Category: Literature 5177

The Song of Roland is considered one of the great epic memorials of medieval French literature. An insignificant historical fact served as basis for this heroic poem, and later on having enriched itself by several later events it had integrated the story of Roland into many literatures throughout the world. The Song of Roland clearly expresses the ideology of the feudal society, where it was an untouchable law for vassal to serve his sovereign, and breaking this law was considered treason and betrayal. However the traits of courageous firmness, military valor, self-denying friendship, and thoughtful attitude towards occurrences had not received feudal confinedness.

Contrariwise, these certain qualities of brave defenders of the homeland were interpreted as typical and nation-wide. Furthermore, the thoughts of protecting their home and shame of possible defeat coming from the masses had induced even a higher degree of recognition and sympathy.

Epical according to its form, this poem could be viewed as a historical song where the altered events of the past are told mainly through recitation of military accounts braced by scanty facts from the fates of separate characters. Clear usage of portraying means, laconism and precision of the language and style are leaning against exceptional harmony of composition. The parallelism of occurring events is organically combined with parallelism of character selection. The twelve peers of France correspond to the twelve Saracenic ones; Roland and Aelroth are two equally brave leaders, both nephews of the rulers.

It seems that other characters are included to better reveal the peculiarities of the quarrelling sides. Surely, more attention is paid to those ones who have higher influence on the story line. In connection to this only a few characters of the Song of Roland and individualized, as most possess solely positive or solely negative qualities. The figure of Roland is in the first place in this poem. He holds that valor and confidence that assisted him in becoming the finest commander of Carls army. However this character has some down-to-earth weaknesses: vehemence, irresponsibility, and some boasting. There is nothing about his childhood, but the cyclic poems reveal his relations to Carl, and the reason of Ganelons hostility. In the poem itself the folklore theme of step sons/step daughters hard luck did not get any development due to other ideological issues. The episodes that involve Roland differ from the rest due to their lyrical manner. The mockery and direct ultimatum directed at Ganelon are shifted towards stubbornness and one-sided conception of chivalry in the conversation with his best friend Olivier when they start talking about Carls summons for assistance.

Roland perceives Olivers proposition to blow the horn as a sign of weakness, not worthy of a brave knight, and prefers an unequal battle that they are probably going to loose. When Roland realizes the true despair of the circumstances and decides to blow the horn, he is stopped by his friend Oliver, who had evaluated the situation and decided that it is too late to call for help anyway, and this action will be not worthy of a knight. Only the involvement of archbishop Turpin settled down the conflict, although the rectitude remained on the side of Olivier both times.

The harsh personality of Roland is allotted with attractive traits of permanence in unlimited friendship, as well as loyalty to France and its monarch. If the theme of friendship is clearly expressed through Roland, the theme of love does not have any significance in the poem, as Oliviers objection to Roland marrying Alda does not create any visible conflict.

Introduction

In the early novels of Thomas Mann, the readers can often follow the rethinking of Friedrich Nietzsches postulates. The influence of philosophical attitudes can be traced concerning the art of dance in the novel Death in Venice, written in 1911. In this story, Thomas Mann addresses his favorite topic  the problem of creativity. However, the clash of crowd and creator turns into an interpersonal conflict, pushing the hero to the transformation that ends in tragedy. Subsequently, the artistic principles developed in Nietzsches treatise had, to a great extent, influenced the exquisite design of Manns work.

Plot and Problems

The novel depicts the life of a famous writer who has gone on a spontaneous journey after meeting a mysterious stranger. The whole life of Gustav von Aschenbach is built on contrasts since the hero is not used to enjoying life. The characters problem lies in his isolation from real life. As a consequence, his struggle between Dionysianncludes lust, ecstasy, and chaos, and the Apollonian touches logic order and rationality. For Nietzsche, Apollonian is an idea of order, harmony, embodying the concept of beauty, and the sense of proportion and individuality (Gale, p. 32). In contrast, Dionysian is a state of irrational, nightly element of chaos, causing horror, and, at the same time, bliss of admiration. Aschenbach deliberately limits his own Dionysian, which leads to negative consequences: a sense of self-control collapses when meeting with Tadzio (Shookman, p.44). Moreover, chaos and a riot of passions begin to seep drop by drop into an Apollonian verified life. Nevertheless, in spite of the homosexual undertones in relation to Tadzio, he clearly embodies the concept of pure, non-sexual beauty.

