Literature is one of means of thought implementation on people in the society. There are a lot of authors who by means of their pieces of literature works wanted to tell what they think about their society, what ills and troubles they see in it. Those, who read these pieces of works, may either agree or disagree with the author, but the authors name is not to convince, but to give some ideas for discussion, to make people recognize the problem and to consider the problem. The authors aim is to make people know and think, and whether they agree or not it is the problem of these people.
Walden by Henry David Thoreau is the piece of work where the author tells about the profit of isolation from the society, about the opportunity to use nature as the main source of peoples life. He tells about peoples dependence on modern evolution and that sometimes it is useful to hide from civilization and live in the nature, to think freely. The book comprises several chapters, and we are going to discuss three of them: Where I lived, and what I lived for , Sounds and Reading . We are going to find out the authors ideas and intentions which he put in the book content.
Main Body
Where I lived, and what I lived for
In the opening lines of the Where I lived, and what I lived for chapter we may read such words, At a certain season of our life we are accustomed to considering every spot as the possible site of a house (Thoreau 2002-141). These words show people the whole direction of the chapter: the author wanted to make people think about the aim of their life, about what they have planned and what they managed to do. These first words just emphasize the heading of the chapter, and one more time underline his idea.
Thinking about the Hollowell farm, as the desired place for living, Henry David Thoreau described the place where he wanted to live and the place which he wanted to advise all people to live, Its complete retirement, being, about two miles from the village, half a mile from the nearest neighbor, and separated from the highway by a broad field: its bounding on the river& (Thoreau 2002-145). These words give the full understanding of what the author dreams, my imagination carried me so far& (Thoreau 2002-143). To live in solitude does not mean that the author wants to refuse absolutely from the society and contacts with it, vice versa, he agrees that these contacts are useful and should be, but still person should live separately from these contacts for some time.
The author tells that it is possible to be ready for any actions to live in the conditions he described above. He, in his turn, was ready to carry it on; like Atlas, to take the world on the shoulders and do all these things which had no other motive or excuse but that it would yield the most abundant crop of the kind I wanted, if I could only afford to let it alone (Thoreau 2002-146). By these words, the author wanted to ell that people should all they can in order to reach the nature, in order to be able to leave this hush and quick world and to be delighted with entire nature, calm and silence.
Reading
The next chapter, Reading tells about the necessity to read classic literature. Henry David Thoreau says that classic literature must be studied, no matter how ancient the language it is written. For what are the classics but the noblest recorded thoughts of man? They are the only oracles which are not decayed, and there are many answers to the most modern inquiry in them as Delphi and Dodona never gave (Thoreau 2002-176). The author wanted to tell that classical literature contains the answers to the modern problems, as the history repeats and the classical philosophers had more deep knowledge and thought more profoundly than modern writers.
Thoreau is sure that people should either read classical books on the original language or to know the history of that nation in order to be intellectually educated, Those who have not read the ancient classics in the language in which they were written, must have a very imperfect knowledge of the history of the human race (Thoreau 2002-180).
The authors main consideration is that the book exists for us (Thoreau 2002-188), that is for readers and it is our task to read it. Thoreau is sure that reading a new book, the reader opens a new world before him and this new world is of great usage for him as it gives a lot of information How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book! (Thoreau 2002-188)
Sounds
The next chapter is about music, and the first lines of this chapter say us that literature is possible to forget, to forget the language and other facilities, but sound is immortal, we are in danger of forgetting the language which all things and events speak without metaphor (Thoreau 2002-193).
Conclusion
So, the book by Thoreau is his vision of the modern life and people, his advices of how to live and what to do are not the instructions but the advices what people should pay attention to. The main aim of the book is to tell people as long as possible to live free and uncommitted (Thoreau 2002-146).
Works Cited
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. ProQuest Information and Learning, 2002.
One may agree that every countrys literature has its unique characteristics and objectives. Despite the fact that the history of American literature began later than in many other countries, many works of U.S. writers and poets are currently valued and studied around the world. American literature has a distinctive social purpose, which is to perpetuate the countrys past experiences, maintain connections and solidarity with the rest of the world, and raise the populations educational levels.
The American Experience
To begin with, U.S. literary works allow for the preservation of the countrys historical details, events, and values, connecting contemporary citizens with their ancestors. For example, Washington Irvings 1828 biography of Christopher Columbus refers readers to the experiences of those times and allows for the discovery of the motivation behind Columbuss own writing (The Norton Anthology of American Literature 53). Thus, according to Irving, the European adventurer had a vivid imagination and the enthusiasm of a poet and a painter (The Norton Anthology of American Literature 53). The Travelers Letter of Discovery and Letter to Ferdinand and Isabella Regarding the Fourth Voyage contains beautiful descriptions of America.
Further, some literary works remind their readers about some inhumane and terrible experiences that some colonists and Native Americans went through centuries ago. Thus, Rowlandsons A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration is a valuable source that allows for the understanding of American history (The Norton Anthology of American Literature 260). Since U.S. literature fulfills its social role, modern generations and the rest of the world will not forget about both the positive and negative historical aspects of the country.
Worldwide Appreciation
Further, American literature helps the states to maintain international cultural relationships and solidarity. Past and current literary works affect the writing of foreign authors, contributing to the creation of other brilliant pieces of literature. Many famous movies are based on American novels, allowing the states to spread their views on social issues and encourage the world to be in solidarity in the need to solve them. Additionally, one can see how American literature characters and authors are mentioned on social media to change some potential negative perceptions of the country. Through writings filled with kindness, affection, tolerance, and other moral values, the country is able to demonstrate its ethics and national identity. The promotion of these values within and outside of the country changes the world, which is a powerful social purpose of American literature.
