An imaginary life

An Imaginary Life - Essay Exam essay question: David Malouf's brilliant novel "an imaginary life" has been highly praised and studied widely. Analyse the reasons for this success and popularity. This novel demonstrates an intellectually stimulating and unique way of asking important questions regarding our existence and our relationship with the rest of creation. 'An imaginary life' raises many queries about universal valves, what it is to be human, what is language and why it is so powerful, what is death and the nature of reality. However, not only does this opulent novel ask these eternal enigmas, it also offers possible answers. Thus, these suggested answers are rendered so plausible because of Malouf's Midas touch with the five literary elements: historically authentic plot; believable and sympathetic characteristics; naturalistic but symbolic setting; universal themes; final and foremost it's refulgent style! Therefore, the novel's style is richly poetic, possibly due to the fact that Ovid himself is a poet. His story is told through the use of an elongated letter, an uninterrupted journal entry, where the readers are often addressed. The novel is written in first person but he constantly makes assumptions and that gives him a slightly omniscient role. This role is reinforced through his prophetic predictions, when he states that this letter will be "found and

  • Word count: 1670
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: Languages
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Comparing the ending of Esquivels Like Water for Chocolate to Camus The Outsider

World Lit 1 Comparing the ending of Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate to Camus' The Outsider In both Like Water for Chocolate and The Outsider, the main characters experience a blissful realization at the end of the book while facing imminent death. With the exception of the last few pages of each book, the two main characters, Tita and Meursault are largely static in their development; their interactions with people do not change, nor do their attitudes throughout the novel. In Tita's case, the years of abuse from her family (mostly mother,) physical and mental, coupled with the constant sense of oppression she felt, lead her to become so emotional that she had an often-destructive impact on the world around her. However in Meursault's case, he is passive his entire life to the point of absurdity. The final pages of Like Water for Chocolate and The Outsider provide both main characters with similar realizations, although through very different life circumstances, while facing death. Although the deaths of Tita and Meursault are very different in context, their revelations share the common theme of rebirth. Both characters experience what they had been pursuing throughout the course of the novel only at the end while accepting imminent death. When Tita dies, she finds a "figure of Pedro waiting for her" as she had been searching for love her entire life. And upon

  • Word count: 964
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: Languages
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Streetcar Named Desire

Streetcar Named Desire A motif is a reoccurring structure that helps contribute to the major themes, characterization, and dramatic intensity of a narrative. In the play, "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams, the character Blanche Dubois is a fragile and sensitive woman. She tries to avoid reality, preferring to live in her own little world. Throughout the play, light and Blanche's age are two important motifs that contribute to a major theme, reality versus illusion. Blanche avoids being seen in direct, bright light. She also constantly lies about her age. In the play, "A Streetcar named Desire," it is evident that Blanche refuses to be seen in the light and lies about her age in order to prevent anyone from seeing the reality of her fading beauty. In the play, light symbolizes the reality of Blanche's past. She has lost many things in her life - her husband, her dignity, and her family's plantation, Belle Reve. There are many times during the play where light reoccurs. First, Blanche covers a naked light bulb in the Kowalski's apartment with a Chinese paper lantern, "I can't stand a naked light bulb, any more than I can a rude remark or a vulgar action" (Page 55). Secondly, Blanche refuses to go out with Mitch during the daytime or in well-lit locations. In Scene 9, Mitch realizes Blanche's avoidance of light and confronts her with the stories

  • Word count: 784
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: Languages
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Comparing and Contrasting Nadine Gordimer's Narrative Situations

Comparing and Contrasting Nadine Gordimer's Narrative Situations "Thought is not merely expressed in words; it comes into existence through them" (Vygotsky, 1896-1934). Words so completely surround humans that we rarely are fully aware of the extent to which they are used. Language is used to describe, express, and speculate. It is also, however, used to persuade and manipulate. Authors know this, and because they cannot play with their audience's mind using speech, they use writing, and, more specifically, narrative situation. A good example of this is short story writer Nadine Gordimer who includes bizarrely alternating combinations of narration, perspective, and narrative level in nearly every one of her stories. Out of these, there are two that have been shaped by narrative situation in such an intellectually frightening manner that they would be a meaningless mass of words without it: "Some Are Born to Sweet Delight" and "A Journey". "Some Are Born to Sweet Delight" is a haunting tale about an innocent small-town girl who falls into a relationship with an ominously mysterious foreigner, and gets killed when he, without her knowledge, uses her to bomb the plane she boards. Less horrifying but just as captivating, "A Journey" focuses on the different members of a family who have undergone character changes in order to adjust to their social surroundings. Narrative

  • Word count: 3789
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: Languages
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Cell phone usage has grown greatly over the past several years and has become an American way of life. The American, by nature, is optimistic.

