...The use of symbolism is one of the most prevalent ways Ellison helps the reader better understand his story. Ellison uses symbolism to express the narrator’s struggle trying to work his way through the social divide in “Battle Royal”. Symbolism such as the use of color, the metaphoric messages of white supremacy, and the grandfather’s vague words of advice help Ellison tell this short story. The use of color in this story is one of the most beautiful and interesting ways Ellison provides context and understanding for the intense scenes. When the narrator says, “All ten of us climbed under the ropes and allowed ourselves to be blindfolded with broad bands of white cloth.” (229) it depicts the lack of choice the black men had. And although he states that they “allowed” the white men to blindfold them, the reader understands that there really was no other option. White men literally blinded the black men by not allowing them to make eye contact with white women. And figuratively speaking, the prejudice whites have against blacks...
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...LITR201-1404B-08 Literature: A Reflection of Life Phase 2 Individual Project December 01, 2014 ‘Battle Royal’ and ‘The Birthmark’ These are two short stories that at first seem to be absolutely unrelated in composition and text. The first story ‘Battle Royal’ and the second one ‘The Birthmark’; upon reading both stories, it would be easy for someone to feel that they are about as distant from one another as two short stories could get. However, I have read and reflected on both and while they are different, they are also so very similar. The similarities, though best found by the reader and not by someone else’s summary will most probably be construed differently by each reader. These stories are set in two entirely different eras. The Battle Royal is set in the 30s well after slavery was abolished yet while racism was strongly prevalent. It was during this time that African-Americans were fighting for equality and trying to overcome bigotry and hatred. We find our young protagonist to be one that is fighting for equality and yet accepting of what can be deemed as near torture in order to prove his perseverance. In the story The Birthmark we find the setting to be in the late 1700s, as author is writing during the 1840s and speaks in the very first sentence of Aylmer living at the end of the last century (Hawthorne, 2014, 303-316). This was a time of extremely strong faith in men of science; these same men were put on pedestals as nearly being close to gods. It is this...
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...of Life Phase 5 Individual Project February 11, 2014 As defined by thefreedictionary.com, literature is “Imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized artistic value” literature. (n.d.), now many could say that literature is anything that is printed on paper so it could be coupons, flyers, an invoice, a novel, a poem; however I am of those that believe like the definition above that literature is an art. Throughout this class “Literature: A Reflection of Life”, I have learned to study, examine and dissect literary art to search for its deepest treasures and meanings. The first literary art studied was short stories and we were given the following tools to analyze it: setting, characters, point of view, plot, symbolism, themes, tone and irony. Setting could be further divided into two types: physical and chronological setting. The physical setting as the name implies is the place where the story takes place. For example in the story “Trifles” the setting takes place in a kitchen as describe by the author “The kitchen in the now abandoned farmhouse of John Wright, a gloomy kitchen, and left without having been put in order — unwashed pans under the sink, a loaf of bread outside the breadbox, a dish towel on the table — other signs of incompleted work” Meyer, M. (2011), this specific description of the physical setting creates the ambience or the atmosphere for the rest of the story to develop upon. On the other hand chronological setting is the “when”...
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...Name Course Instructor Institution Date Literary discourse: The importance of Battle Royal Ralph Ellison’s literary piece exemplifies the extreme racial prejudices of the mid twentieth century that Afro-Americans suffered under white supremacy dominance. Battle royal tackles issues of social inequalities in terms of economic empowerment, education, self-identity and racial superiority or lack thereof. Through the main protagonist in the story, the writer manages to bring to the fore the brutal acts of racial segregation and the horrors of a people struggle for self-recognition and identity. The agonizing plight of the young black man, point to the psychological torment that the black race had to endure as he tries to impress the white folks, despite his grandfather’s counsel that their lives was a perpetual war that he has to fight. The story depicts a nameless protagonist trying to define his place among his people and acceptance from the white people. The story if full of symbolism through use of imagery and satire allowing the reader appreciate the magnitude of a class-based society. The cultural differences are played out in the story depicting the superiority of the white people as opposed to the black race. For instance, the young man is invited to give a speech to an all-white audience, but first he is forced into a ‘battle royal’ with his classmates who all happen to be black. The fight is not for accolades for the winner but purely for...
