Literature is a piece of art which has many purposes in human life. Serving for entertainment or information delivery, literature is a good source of religious and philosophical ideas which reflect specific culture. Being a world treasure which gathers many ideas, world literature shares specific knowledge of the author with others.
Speaking about world literature, it is essential to state that many books transfer cultural, religious and philosophical ideas followed by the author of the book. Thus, Inferno and The Thousand and One Nights are two examples which show that literature may be religiously and philosophically directed. Examining these pieces of literature, it becomes obvious that each of these woks has specific religious and philosophical purposes and they have successfully served these purposes for many years.
Inferno as a part of Dantes The Divine Comedy is a reflection of personal authors ideas about religion. The author is sure that people are divided into those who are in the hell and those who are in the paradise. Depending on the severity of sins, the author shows his nine circles of hell which divide people, their sins and the sufferings they are to be committed to for their sins.
Coming out of the first circle located closely to the surface of the earth and finishing with the final ninth circle in the middle of the Earth, the author presents his personal vision of suffering which is his consideration about the nature of sin, religion, etc. Even though the author provides the Christian vision of sins, some of the ideas discussed by the author may be inappropriate for human beings to agree with.
Placing such people as Aristotle, Euripides, and Homer to the first circle of hell, Dante explains it by their birth in inappropriate time, before Christ was born. Despite personal vision of religion and Christianity, Dantes work is a great representation of religious ideas into the world. Reading this piece of medieval literature, the Christian ideas interpreted by the author are considered. The reflection of the authors ideas on the world perception of Christianity cannot be overestimated.
The Thousand and One Nights is also a piece of work which managed to affect the vision of people about cultural life of a specific country. Everyone read this collection of West and South Asian stories. This book has created the vision of people about medieval Asia. Cultural peculiarities, the way of behavior, specifics of thinking and other particular aspects are discussed in the book.
The collection of fairy tales which have become popular all over the world has created a vision of many people about Arab world, about people there, the ideas and beliefs. The cultural representation in this source is extremely important for the whole world. Having particular culture and specific philosophic approaches, Arab people managed to share their vision with others and this is one of the greatest abilities of the world literature.
Therefore, it may be concluded that such pieces of literature as Inferno and The Thousand and One Nights are aimed at creating specific vision of those people who do not have an opportunity to feel culture of the mentioned countries and communities. Being aimed at delivering the information about the cultural peculiarities of the specific nations, literature successfully copes with the task and the sources mentioned above are a direct proof of this fact.
One of the reasons why many critics refer to Sherman Alexies novel Reservation Blues as such that constitutes a particularly high literary value is that in it, Alexie was able to provide readers with the discursive insight as to what accounts for the very formation of the sense of self-identity, on the part of Native Americans that reside in reservations.
In its turn, this explains why Alexies novel features a number of characters whose positioning in life appears being reflective of different specifics of their exposure to the experiences of a racial discrimination.
In my paper, I will aim to substantiate the validity of this suggestion, in regards to the character of Victor Joseph, as a person whose sense of identity is being equally affected by his visually and psychologically defined nativeness, on the one hand, and his simultaneous desire to integrate into the White society, on the other.
The close reading of Reservation Blues suggests that it is namely Victors tendency to succumb to irrational anger, which defines the essence of his life-posture.
Such Victors tendency can be well illustrated in regards to the fact that, throughout the novel, he never skips an opportunity to refer to other Natives in a particularly sarcastic and even derogatory manner.
For example, Victor used to derive an emotional pleasure out of deliberately altering Thomas Builds-the-Fires last name, Ya-hey, Builds-the-Shithouse, Victor said. Ya-hey, Thomas said (Alexei 17).
Apparently, Victors experiences of being brought up by Catholic priests naturally caused him to despise the stereotypic emanations of nativeness, as such that in his mind were closely associated with the notion of inferiority.
At the same time, however, Victor could never embrace the existential identity of Whites, which is exactly the reason why, along with mocking stereotypical nativeness, Victor used to expose the utter irrelevance of the White peoples cognitive inclinations, which serve as a foundation upon which Christianity rests.
Apparently, Victor never ceased being aware of the fact that the Native peoples tendency to reflect upon the surrounding reality through the lenses of an idealistic euro-centrism does not make any sense, whatsoever.
Hence, the clearly defined sarcastic sounding of Victors referrals to those Natives, who in his mind appear being thoroughly comfortable with embracing perceptional whiteness, Shit, Victor said. She (Big Mom) thinks shes a medicine woman.
She thinks shes Yoda and Junior is Luke Skywalker. Use the force, Junior, use the force (Alexei 282). Therefore, it does not come as a particular surprise that, throughout the course of Alexei novels entirety, Victor continued to exhibit a number of anti-social behavioral traits.
After all, as psychologists are being well aware of, people with the split sense of self-identity, experience a particularly hard time while trying to attain an emotional comfortableness with what they are.
In its turn, this often leads them to act in a particularly rebellious manner, especially when they happened to be under influence.
The earlier suggestion helps us to understand the actual essence of Victors addiction to alcohol, which often prompted him to indulge in violence.