Conclusion

Overall, the short story Death in Venice is not just a biography of Gustav von Aschenbachs soul or a fragmentary description of Thomas Mann life. In turn, it is the story of the 20th century man seeking to free himself from conventions, norms, and rules imposed from outside, and an attempt to achieve a harmony inside. The disharmonious development of Aschenbach, who tries to control his life with the help of the mind, leads to the gradual destruction of creators personality, unable to achieve harmony either in life or creativity.

Works Cited

A Study Guide for Thomas Manns Death in Venice. Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016.

Mann, Thomas. Death in Venice, Tonio Kroger, and Other Writings, New York, NY: A&C Black, 2003.

Shookman, Ellis. Thomas Manns Death in Venice: A Novella and its Critics. Camden House: Boydell & Brewer, 2013.

Women are an often-discussed topic in literature, not only in terms of their modern emancipation but also in terms of their previous idealized state and their proper place in any given time period. As women gained more rights, more complete education, and greater freedoms, they began to respond to what was being written about them, correcting, agreeing, or absolutely refuting the charges they found. An examination into the poetry of a given time period, such as the early 1700s, reveals how ideas regarding women were changing.

Jonathan Swift, for example, satirizes the idealized way in which women were presented in his time and previous by exaggerating both womens attempts to live up to these ideals and the evidence of the grossness of their humanity in poems such as A Ladys Dressing Room. Strephon and Betty peek into Celias room following her departure to find a collection of litter and trash were thrown about, illustrating that while Celia herself may seem the image of perfection outside of her private space, within the realm of her own world, she is just as messy and unorganized as any other human being.

In order to become the beautiful goddess that has left the room, arrayed in lace, brocade, and tissues, Celia must go through the filthy, unnatural process that leaves such a terrible mess. Nevertheless, she is considered haughty because it has taken her five hours to transform herself from the mundane human being of reality into the goddess idealists would have her be.

Because of the way in which Swifts poem was written, though, it could easily be taken to mean something different, such as a condemnation of the woman for having taken such efforts, to which poets such as Lady Mary Worthy Montagu would respond in such poems as The Reasons that Induced Dr. S[wift] to Write a Poem Called The Ladys Dressing Room.

By illustrating the various ways in which man fools himself into thinking he is something greater than what he is: Poor Pope philosophy displays on. / With so much rhyme and little reason, / And though he argues neer so long / That all is right, his head is wrong. This seems to be, to a large extent, what Swift is attempting to say in his grossly exaggerated account of Celias room.

Finally, Alexander Pope illustrates the ridiculous results of female idealization in his epic poem The Rape of the Lock, in which he tells the story of the feud that results when a young man steals a lock of hair from a young woman. In Canto 4, the gnome Umbriel recognizes the superficial passions of the young woman Belinda over the loss of a small piece of hair when he addresses the wayward Queen of the spleen, which was the organ thought to control the passions.

He names her  Parent of vapors and of female wit, / Who gives the hysteric or poetic fit, / On various tempers act by various ways, / Make some take physic, others scribble plays, acknowledging that the outward manifestations of this element of female behavior is not universally ridiculous, but is instead different based upon the womans nature and expectations.

In the end, all three of these poets illustrate how women are forced to conform to outward expectations of them that are based on unrealistic, unworthy ideals that serve to reduce their humanity. Whether this is done in a way so as to venerate the concept of a woman or to denigrate her remains, essentially, equally destructive. What does seem clear is that any concept of a woman that is not based upon her essential humanity is unacceptable.

This essay deals with an analysis of a passage from Shakespeares work Winters tale. By means of the consistent analysis of idioms, metaphors, allegories, and other expressive tools use in this passage, a conclusion will be made on the specificity of Shakespeares writing and a greater idea of the passage.

The main question addressed in the current essay goes as follows: Why Shakespeare used namely these words but not others, and how did he structurally form their utilization. The passage is mainly included Leontess monologue but with a wide scope of allusions that help to reveal the importance of this episode and its role in the entire comedy.

