"A Night of a Thousand Suicides" by Teruhiko Asada

"A Night of a Thousand Suicides" by Teruhiko Asada The novel based on actual events "A Night of a Thousand Suicides" by Teruhiko Asada, took place in an Australian prisoner of war camp, during World War II. The story involves captured Japanese soldiers planning an escape from an Australian POW camp. The soldiers knowing that a successful escape was most unlikely were faced with the reality of certain death. The battle came not only from their captors but mostly from within themselves. The struggle within came from their loyalty to their country, obedience to their leaders, and their own desire to die with honor. The views a Japanese solider and an American have on the value of human life greatly differs. While discussing escape plans with the other section leaders, Cpl. Hotei, says, `"There is not a single coward of that kind in my section. We're all ready to die defying any such order. That's the fighting spirit of Japan'" (Asada 17). This quote defines the spirit of the extremist views of a Japanese soldier. To be captured meant dishonor for them as well as their families. This extremist view is also displayed in the Samurai's motto: `"The way of the Samurai was the way of death"' (Asada 17). The soldiers in the Australian camp were not mistreated. On the contrary, they were well cared for. Despite their treatment by the Australians, a Japanese

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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"Ambulances" by Philip Larkin.

CRITIACAL EVALUATION "Ambulances" by Philip Larkin uses the every day incident of someone being taken away in an ambulance to convey the ideas of human life. The poem discusses the idea of the closeness of death; it's randomness and its inevitability. I am going to look at how effectively Philip Larkin uses this everyday occurrence to lead to the general or universal statement: death will come to us all at some point no matter who you are. I will show this by discussing the use of word choice, theme and setting. In stanza one, the impression that an accident can happen anywhere at any time is created by the feeling of menace. This is shown by the thought that ambulances can "come to rest at any kerb" suggesting that it doesn't matter where you are an accident can happen. The use of the word "any" helps to emphasise this point and convey the theme of the randomness of death. The idea that death comes to us all is suggested by "All streets in time are visited". The word "All" emphasises the fact that everyone dies, and the word "time" indicates that it is just a matter of time. I think that Larkin wanted to portray the idea that everyone will make their journey in an ambulance at some point. The ambulance is only symbolic for the doorway to death. At the beginning of the stanza the ambulances are described as "closed like confessionals," this sets the feeling inside the

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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"Animals learn death first at the moment of death; man approaches death with the knowledge it is closer every hour..."

Jacqueline D'Angelo English 246 - 02 Prof. Jim Cody December 20, 2002 "Animals learn death first at the moment of death; man approaches death with the knowledge it is closer every hour..." -Arthur Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Idea Death is a theme that is inevitable to come across in day to day life. From the moment we are all born, we are dying. It is an idea that is common amongst all living creatures and because of its widespread cohesion many authors use it as a tool in their writings. Most of them mention death, depict death, and even reenact death, however every time this device is used an attempt is made for a different message to be sent. Messages of new beginnings, solemn endings, the halt to injustices, sadness, relief, etc. are all portrayed through different techniques while presenting death in literature. Over the past few months collectively as a class we have read many works that have shown death in one way or another. Three of them that stand out the most are A Rose for Emily, Our Town, and I'm Not Rappaport. Each one of these pieces had displayed death in a different way and the messages sent to the reader through their depictions were all different as well. First, William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily deals with death in a strange and sometimes unbelievable way. Emily is not good at dealing with death and loss. For the most part she doesn't

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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"Death is a Leveller" Show how this idea is reflected in the two poems "Death the Leveller" by James Shirley and "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley.

