The Pardoner And The Brothers Essays (540 words) -

The Pardoner and the 'brothers' The Pardoner and the 'brothers' Throughout literature, relationships can often be found between the author of a story and the story that he writes. In Geoffrey Chaucer's frame story, Canterbury Tales, many of the characters make this idea evident with the tales that they tell. A distinct relationship can be made between the character of the Pardoner and the tale that he tells. Through the Prologue to the Pardoner's tale, the character of the Pardoner is revealed. Although the Pardoner displays many important traits, the most prevalent is his greed. Throughout the prologue, the Pardoner displays his greed and even admits that the only thing he cares about is money: "I preach nothing except for gain" ("Pardoner's Tale", Line 105). This avarice is seen strongly in the Pardoner's tale as well. In the Pardoner's tale, three friends begin a journey in order to murder Death. On their journey, though, an old man leads them to a great deal of treasure. At this point, all three of the friends in the tale display a greed similar to the Pardoner's. The three friends decide that someone should bring bread and wine for a celebration. As the youngest of the friends leaves to go buy wine, the other two greedily plot to kill him so they can split the treasure only two ways. Even the youngest decides to "put it in his mind to buy poison / With which he might kill his two companions" (383, 384). The greed, which is evident in the character of the Pardoner, is also clearly seen in the tale. Another trait that is displayed by the Pardoner and a character in his tale is hypocrisy. Although the Pardoner is extremely greedy, he continues to try and teach that "Avarice is the root of all evil" (6). The characters in his tale display great hypocrisy as well. As the tale begins, the friends all act very trustworthy and faithful towards all of their friends. They nobly make a decision to risk their lives while trying to slay their friend's murderer. As they talk about their challenge, they pledge "to live and die each of them for the other, / As if he were his own blood brother" (241-242). At the end of the tale, the "brothers" begin to reveal their true nature. They all turn on each other in an attempt to steal the treasure for themselves. All of the loyalty, which they had pledged, was simply a lie and no faithfulness remained. While the two older "brother" plotted to kill the younger, the younger"brother" plotted "to kill them both and never to repent" (388). Thus, these so-called faithful "brothers" display their true ruthlessness and reveal their hypocrisy in relation to the Pardoner's character. The characters in the "Pardoner's Tale" match the unctuous nature of the Pardoner in a great deal of ways. All of these traits and ideas that are seen in both the Pardoner and the tale that he tells show a strong relationship in the two. Chaucer used this technique in all of the tales that are recorded in Canterbury Tales. This technique gives a greater insight into the mind of the teller. By analyzing the tales, it is possible to learn much about the teller of the tale. Using this method, Chaucer focuses on the characteristics of each of the people involved in Canterbury Tales, but also keeps the poem interesting.

Analysis For The Picture Example

Analysis For The Picture Example Analysis For The Picture – Coursework Example Analysis for the picture Speaking of formal visual elements of the painting, one might point out that it features soft lines with no sharp angles, dark colors dominate the canvas, the texture is perceived as elastic; the shapes of the objects depicted are primarily round. As for the way each of the elements is connected to another, one might argue that the painting is certainly balanced. On the one hand, there is an easily observed symmetry: face, eyes, nose, mouth and torso can be easily divided in two by a vertical line. On the other hand, there are objects which are placed chaotically; however, they are aligned and balance each other.I believe that the most essential component of the painting is the goggles that are worn by the main character. The reason why it is so important is that it contributes to the formation of a particular meaning of the painting and can be interpreted more or less in one way while any other element is quite ambiguous. There is no doubt that one can obser ve a working visual system in general: the colors are dark, a character is shown wearing protective elements such as goggles or a suit. All this results in a particular meaning: this person lives in a hostile environment. In addition to that, some parts of the meaning are conveyed through formal language. For example, his nose is painted red which is a bright color that reflect danger or pain; the background is dark which makes is dangerous as well.