There is, however, more to that far from being induced by the alcohol alone, Victors violent-mindedness appears being of an essentially defensive nature, because while living in the reservation, he learned rather quickly to recognize the erroneousness of White peoples politically correct rhetoric, directed at Natives.
Apparently, Victors experiences of socializing with Whites, confirmed the appropriateness of his suspicion that despite their ability to indulge in this kind of rhetoric, most of these people remain just as vicious as their distant ancestors, who robbed Natives of their land.
Therefore, Victors taste for violence can be well discussed as the byproduct of his awareness that, in order for Native people to be able to defend their interests, their act must match that of their oppressors. That is, they should be willing to use naked force when deemed appropriate.
Even though Victor remained fully aware of the historical injustices, perpetrated by Whites against American Natives, his endowment with the ambivalent racial identity was naturally causing him to strive towards attaining social prominence in a similar manner with Whites.
That is, just as it is being the case with the majority of White people, Victor shared the belief that ones ability to make a lot of money is being synonymous with his or her ability to enjoy happiness in life.
Hence, Victors obsession with trying to become rich, Victor wanted money so bad that he always spent it too quick, as if the few dollars in his wallet somehow prevented him from getting more. Money.
Thats all Victor talked about (Alexei 26). Apparently, despite the fact that Victor fully understood the counter-productive nature of the particulars of his upbringing in Catholic summer camps, he nevertheless could not overcome this upbringings negative effects on the very functioning of his psyche.
Thus, it will be fully appropriate, on our part; to refer to the character of Victor Joseph in Reservation Blues as such that exemplifies the innermost essence of life-challenges, experienced by Natives that live in reservations.
Just as it being the case with Victor, the majority of these people do experiences a number of life-impending anxieties, which in turn come because of Natives endowment with the deep-seated suspicion that even today many Whites refer to them in terms of the American societys burden.
The fact that, as of today, Natives are being provided with many special rights and privileges does not reduce the acuteness of their suspicion, in this respect.
What adds to the continuous existence of such state of affairs is that the governments attempts to integrate Native Americans into American society, as its integral part, remain essentially euro-centric.
That is, these attempts ignore the fact that there are no objective reasons to believe that the rationale-based and greed-driven American dream appeals to Natives as much as it appeals to White Americans.
Moreover, these attempts also ignore the qualitative aspects of how todays Native Americans go about forming their sense of self-identity, which now has effectively ceased being solely concerned with the stereotypical manifestations of nativeness. This is exactly what Alexeis novel about, in general, and the existential stance of Victor Joseph, in particular.
I believe that this conclusion is being thoroughly consistent with the papers initial thesis. Apparently, there are indeed a number of good reasons to consider Native Americas (especially the representatives of younger generations) that live in reservations, as such that could longer be satisfied with retaining their formally independent but de facto strongly dependent social status of noble savages.
In its turn, this implies that the governments attitude towards Native Americans should undergo a drastic transformation.
Instead of merely exempting Natives from being required to pay taxes, in exchange for their willingness to remain quiet, while turning a blind eye on what contributes to the many Natives inability to lead socially-productive lifestyles, the governmental officials should adopt an active stance, while addressing these peoples existential needs.
Bibliography
Sherman, Alexie. Reservation Blues, New York: Vintage, 1996. Print.
The Tragedy of Macbeth shows what people call fate or destiny is usually a self-fulfilling prophecy whose nature of related actions, counter-actions, and characters of people involved are often defined by an initiating move that started all the events. One of the central plot points of this legendary work by William Shakespeare is the cowardly murder of King Duncan by Macbeth and his wife with a dagger while the ruler slept. When Macduff and Lennox discover the kings body, Macbeth and his wife begin to act surprised, ostentatiously mourn, and express their regret, which is fake. Interestingly, the antagonist says that All is but toys: renown and grace is dead / The wine of life is drawn& (Shakespeare, 2021, p. 69.). A treacherous and brutal murder out of a lust for power was the initiating event that triggered the prophecy and robbed Macbeth of the previously present virtues. Shakespeare indicates a turning point in the plot with this litotic technique. Dead renown and grace is an allegory about the dead King Duncan, whose life supported the remnants of morality in Macbeth. The line about wine is a reference to Christianity, where this drink is sacred. Christianity is the core of ethics and morals of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and the absence of wine of life hints at the beginning of evil and ungodly times. During the plays ending, the audience sees that these times have come, especially for Macbeth himself. The antagonist now has only two options, which are death by Macduffs blade or suicide. He says, Why should I play the Roman fool and die / On mine own sword? (Shakespeare, 2021, pp. 185-186). Today, some see it as a reference to Marcus Junius Brutus. However, it is also an indication by the author that Macbeth is among the lowest sinners. Here, Shakespeare uses Dantes magnum opus, The Divine Comedy, to describe the central characters final psychological and moral state. As one can see, malicious regicide leads to another regicide of an immoral tyrant.
Reference
Shakespeare, W. (2021). The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare. (B. A. Mowat & P. Werstine, Eds.). Folger Shakespeare Library.
