Family Structures And Family Structure Essay - 1830 Words

1. In her book The Unfinished Revolution, Kathleen Gerson argues that today, family pathways are more important than family structure. In this context, family structure refers to the organization of a family, and the way that it has been changing as a result of the gender revolution. For example, some nontraditional family structures that are explored in the book include double parent families with both parents earning, single parent families (mostly single mothers), and families with same-sex parents. Gerson argues that while family structures are not negligible, it is family pathways that are more important for the children of the gender revolution. That is to say, the children value the dynamics of their family more than the structure. They are more concerned about how well their parents are able to provide them with the necessary emotional and financial support than they are about how well their families follow a norm. For them, it is more about feeling like they’re part o f a family rather than just physically being in one. Gerson emphasizes this when she explains that the people she interviewed â€Å"focused on the long-term consequences of parental choices, not on the specific form or type of home these choices produced at any one moment in time.† One important implication of this argument is the way in which the children of the gender revolution imagine their own romantic relationships unfolding. Even there, they prioritize a feeling rather than a format. For example, oneShow MoreRelatedFamily Structures And The Family Structure Essay1917 Words   |  8 PagesIt is commonly accepted in contemporary society that family structures are defined as being either a nuclear family, or one that strays away from that. According to Dalton Conley in the fourth edition of You May Ask Yourself, the nuclear family is defined as a familial form consisting of a father, a mother, and their children (453). By definition and contemporary societal norms, my fa mily would be categorized as abnormal or different. Having been raised in an apartment in the Bronx, New York withRead MoreFamily Structure And Structure Of The British Family1744 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction. Family is the fundamental unit of society. The concept and structure of the British family has seen a change over the last 50 years. These changes have culminated in the decay of marriage and therefore the rise of cohabitation, new forms of family composition and the delay of parenthood, thus, making traditional nuclear family less stable than in previous generations (Jenkins et al. 2009). The aim of this essay is of great importance as it will look at important decades since theRead MoreFamily Structure Of The Family867 Words   |  4 PagesFamily is defined as a group of people related to each other or lives together under the same roof and a place to foster and develop both physical and mental. Family structure can be varied by each family. The family is the fundamental unit and micro-structure of society. The level of development of the family reflects the state of social existence both physical and cultural and based on trust and shared experiences that define how individual members interact and relate to each other and the worldRead MoreThe Family Structure Of Family1095 Words   |  5 PagesThe family structure determines where you derive from and provides a sense of who you are. The typical family structure is perceived as a father and a mother, two children, one boy and one girl, and a pet. The typical family description described above is still promoted and expected to be the â€Å"dream family.† Author Meyerhoff, â€Å"While the nuclear family with Dad, Mom, and offspring happily coexisting beneath one roof-remains the ideal, variations in family structure are plentiful and often successful†Read MoreFamily Structure And The Family891 Words   |  4 PagesFamily Interview Paper If the family structure is a mobile, the family meal is the string that holds each family in their place. The Grey’s are an entrepreneurial middle class family consisting of dad, mom, and five children. They have four children G, A, P, M, and S. The oldest (G) is ten, and the youngest (S) is one. Dad is a graphics engineer who works from home. Mom is a nursing student. Their schedules give them the flexibility to be involved in the children’s lives most of the day, which canRead MoreThe, Family, And Family Structure1818 Words   |  8 PagesThe most fundamental of a family is interaction. The interconnectedness among family members helps to maintain a family structure. According to McGoldrick (2006), family patterns repeat from one generation to the next generation. These triangular patterns are impacting functioning, relationships, and family structure. Looking at the current and historical context of the family, the genogram illustrated some repetitive patterns i n Michelle’s family. There were many intergenerational losses andRead MoreThe And Structure Of Family1095 Words   |  5 Pagesdefinition and structure of family has significantly developed throughout the years, with liberal perspectives suggesting alternative family arrangements. In 1973, Michael Young and Peter Willmott conducted studies of family life within the London area and concluded that the development and changes within the structure of family life can be sorted into three categories of time. (Van Krieken et al. 2017, p. 107). The pre-industrial family (up until the early 19th century), the early industrial family (IndustrialRead MoreFamily Structure3365 Words   |  14 PagesThe impact of globalization on family–structure: a sociological study Abstract In the present research paper, we shall discuss a study which has been carried out on the Bengali community situating in the lowlands (Tarai) of the Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand and the effect of Modernization and Globalization on their family structure on this community. Its historicity lies in the fact that the Bengali community living in the lowlands of Udham Singh Nagar has all come from East PakistanRead MoreThe Structure Of The American Family Structures933 Words   |  4 PagesThe understanding of