Self-Awareness of The Sandboxs Characters :: The Sandbox Edward Albee

Symbolic Self-Awareness of The Sandbox's Characters Through his one-act play The Sandbox, Edward Albee has extended the allegory; his characters not only exist as symbols, but are more than vaguely aware of themselves as such. As caricatures rather than characters, they maintain a consciousness of their presence on stage as well as the stereotypical rules and emotions they are meant to display. Specifically through Mommy and Daddy's vacuous and immediate shifts to "appropriate" attitudes, Edward Albee issues his value statement. In effect, Shakespeare's assessment that "All the world's a stage,/And all men and women merely players" has been reanalyzed and extended by Albee, culminating in a work which declares the conventional conception of death as affected and contrived. Almost deceiving in its straightforwardness is the opening note on Mommy and Daddy and the "pre-senility and vacuity of their characters." Daddy's ensuing questions as to what is to be done, and Mommy's resulting composed answers set in motion the implication of an end-of-life ritual whose spiritual meaning has long since passed away. At one point, Daddy asks Mommy if they should conduct a conversation. Mommy responds, "Well, you can talk, if you want to...if you can think of anything to say...if you can think of anything new." Daddy's rejoinder in the negative establishes early on that his and Mommy's existences, and therefore actions, are hackneyed, artificial, mundane, and devoid of any true, personal meaning. By the air of preparation which pervades the play, and by Grandma's death in the end, a connection is made, and The Sand Box is duly noted as Albee's address on custom surrounding the coming of life's passing. The creation of an W W W W W W in which the actors are aware of their presence of stage breaks ground for Albee's take on society's engagement in role-playing. Requesting appropriate background music, and making remarks on lighting, Albee's characters cannot escape discredit regarding the genuine. Similarly, Albee greets the close advance of death with the suitable stereotypes of sudden darkness, violin playing, "a violent off-stage rumble," and Mommy's brief tears. Inevitably, the sincerity of Mommy and Daddy has been cast in doubt and all subsequent words and actions bear resemblance to conventions. Self-Awareness of The Sandbox's Characters :: The Sandbox Edward Albee Symbolic Self-Awareness of The Sandbox's Characters Through his one-act play The Sandbox, Edward Albee has extended the allegory; his characters not only exist as symbols, but are more than vaguely aware of themselves as such. As caricatures rather than characters, they maintain a consciousness of their presence on stage as well as the stereotypical rules and emotions they are meant to display. Specifically through Mommy and Daddy's vacuous and immediate shifts to "appropriate" attitudes, Edward Albee issues his value statement. In effect, Shakespeare's assessment that "All the world's a stage,/And all men and women merely players" has been reanalyzed and extended by Albee, culminating in a work which declares the conventional conception of death as affected and contrived. Almost deceiving in its straightforwardness is the opening note on Mommy and Daddy and the "pre-senility and vacuity of their characters." Daddy's ensuing questions as to what is to be done, and Mommy's resulting composed answers set in motion the implication of an end-of-life ritual whose spiritual meaning has long since passed away. At one point, Daddy asks Mommy if they should conduct a conversation. Mommy responds, "Well, you can talk, if you want to...if you can think of anything to say...if you can think of anything new." Daddy's rejoinder in the negative establishes early on that his and Mommy's existences, and therefore actions, are hackneyed, artificial, mundane, and devoid of any true, personal meaning. By the air of preparation which pervades the play, and by Grandma's death in the end, a connection is made, and The Sand Box is duly noted as Albee's address on custom surrounding the coming of life's passing. The creation of an W W W W W W in which the actors are aware of their presence of stage breaks ground for Albee's take on society's engagement in role-playing. Requesting appropriate background music, and making remarks on lighting, Albee's characters cannot escape discredit regarding the genuine. Similarly, Albee greets the close advance of death with the suitable stereotypes of sudden darkness, violin playing, "a violent off-stage rumble," and Mommy's brief tears. Inevitably, the sincerity of Mommy and Daddy has been cast in doubt and all subsequent words and actions bear resemblance to conventions.