Reasons for American Literature
The third component of the U.S. literary works objective is the general aim of literature itself. For example, when children and adolescents read American novels and poems, they learn basic grammar and punctuation rules, as well as expand their knowledge about real-life events or other peoples perspectives. Furthermore, readers imagination also improves as they see how American writers and poets use literary devices and techniques, such as imagery, metaphors, similes, symbolism, and others. As their levels of creativity and critical thinking enhance, individuals can better contribute to solving acute social issues.
Conclusion
To conclude, U.S. literature has a unique social objective that consists of three components. Firstly, it ensures that people can learn about the states historical events and the positive and negative experiences of colonists and Native Americans. Secondly, American literature secures solidarity with other nations and allows to maintenance of strong international cultural relationships. Finally, it develops critical thinking skills and imagination in readers, which then makes Americans better address social issues.
Work Cited
The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Edited by Sandra M. Gustafson, et al., W. W. Norton & Company, 2022.
The symbolism of William Faulkners Barn Burning is heavily reliant on the repeating image of fire. By dissecting the texts symbolic patterns, this article seeks to examine the visual imagery around the image of the fire. This article will look at the representations of power, emancipation, and identity in relation to the fire image by comparing and contrasting Sartys and Abners motivations. These topics will be covered in the three body paragraphs in chronological order of priority.
Power, Liberation, and Identity
First of all, attention should be paid to the theme of power in the story. As Abner utilizes the fire to demonstrate his authority over his family and those he considers to be his foes, the image of the fire is one of power throughout the narrative. Faulkner writes, He could feel the heat of it against his face, and his fathers back loomed up in front of him, fierce and solid, the nape of it half again as long as his fathers face (Faulkner 5). This passage illustrates the connection between Abners physical presence and the authority he has over his kid. The burning barn also symbolizes Abners determination to retaliate against those he views as his oppressors (Yunis 25). Through the fires image, Faulkner highlights how power can be used to control others and maintain social hierarchies.
Liberation will be covered in more detail in the second body paragraph. The image of fire can also represent the potential for freedom from repressive social institutions. This is especially clear in Sartys quest for personal freedom. He is immediately lured to the fire when he sees the first barn burning because he feels liberated and released. With the first puffs of smoke rising from the roof, according to Faulkner, the dread and the fear and the misery of not knowing where they were going or what would happen next seemed to lift from him (Faulkner 4). Sarty is seen as able to escape the anxiety and terror of his current circumstance through the image of the fire, which is a potential source of release for him.
Identity will be the main topic of the third body sentence. The texts identity troubles can be related to the fire image. Specifically, how Abners identity is tied to the burning of barns reveals a connection between his actions and his sense of self. This is especially clear in his encounters with Mr. Harris, the landlord, whom he views as his enemy. Faulkner asserts: Youd have told him. You will. You must (Faulkner 3). This comment highlights the importance of Abners identity as someone who is not scared to take retribution against people he regards as his adversaries. Faulkner illustrates how acts of anger and violence may be used to create an identity through the picture of the fire.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Barn Burnings depiction of fire is a potent and significant metaphor that highlights key thematic motifs. Faulkner offers a multifaceted vision of the ways in which people are influenced by and reject social and political structures via the examination of power, liberation, and identity. This essay has looked at the fire images visual rhetoric and symbolism, showing how it enriches Faulkners already complex story with richness and depth. This article gives a fresh perspective on the book and the manner in which it speaks to contemporary challenges by examining these themes.
Works Cited
Faulkner, William. Barn Burning. Perfection Learning, 2007.
Freedom to Grow is a short narrative essay by Major A. Barnett that details his trip to Selma, Alabama with his father and his son to attend the funeral services of a half-brother he had never met. As the trio makes their way down to Alabama, the narrator provides the reader with information about the territory they pass through, including a stop at which his son discovers a small rabbit that he decides to keep as a pet. This rabbit plays a key role in demonstrating the sons understanding of the past. This information also includes information about the fathers experiences in the Jim Crow South. The timeframe of the story is relatively short, consisting of a day and a night of traveling from New York to Alabama, three days quickly summarized in Alabama and the beginning of the trip back to New York started just at dusk.
The story provides a strong connection between the family and the Civil Rights Movement as well as the great diaspora that characterized the black population as conditions in the South became increasingly restrictive heading into the 60s. This is made clear as the condition of the family is known. The author begins his story with information regarding the impetus for the trip. We went to say a final farewell to a half-brother I never knew. Although the family home is considered to be back in Selma, the author admits that he has never been there before. As the story continues, it is revealed that there is a large family gathered in Selma that the narrator has never met illustrating the degree to which families were divided as a result of the social conditions that affected the South in particular.
As they make their way to Selma, the narrator makes several important stops that make further connections between his personal experience and the events of the Civil Rights era and the black experience. I looked at the countryside and realized those runaway slaves had followed similar paths to the North. I always admired the slaves who chanced the Underground Railroad to seek their freedom, but my view now made me see what a long and dangerous trek they took. Although his fathers concerns about the empty fields of his youth might seem like the normal concerns of a struggling community, there remain elements to his fear that white people would have difficulty understanding. I had no flashlight, no candle, and only stars to guide me. I wished I had a car then, but nobody could afford a car. We were lucky to find work, and I just prayed that I would get home safely every night. I used to worry about snakes and skunks and hope that I would not meet any White men on horses. These would have been members of the Klu Klux Klan riding out to persecute any black people they could find.
