...The Symbolism Concepts in Chekhov’s The Seagull Introduction Anton Chekhov was categorised as a realistic writer. His drama scripts also are realistic. The plot in his scripts describes a short fragment of ordinary lives from ordinary people. But his realism is not completely as same as traditional realism, which contains a lot of symbolism concepts. The traditional realistic play sees life in terms of what it might be, as well as in terms of what it is through an objective view (Sprinchorn 1124). Also, the visual description of characters’ personality and plot details are necessary in realistic drama play. In Chekhov’s play, it is hard to easily judge the character good or bad. And the plots are not developed with strong conflict as tradition dramatic realism. Also, his play cannot be presented as the same method as traditional plays. Chekhov’s plays have transcended the definition of realism because he already achieved a series of symbolist concepts in them. His plays can be regard as combinational works of realism and symbolism, which is different to previous playwrights’. Tolstoy has commented that: He cannot even be compared with the old Russian writers — Turgenev, Dostoevsky, or myself. Chekhov has his own manner, like the Impressionists. You see a man daubing on whatever paint happens to be near at hand, apparently without selection, and it seems as though these paints bear no relation to one another. But if you step back a certain distance and look again, you...
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...Analysis of Act I in Chekhov's The Seagull: Theme of Suffering Have you ever wished for something and didn't get it? This kind of wishfulness is prevalent throughout Act I of Anton Chekhov's play The Seagull. Through his use of dialogue, relationships between characters, and setting, Chekhov creates a theme of suffering and self-imprisonment within many of his characters as they long for the unattainable. The way Chekhov chooses his speech between characters is an important method in relaying the message of internal suffering. Many of the characters give up trying to convince another of an idea, therefore showing no end or resolvement to their torment. For example, Masha begins to explain to Medvedenko why she feels the ways she does saying "All you ever do is philosophize or talk about money. The way you think, there's nothing worse than being poor, but I think it's a thousand times easier to wear rags and beg in the streets than...." when she abruptly stops her explanation by saying "Oh well, you wouldn't understand" (Chekhov 137). Telling Medvedenko he wouldn't understand is in fact ironic since he actually has the same problem of unrequited love that she does, but her willingness to give up the explanation further shows their internal struggle. Similar to Masha's and Medvedenko's unresolved problem, Act I is full of many other unresolved problems and avoided private conversations. Sorin eventually gives up trying to convince Treplyov that his mother does not hate him by suddenly...
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...This is a story for people who follow their dreams and make their own rules; a story that has inspired people for decades. For most seagulls, life consists simply of eating and surviving. Flying is just a means of finding food. However, Jonathan Livingston Seagull is no ordinary bird. For him, flying is life itself. Against the conventions of seagull society, he seeks to find a higher purpose and become the best at doing what he loves. This is a fable about the importance of making the most of our lives, even if our goals run contrary to the norms of our flock, tribe or neighbourhood. Through the metaphor of flight, Jonathan’s story shows us that, if we follow our dreams, we too can soar. ‘Richard Bach with this book does two things. He gives me Flight. He makes me Young. For both I am deeply grateful.’ RAY BRADBURY Jonathan Livingston Seagull a story RICHARD BACH PHOTOGRAPHS BY RUSSELL MUNSON The most celebrated inspirational fable of our time Element An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 77-85 Fulham Palace Road Hammersmith, London W6 8JB The website address is: www.thorsonselement.com To the real Jonathan Seagull, who lives within us all and Element are trademarks of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd First published in Great Britain by Turnstone Press 1972 This edition published by Element 2003 17 19 21 23 25 24 22 20 18 16 Text copyright © Richard D. Bach 1970 Photographs copyright © Russell Munson 1970 Richard Bach asserts the moral right to be identified as the...
