ANALYSIS OF HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS Essays -

ANALYSIS OF HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS David Kenison English 301 - 01 St?phanie Zuk September 14th 2000 Who is the boss? Society is pressuring people so much to succeed in life and to become someone they can not be, that people act in any way they can to reach this goal. Often, they use power and domination to show that they are important and can influence the world. Hills Like White Elephants reflects the power of men over women. The plot, characterization and semic codes prove this claim. First of all, the plot of the story ? shows that the man has more control and authority than the woman. Since he is the protagonist, he takes more space in the story. He has more influence because he is the main character and because the story is based on what he wants. His goal is to convince Jig to get aborted; so once again, he is more important since he wants something in particular. On the contrary, Jig is the antagonist because she is opposed to the idea of getting an abortion. She wants to keep her child, but her husband is insisting so much that she can not transmit her opinion and express how she feels. The plot of Hills Like White Elephants clearly demonstrates the power of men over women. Secondly, the man has more power than his wife because the characterization proves it very well. The woman is very weak and consults her husband before doing anything, as if she could not make a decision by herself. 'What should we drink?' 'Should we have another drink? She is unable to use her judgment and has to have her husband's approval before doing anything. Also, even though she would like to keep the child, she puts his feelings before hers and would do almost anything to make him happy. 'And you think then we'll be all right and be happy' 'And you really want to?' 'And if I do it you'll be happy and things will be like they were and you'll love me?' She is willing to sacrifice what she desires the most to please her husband. This is a very big sign of inferiority and being manipulated by her husband. She cares more about his happiness than hers. Finally, the girl has no confidence in herself and does not consider herself as someone important: 'I don't care about me'. On the contrary, the man is very forceful and dominant. He is always repeating that everything will be fine but deep inside, he only wants to get rid of the baby. 'But I don't want anybody but you. I don't want any one else' 'I don't care anything about it.' He insists that she must do the operation and is putting a lot of pressure on her. 'It's really an awfully simple operation' 'You don't have to be afraid, I know lots of people that have done it' 'I won't worry about that because it's perfectly simple.' He is so persistent and almost commands her to get aborted that she feels she has no choice but to accept. He is also playing with her feelings by saying that things will be great. He tells her he will love her and everything will be like they used to. Of course, she is very tempted but still confused because she really wants this baby. He is very manipulative and almost compels her to do it. His strategy is to repeat the same words over and over again to convince her: ' Well, if you don't want to you don't have to. I wouldn't have you do it if you didn't want to. But I know it's perfectly simple' The girl is so fed up of hearing his persistent comments that she says: 'Would you please please please...stop talking'. She feels overwhelmed and powerless about the situation. The characterization shows that men have more power than women. Finally, the author tells society that men dominate women through the semic codes ?. The man is opposed to the girl. He manifests superiority while she is inferior. He has a lot of influence, but on the other hand, she is being influenced. He wants the death of their child, yet she wants him to live. He uses his reason to cope with the situation, but she is much more emotional. He is strong and confident,

The Ending of Toni Morrisons Beloved essays

The Ending of Toni Morrison's Beloved essays While the actual value of Toni Morrison's novel, Beloved, is debatable, there is no question that the ending that Morrison provides for her work is an acceptable one. Beloved details Morrison's characters' descent into fantasy, and as is often the case in novels, the ending ties up many of the loose ends, and pulls the characters back into reality, with the events of the novel seeming simply, "...like an unpleasant dream during a troubling sleep"(324). On the other hand, while perhaps fitting and logical, Morrison's ending is not perfect. Morrison's style and storyline up until the ending is far from concrete, dealing with that which is implied, illusory, and symbolized, rather than what is plainly in view; she writes with suggestion rather than description. This pattern, however, is broken in the final chapter of Beloved. The narrator now, in the final chapter, takes a mainly external and therefore unemotional position, unlike earlier in Morrison's work where the emotions, personalities, and often fractured thoughts of the characters would be included in the narration. Apparently outside the story, in the final chapter, the narrator blandly reports that "...they [had] forgotten her like a bad dream...quickly and deliberately."(323). In comparison to the suggestions of events previously occurring in the novel, such as when Sethe flees with her children, and "...[she] collected every bit of life she had made, all the parts of her that were precious and fine and beautiful, and carried, pushed, dragged them through the veil."(233), the tired, run-of-the-mill account on page three hundred and twenty-three seems almost as if it had been written by an entirely different author. This change in narration, while perhaps thought of as trivial by some, adds a slight sense of discord to the ending, and leaves th e reader slightly uncomfortable. The ending is, in comparison to the dreamy and chaotic storyline, too simple, with everything co...