As the sister Lucy tells the narrator and his son about her first-hand experiences of the Edmund Pettus Bridge march, her story manages to affect the son profoundly. During that week we all knew we had to go forward and win the right to vote, just like the White people & I was afraid inside because I grew up here and I knew there were things dangerous for Blacks to do. I knew there were rules we called segregation I was restricted where I could go and what I could do & Once we were across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, I knew that we would succeed on our march and we did. Based on what he learned from his aunts story, the young boy opted to release his pet rabbit before the family left Alabama.
Through this story, Barnett illustrates the connection he feels between himself and his cultural past. Although he has grown up in the North and has never experienced any of the troubles experienced by his family, he discovers an intimate connection with his race during his trip. This lesson becomes even more profound as it is seen in the actions of the young son.
According to Edgar Allen Poe, widely recognized for his involvement in the development of the short story genre, short stories are tales that can be read in a single sitting, providing the reader with all the impact of immediacy in relating its ideas (Poe, 1914). It was also Poe, as the master of the form, who illustrated the tremendous degree to which symbols might be employed in the telling of a story to heighten the intended effect of the author.
As a result of these techniques, short stories have a way of conveying sometimes very complex thoughts in very simple and understandable terms that appeal to more levels of understanding than mere intellect. Anything within the story can provide symbols or clues as to the underlying theme or message of the story. Symbols can be as obvious as a great building or as subtle as the narrative tone or contrasts made.
By carefully constructing the symbolism conveyed through these techniques, writers are able to question much of our assumed knowledge by forcing us to take a new look at an old idea. An example of this can be found in Raymond Carvers short story Cathedral . In this story, Carver questions our assumptions about vision, what it is, and what is important for us to see by using narration, imagery, and contrast to bring his character from shallow living to transcendent understanding.
The story conveys the events of a single evening in the home of a childless couple as they receive a visitor. The man in the couple is the narrator of the story and quickly reveals himself to be a blue-collar worker, rarely thinking beyond his relatively narrow comfort zone. His wife is more open to new experiences and has invited a man to the house for the evening with whom she used to work. This man is blind and has recently lost his wife.
The entire story revolves around the narrators reaction to this visit and what he does throughout the evening to try to cope with entertaining a blind man. In the end, the narrator discovers that there is more than one way of seeing and transcends his former understanding of mental, spiritual, and emotional pain. This is characteristic of the authors later characters, His characters are given a glimmer of hope, the potential to transcend their squalid lives and find something more meaningful and sacred in spirituality (OConnell, 2003). Although the narrator begins the story at a level of base superficial understanding, he ends the story with a transcendent understanding that life is enriched with new experiences and higher planes of thought.
The concept of transcendentalism is often difficult to describe. One of the common characteristics of the movement is a general attempt to create a better world by refocusing on what it truly means to live, usually by questioning the established forms of human existence such as the emerging materialism and capitalism of the 19th century. Transcendentalists attempt to redefine the world and the human experience in terms of spirituality and interconnectedness with the material natural world.
Thoreau, one of the more famous transcendentalists, acknowledges the traditional concepts of success in America as being material wealth, large homes, and religious adherence but continues to point out the unfulfilling nature of such pursuits to the inner man. I know of many systems of religion esteemed heathenish whose precepts fill the reader with shame, and provoke him to new endeavors, though it is to the performance of rites merely (Thoreau, 184).
This is vaguely what Carvers narrator has in mind as being the essential elements of a good life. Rather than following an externally ordered course of prescribed actions toward success, Thoreau indicates the only true way to successfully live life is by following ones inner vision. I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours & In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness.
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them (267). Thus, Thoreaus definition of a truly successful life is one in which the individual has dared to follow their own inner voice as it responded to the natural world around them. Though the result was a bodily weakness, yet perhaps no one can say that the consequences were to be regretted, for these were a life in conformity to higher principles.
If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs, is more elastic, more starry, more immortal that is your success (180). However, this cannot be accomplished when one is blind to the inner light. Carvers story illustrates how one man, through his encounter with a blind man, discovers this inner light to achieve a higher sense of self.
From the beginning of Carvers story, the narrator acknowledges his feelings of nervousness and uneasiness about having a blind man in his house which effectively reveals his own inner blindness. He says, And his being blind bothered me. My idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they were led by seeing-eye dogs.
In making this statement, the narrator is revealed to be a man blinded by ignorance because he cant figure out an appropriate way of entertaining him. All he can think of is taking the blind man bowling, demonstrating a profound lack of imagination and ability to empathize. The narrator also makes a very false assumption that the man is black because his wifes name had been Beulah. Throughout all of his considerations of the upcoming visit, the narrators thoughts are consistent in their lack of foundation and lack of reason.
Hes shocked that a blind man might choose to keep a full beard and cannot imagine what else to talk about that doesnt center upon the visual. In the end, all he can think of to do is to turn on the television while he sits back and quietly studies the blind man. This introduction of him reveals the narrators internal blindness, unable to understand anything deeper than the surface and rendered mute by this obviousness.
