First paper- about Mr.Sir. Second paper- about Stanley Yelnats. Last Essay

First paper- about Mr.Sir. Second paper- about Stanley Yelnats. Last two paper summery of the book HOLES' - Essay Example It can be said that he is selfish man as once after a nine hour cross-desert journey he didn’t offer the driver anything to drink while drinking water in full view of Stanley. He is always carrying a gun so that he doesn’t miss a chance to gun-down the yellow spotted poisonous lizards. He keeps reminding the boys that Camp Green Lake is not a ‘Girl Scout Camp’; this is a type of catchword used by him. Mr. Stanley Yelnats: He is the focalcharacter of the novel. Stanley is a fifteen years old overweight boy who doesn’t have any friends at school and is always intimidated by his classmates. His family was cursed by a gypsy named Madame Zeroni after which the Yelnats had a history of bad-luck. Stanley believes that it is because of this curse he ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even though his family is poor they always look at the brighter side of life and remain optimistic. Stanley is sent to the juvenile detentioncenter as he was accused of stealing a pair of shoes.The warden of the detention center believes that digging holes in the hardened soil will help build the character of the boys at the camp therefore the boys at the camp spend the whole day digging five feet deep holes in the hardened earth. ... The power of their bond of friendship benefits Stanley to develop the characteristics of courage, contentment, self-assurance and physical strength. SUMMARY Stanley was being sent to Camp Green Lake, adry place in Texas where young boys were penalized for character building, after being wrongly accused of stealing shoes belonging to a baseball player. His family has a history of bad-luck because of an old curse originating from his fore-fathers. Stanley believes that as a result of the curse he faced the misfortune of being accused which resulted in him being sent to the juvenile detention and correction facility for behavioral adjustment. However unlike the name, there is no lake there and the boys spend each day digging five foot deep holes in the sunbaked, hardened and dried lakebed. The warden at the camp believes that this would help the boys build their character however the ulterior motive behind this was to find the hidden treasure belonging to the legendary Kissin’ Ka te Barlow. While digging one of the holes Stanley finds a golden lipstick with the mark K.B etched on it however as Stanley doesn’t know anything about the treasure he gives the tube to another boy to give it back to the Warden. Seeing the lipstick tube the warden asks the boys to dig desperately in the area where she assumes the item was found whereas only Stanley knows where he found it. At the camp Stanley befriends the least popular boy named Zero (Hector Zeroni). One day Zero confesses to Stanley that he is uneducated and it was because of his fault that Stanley is imprisoned. After hearing this he decides to teach him but on a condition that Zero has to help him in digging the holes. Their friendship upsets the other boys at the camp and this result in

Emotions and the Brain Essay Example for Free

Emotions and the Brain Essay The organization of perceptual systems is identical to that of motility. Perception does not occur through a constructive phase of in-processing that begins in koniocortex. Rather, it develops in the reverse direction over a series of levels to a koniocortical end phase. In other words, the process of object formation unfolds in a cognitive sequence leading from a brainstem preobject through a limbic and generalized neocortical phase, to a final modeling achieved through primary visual cortex. The presumed role of frontal cortex in the elaboration of action structures, that is, the rhythmic or oscillatory components of an action, can explain other seemingly non-motor phenomena which occur with frontal lobe damage. For example, perceptual disorders may arise, not from a primary deficit of perception, but from impairments in the visual exploration of space, including changes in visual search, orientation, and ocular displacement. Two aspects of dynamic systems theory deserve specific mention here; the first is the emergent quality of Jungs methods. Amplification is an intentionally non-linear circumambulation of an image or psychic content; it operates by allowing contextually meaningful associations to be gathered up and enter consciousness. The concept of the limbic system as the focal brain division that must be investigated in order to understand emotionality. The medial surfaces of the telencephalic hemispheres (including cingulate, frontal, and temporal lobe areas especially the amygdala) and interconnections with septal, hypothalamic, and central-medial brain stem areas as part of the neural landscape that constituted the emotional brain. Cortical control of primitive behaviors and basic emotions has been achieved in several ways. One way was for the cortex to extend emotions in time by allowing organisms to dwell on past and future events. The organizational principle that has been most commonly used to summarize the neural infrastructure of emotional processes has been Paul MacLeans concept of the triune brain. According to the classic version which offers a conceptual cartoon of the major layers of neural development, the functional landscape of the brain is organized in three strata of evolutionary progression. Although humans have the largest frontal lobes of any species, dolphins have a massive new brain area, the paralimbic lobe, that we do not possess. The paralimbic lobe is an outgrowth of the cingulate gyrus, which is known to elaborate social communication and social emotions (such as feelings of separation distress and maternal intent) in all other mammals. We should always keep in mind a key conceptual