Free Great Gatsby Essays: Genre :: Great Gatsby Essays

The Genre of The Great Gatsby If you want to find out, into which literary corner F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, the "Great Gatsby", belongs, you’ve got to take a look at two main genres of novel-writing, the so-called "novel of manners" on the one hand and the romance on the other. The novel of manners gives, using most of the time a rather satirical tone, a sharp portrayal of the actual life as it really is and also of the social behaviour and attitudes that are closely related with it. This type of novel concentrates on people of a certain class, time and place are clearly defined. The individual attitudes of those people, their inner desires, get into conflict with the more conventional values, which are defined by the society they live in. The result is, that the protagonist has the problem of combining himself and his desires with the rules (the manners) of society, that he himself as a part of this society helped to establish, involuntarily. Examples for this special kind of novel are creations of authors like Henry Fielding and Jane Austen. On the other hand there is the romance, not aiming at a detailed description of life, but wanting to show it as it is imaginatively seen. The romance concentrates on the inner aspects of human nature, it is not concerned with ordinary events. It is difficult to decide to which literary type the "Great Gatsby" belongs. It is possible to read it as a novel of manners for it presents life and atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties in America, the Jazz Age, marked by prohibition, the organised crime, the new woman as well as the wealthy upper-class and their carelessness in most affairs. Fitzgerald is also using a satirical and comic tone most of the time. But the book could as well be read as a romance. This seems to be even more appropriate for the book is concerned with the portrayal of a man's idealism in all its glory but as well in all its unreality and unworldliness. Gatsby is presented as a mysterious figure, fitting well within the fantasy and magic of his naive dream. He is Prince Charming, the gallant knight, trying to get his Princess in white, it's a perfect example for a sad and tragic fairy-tale. While writing the "Great Gatsby", Fitzgerald got influenced by several other books, such as "The Decline of the West" by Oswald Spengler, published 1918-1922, which is portraying the Western civilisation as being in a state of decay.

The Great Depression in America Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Great Depression was a time of total despair. Years of economic downturn not only affected the United States but may European countries as well. Americans endured lost of fortunes, homes, jobs and personal tragedies. Very few alive today remember what it was like, and to the rest of us, it is just a piece of history that we can only imagine. The Great Depression reeked havoc on the stock market, banking, industries, and agriculture that led to massive unemployment, breadlines and fear that lasted over a decade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the stock market collapse, the New York banks became frightened and called in their loans to Germany and Austria. However, without the American money, Germans had to stop paying reparations to France and Britain. This was a chain reaction and they could not repay their war loans to America, therefore, the depression had spread to Europe. The U.S. Government tried to protect domestic industries form foreign competition by imposing the Hanley-Smoot Tariff of 1930. In retaliation governments worldwide sought economic recovery by adopting restrictive autarkic policies and by experimenting with new plans for their internal economics. As a result, global industrial production declined by thirty-six percent between 1929 and 1932. Worldwide trade dropped by an all time high of sixty-two percent. (Annals) The question of the day was, How did this happen?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mass speculation went on throughout the late 1920’s. In 1939 alone, record volumes of one-billion-one hundred twenty-four million-eight hundred thousand-four hundred and ten (1,124,800,410) shares were traded on the New York Stock Exchange. (Drewry) From early 1928 to September 1929 the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose from one hundred ninety one to three hundred eighty one. This sort of profit was irresistible to investors. Company earnings became of little interest; as long as stock prices continued to rise large profits could be made. Through the practice of buying stocks on margin , one could buy stocks without the money to purchase them. Investors went wild for this idea drove the market to unheard of high levels. By mid 1929 the total outstanding brokers’ loan was over seven billion dollars and eight and a half billion dollars over the next three months. Interest rates for broker loans were going for... ...d be a little more on the cautious side and take a good look at our own economy. We should take into account that it could happen again. The Great Depression was not the only depression or the longest, that title being held by the Long Depression of the late nineteenth century, nor was it the sharpest in contraction. The one after the first World War being a deeper drop, it represented the greatest fall from the general trend-line of growth. Are the signs there that we are headed for another downturn? Are we all a little to at ease with our economy? Maybe we should take a closer look. Bibliography Works Cited Boardman, F.W. The Thirties: America and the Great Depression. N.Y. Henry Z. Walcki Inc. 1967. Drewry, Robert and A.J. O’Connor. The Indigenous Role in Business Enterprise. New Guinea: New Guinea Reasearch Unit 1970 Schraff, Anne E. The Great Depression and The New Deal. NY Franklin Watts 1990 The Annals of America Vol.15. 1929-1939 The Great Depression. William Benton & Encyclopedia Britannica 1968 The Writers and Photographers of the Associated Press - 20th Century America – The Great Depression 1929-1939. Grolier Educational Corp. 1995.

