Suicide Is A Severe Topic In Catcher in The Rye Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 470 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/05/21 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Catcher in The Rye Essay Did you like this example? Tone is an important part of J.D. Salingerrs ability to connect to the reader through Holdenrs voice, while still introducing the reader to more serious topics. Tone can be defined as the attitude the author or speaker has towards his subject. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Suicide Is A Severe Topic In Catcher in The Rye Essay" essay for you Create order In this novel Holdenrs tone of narration and J.D. Salingerrs undertones differ greatly. Holden uses many informal slang words throughout the novel as he speaks to the reader in a very casual way. J.D. Salinger introduces many serious topics through the informal voice of his protagonist, giving the novel a more serious note. Even though Holdenrs tone in The Catcher in the Rye is very informal and sarcastic, J.D. Salingerrs undertones are much more serious. Holdenrs tone as he speaks to the reader is very informal and sarcastic as he discusses his experiences through New York City. In the first sentence of the novel Holden speaks very casually, using many slang words. The first thing youll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was likeall that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I dont feel like going into it. (Salinger 1). Immediately Holden speaks to the reader using very casual vocabulary, including slang such as his use of lousy and crap. He talks to the reader as if he were having a conversation with them, as he uses the personal pronoun you. Holden frequently uses slang in the novel, he also uses basic non descriptive vocabulary. He often uses goddamn and phony and, dough instead of money, as well as low level non descriptive vocabulary such as like or nice. His non descriptive vocabulary leaves a very casual note in addition to the slang which is sarcastic and informal. Holdenrs tone is informal due to his use of personal pronouns, in addition to simple vocabulary and slang he uses sarcastically. J.D. Salingerrs undertones are more serious unlike his protagonist. J.D. Salinger addresses serious topics through Holdenrs experiences. Finally, what he did instead of taking back what he said, he jumped out the window. (Salinger 170). Suicide is a severe topic, Holden talking about his experiences with it gives J.D. Salinger the ability to talk about suicide in a relatable way, while still informing his readers on the dangers of suicide and depression. Salinger informs the reader through experiences Holden has. Holden is woken up on Mr. Antolinirs couch. Mr. Antolini is patting his head. Holden is immediately frightened by this and, as he leaves Mr. Antolinirs apartment, he mentions this kind of situation has happened to him many times before. J.D. Salinger leaves an impact on the reader as he warns them about perverts through Holdenrs disturbing experiences. J.D. Salinger brings serious undertones to the novel as he talks about suicide, depression and perverts.

Analysis Report On Management Accounting System - 1459 Words

A management accounting system collects accounting information and converts the information to an analysis report in order to help managers make correct decisions and let stakeholders fully understand how the company runs. In another word, the main purpose of the management accounting system is assessing the company’s performance with the help of different measurements. Thus, management accounting system reform should be closely linked to performance measurement. The most traditional way to measure company’s performance is comparing the historical financial figures. However, such measure has been challenged by both academics and practitioners as the dysfunction consequences in assessing rewards for managers and issues in capturing customer quality have been recognized. Under this competitive environment, one traditional performance measurement may not be good enough to fit all the businesses . In order to help businesses measure their performance accurately, the innovations and changes may take place when designing and adopting the management accounting system. Focusing on innovations and changes part firstly, two major schools were introduced to companies. They are the stakeholder approach and shareholder approach, respectively. According to the stakeholder approach, the competition on many dimensions will let the companies realize that theyShow MoreRelatedAccounting (Managerial) 530 Portfolio Case Study978 Words   |  4 PagesAccounting (Managerial) 530 Portfolio Case Study Imagine you are applying to become a trainee in a management consulting company, Solutions Inc., which claims to deliver innovative solutions. They are looking for innovative employees who engage with their work. The selection process will be rigorous. 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Youth Crimes In Melbourne

Question: Write about theYouth Crimes In Melbourne. Answer: This paper is aimed at discussing youth crimes and how these crimes have run of control. Although the article will discuss the juvenile delinquency and how managing it has become difficult, it will mainly focus on youth offenses in Melbourne in Australia. Some of the key areas of discussion will include: The definition of juvenile crimes. Under this section, an analysis of youth crimes will be explicitly discussed. Providing examples of some of the crimes that are considered to be youth crimes. Causes of youth crimes. This section of the paper will highlight some of the reasons that young people indulge into crimes. The reason may range from peer pressure, poor education, attending low schools, coming from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds and also an abuse of drugs. This paper backup with evidence and most especially cases from Melbourne will indicate how all the mentioned factors can affect youths and the impacts of these negative influences. Reasons why the youth crimes have run out of control and the consequences. This section will try to discuss some of the reasons that have resulted in youths crimes becoming so