Building A Fence Around August English Literature Essay

Building A Fence Around August English Literature Essay Family life of the 1950’s was different from any other time in America’s history. Many soldiers returned home from war and married young, in hopes to create simpler lives for their families. For so many, this was the white American Dream. For African Americans, this dream was much harder to attain. For Troy Maxson, the tragic hero in August Wilson’s Fences, this was no exception. In her essay, â€Å"Baseball as History and Myth in August Wilson’s Fences† Susan Koprince notes that for Troy, â€Å"the American dreamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦turned into a prolonged nightmare† (1104). Racism, segregation, and poverty ran amuck and many blacks found it difficult to find success in this white man’s world. However, at the heart of all of Wilson’s classic and timeless works, are what he refers to as â€Å"the Big Themes†, â€Å"love, honor, duty, [and] betrayal† (Miles, 1096). These universal themes are integral and allow readers to understand the plight that black families in the fifties had to endure, in order to get by. Troy Maxson, above all else, takes to heart his duties as a sole provider for his family. However, Troy often finds himself torn between a desire for more personal liberties in his own life and a sense of commitment to care for his family. These duties to his family are not without fault. Although Troy is a wonderful financial provider for the family, he still feels he does not need to show affection to any of his children. This rings particularly true for his youngest son, Cory. While they work to erect a fence around their yard, Cory asks his father, â€Å"‘How come you ain’t never liked me?'† Troy, furious at this inquiry, tells Cory, â€Å"‘it’s my duty to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Not cause I like you! Cause you my son'† (Wilson, 1049-50). As breadwinner for the family, Troy necessitates himself to deliver food and shelter, but he makes it clear to Cory, as sole provider, that is all he is required to give. Furthermore, Troy’s remarks show readers just how defeated he is of the never-ending task of caring for his family. Troy, however, is not the only member of the household that has an obligation to the family. After Troy confesses to Rose about his affair and the child that Alberta is carrying, Rose chides, â€Å"‘I gave everything I had to try and erase the doubt that you wasn’t the finest man in the world†¦Cause you was my husband'† (1067). These remarks allow readers to grasp the role Rose undertakes as Troy’s loving and faithful wife. Harry J. Elam Jr. notes in his essay, â€Å"August Wilson† that, â€Å"Troy’s adulteryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ propels Rose, to reassess her situation, to gain a greater self-awareness, to change (1102). Rose is a powerful representative of steadfast loyalty; she remains committed to Troy and her duties to hi m, despite his unfaithfulness to her. Even as she undertakes the role of caring for Troy’s lovechild, Rose evokes a powerful sense of sympathy from readers. Despite the infidelity, Rose decides to stay with Troy for the sake of the family. This act additionally solidifies her duty as a wife and mother. In the argument with Rose, following his confession, Troy exclaims that he has spent his whole life trying to live a â€Å"‘decent†¦cleanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦hardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦useful life'† (Wilson, 1066). This remark illustrates how Troy has always been the provider of the home they shared for many years, even though the affair may have only recently started. It appears to readers that through this comment, Troy justifies his own reasons for the infidelity. In his essay â€Å"Fiery Fences,† Clive Barnes remarks how Troy eventually â€Å"sees himself as a man fenced in with responsibilities† (1085). Ironically, the fence Troy erects around his home, i mprisons him from achieving the independence he so desperately craves.

The use of emotions during communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The use of emotions during communication - Essay Example Moving on, it is important to comprehend here that emotion-usage is increasing with the interaction amongst people who hail from different cultural backgrounds and settings. This adds to the value of communication methodologies that are adopted amongst the individuals. Hence the need to have a proper mechanism of communication in place is apparent with the changing times because people feel the need to converse with each other and therefore make their point clear in a very lucid way. People use emotions in order to get their point across to a larger set of audience. This is because they feel that by using emotions, they would be able to make their voice apparent and hence their message would be taken more seriously. The element of genuineness and authenticity seems to be the main premise behind displaying emotions in any communication medium. What is even more important is the fact that communication becomes very complete and comprehensive when emotions are embedded in them. Furthermore, there is a need to decipher the exact role of emotions being at the helm of understanding the communication mechanisms within any interactive exercise. This suggests that those people who lack the proper usage of emotions within their peculiar styles of communicating with a large crowd are usually the ones who are taken in a non-serious way. Their genuineness seems to take a big blow just because they are unable to make use of their body language, their nonverbal cues, their usage of hands, body parts and so on (Lapin 2004). When people use emotions to make their point clear, the audience that is listening to them understands the need for the emotional usage which is indeed further boosting the spoken word within a speech. This speech is indeed important for communicating the message from the sender down to the receiver’s end. The use of emotions within any communication mechanism would indeed bring in the much needed sanity that one is looking for. If the speakers