"Death is a Leveller" Show how this idea is reflected in the two poems "Death the Leveller" by James Shirley and "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Some people, as history portrays, achieve great things in life, some do not. What we achieve or what we do not achieve in life is unimportant because eventually death reduces us all to the same level " Death the Leveller" by James Shirley was written around the time of the English Civil War. The poem makes reference to victors of a battle who are eventually reduced to the level of their defeated foes. The poem also makes reference to the death of a king. " Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley, was written around the time Napoleon, when he was at the peak of his power. This poem could be seen as a warning to Napoleon, warning him that eventually all his glory will end. Both poems indicate that death will end our glories or victories, that death is a leveller. Death the Leveller" could be telling us that we cannot battle death. We see this in Stanza 1: "The glories of our blood and hate Are shadows not substantial things; There is no armour against fate." These definite statements tell us that no matter what we do fate will conquer us, make us all equal. "Death" is personified in "Death the leveller." Shirley uses personification as an effective way to describe the power of "death," this also strengthens "death" by

  • Word count: 939
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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The faces of the Goddess.

Maggie Walker Mr. McConnell ENG 4A1 December 21, 2001 The faces of the Goddess Throughout history women have empowered themselves by taking on many different titles and roles. This can be seen in the two allegorical fantasy novels The Mists of Avalon and Forest house, both written by Marion Zimmer Bradley. In both novels we see the female protagonists take on many different roles as they move throughout the different stages of their lives. In the novels it is believed that the Goddess shows herself in every woman. The stages and roles held by the two priestesses, Morgaine and Eilan, represent the different forms the Goddess takes. Morgaine shows the Goddess within her when she acts as the Maiden or Virgin huntress, the Mother of all men and as the Old Death-crone. These forms of the Goddess show themselves in Eilan as the Maiden, the loving Mother and the Lady of Ravens or Death-crone. Both Morgaine's and Eilan's actions throughout the novels show that they represent the three faces of the Goddess: the Virgin Maiden, the lover of men and gods; the Mother, life-giver and caretaker of men; and the Old Death-crone, killer of men. To begin, Morgaine represents the Virgin Maiden, the lover of the God and Summer-king. This is shown when Morgaine is thinking to herself about her past while weaving a spell to kill Avalloch. She is planning to set her lover Accolon on the

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Rhodri Fussell 11S English Coursework The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson The Charge of the Light brigade was a tragic battle, four hundred people died from one small mistake of picking the wrong valley to go down. The six hundred and seventy three soldiers got out numbered, caught by surprise in Balaclava. There were " Canons to the right of them, Canons to the left of them and cannons behind them," They knew they were going to die but their hopes did not die they were stuck in there and the only thing to do was fight with pride and honour. The first stanza starts of by saying " Half a league, Half a league, Half a league onwards." This means the distance is decreasing as they are going along the mountains. "All in they valley of death" this tells me they were doomed as soon as they went into Death Valley in the mid 1800's. Tennyson does not identify the officers' names; he does not mention his name, as he would not be able to put the blame on one man. "Rode the six hundred " this tells me that they rode with six hundred soldiers and returned with an estimate of four hundred this emphasises the tragedy of loosing so may good and heroic soldiers. "Was there a man dismayed."? The men did not question any order, they did not mind dying for their country but what they were to face was too much, it was a slaughter. "Some one had blundered." It

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Poetry Essay on Funeral Blues & The Triumph of Death

Poetry Essay on Funeral Blues & The Triumph of Death The title of the poem 'Funeral Blues' tells me that it has something to do with death straight away because of the word Funeral. As everyone knows this is associated with death. The word 'Blues' reminds me of death because I remember the sad kind of tune that Blues music conveys and it reminds me of a loss of something. 'Funeral Blues' is a negative sort of atmosphere. I feel this by the tone of voice the narrator uses and you can almost see the anger building up inside of her. The poem, 'The Triumph of Death' reminds me of death because of the actual word death. The actual meaning of the 'Triumph of Death' means that death wins over life. This is a very positive attitude. The narrator of 'Funeral Blues' is a female whom has lost someone she treasures and loves a lot. I know this because she says, 'Stop all the clocks' which to me means she is trying to stop time so that she can have some time to herself, to think things through about what she is going to do now her loved one has gone. The narrator of the 'Triumph of death' is most probably Shakespeare but no one really knows. From reading his poem I can see that he doesn't want his loved one to cry or be upset about his death. I know this as soon as I read the first line because it says 'No longer mourn for me when I am dead'. The tone for 'Funeral Blues' is solemn. I

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Critical appraisal of Musée des Beax Arts by W. H. Auden.