A Guide to Masters and Doctoral Comprehensive Exams

A Guide to Masters and Doctoral Comprehensive Exams Graduate students take two sets of comprehensive exams, both masters and doctoral. Yes, it sounds scary. Comprehensive examinations, known as comps, are a source of anxiety for most graduate students. What Is a Comprehensive Examination? A comprehensive examination is just what it sounds like. It is a test that covers a broad base of material. It assesses the students knowledge and capacities to earn a given graduate degree. The exact content varies by graduate program and by degree: masters and doctoral comprehensive exams have similarities but differ in detail, depth, and expectations. Depending on the graduate program and degree, comps could test course knowledge, knowledge of your proposed research area, and general knowledge in the field. This is especially true of doctoral students, who must be prepared to discuss the field at a professional level, citing material from coursework but also classic and current references. When Do You Take Comps? Comps are generally given toward the end of coursework or afterward as a way to determine how well a student is able to synthesize the material, solve problems, and think like a professional. Passing a comprehensive exam lets you move to the next level of study. What Is the Format? Masters and doctoral exams often are written exams, sometimes oral, and sometimes both written and oral. Exams are usually administered in one or more long test periods. For example, in one program written doctoral comprehensive exams are given in two blocks that are each eight hours long on consecutive days. Another program administers a written comp exam to masters students in one period that lasts five hours. Oral exams are more common in doctoral comps, but there are no hard and fast rules. What Is the Masters Comp Exam? Not all masters programs offer or require that students complete comprehensive exams. Some programs require a passing score on a comprehensive exam for entry to the thesis. Other programs use comprehensive exams in place of a thesis. Some programs give students a choice of completing either a comprehensive exam or a thesis. In most cases, masters students are given guidance on what to study. It might be specific lists of readings or sample questions from previous exams. Masters comprehensive exams are generally given to an entire class at once. What Is the Doctoral Comp Exam? Virtually all doctoral programs require that students complete doctoral comps. The exam is the gateway to the dissertation. After passing the comprehensive exam a student can use the title doctoral candidate, which is a label for students who have entered the dissertation phase of doctoral work, the final hurdle to the doctoral degree. Doctoral students often receive much less guidance on how to prepare for comps as compared with masters students. They might get long reading lists, some sample questions from previous exams, and instructions to be familiar with articles published over the past few years in the prominent journals in their field. What If You Dont Pass Your Comps? Graduate students who are unable to pass a programs comprehensive exam are weeded from the graduate program and cannot complete the degree. Graduate programs often allow a student who fails the comprehensive exam another chance to pass. However, most programs send students packing after two failing grades.

Research paper proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Research paper proposal - Essay Example The two research questions to be explored are: "What is the impact of management style on productivity?† and "How does a reward system influence executive function?" The link between management style and productivity is well recognized (Dorgan, Dowdy, and Pippin, 2006; Michael, 2002). What is more interesting to this researcher is the link between reward systems that managers choose to satisfy their organizational expectations and the impact of these reward systems on productivity. These reward systems grew out of a need to give workers an incentive to complete work satisfactorily. Incentives like bonuses, early time-off, and so forth, motivated workers to produce better results much more quickly than when there were no incentives (Camp and Lambert, 2005; Somaya, 2001; Schraeder and Becton, 2008). Beyond incentives, management and leadership style have been seen to also bring about productivity. There is a relationship between management style and the types of incentives they use that also has a bearing on productivity. There are several management styles that include the authoritarian, the participative and the autocratic and the permissive to name a few. This research seeks to measure the efficacy of the participative management style, both in terms of organizational output and worker satisfaction. In analyzing participative management style, it has been found that this type of leadership is also open to certain reward systems more so than other management styles. It is the hope of this research that a correlation will be found between participative management style, incentives and worker productivity. How these systems impact one another will also be explored. Exploring the relationship between management style and productivity is impossible without having a clear definition of what participative management style is and how managers use reward systems. Generally, authors define participative management as a