Leontes speaks about tragic events which followed his suspicion that his wife committed adultery with his old friend Polixenes. He sent his friend Camilllio to poison Polixenes, but fortunately, this plot was unrealized because of Camilllios voluntarism. Leontes was so outrageous in his jealousy that he sought that his own son was a bastard and even defied the oracle who soothsaid that Hermione was innocent.

As a result of all these events, she became increasingly sick and on the brink of death. Leontes now realizes his fault and wrongdoings that led to tragic consequences. He says to his servants referring to Hermione: Take her hence:/ Her heart is but overcharged; she will recover:/ I have too much-believed mine own suspicion: / Beseech you, tenderly apply to her/ Some remedies for life. It is evident from this passage that Leontes feels that all that he has done is stupid and destructive for his family.

He too much believed his own suspicions and didnt rely on common sense, reason, and on what the oracle said about his wifes innocence. He tries to correct his mistakes by showing his love and care for his wife. Besides this, Leontes hopes that all will change for the better.

After the ladies exit with Paulina and Hermione, Leontes continues his monologue in the same vein as before. Here Shakespeare intentionally puts emphasis on such phrases and words that show Leontes great repentance and confusion with the severity of the situation which he created. He continues to blame himself for his baseless suspicion and outrageous behavior. By referring to the earlier episodes and plot of this comedy, Shakespeare helps us restore the sequence of deeds and events that led to this difficult and tragicomic situation.

Leontes apologies for his brutal behavior in relation to the oracle who soothsaid that his wife and friend didnt engage in some adulterous relations: Apollo, pardon/My great profaneness gainst thine oracle!.

Furthermore, Leontes promises to reconcile himself with Polixenes, who he wanted to poison because of his suspicion, and his friend Camillo whom he sent to Polixenes to realize this plan but who refused to become a killer of honorable man: New woo my queen, recall the good Camillo,/ Whom I proclaim a man of truth, of mercy; /For, being transported by my jealousies / To bloody thoughts and to revenge, I chose /Camillo for the minister to poison /My friend Polixenes: which had been done/ But that the good mind of Camillo tarried / My swift command, though I with death and with / Reward did threaten and encourage him.

These abstracts show that Camillo is a noble person who, even under threat to his life in the case of refusal to commit a malicious crime, made his own honorable decision and avoided unjust actions. Leontes only now realizes how unjust he was for this truthful and nobleman who helped prevent some other tragic events. Shakespeare utilizes here a very beautiful expressive comparison of Leontes crimes and Camillo moral purity, which makes Leontes sufferings even more pronounced. He says that not realizing this ugly plan, he does himself as a real nobleman: Not doing t and being done: he, most humane/ And filled with honor, to my kingly guest. Leontes says that it is a great braveness to violate kings orders, but notwithstanding all risks and hazards associated with it, Camillo acted according to his moral principles: Unclaspd my practice, quit his fortunes here/ Which you knew great, and to the hazard / Of all uncertainties himself commended.

But all these hazards, as Leontes now understand, were barriers for truth and justice and were unjust manifestations of his royal egoism and despotic willfulness which are  No richer than his honor: how he glisters Thorough my rust! Now Leontes understands that all his unjust plans and actions are in great contrast with Camillos honorable behavior and compassion to a poor king who suffers so much: and how his pity Does my deeds make the blacker!

Thus, as the current essay shows, this passage is interesting in terms of words, idioms, and phrases Shakespeare uses to describe the inner world and psychological tensions of Leontes. It is important to note that Shakespeares utilization of the abovementioned images helps reveal deep feelings and emotional experiences of protagonists and is structurally well-organized.

This passage is very concrete in the description of Leontes feelings after he found out that his suspicions were misguided. Moreover, by using accurate and expressive metaphors, Shakespeare helps his readers understanding the nature of Leontess character. Notwithstanding the fact that he made many mistakes, he is a deeply compassionate and kind man who can recognize his fault. Hence, his personality may be described as double-ended on the one side, it is contaminated by royal egoism and despotism, and on the other is honorable and openhearted.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman The Yellow Paper in The Yellow Paper and Other Stories. Oxford University Press, USA, 1996.