Chekovs The Lady with Dog is perhaps one of the most captivating and intriguing pieces of writing that could easily inspire the mind of any reader. The author begins with a range of signals that demonstrate the unyielding transformation of his characters in the short story (Chekhov 34). The authors choice of event is keen; they are able to reveal the inherent ability of things to change. The author uses his characters to exhibit the inconceivable change that makes his main characters rediscover themselves beyond the scope of ordinary.
The story begins by focusing on Gurov, the main protagonist who likes the opposite gender a lot. Although he is old already, he discovers a new feeling and affection to the woman he has for a long time despised and looked down upon (Chekhov 56). His acceptance of the fact that he is aging leads him to change his perception in regards to the woman in order to find the true and only love. His quest to rediscover himself within the social context leads him to discover another side of the woman (Chekhov 76).
Gurov managed to unravel the mysterious woman who was always walking with her dog. In his short story, Checkhov writes that no one has ever known this woman. However, change obscures this lost identity.
The feeling of falling in love can have a profound effect on how peoples perceptions can change over time. Annas shift from the usual the lady with dog to the woman that Gurov falls in love with serves to show how Chekhov selectively chooses to bring forth the idealistic change that fills the short story (Chekhov 56). Transformation continues throughout the story as characters become aware of the undiscovered truth about themselves and their close acquaintances.
In the story, transformation has been given enormous space to demonstrate how the main theme and topic changes. While it is critical to note that the key characters have succeeded in remaining secluded, the author signifies that the change is inevitable as people come to discover themselves.
Works Cited
Camus, Albert. The Guest. New York: Creative Company, 1992. Print.
Chekhov, Anton. The Lady With the Dog and Other Stories. New York: John Willey & Sons, 2006. Print.
Naturalism is the theory or practice in art and literature of realistic representation of nature; it excludes the supernatural or spiritual. This concept is sometimes known as realism . In history, naturalism was among the wave of isms that emerged in the art world during the late nineteenth century (Science Encyclopedia). As an artistic movement, the concept originated from France; where the author Emile Zola (1840 -1920) advocated for the representation of the natural world in an aesthetic form. Since then, many novelists, dramatists, critics, and writers have applied naturalism in their work. In light of this, the following paragraphs explain the historical developments that led to naturalism through the various authors who incorporated the genre in their work.
Based on Charles Darwins theory, survival of the fittest , man is implicated as a natural object controlled by the environment. This theory in history made France demand a new drama, hence the advent of naturalism. France had been dominated in the Franco-Prussian war of 1871, which halted Napoleon 3s rule and enabled France to become a Republic. As a result of this, many people shifted their views on the way workers were treated.
It appeared that the normal citizen had few civil liberties and by 1900, countries in Europe developed their constitution which advocated for the interest of the working class. Naturalism was also drawn to acceptance by Marxism and evolutionary theory because Science and technology were seen as the major advancements for solving modern issues.
Naturalism as a concept of the scientific method became an aesthetic movement in France during the 1870s (Howard 20). According to American Theater Guide, France authors, Jules and Edmond started the naturalism movement through their writing, Germine Lacertuer (1865); later on, Emile Zola led the movement. Zola maintained a scientific status in his work, depicting sociological impartiality that offered a detailed explanation of modern society; one such work is the railways in Bete Humaine (1890). His work was converted into many languages as it enlightened the present sensibility and a stern vital edge. Consequently, naturalists in Eastern Europe, South America, and Asia have long discussed this aesthetic movement.
In America, the version of naturalism is more stable, since many of the naturalists were influenced by the works of Zola; some of these authors included Norris and London (Science Encyclopedia). The American artists viewed naturalism as an extension of the realism tradition, which aimed at a more realistic presentation of nature without ethical justification. Furthermore, naturalist fiction frequently concentrated on cultural inhabitants of the developing American cities, many of them immigrants and mainly coming from lower to middle-level class.
Although the naturalists were not the first to settle on the industrialized cities of America, they believed that the realist standards amended in the 1970s and 1980s were insufficient for the representation of the genre. For instance, Norris and Crane, who were both from middle-class families, registered the cultural mix of the city, despite the offensive stereotypes. In essence, the key writers in American literary naturalism were: Firstly, Stephen Crane through his book: Maggie, A Girl Of The Streets (1983). Secondly, Frank Norris through his novel: Mc Teague (1899). And thirdly, Theodore Dreiser through his work: An American Tragedy. All these literary works depicted the genre of naturalism.
Throughout the nineteenth century, many American writers illustrated the concept of naturalism in their work. For instance, the main characters in Freemans A New England Nun and Gilmans The Yellow Paper are confronted with the three facets of naturalism: man against man, man against nature, and man against self. The two authors apply naturalism in their literary work to create the conflict between the characters and other forces. Their work depicts the human instincts that are a result of struggles faced by people.
