...ENG111 Online June 13, 2011 Commitment to Family or Freedom to Self The three literary pieces The Glass Menagerie, Barn Burning, and Ulysses all have something in common. A significant character from each work abandoned his family to seek out his own needs. As I read the three different literary works recently I reflected on what a one-of-a-kind thing a family is to each of us. Is it wrong to put our own needs above that of our parents, our brothers and sisters, or even our spouses or children? Even when raised by the by the same parents, in the same community we all grow into unique individuals with directions of our own, independent from the aspirations of our parents and siblings. As I read the three pieces of literature The Glass Menagerie, Barn Burning, and Ulysses it got me thinking about some of the ways in which I feel about my own family situation. I know I could never leave them, but I do know so many people who have set off away from their families. I sometimes desperately envy those with that freedom. In all three works, there is a balance to be found towards responsibility and commitment to family, and freedom and choice to self. For the purpose of this essay I will compare the roles of Tom from The Glass Menagerie, Sarty in Barn Burning, and Ulysses in the poem Ulysses. Although they each served a different role in the family as a brother, father, and a son, they in the end all made a decision to leave their families in each literary piece. ...
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...DOWRY DEATH: AN UNHEEDED HEALTH ISSUE OF THE SOCIETY AIM OF THE PROJECT: The aim of this project is to- * Devise the basic cause behind dowry system. * Highlight it as a critical problem of the society. * Construct a relation between law and dowry. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: This project will emphasize on the question that why dowry is harmful for the society. Even in the 21st century women are subject to exploitation. Dowry system is widespread in the society and it is considered as a social evil. The crux of this project is to portray dowry as the root cause of mental and physical harassment and agony suffered by women. OVERVIEW OF LITERARURE: Exploitation of women has been by the society’s evil norms has been the focus of considerable concern for several decades. However dowry death has been a primary concern for many researchers. A number of researchers have operationally defined marriages as money earning rackets through dowry ( Gopalan Retheesh Babu 2010 , Bontha Veerraju Babu 2010 ). Research has indicated that dowry death is not only prevalent in rural areas but urban areas too. It is regarded as a crime against humanity. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: The basic concept behind this research is that dowry has become the deadliest enemy of this free and civilized society. The root cause behind dowry deaths is Hindu religious orthodoxy. In olden days dowry was given voluntarily and out of love and affection but these days customs have become brutally dangerous...
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...Barn Burning William Faulkner is concerned with the south and its problems with black slavery. The issues in Barn Burning deal with the conflict between father and son. The theme of this story focuses on justice. The boy, Sarty, objects to his father burning barns and wants people to be treated fairly. His father, Abner, believes his son should respect and support kin. Abner thinks family is right no matter what. Faulkner's intent is to show that choosing between one's own family and justice is very difficult to do, and in the end justice must prevail. The theme is best illustrated by its point of view, its characterization, and setting. Faulkner represents his point of view using both first and third person to translate his theme. The story is being told by Sartoris Snopes who is a boy at the time the story takes place. Throughout the story he shifts from first to third person narrative voices. At times in the story he would speak as only a child would, then something would be said by him which was too knowledgeable for a boy his age to know. This gives an impression that he is older and is remembering things of his past. Switching between first and third person shows that the choice he made greatly affected him. The way the characters are portrayed remarkably depicts Faulkner's theme. The two conflicting characters are described in similar ways to show their differences. Abner is described by how people see and think about him. From...
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...Barn Burning Although many political and economic changes took place following the civil war, it was very evident in William Faulkner’s Barn Burning that the impact on the social lives of the people living in the south were the most difficult to overcome. He utilizes the new tension between the social classes to create a compelling short story of a boy and his father, but more important, using the family to represent the change in society, the change between good and evil. The new social order after the civil war was a cause of tension between Abner Snopes and his surrounding communities. In William Faulkner’s Barn Burning Abner is portrayed as a man with much insecurity, which causes him to lash out at the people that were better off than him “‘I aim to. I don’t figure to stay in a country among people who…’ He said something unprintable and vile.” While Abner was not found guilty of arson the family is forced to leave on account of their own safety “’Barn burner!’” shouts one of the other citizens, showing the reader how much Abner and his family are un-liked. However, his choices do not change how his son sees him, yet. Abner and his way of dealing with issues begin to take a toll on the family, and most of all his son Sardy. His excessive anger and violence begin to change how Sardy feels about him, and he starts to question if his father is a good role model. Sensing this, Abner decides to intervene before Sardy sees what kind of a man he really is “’You’re going to...