rampant thus raising a call for action. Clearly, the rate at which youth crimes have sparked a need for action so as to contain the situation. Also, some of the consequences will be highlighted. Remedies to youth crimes Regardless of the commonality of this situation, some ways can be employed to mitigate this situation. Therefore, this part of the paper will provide some relevant ways in which youth crimes can be curbed and help the victims. Remedies are usually generated after a critical analysis of the factors leading a condition has properly been looked. This way an efficient strategy package can be formulated so as to curb this situation once and for all. The paper will provide examples of effective remedies. Youth Crimes in Melbourne Youth crimes can be referred to the crimes that have been committed by juvenile offenders. Besides, it may mean a consistent anti-social and illegal behavior by a child at their immature stage to the point that parents cannot contain or correct it. Thus endangering the lives of others in a society and therefore becomes an issue of concern by the law enforcement authorities (Bor, 2004). In old times, it used to refer to behavior by teenagers that were completely inconsistent with the expectations of the society also referred to as an anti-social personality disorder. The teenagers involved in such crimes are normally between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. Some of the examples of violation and offenses committed by youths include: Larceny: This is common in situations such as shoplifting, stealing from people carrying backpacks and on several occasions stealing bicycles. Vandalism: Exemplified in issues such as graffiti and tagging, drawing weird patterns in public washrooms, cutting other people's auto tires and keying cars. Alcohol crimes; You will find underage purchasing and possess alcohol, consume it, give it out to peers of the same age, and to some extent having open contains in cars and public places. Disorderly behavior: This is commonly portrayed in public fights, cursing one's teacher, indecent exposure. Possession of illegal substances such as Marijuana: Commonly spotted in public places when teenagers smoke it or possess it in small amounts in their bags (Collins, 2009). Violation of curfews: When a child sneaks from home after they have been given a curfew or even violating curfew at a park. Criminal trespass: For instance, entering a someones land and vacant building without permission. Fraud: For example, one impersonating another and writing bad checks. Also, frauds committed via email. Possession of unlicensed weapons: Such a gun and metal knuckles without permission from the authorities. Causes of Youth Crimes in Melbourne The rate of youth crime is rapidly growing in the 46 Victorian municipalities and most rampant in Melbourne. The general number of offenses committed by young people in this state is growing fast, and new figures are rising each day. According to statistics provided by Crime Statistics Agency, about 25,636 crimes were committed by young people of age 18 and even more youth in 2016 with the violations including damage to property and theft in most common cases (Collins, 2009). The hotspot of youth crime is the city of Melbourne which records 20.3 percent raise to 1765 offenses. The youth crimes crisis was brought to attention when police made use of capsicum spray on some teenagers who were violent and who rampaged through Melbourne central business district substantially disrupting the Moomba festival that was going on. Some of the factors that contribute to are insufficient education. According to criminology data pertaining juvenile crimes and undereducated children, it clearly shows that there is a healthy relationship. Failure, in early stages, is a crucial factor for forecasting the future criminal behavior of a child (Cunneen, 2011). According to research conducted, showed that those children who had an opportunity to attend high-quality preschools were less likely to develop drug issues or be incarcerated when they are adults. Also, they were 22% less likely to be arrested for any crime in college. On the other hand, children from low-income homes are taken to public schools which are overcrowded and other times lack qualified teachers. Additionally, they lack enough funding for some extras such as textbooks, counselors, and special education (Cunneen, 2011). Some of these factors are the result of the school-to-prison tendencies. The chances and probability of children committing crimes are magnified by their lack of quality education which leads to poor performances and school dropouts. Another common contributor to juvenile delinquency in Melbourne is peer pressure. Adolescence stage is at that stage where a child is growing himself herself and is always seeking acceptance from others. The desire to fit in and be accepted acts a motivation for teens to fall into peer pressure. According to a recent survey, only 10% of young people claimed not to have been influenced by peer pressure (Ferrell, 2004). Even the young people themselves typically attribute peer pressure to be one of the reasons they indulge in risky behaviors. The other cause of youth crimes in Melbourne is substance abuse. This behavior in itself affects cognitive development thus reducing an individuals ability to evaluate risks. When it is combined with other factors, it can be a contributor to committing a crime. Consequences of Youth Crimes and why they have Run Out of Control Child crimes may have adverse effects on the individual who commits it, the family and the society as a whole. It may lead to school dropouts and imprisonment which may affect the education of the culprit (Hemphill, 2006). Besides, the parents or the guardians may be stressed to see the progress of their child, and the society may lack competent workforce and future role models to the younger children Remedies of Youth Crimes After a critical analysis of the factors of that cause crime among the young people have been properly done, and then a strategy package can be formulated to help curb and reduce the number of offenses. Some of the remedies include: Reducing Inequality and Provision of Adequate Education. It is very much possible for