the Diverse Family Structures is important as the structure of the American family grows and changes. To be an effective teacher you need to understand your students and their family structure. Some reach I did on this to become more equipped in understanding the family structure while teaching diversity The Many Kinds of Families in Our Communities by Julie Edwards describes the many different types of family structures and a brief description of each one. The next articleRead MoreThe Family Structure Of The Hoover Family Essay1441 Words   |  6 Pages the Hoover family takes a road trip that progressions, each of them exclusively and as a three-generational family. The most unconventionally miserable family you will ever experience. Their individual self-centered identities will put them in terrible positions, however soon enough each family member will work together. As we get to be familiar with each of the Hoovers, we see them separately either making progress toward the status of a broken family. Change for the Hoover family is unequivocal

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Analysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter

Alex Khosla Peritz, C Block October 31, 2014 A High Price to Pay Everything in life comes with a cost, be it a cost that can be paid with money or a cost that cannot be remedied in the physical world. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne illustrates the high cost of identity and selfhood in society. Through the protagonist Hester Prynne, Hawthorne reveals the societal standards regarding chastity and sin that drive the high cost of identity and selfhood in society and their relation to the physical and metaphysical worlds. In addition, Hawthorne uses the townspeople of Boston, such as the old women in the town, high ranking officials, such as Governor Bellingham, Hester’s former husband, Roger Chillingworth, and her daughter, Pearl to further illustrate the high cost that Hester pays for her identity and selfhood. The cost of identity and selfhood is introduced from the beginning of the novel when the women are standing in front of the prison, waiting for Hester to exit. Hawthorne exhibits th e ideas of selfhood when one of the woman castigates to her friends â€Å"At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead. Madam Hester would have winced at that, I warrant me. But she, the baggage, little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown!† (49). Since the women outside the jail view Hester from a perceived moral high ground, they see Hester’s identity as the sinner, as observed when another one ofShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter Essay1234 Words   |  5 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne, in The Scarlet Letter, and Daniel Solove in his piece about â€Å"Shaming and the Digital Scarlet Letter† show that one who lives two lives with two dual personalities, purposefully or accidentally, can live the lie for only so long before he makes a mistake, becomes confused, and betrays his identity. The two lives that one leads most often have one persona used to conceal the other personality that society typically shuns, and he chooses to have these two personalities. He choosesRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter 1452 Words   |  6 PagesJunhee Chung A.P English Language August 20, 2015 Novel Analysis Assignment The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Plot and Conflict The Crucible is a story that revolves around the Salem Witch Trials. The novel takes place in Salem Massachusetts in 1692. It starts off with the local pastor, Reverend Parris, catching a group of girls, one of them his daughter and one of them being his niece, practicing witchcraft in the woods. Abigail is the leader of the group of girls, and her motive forRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter 1606 Words   |  7 PagesMarin Fallon Mrs. Janosy English 2H 23 November 2015 Sin in the The Scarlet Letter The story of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is one with many twists and turns. A young woman moves to Boston, Massachusetts while her husband takes care of affairs in England. After two years pass she secretly has an affair with the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. When she becomes pregnant and gives birth to her daughter Pearl, the town punishes her for committing the act of adultery. She is sentenced to standRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter Essay1368 Words   |  6 PagesCharacters’ Name in The Scarlet Letter† (2015), suggests that Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism to greatly enhance the importance of three of the main characters in his novel. Lei supports her suggestion by talking about the different ways in which each character’s name is symbolic, and how that directly correlates with their characteristics and their actions. Lei’s purpose is to elaborate on the depth of the main characters names in order to revea l to the reader how Hawthorne implicitly makes theRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter 1503 Words   |  7 PagesMartinez Mrs. Lee English 3H, Period 2 9 December 2015 Judgement Day American author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, felt guilty about the intolerance of his Puritan ancestors, one of whom judged at the Salem witch trials. He utilized his passionate sentiments regarding Puritanism as an inspiration for his iconic literary work, The Scarlet Letter; in which he does not embrace but rather critiques Puritan ideology. Because Hawthorne has fathomed the Puritan community, he favors to provide a more in depth understandingRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter 1217 Words   |  5 PagesBotts 1 McKenzie Botts Mrs. Eron English 2330, Section 02 November 10, 2014 A Sin is a Sin Nathaniel Hawthorne was a brilliant writer of the 19th century. Hawthorne created a novel that reflected the time period of the Puritans in New England. The Scarlet Letter contains a representation of the people during that time period but can also be related to the reader’s time period. Originally, God created the world with complete perfection until man fell, and sin entered