Elisa’s emotions, knowing he could make money by fabricating a story about a woman interested in having Chrysanthemums. He made Elisa feel so good about herself that she gave in and paid him to fix a few saucepans. The newcomer made the pans like new, similar to how he made Elisa feel. At the time of the man’s departure, Elisa felt proud; â€Å"her shoulders were straight [and] her head [was] thrown back†(211; 91), she feels that she has a purpose. Steinbeck creates a scene, drastically different then the beginning of the story. The beginning had a slow, depressing tone, whereas the scene after the newcomer leaves feels vibrant. The way Steinbeck describes the bedroom scene, where Elisa is dressing slowly in new undergarments and the nicest stockings; â€Å"and the dress which was the symbol of her prettiness†(212; 93), it is apparent that the positive feelings Elisa is demonstrating are rare. The feelings are so rare that she is defensive when her husband says she looks nice; it is also apparent when he says â€Å"why – why, Elisa. You look so nice!†(212; 100) that he is surprised at her change in attitude. She even boasts about her strength to her husband.            Elisa’s good feelings are short-lived, when she drives by her Chrysanthemums dumped out on the road without the pot. The beautiful flowers were tossed carelessly away; symbolizing the life she feels has thrown away, feeling it is too late for a change. It hurts her so badly that she can’t look at him as she passes. Instead of dealing with her emotions, her hurt and disappointment, she turns her attention to the night ahead of them. It is apparent that Elisa will never live up to her full potential and never make the change she desperately needs. She almost takes the plunge when she asks about the fights; but backs down and settles for a glass of wine at dinner.            Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†explores the human ability to cope with aging. Elisa desperately wants to feel young again, beautiful and strong like her Chrysanthemums; what she can’t understand is that she can be like the Chrysanthemums, growing bigger, stronger and more beautiful every year. She chooses to hide herself behind bulky unflattering clothes and living life in the background because she feels she is too old. Aging is a human condition which is difficult for many people to handle; it can cause depression, like in Elisa’s case. Steinbeck has been known for his representation of the human condition in many of his stories; â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†explores a woman’s experience in aging which is as relevant today as it was in the 1930s. Works Cited Human condition. Websters New Millenniumâ„ ¢ Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.7). (2007). Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. 28 Aug. 2007. Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/human condition. Koncelik, Jooseph, A. â€Å"Designing for the Life Span†(Segment 2, slide 28). Georgia Tech Research on Accessible Distance Education. (2002). 28 August 2007 http://www.catea.org/grade/lifespan/Segment2/slide70.htm Steinbeck, John. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Biography of William Faulkner :: Writer Biographies Essays
Biography of William Faulkner William Faulkner was a prolific writer who became very famous during his lifetime but who shied away from the spotlight as much as possible. He is remembered as both a gentlemanly southern eccentric and an arrogant, snobbish alcoholic. But perhaps the best way to describe Faulkner is to describe his heritage, for, like so many of his literary characters, Faulkner was profoundly affected by his family. Faulkner's great grandfather, Colonel William Falkner (Faulkner added the "u" to his name), was born in 1825 and moved to Mississippi at the age of 14. He was a lawyer, writer, politician, soldier, and pioneer who was involved in several murder trials - including two in which he was accused - and was a best-selling novelist. During the Civil War he recruited a (Confederate) regiment and was elected its colonel, but his arrogance caused his troop to demote him and he left to recruit another regiment. After the war he became involved in the railroad business and made a lot of money; he bought a plantation and began to write books, one of which became a best-seller. He ran for Mississippi state legislature in 1889, but his opponent shot and killed him before the election. Faulkner's grandfather was the colonel's oldest son, John Wesley Thompson Falkner. He inherited his father's railroad fortune and became an Assistant U.S. Attorney. He later became the president of the First National Bank of Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner's father was Murray Falkner, who moved from job to job before becoming the business manager of the University of Mississippi, where he and his family lived for the rest of his life. William Faulkner was born on September 25, 1897 and began to write poetry as a teenager. During World War I, he joined the Canadian Royal Flying Corps – he was too short to join the U.S. Air Force – but never fought; the day he graduated from the Flying Corps the Armistice was signed. The only "war injury" he received was the result of getting drunk and partying too hard on Armistice Day, wherein he injured his leg. After the war, Faulkner came back to Oxford, enrolled as a special student at the University of Mississippi and began to write for the school papers and magazines, quickly earning a reputation as an eccentric. His strange routines, swanky dressing habits, and inability to hold down a job earned him the nickname "Count Nocount.