the Australian government to reduce inequality by properly utilizing the taxation tools which usually guarantee straightforward implementation. The lives of socially disadvantaged in the society can be made better especially if the minimum wage is increased in the country and reducing food inflation (Muncie, 2005). Additionally, upgrading the standards of public schools. For instance, employing qualified teachers, constructing more schools to curb overcrowding and providing enough funding to enable them access extras such as counselors and textbooks. Offering Moral Guidance Usually, the act of crimes is moral actions. According to criminologist and sociologists, morality ahs great importance in criminal behavior. Therefore, children will tend to learn right from wrong by aping the behavior of the adults they see throughout their lives. Children are proven to suffer moral poverty if the parents and guardians are not close enough so that they can learn. Such a child may be followed by such moral debt up to their adulthood which later begets juvenile (Narayan, 2004). The issue of peer pressure can be curbed by offering proper guidance to these children at all times. Parents instill in children the ability to differentiate between wrong and right hence ability to make personal decisions. As a result, they know who they appreciate who they are and will not attempt do what will get them feel remorseful. Regulation the Availability of Drugs The law enforcement agencies should regulate the availability of drugs so that very few young people get access to them. When a person becomes addicted to drugs, they are unable to function well and therefore are able to finance their expenses on drugs and as a result they steal from others to buy drugs (Windle, 2008). The solution to this addicts should be to be treated and cured rather than be saved from indulging into drug usage. Employment Provision Employment opportunities greatly reduce crime rates (Wyn, 2000). The Australian government can increase these opportunities by prompting the small scale industries by reducing the cost of electricity and offering incentives to curb the high cost of production. Reference List Bor, W., McGee, T.R. and Fagan, A.A., 2004. Early risk factors for adolescent antisocial behaviour: an Australian longitudinal study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 38(5), pp.365-372. Collins, J. and Reid, C., 2009. Minority youth, crime, conflict, and belonging in Australia. Journal of International Migration and Integration/Revue de l'integration et de la migration internationale, 10(4), pp.377-391. Cunneen, C. and White, R., 2011. Juvenile justice: Youth and crime in Australia. Oxford University Press. Ferrell, J., Hayward, K., Morrison, W. and Presdee, M. eds., 2004. Cultural criminology unleashed. Routledge. Hemphill, S.A., Toumbourou, J.W., Herrenkohl, T.I., McMorris, B.J. and Catalano, R.F., 2006. The effect of school suspensions and arrests on subsequent adolescent antisocial behavior in Australia and the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 39(5), pp.736-744. Muncie, J., 2005. The globalization of crime controlthe case of youth and juvenile justice Neo-liberalism, policy convergence and international conventions. Theoretical Criminology, 9(1), pp.35-64. Narayan, P.K. and Smyth*, R., 2004. Crime rates, male youth unemployment and real income in Australia: evidence from Granger causality tests. Applied Economics, 36(18), pp.2079-2095. Windle, J., 2008. The racialisation of African youth in Australia. Social identities, 14(5), pp.553-566. Wyn, J. and White, R., 2000. Negotiating social change: The paradox of youth. Youth Society, 32(2), pp.165-183.

Symbolism in a Streetcar Named Desire free essay sample

Written in 1947, A Streetcar Named Desire has always been considered one of Tennessee Williams’s most successful plays. One reason for this may be found in the way Williams makes extensive use of symbols as a dramatic technique. This happens in all of his plays, but in this instance Williams integrates symbols very effectively with ideas and thematic content. He once explained that symbolism is a way to â€Å"say a thing more directly and simply and beautifully than it could be said in words †¦ sometimes it would take page after tedious page of exposition to put across an idea that can be said with an object or a gesture on the lighted page† . Thus Williams emphasises the theatre dimension of the symbols he uses, as well as symbolic meanings in dramatic language. In this essay, a selection of the symbolic devices used by Williams will be analysed. Owing to the pervasive use of symbolism in this play, only major symbols can be dealt with, but it should be added that the distinction between major or minor importance is open to interpretation and depends on the symbols thematic importance. We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolism in a Streetcar Named Desire or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The order of the symbols discussed in this essay is not identical with their order of appearance in the play, but is governed by a systematic approach. 2. Symbolism In literature, symbols are widely used by authors as a means of emphasising certain atmospheres and characteristic features of people and places. A symbol is an object or image that stands for itself and also for something else. All language is symbolic considering that letters form words which indicate particular and objective realities. In a literary sense, a symbol combines a literal and sensuous quality with an abstract or suggestive aspect. A symbol can be thought of as an image that evokes an objective, concrete reality and prompts that reality to suggest another level of meaning. 3. The names’ symbolic meaning 3. 