...Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain, who is a realistic fiction writer, incorporates satire and humor in his writing, including Archetypal elements to modify how the reader interprets the story. He uses many archetypal characters like Huck and Jim who both can be argued as the heroes. They both have good intentions and help others. Mark Twain portrays Jim as a deeply caring and loyal friend. Jim becomes a father figure to Huck, helping him realize the human face of slavery. Twain Portrays Huck as a young and naive boy who has been under the wrong influence for a long time. Another archetypal element that Mark Twain uses is Jims Quest for freedom. This was a quest for most all African Americans, to run away north so you could be free. But Jim was one of the few who was brave enough to do so; that’s he can be classified as the hero in the story. But Jim’s life is not too bad compared to historical records about the lives of slaves. Even though he had to struggle for his freedom, he didn’t have any good reason to leave. His life contested of helping round and not doing hard enduring work like some of the other slaves. The way Jim’s life is portrayed in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Mark Twain criticizes the life of African Americans at the time. During times of slavery, every African American in the south was either a slave or a free African American. “She treated me with respect” (Twain 5). Jim said when he was asked about how the Widow Douglass treats him...
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...“It is agreed, in this country, that if a man can arrange his religion so that it perfectly satisfies his conscience, it is not incumbent upon him to care whether the arrangement is satisfactory to anyone else or not.” – Mark Twain (476) Introduction Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, traveled the world and got to know imperialistic endeavors from many different nations. After he returned to America on 15 October 1900, he joined the “Anti-Imperialist League” and actively opposed policies of the United States and Great Britain (William D. Howells and Mark Twain 723). In 1905, Mark Twain composed the short story The War Prayer in an effort to open the eyes to patriotic, war-loving people. This term paper will be a close-reading on Twain’s short story The War Prayer. The focus will not be on what was said about this short story by other authors, but rather give an explanation and deeper understanding on its satirical criticism on people’s patriotism and their glorification of war. The First Paragraph “It was a time of great and exalting excitement” (Twain 652). After reading these first nine words in Mark Twain’s The War Prayer one expects the time of “great and exalting excitement” to be one of technological advances or economic strength, or at least having to do with another peaceful connotation. Twain diverts these associations with his satirical competence by writing “The country was up in arms, the war was on . . .” Therefore, a “time...
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...“It's not as bad as it sounds.” (Huckleberry Finn) Compare how the theme of outsiders is presented in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, D.B.C Pierre’s Vernon God Little and Sylvia Plath’s Ariel. Throughout the history of literature, the idea of an outsider unable to find his place within society is explored frequently in all three texts. The theme of the outsiders is presented in all novels but separated due to the different time periods in which they were set, thus resulting in controversy and criticisms making it difficult to find a place within literature. Mark Twain’s ‘Huckleberry Finn’ is the story of a young boy, Huck Finn, who is faced with a restraint enforced upon him by society and later acknowledges this restraint once he comes to the realization that there is no escape from the society. ‘Vernon God Little’, like Huckleberry Finn, is also a story of a young boy framed as an accessory in a High School Massacre and is rendered to be an outcast in a society which revolves around manipulation and gullibility. Both Pierre and Twain portray the limitations and issues placed upon a young boy growing up in society. Sylvia Plath was viewed as a feminist icon, her collection ‘Ariel’, adopts the theme of outsider, as she believed women were classed as second-tier in a male dominant society and posed as a response to patriarchy in which oppressed women. The three texts intertwine in the portrayal of the outsider and act as a commentary on the societies in which these writers...