the world. In the eyes of GodRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter 1128 Words   |  5 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.He was born in Masasschusetts in 1804 , whose father was a sea captain.He was descedant as a Puritan family known for their attacks on Quakers , Indians and ‘’witches ‘’.Therefore when he was 20 years old , he added a ‘’w’’ to his original name â€Å"†Hathorne’’ as a distance to his family past . Hawthorne ‘s characterists were described as a shy ,solitary ,idle student at school , who prefered reading as a lifestyle.He was graduatedRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter 1071 Words   |  5 PagesMrs. Jackson 16 December 2015 A Sinner Defined by The Scarlet Letter Society has not changed as far as labeling people and probably never will. In the Puritan society they branded, tortured, and defined human beings the way they saw them even though they did not know how the person they were humiliating truly was. Hester Prynne is a good example of this in the novel The Scarlet Letter written by the author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne is using the character Hester in this novel to show how societyRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s Scarlet Letter 1392 Words   |  6 PagesAP Short Form â€Å"Scarlett Letter† AP English Language and Composition Title: Scarlet Letter Author and Date of Publication: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Publication in 1850 Significance of the Title: This book was titled The Scarlet Letter because the plot of the novel is centered around the question of who, besides Hetser is the other adulteress. Main Characters: Hester Prynne - The character of Hester is labeled as an adulteress, and is condemned to wear the scarlet letter for the rest of her daysRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter 1138 Words   |  5 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, asserts that we must try to change situations if one feels like they can have control to do so. One should attempt to change conditions in the attempt to make life more joyful for themselves and if possible their community as well. It is the responsibility of an individual to make the world a better place to live for the future generations. The concept of making the best of every situation while spreading positive ideas accentuates the responsibilities

The Tragedy of EveryMan in Death of a Salesman Essay

The Tragedy of EveryMan in Death of a Salesman Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens? I dont say hes a great man. Willy Loman never made a lot of money; his name was never in the paper; hes not the finest character that ever lived. But hes a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid ... Attention, attention, must be finally paid to such a person. from Death of a Salesman Only in America. The American Dream. Much is made in our society of the pursuit of the American Dream. But just what is that dream? And is it one worth pursuing? This is part of what Miller is asking us to look at in Death of a Salesman. But it manages to succeed on†¦show more content†¦After all, the unhindered pursuit of life, liberty and happiness is our birthright. But this is part of that visible world that Miller is punching holes in, exposing it to some of those inescapable truths of existence. There is a dark side to the freedom inherent in our pursuit of the American dream. Things get corrupt and out of balance when greed and power replace concern for others, or when the capitalistic system degenerates into nothing more than survival of the fittest mentality. Too much emphasis gets placed on wealth. Thus Willy can not accept that the things around him are enough to have a good life. He must be rich like his brother Ben. And in a dog eat dog world its all right for t hose riches to be obtained by unscrupulous means - Never fight fair with a stranger boy. Youll never get out of the jungle that way, Biff is counseled. And now that Willy is old and unable to keep up with the technology, he cant even operate Howards tape machine, and all of his contacts are retired or have passed away, he is no longer of use or value to the great economic machine. In the twilight of his life he finds that he is a piece of fruit whose peel is being tossed away. And as for Biff, its not enough to be liked. You must be well-liked. To play on the football team is not enough. You must be the star. The implication being that if you are desired by several colleges you are worth more to society than Bernard whoShow MoreRelatedSophocles Oedipus Rex as Modern Tragedy Essay examples1184 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus Rex and Tragedy Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is, in short, the story of a man who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. It certainly sounds like a tragedy, doesn’t it? But the classification and definition of ‘tragedy’ are one of the many things widely disputed in the realm of literary studies. So, for the purposes here we’ll use Aristotle’s five criteria of a tragedy: a tragic hero of noble birth, a tragic flaw or mistake, a fall from grace, a moment of remorse, and catharsisRead MoreTo What Extent Can Bosola Be Considered a Tragic Hero? Essay1310 Words   |  6 PagesTo what extent can Bosola be considered a tragic hero? â€Å"Let worthy minds ne’er stagger in distrust/ to suffer death or shame for what is just. / Mine is another voyage.