1 Blanche DuBois Blanche DuBois is the main character of the play and also the most thoroughly described one. The name Blanche is French and means white or fair. Her last name DuBois is of French origin as well and   translates as made of wood. Her first name a clear connection to her character becomes quite obvious. Since the colour white stands for purity, innocence and virtue, Blanche‘s name reveals these qualities, which stand in contrast to her actual character traits. The name suggests that Blanche is a very innocent and pure person, but throughout the play it becomes obvious that Blanche cannot call any of these traits her own. Only the illusory image which she tries to create for herself suggests these traits, but her true nature is not like that at all. She constantly tries to hide her embarrassing past from all of her new acquaintances, because she fears that they might not accept her anymore. In order to maintain her apparent social status among her new neighbours and friends, she builds this intertwined net of lies which creates a false image of herself. She herself believes in this imaginary world, and as soon as there is the slightest sign of its destruction, she seems to be lost, and her nervous condition worsens. Therefore all she cares about is to keep that image alive. Her first name is therefore quite ironic since it means the exact opposite of Blanche’s true nature and character. Her last name, however, stands in contrast to her first name. Made of wood suggests something solid and hard, which is the exact opposite of her fragile nature and nervous condition Wood can also be associated with forest or jungle, and regarding her past, the connection becomes clear. Blanche used to indulge in a rather excessive lifestyle. She had sex with random strangers and was known throughout her hometown Laurel for that. So her former life was more like a jungle or a forest, because it was hard to see through all this and detect the real Blanche. As in a jungle, Blanche could not find a way out of this on her own. The term jungle appears in the play as well. In scene ten, when Stanley is about to rape Blanche, â€Å"the inhuman jungle voices rise up†. The jungle can be associated with wildness, brutality and inhuman behaviour. As already mentioned above, wood represents something hard, or hard-working. The Du in front of   that, however, suggests something aristocratic and noble. There seems to be a contradiction in these two terms which can be explained with the nature of her character. The way Blanche tries to create an aristocratic and sophisticated image of herself, but is in fact the complete opposite, displays this ambiguity. There is another way to explore her last name, and it leads to the pronunciation of it. If one pronounces DuBois with the correct French accent, there is nothing uncommon about it, but since the play was written by an American, who most likely knew about the way most Americans would pronounce it, a very obvious connection to Blanche’s past appears. Being pronounced with an American accent, Dubois sounds more like â€Å"Do boys,† which accompanies the fact that she had had an affair with a student while she was a teacher. Her kissing the paper-boy in scene five underlines the sexual symbolic meaning of that last name as well. Combined with her first name, her entire name would translate as â€Å"white wood,† which she explains to Mitch in scene three, â€Å"It’s a French name. It means woods and Blanche means white, so the two together mean white woods†. Blanche DuBois cannot only be translated as white wood but also as white and made of wood, which makes it easier for the reader to detect that she seems pure and innocent on the outside, but is really quite tough and calculating when it comes down to her image and her future, especially concerning her search for a husband. Overall, Blanche’s entire name is heavily symbolic because it reflects her true nature in a very clear way. Just as first and last name are being read out in an exact order, Blanche’s character is revealed in the same way. At first she seems to be innocent and pure, but later her past and her true nature can be discovered. 3. 2   Stella Stella is a Latin term which simply means star. Stars in general are considered to be the light which breaks through the darkness. Considering that light is the opposite of darkness, and darkness itself stands for not-knowing and intellectual dullness, the stars can be regarded as reality and knowledge shining through ignorance. Stars can also be a symbol for high ideals or goals set too high. Stella represents Blanche’s ideal concerning the fact that she is leading a contented life. The deeper significance of her name reveals her role in the play. The symbolism of star is light, hope and stability. This is quite a good description of her role and her position in the play. Stella is the connection between Blanche and Stanley, the two major characters, because she contains character traits of both of them, and can therefore relate to them better than anyone else can. Therefore she can be considered to be the stabilising element of the play. She is the negotiator between the two so very different characters. Stella and Blanche have the same rather wealthy and cultivated background, which is the connection between the two women. Stella also has several things in common with Stanley. One of them is their love for wild sex. During a conversation ith Blanche, Stella tells her about her wedding night: Stella: Why, on our wedding night – soon as we came in here – he snatched off one of my slippers and rushed about the place smashing the light-bulbs with it. Blanche: He did – what? Stella: He smashed all the light-bulbs with the heel of my slipper! Blanche: And you – you let him? Didn’t run, didn’t scream? Stella: I was – sort of – thrilled by it. 3. 3   Belle Reve Belle Reve is the name of the sisters’ family’s plantation in their hometown Laurel. The name is again of French origin and means beautiful dream, which again emphasises Blanche’s tendency to cling to her illusions. The term suggests an illusion, which is not quite true, for the plantation really once existed. On the other hand, beautiful dream suggests that something beautiful, which has once existed, faded away. Therefore, the name’s symbolic meaning became true. But in contrast to Blanche’s other illusions, this is the only one that ever truly existed, and it is the only one that Stella and Blanche are both connected to, because it is their heritage, and it was real. However, looking more closely at the name, it reveals that there is a grammatical mistake. The adjective belle is feminine, but it should be masculine, for reve is masculine. Tennessee Williams probably did this on purpose and not by mistake, because it underlines the fact that Belle Reve was just a dream which crumbled. The grammatical mistake also implies a certain imperfection, which is also apparent and true for Blanche’s beautiful dream, her net of lies and false illusions. 