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 28

Journal - Essay Example In this quote, Mama realizes that her daughter’s ambitions are totally different from hers. She feels that her daughter wants to complement her looks with that of a â€Å"white† woman, and by doing so, she feels she is deviating from â€Å"real life†. In this passage, Mama notices that she is not living in accordance to her daughter’s expectations, in spite of the pride she takes from her hard work. This is something that even bothers her so much. Unlike her daughter â€Å"Dee†, who can always look into anyone’s eyes, Mama feels that she cannot. At the begging of the second paragraph, Maggie comes out wearing a red blouse and a pink skirt and asks her mother how she looks. It is obvious that she looks presentable before her mother, but when she walks the mother compares her to a dog. This passage presents a change in the Mama’s perspective about â€Å"real life†. She now feels that Maggie has a better figure than her sister, Dee. Implying that she will perhaps have a better future than her and Dee. In this paragraph, Mama is trying to recall how she thought Dee used to hate Maggie and their house. Although she managed to take Dee to school with the help of her church and the a few money she had, she felt that Dee did not appreciate, but turned to hate her house and small daughter. Dee realized the importance of education and wanted to share the knowledge gained with her mother and sister who only felt that they did not necessarily need such knowledge. This paragraph, therefore, indicates different perceptions about education between the educated and uneducated as well as rural and sophisticated population. At this point, Mama was narrating how Dee used to like nice things, which she always worked hard to achieve. She was quite unlike her mother, who always believed she is a big-boned woman who is conditioned to work. She even says Maggie’s lack of style will finally make her marry John Thomas who has â€Å"mossy teeth† (Walker 317). This

Suki Kims Facing Poverty with a Rich Girls Habits Essay Example for Free

Suki Kims Facing Poverty with a Rich Girls Habits Essay This woman named Suki Kims life changed instantly. In the beginning she talks about Queens, New York in 1983 where she lived at, at the time. She describe their first home as â€Å"the upstairs of a two-family brownstone in Woodside†(Kim, page 92 ). She also said â€Å"the place was crammed, ugly place† and compared that to where she use to live in South Korea (Kim, Page 92). When she entered seventh grade her father’s company went bankrupt overnight and he was a millionaire shipping company, mining business and hotels. However, when the bankruptcy happen jail time was required because that was the punishment for her father. So without any money at all they flew to America into the state of New York. Sense Suki Kim came from South Korea, she couldnt speak any English at all. In fact the only first English word she knew was F. O. B (â€Å"Fresh off the boat†) because in junior high school all the teens was saying that about her. Miss Kim had transportation from a chauffeur when she used to live in South Korea and now that she lives in Queens, New York she has to ride on the public school bus with all the other teens. Another thing that changed in her life traumatically was that she had never done homework without a governess helping Miss Kim. She also noticed that a house can get really messy when she dont have a maid around anymore to clean up after her. Suki was even humiliated about bringing her dirty laundry to the laundry mat! Miss Kim had many life changes and she wasnt happy about it at all, she just wanted to go back to how her life was before. At the time when Miss Kim went to junior high she noticed how American schools are so different from Korean schools. Miss Kim also observed how people treat each other in America different from how Koreans treat each other in South Korea. Suki mentioned how Koreans in schools wore slippers to keep the schools floors clean as she compares to Queens, New York school has graffiti on the walls and has guards at the school doors searching the teenagers before they enter the school. When Miss Kim entered a English class with other Koreans she thought that she would fit in more but soon realized that she was still standing out from them. She knew that their was a difference between her and other Koreans. She said, â€Å"The wealthier Korean immigrants had settled in Westchester or Manhattan, where their children attend private schools† (Kim, Page 93). She was in a public school where all the other poor immigrant teens went to. After awhile her family had earned enough money to move out of that neighborhood to get better housing and education. Suki had volunteered at a family assistant center as a interpreter and she got on her feet-finally adjusting to society. I think this memoir is to good read because I can understand how Suki feels. I was interested in how a rich person life changed to being a middle class or poor person. I liked this memoir of Sukis story because she put all of her opinions and what she disliked into her essay. To me it seemed like she wanted to fit in into the American school society. I think she should just be herself and to always have faith that everything is going to be alright. She should take it one day at a time and make friends that can be true to her. I think this memoir teaches people never to regret what you have and always appreciate what you have. Never to be ashamed of where you came from and to always have pride that better days will come. I wondered what kind of friends she used to have when she used to live in South Korea? I also wondered how Sukis family learned how to survive in America without any money? I could imagine her having that fantasy life that she used to have when she used to live in South Korea. I felt that she didnt show any emotion about the big move her family made to America. It seem like she was brave and didnt think that America was a hard place to survive. I liked how Suki talked about the hip hop culture being known by other fellow Koreans. Seems as though to me that she was growing to be like an ordinary American teen that wants her ears pierced. My opinion on the memoir is that it made me feel bad but I was glad that some one in the world experience the hard times like other poor and middle class Americans. Yes its harsh, but all people have their down falls and I think rich people should imagine being in other poor or middle class people shoes. I also think that Immigrants have it hard also when they cant afford to be in their own countries and come to America to make things right. They believe that they would be free to do what they want because they have better opportunity to make more money. Which is true but some immigrants think that its easy to get money when there is always a struggle to get what we want. I enjoyed this memoir of Suki Kims story because it made me appreciate what I have now. Yes I would love to have what she used to have but I know money doesnt bring happiness because its only the ones you love would. Changes in Sukis life made her change her attitude of being a rich girl into a girl being more well rounded about everything she use to know. I wondered what kind of jobs did her dad and mom get while in Queens, New York? I wondered how did her parents take to poverty because she never mentioned how her parents felt? I also think she could have made more friend if she would have reach out to other races in her school. I know she couldnt speak very good English but she could have at lease get a Korean girl that speak English to help her. Suki can reach out in her community to go see others that are in her situation and talk to people. She can also be with good friends at a community center and be with them to help her get through her situation.