† Thus the dying Bosola concludes his last speech and, in doing so, ends the life of a character whose very nature is at odds with the others’ – and with himself. For Bosola is a paradox: as a malcontent, he delivers line after line of poisonous verse; insults old women; sneers at the Cardinal and Ferdinand, whom he sees (justifiablyRead MoreThe Multifaceted Themes and Symbols in Millers Play, Death of a Salesman2446 Words   |  10 PagesArthur Miller, the author of the play Death of a Salesman, proposes the idea that even an ordinary person can have major tragedies happen to him or her. When something bad happened to the individuals, who were mostly royalty, as portrayed in the great Greek and great Shakespearean tragedies, it affected the whole country. The ordinary person with a commonplace background, however, playing the major role in a tragedy, is a reformation of the older masterpiece, now tuned for modern readers and viewersRead MoreLiterary Review of Rabbit R un by John Updike Essays3013 Words   |  13 PagesRabbit is a brainless guy whose career as a high school basketball star peaked at age 18. In his wifes view, he was, before their early, hasty marriage, already drifting downhill. We meet him for the first time in this novel, when he is 22, and a salesman in the local department store. Married to the second best sweetheart of his high school years, he is the father of a preschool son and husband to an alcoholic wife. We are at ground zero watching Rabbit struggle with aging, religion, sexuality (particularlyRead MoreData Sheet Analysis for Kafkas Metamorphosis Essay4848 Words   |  20 Pages | |worried as everyone else; by the end of |(Kafka 39). | | | |three, he is rejoicing over Gregors death.| | | | |In the end, he is the necessary antagonist,| | | |

Comparative Literature in an Age of Globalization Free Essays

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE IN AN AGE OF GLOBALIZATION: Utrecht University The bylaws of the American Comparative Literature Association stipulate the writ-ing every ten years of â€Å"a report on the state of the discipline. † The present collection Comparative Literature in an Age of Globalization represents the latest in the series and is a follow up to Charles Bernheimer’s Comparative Literature in the Age of Multiculturalism (1994). The structural similarities between the two titles, with their repetition of â€Å"Comparative Literature in the age of † is striking, and I will corne back toit. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparative Literature in an Age of Globalization or any similar topic only for you Order Now The nineteen essays in the collection have been written by a team of eminent scholars and they respond not only to Bernheimer’s collection and to the general theme of â€Å"globalization† but also to each other. The resuit is an interesting series of kaleidoscopic interventions, some highly readable and pulling lots of punch; others less user-friendly and, in attempting to arise to the occasion, somewhat convoluted and over-written. Granted: the â€Å"report† is a very awkward genre for which there are no rules and, given this need to improvise, the editer Haun Saussy has made a good job of providing a nuanced and multiperspectival account of the â€Å"state of the discipline†. It would have enhanced the impact of the present volume, however, had it been at times less an inward looking colloquy among seniors and more inviting to the as-yet not initiated graduate student. As it is, it makes very interesting reading for the diehard senior member of staff (and presumably the members of the ACL A) while being less accessible to the future scholar or to those working in other disciplines and interested in finding out what Comparative Literature stands for, where it is going to, and why it might be important. Canadian Review of Comparative Literature / Revue Canadienne de Litterature Comparee CRCL DECEMBER 2008 DECEMBRE RCLC 0319-051Ãâ€"708/35. 4/353  ©Canadian Comparative Literature Association 54/ CRCL DECEMBER 2008 DECEMBRE RCLC ANN RIGNEY | COMPARATIVE LITERATURE IN AN AGE OF GLOBALIZATION/ 355 A survey attempting to do justice to the complexity of an academie field and what is at issue in it, almost inevitably leaves the reviewer less with a single argument than with a variety of perspectives on a variety of issues (on among other things, the importance of historical approaches, the value of study of graphie novels and other visual forms alongside texts; the nature of comparative literature as a â€Å"metadiscipline† or exploratory space). So what is really surprising about this collection, then, is the degree of convergence that it nevertheless manifests. To begin with, the majority of contributors do address some issue within the broad frame of â€Å"globalization† taking their eue from the substantial introductory essay by Saussy, himself a specialist in Chinese literature. Where the 1994 report focused on questions of the boundaries between literature and other cultural expressions, ten years later the main emphasis here is on themes that are in many ways more traditional within the multilingual field of comparative literature: the concept of world literature or â€Å"literatures of the world† and how best to teach it (David Damrosch and Katie Trumpener provide interesting solutions); the cultural role of translation and its status as a medium in teaching and research (Steven Ungar); the nature of comparison itself and the grounds upon which texts or movements from different cultural and linguistic traditions, even from different periods, may usefully be compared with each other and if indeed, as Emily Apter argues following Alain Badiou, if grounds for comparison are always needed; the future role of (East) European literature and theory within the much larger body of world literature now becoming available (Caryl Emerson). Even Marshall Brownà ¢â‚¬â„¢s enthusiastic celebration of the close reading of particular texts, using the example of Effi Briest, reflects the concern with globalization: the very fabric of Effi’s provincial life is woven through, as Brown shows, with the impact of more distant and general developments. Such concerns suggest that we are witnessing the return of Comparative Literature to its origins as the inter-cultural and multilingual study of literature. As if to con-firm this, the polyglossic Zeitschrift fur Vergleichende Literatur established by Hugo Meltzl de Lomnitz in 1877 is cited on more than one occasion as the foundational text of the discipline (rather than say, the Russian Formalists’ programme for a general literary science as promoted among others by Rene Wellek). The phrase â€Å"return to origins† might seem at first sight a merely conservative retreat to older positions, but re-engaging with roads taken earlier in comparatism is not a symptom in this case of burnout. Instead, the present concern with intercultural and interlinguistic â€Å"comparatism† as the basis for the