Freemans protagonist, Louisa, is faced with the struggle to lose her independence to Joe and his mother, the struggle to look at her dog, and other things that make her happy. Louisa loves her independence and she does not appear to leave it even after fourteen years of being separated from her husband, Joe; she no longer wants to be married again. Freeman outlines that Louisa is worried because of the prospect of abandoning her own house to marry Joe.
She loved her old home and wouldnt accept any human forces to compromise the instinct (67). Furthermore, marrying Joe would mean that she must abandon her maiden practices like sewing a seam and enter into another uncomfortable life (Freeman 69). Louisa is determined to lead her own life which brings her independence and liberty that she had come to love. Therefore, Freemans writings show the battle that exists between men and their nature of life, hence naturalism.
On the other hand, Gilman has been able to use naturalism to create conflict for her protagonist. In The Yellow Wallpaper , Gilman uses the first person to show the various struggles that women face in their life. The protagonist is overcome with the yellow wallpaper in her house, but she is also confronted by the discrimination that exists in society because of being a woman. The woman presents herself as inferior to men, especially her husband, John. Since her husband is a physician, he advises her to take a rest and terminate her writing involvements. Contrary to that, the woman feels better when she writes and thus disagrees with the ideas (Gilman 10).
This book is a true description of Gilmans struggle with despair as it depicts the lack of self-confidence and mood of inferiority to the main character. The woman thinks that her own opinion is not important and thus laments that she doesnt care because of the strange things in the house (Gilman 11). Consequently, the woman struggles with her instincts throughout the story and she seems to be represented only by the wallpaper. In light of this, Freemans and Gilmans characters face the same themes all through the stories, thus enlightening naturalism.
In conclusion, many authors throughout the 19th century have been able to apply naturalism in their work through the influence of early artists like Zola, London, Freeman, and Gilman among others. Since it was an extension of realism, naturalists try to represent the natural desires and instincts of humans through their protagonists.
Works Cited
American Theater Guide. Naturalism. 2009. Web.
Freeman, Wilkins M. E. A New England Nun.New York: Dover Publications, 1996.
Gilman, Perkins C. The Yellow Wallpaper. 2nd ed. Revised. New York: Feminist Press, 1996.
Howard, June. Form and History in American Literary Naturalism. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1985.
Science Encyclopedia. Naturalism Naturalism in the United States. 2009. Web.
The scholarly identity of bell hooks is prominent due to her contribution to feminism and the significant impact of her ideas and theories on society. Her concept of intersectionality has become crucial in the contemporary context. In this regard, bell hooks raised the problems of race, gender, and class, including minorities in the discourse and emphasizing the importance of love as a uniting factor (Valdivia 429). As a writer, feminist, and social activist, she challenged her audience to question and criticize the established norms, roles, and concepts. This paper aims to discuss the scholarly identity of Bell Hooks and identify her major theoretical influences, explore her writing and research styles, as well as examine her publications and contributions to society.
Major Theoretical Influences
The theoretical influences of bell hooks are significant, and her feminist theory is among the most foundational contributions to contemporary research and literature. In her works, she examined the sexism problem and racial oppression (Hooks, Talking Back 50). The writer developed an integrated approach to discussing the fight for equality. The ideas of Bell Hooks formed the basis of intersectional feminism, which views the issue of inequality through the prism of the interconnection among race, sex, and other factors (Hooks, Writing Beyond Race 14). This novel approach to feminism distinguished Hooks contribution to this movement.
Another influential theory by bell hooks involves the concept of love. In this regard, the writer approached this phenomenon from the perspective of spirituality (del Guadalupe Davidson and George Yancy 12). For Hooks, love was a fundamental element of society, essential to ensure its functionality as opposed to hierarchy and structure (Hooks, Writing Beyond Race 5). In other words, the writer emphasized the importance of love for promoting a culture of support, trust, and respect, which are generally neglected in a traditional society dominated by certain institutions and power structures.
Furthermore, another critical theory developed by this social activist is related to education. In her Teaching to Transgress, Hooks supported the ideas of diversity, freedom, and self-actualization (316). The writer acknowledged the difficulty of creating an inclusive and safe learning environment for students based on her negative experience as a Black woman (Hooks, Teaching to Transgress 316). At the same time, hooks theory denied a traditional academic approach to education. In this regard, she aimed to establish a free and passion-centered educational practice to promote excitement and enthusiasm in students. Hooks believed theory was relevant when it could be integrated into life experience ( Essentialism and Experience 172). Moreover, her theory emphasized the importance of class discussions and a communicative approach that aimed to support self-realization and active participation of students.
Writing and Research Style
In her books, Bell Hooks strategically targeted different social groups with a passionate desire to reach everyone in an efficient way. Therefore, she addressed her writing to men, women, educators, and other audiences. Overall, bell hooks utilized an informal approach to writing, which, for instance, can be seen in her preferred way of spelling her pseudonym. According to del Guadalupe Davidson and George Yancy, the writer justified her choice of a writing and research style by political decisions motivated by the desire to be inclusive, to reach as many readers as possible in as many different locations (6). Another trademark of the activist was her use of a straightforward and provocative manner of writing. For instance, Bell Hooks used such phrases as white supremacy or heteropatriarchy to criticize the system and question the ethical aspects of society (Valdivia 429). Overall, Bell Hooks writing and research style did not involve the use of footnotes, as motivated by her decision to make knowledge more accessible to different groups of people, regardless of their educational background and learning capabilities.