Ambiguities Explored in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essays

Ambiguities Explored in Heart of Darkness   Ã‚  Ã‚   Literature is never interpreted in exactly the same way by two different readers. A prime example of a work of literature that is very ambiguous is Joseph Conrad's, "Heart of Darkness". The Ambiguities that exist in this book are Marlow's relationship to colonialism, Marlow's changing feelings toward Kurtz, and Marlow's lie to the Intended at the end of the story.    One interpretation of Marlow's relationship to colonialism is that he does not support it. Conrad writes, "They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now,-nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom" (p. 27-28). Marlow says this and is stressing that the so-called "savages", or Africans, are being treated and punished like they are criminals or enemies when in fact they never did anything. He observes the slow torture of these people and is disgusted with it. Marlow feels sympathy for the black people being slaved around by the Europeans but doesn't do anything to change it because that is the way things are. One can see the sympathy by the way that he gives a starving black man one of his biscuits. "To tear treasure out of the bowels of the land was their desire, with no moral purpose at the back of it than there is in burglars breaking into a safe" (p. 54). This statement by Marlow conveys th at he doesn't believe that the Europeans have a right to be stripping Africa of its riches. He views the Jungles of Africa as almost it's own living, breathing monster.    It is evident that Marlow is one of the few white men on the journey that questions the belief at the time that the natives of Africa are "inhu... ...ch open up the readers mind. Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness", raises many questions about society and the human potential for evil.    Works Cited and Consulted:       Conrad, Joseph.   Heart of Darkness 3rd Ed.   Ed. Robert Kimbrough. New York:   Norton Critical, 1988.    Edward W. Said, The World, the Text, and the Critic. (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1983) 13.    Hillman, James. "Notes on White Supremacy: Essaying an Archetypal Account of Historical Events," Spring (1986): 29-57.    McLynn, Frank. Hearts of Darkness: The European Exploration of Africa. New York: Carol & Gey, 1992.    Meyers, Jeffrey.   Joseph Conrad.   New York:   Charles Scribner's Sons, 1991.    Patrick Brantlinger, "Heart of Darkness: Anti-Imperialism, Racism, or Impressionism?" Criticism (Fall, 1985) 364.     