Industrial Development and Labor Movement Essay

The answer is FALSE. The development of industrial development contributed to the rise of labor movement. The significant change that was caused by the industrial revolution – the increased efficiency of production through the use of machines – has caused the displacement and alienation of human workers as machines have taken over the production process. The industrial revolution is one of the most significant highlights for the development of human history. It was an advent for the most important technological changes and advancement which translated to increased production efficiency – producing the most number of goods at the least amount of costs. However, the rise of giant industries which made use of machines in production has caused human skilled workers to be displaced from their jobs. The automation of production has made human labor less appealing and less needed. The advent of the rise of machines has caused severe changes in production and labor, and consequently it has driven profound social changes and also driven the economy to be more production efficient with little help from human labor (Hooker). Consequently, the displacement of human laborers and their seemingly less involvement in the process of production have made them less powerful in voicing out their demands. The mechanized production system has made them less represented and less significant in the industry, thus, factory owners didn’t regard them as assets in the industry. This turn of events marked the era wherein laborers didn’t have the ability to speak of their work-related grievances, they lost the voice to call out for fair treatment. In contrast to the earlier times wherein the small employer-employee relationship was prevalent, the workers had the ability and chances to address their demands to their employers. However, the increased automation of production system has also caused the growth of enterprises and the owners hired skilled professionals to more efficiently manage the workers. As a result, there existed a larger gap between the owners and the laborers, making it harder for the laborers to communicate directly to the owner to express their grievances (The American Labor Movement). Moreover, during these times, the workers were forced to work longer hours, getting the most work from them though giving them the lowest wage possible. And because of the production automation, skilled laborers and craftsmen were less valued and the number of unskilled laborers has significantly increased. Thus, these instances, developments and the further impoverishment and unequal treatment for laborers have resulted to the emergence of labor unions that advocated to protect the rights and welfare of laborers. Labor unions became a prevalent action in protecting the common interests of laborers, particularly issues regarding wages and working conditions. These labor and trade unions served as collective organizations that represented the interests of the working class. Moreover, labor unions were sometimes looked upon as political wings campaigning for equitable treatment from employers and lobbying for the implementation of laws governing labor relations. These labor movements focused on issues related on rank-and-file movements, collective bargaining conflicts and organizing political campaigns. These efforts flickered the hopes for industry workers to attain increased political influence to be able to push legislations that shall benefit their cause, and deflect labor laws that were inefficient in protecting the rights of laborers (Turner, 2001). The rise of labor movement became more prevalent in the newly industrialized countries. This happened as global transformations became more influential and encompassing – for example, the â€Å"relocation of low-wage areas, automation and the increasing use of unregulated work arrangements† – all of which contributed to the strong urge of forming a strict and rigid framework of a union that shall defend workers against unfair treatment. (Silver)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, in addition to the animation of production, there is another aspect of industrial revolution that has hastened the rise of labor movement. The unfair labor practices rendered by industrialized nations towards less powerful and poor countries have made it more appealing for workers to organize a movement that was geared minimizing these effects. As the industry grew larger and more powerful, industrialized countries have sought for new markets and new sources of cheap labor, wherein they can yield the most production with labor-intensive processes, with the least amount of costs possible. They utilized the presence of satellite countries wherein they can extract from them the cheapest raw materials, and wherein they can impose to make use of the human capital as a source of cheap and intensive labor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Therefore, the rise of labor movements was sponsored by the industrial development. This happened in such a way that, as the industry flourished and became automated, it resulted in harsh treatment and displacement of the workers. This unfair treatment led workers to form unions that shall represent them as a whole in addressing their grievances and sentiments. The development of labor movements were hastened by (1) need for social mobilization and institutional change; (2) need for significant representation by workers; (3) call for industry changes; and (4) economic and political protectionism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The industry development happened in such a manner that it gave utter importance to machines and deliberately misappropriated the use of human skills in the course of production. It displaced the rights and abilities of craftsmen and haggardly made use of unskilled worker, as they offered cheap labor despite the intense labor work and long work hours. Consequently though, this instances and treatments have hastened the movements to revive the industry that is mindful of human existence and welfare.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, industry development, coupled with intense form of exploitation, mistreatment, alienation and displacement for workers have eventually led to the emergence of labor movements. References Hooker, Richard. The Industrial Revolution. Retrieved December 1, 2007 from, Silver, Beverly. Labor Movements from a Global Perspective. The American Labor Movement. Retrieved December 1, 2007 from, Turner, Lowell. (2001) Reviving the Labor Movement. School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Cornell University.

Black People and Samuel L. Jackson Essay

Who is she today and what is her occupation? President of brown university Where was she born? When? Grapeland TX1940 What did her parents do?How many people were in her family? They were share croppers14 What was her life like as a little girl? Explain in several sentences. Also, include the specific details of sensory imagery she uses to enhance her description. She was a step out of slavery There were hundreds of people living in it A bucket with syrup a biscuit and bacon grease in it When did Ruth’s life shift, or change? How did this shift change her life? Be specific, and include details. 1950s they joined the vast migrations of African Americans to big cities She moved to Huston TX Explain the term sharecropping. Use a section of Ruth’s own words to complete your description. Where in turn for slavery they got a little amount of money from the slave holder Explain the term Jim Crow South. Use a section of Ruth’s own words to complete your description. â€Å"don’t ever talk back to a white person, if your on the sidewalk and you encounter a white person step off the side walk and let them pass and we dare not break the rules for fear of what would happen† Interview with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson Web address: http://video.pbs.org/video/2227535116 HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. Where did he live as a child? Explain his early life in a few sentences. They lived in three segregated neighborhoods. The color of their skin determined what they could do and what schools they could attend where they could work and with whom they could socialize. It bonded them together culturally. SAMUEL L. JACKSON Where did he live as a child? Down town Chattanooga Tennessee When did he leave, and why? By his 18th birthday, and to attend moorhouse collage Describe his childhood home? Embed a quote into your answer. Include sensory imagery for your answer. The black community was very small. Describe his family, and explain how he felt about them. Who said, â€Å"Segregation could impose many limits, but it couldn’t completely crush all of our dreams†? *Remember: when you use exact words and phrases, use proper documentation.