This short story portrays oppression of women and negligence her husband which lead the main character to psychological distress and madness. Gilman underlines that women have no freedom limited by false social values and traditions of domesticity and child bearing. The young woman is driven to insanity in spite of the fact that her husband, a physical, takes care about her and tries to protect from the world around.

The interior wall with floral decoration itself signifies the female repression or imprisonment in the short story. The young woman explains her struggle as I wasnt alone a bit! I shook and she pulled, and before morning we had peeled off yards of that paper (Gilman) Gilman underlines that society and men are unable to treat women as equal and accept their rights and desires. I choose this story because it vividly portrays position of women in society and their problems caused by special values and perception of women.

Edelstein, S. Charlotte Perkins Gilman and the Yellow Newspaper. A Journal of American Women Writers, 24 (2007): 72.

This source describes problems of women and their social roles in 19^th century England. The author evaluates role and importance of yellow journalism identified as media practices that exploit, distort, or exaggerate the news (Edelstein).

As a women writer, Gilman fought against unfair practices against women and their literary works demanding fair treatment and equal rights with men. I choose this source because it goes beyond traditional interpretation of women literature and apply a unique vision and understanding of the world typical for Gilman. This article unveils values and beliefs of women and their understanding of culture and morality. Gilman calls attention to her gender and represents a womans point of view, emphasizing nature over culture. I choose this source because it portrays that a society is based on norms and morals stipulated by the society itself and if a person violates traditional norms she is perceived as a stranger who break the rules of a game.

Roth, M. Gilmans Arabesque Wallpaper. Mosaic. 34 (2001): 145.

This source places Gilmans works in the context of 19^th century England and analyses social and cultural principles and factors typical for this historical period. I choose this source because it helps to understand social changes and norms reflected in Gilmans works. The author states that Gilman portrays the woman as a victim of mans unfair behavior and social norms. Women live in patriarchal society that has developed to an extreme and exaggerated extent, but this exaggeration serves to highlight aspects of own society that might otherwise be less visible. Gilman portrays that womens status in Victorian society and the roles they assumed were limited by worldviews and culture, the moral atmosphere and religion they cannot reject.

Hume, B.A. Managing Madness in Gilmans The Yellow Wall-Paper Studies in American Fiction, 30 (2002): 3.

This source is based on psychological analysis of madness and its description in Yellow Wall-Paper. I choose this article because it helps to understand symbols and minor details used by Gilman. For instance, the author describes that yellow was a typical colon used as a treatment method in insanity hospitals. Also, the author unveils that dreams of many women fall far short of the conditions in society, largely because of the hardships imposed on the women by the ongoing war with men. Gilman underlines that marriage and womans happiness depends upon husbands will rather than choices and desires of a wife.

The author underlines that The Yellow Wall-Paper appears to be a text that simultaneously mirrors Gilmans ideological limitations as a feminist reformer and symbolically moves beyond those limitations (Hume). This short story vividly portrays womens voices and life expectations based on low social status and limited freedom and rights.

Works Cited

1. Edelstein, S. Charlotte Perkins Gilman and the Yellow Newspaper. A Journal of American Women Writers, 24 (2007): 72.
2. Gilman, Ch. P. The Yellow Paper and Other Stories. Oxford University Press, USA, 1996.
3. Hume, B.A. Managing Madness in Gilmans The Yellow Wall-Paper Studies in American Fiction, 30 (2002): 3.
4. Roth, M. Gilmans Arabesque Wallpaper. Mosaic. 34 (2001): 145.

Most of the stories written by modern female writers reveal their intolerance against the oppressed life of women. Male domination, for several centuries, made them mere domestic animals, denying mobility and individual freedom. The urge to free themselves from this situation, from their domestic prison, is the main thrust of the stories written by these female writers. Gilmans stories are fine examples of the truthful depiction of suffering and exploited women who are seeking emotional freedom. This brief essay takes a look at the authorial vision of Gilman, at her urge to see woman emancipated, with a particular attention to her story, The Yellow Wallpaper.