Candidate No 030686 Critical appraisal of Musée des Beax Arts by W. H. Auden Musée des Beax Arts was first published in 1940. It is a response to tragedy and the apathy with which humans can view suffering. The title is a reference to the Musée des Beax Arts in Brussels. Auden visited the museum in 1938 where he viewed the painting by Brueghel, which is referred to in the second poetic paragraph of the poem. The use of the classical works of art together with the classical tale of Icarus gives Auden's message about the treatment of tragedy a timeless quality showing to be true of human behaviour regardless of era or culture. Auden's poem juxtaposes ordinary events with extraordinary events to demonstrate the way that life usually continues on regardless of an extraordinary event. The poem first discusses the "miraculous birth" and then the "dreadful martyrdom" of Christ, before going on to discuss the tragedy of Icarus. The poem begins quite abruptly as though part way through a story. The use of the word "they" in the first line creates suspense, as the reader is not sure to whom the narrator is referring to. The use of enjambment in the first few lines creates a knowing, almost didactic tone to the poem. So the reader instantly accepts what it is being told by the narrator. Auden's reflection about the "human position" of suffering is communicated both

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Comparison between Break of day in the trenches and Dulce et Decorum est

DULCE ET DECORUM EST BREAK OF DAY IN THE TRENCHES The poem Dulce et Decorum est is written by Wildred Owens. Wilfred Owen is one of the most famous war poets. He was born in 1893 and died in 1918, just one week from the end of World War One. His poetry is characterized by powerful descriptions of the conditions faced by soldiers in the trenches. World War One took place between 1914 and 1918 and is remembered particularly for trench warfare and the use of gas. Owing to the technological innovations in use during it, the war is often referred to as the first modern war. The other poem that is going to be analyzed is "Break of day in the Trenches" written by Isaac Rosenberg. Isaac Rosenberg was an English poet of the First World War who was considered to be one of the greatest of all English war poets. Both Wilfred Owen and Isaac Rosenberg have a strong association with World War One. Their poems are often violent and realistic, challenging earlier poetry which communicated a pro-war message. Wildred Owens showed his contempt at the pro war message as he called them a lie. Their first-hand experience of war is arguably one reason why there is such a shift in the attitude of poets towards war. On the opening stanza of "Break of day in the Trenches", it describes the breaking of a day as the "darkness crumbles away". It was still the same "old druid" time like always. Isaac

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Compare and contrast the poetic of death and 'seizing the day.' 'Death the leveller' by James Shirley and 'to the virgins, make much of time' by Robert Herrick.

'Compare and contrast the poetic of death and 'seizing the day.' 'Death the leveller' by James Shirley and 'to the virgins, make much of time' by Robert Herrick. 'Death the leveller' by James Shirley suggests that death is chasing us all, including peasants, kings and queens but there is joy in life and take advantage of what time you have. I will compare and contrast this poem with another called 'To the virgins, make much of time' and explain what similarities and what differences these poems have. 'Death the leveller' says death is inevitable and the 'to the virgins' says that life is great, 'Carpe diem,' 'seize the day.' The language in these poems are very similar and use very similar verbs, metaphors and adjectives. These is personification in both poems such as 'old-time is still a flying' which suggests that old-time is a person and in the other poem there is 'Death lays his icy hand on kings' which suggests that death is a person and will eventually get us all. In 'death the leveller' in contrast to the 'to the virgins' poem there is a lot more powerful verbs used such as 'murmuring, crooked, stoop, creep, shadows, mighty, tumble, pale, glories and kill. In the 'to the virgins' poem, verbs used are blossom, sweet, reap, spent and boast. So in contrast there are more powerful verbs used in 'death the leveller.' There are metaphors in both poems especially in the 'to

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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