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...The Shield of Achilles is the shield that Achilles utilized as a part of his battle with Hector, portrayed in a standout amongst the most acclaimed entries of Homer's Iliad, and is rich in imagery and point by point symbolism. The Shield of Achilles is immense, substantial, and round. There are a few concentric circles on the shield, each portraying diverse scenes. Then again shield of Aeneas' delineates Rome so completely; the shield specifically relates Aeneas' destiny to the fate of Rome. The Shield indicates hard battled Roman triumphs and military victories spoke to as minutes when the protection of the city-state and its amazingness was in intense peril. Aeneas' shield had a more positive and cheerful undercurrent by depicting Rome's...
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...The original Aladdin is a folk tale composed by an unknown author during the period of the crusades. Aladdin, and many other famous works are gathered in a book full of these stories called, “The Thousand Nights and One Night.” Since this work is so old, and incorporated into such a vast book, no one can pinpoint exactly when and who wrote it. A couple pieces of information are for certain though. As far back as history is documented, the Islamic culture has had an extremely harsh class system. The struggle of classes in Islamic culture was most likely the reason for the writing of Aladdin, and the passing on of its lessons as well. Aladdin is more than just a children’s fairytale, as it is an informative work that depicts the struggle and persecution of the lower classes in Islamic society, especially when view through a Marxist literary lens. The tale begins by introducing a boy named Aladdin as a thief. In literary works, a thief is normally not portrayed as a hero unless the stealing is done for the common good of the proletariat, like Robin Hood (Carpenter, Prichard). In contrast, Aladdin steals due to his lack of economical assets because of his class standing, and thus, for the good of only himself. Only due to the title of the piece, and events that occur a little later in the piece, can we assume that he is in fact the hero of the story. For the introduction of the tale, though, he seems as though a lowly thief, who is an outcast in society, disliked by members of the...
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...The Samurai, at the time “would not have been wearing this old armour,” (Source 5) and in fact would have discarded their traditional garments as a way to progress in the modern world (Source 8). By the 1800s, the Samurai had replaced their traditional clothing and armour for modern garments (Source 3). However the filmmakers had decided to use the traditional Samurai armour as it had looked more impressive (Source 9). This negligent use of traditional armour thereby misled the viewers of the film to believe that the Samurai were incapable of evolving. In spite of the motivation for the decision to use the old armour, the filmmakers failed to emphasise the symbolism that each part or section of the armour represented to the Samurai (Source 10). The Last Samurai essentially made no reference to the importance of each aspect of the traditional armour (Source 9) thereby discrediting the Samurai ideals and the Bushido code. Historically, the ancient armour was designed to frighten the enemy before attacking (Source 10). However, the film did not focus on the use of the terrifying qualities of the traditional war-gear (Source 5). This incorrect use of armour is not only seen in the lack of description of the symbolic qualities that it represented, but also in the incorrect time period that this impressive armour was used in. As stated previously, the Samurai had exchanged their armour for...
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...(William Wordsworth, 1798). Romanticism poets developed independence, love for the native universe, vision, physical and passionate energy. Romanticism artists set themselves in resistance to the request and discernment of traditional and neoclassical masterful statutes to embrace liberty and transformation in their craft and politics. The Romantic period produced a significant number of the stereotypes of writers and poetry that exist right up 'til the present time that is the poet as an exceptionally tortured and despairing visionary. Romantic artist ideals never particular ceased to exist in poetry, but were impressively understood into the principals of numerous different developments. Remnants of romanticism existed on in the French symbolism and surrealism and in the works of outstanding poets. The history of ballet goes back about 600 years and it has been an expedition of alteration, growth and new ages. It is intriguing to uncover every differentiating times in ballets choreography, so you should identify the seven remote eras in dance history. Ballet has always been developing and progressing with time, fashion and society. Yet now, ballet is carrying on pushing ahead with the past times even developing new styles as well. Through the centuries,...