Charlotte Gilman in this story portrays a woman whose sincere life as a wife, with her true womanhood, pushes her to the verge of madness. Till womens liberation made drastic changes in the life of a woman, the role of the female was total submission to man, be it husband, father, or anyone else. A woman was supposed to live a life of purity, she was expected to dedicate herself to the welfare of the family, and just live a passive life. Thus, man exploited her biological make up, and ensured that she lived within the four walls of a house. It is this patriarchal attitude which Gilman attacked through her central character in The Yellow Wallpaper.

This autobiographical story exposes the male attitude to continue the status quo of true womanhood. The author tries to redefine womanhood and show how new womanhood, promising freedom, mobility, and emotional release, can be established. In other words, the old cult of womanhood, domesticity, purity, etc is rejected and is replaced with a new cult, to enable women to have equality. This is the essence of her story, The Yellow Wallpaper.

The Yellow Wallpaper tells the story of a wife doomed to live an isolated life. This isolation is a prescription made by her husband, who is also a doctor. It was a common Victorian way of treating the patients suspected of depression. The woman in the story is forced to take rest in her attic room. Actually she is healthy, she likes work, not rest, she would like to move about and not being isolated. She would also like to be with her child.

The room with its unpleasant furniture, scratched floor, and the yellow wall paper make her really mad. The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight (Gilman). The wallpaper is symbolic of her isolation and depression. She snatches further obscurity to turn her inner experience into a journal. She gets relief only when she removes the disgusting yellow paper, a symbol of her inner torture.

The rest cure prescribed by the doctor here is in line with the old attitude of seeing a woman biologically week: the idea that a woman needs only rest to get relieved from her depression. The yellow wallpaper stands as a witness to her inner torture. Tearing this paper is a metaphor for her emotional freedom. As Deborah Thomas observed, Getting beyond the yellow wallpaper, women defied the corrupted power that men wielded over women, escaped their confinement, and created for themselves a new ideological role, one that included entry into the public sphere, or the market place (Thomas). It is a release from the age old suppression. The I in the stories of Gilman stands for the universal female I.

Reference

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. Web.

Thomas, Deborah. The Changing Role of Womanhood: From True Woman to New Woman in Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper. Web.

Faulkners Barn Burning is a story reflecting such crucial issues as class conflict and loyalty. The main one is an internal conflict in the mind of the child-protagonist. Despite the conditions in which the character finds himself, he embodies truly noble features, such as sympathy and compassion. He is eager to act according to his conscience, and in order to preserve the integrity of his personality, he needs to escape from the influence of his overbearing, aggressive father.

In the center of the story, there is a ten-year-old boy who is torn between loyalty to his father and disgust for him. On the one hand, Sarty feels closely connected with his father, on the other hand, he has to reject him because of his ruthless, aggressive behavior and immoral worldview. According to his father, the boy must learn to stick to his own blood (Faulkner 4). The boys internal conflict is traced in court, when his father forces him to perjure, and this moment ten-year-old Sarty feels that he is doing wrong, but makes a choice in favor of the family.

The fathers mistreatment can be traced not only to the world, but also to his family. All the family members no longer feel safe with Abner, including Sarty. The father slaps Sarty and pushes his wife and daughter with a heavy hand; meanwhile, he harps on the sacredness of family bonds. (Cengage Learning Gale 22). Under such circumstances, a certain psychological situation of the child develops, in which a boy is not able to see more complex facts and adequately verbalize his feelings. Everything the father does is in great contrast to what he says and the boy feels this dissonance. The father keeps the family at bay and preaches commitment to the family.

Sarty never ceases to believe in a bright future, he meets every new day with optimism and hopes. The family moves the next day and the main character accompanies his father to the new owners house. The language of the story changes, the boy finds himself in a wonderful place, feels joy that he cannot express in words (Zeidanin and Matarneh 89). The main thing that he feels in this house is security. He looks at his father with a special positive and compassionate attitude and wants his father to feel the same in this house, but unfortunately, his father remains true to himself.

A turning point comes when the boy enters the house of an aristocrat, he begins to realize that there is a completely different life, where there may be no place for absolute obedience. In this context, the views of John Locke may be close to the more liberal politics in the family, about which the boy thinks. According to Locke, the fathers power over his children derives not from what he begot them, or from blood ties or the law of nature  (Nichols 90). The model is based on the duty to take care of children until they can take care of themselves.

