...head: LOST IDENTITY Lost Identity Introduction to Literature 125 April MacGrotty Aug 22, 2010 Lost Identity Literary works have been around for centuries to be enjoyed by its many readers, keeping them enthralled and mystified at the same time. Authors that write literature generally write with the intent of conveying a message to their reader. Not all messages are easily conveyed and many times readers develop their own interpretation of what the author’s meaning or the moral to the writing is. Literary works are written as short stories, poems, dramas and plays incorporating different elements, such as the setting, theme, characterization and conflict to tell their story. In the short stories “Shiloh”, by Bobbie Ann Mason, and “Story of an Hour”, by Kate Chopin along with the poem, “Lost Sister”, by Cathy Song a common theme is shared, a theme of women seeking individuality and later being met with a new freedom. Although, the literary works are not from the same genre or share common historical context the woman’s place in their society is exhibited. In this paper I will show the comparisons of how each woman is bound by a certain restriction which is released at the end of the writing. There is something special about every individual and that is their personal identity. It is hard to live a life when your personal identity is taken away from you to satisfy the needs of others. When one loses their identity at the hands...
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...Alison Shore Negotiation: Casino THREE CONVERSATIONS PLAN I. What Happened: A. Multiple Stories a. What is my story? i. I am a programming manager of a five person team that writes computer programs. There are six other programming managers. In the past, I have only worked on children’s games which do not hold the same level of prestige as the adult games in the company because the adult games produce more revenue and have more extensive marketing. ii. During a brainstorming session, I came up with an idea for our company to create a game that people could play over the internet, everyone liked the idea and decided on a gambling team. The Vice President of programming, Jamie Jackson, allowed my team take over the project. iii. My team worked grueling hours on the “Casino” project, making the endeavor more stressful after losing two team members (one due to the sickness of his wife and the other to another department). Although it was tough, I feel as if this is the best project I have ever worked on. Unfortunately, my peers and other managers disagreed calling the project “too cutesy” and “for wimps”. They believe it should involve the “cigar smoke and dancing girls” theme of Vegas, but I know modern Vegas has abandoned this theme for a more family friendly atmosphere. iv. I feel as if I may be discriminated against because I am the only female manager. This could be the reason why in the past I have only worked on children’s games, and currently am receiving...
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...Harlem Renaissance Poets Vanica McCormick-Williams Robert Henry World Cultures II May 22, 2015 Beginning in the 1920s until the mid-1930s, the Harlem Renaissance was a well read, creative, and intelligent development that ignited a unique black cultural existence. Its significance was summed up by expert reviewer and Professor Alain Locke in 1926 where he stated that through art, “Negro life is capturing its first opportunities for group expression and self assurance.” Harlem became the center of a “spiritual coming of age” in which Locke’s “New Negro” transformed “social disillusionment to racial pride.” Ralph Ellison was born on March 1, 1914 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He died of pancreatic cancer on April 16, 1994 in New York City. (Ralph Ellison, 2015) Richard Wright was born on September 4, 1908, in Roxie, Mississippi. Richard died from experiencing a heart attack on November 28, 1960, in Paris, France. (Richard Wright, 2015) Both of the authors made a major impact on society during their lifespan. According to Biography.com, Ralph Ellison was a 20th Century African American writer and scholar best known for his renowned, award winning novel “Invisible Man”. Ellison’s role in the Harlem Renaissance is his reputation as a deeply ingrained writer and a philanthropist that exceeded even the most esteemed circles of the American History. In addition, according to Biography.com, pioneering African American writer...
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...The Story of an Hour Caprice Tarpley Kaplan University Professor Susan Zappia April 2, 2013 The Story of an Hour Introduction Kate Choplin in her mini story ‘The story of an hour’ depicts very beautifully the yearnings and longings of a woman in the 19th century. The story is short and beautiful, and the underlying message is that women are just as humans as men and they have the same yearning desire for freedom as the men in their life (Chopin, 1894). The story of Mrs. Mallard Louise Mallard is the major character of the story. She is represented as a fair and calm woman along with little indication of being strong. She was suffering from heart disease and that is why the death of her husband was disclosed to her after much hesitation. Her character envelops a mixture of happiness and grievance. It can clearly be observed when she got the news of her husband’s death. Despite of going into shock, she dramatically cried hard for a time (Jamil, 2009). Owing to the fact that she had a heart trouble, she must had went into shock, however, she was calm and started considering the new opportunities her life may pose her. She welcomed some mysterious things appearing to her from the sky and her actions show that she was feeling immense independence after her husband’s death. She was overjoyed with the fact that she could lead her life without any domination (Seyler, 2009). At start, the weaker side of her character was portrayed, whereas...