Relationship Literacy Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Relationship Literacy Article - Essay Example Fundamentally speaking, most forms of abuse originate for the abuser, as a learned behavior. In fact, most abusers were in fact abused themselves as children in the case of either sexual, physical or emotional abuse. When this type of behavior is exhibited to children and youth as a ‘normal’ means of interacting, the individual then proceeds into their future social interactions with the ideology that abusive behavior is not only acceptable but also normal. By implementing relationship literacy on an early childhood educational level and on through the adolescent years, individuals will be more readily equipped with the social and moral tools to properly interact with others throughout their life. This is a two fold process. By teaching and modeling proper human interaction within the school system, children will certainly have a comprehensive understanding of what is socially expected of them as a member of society. Furthermore, the rule of no tolerance towards school v iolence, verbal threats and abuse and sexual forms of abuse; will further instill within children a sense of accountability and consequence. The question of where to begin the approach to relationship literacy training can be answered by approaching the topic where it is most needed. In fact, the origin of the program began in inner city environments, ten years ago, with an approach to anger management as well as an emphasis on the overall importance of personal relationships and healthy social interaction. In so many cases, violence and abuse prevail simply because so many are not equipped with proper mechanisms of dealing with anger and conflict. By placing emphasis on virtues such as sympathy and apathy, programs offering relationship literacy training can prepare children and youth for future appropriate and healthy relationship interaction. With the growing need to address national

State Sovereignty and Lawful Intervention Essay

State Sovereignty and Lawful Intervention - Essay Example International law emphasizes on the duties and responsibilities of states, in the conduct of their international relations with other states. There is a duty â€Å"to refrain from intervention or the dictatorial interference by a State in the affairs of another State for the purpose of maintaining or altering the actual condition of things† (Coquia and Santiago 115). Intervention is basically illegal under international law as it violates the sovereignty of a state (Coquia and Santiago 459) and affects the independence, the international personality, the territorial supremacy and even the existence of a state (Coquia and Santiago 115). However, there are instances where intervention is lawful based on â€Å"existing legal restrictions upon the independence or territorial or personal supremacy of the State intervened with† (Coquia and Santiago 116). Among the reasons which have been cited for state intervention are the following: intervention as a self-defense, for humanitarian reasons and finally for abatement. Self-Defense A State may intervene for its preservation or self-defense against armed attack provided that there exists an immediate danger of attack. It is important therefore to determine whether there exists an immediate danger of an armed attack or not. Thus the exercise or the use of force in self-defense would be justified under international law provided that the need for such force was â€Å"instant, overwhelming, immediate and that there was no viable alternative action which could be taken†

South Africa Essay Example for Free

South Africa Essay The population of South Africa was classified into four groups which was the Black, White, Indian, and Colored. The Colored group included people regarded as being of mixed descent including people of Bantu, and European ancestry and much more. Knowing that Apartheid was a system of laws created to keep the white population in control. The Group Areas act of 1951 controlled people where they could of live. The black where driven far away from their city, although their jobs were still in the cities in the white neighborhood. The Bantu education Act meant that the black students were disadvantaged with their education. â€Å"Bus fares were expensive and catching public transport everyday was expensive and caused hardship and depression for the black people. † (Wikipedia) The apartheid policy was highly effective of achieving its goal of privileged conduct for whites. On the other hand, the white population supported apartheid because they felt it was there to own the land of South Africa. There were many white pro apartheid people because of the much larger population of black South Africans causing the white people to believe that if the black were given rights and freedom, they would of no longer have political power. The white people were worried because they thought that their race would be taken over and they would lose the control that they always had. As a final point, In February 1990 President FW de Klerk announced the release of Nelson Mandela and began the exclusion of the Apartheid system. In 1992 a white council approved the reform process and on April 27, 1994 the first democratic elections were held in South Africa with people of all different races being able to vote. After the Apartheid came to an end in South Africa, people had more freedom. The Africans now have a little more money now that it’s not all going to the white. South Africa is now peaceful and the anniversary of the elections, which was held on April 27, is celebrated as a public holiday in South Africa known as Freedom Day.