To conclude, Sarty Snopes has completely different individuality, the features that are observed in his father are alien to him. He is forced to exist in such conditions because he is dependent. Having disobeyed his father, he acts according to his conscience, helps people, making a choice not in favor of his family. When Sarty chooses not to set fire to the barn with his father this time, he is freed not only from someone elses will, but also from fear. The scene in which the boy hears the shots and suspects that they have something to do with his father, he continues walking and does not turn around. The final scene is significant, Sarty frees himself from the shackles, makes a choice in favor of himself, his individuality, freedom and morality.

Works Cited

Cengage Learning Gale. A Study Guide for William Faulkners Barn Burning, 2016.

Faulkner, William. Barn Burning, 1979.

Nichols, Mary. Conflicting Moral Goods. Short Stories and Political Philosophy, edited by Bruce Peabody et al. 2018, pp. 89-109.

Zeidanin, Hussein H., and Mohammed Matarneh. Social Alienation and Displacement in Faulkners Barn Burning, Henrys The Social Triangle and Mansfields The Dolls House. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, vol. 7, no. 3, 2018, pp. 85-89.

Introduction

The War of the Roses, speaks of the period between 1455 to 1485 when two powerful dynasties in Britain fought to gain the throne of England. The two houses were the House of Lancaster with King Henry VI as the head and The House of York with King Richard as the head. Shakespeare attempted to enact the roles and events of the war in his plays, Henry VI and Richard III (Shakespeare, 1598). This paper analysis the plays and discusses how the dramatist attempted to portray the events.

Discussion and Analysis

Johnston (1999) points out that while the plays generally followed the actual history, Shakespeare modified the role of a certain character, made some of them younger so that all of them could fit in the same period, and also made some slight changes to the events and their results. The author asserts that since these were works of fiction, designed to entertain rather than educate, the people of England accepted the plays for what they were.

Johnston argues that King Edward with whom the war started was the king and had seven sons, the eldest of whom was the Black Prince. These two characters are mentioned in passing but they do not appear in the play. When the Black Prince dies, his eldest son Richard II is th legitimate ruler and the dramatist does not argue this fact. Richard II dies without leaving a son and so the throne would go to the next legitimate ruler.

Edward IIIs third son the Duke of Clarence, Lionel saw that his daughter Phillippa was married to the Earl of March, Edmund Mortimer and so the Mortimer clan would be the legitimate heirs and this is important later in Henry VI play. The fourth son of Edward III called John of Gaunt starts the House of Lancaster he grabs the throne claiming the right of inheritance. The main theme in the drama is to establish or discredit the legitimacy of the claim of the House of Lancaster to the throne. In the meanwhile, the fifth son of King Edward III, the Duke of York, Edmund of Langley is married to the Mortimer clan and they want to establish that they are the true heirs.

In the play, Richard II, Henry Bolingbroke, and Richard II fight bitterly and Richard II is murdered and Henry Bolingbroke assumes power as King Henry IV. Shakespeare has introduced several characters that play a key role in the play but history, they had hardly any mention. After Henry IV dies, his son Henry V assumes the throne and is succeeded by his son Henry VI and this ascension is disputed but the house of York that is headed by Richard Plantaganet.

Johnston (1999) has pointed out that Shakespeare and other writers of the time were bent on proving that Richard Plantaganet and his successors Richard III had no legitimacy to the throne and takes extreme deviations when depicting Richard III as an evil king. Johnston contends that the pro-Tudor view of the majority of the people who regarded the Plantaganets as illegitimate rulers made them distort history in depicting all their actions as barbarous and evil. This is borne out in the way Richard III and his successors are shown in the dramas.

Henry Tudor had the weakest but the most legitimate claim for the throne since he defeated Richard III as explained in the play Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. Henry then marries Elizabeth, the only remaining child of King Edward IV. To Shakespeare, this was the legitimate excuse to amplify the Tudor myth and the author persisted in exemplifying the house of Tudor as saviors of England, and this is seen in the play Richard III.

Conclusion

The paper has discussed the plays Henry VI and Richard III and shown how Shakespeare was biased in his support of the Tudors and how he attempted to manipulate the characters in his play to make viewers accept his version of history.