Publications and Contribution to Society
As can be seen, bell hooks aimed to connect with her audience through her writing. The publications of the activist comprised a wide range of subjects, including the intersectionality of race, capitalism, and gender, as well as the creation and maintenance of systems of oppression and class domination (Hooks, Essentialism and Experience 175). Overall, Bell Hooks published numerous scientific articles and books, appeared in documentaries, and participated in public lectures (del Guadalupe Davidson and George Yancy 23). She addressed the problems of race, class, gender, education, art, history, sexuality, media, and feminism, contributing to the development of society and promoting a supportive and loving approach as a foundation for growth. In this regard, the writer believed that teaching should be aimed at overcoming racial, gender, and class boundaries in order to achieve and maintain freedom.
Conclusion
To conclude, the scholarly identity of bell hooks is worth studying and analyzing due to the unique contributions of this social activist to the world. She supported the concepts of inclusivity and freedom and promoted the idea that the womens liberation movement was primarily structured around the issues of white women with class privileges. As a result, bell hooks developed several prominent theories to emphasize the importance of equality, love, education, and freedom.
Works Cited
del Guadalupe Davidson, Maria, and George Yancy, editors. Critical Perspectives on Bell Hooks. Routledge, 2009.
Hooks, Bell. Essentialism and Experience. American Literary History, vol. 3, no. 1, 1991, pp. 172-183.
Hooks, Bell. Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. Journal of Leisure Research, vol. 28, no. 4, 1996, p. 316.
Hooks, Bell. Writing Beyond Race: Living Theory and Practice. Routledge, 2009.
In the story A Mercy by Toni Morrison, a life of people deprived of their roots is described. The novel depicts Lina, a Native American, Florens, a slave, the farm owner Vaark and his wife Rebekkah who embody the premise of the new American identity. All the characters strive to adjust to a new setting filled with disease and danger.
As a result, the author introduces the early period of the development of American society, the times when there was no civilization. Presenting a primitive world, Morrison separates racism from slavery and develops a journey of the heroes toward self-determinism. Nature and animal imagery are powerful stylistic and allegorical tools that allow the author to identify heroes with their searching for cultural origins.
Lina, one of the heroines in the novel, identifies herself with nature to overcome her status of being an orphan. Like other characters in the narrative, she strives to obtain the sense of belonging. The natural environment surrounding her is a challenge for her, as well as an opportunity to fulfill herself as a personality.
Together with Florens, Lina starts a spiritual journey to self-identity that can release and enhance her belonging to nature. In addition, the author presents Florens as the heroine telling in a first-person to emphasize her spiritual connection to nature. The first-person narrative, therefore, can be connected with her natural incarnation stemming from the angle of omniscience.
In the story, the author introduces Florens on behave of nature, a primitive period of Americas development, as well as the first steps of the formation of Americas individuality.
Using nature as an important background for the upcoming events in the early period of the New World, the author touches on the issues of racism and its separation from slavery. In this respect, Morrison emphasizes the importance of the natural world in shaping the labor relationship between people.
In this respect, land is depicted to highlight the connection of heroes to different cultural and ethnic realms. The natural environment links heroes to their existence, just like Florens and Sorrows, who are seen as representatives of African ethnicity, Jacob Vaark, the descendant of the European newcomers, and Lina, a Native American who survived from smallpox plague. All these characters are willing to conquer the New World in the hope to recreate the domicile in the New Paradise.
The allegorical representation of various ethnicities and their identification with natural world is also perceived as a new step toward the development of a new society. Although Morrison focuses on the issues of racism, she does not approach it as an officially recognized term that is not coupled with slavery. Rather, she resorts to the genuine origins of humankind to specify that all people are equal in front of nature.
In conclusion, the novel A Mercy is a multifaceted presentation of the heroes searching for identity and self-determination. Deprived of their roots, the main characters are linked to land and natural environment that allows them to strengthen their connection to the cultural and ethnical heritage.
Although both Lina and Florens are vulnerable to surrounding social and natural settings, they are ready to set out their spiritual journey and change their lives for the better. In this respect, the author insists that applying to natural imagery explains the heroes intensions in the most relevant way.
Death is one of the topics that people avoid addressing due to the pain it causes. In most cases, death is associated with bad memories like the loss of a loved one, the gap that individuals leave in peoples lives, and sadness linked to the reality of the situation. Deaths occurrence results in aspects like anger, sadness, guilt, disbelief, and despair. While some individuals concentrate on the negative aspects of death, others acquire significant lessons from the persons who die. People who focus on the impacts of death realize that people tend to realize the worth of life in the end. Such lessons can help other people shape their lives so that they will not end up in situations that individuals who do not know the value of life experience on their deathbed. In the poem Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night, Dylan Thomas provides important lessons on the value of life experienced when death comes, which can be used to shape peoples daily lives.