3. 4   Desire, Cemeteries and Elysian Fields At the   beginning of the play Williams introduces three terms which do not reveal their symbolic meaning right away, but the reader comes to realise their sense and importance later in the play. In scene one, Blanche describes to Eunice her journey to her sister’s place: â€Å"They told me to take a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at – Elysian Fields†. Blanche’s journey on New Orleans’ streetcars represents the journey of her own life. Desire is her first step, just as it was the first step of her life after her husband Allan had died. Still struggling with this loss, she was desperately longing for love and companionship, but ended up leading a life which was filled with sex with random men, who never cared about her: â€Å"Yes, I had many intimacies with strangers. After the death of Allan – intimacies with strangers was all I seemed able to fill my empty heart with†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . At this time she was hence obsessed by desire. The next step of her journey is Cemeteries, which is an obvious symbol for death. Her promiscuous lifestyle had got her into trouble. She lost her job because she had had an affair with one of her students, and was banned from Laurel: â€Å"The opposite (of death) is desire†. This underlines that her life turned into the exact opposite of what it had been. Elysian Fields is the name of the street where Stella and Stanley live. According to Roman mythology, Elysium (or Elysian Fields) was a part of the underworld and a place of reward for the virtuous dead. Elysian Fields, though, was just a temporary place of the souls’ journey back to life: The New Orleans quarter shows this feature of Elysian Field being very active as well. It is a very lively area where sounds of the streets, the locomotive and the street vendors are constantly present. The plunging of souls in waters resembles Blanches obsessive bathing in Williamss play—her cleansing too is psychic, and she hopes to wear away her habitual stains. Since Elysian Fields is the place where the souls reside before they come back to earth, it symbolises the third step of the journey of Blanche’s soul. After the rape, she is being taken away to the mental institution, which symbolises that her journey has started over again. Desire has once again sent her off to Cemeteries. 4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The light as a symbol for truth and reality The light plays an important symbolic role throughout the play because it clearly reflects Blanche’s and Stanley’s characters. The light is considered to be the basis for sight and recognition, and, as already mentioned above, it is the opposite of darkness which symbolises intellectual dullness and ignorance. Blanche and Stanley stand in contrast concerning their attitudes towards light, which again underlines their different characters. 4. 1   Blanche’s aversion to light Blanche’s relation to light is quite obvious because she tries to avoid bright light of any kind as well as she can. Her reaction to light can be regarded as an attempt to hide her true nature as well as her vanishing beauty and youth. By hiding from the light she tries to escape reality, for light clearly represents reality in this play. The first time that Blanche’s aversion to light becomes obvious is in scene one: â€Å"And turn that over-light off! Turn that off! I won’t be looked at in this merciless glare†. In scene three, she covers the naked light bulb with a Chinese paper lantern: â€Å" I can’t stand a naked light bulb, any more than I can a rude remark or a vulgar action†. This remark shows that Blanche would rather hide behind polite phrases than accept truth and reality. The paper lantern is not very stable, though, and it can easily be destroyed, just like Blanche’s illusions. In scene six, she takes Mitch home with her and says, â€Å" Let’s leave the lights off†. Blanche thinks of Mitch as a future husband, and therefore she does not want him to know her past or her true age, and the best way to hide her age is to stay out of bright light where he could possibly see her wrinkles and fading youth in her face. Later in that scene, Blanche tells Mitch about her husband Allan: When I was sixteen, I made the discovery – love. All at once and much, much too completely. It was like you suddenly turned a blinding light on something that had always been half in shadow, that’s how it struck the world for me. Therefore, in her past, light used to represent love, but now it represents something destructive for her. Allan’s suicide erased the light or love, and thus she now does not believe in it any longer and tries to escape from the light and therefore escapes reality: â€Å"†¦electric light bulbs go on and you see too plainly†. This again shows her fear of light since for her it represents reality, and   in scene nine this becomes even more obvious. When Mitch tears off the paper lantern in order to take a closer look at her in the bright light, â€Å"she utters a frightened gasp†. Then she tells him, I don’t want realism†¦I’ll tell you what I want. Magic! Yes, yes, magic! I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell the truth. I tell what ought to be truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it! – Don’t turn the light on. This is Blanche’s first statement concerning her true intention and nature, and it is probably the only time where she ever confesses that she builds up an illusory image of herself. 4. 