References

Johnston Ian. 1999. A Brief Note on the Historical Background to Shakespeares First and Second History Cycles. Web.

Shakespeare William. 1598. William Shakespeare: Henry IV, Part II, Archived 1999, The University of Oregon. Web.

Introduction

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudiah Equiano depicts personal courage a man who escapes slavery and fights for personal freedom and human rights. The narrative addresses many themes including slavery, religion, oppression, kidnapping, business relations, ideas of liberty and freedom, economic status of African countries and their political instability. The purpose of the themes covered in the Narrative is to unveil unique historical and political factors of the 18th century.

In the Narrative, Equiano promulgates ideas of freedom and free will, liberation and personal courage portraying himself as a young boy who faces the charge of unmanliness. For example, after realizing himself incapable of keeping all ten commandments, Equiano thought that my state was worse than any mans; my mind was unaccountably disturbed; Similarly, Equiano chose to forgo several promising opportunities to escape (Equiano 92), believing that unless he was certain God willed it, he was undeserving of freedom. Equiano, in his relatively brief account, constructed a notion of slavery based on embattlements with numerous opposers: kidnappers, slave traders, enemy fire from French naval forces, unfair masters, cheating traders, incompetent and unstable captains.

Main text

It is possible to say that Equiano writes from the perspective of a slave speaking about ideas of freedom and economic prosperity because for Englishmen, ideas of freedom and liberty were not so important as for slaves who experienced injustice and oppression all the life. In the Narrative, Equiano often addresses slavery after harboring some hope for liberty; he assumes this unfortunate twist of fate is a result of his having uttered a swear word: My conscience smote me for this unguarded expression (Equiano 32).

As a black, enslaved, and then formerly enslaved, man, Equiano could not afford to be self-promoting. The most controversial theme in his Narrative is slavery where Equiano argues that slavery impedes rather than serves Gods plan for a fully equal, more virtuous world. In other words, only through its abolition could Gods intent for an universal good be realized (Equiano 177). More repugnant for Equiano is the fact that the manifest destiny rhetoric of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries also typically includes a defense of slavery.

Equiano describes his application to the Bishop of London to become a missionary of Africa: My sole motive&is the opinion which gentlemen of sense and education, who are acquainted with Africa, entertain of the probability of converting the inhabitants of it to the faith of Jesus Christ (Equiano 169). Equiano puts forth the different view that God uses sin to the advantage of the universe. For him, slavery is designed to separate the saved from the damned and to enhance humanitys appreciation  black and white alike  of liberty, equality, peace, prosperity and happiness (Equiano 81). Slavery is sinful because it not only relegates the enslaved to the condition of brutes, but it also hardens [the slaveholders] to every feeling of humanity: (Equiano 81).

Conclusion

In sum, the Narrative vividly portrays hardship faced by slaves and their great desire for freedom. Also, Equiano proposes readers unusual, for a former, slave views on slavery and ideas of freedom. Equianos nontraditional view of slavery and providence are coupled with his cultural values and his reluctance or inability to impersonate God. According to Equiano, for a country to be civilized means it must not only operate successfully in a global market economy but also exude Christian ethics and morals. To realize that vision, Africans living in Africa need conversion.

Works Cited Page

Equiano, O. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudiah Equiano. W.W. Norton & Co; New Ed edition, 2001.

During a lifetime, each person witnesses a large number of events. Whether pleasant or unpleasant, these instances become an inseparable part of the individuals life. Because of the ability to memorize things, people keep many events in their minds forever, digging them out under various circumstances. Sometimes, one may desire to recollect delightful moments but cannot do so. On other occasions, one may want to forget about dreadful issues, but they constantly return in retrospection. In Under the Influence, Scott Russell Sanders represents the inevitability of the connection between the past and present and shows that past events may have a considerable effect on the future.