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...NORTH AMERICAN FICTION BRIEF INTRODUCTION: Before starting our study of American Fiction we must understand what American Literature is in itself and which pieces of writing we can include within this label. It is believed that when a piece is written in North America, more precisely in the USA, it would automatically be given this epithet. But it should be taken into account that this idea is quite broad and doesn’t reflect the real essence of the term. However, there is also another definition that gathers this essence: American Literature is the one that represents the Americanism, the singularity of the USA philosophy and culture. This way, instead of focusing on who the author is, it is focused on the content of the writing. In that which concerns Fiction, the following documents are the ones considered as narrative: Speeches Letters Short Stories Essays Political Documents Sermons Novels Diaries 1 FIRST LITERARY EXPRESSIONS The first documents in which the idea of Americanism is very present are the Sermons. They respond to the strict Protestantism settled in the New Continent after the arrival of the Pilgrim Fathers and Puritans in the Mayflower (1620) and the Arabella (1630). They established a theocratic community whose main and only point of reference was the Bible. That is why the idea of the ‘city upon a hill’ is still very present in American mentality. As we all know...
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...life. After the death of Edward de Vere’s father, he became a ward of Queen Elizabeth and received an excellent education in the household of her principal advisor, Sir William Cecil. According to a curriculum in Cecil, Edward de Vere’s daily studies included dancing, French, Latin, writing and drawing, cosmography, penmanship, riding, shooting, exercise and prayer. He showed a prodigious talent for scholarship from his early years. Edward de Vere graduated from Cambridge University at age of 14; he was awarded an honorary MA by Cambridge on a Royal progress. He earned a Master of Arts of 16, and then attended Gray’s Inn to study law. “The merchant of Venice”, one of the Shakespeare’s plays discusses law. One of the important people who influence his early studies is his maternal uncle Arthur Golding, an officer in the Court of Wards under Cecil. He is credited with the translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, published in 1567, a book widely recognized as having a major influence on “Shakespeare”. William Shakespeare, by contrast, was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon to a family of unremarkable status and long stretches of his life remain undocumented. He did not have a good education, but then in his twenties, he began to publish the wisest works...
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...Throughout the history of literature there have been countless names that have been forever etched onto the book cover of writing—William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Sylvia Plath. But perhaps one of the more controversial and disputatious of them all would be the Irish writer, Oscar Wilde. Born in October, 1854, Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde1 was and is feasibly one of the most revered Irish novelist, playwright, essayist and poet in the Irish literature and culture renaissance. With his rather comfortable beginnings—being the son of a revered oto-ophthalmologic surgeon who was knighted—Wilde seemed to have the whole world laid out before him. And in his adventures he carved out a name for himself, remembered today for his peculiar writing...
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...“Some people get an education without going to college. The rest get it after they get out.” (Twain 1) Is Mark Twain right, could college be a complete waste of time and money? Caroline Bird would agree with Twain on his implied view of college being a utter waste. Bird questions the real motive behind receiving a college education and depicts her view onto the minds of many college students in todays world. Mike Rose in his article about “Blue-Collar Brilliance” as well as Brent Staples in his writing about “Why Colleges Shower Their Students with A’s” make several valid, relative points that correlate with Bird’s belief on college being a complete waste of both time and money. Bird’s argument can be valid under the circumstance that one becomes unusually successful in a blue collar career, a student is simply given grades instead of earned and many other situations that go outside the traditional aspects of society and education. I, however, strongly disagree with Bird’s belief that college is a waste of time and money because despite her assertion that it is an expensive, time consuming commitment and the initial intention may be influenced by parents or societal pressures, the student will eventually gain a desire to learn and pursue a career if college is the right path for them. Even though I may not agree, Bird supports her argument very well with both statistics and convincing input. By stating that “no more than 25 percent of students are turned on by ...