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...Laurence Olivier stars and directs this performance-driven 1955 medieval version of the most ruthless monarch written by Shakespeare, Richard III. Full of intrigue and deceits, Olivier pulls the audience right into the story by making us confidants to his Richard’s secrets. The audience closely follows the action by Richard’s side and we get to see the reasoning behind every single one of his moves. Framed by a simplistic set and costumes, the attention centers primarily in the acting and the hidden symbolism within the movie in elements such as the ever-present crown. Richard III tells the story of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and his series of political movements to acquire the throne of England. England is under the reign of King Edward IV and Richard is jealous of his brother’s power. He starts to plan his way into the throne by marrying Lady Anne and acquiring her properties. Richard puts his older brother, Clarence, in prison by accusing him of being a traitor and has him executed under the orders of King Edward. King...
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...pipes, "Get rid of your cottonpatch ways! Act civilized!" (320). Thus he associates the hatred he feels for the bank figure with his neighbors who are acting no less civilized than he is. He is not aware of his own "cottonpatch ways" it appears. In describing the bank, the narrator states that it is the kind of bank that flips coins from its hand into a large grinning mouth. In order to put money in the bank, one must feed the smiling, hungry Negro. At a point in the narrator's life where he has no money and has decided to join the Brotherhood out of a debt he owes, the bank's symbolism is simply too close to reality for him and he tries to destroy the self-mocking figure. He notes, "In my hand its expression seemed more of a strangulation than a grin. It was choking, filled to the throat with coins" (319). The quotation is especially interesting in light of the coins thrown at the battle royal earlier in the novel. The boys are made to grab for coins thrown on an electrified carpet. Like circus animals, they are electrically shocked every time they reach for the shiny gold in order to entertain the white audience. The narrator attempts to avoid the shocks but cannot help grabbing for the coins like the rest of the boys. The boys, in a sense, are being fed money by the men for amusement and are choked by racism. Furthermore, the narrator hungrily eats...
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...Symbols of faith final paper Biblical Numerology Backstage | The world is composed of complicated mathematics. We often speak of its ability to expose and explain a number of beliefs and scientific happenings. Truth is, it has found itself to be both the ‘chicken and the egg’ to most arguments. Numerical significance can be both a proof, demonstration of an idea, or it can be the reason for the thought, concept, or philosophy. By definition, scholars believe that numerology is the placing of meaning on numbers in the Scriptures. Numerology is by no means restricted to Christianity, even though we choose to make it our focus for the purpose of this paper. Numerology attempts to explain the reason why God used numbers as he did, and what he was potentially trying to tell us. Thorough analysis and interpretation efforts have taken place along the years, in other to find meaning behind this scientific, most often philosophical, symbol use. “The Pythagoreans made number games philosophically respectable, and the great authority of Plato raised mathematics into theological realms. But at the lowest level, numbers remained magical.” The fall of the Roman Empire, caused a challenging transition for many, especially in terms of religion. From Paganism to Christianity, many had to look for a meaning, and be convinced, or understand, regardless of doubts that a new religion was to emerge. The early years of Christianity revolved around strong thinkers who were...
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...large invasion force and selected General. William Howe as leader; North ordered Howe to capture New York City and control of the Hudson River in order to get the radical Patriots alone in New England from the other colonies. The British troops landed in New York 1776 while continental congress was declaring independence. Armies and Strategies: Howes strategies worked by making the opponent surrender rather than destroying them. General Washington’s strategy was to draw the British away from the seacoast, extending their lines of supply and draining morale in a war of attrition. Most of the continental army was low class and they were not well armed. Victory at Saratoga: This is also known as the turning point. In order to finance this battle the British were increasing land tax. Their main goal was to isolate New England. Howe had a different plan he wanted to attack Philadelphia and end the rebellion with one victory. General Burgoyne’s troops were forced to surrender to General Horatio Gates and his men at Saratoga, New York. Social and financial Perils: After the victory at Saratoga difficulties included a British naval blockade that cut supplies of European manufactures, the occupation of Boston and other major cities, and unemployment for urban and rural workers. The fighting led to many deaths in the armies and in civilians. Everything led to a finical crisis; this caused them to print out paper money that was worth less. They borrowed gold from France and farmers refused...