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...“The Story of an Hour" published by American author Kate Chopin is often referred to as a mainstay of feminist literary study. This story is the documentation of the abstract reaction Louise Mallard had upon learning of her husbands, Brently Mallard, death. After the initial waves of grief have passed, to the surprise of many readers, including Mrs. Mallard herself, Mrs. Mallard feels a sense of relief, joy and freedom. It is through this reaction that readers are able to infer that Chopin is making the argument that individuals discover their self-identity only after being freed from confinement, and how freedom or lack of affects mental and emotional states. After Mr. Mallards death is revealed to Mrs. Mallard, Mallards self-identity is revealed to herself. Chopin does this to portray that people who have...
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...Donnie Darko In this essay I’m going to tell about the story with a summery and after that i’ll tell about the settings in the story. Settings = time, place, cultural enviroment, social enviroment, historical enviroment and atmosphere. The purpose with this description is that it will give other an insight into this story and a good analysis. In our english lessons we saw a movie called ’’Donnie Darko.’’ It was a really good movie. Time: The storys time is in 1988 during the elections to America's new president. I can’t say precisely if the is in the real world or in an imaginary world, because he’s paranoid schizophrenic. So he sees things who aren’t real. Like a big bunny named Frank and some ’’ghost-snakes’’ coming aout of people and lead him somewhere. Place: The story takes place in Middlesex, Virginia where he lives with his family. Also at his school where he gets a book from one of the teachers, and when he looks at the writers name he founds out that it’s his grandmother who has written the book about ’’time travel.’’ At the golf curse, where he writes ’’28064212’’ down at his arm. In the cinema he sees Fransk talk to him and after that he walks home to Jim Cunningham's house and stars a fire in his living room. After the fire the police founds a secret room with many picture of small, naked kids. The last time at the psychologist, when he tells her about Frank and the number he wrote down at his arm. Atmosphere: The 2. October 1988 (the fall) ...
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...Walter Mitty” is a short story that was written in 1937. The story features an elderly man who drives his wife into town for beauty parlor visits and regular weekly shopping. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” was published in 1894. In this short story Kate Chopin presents her perspective of the repressive role of marriage in the lives of women. This is shown by the fact that the main character, Louise Mallard, thinks that she will find freedom in the death of her husband. Both short stories share common theme of gender roles and marriage. Gender roles are defined as the behavior and attitudes that are strengthened by the stereotypical identity of an individual. The relationships among the form, style, and content of the two stories help us to understanding the essence of gender roles and marriage in the society today and back then. In “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” Walter Mitty is an elder American man who has retired and has nothing else to do except follow his wife around. Walter daydreams about the life he wishes he could have. The main focus of the story is to present a fantasy world rather than a realistic one. “The Story of the Hour” takes on a more dramatic effect. The story reflects an important hour for the main character, Louise Mallard. Louise experiences freedom in this hour. Just like in The Secret Life of Witty where the main focus is on the desire to escape from an ordinary life, so is the case with The Story of the Hour where Louis’ desire and...
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...The Inevitability of the Red Death Edgar Allen Poe's “The Masque of the Red Death” is an extravagant allegory of the futility of trying to escape death. In the story, a prince named Prospero tries to avoid the Red Death through isolation and seclusion. He hides behind the impenetrable walls of his castle and turns his back on the rest of the world. But no walls can stop death because it is unavoidable and inevitable. Through the use of character, setting, point of view, and symbol, Poe reveals the theme that no one, regardless of status, wealth or power can stay the passing of time and the inevitable conclusion of life itself, death. Like many of Poe’s works, the number of characters in “Masque of the Red Death” is limited; however they all work to reveal the theme. Only three characters, Prince Prospero, the Thousand Friends and the Masked Figure are mentioned. The central figure of the story is Prince Prospero. The author describes him as “happy and dauntless and sagacious” (Poe, 386). His name is used to infer royalty, wealth and happiness, and suggests that the prince is untroubled by the plague and is confident of his survival and the survival of his one thousand friends. Prospero has been described by scholars as a “feelingless ruling prince” (Wheat, 51). This is due to his apparent lack of concern for the people of his land: “The external world could take care of itself” (Poe, 386). Prospero is a flat character as he remains confident in his survival up to...
