"'We Need to Talk About Kevin' presents us with unsympathetic characters who nevertheless attract our sympathy." To what extent do you agree with this judgement?
"We Need to Talk About Kevin presents us with unsympathetic characters who nevertheless attract our sympathy." To what extent do you agree with this judgement? In the novel we are presented with three characters who are potentially unsympathetic, but who do seem also to attract our sympathy: Eva, Kevin and Franklin. The epistolary nature of the novel strongly influences our perception of the characters - we can only see them through Eva. The reader is not the intended audience for these letters and thus finds themselves baffled by such images as "But since we've been separated, I may most miss coming home to deliver the narrative curiosities of my day, the way a cat might lay mice at your feet: the small, humble offerings that couples proffer after foraging in separate backyards" - this is not aimed at us but based on a shared experience or private joke that Eva and Franklin would understand and is therefore frustrating. Eva's use of sophisticated vocabulary is potentially irritating because it comes across as pretentious, but the detached tone this creates is in fact rather admirable - it allows her to avoid self-pity: for example, when talking of the poor heating in her "Tinkertoy duplex" she says "awareness that there is no reserve permeates my ablutions with disquiet". She also refuses to give Kevin the recognition he wants for "Thursday" ("The atrocity sounds torn
"A blaze of love and extinction, was better than a lantern glimmer of the same which should last long years" Analyse Hardy's presentation of Eustacia Vye in Book One in the light of this comment.
"A blaze of love and extinction, was better than a lantern glimmer of the same which should last long years" Analyse Hardy's presentation of Eustacia Vye in Book One in the light of this comment. In "Return of the Native" we first come across the character of Eustacia Vye in Chapter 7. In this chapter Hardy gives us an in depth description of the character, for example we learn that she "was the raw material of a divinity". Here Hardy is comparing her to a godlike figure which immediately gives us an impression of a character that is above the rest of the characters of the heath. Further divine imagery is used throughout this chapter, other examples are, "On Olympus she would have done well with a little preparation", "In heaven she will probably sit between the Heloises and the Cleopatras." And "She had the passions and instincts which make a model goddess, that is, those which make not quite a model woman." All of these add together to present her as something not of this world, this in a way shows the audience how she doesn't belong with the 'lower' members of society. In a way Hardy is also ambiguous about the presentation of Eustacia, as he seems to be torn between her divinity and her humanity. This is particularly apparent in the quote "She had the passions and instincts which make a model goddess, that is, those which make not quite a model woman." Although we
"A Chinese Sage" is a poem written by Elizabeth Jennings and is part of a collection called Growing-Points, written in 1975.
Poetry Commentary "A Chinese Sage" is a poem written by Elizabeth Jennings and is part of a collection called Growing-Points, written in 1975. It is written in a very unusual form that can be considered as free verse, using various different indentations and alignments for different lines. This is used by the author to put emphasis on the story in the poem. It consists entirely of 23 lines all in one stanza. It could be said that the poem is a mixture between didactic and narrative poetry. The poem reveals two significant characters: A wise Chinese Sage who likes to write poetry, and a dead simple, uneducated female peasant. Both of these individuals differ from each other in every way. The only way in which they can both relate to each other in any way is by adapting to each others level of intelligence on an emotional level. This turning point in the poem is also emphasised by the use of varying alignment and indentations and especially the use of more emotionally tuned words. The Chinese Sage is very peculiarly introduced: The way he writes his poems is described. He is introduced in this way because it displays the main difference between him and the peasant woman. She is unable to relate to any form of art due to her background. Basically, this shows how absolutely incompatible the two of them are. Natural human instincts play a big role in this, since it is the
"A journey is more than just movement from one place to another. It is about learning and growth." What have you learned about the importance of journeys from your study of Imaginative Journeys?