Major changes in family forms and structures that have taken place in Essay

Major changes in family forms and structures that have taken place in Australia since Federation - Essay Example Gilding (1995, p.8) contends that the family form is a ‘social ordering of kinship and co-residence’ that is politically asserted with the aim of attaching relations based on reliance and commitment but that the family members alter and modify that form to meet their own needs and demands. The historical definition proposed by sociologists and anthropologists was the ‘nuclear family’, which was thus considered as the norm to the extent by some that the construct was a universal ‘basic living unit’ (Baker, 2001, p.7). Today the term ‘nuclear family’ is still under contention, with some believing the ideal is a myth (Eichler, 1997, cited in Baker 2001) to which very few households have and do actually adhere; for others it is the norm but declining (Briggs, 1994; Gilding, 1995). Bittman & Pixley (1997) believe the fact that the nuclear family is declining at the rapid pace as proposed by government statistics and researchers, is itsel f a myth. While they agree there is a diversity of family units, they assert that the measurements are invalid because they are taken at a particular point in time and that people move via a succession of changes wherein they move in and out of a nuclear family structure. What is apparent however, despite the myth or reality of a nuclear family being the norm within Australian society, is that the family structure and form has changed and become more diverse, particularly over the last four decades, for a number of reasons. Since the post war period more Australians have been marrying later and divorcing earlier; marrying partners from different ethnicities; making choices on whether to have children, how many and when; living in de-facto relationships (cohabitating) with and without children, living within homosexual or lesbian partnerships, with or without children, and mixing their family roles (Briggs, 1994). It is quite common to find Australian children living in sole parent f amilies, step parent families, extended families, same-sex families and foster families (Saggers & Sims, 2004). This diversity has been a progressive process over the last century due to the changes in fertility patterns, with women giving birth to 6 children on average pre-Federation to the current day average of 2 children per woman; increasing lifespan resulting in an aging population and an increase in the number of divorces and people choosing not to marry (Bittman & Pixley, 1997). Family diversity in Australia can also be attributed partly to immigration resulting in cultural and ethnic diversity. Immigrants bring a plethora of different beliefs, ideals, behaviours and languages, together with their family structures and relationships, and the roles each member plays within those family forms. Cultural diversity also incorporates Australia’s indigenous people, who again bring their own family structures and values to the stage. Thus the Australian family now incorporate s those that are not only diverse in terms of size (single parent, nuclear or extended families); they are also diverse in terms of organisation (Saggers & Sims, 2004) and the way in which children are raised, how elderly parents are cared for, and they are diverse in expectations of gender. Social changes and

Evaluating artists significance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Evaluating artists significance - Assignment Example As a painter, da Vinci developed a number of iconic artifacts key among which is the Mona Lisa. In this portrait, da Vinci couples a number of possibilities within a single face to come up with the most beautiful painting of its time. The painting portrays a fairer face of a woman with a protruding breast as though of a woman. In all aspects, the painting is a woman. However, several art professionals disagree with the actual portrayal in the painting some asserting that it is a combination of both male and female thereby depicting the beauty of creation (O'Connor 44). Such ambiguities in his works portray da Vinci’s creativity. Art is relative and therefore earns relative interpretations from different people. Leonardo da Vinci’s works on the contrary were difficult to interpret since the artist used simple artistic features to portray complex information mostly targeting the elite in the early society. This ability thus quantifies him as the father of the mannerist pe riod, a period in arts in which artists used complex artifacts to communicate and to criticize the society and the elite ruling class. Besides the Mona Lisa, da Vinci produced several other controversial paintings including the last supper, which is one of the most reproduced religious paintings. In the painting, Leonardo portrays Jesus sitting at a table with his twelve disciples. In a very controversial twist, Leonardo inserts a male disciple in the painting with fairer features next to Jesus. While most people view the image as that of Mathews one of the closest disciples of Jesus, other have rightly argued that she could be Marry Magdalene thereby raising questions about Marry Magdalene’s relationship with Jesus. This portrays the level of controversies that da Vinci left in most of his works. His other iconic painting is the Virgin and child with St Anne, in this, Leonardo includes a controversy as he superimposes two figures in the picture thereby complicating the ident ity of either Marry or St Anne. Despite the controversies that made his works more exciting, Leonardo da Vinci captured nature’s beauty in his works. He used some of the best models of the time and depicted nature as the most beautiful of all that existed. II. Late Renaissance and Baroque: Gian Lorenzo Bernini Lorenzo Bernini was yet another iconic Italian artist, architect, and sculptor. Bernini was a renowned playwright with the ability to develop dramatic narratives and a great sculptor who depicted magnificence in most of his works. As an artist of his time, Bernini portrayed arts as a reflector of the society; most of his narratives were therefore satirical criticisms of the elite in the early Roman society and the ruling class. He therefore portrayed the issues affecting the society in a sardonic manner thereby attracting the attention of the masses to the actions of the ruling elite through entertainment. His sculptors on the other hand were both realist and humanist. In such, he developed big sculptors of the great figures of the time in the streets and churches in Rome and developed others as decorations to similar places. The streets of Rome and some great international museums still stash some of his surviving artifacts. Among his great works that portrayed both beauty and opulence included the Apollo and Daphne, in the sculpture, Bernini portrays both a complex understanding to nature and the