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...success is eloquently portrayed throughout Arthur Millers “Death of a Salesman”. In this modern tragedy, Miller successfully depicts the human condition in midst of denying failure. The play unfolds around a washed- up salesman named Willy Loman, whose obsession with reaching concrete evidence of success, creates unfortunate repercussions on his family, and himself. Willys conviction that a man must not only be like, but he must be well liked (Miller, 1250), along with his uninterrupted focus on prominence, reflects on his two sons, Biff and Happy, as he infuses them with values of social status as well as future success. Willy’s sense of self value depends on the response of others. Such gestures of recognition provide signals that society is a comfortable home for him, one where he hopes to make his sons as happily at ease as he (Jacobson, 249). This is doubtlessly a mirage of security for Willy, as he desperately suppresses his inner motions of regret, and refuses to embrace his conscious identity. Ultimately, Willy Lomans self- delusion of success disabled him to obtain his true identity, and influence a displacement of identity in his sons. Most people in today’s society develop a constant necessity to better their lives, as well the quality of life for their family. For many, this necessity stems from their core beliefs of what a comfortable life should contain in our society, along with secure elements for their loved ones in order to flourish as human beings. Whether...
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...It was earlier addressed by the well-known writer and entrepreneur Mark Twain, who co-authored the book The Gilded Age. Not unlike today, the political corruption during the Gilded Age consisted of...
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...the bourgeois society found their reflection in lit-re. The main representatives of this period is: John Milton: was born in London&educated at Christ’s College. He lived a pure life believing that he had a great purpose to complete. At college he was known as the The Lady of Christ’s. he Got master’s degree at Cambridge. It’s convenient to consider his works in 3 divisions. At first he wrote his short poems at Horton. (The Passion, Song on May Morning, L’Allegro). Then he wrote mainly prose. His 3 greatest poems belong to his last group. At the age of 23 he had still done little in life&he admits this in one of his sonnets. (On his 23d B-day) In his another sonnet he wrote on his own blindness. (On his Blindness) Milton wrote diff. kinds of works. His prose works were mainly concerned with church, affairs, divorce & freedom. The English civil war between Charles I & Parliament followed by the 2nd civil war, 1641-1651. During these years Milton worked hard at his pamphlets, supported Cromwell (also wrote a sonnet “to Cromwell”). He wrote many journalistic works were he stood for the ideas of revolution. His most famous treatis is “the doctrine and discipline of Areopagitica”. He became unpopular when Charles II was made king in 1660, but it...
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...a natural human response to literature. If a friend informs you she is reading a book you have just finished, it would be odd indeed if you did not begin swapping opinions. It is inevitable that people will ponder, discuss, and analyze the works of art that interest them. The informal criticism of friends talking about literature tends to be casual, unorganized, and subjective. Since Aristotle, Plato and other prominent literary critics, philosophers, scholars, and writers have tried to create more precise and disciplined ways of discussing literature. This day, literary criticism provides some general guidelines to help us analyze, deconstruct, interpret and evaluate different literary works. Literary critics have borrowed concepts from other disciplines, like linguistics, psychology, and anthropology, to analyze imaginative literature more perceptively. Mass media critics, such as newspaper reviewers, usually spend their time evaluating works—telling us which books are worth reading, which movies not to bother seeing. We usually see literary criticism in a book review or critical essay; however, nowadays the Internet has made all forms of criticism readily available in everything from personal blogs to social media. In this discussion, we will take a look at the different Perspectives and Techniques in Literary Criticism and how they influenced literary works. CLASSICISM Classicism is a specific genre of philosophy, expressing itself in literature, architecture...
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...American Literature * Authors * Books * Short Stories * Christmas * For Children * Features * ------------------------------------------------- Top of Form Bottom of Form * Login/Signup The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen Although he is well noted for his fairy-tales, the poignant story of The Little Match Girl or The Little Matchstick Girl is a great example of Hans Christian Andersen's broad literary talent and ability. I personally like to read this story at least twice a year, once in Autumn as the holiday season comes into focus, and then again around the Christmas holiday. It's a gentle reminder of the value of compassion and charity. Most terribly cold it was; it snowed, and was nearly quite dark, and evening-- the last evening of the year. In this cold and darkness there went along the street a poor little girl, bareheaded, and with naked feet. When she left home she had slippers on, it is true; but what was the good of that? They were very large slippers, which her mother had hitherto worn; so large were they; and the poor little thing lost them as she scuffled away across the street, because of two carriages that rolled by dreadfully fast. One slipper was nowhere to be found; the other had been laid hold of by an urchin, and off he ran with it; he thought it would do capitally for a cradle when he some day or other should have children himself. So the little maiden walked on with her tiny naked feet, that were...