The fact that death is inevitable plays a critical role in peoples daily lives. This aspect enables individuals to take death easily, as sooner or later, everyone will die. In the poem, Dylan Thomas acknowledges that death is inevitable and everyone should think of death as something that lives among people and can be experienced at any moment. Even though Thomas assures people that death is not something that they can avoid, he tells his audience that they should not simply give in or give up on it. This aspect is evident throughout the poem, as addressed in the title, Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, where the poet urges the readers to fight death when it comes. In addition, the speaker urges the people to be fierce and brave against death as life is precious and worth fighting for.
The occurrence of death shows us that no matter how wise individuals may be, they do not have the knowledge to defeat death. Death is perceived to be an aspect most people do not understand how it occurs, making it challenging to develop mechanisms that can be used to evade it. The speaker argues, Though wise men at their end know dark is right because their words had forked no lightning they (Thomas 4-5). In this quote, the speaker states that even those perceived as smart always acknowledge that death cannot be evaded. He adds that at their deathbed, they realize they have not yet said anything amazing or powerful that would revolutionize the world or shock it like a lightning bolt. Due to this reason, the wise do not go easy on it and refuse to accept death peacefully.
A critical examination of death shows that time is limited, and people should maximize their time since they do not know when or how death will come. In this case, death shows people how to value time since they may not have enough time to accomplish all their dreams. This aspect is evident in the poem when the speaker states, Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright /Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay (Thomas 4-5). The statement shows how good people mourn when they see their last moments pass like a final wave, knowing they could not accomplish much in their lives. The speaker adds that even the small actions people make in life should be considered accomplishments as they may have significant impacts on the world. Due to this reason, even the good people feel that the time they had was not enough. That is why they resist death when they feel that their time of death has come.
Death enables people to learn to make good use of their lives to avoid any regrets that may arise in the event of death. According to the poem, the speaker hints at how the knowledge of death is unpredictable and uncertain and has made many people spend it in wild and reckless fashions, which have grave impacts on them during their time of death. The speaker states, Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, and learn, too late, they grieved it on its way (Thomas 10-11). This aspect means that such individuals end up regretting when they realize that they should have used their time to do good for society since they had not been able to accomplish anything good throughout their lives on earth. In such cases, individuals can realize that it is better to live a simple and accomplished life to avoid regrets during their death.
Due to deaths diverse impacts on individuals, its occurrence makes people realize that family is important and that people should spend more time with their loved ones before death takes them away. The speaker in Thomas poem addresses the death of their father, showing how painful it is to lose a member of the family. The final stanza in the poem shows how the speaker encourages his father not to give up as they realize how challenging to deal with the death of a loved one. Such a condition is experienced when the speaker states, and you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray (Thomas 16-17). This quote provides a more specific and personal perspective of experiencing the death of a loved one. The speaker explains their experience during his fathers death, where he hopes that his father will gift or burden him with passionate emotions before he dies. Through the quote, the speaker wants the readers to relate to death.
In conclusion, the poem Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night provides various death expenses that shape peoples lives. According to the poem, the speaker outlines the various experiences that the wise, good, and the wild have with death. The poem explains how individuals perceive life during their death time, which provides significant information on the importance of time. While the wise feel they do not have enough time to use their knowledge to create a revolution or change the world, the good people desire to have more time to do more for the people around them. On the contrary, those who spend their lives in reckless behaviors regret their actions and wish they would be given another chance to make good use of their lives. Such experiences with death show how life is valuable and that people should use the time they have as it is limited. In addition, the poem teaches people that death is inevitable and people should prepare themselves for it, but they should be brave and fight fiercely during their encounter with death.
In todays world aggression is overwhelmingly present in the life of every one of us. Many times we do not feel its presence due to its form. Likewise in todays media world, aggression is very much present. In fact, many authors go on so far to say that it has became an integral part of the human life since the beginning of the twentieth century (Akert et al., 4).
If we are to define aggression in psychology, as well as other social and behavioral sciences, we will refer to a certain behavior between members of the same species that is intended to cause pain or harm (Akert et al., 6).
This definition is taken from one of the best books in the field of social psychology, and yet it fails to explain two key terms; what does it mean by harm and pain ? When we hear that someone behaved aggressively, there is one picture in our head: person had just either beaten up someone or vulgarly offended. But forms of agression varies and some of them are more subtle. Many times we think that we cause harm and pain only when we attack physically people or when they became the object of our offensive verbal expressions. The essay that we are going to analyse here, Perfect Aggression , has as primary intention to show that aggression is more than that. in the lines and pages to come we will try to critically evaluate its objective and the target audience it wants to address. The power of the media has well been noted and spoken about. The printing press was one of the major innovations of the ninetieth century.
In the pages to come we will analyse the topic & genre that the essay addresses, the target market, and previous publications, a sort of literary review.