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...As I stood, gazing at the dilapidated house. I shivered, as though, ice had replaced my spine. The cold air enveloped the entire body. The multiple layer of clothing could not protect against the deathly cold. The walkway leading up to house were cracked. Weeds and dandelions poked out from these cracks. Red roses grown wildly in thick batches by the gate. The moonlight cast a ghoulish glow on the house. Vines formed a twisted maze upon the side of house, reaching their tentacles towards the roof. The house's walls showed black decay by neglect. Splotches of original paint hinted at the house former prosperity. Cobwebs covered the corners of the doors, tiny black spiders threading towards their prey. The house is fit for the kings and queens of the supernatural. The door begrudgingly creaked open. A musty, dank order creep into my nose. The house was dead silence except for the intermittent creaks and moans. Black and brown mold dotted the ceiling in clusters, evident of rain seeping through the roof. I quietly entered the dark living room. Windows covered with grime and dirt, the calm moonlight struggled to penetrate the darkness in thin thread rays. Sharp shadows roamed around the room. The sofa and chairs overturned revealing deep grooves on the ground where they used to sit. Wallpaper lay curled on the floor. A large jagged hole dug through the wall stood as though daring any to enter. Picture frames hanged off-centered. Sharp shadows roamed around the room. A misplaced...
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...Analysis of “Barn Burning” The main issue that arises in this short story is right versus wrong. Colonel Sartoris “Sarty” Snopes is a young man who feels the building pressure of his conscience, but extreme loyalty to his father. Sarty possesses a keen sense of right and wrong. The opening seen begins with his father, Abner Snopes, expecting his son to perjure himself. This would allow Abner to not be prosecuted for barn burning. He strongly believes in the kinship bond the “old fierce pull of blood.” He doesn’t focus on the consequences of his actions…nor does he care. Abner Snopes is very poor, paranoid, vengeful and full of rage. He despises those who are more financially stable. Unlike his bitter father, Sarty subconsciously questions his father’s devilish actions. He is unable to fathom the reasoning why his father feels justified to ruin these wealthy properties. His loyalty is demonstrated in the scene which the young boys call out, “Barn burner!” Sarty immediately strikes out and punches the boys. This shows the reader that he does feel personally threatened. It is apparent that he yearns for a normal father…One that he could idolize and learn positive attributes. Abner feels that by burning down these properties it is doing justice. He is exhausted from working as a farm hand, so he preys on those who he feels threatened by. Sarty hopes that his father will stop eventually as he states, “Maybe he’s done satisfied now, now that he has”…then he stopped himself. The...
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...Duc Vo Heidi Kozlowski Eng1B 9/24/2013 THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS “August 2026: There will come soft rains” is a short story by Ray Bradbury. The story is about a house equipped with extensive machinery to facilitate the delivery of any needs and performance of any activities that the owners could need. The story is set in the year of 2026 where advanced technological development conquers Earth. Therefore, the house is able to operate daily activities and maintain itself without assistance from other parties. The story begins in the early morning of 4th August 2026. It goes on to describe the different activities that usually go on in the house from morning to evening. There is clear specification of the duties that the house undertakes during this period. These activities include waking the occupants, making breakfast, cleaning and maintaining both the house and the compound among other duties. It is however important to note that the occupants of the house are not present throughout the story. It is also implied that these occupants had not been around for a long time and would not be coming back anytime soon. On the evening of 4th August 2026, the house is accidentally set on fire and burns to the ground by the next morning. The different machines try to clean up the mess but they are defeated by the raging fire which eventually leads to the destruction of everything inside the house, except for one wall. The setting of the story is distinctly...