Chapter 12 QFR Fundamental of Management Essay

1. Describe the difference between communication and effective communication. How can a sender verify that a communication was effective? How can a receiver verify that a communication was effective? Communication is the process of transmitting information from one person to another. Effective communication is the process of sending a message in such a way that the message received is a close meaning as possible to the message intended. To encode and transmitted through appropriate channel. After messages are received it is decoded back into a form that is meaningful for the receiver. 2. What are the similarities and differences of oral and written communication? What kinds of situations call for the use of oral methods? What situations call for written communication? Oral communication is face to face conversation group discussions, telephone calls, and other circumstances in which the spoken word is used to transmit meaning. Written communication is memos, letters, reports, notes and other circumstances in which the written word is used to transmit meaning. Oral communication or email may be preferred when a message is personal, nonroutine, and brief. Written is best used when it is impersonal, routine and longer. 5. Describe the individual and organizational barriers to effective communication. For each barrier, describe one action that a manager could take to reduce the problems caused by that barrier. Individual barriers are conflicting or inconsistent signals, credibility about the subject, reluctance to communicate, poor listening skills, and predispositions about the subjects. Organization barriers are semantics, status or power differences, different perceptions, and noise, overload and language differences. Overcoming individual skills are develop good listening, encourage two way communication, be aware of language and meaning, maintain credibility, be sensitive to receiver’s and sender’s perspective. Chapter 13 QFR 2. What are the stages of group development? Do all teams develop through all the stages discussed in this chapter? Why or why not? How might the management of a mature team differ from the management of teams that are not yet mature? The stages of group development are (1) forming—bringing members together and getting them acquainted; (2) storming—developing group  identity, structure and leadership, often through conflicts; (3) norming—accepting and codifying role structures and behavioral norms; and (4) performing—moving beyond group formation to begin accomplishing the group’s purpose. Groups typically move through all the stages in the order given, and groups that try to â€Å"short cut† the group development process will often have unresolved issues that will persistently re-surface. The management of mature teams can focus more on performance than on effective development, which means a focus on tasks, rather than on relationships, structures, and culture. For example, while members of a developing group may want or need to spend time getting to know their fellow members through â€Å"ice-breaker† activities, members of mature groups may resent being forced to spend time on such activities. 4. Identify two examples of informal leaders. Can a person be a formal and an informal leader at the same time? Examples of informal leaders might include such persons as the most experienced secretary in a work group, an intelligent and articulate student who serves as a spokesperson for the class, or a neighbor who organizes social events. Formal leadership is conferred by one’s position within the organization while informal leadership is granted to individuals who are admired and respected by others. Clearly then, one person can be both a formal and an informal leader. An example would be a tenured professor who has a formal leadership role in his or her department or college and who is admired and respected by students and colleagues, serving as an informal role model.

Descriptive Essay House on Fire

descriptive essay house on fire The House on Fire That cold night of December 2004 had left behind a memory which will stay in my mind for a never ending period of time. That night was not the same as the rest of the days in my life. Instead of going to bed, that night I was standing in the middle of the road, in complete terror. My heartbeat was accelerating with fear and tears were rolling down my cheeks as I saw Emily taken away by the ambulance. The house, which I was standing in front of, was burning as fire engulfed it from all sides. There was fire everywhere.The roof was on fire, the doors and the windows were on fire, fire was even coming out of the house through various openings, looking like a fire-breathing dragon was inside the house, puffing fire. The flames burned deep red and amber, almost livid purple as I saw various firefighters trying to put out the fire. Nothing inside was likely to survive the fire. Flames were licking up in the air with the wind, trying to catc h something else on fire, and finding nothing but air, disappearing into the windy night, like disappointed flutters. Everything was happening too fast.During a minute or less, fire had spread across the entire landing. I was petrified by the sight of the fire, which crawled lizard like up the house. The house was exploding in yellow blue flames that quickly turned orange. I was trembling and whimpering softly as I saw Emily’s mother sitting on the ground, helplessly. She was crying out of despair. Her reaction had made me even more scared. I wanted someone to console me by telling me that nothing will happen to Emily. She was my best friend. We had spent seven years of our childhood together and I did not want to lose her.I was praying silently while Emily’s mother had lost all the hope of her survival. I had never felt so alone before. Even the thought of losing her, frightened me. I felt as if I was living through the worst nightmare. Grief is the worst feeling in t he world. You feel hopeless, scared, angry, frustrated, alone and afraid. Going through a phase in life when you have a feeling of losing someone is hard to accept and it is much harder for an eight years old child. You feel as if the world had stopped and you could never move on in life.It is very painful to accept that you will no longer be able to see someone who was very close to the heart. I was crying while looking at the crowd of people that had clustered around the house by that time. The voices of the people echoed in my ear hauntingly. Their screams and shouts gave rise to my fear. I was horrified by the siren of the ambulance, the police car and the firefighters, the ringing of the phones of the crowd, the yelling, the cries, the increasing roar of the fire; everything added chaos to that place and frightened me even more.Ghosts of smoke were drifting across the street. I smelled smoke. It was not heavy, but it had a pungent smell. I started to cough as the smoke enfolded me. The air surrounding me was becoming less breathable by the second. My mouth was filled with the bitter taste of the smoke. I wanted a draught of clean air to rinse out my polluted lungs. The cough had aggravated pain in my head. My eyes were becoming swollen and watery. Soon after, the fire got quite out of control as the whole house was on fire. The firefighters evacuated the street and told everyone to go inside their houses.I had no choice but to retreat to my room where I could see, feel, and hear Emily’s house burn down. In a few minutes, the house had been reduced to a pile of rubble, ashes, and smouldering wood and items. There was a rotting smell that took over the whole neighbourhood, like a bad barbeque party gone horribly wrong. The smell was so overpowering that it took almost a week to get it out of my nose. That horrifying night of December still reminds me how valuable a person is in our life. If the firefighters were even one minute late in rescuing Emily , I would have lost my best friend that day.