Imagery provides the reader with a picture of what is going on in the story and, in this story, provides the first indication that the blind man is not as blind as the narrator. The narrator tells us what his wife has told him about the blind man coming to visit, evoking a tender scene in which a very intimate and deeply moving connection was made between the wife and the blind man. She told me he touched his fingers to every part of her face, her noseeven her neck! She never forgot it & In the poem, she recalled his fingers and the way they had moved around over her face. In the poem, she talked about what she had felt at the time, about what went through her mind when the blind man touched her nose and lips.
As he tries to decide what to talk about with the blind man, the narrator cannot seem to get away from the visual, wanting to suggest which side of the train to sit on for the best view of the Hudson. Finally, though, it is imagery that marks the difference between the two men as one thinks only in terms of pictures and the other, upon reflection, must admit that he really has no idea of what is meant by the word cathedral. Although the mentally blind narrator is perfectly capable of physically seeing what the cathedral looks like, he is not able to describe it in any means other than the simple visual ideas of height and space.
The symbol of the cathedral reveals the authors intentions to introduce more transcendent ideas which the blind man is capable of discovering a way to communicate with an inarticulate individual and provide a bridge for this same individual to transcend the distance between them.
The blind man manages to do this by discovering a way that the narrator might show him what a cathedral might look like and then instructing the narrator regarding another means of seeing. Later in the story, there is a profound image of the blind man placing his hand over the top of the narrators hand as the narrator draws his picture of a cathedral on the side of a shopping bag. This image is very like the image of a parent guiding the hand of a child and reinforces the idea that the physically blind man is guiding the sight of the spiritually blind man.
It is through the contrast between the sighted and unsighted men that the author manages to bring out questions regarding our understanding of the concept of vision and where we place our importance. This begins to emerge as the blind man is described in contrast to the narrators previous speculations. The blind man wore brown slacks, brown shoes, a light-brown shirt, a tie, a sports coat. Spiffy. He also had this full beard.
But he didnt use a cane and he didnt wear dark glasses. Id always thought dark glasses were a must for the blind. While the narrator is obviously not that interested in learning about things, the blind man is open to new experiences and new ideas. This is evident not only in the many professions he talks about having engaged in but also as he casually tries marijuana for the first time and the way he demonstrates his interest in learning more about cathedrals simply because the opportunity presented itself.
In encouraging the narrator to draw a cathedral together as a means of showing the blind man what a cathedral is, the blind man manages to open the narrators eyes, and the readers as well, to the various ways in which the world might be seen differently. My eyes were still closed. I was at my house. I knew that. But I didnt feel like I was inside anything. Its really something, I said. Through his participation in the evening, the narrator has had a transcendent experience that profoundly affects the way he understands his world. He has discovered that the eyes are not the only techniques through which an individual might see or understand the world and begins to discover what some of these other sensory inputs might have to contribute.
Through imagery, narration, and contrast, Raymond Carver manages to demonstrate how many people are blinded by their fixation on a single sense or a single, ill-informed idea. In presenting the blind man as a normal human being capable of thought and adventure, Carver contrasts this far-seeing man with the sighted blindness of the narrator and suggests that blindness is often a matter of choice.
Only by trying something new, attempting to see things from anothers perspective, and leaving oneself open to the possibilities of new experiences can growth and true sight be obtained. Thus, through the story, Carver illustrates how the blind might actually lead the blind to a more positive conclusion.
Works Cited
Carver, Raymond. Cathedral. Name of book. Place of publication: publishers name, date of publication: page numbers where story is found.
OConnell, Evan. Raymond Carver. Mercer Street. (2003). Web.
Poe, Edgar Allen. The Philosophy of Composition. (1914). Bobs Byway. (2008). Web.
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1993.
Triumph at Kapyong:Canadas Pivotal Battle in Korea by Bjarnason, is a book that revolves around Princess Patricias second battalion comprised of about seven hundred participants who were dispatched into the line of the United Nations forces with the aim of plugging a hole.
Starting 24th of April 1951 at night, a group of Chinese troops which were battle hardened communists crossed into Kapyong with the intention of surrounding and destroying the Canadian strong points completely. The number of the troops was estimated at more than five thousand.
The Canadians did not surrender but instead kept on fighting the troops. The number of their rivals outnumbered theirs by almost seven times. The PPCLI managed to counter serious attacks that threatened causing Seoul city, the capital of South Korea to fall.
The book is a tribute that recognizes not only a war that was often neglected, but also the vital play and significant contribution that Canada made to peacekeeping and how it actively thwarted the incursions spearheaded by Chinese communists.
The book was released as the celebrations of marking 60 years of the war were in progress. Its date of release was as important as the story itself.
While the focus of the book was the Kapyong battle, a tiny collection of hills to the Northeastern part of Seoul, Bjarnason deemed it necessary to explain the circumstances that triggered Canadas involvement in the war, the establishment of the combat group that was instrumental in fighting the new war, and the courageousness of the main leaders in ensuring that the command closely worked with the wider UN personnel, but remained free of direct control from the Americans.
Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses of the Book
Strengths
Bjarnason succeeds in identifying the key people who participated in the war and represents them very well in the book. Through such key individuals, the book focuses on the crucial role Canada played in a defense mission sponsored by the UN to secure the sovereignty of South Korea.
The defense led to the loss of lives of more than five hundred Canadians. The book tells the story in such a manner that the soldering of the Canadians is notable and the reader can quote their stories.