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...Internal Turmoil Through out Yellow Wall Paper, the narrator seems like she is an average woman with mental instabilities of her time. As the story progresses it shows that the story is actually her getting over the death of her husband by solving the issue she has with the room she is mentally trapped in. The house and grounds are actually portraying the inside of her mind. The house is actually her mind and the grounds are the healthy vibrant portion of her psyche as she say’s “there is a DELICIOUS garden! I never saw such a garden- large and shady, full of box- bordered paths, and lined with long grape- covered arbors with seats under them” (Gilman, Charolotte. YELLOW WALL PAPER. PG 1). This describes a vibrant, lush environment which would be the healthy portion of her mind. She then goes on to describe the house by saying “the place has been empty for years. That spoils my ghostliness, I am afraid, but I don’t care- there is something strange about the house” (Gilman, Charolette YELLOW WALL PAPER.. PG 1). She seems to describe the house as a negative, which would be the negative section and memories in her brain. It was important to show that there is a healthy side to her psyche so that through the story it is clear that the issues she has in the house “her mind” progressively are solved and comes to except them. Once she gets into the house and is settled into her room she is confronted by the memory of her husband which is represented through the horrific yellow...
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...ARE WOMAN REALLY SAFE IN INDIA? The condition of women in India has always been a matter of grave concern. Since the past several centuries, the women of India were never given equal status and opportunities as compared to that of their male counterparts. The patriarchal nature of Indian society, which even though gives respect to women as they are our mothers and sisters, has greatly hampered both the independence as well as the safety of women. One of the main reasons of violence against women is the mentality which deems women inferior of men and merely limits their importance to the maintenance of the household, the upbringing of children and pleasing their husbands and serving other members of the family. Violence against women is present in every country, cutting across the boundaries of culture, class, education, income, ethnicity and age. Even though it is now forbidden in most parts of the world, the reality is that violations against women’s rights are often sanctioned under the garb of cultural practices and norms or through misinterpretation of religious tenets. Moreover, when the violation takes place within the home, as is very often the case, the abuse is effectively condoned by the tacit silence and the passivity displayed by the state and the law-enforcing machinery. In India even in the 21st century, women cannot step out of their house at any given time, assured of her physical and sexual safety. Everyday women in this society face more problems than men.The...
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...In William Faulkner’s story “Barn Burning,” Sarty, a ten year old boy, struggles to find his own identity due to choosing between his father’s ideals of loyalty to family and justice. Sarty lives and travels with a very poor white family, and they work on farms of rich landowners, but they get paid very little. As the beginning of the story begins, Sarty and his family are in court for Abner’s decisions of burning landowners’ barns. In the process, Sarty is pressured to choose between two paths, in which Faulkner shows “the classic conflicts of good versus evil, son versus father, and individual versus familial identity” (Ford). At the end Sarty’s final resolution develops his identity. Sarty’s conflict with his father is very strong, because Abner Snopes believes family loyalty is everything. Sarty is unable to make his own choices due to Abner’s ideals, because from the beginning Abner enforces Sarty to “stick to your own blood”(Faulkner 175). In the opening scenes, Sarty’s conflict is unveiled. Sarty loves and respects his father, but in court he does not want to lie. This causes Sarty to recognize his father’s enemies as his own enemies, and this puts Sarty in a very uncomfortable position. As Ford states, during the first trial with Mr. Harris’ Barn, the Justice of the peace banishes Abner from town instead of testifying...
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...In William Faulkner’s book, Barn Burning, Abner Snopes is a cold and violent Civil War veteran. Faulkner writes him to be harsh and emotionless. Abner is also describes as a man with shaggy gray eyebrows, and pebble-colored hair; furthermore, he walks with a limp that he obtains while stealing a horse during the war. Abner Snopes would not be considered a family man, because he is stiff and emotionless when it comes to his family. His family often receives the blunt force of his anger and frustration, especially Sarty. There are many explanations that could be used to explain Abner’s cruel behavior such as; Post-traumatic stress from the war that he served in, jealousy of those who has more than him, and his attitude towards others could be a reflection...