Distinguish egalitarian, rank, and stratified societies in anthropology Essay

There are universally acclaimed structures of society and these can either be beneficial for the individuals or not. One of the many political doctrines that can be beneficial to the individuals of a society is Egalitarianism. Egalitarian is referred to be as a kind of society which gives equal rights and opportunities to the people. Egalitarian societies give equal treatments to their people, equal rights to resources, equal in moral status and equal rights of the laws and church and they don’t have even permanent leadership. The notion of egalitarianism came about because in biblical verses, it was written that God loved His people equally (Arneson). Another kind of political doctrine is the social stratification; it is viewed as the social hierarchy of social classes and strata within a society. Social stratification is universally acclaimed but varies accordingly to the societies that uphold it. There are three major components of social stratification according to the conflict-perspective sociologist Max Weber; the class, status and party. The status of a person in the society plays a big role in the determination of his or her role and his behavioral patterns and changes that he or she will have. There are actually four classes in a stratified society; the propertied class, the property less class, the bourgeoisie, and the working class. An individual’s role in a society is predicted by the class he or she is under. In stratified societies, those who have the capital are the ones who rule and have the greater opportunity to the resources and services and those who have nothing are have the lesser opportunity (Rodriguez). Societies have differences; some give equal rights to the people and others do not. Thus, societies continue to exist because social order is maintained.

Figures of Speech in the Waste Land

Some figures of speech in the wasteland Figures of speech comprise two main categories. One category twists the meaning of words to wrest a new non-literal meaning from words that, when phrased together, have a very different literal meaning, as in the idiomatic figure of speech, â€Å"He died from laughter. † Literally, this means a man met his demise due to laughter. Figuratively (i. e. , non-literally), this means he laughed with vigor for a long time. Figures of speech that twist meaning are classified as  tropes.The other category enhances meaning by arranging and rearranging words and word order to dramatize, emphasize or more elegantly express the point at hand. For example, an analogy may be more dramatically made by using a  chiasmus  that inverts parallelism in a typical abba component arrangement. For example, consider the inverted parallelism of this: The day [a] but shines [b], but glows [b] the night [a]. Figures of speech that enhance through words, sounds , letters, word order and syntax are classified as word schemes, or justschemes.It is clear from this brief explanation of figures of speech that  The Wasteland, with a figure of speech as its very title, will be replete with figures of speech of both kinds,  tropes and schemes. In this format, I can identify a few prominent ones, the first being the title. The Wasteland  is the overarching figure of speech (trope/metaphor) that shapes this entire poetic treatise on the state of the world in Eliot's day. The title of Part I, â€Å"The Burial of the Dead,† is itself a significant figure of speech, also a metaphor, that establishes the central idea of the work.For Eliot, following World War I (1914-1918), Earth itself was ravaged, torn and dead, â€Å"Lilacs out of the dead land †¦. † This figure of speech signifies that death resulting from WWI encompasses the dead who died in battle and the dead who still breath though dead inside from horror and from the lo ss of dead Earth: A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many, 62 I had not thought death had undone so many. â€Å"Son of man† is another important figure of speech, an allusion and metaphor, as this is to whom portions of Part I are addressed: Son of man, 20You cannot say, or guess, for you know only A heap of broken images, Another important figure of speech (trope/analogy and symbol) found in Part III, â€Å"The Fire Sermon,† is Tiresias, the blind old man who sees â€Å"At the violet hour†: I Tiresias, though blind, throbbing between two lives, †¦ can see At the violet hour, the evening hour that strives 220 Homeward, †¦ This figure of speech is important because it represents Eliot's point and belief that the living dead cannot see, can no longer perceive, what is around them, what is true.This is also an allusion to the Biblical precept that those who see are blind, that is, cannot see spiritual truth. Figures of speech of the  scheme  kind a re also present, though seemingly less prominent and used for elegance and compression rather than for significance. An example is found in Part III: â€Å"the young man carbuncular. † Here the word order is changed so that the adjective modifier â€Å"carbuncular† follows the head noun (â€Å"man†) of the noun phrase. Standard word order would be â€Å"the carbuncular young man. † This sort of rearrangement of word order, with the adjective coming after the noun, is called an  anastrophe