Criminal justice Reform essays

Criminal justice Reform essays People are arrested every day in the United States. They are put on probation or sent to jail, and sometimes they are let out on parole; there are millions of people affected. In 1995 alone there were over five million people under some form of correctional supervision, and the number is steadily increasing. The incarceration rate is skyrocketing: the number of prison inmates per 100,000 people has risen from 139 in 1980 to 411 in 1995. This is an immense financial burden on the country. Federal expenditure for correctional institutions alone increased 248% from 1982 to 1992. Obviously something has to be changed in the justice system. If the crime rate is rising this much, the correctional justice system isn't functioning properly, and needs to be reformed. Many people have offered theories as to what should be done with the prison system, the extremes being retributivism and the therapeutic model, but what they all seem to have overlooked is that there is no single system that work s for everyone. Blanket generalizations as to the nature of the criminal mind cannot be made. Every criminal is different, with different motivations and different psychological characteristics so that different things are required to make them repent or deter them from further criminal activity, and I believe that the solutions offered are not enough to lower the crime rate and prison population. Something needs to be done on a more fundamental level so that fewer people turn to crime in the first place, thereby providing the prison system with the freedom to improve the attention it gives to the people that do become criminals; my solution is a combination of economic reform and educational opportunity that would give people less reason to commit crimes. The extreme right reform proposition, retributivism, is flawed mainly because it seems to assume that showing people that what they've done is wrong will always accomplish something, and that every priso...