Monday, January 13, 2020
Martin Luther King Letter from Jail Essay
Martin Luther king believes that the only way to wipe away the injustices experienced within Birmingham City was through holding peaceful negotiations in order to resolve the issues amicably. In the article, â€Å"Ways of Meeting Oppression†by Martin Luther King Jr, tries to bring out Injustices and Oppression, which have been prevalent issues within our society. He believed that black Americans could win equal rights by peaceful means such as peaceful boycotts and marches. He always reminded Americans that their nation’s principles were justice, freedom and equality. Luther King’s argument for non-violent protest against the greater good of human beings may be the disobedience by the authorities, but as Erich Fronmon states in his essay â€Å"Disobedience is a psychological and Moral Problem†, that any act of disobedience against any inhuman law state is morally correct and is for the betterment of the human kind. In his speech â€Å"I have a dream†, He says that his nation will rise up to the true meaning of its creed†¦that all men treated equally. He believed that his children will live to the expectation of his dreams and that equality, both the white people and the black people would exercise fairness and justice. In Martin Luther King message â€Å"Struggle for Equality†in 1963 , he shared his dream of equality with the white Americans , like many other black American he was not treated properly they were forced to use separate al black schools, restaurants and stores. They had different entrances for the black people and certain parts of the nation denied the right to vote. Thus, the placing of laws was for the arising conditions, People needed awareness of such needs. Peaceful negotiations and boycotts held by Martin Luther and his staff paved way for the rapidly gained equality in their rights. In the letter to Birmingham jail, racial and education segregation are undermining goals to the hate inflicted upon the African American community. In the speech at the Great March on Detroit in 23 June 1963, held in Washington, King expound upon making â€Å"the American Dream a reality†. Following the letter from Birmingham jail he said that,†the Negro is no longer willing to accept racial segregation in any of its dimensions.†He considered segregation as wrong because it was a system of adultery, perpetuated by illicit intercourse between injustice and immorality. Educational segregation was one of the key issues that affected not only societal segregation in general but also the lives of the lives of the many black Americans. Most black schools were n’t funded well and as result, there was poor education among the students. This finally translated into the black people acquiring the worst jobs hence unable to afford the decent housing acquired by the white Americans. He continued struggling against segregation and with his aim, he went to Alabama and Birmingham city to watch the injustice practiced there. In order to conclude the many civil rights protest boycotts and demonstrations, there was reinforcement on segregation issues to those aware of it. Eventually it leads to the abolishment of segregation as law and through time changing racist attitudes altogether (Mendoza). In conclusion, the unjust law not only has inflicted pain and anguish among the black Americans but also but compelled them to total misery. Racial discrimination, hatred and education segregation are spring folds of the injustice practiced.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Relationshipsand Sense of Belonging in Charles Dickens...
People are unique and therefore discover elements of life in a multitude of complex ways. Charles Dickens 1861 novel ‘Great Expectations’ employs older and younger Pip in a dual perspective novel to display the ways in which he discovers a sense of belonging and acceptance. Gary Ross director of the movie â€Å"Pleasantville†uses an adolescent males point of view to show the varying aspects of belonging in quite literally in this instance different ‘worlds’ which displays the destruction of being accepted and the positives of inclusion. Both texts show collectively that a need for a sense of belonging rarely changes over time in which the two texts are set. Relationships can be detrimental to our sense of belonging as they can alienate us†¦show more content†¦David has no real stable relationship and is too afraid of making them as shown in the introduction with a mise-en-scene displaying close-ups of David’s insecurity, apprehension of the unknown as he is asking out a girl; which is later revealed to have been all in his head as he is shown to be standing alone, isolated with the girl of his dreams standing far away in a midst of people. He is found to be constantly fighting and being insulted by his sister â€Å"I knew you couldn’t be so hopelessly geek-ridden for so long without suffering some really tragic consequences†, which causes him to yearn for inclusion which he finds in the TV show â€Å"Pleasantville†; the perfect world. Suddenly being immersed in this perfect world along with his sister he revels in the world being predictable; safe and dry of risks. After forming a bond with his boss Bill; who believes that people ‘must be awfully lucky’ to have creativity and colour forces David to realise that Pleasantville is in fact not a utopia but a dystopia with no choice of freedom, or choice of expression which he never embraced in the real world. David harnessing his newfound confidence stands in front of the whole town and shouts down at the Mayor â€Å"They (the colourful townspeople) are no different to you†finally gaining respect from his twin, with Jennifer stating to him â€Å"You turned into a pretty cool guy†. The connections David made
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