"A journey is more than just movement from one place to another. It is about learning and growth." What have you learned about the importance of journeys from your study of Imaginative Journeys? BY ELISE THOMPSON A thorough study of journeys reveals that a journey is much more than just movement from one place to another. Journeys are about learning and growth, and they have the potential to teach people about themselves and the society in which they live. An Imaginative Journey is one in which the individual doesn't in fact have to go anywhere in the physical sense. The physical journey is replaced by an expedition that is fuelled by the human capacity to imagine. Imaginative Journeys create endless possibilities. They can offer an escape from the realities of life, and are frequently used to comment on social or human traits and characteristics. Imaginative Journeys are represented in the focus text, "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare, the 2003 calendar cartoon in the Sydney Morning Herald by Michael Leunig, and the Board of Studies Booklet Prescribed text "The Road Not Taken", a poem by Robert Frost. The composers attempt to create a world in which imagination dominates the actions and desires of the characters, as they are taken on a journey of magic and discovery. In "The Tempest", Shakespeare attempts to generate a world where the audience is transported to a
"A Reader privy to Miller's Commentary would view 'The Crucible'very differently to a Theatregoer".
"A Reader privy to Miller's Commentary would view 'The Crucible' very differently to a Theatregoer" In 'The Crucible' by Arthur Miller the commentary and stage directions are very important and they tell the reader a lot of information that they would not know if they had only seen a production of the play at the theatre. This fact, however, does not stop people from going to see the play and also does not stop people producing new versions of it. 'The Crucible' was first performed in America in 1953, then in England in 1954 and since then there have been countless productions of it in theatres worldwide as well as at least two films made of it. One possible explanation as to why the play is so popular is because it is such a powerful and timeless depiction of how intolerance and hysteria can tear a whole community apart, and people can still relate to this. At the beginning of Act 1 there is a very long commentary followed by some stage directions. These portions of text give us a full introduction to the play itself and the setting, and through them the reader learns that Salem is a relatively newly established town (even though the book tells us also that by today's standards the town would "hardly be called a village"). It was also very sombre place with a strict Puritan society and religion played a major part in their lives. Also in the commentary there is a
"A shockingly cynical picture". In the light of this comment, discuss the Wife of Bath's account of her marriages to her first three husbands. In your response, you should consider:
"A shockingly cynical picture". In the light of this comment, discuss the Wife of Bath's account of her marriages to her first three husbands. In your response, you should consider: * what the account reveals about the Wife of Bath's character and personality * the account's significance in the poem's treatment of the theme of marriage * tone and style Within the Prologue the Wife of Bath leaps into account of her marriages to her first three husbands. We are treated to a vivid depiction of her distinct character and personality and gain profound insight into Chaucer's treatment of the theme of marriage. I will now discuss in detail how the wife paints a picture that is "shockingly cynical". To begin, the wife's merciless and uncaring nature should be considered. She takes delight in recounting the sexual demands she made of her husbands and the misery that she thus caused them. It is almost as if she gains a sadistic pleasure from doing this: "I laughe whan I thinke/How pitously a-night I made hem swinke". Moreover, the wife recalls with a boastful tone how "many a night they songen "weilawey!" She also prides herself on her ability to make them bring her "gaye things fro the faire" yet she still "chidde them spituously", highlighting a lack of respect towards her husbands. This is likewise apparent in the wife's tirade against them in which she employs a variety of
"A short story should stimulate the imagination and hold the reader in suspense." Consider this statement with detailed reference to at least two of the stories in the anthology.
"A short story should stimulate the imagination and hold the reader in suspense." Consider this statement with detailed reference to at least two of the stories in the anthology. For this assignment I will be looking at three of Ambrose Bierce's short stories, 'An Arrest', 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' and 'The Affair at Coulters Notch'. In 'An Arrest' a man escapes from jail only to be captured and taken back to his cell by a ghost, In 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge', a man is captured and is waiting to be hung on a bridge and as he is dying he imagines himself escaping only to die as he runs to embrace his wife. 'The Affair at Coulters Notch' is about a Southerner fighting for the North in the Civil War, the General of his army doesn't like him and orders him to fire a gun at the enemy, but the target happens to be his own home and Coulter fires the gun without question and kills his family. All three stories are about death and two of them are about the American Civil war. Bierce experienced a lot of unhappiness in his own personal life and may be why many of his stories are about death and bloodshed. 'An Arrest' is typical of Bierce's work in its approach, subject matter and brevity. Bierce also fought in the civil war himself so he knows what the war was like and he is clearly against the idea of war in his writing. I think that the story with the best
"A Streetcar Named Desire" written in 1944 by Thomas Lanier Williams.