Among the important people highlighted in the book is platoon commander Mike Levy who led the PPCLI to defeat the Chinese communists despite the many challenges they were going through. In the book, Bjarnason describes the leadership portrayed by Levy during the war as having originated from his character as opposed to the training he had received.
The strong character of Levy that led to their success is explained in the book when a lull was experienced during the battle. The author points out that Levy overheard instructions from a Chinese commander urging his troops to move and finish the American pigs.
He understood Chinese well and shouted back at the officer and informed him that they were Canadians and there were a large number of Canadian soldiers. When the communist troops were about to overwhelm the Canadians, Levy devised an SOS and DFSOS tactic that defeated the Chinese communists.
This is a strength of the book since it successfully brings out the strong character of Levy who used his bravery to drive the Chinese communists away during a time they almost overwhelmed the Canadians. Bjarnason concludes that the bravery portrayed by Levy was a legendary stuff.
He writes that the battle was eventually forgotten just like the war had been forgotten. He says that the story of Kapyong is representative of the qualities of modesty, courage, self-belief and initiative that the Canadians believed constituted the national character of the people.
The soldiers who were on the battlefront at Kapyong were Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry second battalion. The troops had proved themselves capable and had earned respect at Ortona and Vimy. As a result of what they had achieved in the past, they were given the first priority to participate in the Korean battle.
The book successfully, explains how important leadership was for PPCLI, starting with the brigadier who commanded the troops, John Rockingham. Brigadier Rockingham was a highly treasured veteran in combat activities whose desire was to have the job executed in a professional manner.
There were also other subordinates who facilitated the Kapyong defense. The book gives a detailed explanation of the crucial role played by Lieutenant-colonel Jim Stone, who commanded PPCLI second battalion. He had trained the soldiers in such a way that they were prepared to face a first fire trial in a dangerous territory against an enemy who was heavily armed and attacked mostly at night.
The book presents a clear picture of how a US patrol was brutally massacred after they were found in their sleeping equipment. During this period, Stone instructed that his men on patrol were to use only blankets for keeping themselves warm.
The idea behind the blanket was that it would only provide them with minimal warmth that would not prevent the soldiers from launching counter attacks. The US troops on patrol had been massacred because they were in the sleeping bags hence they were caught without their knowledge.
That attack carried out at Kapyong was motivated by the fifth phase of the Chinese 1951 offensive. It might have been likely that majority of historians knew little of the role Canada played in the battle, but probably they knew about the serious fighting that was witnessed at the Gloustershire Regiment, which was part of the British army to the west.
There were also tales of the defeat of the third Battalion Royal Australian Regiment after the war intensified. While these groups were losing their ground in the battle front, the Canadians remained strong and prevailed at the end.
The book manages to make a clear comparison of the defense and victory of Canadians to stands such as the Spartans and Little big Horn. While the PPCLI was not widely known like the British section during the battle, it was able to counter an onslaught from about five thousand Chinese communists hence averting a deadly attack although they lost their ten members.
The book provides an undoubtedly fast-paced and engaging comprehension. Bjarnason points out that the scope of the book is to reach a high number of readers for them to appreciate the sacrifice made by Canadian soldiers as opposed to having it read by only military historians.
Bjarnason briefly outlines the history surrounding the formation of the unit following the Second World War thus enabling the readers to acknowledge the sacrificial nature of the soldiers and the circumstances under which they fought and eventually lost their lives.
Bjarnason very effectively includes a personal perspective to the battle when he mentions the men together with their prior history, during the war and after the war ended.
Some of the personal tales mentioned in the book include the deeds of Wayne Mitchell who received the DCM medal since he offered fire support using a Bren gun at the height of the attacks. He sustained injuries two times as he attempted to rescue his colleagues by offering covering fire.
Bjarnason also points out that Mike Levy exhibited bravery during the fighting at Kapyong through provision of artillery and mortar fire. At the same time, Levy was hurling insults at the opponents because he understood Chinese.
The book also points out that Captain Mills received an award for his important role of passing information between the support units and the soldiers while Levys concentration was on fire.
Bjarnason attempts to make corrections on historical records by describing the valiant performance portrayed by Levy and how his Judaism proclamation made his actions lack the right recognition. This was a form of anti-Semitism that prevailed in the 1950s. Detailed accounts of how the soldiers acted bravely and sacrificed their lives adds strength to the authors attempt to explain the commitment of the soldiers.
The book offers a clear description of the joint effort where the Americans assisted the Canadians to get into the battle front together with the efforts shown by the gunners from New Zealand and medical personnel from India.
The author uses the concerted efforts from different parties to clearly show that the battle was the efforts of the United Nations. In addition, Bjarnason interestingly brings out how Colonel Stone clamored for acclimation, training and patrols in the regions before the soldiers were taken to the line, something that assisted the Canadians so much in surviving the most dangerous stages during the battle.
Weaknesses
Despite the strengths that can be pointed out in this book, it nevertheless has some weaknesses. One of the weaknesses of the book is that it cannot be regarded as an absolute military history. Use of maps was enough in complementing the story, but its clarity could have been improved if advanced tactical maps indicating the movements and locations of the Canadian soldiers and the Chinese communists had been used.
Through the book, the reader is provided with various histories of the battle and an outline of the historical role played by Canada in the war. Such works are responsible for giving a big picture view of the war.
Nonetheless, it is of essence to take into consideration that the book does not give a comprehensive war history, rather it highlights the first key battle that the Canadian soldiers participated in Korea, and the crucial nature of the battle that might be sidelined.