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... Washington’s commanding presence and oratory deeply moved his contemporaries. His writings continue to influence readers today. Although Washington claimed his autobiography was “a simple, straightforward story, with no attempt at embellishment,” readers for nearly a century have found it richly rewarding. Today, Up From Slavery appeals to a wide audience from early adolescence through adulthood. More important, however, is the inspiration his story of hard work and positive goals gives to all readers. His life is an example providing hope to all. The complexity and contradictions of his life make his autobiography intellectually intriguing for advanced readers. To some he was known as the Sage of Tuskegee or the Black Moses. One of his prominent biographers, Louis R. Harlan, called him the “Wizard of the Tuskegee Machine.” Others acknowledged him to be a complicated person and public figure. Students of American social and political history have come to see that Washington lived a double life. Publicly he appeased the white establishment by remaining cautious in his charges and demands. Privately he worked tirelessly to undo the effects of institutional and cultural racism. Although he seemed to have made a grand compromise, first with the white south and then with white America, he worked in deepest secret to undermine the compromise and advance the social and economic position of blacks. No doubt exists as to his greatness....
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...SAMAR COLLEGE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION CATBALOGAN CITY _________________________________________________________________________ English Correct Usage, American vs. British English, Politically Correct Words, Confusing Words, Things to Remember When Using Numbers, Phrases, Clauses, Sentences, Punctuation Marks _________________________________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for: ENGLISH 101 – STRUCTURE IN ENGLISH Presented by: JERRY S. PACRIN BSED – 3 (CIT) Presented to: ALONA MEDALIA CADIZ – GABEJAN, M.E. September 12, 2013 ENGLISH CORRECT USAGE There are three (3) main language styles: * Formal * Semi-Formal * Informal The diagram below illustrates how these styles are rated on a scale of 0 to 10. Rules of Language Styles The following rules apply to both written and spoken English. Know person well and on familiar terms Know person well and on familiar terms Know name of person and have exchanged greetings. Know name of person and have exchanged greetings. Know title or name of person, Never met or exchanged info. Know title or name of person, Never met or exchanged info. Don’t know anything about the person who receives letter Don’t know anything about the person who receives letter Different Styles between Formal and Informal English The followingn examples illustrate the main difference between informal and formal English. Dictionary of Formal and Informal English ...
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...The GED Language Arts, Reading Test Passing the GED Language Arts, Reading Test Jean Dean ABE/GED Teacher Mentor Teacher California Distance Learning Project www.cdlponline.org 1 GED Video Partner #11 Passing the GED Reading Test In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Martin Luther King, Jr. TEST OVERVIEW: Time: 65 minutes The test consists of fiction and nonfiction readings. • Fiction excerpts include readings from novels, short stories, folk tales, poetry, and plays. • Nonfiction excerpts include readings from reviews, essays, articles, speeches, biographies, business documents, and articles about the visual arts. The test consists of 40 multiple-choice questions. • 30 of the questions come from fiction readings. • 10 of the questions come from nonfiction readings. There are seven passages. • Three of the passages are from prose fiction (novels, short stories, and folk tales). • Poetry and plays have one passage each. • Nonfiction has two passages. There are three literary time periods. One passage comes from each of these periods: • Before 1920 • 1920-1960 • After 1960 The following reading skills are tested: • Comprehension—identifying the main idea, the purpose of a selection, supporting details, and using context clues to discover the meaning of unknown words 2 • • • Application—applying ideas to a new context Analysis—recognizing the way material is organized...
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