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...This is a story for people who follow their dreams and make their own rules; a story that has inspired people for decades. For most seagulls, life consists simply of eating and surviving. Flying is just a means of finding food. However, Jonathan Livingston Seagull is no ordinary bird. For him, flying is life itself. Against the conventions of seagull society, he seeks to find a higher purpose and become the best at doing what he loves. This is a fable about the importance of making the most of our lives, even if our goals run contrary to the norms of our flock, tribe or neighbourhood. Through the metaphor of flight, Jonathan’s story shows us that, if we follow our dreams, we too can soar. ‘Richard Bach with this book does two things. He gives me Flight. He makes me Young. For both I am deeply grateful.’ RAY BRADBURY Jonathan Livingston Seagull a story RICHARD BACH PHOTOGRAPHS BY RUSSELL MUNSON The most celebrated inspirational fable of our time Element An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 77-85 Fulham Palace Road Hammersmith, London W6 8JB The website address is: www.thorsonselement.com To the real Jonathan Seagull, who lives within us all and Element are trademarks of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd First published in Great Britain by Turnstone Press 1972 This edition published by Element 2003 17 19 21 23 25 24 22 20 18 16 Text copyright © Richard D. Bach 1970 Photographs copyright © Russell Munson 1970 Richard Bach asserts the moral right to be identified as the...
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...Jonathan Livingston Seagull Richard Bach The novel Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a very fantastic novel. I have judged this novel very wrongly because I really thought that’s it’s all just about a dump of boring seagulls that search for enlightenment and predictably ends finding it. But it wasn’t! It suddenly became one of my favorite novels of all time. Living in this world full of people, pretending to be something they’re not, I realized that every one of us is trying to fit in. For me, this novel will really help out those people who fear to be uncovered and I should know. This novel is all about creativity and individuality. To stand up for something you strongly believe in is really brave indeed. Creativity, I should say, makes us smarter. Routine living dulls our mind. Creative expression gives our brain a workout, activating new circuits in our grey matter. Creativity does not necessarily require an act of will or sweat on the brow. It’s about getting beyond logic and to see more than meets the eye. Creativity asks us to change the way we live our lives, to turn away from the “normal” way of doing things and express individuality. Conformity isn’t creative. Neither is routine. Jonathan did exactly the same. He turned away from the norm and started up all on his own as an outcast. Later, he found out the true meaning of life which is to touch perfection and show it forth. All this he learned in a very dramatic way. He meets this powerful seagull, Chiang, and...
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...Jonathan Livingston Seagull Reflection Jonathan Livingston Seagull Richard Bach The novel Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a very fantastic novel. I have judged this novel very wrongly because I really thought that’s it’s all just about a dump of boring seagulls that search for enlightenment and predictably ends finding it. But it wasn’t! It suddenly became one of my favorite novels of all time. Living in this world full of people, pretending to be something they’re not, I realized that every one of us is trying to fit in. For me, this novel will really help out those people who fear to be uncovered and I should know. This novel is all about creativity and individuality. To stand up for something you strongly believe in is really brave indeed. Creativity, I should say, makes us smarter. Routine living dulls our mind. Creative expression gives our brain a workout, activating new circuits in our grey matter. Creativity does not necessarily require an act of will or sweat on the brow. It’s about getting beyond logic and to see more than meets the eye. Creativity asks us to change the way we live our lives, to turn away from the “normal” way of doing things and express individuality. Conformity isn’t creative. Neither is routine. Jonathan did exactly the same. He turned away from the norm and started up all on his own as an outcast. Later, he found out the true meaning of life which is to touch perfection and show it forth. All this he learned in a very dramatic...
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...so Funny? Section 1 As depressing as Chekov’s The Seagull is with attempted and successful suicides, hopeless love triangles, and lack of healthy relationships between almost every single character; I personally enjoyed it. Don’t get me wrong, I felt the sadness and hopelessness of the characters and plot, however, it was almost the pure paradoxical mannerisms that allowed me to actually enjoy it. It was almost as if every single character set up or created their own happiness and in some alternate reality the sad ending of the play could have been avoided. This was my reaction from just reading it. Upon actually watching the play in class, all of my inhibitions and fear of being judged for my cruel sense of humor dissipated. Physically watching the play made my thoughts more apparent and clear. I really started to feel badly for Nina due to the fact that she was, in a sense, stripped of her innocence, whereas reading it made me dislike her naivety. Section 2 In Anton Chekov’s The Seagull, there can be many debate as to what the genre of the play falls into. Some argue it is pure tragedy, others argue drama, but there are others, including Chekov, that argue it is a comedy. While these are very matter of fact and binary answers, I argue that the genre is not so black and white. Due to the paradoxical characters and their tragic demise, the genre of The Seagull can be categorized as a, “tragicomedy.” The Seagull possesses many elements of tragedy such as: believable...