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...Vijay Mallya dominates India’s drinks market, owns the Royal Challengers Bangalore cricket team of the Indian Premier League and a Formula One team Vijay Mallya, his diamond ear studs gleaming, is in high spirits, ensconced in a leather chair in the small office of his private jet, winging its way towards Mumbai after a 34-hour whirlwind visit to New Zealand. The Airbus is liveried in the bright red of his Kingfisher Airlines, with his initials, “VJM”, painted in gold on the engines and wingtips, embossed on the leather seats and decorating the China dinnerware. The plane’s cargo hold is filled with typical New Zealand tourist takeaways: cases of Pinot Noir and lamb chops. More ON THIS STORY Chinese tipple heads west Lex Drinks companies Scotch sales leave champagne flat The public image Guinness Diageo, Pernod deny smuggling But it is the aircraft’s main passenger cabin – a thickly carpeted, faux living room with a bevelled-glass drinks cabinet, a small photo of Mr Mallya’s three children and paintings of Hindu deities by 19th-century Indian artist Raja Ravi Varma – that carries the real prize of Mr Mallya’s trip. Two bright red, padlocked temperature-controlled hampers hold three bottles of “Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Whisky”, abandoned in Antarctica more than a century ago by the British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. The Antarctic Heritage Trust, the body charged with preserving the legacy of early polar explorers, discovered abandoned spirits frozen in the...
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...RED, WHITE, BLUE AND YOU Or, The Color of Politics An Essay by Charles Ebeling Presented at the Chicago Literary Club Election Eve, November 5, 2012 Copyright 2012 Charles Ebeling Dedicated to the memory of my good friend and neighbor Marshall J. Goldsmith Who was my guest at the Literary Club, October 24, 2011 Some us recall a great 1986 film called “The Color of Money,” and no, cynics, it wasn’t about politics. That film earned Paul Newman the Oscar for Best Actor as a pool hustler and stakehorse, who enjoyed a glass or two of J.T.S. Brown Kentucky bourbon, my favorite beverage from college days. But, unless I’ve missed a documentary or foreign film along these lines, I haven’t yet seen a dramatization called “The Color of Politics.” Yes, there is such a thing as “The Politics of Color,” but as social commentary, not as a film title. “The Color of Politics” is equally real though, and has a long history. I first dabbled in the palette of politics on election eve, 2008, when I presented before the club on that occasion an essay I’d titled “One Collage Too Many,” painting...
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...The Advent of Romanticism The Romantic era (1770-1870) was the term used to define the rebellion against the political and social devastation that followed the French Revolution. The Romantic era was the time when artists revolted against the classical values of balance, control, order, and proportionality promoted by neoclassical artists (Sayre 878). This revolt against the formalism of the Classical age produced a flood of emotional lyric, music, art, and poetry that peaked in works such as Ludwig van Beethoven’s (1770-1827) The Ninth Symphony (1824). The romantic characteristic of emotions, individualism, and imagination can be found in The Ninth. Francisco de Goya’s (1746-1828) Saturn Devouring One of his Children (1820-1823) posses the horrifically natural or true to life, as well as the emotional characteristics he so genially portrayed. On the softer side of the romantic scale, Percy Bysshe Shelley’s (1792-1822) Indian Girl’s Song (1819) beautifully portrayed the natural and emotional characteristics of Romanticism. There are also references to the supernatural, as well as the exotic, in this work, which most certainly leaves his readers yearning for more. Artists approached the world with an outpouring of feeling and emotional passion that came to be called Romanticism. The key characteristics of Romanticism are emotion, the exotic, nature, imagination, individualism, and the supernatural. Romanticism was an overt reaction against the Enlightenment, which was...
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