distinction when we consider brain operating systems, namely, how open or closed are these systems in relation to environmental influences FLA loop The neural substrate of language consists of a complex hierarchical system of levels corresponding to stages in neocortical evolution. The system has an anterior (frontal) and posterior (temporo-parieto-occipital) component. The two main classes of aphasia, the non fluent and the fluent aphasias, refer to these components, while the various aphasic syndromes within each class point to different levels within the anterior or posterior sector. The structure as a whole develops out of medial and paraventricular formations through several growth planes of limbic and paralimbic (transitional) cortex to a stage of generalized (association, integration) cortex. The organization of perceptual systems is identical to that of motility. Perception does not occur through a constructive phase of in-processing that begins in koniocortex. Rather, it develops in the reverse direction over a series of levels to a koniocortical end phase. In other words, the process of object formation unfolds in a cognitive sequence leading from a brainstem preobject through a limbic and generalized neocortical phase, to a final modeling achieved through primary visual cortex. In a fashion similar to that of the frontal sector, the perception leads from a global pre-object in a unitary field at a preliminary level to the final more or less contralateral hemifield representation at a koniocortical end stage. (Christianson, 1992) Impaired initiation with lesions of mesial or orbito-frontal cortex may involve the action as a whole, or partially. The patient may be unable to initiate any action (akinetic mutism) or show hypoactivity, inertia and lack of spontaneity. These latter symptoms may represent attenuated forms of akinetic mutism. Perhaps, the degree of encroachment on, or distance from, core regions of frontal limbic cortex (e. g. , anterior cingulate gyrus) determines the extent of hypoactivity. In the partial disorders there is difficulty initiating a vocal act (mutism, transcortical motor aphasia) or limb action (alien hand, SMA syndrome and related disorders). Perseveration also occurs with damage to frontal limbic areas and is related to disturbed initiation. The persistence of a performance is the other side of an inability to go on to the next. Impaired initiation may occur without perseveration, but it is questionable whether the reverse is true. In fact, in perseveration, the initiation deficit often seems primary, for perseveration is greater for tasks which are more difficult, and it tends to involve previously successful performances. (Christianson, 1992) With convexity lesions the action is disrupted at a stage subsequent to its activation. Derailments occur at serial points in the unfolding of the action toward a goal. Apraxia, a substitution or defective selection of partial movements with lesions of left premotor cortex, is due to an alteration of motor timing, or a change in the kinetic pattern for a particular motor sequence. Other frontal disorders may have a similar basis. Agrammatism, dysprosody and expressive amusia probably represent the disruption of an oscillator which elaborates the rhythmic or prosodic contour of an utterance or vocal action. The presumed role of frontal cortex in the elaboration of action structures, that is, the rhythmic or oscillatory components of an action, can explain other seemingly non-motor phenomena which occur with frontal lobe damage. For example, perceptual disorders may arise, not from a primary deficit of perception, but from impairments in the visual exploration of space, including changes in visual search, orientation, and ocular displacement. The lack of drive or motivation in frontal patients can also be approached from a motor standpoint. I have suggested that base levels in the action elaborate the experience, or feeling, of drive and that this experience, like the Innervationsguhl of Wundt, arises as an accompaniment of the action development rather than as an energy or a force which is only an underpinning. In other words, drive undergoes a development together with action. Some actions appear to be motivated by drives or instincts, others are purposeful or goal-oriented, and still others are volitional, in the sense that decisions are made, actions can be delayed and even witheld in pursuit of a goal. My guess is that these feeling states drive, purposefulness, volition correspond with evolutionary levels in the action development, and that this is why damage to the action structure impacts on the feeling state specified by the damaged processing stage. (Lazarus, 1991) Actions also elaborate intentions, the feeling that one it an agent who acts on an environment. This is part of the temporal unfolding of the action and its continual surge toward a future state. It is the basis for our distinction of passive and active movements. This feeling, and the other affects which the action generates, are bound up with the sense of anticipation and forward growth. The loss of, or a change in, this direction toward the future has the consequence of a greater responsiveness to ongoing stimuli and an apparent tendency to live for the immediate present. The loss of this active or volitional relation to the world is, ultimately, the most profound effect of damage to the frontal lobes. The action unfolds into the volumetric space of limbic cognition, a space of dream and hallucination. The action moves outward beyond the body itself to an extrapersonal field of body movement that is still part of and continuous with subjective mental space. This is not a grasping or manipulation space, for objects have not yet exteriorized. The emerging action is read off into keyboards innervating the proximal musculature. Actions leave the body axis and are distributed through the proximal