One flew over the cuckoo's nest by Ken Kesey Annotated Bibliography

One flew over the cuckoo's nest by Ken Kesey - Annotated Bibliography Example The significance of the book in American literature is that it is a metaphor for society – the dehumanizing force of administrative and medical power is likened to mechanical â€Å"Combine† which is a huge machinery of oppression. Normal human behaviours are suppressed and the machinery of power is challenged by the tragic hero McMurphy. In the end he is lobotomized and finally killed by the narrator. It sounds like a horror story and it has very serious themes, but there is a lot of humor in the dialogue and in the quirky character of McMurphy. This book contains a short but fascinating discussion of the character of Nurse Ratched, the Big Nurse. Using Freudian and Jungian psychological concepts, Aguiar shows how McMurphy sets himself up to fight a huge battle with a typical â€Å"ball-cutter†, which reveals his fear of the castrating female. This is then described as an archetypal mother hatred scenario, and Aguiar suggests that all of the male patients in the asylum see Nurse Ratched as a mother figure, and they apparently masochistically project their fear of their own mothers onto her. The target of McMurphy’s rebellion is not just the authority that Nurse Ratched holds, but also her actual femininity, and this is made clear when McMurphy attacks her and exposes her large breasts. Aguiar explores a Jungian analysis of this act in terms of the Oedipus complex, but somehow this analysis is unconvincing. After all Nurse Ratched triumphs over McMurphy in the end, and it could be argued that she is as much a v ictim of the oppressive system as he is. This book pursues a very strong feminist line, but in Kesey’s novel it finds more questions than answers, throwing up a number of intriguing theories, none of which address the mixed male/female/machine persona that is Nurse Ratched, or the decidedly positive view that the young McMurphy formed of women and heterosexual love. This book examines issues around the religious nature of the

Real life research Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Real life research - Coursework Example When a company conducts qualitative research through a focus group, the company is attempting to do research by having the moderator in focus group record everything that is the side in the focus group. The chosen forms of research were the appropriate forms of research for this study. Today focus groups can be conducted on the Internet. If the researchers had done a quantitative study, the researchers would have found out how the customer’s feel about the brand image. A quantitative research study will give researchers a general idea of what a customer thinks about a brand, or a company into. They can’t see the research study on what, how, where, and when. So, into a native research study the researchers could’ve found out what the customer’s like most about the brand, where the customers shop most for the brand and when they shop for it. One can measure the success of the campaign in the sales figures. If the campaign brought in more revenue than prior to the campaign and the campaign is, then determined a success. If the campaign only brought the same amount of revenue as before the campaign would not be so much of a success. However, if the company takes what was and changes the brand, and images the company will undoubtedly become a success

Profile in Leadership Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Profile in Leadership - Term Paper Example For me leadership is a way of living and it’s hidden in small acts with big results. In order to act like a leader, one does not need a designation or role assigned to him as someone may act as a leader in petite situations. Currently, he is working as a restaurant manager in one of Starbucks branches. I have seen him dealing with his staff and observing him makes me realize that he is a highly effective leader. I have also taken feedback about him from his staff and they all declare him as an effective leader and a great motivator using various means to satisfy and keep the team on track. In domestic life, he is always supportive and helping. One of his strengths is his negotiation and conflict management skills; he is well-respected in his friend’s circle, therefore he is often asked for help in managing difficult situations. The purpose of selecting him for this interview is to identify what kind of leader he is, how he perceives himself in a leading role, how others perceive him, what are his strengths and weaknesses in this role and what makes him an effective leader. Also, analyzing his leadership skills with the help of leadership theories was another main objective of this interview. Prior to this meeting, the objective of this interview was shared with him and his consent was taken. ... According to this theory, followers have four development styles according to which leadership styles are required to be amended. Competence and motivation of the follower act as the main criteria for selection of respective leadership styles. Hersey and Blanchard (1996) presented situational leadership theory that provided a correlation between respective leadership style and skill level of the follower. According to this theory, there are four leadership styles. First one is telling or directing. Such leadership style is used when the follower lacks competence and is not willing or motivated. In such case where relationship between leader and follower is quite weak, appropriate leadership would require the leader or manager to provide directions with strict task focus. This leadership style requires that the leader maintain necessary distance with the follower as effort to strengthen relationship would lead to further confusion. Another leadership style is selling or coaching, such leadership style is appropriate in a situation where follower has a reasonable degree of commitment and competence. In such situation, the leaders are expected to focus on relationship building as well as high task focus. Since the follower has a reasonable knowledge of the job required to be done, therefore strict directions would result in further demotivation. Therefore, leader needs to develop relationship through effective listening and providing appropriate guidance when required. These two leadership styles are mainly dependent on the leader, his competence and relationship building skills. Third leadership style is participating and supporting. In this case, follower is exceptionally competent and skilled but lacks motivation to perform tasks. In such cases, leader is