common pursuit of literary studies represents not just a return, but also a revitalization: a return to a well-established tradition that had been marginalized as long as other theoretical formations, taking a more universalist approach to literary texts, dominated the academie study of literatures, as they did from the 60s on. But it also represents a revitalization and expansion of this tradition: at a time when globalized communication networks, intercultural exchanges and human mobility are such dominant features of our lives, some of the traditional concerns of comparative literature a la Meltzl de Lomnitz and Paul van Tieghem among others have become relevant in new ways and have the possibility of taking central stage in the field of literary studies at large. Ail of this is good news for those who continue to want to disengage the study of literature from the inevitable parochialism of the separate language departments and who are committed to the study of literature as a trans-national medium that has long been crossing borders—before ever the term globalization was invented—both in the original and in the form of translations. The report thus bespeaks confidence in the Comparatist project and a certain excitement at the sense that literature has become an even richer domain now that we in the West are becoming belatedly aware of the variety of literatures in the world and, thanks to work done in the last years to make it more accessible in the form of anthologies, a little better equipped to talk about nonEuropean literatures. As several contributors point out, the success of comparatist concerns in the field of literary studies at large along with the more general acceptance of translation as a legitimate medium for teaching, may mean that Departments of Comparative Literature as such may become less distinctive. The even greater risk is also there that the inter-linguistic and inter-cultural aims of the Comparatist project may end up being reduced to the derivative study of â€Å"literatures of the world† through the monolingual filter of a globalizing English. For globalization, of course, is always double-edged: while providing a greater awareness of cultural diversity it also tends to reduce that diversity by the very fact that it makes cultures more widely accessible in an homogenizing lingua franca. Given this downside of globalization, the distinctive aims of Comparative Literature as the multilingual study of literature have become ail the more urgent. As the present collection demonstrates, however, the traditional demand that students of Comparative Literature be at home in three (European) languages is no longer enough for the task at hand. More language skills are needed. But since there are presumably also limits to the number of languages any individual scholar can master, there is new need for different forms of collaboration between specialists in various fields-a point implied by a number of contributors, though not extensively thema-tized in the present collection. Indeed, given this need for collaborative projects, the core of Comparative Literature may no longer be in a particular â€Å"disciplinarity† (i. e. that it is carried out by individuals who are skilled in various languages, though hopefully these people will continue to exist) but in its function as a platform for research and teaching: the fact that it brings together scholars who are committed to exploring in a collaborative way the cross-currents and exchanges between literatures written in different languages across the world at different periods. This report on â€Å"the state of the discipline† thus gives not only food for thought but also reasons for confidence. Nevertheless, it also leaves me with some niggling doubts about the very way in which we as literary scholars think about our work. My concern centres on the generic title: â€Å"Comparative Literature in the age of†¦ † The problem lies not so much in the epochal tone, suggesting as it does that in the course of 10 years we have moved from the â€Å"age of multiculturalism† to that of â€Å"globalization† (as if mul- 356/ CRCL DECEMBER 2008 DECEMBRE RCLC ANN RIGNEY | COMPARATIVE LITERATURE IN AN AGE OF GLOBALIZATION/ 357 ticulturalism were somehow no longer relevant or globalization a new thing). The problem is more with the implicit assumption that one should define â€Å"the state of the discipline† by looking at ils relation to â€Å"the age† around it as if it should be its mirror. Behind this conceptualization lies, of course, the legacy of Matthew Arnold and the belief that criticism’s main task is to provide knowledge, not so much of literature as such, as of the world itself as this is represented or reflected through literature. â€Å"Comparative Literature in the age of † bespeaks this grand commitment to be the conscience of the world and to interpret the â€Å"best† that has been thought in it. This continues to be a self-evident aim within literary studies. Hence the ongoing selfsearching about what is the proper object of study fuelled by the belief that the choice of object (world literature, literatures of the world, popular fiction or highly regarded works of literature) involves an ethical decision about what is relevant at the present time or in the present world. With our present global perspective and our awareness that there is more to literature than the canon of European classics, that â€Å"worldly† task has become an even heavier one and the way to its realization more fraught by the need to select carefully. Far be it from me to trivialize the importance of cultural criticism or a commitment to seeking out interesting literary phenomena to study above more banal ones. Nevertheless, there is something paradoxically ostrich-like about the ways in which Comparative Literature defines itself in relation to the world around it and in relation to â€Å"the age† as a whole. The very moral authority accorded to literature is also a throw-back to a time when literature (vide Arnold) was the dominant cultural form. But for ail its ostensible worldliness, the present collection arguably puts its head in the sand when it cornes to the changing status of literature in the highly mediated world in