muscles into the space around the body or onto the body itslef. At this stage, the first separation appears between perceiver and object, actor and object acted upon, agent and action. The motor envelope differentiates into partial actions, objects begin to clarify, and space begins to expand, fractionate, and draw away from the perceiver. (Lazarus, 1991) The role of limbic mechanisms in action is brought home even more clearly by conditions in which there is damage to limbic-derived neocortex on the mesial aspect of the frontal lobe. Bilateral damage to the anterior cingulate gyrus gives rise to a state of akinetic mutism resembling that which can occur with damage to the upper brainstem. The patient appears to be in a catatonic stupor and, as in catatonia, there are periodic bouts of excitement that give way to a persistent vegetative state. Stimulation of this region in man produces motor and affective responses suggestive of a primitive or archaic level in behavior. Stimulation adjacent to the anterior cingulate gyrus in the supplementary motor area (SMA) causes iteration or arrest of vocalization and proximal movement, especially of the upper limbs. With damage there may be a release of automatisms and primitive synergies of the arm and hand (alien hand) or difficulty initiating action with the arm though strength and coordination are intact. There may also be difficulty initiating speech. This can lead to selective mutism or selective akinesia, that is, ambulatory mutism or good speech with imparied initiation of limb movement. Selective difficulty initiating movements with the lower extremities occurs in the so-called gait apraxia, or magnetic gait, often associated with hydrocephalus. (Wilson, 1983) In the microgenetic theory the SMA mediates preparatory stages in action generation prior to conscious awareness. Lesions of this area disrupt speech, limb, and body action in a common manner early in the processing of the action, prior to the specification of constituent movement patterns. The disturbance of speech was viewed as motoric, not linguistic or propositional. In the microgenetic view, each response represents a bundle of action structures, consisting of the series of stages through which the action develops. Pathology disrupts the action at different points in this process. The site of the lesion determines the point in the sequence that is disrupted, and this point or processing stage constitutes the symptom or abnormal behavior. Microgeny maps onto patterns of phyletic growth. The structure of an action and the symptoms that correspond to levels in this structure are distributed over stages in forebrain evolution. Damage to older orbital and mesial frontal limbic formations leads to impaired activation (response bias or perseveration and lack of initiation), damage along the convexity leads to derailment of the action after adequate initiation (distractibility, apraxia, and confabulation), and damage to premotor and motor cortices leads to a defect in implementation of distal targets (misarticulation, clumsiness, and weakness). Specifically, the evolutionary progression from limbic to motor cortices retraces the sequence of processing stages in the microtemporal elaboration of an action. Seizures involving mesial frontal limbic cortex can lead to stereotypical actions of a purposeful type, such as scratching ones head, manipulating imaginary objects, or pacing. The alien hand syndrome also represents a type of released automatism. Here a more complex integrated behavior of a purposeful but not volitional type is associated with damage or stimulation to zones intermediate in the action microgeny. The inner relationship between (impaired) initiation and (released) automatism recurs but now in the context of a more differentiated action pattern, involving segmental or vocal movements. Non-Linear Dynamic Systems. Two aspects of dynamic systems theory deserve specific mention here; the first is the emergent quality of Jungs methods. Amplification is an intentionally non-linear circumambulation of an image or psychic content; it operates by allowing contextually meaningful associations to be gathered up and enter consciousness. As the limit of personal associations is reached, if further analysis is required, the net is widened to include cultural and archetypal elements. For this expansion to remain clinically relevant it must offer an experiential dimension as well as being an intellectual event; affective involvement is crucial, as will be discussed with dream work. A precondition for entering a state of (analytic) consciousness that can facilitate a mutative employment of transpersonal material was noted by Jung and more fully discussed by Bion, the suspension of ordinary knowing this link between Jung and Bion was delineated by Fordham along with a number of other areas of overlap between them. All psychoanalysts looking at the applications of infant research to adult analysis, subscribe to variants of an emergentist paradigm grounded in non-linear dynamic systems. Sanders ideas about paradox and polarity are resonant with Jungs core perception of the dissociability of the psyche that leads to his theory of complexes with the consequent aim in analysis to foster synthesis and integration via the transcendent function. Every living system must cope with uncertainty that places it in a state somewhere between continuity and change, core polarities for Sander. In the therapeutic setting, fluctuations in relational certitude and doubt provide an emergent edge through which the co-constructed third of the relationship becomes the locus of the transcendent function. The system radically expands our understanding of transference and points to the creative possibilities inherent in a â€Å"new† experience. Which complexes are constellated in the analyst, in the patient and between them at such moments should likely be considered.