Conclusion
Regardless of the nationality of the Korean natives, the book manages to bring out the sense of being slighted experienced by Koreans because they do not have adequate information on their war. Most of them lack information on the horrific situations that prevailed on the Peninsula of Korea.
For instance, there were constant patrols and the war seemed static meaning that the conditions were terrible and the disparities in fighting material among the participants. Bjarnason explains that the Patricias used a bolt Lee-Enfield rifle which was slow to counter attacks from the Chinese fighters.
However, what brought about the difference in the end was the bearer of the weapon rather than the weapon itself. The book manages to capture the contribution made by the Canadians in the war and the sacrifices they made including losing their lives.
Enriques Journey experience brings into view the kind of problems one undergoes in the process of attaining their goals in life (Border Film Project 6). This shows that age is not a factor in achieving ones dreams and therefore determination wins it all. Life can be filled with several obstacles such as being an immigrant but the need to overcome such problems and excel defines the life and experience of Enrique who has to travel as an immigrant to meet his mother, have a relationship with Maria Isabela (Nazario 230).
After, Enriques mother Lourdes leaves for the US to look for money so that she can support her child gain education shows the hardships that mothers go through to raise their children (Border Film Project 10).
Overcoming obstacles in life is the most traumatic aspects of the story of Enriques Journey. Enriques mother chooses to do low paying jobs that are often ignored by the citizens of America to make a living that would enable her child get an education. Through these low paying jobs, they improve the countrys economy since the kind of jobs the immigrants do cannot be accepted by the Americans.
I chose this aspect because Enrique had to overcome several challenges and problems on his way to America so that he can reunite with his mother, the life in America itself is not that promising as many would have thought. Therefore the life of an immigrant remains to be seen as one full of struggles.
He had to be beaten and faced many robberies on the way. However, he is thriving to succeed in his journey to reach her mother is the motivational factor in his success to reach the US. Being determined presents some of the themes in this text and, moreover a reflection of the obstacles Enrique undergoes before reuniting with her mother.
Nazario states that, she had to work long hours to earn the money (235). The writer here refers to the time Lourdes would work that demonstrates the hard work of an immigrant and their determination.
In addition, the importance of having hope is the key factor in Enriques continued desire to reach the US. Clearly, the contribution of the immigrants such as the likes of Enrique and his mother is great for the economy of the country.
Many immigrants have to survive in all means whatever it takes for them to do so. The method of survival reflects their determination to succeed in life through doing the small jobs and in the end improve the economy of the country.
Lack of finance by Lourdes is a show that she cannot be able to take care of her children and clearly that they are living in poverty. Nazario states that Lourdes cannot afford to feed and educate her children, so she leaves for El Norte (139), this show that the immigrants can be able to do any jobs, work extra hard which is beneficial to a country in terms of economy improvement.
Enriques Journey story make people change how they look at the immigrants and need to offer a helping hand because they too are important to the country (Border Film Story). They can help to offload the burden of hard labour which most of the citizens do not want. The determination of Lourdes to make her life better shows the immigrants have a lot of problems and can risk their lives to make ends meet (Nazario 200).
The discussion question: Do the immigrants help to improve a countrys economy?
Works Cited
Border Film Project. Border Film Project. 2011. Web.
Nazario, Sonia. Enriques Journey, New York: Random House, 2007. Print.
Ancient histories about empires and kingdoms are usually surrounded in mythical theories, as the passage of information usually does not stand the test of truth and perfection. These ancient histories are taught in legendary tales of heroes and heroines and are usually confined in their heroic deeds. The history of the Britain is not spared either in this mist of myths and mythology. The legendary history of King Arthur, a hero in the mythical history of the British kingdom is analyzed hereafter (Alcock, 1971).
Arthurian legends
Arthur was a legendary king of the traditional British kingdom in the twelfth century (Morris, 1973). He originated from the tribe of Silures in the south Wales, a British state. After the kings death, his burial place was preserved traditionally, even though many people held the mythical belief that king Arthur did not actually die, but was carried off to a fairly land to get healed of his wounds. It is however doubted, denied and criticized by many that Arthur ever ruled the British kingdom, as modern critics hold to the belief that there was prince by his name and they have got enough proof and evidence (Tatlock, 1950).
Morris, (1973) claimed that Arthur was chosen the British king at the age of fifteen years. This happened after he successfully drew out a sword from a miracle stone after many heroes were unable to detach the sword from the stone, hence being the heaven chosen king of the Britons (Morris, 1973). The mythic object in this story is the miraculous stone and the sword in it. It is mythic how Arthur is able to draw the sword out but no other person could do it.
The mythical miracle stone is relevant to todays believe in superstitious objects in many events. For instance in events like sports, many people are hooked to the belief that a certain superstitious object can determine their success or the fate of their opponents. A good example is in the football sport where a magical object on the goal posts, is usually among the major allegations for a teams defeat. The mythical aspect of death as a form of transition to some other better place is also highly comprehended in lives of the religion faithfuls.
Conclusion
A truthful fact can be compounded as a myth, depending on effect of various agents of the transition. The transition of information from a generation to another is highly affected by agents in between. However, myths have a great relevance in individuals as well as the society, hence should never be taken for granted at any chance.
References
Alcock, L. (1971). Arthurs Britain. London: The Penguin Press. Web.
Morris, J. (1973). The Age of Arthur. London: Weidenfield and Nicholson. Web.