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...The story of an hour Like many contemporary women living in the nineteenth century, Mrs. Mallard in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin bore social ties of traditional requirements. Under the strict control of social requirements, married women’s lives were formed around their husbands. They were happy with their husband’s happiness and sad with their husband’s depression. They were regarded as the properties of their husbands even in daily lives. Kate Chopin did not directly express women’s dependence, but the readers could realize this truth through the chaos in Mrs. Mallard’s mind. After her instinct reaction when hearing the news of Mr. Mallard’s death like “wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms” (p.106), there was something a little bit hopeful and happy appearing in her feelings. Then, “she did not stop to ask if it were or were not a monstrous joy that held her” (p.107). For one moment she was afraid to allow herself to be joyful about her freedom "she was striving to beat it back with her will" (p.106). This showed us that Mrs. Mallard was a product of her time and was dependent on society rules. We often need a whole life to comprehend one person’s soul and desire. Though, sometimes, in only a while, we are able to realize some meanings of life. In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, in just one hour, Mrs. Mallard’s thought and feelings revealed profoundly the desire for freedom of women in the nineteenth century. Through only one hour...
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...has mostly lived abroad - in Paris, New York, Barcelona and Mexico - in a more or less compulsory exile. Besides his large output of fiction he has written screenplays and has continued to work as a journalist. Kate Chopin, born Katherine O'Flaherty (February 8, 1850 – August 22, 1904), was an American author of short stories and novels. She is now considered by some to have been a forerunner of feminist authors of the 20th century. From 1892 to 1895, she wrote short stories for both children and adults which were published in such magazines as Atlantic Monthly, Vogue, The Century Magazine, and The Youth's Companion. Her major works were two short story collections, Bayou Folk (1894) and A Night in Acadie (1897). Her important short stories included "Desiree's Baby", a tale of miscegenation in antebellum Louisiana (published in 1893),"The Story of an Hour" (1894),[2] and "The Storm "(1898). "The Storm" is a sequel to "The 'Cadian Ball," which appeared in her first collection of short stories, Bayou Folk. Chopin also wrote two novels: At Fault(1890) and The Awakening (1899), which are set in New Orleans and Grand Isle, respectively. The people in her stories are usually inhabitants of Louisiana. Many of her works are set in Natchitoches in north central Louisiana. Within a decade of her death, Chopin was widely recognized as one of the leading writers of her time. In...
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...Debra Bronstein English 1B Short Story Essay Prompt Essay Due: Monday 10/15 at the beginning of class (100 points) Please write a 4-5 page essay. All papers should be typed, double-spaced, 12-point font (Times New Roman), with one-inch margins. All papers must analyze how the rhetorical/formal/symbolic/narrative elements of the short story contribute to your understanding of the text. Please review these terms from your literary terms quiz and your class notes to remind yourself how authors deploy them in the stories. Please choose one of the following topics. Note: I ask a lot of questions within each of the topics because I want to give you many options to consider; however, this does not mean that you have to answer all the sub-questions. Use them as guides to jumpstart your thinking. 1. Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Jewett’s “A White Heron,” Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” track a particular symbol throughout the short story. Focusing on one of these stories, show how the author uses the development of the symbol in order to reflect the demise or spiritual growth of the main characters. Hint: for “The Things They Carried, you can focus on the word carry rather than on a specific individual symbol. 2. Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” are both narrated by unreliable narrators who go crazy. Focusing on one of these stories, how does the author portray insanity...