Climate Change Impact On The Caribbean Environmental Sciences Essay

Climate Change Impact On The Caribbean Environmental Sciences Essay The purpose of this brief is to provide accurate information on how climate change will impact Caribbean trade, business and the environment. Realistic mitigation and cost-effective adaptation measures for dealing with this phenomenon are needed. On one hand, climate change presents challenging potential environmental problems and threatens the very foundation of sustainable development and economic stability in the region (Nicholas, 2007 and Bueno, Herzfeld, Stanton, and Ackerman, 2008). Most globally acclaimed scientists predict a rise in sea level and temperature and occurrences of increased and intensified extreme weather events (Niles, 2010). Businesses will generally be impacted by increased cost of production due to heightened energy costs, reduction of raw materials and lower amounts of fresh water. On the other hand, climate change delivers unprecedented opportunities for the islands to benefit from much needed international funding and the liberalization of environmental te chnologies, goods and services that will ultimately lessen vulnerability and strengthen resilience. Climate change undeniably impacts trade. Its impacts are already being felt and will continue to be felt as a result of trade liberalization, trade agreements, environmental regulations and standards, and food security. Although the islands partake in several trade agreements and environmental regulations, these come with strings attached, issues like green protectionism and reduced preferential trade regimes exist. The region is facing tremendous increased competition from food imports, particularly genetically modified foods. While these foods have the potential to strengthen the level of food security globally, it has disadvantageous trade implications for the region. Additionally, climate change can produce inconsistencies and reduction in the regions supply of goods for consumption and export. How will Climate Change impact Caribbean Business and the Environment? Caribbean businesses, especially those that are agriculture and tourism related are highly susceptible to the potential positive and negative impacts of climate change. The climate is a key factor in determining the productivity level of agricultural produce. A few predicted positive impacts of climate change on agricultural production in the Caribbean are increases in the productivity of tropical crops, diversity of crops produced, and accelerated maturity growth (Peter Carte, 2009). As climate change occurs, its impact on business operations becomes less predictable. Any reduction in the agriculture yield directly affects the businesses bottom line and breadwinners ability to provide adequately for their family needs. (Joseluise, 2009). Likely negative impacts are increased infestation, crop damage, soil erosion, increased moisture problems and unreliable forecasting (Carter, 2009). Hence, the method of production and harvesting techniques used may have to be discontinued or upgrad ed as the case may be. The tourism industry cannot sustain itself without a healthy environment. As a region, it is imperative that priority be given to the maintenance and preservation of the environment. This initiative can also serve to boost eco-tourism in the Caribbean. The negative potential change in the climate carries significant implications for tourism businesses and increases the cost of doing business. For example, rising temperatures will amplify the need for cooling appliances. If the snow cap decreases and flights to the region continue to become expensive, then visitors may seek cheaper destination closer to their homes. The unfortunate spin-off effect of this situation is decreased profits for businesses, high unemployment rates and reduced gross domestic product rates for countries. Scientists suggest that climate change is linked to increased coral bleaching, oceanic acidification, coastal erosion, saline intrusion, loss of biodiversity, and extinction of species (AOSIS, 2009 and Sookram, 2005). This has far reaching effects on the environment, since coral reefs are the breeding ground and food source for many different types of species. Many locals depend on fish as their main source of protein and fishermen in the Caribbean depend on the coral reefs for the provision of their livelihoods in the form of fishing. Recommendations for Trade, Business and the Environment Thoroughly analyze regulatory measures and economic incentives targeted at addressing climate change issues, since they have long term implications for the region. In