1984 Study Guide

1984 Study Guide George Orwells 1984 is such an influential novel that you neednt have read it to notice its effect. With its chilling examination of totalitarian regimes, 1984 changed the language we use to discuss those very regimes. Popular terms like Big Brother, Orwellian, or Newspeak were all originated by Orwell in 1984. The novel was Orwell’s attempt to highlight what he saw as an existential threat posed by authoritarian leaders like Joseph Stalin. It remains a vital commentary on the techniques of brutal totalitarian regimes and only becomes more prescient and applicable as technology catches up with its nightmarish vision. Fast Facts: 1984 Author: George OrwellPublisher: Secker and WarburgYear Published: 1949Genre: Science fictionType of Work: NovelOriginal Language: EnglishThemes: Totalitarianism, destruction of the self, control of informationCharacters: Winston Smith, Julia, O’Brien, Syme, Mr. CharringtonNotable Adaptations: A film adaptation released in 1984 starred John Hurt as Winston and Richard Burton, in his last role, as O’Brien.Fun Fact: Because of his socialist politics and connections to the Communist Party, Orwell himself was under government surveillance for years. Plot Summary Winston Smith lives in what is known as Airstrip One, formerly Britain, a province of a large nation-state known as Oceania. Posters everywhere declare BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, and Thought Police could be anywhere, watching for signs of Thoughtcrime. Smith works at the Ministry of Truth changing historical texts to match the current propaganda being distributed by the government. Winston longs to rebel, but confines his rebellion to keeping a forbidden journal, which he writes in a corner of his apartment hidden from the two-way television screen on his wall. At work, Winston meets a woman named Julia and begins a forbidden love affair, meeting her in a room he rents above a shop in the midst of the non-party population, known as proles. At work, Winston suspects that his superior, a man named O’Brien, is involved with a resistance movement called The Brotherhood, led by a mysterious man named Emmanuel Goldstein. Winston’s suspicions are confirmed when O’Brien invites him and Julia to join The Brotherhood, but this turns out to be a ruse and the pair are arrested. Winston is brutally tortured. He slowly gives up all outward resistance, but preserves what he believes is an inner core of his true self symbolized by his feelings for Julia. In the end he is confronted by his worst fear, a terror of rats, and betrays Julia by begging his torturers to do it to her instead. Broken, Winston is returned to public life a true believer. Major Characters Winston Smith. A 39-year old man who works for the Ministry of Truth. Winston romanticizes the lives of the non-Party proles and indulges in daydreams in which they rise up and spark a revolution. Winston rebels in his private thoughts and in small actions that seem relatively safe, like his journal-keeping. His torture and destruction at the end of the novel is tragic because of the sheer lack of necessity; Winston was being manipulated from the very beginning and never posed any true threat. Julia. Similarly to Winston, Julia is outwardly a dutiful Party member, but inwardly seeks to rebel. Unlike Winston, Julia’s motivations for rebellion stem from her own desires; she wishes to pursue pleasure and leisure. O’Brien. Literally everything the reader is told about O’Brien in the first half of the story is revealed to be untrue. He is Winston’s superior at the Ministry of Truth, but he is also a member of the Thought Police. O’Brien therefore represents the Party perfectly: He is changeable as needed, weaponizes information or the lack of it, and ultimately serves solely to perpetuate power and snuff out resistance of any kind. Syme. A colleague of Winston’s, working on a Newspeak dictionary. Winston perceives Syme’s intelligence and predicts that he will disappear as a result of it, a prediction that quickly comes true. Mr. Charrington. A kindly old man who helps Winston rebel, and is later revealed as a member of the Thought Police. Major Themes Totalitarianism. Orwell argues that in a one-party political state where all other parties are outlawed, perpetuation of power becomes the sole purpose of the State. Towards this end, a totalitarian state will restrict freedom increasingly until the only freedom that remains is freedom of private thought- and the State will then attempt to restrict this as well. Control of Information. Orwell argues in the novel that the lack of access to information and the corruption of information makes meaningful resistance to the Party impossible. Orwell foresaw the rise of fake news decades before it was named. Destruction of the Self. The ultimate goal of all totalitarian regimes in Orwell’s opinion. Only by replacing individual desires with a template created by the State can true control be asserted. Literary Style Orwell writes in plain, largely unadorned language and a neutral tone, which evokes the crushing despair and dullness of Winston’s existence. He also ties the point of view tightly to Winston, forcing the reader to accept what Winston tells them much as Winston accepts what he is told, all of which is ultimately revealed as a lie. About the Author Born in 1903 in India, George Orwell was an incredibly influential writer, best-known for his novels Animal Farm and 1984, as well as essays on various topics covering politics, history, and social justice. Many of the concepts Orwell introduced in his writing have become part of pop culture, such as the phrase Big Brother is Watching You and the use of the descriptor Orwellian to indicate an oppressive surveillance state.

Martin Luther King Jr Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Martin Luther King Jr - Essay Example Many union leaders were arrested while others died during protests (Brands et., p766). Despite, the hardship, their spirits never died. No matter how long it took, US now enjoys equal rights and even has a black president. The journey to womens rights has faced many challenges since independence (Brands et., p785). Before the 1990s, the number of top jobs women held was less than three percent of those available (Brands et., p786). However, by 1998, the number had increased tremendously. By 2009, the womens wages were established to be eighty percent of the earnings given to men (Brands et., p786). There has been a wide perception on the rights given to the gay community throughout US history. In the administration of Bill Clinton, it was an issue with the pentagon on the acceptance of the act in the military (Brands et., p789). However, in the arrival of the new century, the Supreme Court in 2000 ruled that all rights should be given to all civil unions. Presently gay unions receive a continuous acceptance in several parts of the