Topic and genre
The topic is one of extremely importance. Aggression is an act that opens the door to a multitude of other problems on the personal or societal level. It is the trampoline that makes a person jump to other actions, most of them being classified as criminal actions. But aggression is also considered to be an action that influences other people. There have been many studies regarding the effects that the wide demonstration and reporting of violence and aggression in the media has had on the public audience that follows those media. As a genre, aggression within the media is categorized as violence, being that physical or verbal.
Within this genre there are subcategories, or sub genres, of individual or family crimes, offensive behavior against somebody, physical attack on another, etc. the newspapers are full of these kind of reporting. The kind of essay we are analyzing here is not a report on an act of violence, or an act of aggression in general. It can be categorized more as itself a kind of demonstrative analysis of the subject. True, its topic is aggression, violence, but the aim of the article is not to report a particular event. Rather it aims at sending out a message to a specific target audience (we will talk in a minute for them) prior the act of aggression happens. It has the purpose of trying to inform the audience about the forms of aggression in order for them to be aware of. This is done being conscious of the power of the media over the issue.
For decades now the media has been accused of helping the spreading out of aggression. There are studies that show that behaviors like aggression can be learned by watching and imitating the behavior of others. A considerable amount of evidence suggests that watching violence on television increases the likelihood of short term aggression, especially, in children (Akert et al, 16). Individuals may differ in how they respond to violence. The greatest impact is on those who are already prone to violent behavior. Adults may be influenced by violence in media as well. A long-term study of over 700 families found a significant association between the amount of time spent watching violent television as a teenager and the likelihood of committing acts of aggression later in life. The results remained the same in spite of factors such as family income, parental education and neighborhood violence (Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, 2005).
Nevertheless, although exposure to violence in media is associated with likelihood of short-term increases in aggression, none of these studies provide evidence for a definitive causal mechanism. Instead, violence in media may be one of many factors, or it may play a maintenance role since violent media tend to be selected by people who are prone to violence. The Perfect Aggression essay aims at using this influencing power of media. But this time, to influence people not to commit aggression, to be aware of it. By informing people of what aggression can also be you have given them the chance and possibility of not committing that act again.
Target audience and analysis of effects
The primary group to be targeted by this sort of essay is that of young couples. Also this essay targets young men and women that are in the process of an intimate relationship with a partner but also that have close friendly relationships with others. The allegory of John and Alice is the kernel of all the writing and it fully demonstrates what I am talking about. It is not by case that the characters are a young couple like many out there these days. Let us briefly state the allegory and make an analysis of it:
Alice and John one of these unhappy for many years relationship where breakfast will not be complete before a sullen John will criticize Alice, and then a hurt Alice will become silent. Anger, bitterness and hurt are their frequent companions. Neither Alice nor John realizes the destructive role that anger plays in their relationship. Neither recognizes the extent to which they depend on anger in their lives. They have been taught that it is healthy to express anger. They assume that other people must be good at working through their angry differences, even though they have never been able to do so. No one has explained to them what anger really is, how it works, and how destructive it is.
As we can see by the piece of the essay above, it is clear that the target are young couples, or young people that have intimate relationships with a partner. The Newsweek magazine is classified as that sort of magazine that is read by this category of people.
This is why this essay would perfectly match an opinion column, or opinion article, at this magazine. It is not just to tell people, or to this target group in particular to be careful on using violence, physical or verbal, on each other. This target group was chosen as the focus of the essay because it perfectly represents the problem of aggression in gender. Between a couple the gender form of aggression takes its most highest form of representation. If we do a search of the subject we would see that gender aggression is a well studied topic in todays world. Gender is a factor that plays a role in both human and animal aggression. Several studies has shown that males are generally more physically aggressive than females (Coie & Dodge 1997). Other studies even go further in giving statistical evidence that men commit the vast majority of murders (Buss 2005).
This is one of the most robust and reliable behavioural sex differences, and it has been found across many different age groups and cultures. There is also some evidence showing that males are more predisposed to aggressive behaviour and, what is more important, they are more likely to express their aggression physically than females (Bjorkqvist et al. 1994). However, when considering indirect forms of aggression, such as the influence of power or change in environment which can change ones mood as well as relational aggression and social rejection, you might be surprised. This is because females and males have equal tendency toward aggressive behaviour (Card, Stucky, Sawalani, & Little, 2008). And what you can understand from the abstract of the essay given above (and by reading the entire essay of course) is that the problem is not one-sided from one gender to the other. Yes, it is true that it starts usually from males toward females, but the last does not stay passive without participating in this game of mutual aggression , because ultimately this is what it becomes. Consider the following passage from the essay which is also the concluding of the example taken:
Anger in marriages and relationships is all too common. We can no longer afford the fiction that the biggest anger problem is that people dont express anger in a healthy way. The biggest anger problem is that there is too much of it and it is expressed all the time.
It is very unfortunate that anger and its expression has become a daily part of the lives of young couples. And the real problem according to me is that it has become normal to express it openly. In fact, there are even psychologists who encourage you to express it openly because this will ultimately help improve the relationship of the couple. What all these people do not understand is that by making the expression of anger, i.e. aggression, a part of your daily life, you normalize its effects. Now, it becomes normal to be aggressive to the partner. But this would lead to even more expression of aggression and would ultimately open the door to more and more violence. The problem is that the form and type of violence will change. To express anger is one thing, but to use violence, be that even verbal violence, over the partner openly is completely another thing. At the end it finishes by harming the relationship.