2   Stanley’s affection for light Stanley has a different attitude concerning light and reality. He is very down to earth and realistic and displays this with his brutal honesty. For Stanley, the bright light exposes everything for what it is. He can only accept a literal truth, which can be experienced by his fanatic investigation of Blanche’s past: â€Å"You showed me the snapshot of the place with the columns. I pulled you down off them and how you loved it, having them coloured lights going†. In this passage, Stanley tries to remind Stella of the fact that when they met she was just like Blanche, but that he made her face reality again. As already mentioned above, light is the opposite of darkness and therefore the opposite of ignorance. Stanley considers himself to be knowing and constantly tries to increase his knowledge, especially the one concerning Blanche’s past. 5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The use of colour symbolism The use of colours plays a very important role in A streetcar named Desire. Throughout the play, Williams makes explicit use of colour as a means of emphasising the characters and the atmosphere of the   setting. Colours in general are means which are used to express emotional moods, human qualities and hierarchical positions. The two major characters, Blanche and Stanley, are each dressed in certain coloured clothes to underline their nature. 5. 1   Blanche’s symbolic colours The first apparent use of colour in the play is the symbolic meaning of Blanche’s name, which, as already mentioned above, is French and means white. When she appears in scene one, â€Å"she is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace and ear-rings of pearl, white gloves and a hat†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . As already mentioned above, the colour white stands for purity and innocence, but it is also the colour of light and represents perfection and virginity. This association stands in complete contrast to her actual behaviour and actions. Blanche is a seductive and promiscuous woman, who lies in order to maintain her image, and therefore Williams’s use of this colour for her name and her outer appearance is quite ironic. In scene two Blanche talks to Stanley about honesty: Yes – yes – cards on the table†¦. Well, life is too full of evasions and ambiguities, I think. I like an artist who paints in strong, bold colours, primary colours. I don’t like pinks and creams and I never cared for wishy-washy people. This paragraph clearly shows the irony in her words, because she herself is the one who is embodying a distinct difference between her actions and her statements. She is the one who is neither straight-forward nor honest, but pretends to expect this from other people to a certain extent. In scene nine, she changes her clothes from soft colours to strong bold ones for the first time: â€Å"She has on her scarlet satin robe†. The colour red symbolises love, passion and fertility on the positive side, but also fire and blood on the negative one, so this is the first time that her outer appearance actually matches her intentions. She is meeting Mitch in this scene, and her dress certainly shows the seductress in her. Mitch refuses to marry her because of her past, and after that, in scene ten, she wears a white satin evening gown, which implies that she returned to her habit of soft colours in order to underline her pureness and virtuous nature. 5. 2   Stanley and his friends Stanley’s tendency concerning colours is the exact opposite of Blanche’s. He and his friends usually dress in rather solid materials, like cotton, or denim, and their clothes are mainly coloured in blue, and sometimes green. The first time their clothes’ colours are mentioned is in scene one: †Two men come around the corner, Stanley Kowalski and Mitch. They are about twenty-eight or thirty years old, roughly dressed in blue denim work clothes†. The colour blue is considered to be a symbol for the divine or heavenly, but also for the truth. Once again, Williams uses a certain colour to express a person’s human qualities, although, in this case, the association is not ironic, but matches the person’s behaviour. Stanley is an honest person with no sympathy for lies and superficiality. The colour blue also represents strength, masculinity, calm and authority, which clearly underlines Stanley’s character. Stanley however is not the only character displayed in this way. His friends’ colours, especially Mitch’s are being described as well. Williams points out the aspect of masculinity in the following excerpt and underlines it by mentioning the men’s clothing colours: The poker players – Stanely, Steve, Mitch, and Pablo – wear coloured shirts, solid blues, a purple, a red–and-white check, a light green, and they are men at the peak of their physical manhood, as coarse and direct and powerful as the primary colours. Later, in scene nine, Mitch â€Å"comes around the corner in work clothes: blue denim shirt and pants. He is unshaven†. In this scene he meets Blanche, who is wearing her red satin robe. The confrontation of the colours red and blue, symbolises the confrontation between femininity and masculinity. 6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Music as a symbol for emotions Music plays an important role in A Streetcar named Desire because it appears in almost every scene and stresses the atmosphere in a very distinct way. There are two main types of music used in the stage directions: the blue piano and the Varsouviana Polka. Each one appears in scenes which are occupied by a certain emotional state of the main character Blanche. 6. 1   The blue piano The blue piano is first mentioned in the introductory stage directions of the first scene: â€Å"This ‘blue piano’ expresses the spirit of the life which goes on there† . Throughout the play, the blue piano always appears when Blanche is talking about the loss of her family and Belle Reve, but it is also present during her meeting and kissing the young newspaper man. The blue piano thus stands for depression, loneliness and her longing for love, which the adjective blue already suggests. This quality is not identical with the colour symbolism of blue. It describes Blanche’s emotions and represents her need for companionship and love, but also her hope, as the scene with the paper-boy shows. Mitch tells her in scene nine that he will not marry her due to her promiscuous past, â€Å"the distant piano is slow and blue†. Later, in scene ten, it grows louder when she is on the phone trying to get in touch with Shep Huntleigh. In this situation, her hopes are rising, and so does the piano. In the last scene, Blanche is being taken away to a mental institution, and Stanley and   his friends play poker again: â€Å"The luxurious sobbing, the sensual murmur fade away under the swelling music of the ‘blue piano’ and the muted trumpet†. The blue piano, accompanying the card game, symbolises Stanley’s victory over Blanche. 