which we live and where globalization has been effectuated more obviously through the medium of television, film, popular music and internet than it has through literature. In paying so much attention to world literature and how it should be defined and taught (in itself a really positive development) the collection nevertheless succeeds in ignoring the fact that literature’s relation to the world, and its place in the world, has fundamentally changed. More precisely, it ignores the interface between literature and other media, and between literature and other forms of knowledge at the present time. In raising this point, I do not mean to uggest that we should ail drop the study of literature in favor of looking at other media (a pos-sibility raised briefly by Malti-Douglas), for that would be to p erpetuate the belief that literary studies is somehow a super-discipline that provides the conscience for the humanities and has a responsibility for ail of culture. Rather it is an argument in favor of reconsidering the changing relations between literature and other cultural media, and the impact both in the past and in the present of new technologies and changing literacies on the very possibilities we have for expression and interpretation. It is also an argument for considering new forms of collaboration with specialists in other fields of culture. In other words, the next challenge is to conceive of literary studies itself from a comparative perspective, that is, in relation to other forms of knowledge about culture and media. In the last decades, certainly in Europe, media studies have been institutionalized and have been providing increasing competition for literary studies both when it comes to attracting students and to attracting research funding. The question which needs to be addressed, sooner rather than 10 years down the line, is how to reposition comparative literary studies in relation to these adjacent fields. In the first place, this will mean becoming more modest: accepting the fact that writing and reading are just one form of culture among other, albeit the one with the longest history and about which there is the greatest body of knowledge (here we should be much less modest). It will also involve becoming more pro-active as we define more clearly, and become once again surprised by the magic of language in its various manifestations, what literature can and can not achieve (Jonathan Culler’s intervention hints in this direction). Instead perhaps of soul-searching continuously about the identity of Comparative Literature in relation to the set of objects (world literature, counter-canons, etc) and in relation to â€Å"the age† as a whole, we need to look outside the discipline and accept that there is an outside. Hopefully the next report will focus less on â€Å"the state of the discipline† as seen from within and be more specific about what we have to offer the world of learning at large. How to cite Comparative Literature in an Age of Globalization, Essay examples

Our Town free essay sample

The play, Our Town, is defined as a playwright, which involved physical action and representing the externals of human behavior. The play in general contains little action in order to support the theme of the play, which is narrated by the, Stage Manager. The inciting incident in the play is when George Gibbs falls in love with Emily Webb and then get married. The major conflicts of the play consists of those living in Grovers Corner and not appreciating life. Another conflict is when Emily dies, she wants to return to her previous life, and ignoring the consequences given by the dead. Our Towns climactic incident would be Emilys death after childbirth and joining her relatives/friends in the cemetery, she then relives her original life and realizes how precious life is and cannot take it for granted. ( Act III). The denouement of the play is when Emily realizes that the dead were right about the living. We will write a custom essay sample on Our Town or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She begs to come back to the gravesite after experiencing the living is quite depressing. IV. Theme The meaning of the play is to cherish every moment we have on earth, not taking life for granted because we are not granted a second chance in life. The protagonist is the small group of people who live in Grovers Corner that take life for granted, but are also their own antagonist, casually going about life and not appreciating the small things life offers. The Stage Manager, can be labeled as a narrator, someone who orchestrates the play before each scene. He can also be labeled as a protagonist, who speaks directly to the audience and at times can have a contemplative tone and also takes part in a few scenes throughout the play. Simon Stimson can be labeled as a foil, a troubled alcoholic who lives in Grovers Corner who ends up committing suicide, someone who is troubled and doesnt care about the quality of life. (Act II). VI. Literary Quality or Diction The language used in Our Town is dialogue, which runs pretty smoothly throughout the play. There is also a use of poetic imagery which allows the audience to picture what the character is emphasizing, when speaking. The play did have a lot of different figures of speech, ranging from an older version of our language and resembling language used in the early 20th century. VII. Music and Musicality The Stage manager, although not labeled as a type of music, he introduced each scene which a clear voice and dialogue, being able to understand what he says, gives the audience a sense of what is coming next. (Act 1, Scene 1). The clear voices and emotions for each character really helped me understand what the overall feeling toward each scene was. VIII. Spectacle The staging format for Our Town was a bit odd, with no fourth wall in the play, being able to visualize the important parts of the play is important to me so this was a first. The designing of the background during each scene, the sound of characters, lighting, and costumes used in the play really emphasized the overall quality. The sound designs was another aspect of the play, which I thought played a huge impact. Being able to know