Rachel Queen History 108-01 September 9, 2007 Cell phone usage has grown greatly over the past several years and has become an American way of life. "The American, by nature, is optimistic. He is experimental, an inventor and a builder who builds best when called upon to build greatly." John F. Kennedy. In reference to this quote cell phones have emerged into more than just talking to a person on the other end of the line. Today American's are using cell phones for text messaging and business SMS text messaging. In 1986 about 1 million Americans owned cellular devices; by 1994 16 million Americans were owners of cell phones. Cell phones began to emerge during this period mainly as devices that were meant for talking to a person on the other line. Today more people have cell phones rather than land lines. There are also more than one billion cell phone users worldwide. Americans also spend around seven hours a month talking on their cell phones. The cell phone frenzy has not only affected adults but also teenagers. Currently over 60 million teenagers are carrying cell phones with them. Eventually, Americans became experimental like Kennedy has stated. Various features were added to the cell phone such as text messaging, speed dial, and business SMS text messaging. During the first six months of 2005 there were approximately 32.5 billion text messages sent, which is up

  • Word count: 575
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: Languages
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Chronicle of a Death Foretold

,373 words Tessa Browne 29/04/10 English A1 HL The murder scene in Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a very significant scene. In this scene, the Vicario brothers kill Santiago Nassar for allegedly taking Angela's virginity. Though the reader knows from the beginning that Santiago dies, they do not know how he dies. In this ending scene, it revealed to the reader exactly how he dies in great detail. This short extract not only provides the climax of the novel, but also the anti-climax. This reflects how the murder of Santiago did not take very long in the story. Gabriel Garcia Marquez's word choice in Chronicle of a Death Foretold enhances the effect of this scene on the reader as it heightens the imagination. Marquez also builds up the tension in this scene very effectively. He makes use of bathos in this last scene, which further enhances the effect on the reader. The murder scene answers all the questions the reader has had from the beginning of the novel. It is for this reason that the murder scene is so imperative. Marquez makes use of bathos in the murder/ending scene of his novel. Early on in the passage, the Vicario twins claim they were 'scared when [they] saw him face on' (p. 119). Because the reader views Santiago as the

  • Word count: 1415
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: Languages
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Chinese A1 HL Extended Essay

? ? 3 ????????? 3 ????????? 5 ????????? 7 ? ? 9 ?? 10 ? ? «??»????????????????????,????????????????????????????????????«??»??????,???????????????????????,???????????????????????????????????????????,?????????????,????????,???????"??"?????,????????????,??????????????????????????????,??????????????,???????????????????????,????,????????? ????????? ????????? ????????? ? ? ????????????????????,????,??????????????????,????????«??»???????????????????????????????????????,???????????????????????????,?????????????????????,????????,???????,???????????????????????????????????????,??????,?????????????:"???????????,?????????"(1)?????????????,??????????«??»?????????????,??????"???????,????,??????"??(1)????????,???????????????????????????? ? ? ????????? ?«??»???????????????????????,?????????????????????????????????????????????????????,??,???????????????,????? ???????:"???????????????????????,????????;????????,??????????????,????;?????,????......???????,????????;????,????????,???????"(2)???????????,???????????????,????????????????????????????,????????????????????????,?«??»?????????????