6. 2   The Varsouviana Polka The Varsouviana Polka on the other hand appears when Blanche is being confronted with her past and the truth, or when she talks about Allan. The reason for this seems obvious, for exactly this polka had been played when er husband Allan committed suicide. The polka represents death and immanent disaster. Blanche tells Mitch in scene six about Allan, and how she caught him cheating on her: â€Å"Polka music sounds, in a minor key faint with distance†. When Stanley gives her a ticket back to Laurel for a birthday presents, the situation means disaster for Blanche. She realises that she is not wanted anymore, and that she has nowhere to go, for Laurel is an unacceptable   place to go to after all the incidents there: â€Å"The Varsouviana music steals in softly and continues playing†. Again, the polka represents disaster. In scene eleven, the connection between the polka and Blanche’s state of mind and emotion becomes even more obvious. She gets totally lost in her illusions about Shep Huntleigh and runs into her room when the doctor arrives: â€Å"The Varsouviana is filtered into weird distortion, accompanied by the cries and noises of the jungle†. Therefore the polka’s weird distortion matches the confusion in her mind, and gives a further dimension to the Bois element of Blanches name as discussed earlier. 7  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Animalistic images Throughout the play, Williams often describes certain characters as being animal-like. In literature in general, animals are often used as a means to underline a person’s characteristic   traits by comparing that person to a certain animal. Animals frequently represent the power of the subconscious. 7. 1   Blanche’s connection to the moth In the first scene, Blanche is compared to an animal: â€Å"There is something about her uncertain manner, as well as her white clothes, that suggests a moth†. Since all dictionaries of symbols taken as reference guides only refer to butterfly, the butterfly will be taken into consideration and used as a comparison to the moth. The moth and the butterfly have several things in common. They are both born as a caterpillar, then create a cocoon around themselves, in which they stay for a certain period of time, transform into a moth/butterfly and finally come out in their complete appearance. In medieval times, the butterfly was the most well-known symbol for the Resurrection. The butterfly leaves the unsightly cocoon and then lives in the light. For antiquity, the butterfly was a representative for the soul. Therefore her journey can be regarded as the journey of her soul.. This clearly underlines the statement saying that the butterfly can be associated with something fickle and wandering. It is also said to have a connection to Eros, the god of love. All these attributes can be linked to Blanche’s character. Due to her promiscuous past, she can be considered to be wandering and fickle, and her connection to Eros is quite obvious, too. In contrast to the butterfly, who lives during daytime, the moth mainly lives during the night, which makes it a creature of the darkness, and the butterfly one of the light. As already mentioned above, the butterfly leaves the dark cocoon to live in the light, but the moth stays in darkness for that is the time when it is feeding. This can be adapted to Blanche as well. It seems as though—contrasting with her name—it is her fate to live in the darkness, which symbolises ignorance and the dark dungeon of the limbs in Virgil. Blanche does not find a way out of it: at the end of the play she is being taken away to the mental institution, which means that she finally does not conquer her fate. 7.    Stanley and his wild image In contrast to Blanche, Stanley displays brutal and wild behaviour—from her perspective: He acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits! Eats like one, moves like one, talks like one! There’s something – sub-human – something not quite the stage of humanity yet! Yes, something – ape-like about him, like one of those pictures†¦. Stanley is at this point compared to an ape. Ch aracteristic traits of apes are mobility, intelligence, deceit, but also lasciviousness, the drive to imitate and quarrelsome stinginess. Especially the lasciviousness matches Stanley’s character, for it can be detected in his love for wild sex, and his raping Blanche. With Stanley’s connection to the ape, Williams again builds up a link to the jungle. Apes often live in the jungle, for it is their habitat. Therefore Stanley’s habitat, the Elysian Fields, can be considered to be a jungle. It appears to be an appropriate place for Blanche to visit, when the white woods actually camouflage the noises of the jungle dominating her mind. 8  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion This essay has tried to point out several of many symbols used in A Streetcar named Desire. It should have become clear that symbols are elaborate means of emphasis in order to intensify atmospheres and people. Williams introduces most of the symbols in the first scene, obviously to create a certain atmosphere and to give the reader already a deeper insight into the characters from the beginning. The use of colour symbolism, as well as the music occur in almost every scene in order to underline the emotions and the clash between Blanche and Stanley. It should have become clear in this essay that certain symbols affect each other by emphasising contrary aspects or related qualities. The symbols discussed in this essay are only a selection, for Williams makes excessive use of symbols in this play. Blanche’s constant bathing and the poker game are just a few other symbols dealt with in the play, but due to the length and the extent of this essay they could not be discussed. The ones which were discussed can surely be explored more thoroughly, for example, a further exploration of the   symbolic allusions used in this book might have been possible but that would have likewise exceeded the dimensions of this essay.