Tatlock, J. S. (1950). The Legendary History of Britain. Berkeley: University of California Press. Web.
Jordan Ifueko is an author who released her fantasy book Raybearer in 2020. This book is set in a fictitious universe where individuals have magical abilities. One of the books central chapters where the storyline is tied is the second. In the second chapter, the author shows how Tarisai learns about an unusual world, the truth they tried to hide from her. Ifueko (2020) hints that there is a mysterious secret: There are things we simply cant teach you, they said, looking hunted as they bound my bloodied hands. It is forbidden (p. 20). The reader learns the heroines character she is restless and active, does not obey her mentors and feels a special connection with her mother.
After getting to know the main character, where the readers get to know her background, in the third chapter, the author reveals the essence of the whole book. Tarisai leaves her ordinary life and finds herself in a magical place where she meets other characters of her age. Each of the characters had their own unique ability. Tarisai was blessed from birth with the gift of reading the history of others with the help of touch. The girl was terrified that she could never see her parents: Members of the council renounce their ancestry and pledge allegiance to the prince (Ifueko, 2020, p. 24). The girl learns she got to the competition where only one child will be chosen, and her mother wants it to be Tarisai.
Chapters 8 and 9 are the most important for the books psychological plot. Here, Tarisai learns that her mothers plan is to kill the emperor. She can do this only with the help of her daughter, who must earn the emperors trust and then betray him. Tarisai said, My intelligence was just another part of my Nehru curse: a ploy to make me doubt Dayos right to rule. A way to bring me closer to betraying him (Ifueko, 2020, p. 84). The girl does not want to do this; she seeks support from her father, but he also rejects her for his own interests, which is the books central drama.
In conclusion, the Raybearer book is a complex novel where the author raises many vital issues in the form of a magical world. Readers observe the evolution of the main character Tarisai, who was an ordinary girl mentally dependent on her mother, to become independent and fight for her ideals. This book is about friendship and love, as well as the place women in the world and the difficulties they have to deal with.
John Updike, the widely-read American writer was born on 18 March 1932 in Shillington, Pennsylvania. He was much popular as a writer that he imprinted his talent in different branches of literature. One can see Updikes literary life as involved with different literary works, including poems, novels, short stories, essays, and so on. The majority of his books won him recognition and acclaim that helped him in attaining many great awards, including Pulitzer Prize.
One of the books that raised his popularity in America as well as among other readers of the world was his collection of books published under the Rabbit series. The Rabbit series are; Rabbit is Rich, Rabbit at rest, Rabbit, Run, Rabbit Redux, and Rabbit Remembered. He was awarded Pulitzer Prize for his Rabbit is rest and Rabbit are rich. (John Updike: Astrology and birth chart, 2009). Most of the critics regard the Rabbit Series as the wonderful creation of Updike.
He has published about 30 novels and short stories in which one can see the American small town and Protestant middle class as his favorite subjects. (John Updike: Astrology and birth chart, 2009). He is well known for his careful craftsmanship and profile writing. One of the most influential factors of his writing was his mother. As he was very efficient in learning, Updike entered Harvard University on full scholarship. (John Updike: Astrology and birth chart, 2009). The suffering of psoriasis made him depressed in literary works.
Rabbit Run is a famous novel included in his Rabbit series, which was, published in 1960. The other Rabbit Series novels followed in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. John Updike got Pulitzer Prize for these works. The Times magazine selected this book as one of the best among 100 books during the years 1923 to 2005. Rabbit, Run touches on some delicate issues, like prostitution, male and female orgasms, alcoholism, adultery, blow jobs, homosexuality (though only briefly and ambiguously), birth control, abortion, and even accidental infanticide (We realize the phrase is a contradiction in terms, but we promise itll make sense when you get into the novel). (Updike, 2009).
A deep reading of the novel reveals to one the real nature of its main character, Harry Rabbit Angstrom. It is possible for one to regard the novel as the study of Rabbits mind. He adopts many tricks in order to bring his girlfriend to his side. Regarding the opinion of many critics, the main character Rabbit, Run has a bit of Jesus Complex, a couple of atheists, and even Freudian. An analysis of the novel reveals the reader of its varying degrees of wilderness, varying degrees of civilization, and also the problems of being a child and being a grown-up. (John, 2009). Another theme that deals in the novel are a comparative study of living in society and living in the wild.
All these things are related to his name Harry, the name of a human, and the other name Rabbit is the name of a wild animal. Harry had a dream and in which he visits Mrs. Smiths garden. He finds that the garden is an empty field of gravel and the voice he hears in the garden reminds him of life and death. When waking up from the dream, Harry was unable to interpret the real meaning of his dream and he got confused. The whole novel represents the sufferings, trials, and tribulations of the life journey. The online article entitled Rabbit Run by John Updike gives a clear idea about the complex journey of the hero and it analyzes the relation between the hero and his colleague.
It remarks, This comes up when Eccles gives a sermon about Jesus after spending forty days in the wilderness with the Devil. Rabbit claims hes not paying attention, but what does he do after he embarrasses himself so badly at his daughters funeral? He runs into the woods and gets lost. But he comes out again. Just like Jesus. (Updike, 2009). At the end of the novel, the protagonist shows the signals of coming back to his own world. He neglects the possibility of a compromise. Through his actions, he justifies himself.
Along with the Rabbit Series novels, On the Farm also won the appreciation of the readers. Most of the critics regard it as one of the technically perfect novels of Updike.