The essays message is to make this category of people, this target group of youngsters, recognize the negative effects of aggression and, also, recognize that the open expression of anger and the living with it is not an act that will make things better. On the contrary it will open the door to more and more aggression that will lead to violence, first verbal and then physical and psychological.
Conclusions
For example, if this essay were to appear in Newsweek, it would appeal to the attention of its readers that are in the process of being young couples or have began to have close relationships with a partner. As a weekly magazine, Newsweek was designed to deliver not only information to its audience, but also an insight on the issues that they are being informed of. The essay would be a perfect opinion column for all the family crimes or, better, gender violence within young people, especially young couples. It would inform them regarding the effects of aggression and anger and would give them the insight of understanding that aggression has so many forms. Forms, that maybe we practice in our daily lives and do not consider them as such. The expression of anger between a couple, as in Alice and John, is a good example for this.
The essay recalls the attention of the reader to understand that it is not the fact that anger should, or should not, be expressed, but the fact that this is considered to be within the boundaries of normality by many couples out there. In fact, this is the first step toward an even more aggressive type of behavior that will lead to major problems within the relationship.
This essay, as an opinion column, is an attempt to emancipate the above mentioned target group of people.
References
Akert, M. Robin, Aronson, E., and Wilson, D.T. Social Psychology , 5th Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. 2005.
Buss, D. M. The murderer next door: Why the mind Is designed to kill. New York: Penguin Press. 2005.
Coie, J. D. & Dodge, K. A. Aggression and antisocial behavior. In W. Damon & N. Eisenberg (Eds). Handbook of Child Psychology, Vol. 3: Social, emotional and personality development. 1997.
Bjorkqvist,Kaj. Sex differences in physical, verbal, and indirect aggression: a review of recent research. Sex Roles: Web.
Nature and peoples connection to it represents one of the core topics in poetry. However, the perspectives on the subject matter are multiple and outstandingly diverse. Due to the differences in the backgrounds of the pieces, Anne Bradstreets Contemplations represent nature as benevolent and pure, in contrast to Mary Rowlandsons The Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, which portrays nature as an untamed ad dangerous force.
The concept of nature as the epitome of purity is one of the most evident ideas in Bradstreets poem. Specifically, the author represents nature as innocent and delicate in Contemplations: The trees all richly clad, yet void of pride/Were gilded ore by his rich golden head (Bradstreet). In the specified line, Bradstreet portrays her awe for the beautiful tree crowns and their amazing, rich and warm color, therefore, characterizing it as beautiful by design. Furthermore, Bradstreet emphasizes the absence of vanity or any semblance of pride in the magnificent design of nature, particularly, the beauty of the trees, by depicting them as void of pride (Bradstreet). Therefore, Bradstreet outlines purity and naivete as the key characteristics of nature, which allows her to represent it as innately benevolent and outstandingly innocent.
The described sentiment is juxtaposed starkly to Rowlandsons depiction of nature in her Captivity. Though detailing the characteristics of the landscape is not the priority of Rowlandsons narrative, her being captive being understandably at the forefront, nature does receive a spotlight in her writing. However, in contrast to Bradstreets perspective, Rowlandsons view on nature is significantly more somber. Namely, she outlines how violent and cruel nature can be by specifying that one of her children was out in the wilderness, I knew not where (Rowlandson par. 10). The specified line details not only the intrinsic violence of nature, but also its unpredictability, therefore, allowing the writer to characterize it as wild and untamable and, therefore, perilous.
The contrast between the feeling of loneliness and isolation observed in Rowlandsons writing is also directly opposed to the warmth and admiration that can be experienced in Bradstreets poem. For instance, there is definitely and rather evident sense of despair in Rowlandsons description of how isolated she feels from the rest of the humankind when being brought into the wilderness: there were no wigwams or inhabitants before ; moreover, she emphasizes that nature did not treat them kindly, leaving them wet and snowy, and hungry, and weary, and no refreshing for man, but the cold ground to sit on (Rowlandson par. 11). The described feeling of discomfort is nowhere to be found in Bradstreets poem, which admires nature in a rather detached manner, without recognizing the lack of comfort that is concealed within its beauty: Whose ruffling top the Clouds seemd to aspire (Bradstreet). Therefore, Bradstreets view on nature is more detached and romanticized than that one of Rowland, who offers a much more practical and down-to-earth perspective.
Since the circumstances in which Bradstreets and Rowlandsons works were created were quite different, they reflected the difference in views on nature, the former representing it as harmonic and providential, while the latter portraying it as wild and often brutal. Therefore, the writings in question represent two opposite opinions on the issue. However, with the specified perspectives representing the opposite opinions on nature and its relation to the humankind, one could argue that they constitute a complete portrayal of nature. Being both the repository of essential resources and a powerful force that often wreaks havoc, nature can be seen as both benevolent and dangerous.