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...of all time. At the time that his plays were being produced there was some criticism that his dramas too closely resembled the style of fiction. Traditionalists found the action too cramped and the characters too inexpressive, noting that there were too many people on the stage at any one time, doing nothing, for audiences to be able to register the significance of it all. Contrary to expectations, though, Chekhov's plays were very popular in Moscow, where they were staged by the famous Moscow Art Theatre under the direction of Constantin Stanislavsky. The Three Sisters was the first play that Chekhov wrote specifically for the Moscow Art Theatre, having experienced commercial success in his previous collaborations with the company, The Seagull and Uncle Vanya. Like many of Chekhov's works, it is about the decay of the privileged class in Russia and the search for meaning in the modern world. In the play, Olga, Masha, and Irina are refined and cultured young women in their twenties who were raised in urban Moscow but have been living in a small, colorless provincial town for eleven years. With their father dead, their anticipated return to Moscow comes to represent their hopes for living a good life, while the ordinariness of day-to-day living tightens its hold. First performed in 1901, The Three Sisters is a perennial favorite of actors and...
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...Uncle Vanya Grown-up literature is kind of strange and sad, don't you think? Most characters within children's literature, from Tom Sawyer to Harry Potter, struggle against adversity, and ultimately find a sense of meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Most characters in "grown up" books and plays struggle against adversity, which is usually rooted in some psychologically complex inner conflict, and ultimately find that life has no meaning and no guarantee of satisfaction. At least, this seems to be the case with the stories and dramas in my big, thick Literature textbook. And it certainly seems to be the case when that Literature (with a capital L) is penned by a Russian. Such is the case with Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov. The play is filled with downtrodden fools, some ignorant, some self-aware; all are miserable because they have pursued the wrong goals. The Setting: Uncle Vanya takes place in a large estate tucked away in the Russian countryside. Possibly, the location was inspired by Chekhov's country home at the time the play was written. In the 1890s, hoping to improve his health and his connections with his fellow man, Chekhov moved his family to a small rural settlement called Melikhovo, located about forty miles south of Moscow. Much of the play finds its characters in conflict with their surroundings. The characters from the city find country life to be unbearably unsatisfying. The country-bred characters find that their city-bred counterparts are infectiously...
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...No Self-discipline; No success Everyone has a dream but has anyone ever truly considered how they could make that dream come true Jesse Owens once said “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” (personal communication, 1936 Olympic games). Everyone should have a sense of personal responsibility, many are unaware of how or what this truly is and even how to achieve it on their own. Many do not look within themselves for a chance to succeed because they are unaware of how to do this. Self-discipline is displayed by people in choices that are made to achieve college success. Many are afforded the opportunity to ensure their success or to ensure their failure. If we were to ask everyday people where they would want to be they would all say somewhere successful. That is something that we all want for ourselves but is everyone willing to use their self-discipline to make the choices to achieve those dreams. Making dreams come true is not just wishing on a star or making a wish while blowing out birthday candles it is the choices that are made in life that will turn that dream into a reality. The definition of self-discipline can mean something different to each individual but to me it is the determination and control one uses on themself to make choices that will ensure success or will ensure that something is gained in their favor. Having the chance to make our own decisions...
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...Journey to IBA A wise man once told, “The more difficult it is to reach your destination, the more you will remember the journey” and for a destination as outstanding as IBA, the journey is as unforgettable as it can get. However rocky and bumpy the path may be, if it leads to something astounding it is worth the ride. The journey to IBA is somewhat similar. It can push to your breaking point, make you doubt your own abilities at times and crack under pressure too but the thought of finally procuring it keeps you from giving up, helps you getting yourself together again and lets you go on with it. In the end, when you reach where you were aspiring to be, all those hardships that you went through become the rising action of your epic story that you later share with others being the protagonist. Institute of business administration of Dhaka University is the leading business school of Bangladesh par excellence. My desire of being part of this peerless institution started with my eldest sister’s dream of getting into IBA. I was an eighth-grader back then. She used to go into raptures talking about IBA and of how splendid the campus, the faculty and the education there are which also sparked something in me. She worked her fingers to the bone but alas, she wasn’t shortlisted. This setback had distressed my sister as well as our family severely because we were all holding onto the hope of her selection. It took all of us a while to recover from the despair. The...