relation to trade, more research on emissions trading and alternative sources of energy is needed along with the incorporation of climate change mitigation initiatives in all future development policies. Business as usual cannot be the mantra, climate change calls for decisive and wise decision making. The education system and local media can be used to share information on the positive and negative impacts of climate change. In order to mitigate future impacts on business and the environment, there is a dire need for enforcing stricter building codes, purchasing comprehensive insurance and constructing sea walls where necessary (Mc Donald, 2010 and Economics of Climate Adaptation, 2010). Possible means of adaptation for the agriculture industry are strengthening of the water supply system, changes in production technology and introduction of new crop varieties (Vega, 2008). Tourism industry businesses need to implement and execute a decisive strategy for the way forward in dealing with climate change issues. Additionally, a more environmentally friendly tourism model is needed. For instance, they can use alternative sources of energy (solar and wind) in facilities, utilize energy conservation technologies, cease further coastal tourism development and acquire environmental certification (Sookram, 2005). Intensive carbon producing businesses should immediately begin lessening their carbon footprint in order to prevent further environmental damage. Conclusion Every individual, household, business, community, and government in the Caribbean region needs to adhere to the urgent appeal to mitigate the potential impacts of climate change. A joint regional collaborative effort is immediately needed; the success of future generations depends on how the region responds to the issue of climate change impact on trade, business and the environment. In light of the thorough analysis of the facts presented here, one can definitely conclude that climate change challenges can be overcome if adaptation and mitigation measures are immediately put into place. The time for action is now!

Free Essay on Macbeth - The Guilt of Lady Macbeth :: GCSE Coursework Macbeth Essays

The Guilt of Lady Macbeth Everyone is influenced by other people, including leaders or authority, to make the wrong decisions at some point in their lives. In the play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is responsible for the evil doings of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is responsible for this by using his love for her to persuade him into killing King Duncan. Because Macbeth loved and trusted his wife, he was vulnerable to her opinions and suggestions. We also know that she is responsible for these heartless things because she has so much guilt that she commits suicide. Macbeth would never have done any of those horrible things if it were not for the murder of King Duncan, which was forced on by Lady Macbeth. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a trusted soldier, who is honest and noble. Unfortunately, he meets three witches who tell him three prophecies; that he will become thane of Cawdor, that he will become king and that Banquo’s sons will become kings. These three prophecies slowly change his opinions on life and turn him into a greedy, dishonest, tyrant, full of ambition. Lady Macbeth’s thoughts change as well when she is told about the three prophecies that were told to Macbeth. In the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is ambitious, controlling and domineering. She is the one who encourages him to kill the king, she not only encourages him, she makes all the plans herself, which shows her determination and persistence."Yet I do fear thy nature, it is too full o’th milk of human kindness. To catch the nearest way thou wouldst be great. Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it." (Act 1, scene 5). Lady Macbeth is the force behind M acbeth’s sudden ambition and she tries to manipulate him into feeling guilty and unmanly for not following through with the murder, by using her husbands emotions, she manages to convince Macbeth to murder Duncan. After the death of King Duncan, Macbeth becomes the more controlling one, and Lady Macbeth’s guilt eventually becomes too much for her to handle which leads to her death. Lady Macbeth is in fact the one that performs the preparations for the murder of King Duncan, but still shows some signs of humanity by not committing the murder herself because he resembles "My father as he slept". After the murder has been committed, she also shows signs of being a strong person because she calms Macbeth down in order to keep him from going insane.