what type of emotion each scene is representing. For example, Emily dying after childbirth was a huge part of the play, the sound and emotion during that scene made it very sad. ( Act III). In Our Town, the play emphasized great scenery throughout the play, as well as, costume designs. Thanks to Allison Mortimer and Sara Pruter, It showed great detail to the structure of the play, allowing the audience to fully grasp the vibe of the play from beginning to end. Using certain shapes of materials and color helped the audience understand the scenery of the play, being able to understand what time period this took place. The lighting through the play was great, being able to clearly see in detail for each scene. For example, when the Stage manager introduces the people in Grovers Corner, is was clear and easy to see what type of life style they live. Grisel Torres did an excellent job with the angles, colors, and shadows throughout the play, really emphasizing the emotion and lighting for each scene. Allison Mortimer, the costume designer, did a good job figuring out what each character should wear and allowing the audience to decide which class each character fits in society. The costumes looked like they were somewhat middle class and even looked vintage at times. I wasnt sure if they were recreated or not. Changing costumes for different scenes made it easier to understand the aspect of the scene and allowing the audience to understand what will happen. IX. Convention The Stage Manager, which is known to the narrator, also shows up in many different scenes as a character. For example, he comes into a scene as Mr. Morgan the drugstore owner who serves ice cream to Emily and George. The play had a lot of objects that were not presently there, the characters did their best trying to symbolize what it would be like using those objects. An example, would be Mr. Morgan ( Stage manager ) pretending to make ice cream for Emily and George, in which, the ice cream is not really there, just using imaginary objects. X. Acting and Directing The actor playing George Gibbs had to emphasize his emotions for love and marriage in the play. George who is a baseball star that lives his life in the dark. George is then haunted when Emily dies and is confused on how to live his life without her. The emotions the actor had to convey was excellent, remembering that hes acting as a character in the play, not as himself. Danny Ford, who played George had to use his emotions and thought to emphasize the quality of the character. Actors acting from the outside have to learn from different sources, being able to practice their behavior and emotions for certain characters they will play. Even learning technical things will help incorporate their skills into becoming a better character within the play. Xi. Outstanding Moment I think the most outstanding moment in the play is when after Emily dies from childbirth, she then joins the dead souls in the cemetery,(Our Town) . She returns to relive a day in her past, which makes her realize how life is fragile and those living take it for granted. It showed that people need to appreciate life and love every moment of it, because tomorrow is not guaranteed. XII. The Event as Theatre Indeed, Our Town is defined as a theatre. Since Act 1 (Our Town), it was evident that this was a play defined as a theatre, with its costume design, with the work of art. People impersonating characters in the play, changing their emotions, tone, and dialect. Performance was also involved in this play, for example, The Stage manager, speaking to the audience, delivering the message of the scene. The people acted like they would in real life, but as the character in the play. XIII. Summary After watching Our Town I learned that life is fragile and you need to appreciate life everyday because tomorrow is never promised. Life experiences and choices that we make everyday will determine our future. Our Towns major parts is when George and Emily get married and then Emily dies after giving birth, which is the low point of the play.

Critiscisms Of My Antonia Essay Example For Students

Critiscisms Of My Antonia Essay In the past, critics have ad moralized and/or brutalized every writer they could get their pen on. This is seen from criticisms of Henry Adams to William Butler Yeats. These writers critique everything about the writer and his/her works. For instance many critics criticize Willa Cathers novel, My Antonia. Their criticisms lie on the basis that My Antonia is based on cyclical themes with no structure holding each of the My Antonias books. In other words, as a collection of five different accounts remembered by the main character, Jim Burden, My Antonia is characterized by a loose plot structure yet the existence of common themes is expressed in a cyclical nature. We will write a custom essay on Critiscisms Of My Antonia specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now According to James E. Miller, Jr.s My Antonia: A Frontier Drama of Time, Willa Cathers novel, My Antonia, is defective in structure. (Bloom 51) Its structure is basically based on the narrators, which is Cather herself, point of view about when the main character, Jim Burden, remembers specific moments in an abstract pattern in his life about his Antonia. This is so because the collection of books that make up the novel, My Antonia, is about Willa Cather; the narrators idea of what and to what point Jim Burden remembers. Miller also states that the novel lacks focus and abounds in irrelevancies. (Wells 1) This is due to the fact that Cather didnt provide and consistent character portrayal throughout her novel. Another critic, Kim Wells, asserts Millers opinion on the novel. Because as he states the novel has many variations from a theme. (Wells 1) For instance the section about the hired girls and also the part when Peter and Pavel, two lonesomeRussian Settlers, tell Jim and Antonia a tragic tale that horrifies and fascinates the children. This tale was about when Peter and Pavel drove a sled with a bridal couple across dark, snowy Russian country and were attacked by hordes of ravenous wolves, where the wolves killed both the bride and the groom. These examples are