Essay on the Setting in Shakespeares The Tempest -- Tempest essays

Importance of Setting in The Tempest   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare’s enchanted island in The Tempest is a restorative pastoral setting, a place where ‘no man was his own’ and a place that offers endless possibilities to the people that arrive on it’s shores. Although the actual location of the island is not known, the worlds of Seneca aptly describe it’s significance to the play – it represents the ‘bounds of things, the remotest shores of the world’. On the boundary of reality, the island partakes of both the natural and supernatural both the imaginative and the real. It allows the exploration of both man’s potential and his limitations, his capacity for reform through art and his affinity for political and social realities. It is constructing this opposition between art and reality and in giving Shakespeare’s romance the freedom to explore mankind free from the concerns of everyday life that the setting of The Tempest is crucial to it’s overall dramatic design.    The only scene in the play that does not take place on the island is the opening tempest scene. It is in itself an important use of setting. It hints at the fact that the characters social assumptions will capitulate when exposed to adversity – we have the boatswain apparently inappropriately comment none aboard the ship that ‘I love more than myself’. In fact, quite the reverse is true. In the court scene we are presented with the characters Antonio and Sebastian who are interested in political gain despite the predicament in which they find themselves. In this respect the setting functions to present the idea that our social conditioning transcends time and place. The inference is that if political clambering can take place on an enchanted island in the middle of now... ...gic and music.    The contrast between the representative characters and the magic art of the island does not resolve itself, rather, it leaves the audience in what Russ McDonald called a â€Å"marginal condition between expectation and understanding, affirmation and skepticism, comedy and tragedy†. The setting functions to present the worlds of both art and reality in order to affirm the transcendent human desire for power and order, as well as affirm the world of art as a means of dealing with reality.    Bibliography/ Works Cited    Meller, A., Moon, G.T. Literary Shakespeare (1993) Sydney: Canon Publications    Lecture on â€Å"The Tempest† (1988)   C. Holmes    Shakespeare, W. The Tempest. Ed. Sutherland, J.R. (1990)    Mikhail M. Morozor, (1989)â€Å"The Individualization of Shakespeare’s Characters through Imagery†, Shakespeare Survey.