Marco Wu Class 10° ENGLISH ESSAY Throughout the play "A Streetcar Named Desire" written in 1944 by Thomas Lanier Williams, better known as Tennessee Williams; we can meet various social issues such as homosexuality, loneliness, psychiatric illness and the contrast between the New and the Old America. This are all social issues presented during the life of the author. The protagonist of the play have the characteristics of Tennessee Williams' family, Stanley is like his father, the one who decides everything, as a "KING". Meanwhile Blanche is a mix between his sisters Rose who was mentally ill and his mother who had hysterical attacks, and as we know the author of the play was homosexual who consumed his 1rst experience at age of 28 and declaring it openly during an interview, this connects directly to Blanches' husband who was Homo and killed himself. Once William said "Symbols are nothing but the natural speech of drama...the purest language of plays". In the whole play there is hidden meaning; we know that the initial title of the play was "the moth" which represents Blanche a fragile being, in literature the moth is the soul, therefore the entire play is a big allegory that talks about the way to heaven (Elysian Fields) of the soul. So the
"All The major Romantics...were engaged...in the rediscovery of nature, the assertion of the one-ness of man and the rest of creation" James Reeves. What has interested you about the ways in which Coleridge has asserted this one-ness?
"All The major Romantics...were engaged...in the rediscovery of nature, the assertion of the one-ness of man and the rest of creation" James Reeves What has interested you about the ways in which Coleridge has asserted this one-ness? Throughout Coleridge's works, we can see that he tries to unify nature, through both the workings of his superior secondary imagination and his language. He constantly strives to give a sense of togetherness between all aspects of Nature and himself, even if through the idea that we are united in our diversity. Coleridge also shows us the effects of a lack of this 'one-ness', effectively emphasising its importance. Perhaps the most frequent impression of 'one-ness' in Coleridge's work is given by the assertion of God in Nature. In The Aeolian Harp, Coleridge talks about "the one life within us and abroad/ Which meets all motion and becomes its soul". This 'one life' is God, and Coleridge emphasises how He connects us all through the soul. Coleridge also unifies nature in the following description, "A light in sound, a sound-like power in light, /Rhythm in all thought, and joyance everywhere". This emphasis connects 'light', which is an indication of Divine power, with nature, and also brings in the key to the 'one-ness' of Man and Nature: Joy. We can also see this reflection of God in Nature in Lime-Tree Bower, where Coleridge describes
"All Things are ready if our minds be so" Explore the dramatic techniques used by Henry V to inspire his men before the battle of Agincourt.
"All Things are ready if our minds be so" Explore the dramatic techniques used by Henry V to inspire his men before the battle of Agincourt. William Shakespeare's play "Henry V" is set in 1415, when Henry becomes King Henry V of England. As a young man Henry enjoyed drinking and the company of women. When he became King Henry changed, he wanted to be taken seriously and to be treated like an adult, so he gave up drinking. Henry was angry and insulted by a birthday present of a box of tennis balls from the King of France, Henry thought the King of France was suggesting that he was still a boy and not a man capable of ruling England. To prove he was a man Henry ordered the invasion of France. Henry's first battle was the Siege of Horfieur Henry V where he inspired his troops with a speech before leading them into battle. Henry said they had to behave like tigers and show no fear only strength. The next battle was the Battle of Agincourt, Henry's troops were exhausted after their last battle and were out numbered five to one. But Henry tries to inspire them again for the last time he starts off talking dramatically about death, "if we are marked to die, we are enough to do our country loss." I think he is saying that if the English are meant to lose the battle then it is better that they die, than thousands more if they wait for help. Then he goes on to