To depict time and memory, as well as the process of recollection, Sanders employs different means in several dimensions. First of all, he uses the present simple tense to speak about his childhood, which makes the audience feel as if the events described are taking place at the moment. The author even says that the present of memory is perennial, meaning that he has not forgotten anything (Sanders 1). The use of the present simple makes the episodes depicted rather vivid and dramatic. The saddest and most agonizing recollections of the narrator relate to his fathers drinking problem. The author describes how the father wipes the sandy-haired back of a hand over his lips and stashes the bottle <&> inside his jacket (Sanders 1). By doing so, he makes it possible for the reader to be present at that very moment, in that barn where a little boy is sitting quietly and pretending not to notice anything. Thus, the use of tenses is one of the most expressive ways of making a bridge between the past and present in the story.

Another approach exploited by Sanders is the use of expressive means and stylistic devices, such as synonyms, metaphors, and comparisons, to illustrate the pain and shame that a little boy used to feel. By resorting to these instances, the author depicts the purpose of recollection. In his case, this goal is not to allow the events from the past to repeat. As the narrator notes, he still shies away from parties with alcohol (Sanders 10). He correlates his behavior with that of a man shying away from the lions den after seeing his father torn apart (Sanders 10). The narrator does not want his own son to suffer the way he did, and he promises to himself that he will not leave a single chance for such a situation. Hence, the author explains the need to remember the past so as to avert the repetition of the tragedy in the future.

The use of synonyms in the story is extensive and rich, and with its help, the author demonstrates how excessively dramatic the question of alcoholism is in society. When inviting the reader to consider a few synonyms for drunk, the author provides as many as thirty-seven (Sanders 2). Thus, it is evident that behind the irony of the word a few, there is the pain of a little boy who used to see his father in conditions to which all of these epithets could refer. Tipsy, tight, pickled, <&> juiced and sluiced; three sheets to the wind, <&> loaded or looped: the narrator knows that it is possible to describe his father by any of these inglorious epithets (Sanders 2). And by realizing this fact, he emphasizes the purpose of memory: one should remember the past and learn from it so that it does not have a chance to rotten ones future.

There are several important comparisons in the story that help to reveal the inner world of the narrator and his feelings toward his fathers issues. One refers to Kafkas Metamorphosis and the main characters familys expectations of everything to be fine when he comes back to us (Sanders 7). In this instance, the narrator explains that his family was also waiting for the father and husband to come back and be the tender and playful and competent man he used to be (Sanders 7). Sanders offers another layer of recollections here, explaining why the narrators family has the grounds for dreaming about their fathers metamorphosis. The mother recollects that he stopped drinking several times: when he became a father and when the doctors said he would die if he continued to drink (Sanders 8). This retrospection within retrospection exemplifies the closeness between the past and present even deeper.

Another major comparison the author makes is a reference to the Bible. The narrator recollects the biblical story about the lunatic and the swine (Sanders 5). He mentions that while other children in Sunday school focused their attention on the swine, he thought of the redeemed lunatic and hoped that his father would stop being possessed (Sanders 6). Unfortunately, the second time the author mentions this comparison in the story is when the narrator gives an account of his fathers death. Sanders notes that, unlike the biblical swine, the father left behind a few of the demons to haunt his children (9). This analogy helps to exemplify the role of memory in the narrators life by showing that he and his siblings have never been able to become fully separated from their past.

Sanders makes use of exceptional metaphors to demonstrate his ideas. The first one is the throb of memory, which signifies the agony of recollections (Sanders 2). Another metaphor that has a profound effect on the audience is the key turning in ones brain. Watching the key turn in his [fathers] brain means that the man becomes an entirely different person under the effect of alcohol (Sanders 9). When referring to himself, the narrator explains that he is cautious of consuming alcohol, and each time he does, he listen[s] for the turning of a key in his brain (Sanders 10). The repetition of the same metaphor emphasizes its significance for the narrator. Apart from that, this device demonstrates the connection between the past and present through the narrators apprehensions of the possible repetition of his fathers story.

Sanderss Under the Influence is a story about the inevitability of avoiding the reliving of past events over and over again. The author depicts the indivisible link between the past and present through the agony of being a child of an alcoholic. Despite being a grown-up now, the narrator cannot get rid of the feelings that emerged in his deep childhood. The significance of the essays exploration of memory is in its attempt to warn the reader that it is impossible to commit bad deeds and hope that they will not affect the future.

Work Cited

Sanders, Scott Russell. Under the Influence. 1989, Web.