Mrs. and Mr. Bennet : Parenting in Pride and Prejudice Essay

A thorough second reading of Pride and Prejudice compels the reader to view the novel with a different perspective. Besides being a novel of courtship and romance, it focuses on decorum of conduct. Pride and Prejudice is about consequences. Jane Austen introduces her characters to the reader through simple conversations, refraining from authorial comments and physical descriptions to bring out their personalities. This shows her general disposition of not letting appearances affect her moral choice. Through her varied characters, she not only entertains her reader but also makes a point, without preaching. The novel begins with a conversation between Mrs. And Mr. Bennet. At once we are introduced to a couple whose banters are distressingly amusing, half parts witty and half parts inane. Mrs. Bennet fails to catch her husband’s sarcasm and the ill-treatment he metes out to her ‘poor nerves’. Mr. Bennet is aware of her feelings but he is not interested in her consta nt raptures and worries. Their weak understanding is the consequence of a marriage based on superficial factors like appearance and sexual chemistry. As a result, their parenting lacks wisdom and Jane Austen brings to light the upshots of such a marriage through various social means. When dealing with five children, it is only natural to have favorites among them. But good parenting is one where you keep it to yourself rather than avowing your views in front of the less favored siblings. In case of the Bennets, their bias is critical. And their open criticism of their less favored daughters does them no good. Mr. Bennet’s calling his two youngest daughters ‘uncommonly foolish’ and ‘the silliest girls in the country’ evokes only a sense of incredulity in Mrs. Bennet whereas Lydia is least affected by her father’s contempt. Her mother takes her side rather than seeing the point her husband is trying to make. As a result, Mr. Bennet’s contempt for Lydia has no effe ct on her as she continues to express her admiration of officers with ‘perfect indifference’. On the other hand, Elizabeth is Mrs. Bennet’s least favorite daughter. By repeatedly reproaching Lizzy in front of Lydia, Mrs. Bennet brings down Lizzy’s position as an elder sister in Lydia’s eyes. Lydia therefore doesn’t value Elizabeth’s views and has no respect for her intellect. The two teenaged daughters, Kitty and Lydia, are audience to their parents’ uninhibited criticism of Mrs. Long. The Bennets’ ‘failure to obey some arbitrary code of genteel conduct’ results in an equally forward and shameless daughter who is exposed to bad manners at a tender age. And Lydia is exposed to her mother’s horrifying public conduct throughout her teenage, up till the point, where she herself becomes a cause of embarrassment and mortification. By speaking ill of her neighbours and rebuking Elizabeth in front of the Netherfield party, Mrs. Bennet degrades the essence of relationships in Lydia’s view who thus fails to see nothing of a person beyond their appearance and physicality. Jane Austen uses the power of conversations and situations to bring out the contrast between good and bad. The moment Mrs. and Mr. Gardiner are introduced to the readers, we are awed by their genteel conduct and their love for their nieces. Mrs. Gardiner shares a healthy relationship with Jane and Elizabeth, especially with the latter. After Charlotte Lucas, Mrs. Gardiner is the only other person in whom Elizabeth confides. Mrs. Gardiner, being a fine judge of character, helps Lizzy in assessing situations well and is a companion to her in her doubts and philosophies. Mrs. Bennet, as a mother, should have been by her daughter’s side when deciding upon matters concerning lifelong felicity, like marriage. She should have been her guide, a friend, while choosing a life-partner for her daughter. Rather, her ‘habitual impropriety is a material impediment to her daughter’s chances of making a prosperous marriage’. It is her aunt instead, who by stressing to Lizzy her strengths of fine judgment, helps her keep a check on her thought-process. She even warns Eliza about Wickham’s suspicious manners. All of this, Mrs. Bennet fails to do as a mother. Unlike his wife, Mr. Bennet had the intellect and thus the power of directing his family towards a better path. He knows what right conduct is and isn’t oblivious to his daughters’ bad manners. But he chooses to sit back and relax in his library, thus dodging any responsibility that comes his way. His not saving money for his daughters even though he knew well that he couldn’t leave behind his estate to them brings out the worst in Mrs. Bennet. This forces her to consider every other charming, rich man as an eligible husband for her daughters. ‘It is thus entirely natural and plausible that a mother in her situation†¦would develop an overriding anxiety about their [her daughters’] future.’ â€Å"I r emember the time when I liked a red coat very well-indeed so I do still in my heart.† These lines by Mrs. Bennet are a confession of her still unappeased sexuality and by saying this she fosters in Lydia the thought of righteousness of uncontrolled sexual energy. She thus catalyzes Lydia’s already growing frivolous nature. Mrs. Bennet favors Lydia and is totally blind to her flaws to the extent that she blames the Forsters for Lydia’s elopement. Jane Austen cleverly voices the reader’s opinion of the shortcomings of Mrs. Bennet’s parenting through her own mouth – â€Å"I am sure there was some great neglect or other on their side, for she is not the kind of girl to do such a thing, if she had been well looked after†, though these accusations of Mrs. Bennet are directed towards the Forsters. Mr. Bennet fails to secure his family financially. Yet he could have imparted to them what money could never have done. He could have at least preserved the respectability of his daughters by channeling their energy and talents. A strong mind would have surpassed the material impediment that money is for the Bennet sisters. On the one hand, where Lydia is an element of stupidity and triviality in the novel, Elizabeth shows a change of character, alignment of priorities and the liveliness of a strong mind. Though brought up under the same roof, one can notice the degradation of morality and character in the Bennet sisters. Jane has a calm and composed countenance. Elizabeth has a fine intellect but shows a streak of her mother’s forwardness. Mary Bennet is the least interesting of all. Her display of her scholarly opinion once in a while is more or less her role in the household. Easily influenced by her younger sister’s wild ideas about life, Kitty is merely a companion to Lydia in her flirtatious adventures. Lydia is an untamed and fearless young woman who ‘subordinates all decent occupations to the pursuit of males.’ Jane and Lizzy’s closeness to their uncle and aunt, the Gardiners, early on in their life is the reason for their strong set of principles. The first three sisters are all well-read and this is the result of the exposure to their father’s extensive reading habits. Kitty and Lydia are the outcome of Mrs. Bennet’s frustrations resulting from failed attempts of having a son. Mrs. Bennet fails to separate herself from Lydia and gives her a piece of her mind, literally. Lydia’s proximity to her mother spoils her to the extent that the presence of two morally adept sisters, an uncle and an aunt is not enough to affect her. So guarded was she in her world of immorality. Lydia is less of anti-heroine. She is simply the product of a feckless father and a noisy and raucous mother. It is thus unfair to label her as an anti-heroine. But by her means, Jane Austen contrasts the goodness of Elizabeth, the heroine.