Mass Media and National Identity

Gone are the days when the media used to exercise its power mainly through the radio and the newspapers. During that period, there was always time for free reflection on what it means to be an American. Today, the media merely thrusts its views on the viewer in a very powerful way. People are being exposed to a hugely expanded power of the media through the incessant television programs, movies and the internet.Like an invader who captures the minds of the weak, the American media is now in a position from where it can brainwash people into developing a media customized American identity. One of the more dominant images being circulated right now by American media is that to be American is to agree with the American President. All those who disagree are anti-American.Ever since the war on terrorism was launched during the aftermath of September 11, 2001, political leaders have used the media to seed the hearts and minds of Americans towards a new kind of patriotism. The Bush administ ration has, with the help of the media, widely propagated that this is the time when America needs to come together and support the President. The message is that unity and support for the President is more vital than having a healthy debate. This communication strategy has garnered a great deal of success in the United States as anti-war and anti-Bush policies have become equated with anti-Americanism.National identity of America was earlier derived from powerful figures of colonial America who imparted their daring visions, power, and energetic optimism to the American tradition. Among them are the explorer and colonial founder John Smith; the religious liberty advocate, Quaker, and colonial founder William Penn; the great Puritan intellectual Cotton Mather; and the astonishing 18th-century polymath Benjamin Franklin. Americans of the early 19th century were involved in the great controversy of whether slavery should be abolished or not.They were not afraid to fight wars for their causes and they also ensured that the republic achieved astonishing economic growth. Writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott helped in the development of a mature distinctive American literary and philosophical culture. There were great leaders like Franklin Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln who turned America into a great prosperous nation of sustained economic growth and they enabled the republic to stretch from ocean to ocean. America flowered as a land of great diversity with the advent of immigration in the mid-20th century. This was the time America grew to be a global leader and American character was exemplified through distinct American traits found in its great citizens.Some such distinct American traits that became part of American identity were lack of fatalism, energetic approach to problem-solving, faith in economic growth, dedication to education, devotion to religious liberty and belief in equality. There were many individuals who embodied these Americ an traits. Louisa May Alcott was a volunteer nurse in a Civil War hospital, where she contracted typhoid fever and was crippled for life from the mercury used to treat her. But that did not deter her from writing Little Women, a book that was hugely successful. Benjamin Franklin was the epitome of self confidence as he invented the Franklin stove to meet the firewood shortage in Philadelphia.Andrew Carnegie was a great industrialist who finally thought it best to focus on a single industry: the steel industry. Horace Mann was responsible for the creation of the universal compulsory school model. The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which Thomas Jefferson drafted in 1786 was the foundation stone for the rise of America as a nation that valued freedom in all aspects of life.   Every American shares a national identity with his fellow citizens and he is proud to known that values such as optimism, self reliance and belief in equality and justice are all part of this great Amer ican identity which has been shaped by a long history of political openness and change, tolerance of conflict, entrepreneurial energy, and cultural mix.The nobility that is enshrined in American national identity is slowing being eroded in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, race relations, crime, immigration, health care, euthanasia, gun control, and education and the erosion is more intense due to the focus of the media on such issues. Media expert David Domke feels has studied the government’s post-September 11 communication strategies in the war on terrorism as well as the media response and the impact on U.S. public opinion.After studying media reports and public responses from the period from September 11, 2001, to Bush's address to the nation about Iraq on March 17, 2003, he concluded that â€Å"government officials have consistently emphasized American core values and themes of U.S. strength and unity while simultaneously demonizi ng the enemy† (Whitworth Communications, 2003). His conclusion is supported by a study of media coverage and public-opinion polls. Words such as freedom, individualism, mobility, and pragmatism â€Å"speak to the American spirit.† It is through the use of such words that mass media is shaping the national identity on political issues.There are people such as think-tank researchers, interest-group leaders and academic experts who can offer analysis from a neutral platform. They are not people who are likely to sing chorus to the government’s song. But Domke and his colleagues have found that such intellectual people tend to get less media attention – for the simple reason they are not guaranteed supporters of the government.This finding shows that the media coverage under the blanket of patriotic press coverage, has served to shift the American national identity from one that allows every individual the liberty to have his or her own opinion on political is sues to one that supports the standing of a unified nation behind the President of the United States, no matter what decisions he takes.Apart from this negative shift, there are many positive ways in which mass media is helping to shape the national identity of Americans. Hollywood is one of the most influential media in America and has always played a huge role in creating a sense of national identity and pride. American values such as equality, liberty, love for the nation, freedom of expression, human right are emphasized in many movies.Popular movies such as Pearl Harbor; We Were Soldiers; The Quiet American; Behind Enemy Lines; Black Hawk Down; Kandahar; Collateral Damage; In the Bedroom; Minority Report and Fahrenheit 9/11 explore and help in shaping American identity with respect to morality, family, nation and globalisation.Television programs such as Apprentice and American Idol showcase the potential America offers to people with values, talent, skill and willingness to wo rk. They add a sense of pride and positive attitude to the national identity. Sports such as baseball and basketball as shown in the movies and television programs have become American symbols of competitiveness and professionalism.However, television advertisements seem to focus more on hawking a happier home and love-life, improved eating and drinking and appearance, better health, taste and smell, a more comfortable car, etc., etc. thereby polluting the national identity with a craving for materialism and self centeredness.Through the mass media, Mickey Mouse, Babe Ruth, screwball comedy, G.I. Joe, the blues, â€Å"The Simpsons,† Michael Jackson, the Dallas Cowboys, Gone With the Wind, the Dream Team, Indiana Jones, Catch-22 – these names, genres, and phrases from American sports and entertainment have become a powerful tools in sculpting the American identity. Through mass media, music has also played a huge role in shaping American identity. The first major compos er of popular music with a uniquely American style was Stephen Foster (1826-1864). Soon the music that was representative of America combined elements of European musical tradition with African-American rhythms and themes.Some of Foster's best songs are: â€Å"Oh! Susanna,† â€Å"Camptown Races,† â€Å"Ring the Banjo,† â€Å"Old Folks at Home†. Today, the inclusion of African music such as Reggai and rap, Latino rhythms, and the domination of global artists has made American music much more representative of its expanding scope of national identity. However, rock music remains the prevalent pop music of America because it is one genre that can assimilate almost any other kind of music, along with new varieties of outlandish showmanship, into its strong rhythmical framework – much as America assimilates different cultures and different races into its constitutional framework and national identity.Rangers in the Sequoia National Park report that the huge sequoia monarch trees in the forests, however huge and seemingly strong, one day simply tilt over and crash to the ground because of their weak roots (Sites, 2007). So also the American national identity built through mass media can crash if care is not taken to nourish the roots of that identity. Mass media should focus on the unique American history and resplendent traditions instead of favoring an almost total obsession with the clamorous present and the dubious lures of the unpredictable future.Bibliography:Whitworth Communications (2003). Political Communication Scholar to Present Whitworth Lecture on Challenges to Civil Discourse of ‘Post-9/11 Patriotism'. http://www.whitworth.edu/News/2002_2003/Spring/GreatDecisionsDomke.htmSites N. James. Inger: A Modern-Day Viking Discovers America. Published by Scan-Am Communications. Ashland. http://www.identityindependence.com/ingersites.html