divergences which weaken the overall structure of the novel. (Wells 1)Even though both critics say that the novel has a loose structure, they also state that the only thing that resembles any type of structure is the constant use of cyclical themes. For instance as Miller puts it, the cycle of the seasons of the year, the cycle of the stages of human life, and the cycle of the cultural phases of civilization. (Bloom 59) In Millers essay he states that in The first book of My Antonia, The Shimerdas, introduces from the start the drama of time in the vivid accounts of the shifting seasons?portraying the terrible struggle for mere existence in the bleakness of the plains winter, dramatizing the return of life with the arrival of spring, and concluding with the promise of a rich harvest in the intense heat of the prairies summer. This is Jim Burdens remembered year, and it is his obsession with the cycle of time that has caused him to recall Antonia in a setting of the changing seasons. (Miller 55)Book one, The Shimerdas, introduce the beginning of two cyclical themes. One of which is the cycle of the seasons of the year, which begins in the narrators/Jims mind in the autumn when the Shimerdas move to Nebraska, the winter when Mr. Shimerda commits suicide, then spring followed the death of Mr. Shimerda, and finally summer in the cyclical theme of the seasons of the year which created another cyclical pattern within itself. This imbedded cyclical theme is on the stages of life is based on the fact that Antonia moves into adulthood while Jim stays as a child as stated by Kim Wells. (Wells 1) This happens because in the section the hired girls Antonia moves into the city from the far m where she used to live. The movement from a rural to an urban area made Antonia mature quicker so she would be able to survive in the city. While on the other hand Jim leaves the farm to go to college, in which inclosing walls unlike that of Antonia protects him. Then Antonia moves into adulthood with a marriage and birth while Jim is at college toiling on the prospect of adult love with Lena Lingred. Finally, Jim moves into an odd marriage and then goes back to the farm with Antonia and her children. In the novel the reader encounters the impression that Jim is more closely alike to the children in maturity than that of the maturity of Antonia. She was a battered woman now, not a lovely girl; but she still had that something which fires the imagination, could still stop ones breath for a movement by a look or gesture that somehow revealed the meaning in common things. (Cather 261)In this we see Jims feeling of incompleteness while on the other hand Antonia is an adult with a worn body and a spirit which is there unlike that of Jims spirit which appears lost even though his body looks new. .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4 , .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4 .postImageUrl , .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4 , .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4:hover , .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4:visited , .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4:active { border:0!important; } .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4:active , .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4 .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0352c324fdf550290c72df66b20353d4:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Englis Exemplification EssayThe theme that life is a cycle in My Antonia is also supported by Harold Blooms comment, It is in the dramatization of Antonia from the girlhood of the opening pages through her physical flowering in the middle books to, finally, her reproduction of the race in a flock of fine boys in the final pages of the book that her life it represented?as a cycle in its stages of birth, growth, fruition and decline. (Bloom 54-55)In which he describes how Antonia went from girlhood in the beginning of the novel to her regression back into childhood. Even though the regression is usually seen in Jim Burden going home to self. (Cather 273) The fact that Jim i s going back to Antonia is like going home to his childhood. It is at that moment that he realizes that Antonias and his love does not depend on physical proximity. The fittest place to talk to each other. (Cather 239) Also in coming back to his psychological childhood he asks Antonia, Id have liked to have you for a sweetheart, or a wife, or my mother or my sisteranything that a woman can be to a man. (Cather 240)The end of the novel is also without a circle. The completion of the novel has a literal homecoming and completion of the circle. This circle is when Jim Burden goes back to the road with which the novel began, and ending as it began in the autumn of the year. An even greater importance is Jims sense of returning to an awareness of the deep sources of his life, as symbolized in his childhood, in the land, and in Antonia. The feelings of that night were so near that I could reach out and touch them with my hand. I had the sense of coming home to myself, and of having found out what a little circle mans experience is. (Cather 273)Every writer has been criticized in the past. The future will hold the same thing for them, whether it is a brutalizing and/or ad moralizing pen. Willa Cathers novel, My Antonia, is one of hundreds of thousands of novels, poems, and etc. of literary works, which are criticized. The critics that criticize the novel, My Antonia, all explain the fact that the novel has a very loose structure or none at all. With that in mind they also explain that the only literary technique, which was used in the novel, that holds the whole novel together is the constant cyclical themes. These themes are the cycle of the stages of human life, the cycle of the seasons of the year, and the cycle of the cultural phases of civilization. BibliographyWorks CitedMayell, Frank. American Literature: Realism to 1945. Pasadua: Salem Press inc., 1981Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Views: Willa Cather. New York: Chelsea House Publisher, 1985. Wells, Kim. Domestic Goddesses. August 23, 1999. Online. Internet. November 4, 1998. English Essays