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...The story of an hour Characterization: 1) Protagonist: Louise Mallard Antagonist: Men and women who share the opinion that married women’s lives ought to revolve around their husbands’. 2) The transformation Mrs. Mallard experiences upon receiving the news of her husband’s death’: grief realization of her freedom fear if her monstrous joy reconciliation with her genuine feelings towards her husband’s ‘death’ and her new-found freedom embracement of her new life in a celebratory manner Mrs. Mallard’s crying and her eyes are the motifs through which Mrs. Mallard’s transformation is illustrated 3) Other points to note: the similes in paragraphs 7 (a child who has cried itself to sleep) and 18 (a goddness of victory) illustrates the empowerment of Mrs. Mallard and that she regains her femininity after the death of her husband (the patriarch) Narrative point of view: Limited omniscient narrator, from Louise Mallard’s point of view Theme: The story is about the stifling nature of marriage, women’s repression of their own desires to search for and assert their identities, and the oppression of women in patriarchal society. The story is also about empowerment of women and the unlikelihood of women’s status and femininity being celebrated the ways they deserve. Conflict: 1) Louise Mallard’s genuine feeling (wanting to embrace her husband’s death in a celebratory manner) VS. proper response/manners a woman is expected to show after her husband’s...
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...Nina Reed Jhumpa Lahiri is a realist writer of today. Her work is inspired by her experience as an Indian growing up in America and never quite fitting in with both her traditional Indian background and her new American community. Lahiri’s stories express her personal encounter with evading her Indian heritage. She involves in her work the everyday struggles of being stuck between two cultures and remaining true to one’s self. The majority of her stories incorporate her main character having an identity crisis. Lahiri herself, as well as some of her close friends, battled with defining her sense of self as well as how it affected her personal relationships. The author’s stories are relatable in a sense that it deals with the everyday struggles finding one’s true self. On July 11, 1967, Nilanjana Sudheshna Lahiri was born in London England to Bengali Indian immigrants. At the age of three, Nilanjana and her family relocated to the West of the Atlantic to Rhode Island. Because her name was difficult to pronounce, her teacher called her by her nickname, Jhumpa. It was only a pet name that her parents called her, but in America, it became the name she was called by her friends and teachers. This event would mark the beginning of her struggle to assimilate in America. Her father was and still is a librarian at the University of Rhode Island, which influenced her love of reading and writing. While growing up, Jhumpa was often conflicted between both American...
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...Walter Mitty” is a short story that was written in 1937. The story features an elderly man who drives his wife into town for beauty parlor visits and regular weekly shopping. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” was published in 1894. In this short story Kate Chopin presents her perspective of the repressive role of marriage in the lives of women. This is shown by the fact that the main character, Louise Mallard, thinks that she will find freedom in the death of her husband. Both short stories share common theme of gender roles and marriage. Gender roles are defined as the behavior and attitudes that are strengthened by the stereotypical identity of an individual. The relationships among the form, style, and content of the two stories help us to understanding the essence of gender roles and marriage in the society today and back then. In “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” Walter Mitty is an elder American man who has retired and has nothing else to do except follow his wife around. Walter daydreams about the life he wishes he could have. The main focus of the story is to present a fantasy world rather than a realistic one. “The Story of the Hour” takes on a more dramatic effect. The story reflects an important hour for the main character, Louise Mallard. Louise experiences freedom in this hour. Just like in The Secret Life of Witty where the main focus is on the desire to escape from an ordinary life, so is the case with The Story of the Hour where Louis’ desire and fantasy...
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...The Necklace vs. The Story of an Hour Pamela Richard ENG 125 Lesa Hadley May 11, 2012 The Necklace vs. The Story of an Hour A short story, “The Necklace” (“La parure”) written by Guy de Maupassant in 1884 and a poem, ‘The Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin in 1894 are literary works that are very comparable yet are different. The two women, Madame Mathilde Loisel and Louise Mallard, portrayed in these literary works are protagonists who have trouble because of conflicting expectations imposed on them by society. Both Mathilde Loisel and Louise Mallard want something more than what their lifestyle offers them. During the time when the authors wrote these pieces, the social behaviors showed gender suppression/oppression. This essay will compare and contrast elements of content, form, and style between two different literary works. Both authors chose the theme of gender roles in marriage. During the time when the authors wrote theses pieces, the social behaviors showed gender suppression/oppression. The nineteenth century was impacted by the industrial revolution which caused a gap in gender roles, especially in the upper and middle classes (Radek, 2001). Men and women were thought to have completely different natures. Men were considered to be powerful, brave, rational and independent. Women were considered weak, timid, emotional, and dependent. Those differences separated their functions in society. "Men were thought to have natures suited to the public...
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