When referring to Updikes novel, Of the Farm, Thomas Samuels points out, the most subtle: Though smaller in scope than his masterpiece, Rabbit, Run, it is artistically more polished, without the taint of obviousness. (Greiner, 1984).
The words of Samuels are capable of evaluating the talent of Updike as a novelist.
The reflection of sexuality in John Updikes works
John Updike rejects the conventional notion and prediction of sex. He presents the divine mystery of sexuality in his novel and writings. As a writer, he believes in the creative nature of sex and it can give the insinuations of the divine. However, in his novels, John Updike portrays sex as destructive and nonreductive. Updike wrote something about sex as a strong exponent of the sexual revolution in the 1960s. Updikes novels such as Marry Me, The Witches of Eastwick are represent the sufferings of American children due to sexual revolution. As a keen observer of the society, John Updike never tried to justify or glorify these kinds of common practices.
Through his writings, he reveals his self-disgust on sexual discard, the guilt feeling, and his searching of emptiness. Adultery is another significant sexual theme in Updikes novels. One of the most interesting and thought-provoking things is that Updikes characters try to create godly existences. The online article named John Updikes Theological World gives considerable information about Updikes views on sex. It says, Rather than finding God through sexual experience, Updikes characters try to produce God. The God who is love becomes sex itself. (Johnston, n.d.).
John Updike expresses a different approach towards the concept sex and that is unusual from traditional concept.
This exceptional thought helps him to receive the attention of critics. If conduct a deep analysis of the Works of John Updike one can understand the touch of metaphysical thought in hi s works.
Reflection of American culture in John Updikes novels
John Updike portrayed America with a firm nostalgia, consideration and a celebration of nations diversity in culture and nationality. John Updike was born and lifted in Pennsylvania then the he has reached to Shillington and to Plowville. The experience of his native land became a guidance for his future writings. Updikes novels represent the cultural aspects of suburban life.
His masterpiece Rabbit demonstrates to the serious social and political crisis of the second part of the 20the century in America. After analyzing his works one can finds the thought of liberalism, conservatism, racism and feminism. He has developed a philosophy against war. The online journal article entitled Tribute to John Updike rightly comments the social and cultural elements of American life in John Updikes works. It remarks: The series itself chronicles four decades in the life of his most famous character, Harry Rabbit Angstrom, whose trials, triumphs, and failures are often indicative of the struggle and complicated nature of life experience. (Tribute to John Updike, 2009)
As a helpless observer The author watches and writes the trials and tribulations of human life in his works. The touch h of realism is another ideological feature in Updikes works that is very clear in Rabbit series. Through a confessional ton John Updike tries to create a nuclear image of difference between wrong and right, good and bad. John Updikes works, especially concentrates the life of Middle class people. He reveals the decay of moral and social values, loss of religious beliefs, marginalization of capitalism and revolt against pragmatism. Updikes essays are noted for its quasi-philosophical simplicity and they focusses a kind of sympathetic attitudes towards the world around him.
Even his thoughts are sarcastic, hypocratic, and paradoxical the reader can uderst6and the fact that the problems of his characters become their problems. The cultural deterioration of American society in 1960s and 70s has played a vital role in Updikes literary works. His poems also discusses the theme of the sufferings of earthly life. The futility of human life expressed in the poem titled Pain. The poet writes;
Life is worse than folly. We live
within a cage wherefrom escape
annihilates the captive; this, too,
pain leads us to consider anew. (Jeremy, 2009).
As a poet, Updike considered life as a cage and he compared modern man as a destructive creatures. The poet himself as a victim of these sufferings and the poet tries to receive the reality that pain leads the modern man. The fearful memories of the Vietnam war haunted him as a ghost.
Philosophical thought in Updikes novels
As a major figure in the world of American literature John Updike has published number of literary works. John Updikes novels are the real representations of his own lives experiences. In his essays and poems one can see a strong influence of his religious consciousness. John Updike believes that a writer has some serious responsibility to his society and the result of this ideology he had developed a thought against war.
After the shadow of 9/11 John Updike has published his latest novel named Terrorist and the novel portrays the story of an 18 years old boy named Ahmad. The novel Deceased many social problems including social alienation and the problem of security. Through the eyes of the protagonist Updike observes American society. Famous critic Guy Savage comments Ahmad and his acquaintances sees Americans as machines for consuming pushed by their materialistic culture to constantly consume more than they can afford. (Savage, 2009).
Here one can see there is a gradual change in Updikes thought in his literary works.
To conclude, John Updike marked his name in the history of American literature with his magnificent creative ability. As a novelist, essayist, critic, and poet Updike provides his ideology about the modern man through his works. Religion, sexual revolution, death, evils of materialism and terrorism are major themes of Updikes works. Updike critically criticized the social and moral decay of Americans in 1960s and he revels the sufferings of the young generation in America in the time of sex revolution in his novel Rabbit.
Political and cultural aspects have a considerable influence in Updikes literary works. Decay of human values, excessive love of consumerism and sexual anarchism of contemporary Americans are the striking theme in most of his novels. His latest novel Terrorist gives a new way of thought to the readers.
Reference
Greiner, D J. (1984). John Updikes novels. Athens: Ohio University Press. Web.
Jeremy. (2009). Updike poem. Hermits Rock. Web.
John Updike: Astrology and birth chart. (2009). Astrotheme: A New Approach to Astrology. Web.