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...THE CALCULATOR Crowd 1: hurry hurry Na chichi ni maua Ewaa ewaa! x3 Crowd 2:na Vicky ni maua Na Vicky ni maua Ewaa ewaa x3 MC: listen listen,this years drama festivals are at a high gear,I would like all of you to work hard in your various categories.we want the best out of you,remember we want the best musician to represent our school at the nationals.i can see you already have support for the contesters,I can hear you shouting Vicky and others chichi Pamela:we support Vicky,she buys chocolates at the school canteen,she has clean uniform always,we are always given alift by her father on their new probox Suzanna:ooh! Even if all of you are supporting Vicky because she comes from a rich family,iam going to support chichi because she comes from a poor background.she can sing and she has a good voice,I believe in God and she is is the best in this school. Cowd: (they too her) ooooh Crowd:Vicky eee, Vicky aaah Vicky eee, Vicky aaah Vicky eee, Vicky aaah Chichi:my mum always tells me to be confident in myself.she always tells me to trust in God and every thing will be alright I believe my GOD will help me to be the best miss wajajez school. Crowd:wooo! Wooo! They boo hers Vicky:look at the Vicky the great.the unbeatable the only one in wajajez school. Crowd:vickeyeee Vicky:who is always smart in school with clean uniform Crowd:Vicky!!!! Vicky:who has the most friends in wajajez school Crowd:vickyee Vicky:can we sing the song I taught you. Crowd: na Vicky ni...
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...Andrew Khoury Mrs.Buescher English 10, Period 6 27 October 2015 Does listening to music help or hinder productivity in general? After a rough day, when you come home from work, you need something that will make your day better. The best choice you will have is listening to your favorite type of music. You can just turn on your compact disc player and have a great time listening to your music collection. Everyone has a music collection or at least a favorite genre. Did you know that just for English music there are over 10 genres? There is one for everyone. We all have different choices for music, none is better than the other. People these days listen to all kinds of music: hip-hop, classical, country, etc. People are really picky with what they listen to. People don’t want to compromise with what they are listening to, they don’t have to. Approximately, there are over two million songs written and published in the music industry since its birth (Answers.com). According to the stats shown, we know that people have countless choices of music to choose from these days. Music gives you a variety of choices and beats that you have never heard before. There are approximately 50 albums published every week (Approximately how many songs have been produced in the US and the UK since the music industry was born). Music has become a way of life in some parts of the...
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...I love music because of the way it makes me feel. Music has always been part of my life and I hope it continues to grow in me as I am growing. My favorite musical instrument is the violon. The sound of the violin brings peaceness in me and most importantly happiness. When people are not there to comfort me music is there. There are different type and genre of musics. You listen to certain music depending on your mood. My most favorite type of musics I listen to are classical, country, soul and pop. I listen to musics in variation of language, it doesn’t matter if I understand the language or not the most important is the connection I have with the music. Music is often taken for granted people listen to them but do not pay attention to the lyrics and they often do not understand what the music is portraying but it lends to our every day in simplistic ways. Music is more than just a group of people performing together. Life without music would be like life without water because there will be something missing. I love music and something I hope to accomplish is being able to sing. I’m often told by people that it’s a fantasy that one day I will be able to sign and play the violin but they often laugh at me and say it’s something that I should have mastered both of them at a young age. Confidence is something I struggle with because of how many people who tells me I can’t make that fantasy come true, my love for music just makes me push myself harder. Entering the school Collegiate...
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...When I Crossed Hello,my name is Jose Sandoval. I am fourteen years old. I come from Honduras. I have one sister in California,the state of freedom. The reason I am here is because of all the violence in my country. My father died when I was just five years old. A a very terrible year for me. After my father perished I became the man of the house. I was always curious what America looked like. My cousins and I always fantasized about it. It was like a big hot cocoa cup with a bunch of mushrooms in them. Ever since I was a kid I have always wanted to go to the United States. When my father died my mother knew right away that I had to leave to the free country. My mom hired a coyote to cross me over the border. The coyote talked to me before we left. He told me that once we crossed the Mexican border everything mattered. How you walked,how you spoke and how you ate. EVERYTHING. *Two months later* I was walking home after work. It was like a normal day,except it wasn’t. Once I arrived i was surprised to find two filled up travel bags. At that moment I knew it was time to go. Two hours later the coyote arrived. I greeted him by saying “Hello coyote how are you doing today?” he said,”Don't call me coyote call me Omar and I'm doing ok”. After that Omar and I were planning out how we were going to cross the Mexican border. *Heist time* We left Honduras in one of those big coca Cola trucks...
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