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...A book about burning books if that isn’t ironic then the definition of ironic needs to be checked. In the book, a man’s, named Guy Montag, eyes are opened to view life around him and as it progresses finds different types of fire. The man who thought up and wrote this ironic and classic novel titled Fahrenheit 451 was author Ray Bradbury. And in Ray Bradbury’s novel a symbol, fire, was represented in three different ways. The first representation of fire is that it is used as the solution to every problem. To help support this is a quote from captain Beatty on page 60, ”Burn all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean.” Well before captain Beatty said this he was talking about burning things that make others unhappy which means...
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...U07A1-Architecture in Town Capella University Chrissy Zufall August 25th, 2012 The first building that I decided to examine is the office building where I used to work. I was there for 40 or more hours weekly and, even though I came to the same place day in and day out it started to become very tedious, I have to say that I still appreciated the aesthetics and architecture around me. There is a hot tub business and an insurance company accident appraiser that is beside our office. Our building is very long, short building that is supported by cement legs and it has one parking lot going to the left and right sides of the building. In the back, sides and the front, of this massive building is nothing but all glasss that is made of up of approximately 2,000 windows! During the daytime hours, the glass around the building becomes like a shield that darkens up and it prohibits anyone from peering insidcetus building, but in the evening period, it lights up as bright as the city lights of New York. Our corporate colors are grey, black and white and the entire building is comprised of grey and white signs and a black trim that can't easily be seen from the outside. The elevators that lead up to the second floor are a ‘type A’ personality’s dream, meaning it is perfectly symmetrical and cleverly crafted in the shape of a “Z” that could be seen from the sidewalk below and the street beyond. The elevators run...
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...William Faulkner’s, “Barn Burning,” is a story of a sharecropper, Abner Snopes, and the plight of his family during tense class times in the South. Sharecropping became a way of life in the South after the Civil War and the abolishment of slavery. It was during this post- bellum time that social class tensions were on the rise as sharecropping took advantage of poor white people, while greatly benefiting the wealthy. Faulkner uses Abner Snopes and his family as a portal to the trials and tribulations of a poor white sharecropping family. Faulkner’s, “Barn Burning,” is an excellent portrayal of the extreme disparity and injustice within the social classes in the South. This disparity and injustice is what triggers the leader of the family, Abner Snopes, to let out his aggression by burning barns. The dynamics of class system and hierarchy are well demonstrated throughout the, “Barn Burning.” Not only is it evident in the social and cultural details surrounding the Snope’s lives, but, it is also evident within their immediate family dynamics. Abner Snopes is the authoritative head of the family in, “Barn Burning.” Abner calls the shots in regards to his family, throughout the story. His position amongst society is quite opposite of the role he has within his own family. As a sharecropper and tenant of wealthy plantation owners, Abner was treated much like a slave. At one point in the story, Abner says, “I reckon I’ll have a word with the man that aims to begin to-morrow...
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...People refer to my ability to get last minute tickets this year as some sort of miracle, when the magic is truly attributed to a lack of attachment to outcomes and a trust that life will put me where I belong. I planned to buy tickets at the last minute like the cool kids and thus decided that I probably wouldn’t go when the tickets sold out and people started hawking them for thrice the price. Even if I could have afforded it, I refused to pay more than ticket price as making money by scalping tickets goes against the basic gifting-economy premise of Burning Man and I did not want to contribute to the demise of such beauty for my own desire to party. Theoretically I was fine with the idea of missing it and even relishing the convenience of extra time for planning out my September California silk-selling mission. Though my smallest riteous voices couldn’t believe that I would not get to kiss the dust, for my body wanted saturation by the dust. About a week before the event started a ticket fell in my lap via my first silk painting student, beautiful Katha—a burner whom I was helping to paint a silk scarf for every pretty person in her camp. At first I wondered if I might be crazy to take on such a huge extra project to coincide with my own end-of-summer production crunch and now I understand that my path to the mystic dust lay in the joy of helping another with art and love (of course!). So one ticket came and then another soon after that from a long lost friend who had...
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