Reflections On The Things They Carried Essays - Free Essays

Reflections On The Things They Carried Essays - Free Essays Reflections on "The Things They Carried" Part I: Analyzing the story?s craftsmanship Tim O?Brien wrote a story that is known as "The Things They Carried." It is a carefully crafted, detailed account of a Lieutenant and his men, the time period being right in the middle of the Vietnam war. In most war stories the author spends most of his or her time describing actions and events to the reader, trying to really put the reader "right there" in the middle of everything that is happening. However, O?Brien drifts away from that trend here, hardly describing any events of import to us at all. Rather, he focuses on the thoughts of the soldiers, the inner feelings, small personal nuances and quirks that really describe the men. Being out in the wilderness, far from home or anything they recognize, these men must deal with the mental and physical stresses of war. Here is where O?Brien implements his literary art form. One thing a reader may notice when reading the story is the fact that the story is written in third person, limited omniscient. The narrator is not actually in the story, merely telling us of the events, and yet we still get to see inside Lt. Cross?s mind to more accurately picture his feelings. The narrator also, although letting us see the innermost, personal thoughts of Cross, always refers to the Lieutenant as either "he,", "him," or "Lt. Cross," never speaking of him by only his first name, which seems rather formal. Also, it is odd that O?Brien should choose the third person to write in when creating a story such as this one. Usually when an author wants the reader to feel what the main character is feeling, they will write the story in the first person point of view, to give the events and thoughts a more personal touch. However, the way O?Brien phrases his sentences, it is really very simple for the reader to get that accurate feeling for the main character, even! though it is not the main character speaking. For example, on the next to last page of the story, there is a large piece that speaks about Lt. Cross?s feelings. "On the morning after Ted Lavender died, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha?s letters. Then he burned the two photographs. There was a steady rain falling. . . He realized it was only a gesture. Stupid, he thought. Sentimental, too, but mostly just stupid. Lavender was dead. You couldn?t burn the blame." (Hansen, 436) This section is very vivid in the portrayal of Lt. Cross. The reader can easily see the man, crouching in the bottom of a muddy hole, burning photographs while thinking of a terrible blame he felt was his: it is a sad scene to picture. Another thing O?Brien does in his story is, as I mentioned above, to concentrate more on thoughts and seemingly minor details rather than on events. In the story, O?Brien skips the burning of a village in just a simple remark that makes it almost feel like an afterthought. ("Afterward they burned Than Khe." Hansen, 427) But, he spends almost half of the story explaining what exactly the men carried with them, going into full detail of why they carried these things, how much they weighed, etc. This is for a very good reason, though. O?Brien uses this weight factor as a symbolism and parallel to the "weight" of the emotional baggage and mental conflicts the men must also carry with them as they trek through this strange foreign land. At the bottom of the eleventh page O?Brien mentions this directly: "They all carried emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love, longing-these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity! , they had tangible weight." (Hansen, 434-435) He then goes on for another half of a page describing other emotional baggage they carried. This shows some of the real horror of war; not who wins or who dies, but also what effect it has on all parties involved, including the soldiers out there usually fighting battles that they would rather not be fighting. Also, O?Brien