  • Word count: 151
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: Languages
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Organisationen Globalise Resistance organiserade tv mtenunder parollen "Vrlden r inte till salu" frra veckan.Mtena samlade hundratals mnniskor i London och Glasgow. Yelah.netnrvarade vid mtet i Glasgow och fick uppleva

"Världen är inte till salu!" Organisationen Globalise Resistance organiserade två möten under parollen "Världen är inte till salu" förra veckan. Mötena samlade hundratals människor i London och Glasgow. Yelah.net närvarade vid mötet i Glasgow och fick uppleva mycket inspirerade tal av skickliga talare - bland andra José Bové. Första talare i Glasgow var Julie White från Green Party. Hon talade främst om växthuseffekten, ett alltid närvarande hot. Hon poängterade hur de stora företagens lobbygrupper gång på gång förhindrar beslut som gynnar miljön från att drivas igenom. USA:s president George W Bushs ignorerande av Kyotofördraget var ett exempel av detta, menade hon. - Bushs valkampanj var till stor del sponsrat av de stora oljeföretagen. Nu håller han på att betala tillbaka, sa Julie White till dem som samlats i den fullsatta aula. När Yelah.net senare frågade henne vad hon hade för inställning till de som demonsterar mot Bush i Göteborg svarade hon. - Jag är i total solidaritet med demonstranterna i Göteborg. Bush har ignorerat folkets vilja alldeles för länge. De efterföljande talarna var också mycket bra. Will Garton från Jubilee Scotland - uppföljaren till Jubel 2000 i Skottland - attackerade G7-ländernas ovilja att avskriva de fattigaste ländernas lån. Babs McGregor från Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament och

  • Word count: 708
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: Languages
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Cmo influye el poder de los personajes en las obras Antgona y Una Casa de Muecas?

Tema El poder Pregunta base ¿Cómo influye el poder de los personajes en las obras Antígona y Una Casa de Muñecas? Objetivo Demostrar cómo el poder afecta la trama y los personajes en las obras Antígona y Una Casa de Muñecas. Introducción La obra "Antígona" es una tragedia griega escrita por Sófocles en el siglo V a.C. en la que la protagonista, Antígona, se rebela contra su tío Creonte, el rey de Tebas, y lucha por hacer que se respeten los rituales de entierro de uno de sus hermanos. En el caso de la obra "Una Casa de Muñecas", escrita por Henrik Ibsen en el siglo XIX, se presenta la historia de Nora, una mujer que intenta mantener una familia perfecta escondiendo el secreto de cómo salvó la vida de Helmer, su esposo, yendo en contra de las reglas de la sociedad burguesa de la época. Ambas obras escritas en épocas distintas y contextos totalmente diferentes, pueden ser comparadas por varios factores, entre ellos, el poder que absorbe a los personajes en una completa ceguera. En ambas obras existen personajes que ejercen poder sobre otras personas; en "Antígona" es Creonte y en "Una Casa de Muñecas", Helmer. Este poder ciega a estos personajes, los cuales se ven perjudicados por las decisiones que toman estando ensombrecidos por el poder y, a la vez, el mal uso del poder afecta a personajes como Antígona y Nora. Desarrollo En "Antígona", Creonte

  • Word count: 1995
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: Languages
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Definition Aufklaerung

Vergleich zwischen Kants und Jaspers Definitionen für den Begriff Aufklärung: Aufklärung, ein Begriff der schon seit Jahrhunderten immer wieder neu definiert wird. Zwei der bekanntesten Philosophen, Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804) sowie Karl Jaspers (1883 - 1969) definieren den Begriff in mancher Hinsicht auf eine ähnliche Art und Weise, jedoch ergeben sich feine Unterschiede, was nicht zuletzt an den komplett verschiedenen Epochen, aus denen die Künstler stammen, liegt. Da sowohl Kants Werk "Beantwortung der Frage: Was ist Aufklärung" als auch Jaspers Text "Wahre und Falsche Aussage" auf der gleichen Grundlage basieren, ergeben sich gewisse inhaltliche Parallelen. Kant definiert den Vorgang der Aufklärung als "Ausgang aus der selbstverschuldeten Unmündigkeit". Zwischen Verfassung Kants Textes und der Zeit der Entstehung Jaspers Textes liegen über 160 Jahre in denen sich die Bedeutung zahlreicher Begriffe verändert hat. Unmündig ist ein Wort das den rechtlichen Status einer jungen Person erklärt. Zu Kants Zeiten stand dieses Wort noch für die Unwissenheit eines Menschen. Karl Jaspers Werk definiert Aufklärung auf dieselbe Art und Weise, jedoch mit Wörtern die eher unsere Zeit entsprechen. Für ihn ist Aufklärung ein Vorgang "gegen Blindheit des fragelosen Fürwahrhaltens". Bei der Analyse der Wörter Unmündigkeit und Fürwahrhalten ergeben sich auch gewisse

  • Word count: 537
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: Languages
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