Copyright 1996 The Johns Hopkins University Pre Essays

Copyright 1996 The Johns Hopkins University Press. All rights reserved. The Lion and the Unicorn 20.1 (1996) 132-152 American Film Adaptations of The Secret Garden: Reflections of Sociological and Historical Change Julaine Gillispie The creative team behind Marsha Norman's 1991 Broadway musical of The Secret Garden often joked about " The Secret Garden club," whose members, upon mention of Frances Hodgson Burnett's children's classic, purportedly gasped, reached toward their hearts, and passionately declared, "'That was my favorite book'" (qtd. in McGee 64). No doubt the prospect of having such ardent, die-hard fans in the musical's audience was daunting, to say the least. If asked, the filmmakers who have chosen to adapt Burnett's work (or any other perennial favorite, for that matter) probably would admit to some concerns about pleasing the legion of Secret Garden devotees. Douglas Street, for example, opens his introduction to Children's Novels and the Movies by discussing the particular problems inherent in adapting cherished childhood novels into film (xiii). He likens filming a children's classic to moving a Victorian home to a modern location. He writes, "Ultimate success is depen dent upon the perceptive preservation of original feeling and attraction in harmony with requirements necessitated by the new, cinematic setting" (xviii). Indeed, the director's ability to remain true to the sense of the literary original and concurrently update it to reflect contemporary mores and cinematic techniques plays a major role in determining whether an adaptation becomes a classic or fades into obscurity. Several scholars, including Morris Beja, George Bluestone, Judith Mayne, and Sergei Eisenstein, study adaptation, exploring the relationship between novels and films. HYPERLINK "http://0-muse.jhu.edu.wam.seals.ac.za/journals/lion_and_the_unicorn/v020/20.1gillispie.html" \l "FOOT1" 1 While there is, in general, concurrence among scholars about the common qualities of the two--such as narrative and point of view--novels and films are, nonetheless, different media. [End Page 132] Morris Beja points out, "If narrative literature and film share, indeed by definition, the basic element of the story, they do not 'tell' the story in the same way or in the same 'language'" (54). Consequently, filmmakers must alter the original work to fit their cinematic medium (hence, the name adaptation). Despite the potential difficulties of successfully condensing and converting Burnett's almost three-hundred-page novel into approximately one hundred minutes of celluloid, several directors have attempted to do so. In fact, the work's continued popularity among children and adults makes this children's classic a candidate for multiple adaptations by different media: drama, electronic multimedia, musical theater, opera, and film. HYPERLINK "http://0-muse.jhu.edu.wam.seals.ac.za/journals/lion_and_the_unicorn/v020/20.1gillispie.html" \l "FOOT2" 2 The Secret Garden (1911) inspires these multiple adaptations in part because directors aspire to stamp their unique, creative genius and society's current cultural perspectives on the text--the enchanting tale of the regeneration of two children, Mary Lennox and Colin Craven, through a garden near the moors of Yorkshire, England. Burnett's book, like all great works of literature, appeals to its audience in different way s through an ample assortment of themes: child neglect, class differences, mystical faith, the value of friendship, the healing power of positive thinking, self-reliance, healthy living, and nature. This gives The Secret Garden the chameleon-like ability to change to match its environment. This dynamic quality enables box-office conscious filmmakers to tailor the story to suit a specific era. The films of the American society, in and of their time, provide a glimpse of the nation's cultural, social, and political ideologies. Traditionally, film content is a product of these shifting views and contemporary concerns. A close examination of three American live-action features of The Secret Garden --the 1949 Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) film, the 1987 Hallmark Hall of Fame television production, and the 1993 Warner Brothers (American Zoetrope) movie--reveals that each version remains reasonably faithful to the chronology of the original and heightens the Gothic elements of the text; conversely, each adaptation's interpretation is radically different, reflecting the historical and sociological changes in American society. HYPERLINK "http://0-muse.jhu.edu.wam.seals.ac.za/journals/lion_and_the_unicorn/v020/20.1gillispie.html" \l "FOOT3" 3 Just as films are often time capsules, literature, too, can function as a "'cultural reference point'" (qtd. in Manna 58). Certainly The Secret Garden is an exemplar of this truth. As many returning-adult readers and critics note, the novel begins as Mary's book and ends as Colin's story. HYPERLINK "http://0-muse.jhu.edu.wam.seals.ac.za/journals/lion_and_the_unicorn/v020/20.1gillispie.html" \l "FOOT4" 4 Although scholars' opinions

Entering the war was the best course of action for Russia in 1914 Essay Example

Entering the war was the best course of action for Russia in 1914 Essay Example Entering the war was the best course of action for Russia in 1914 Essay Entering the war was the best course of action for Russia in 1914 Essay On August 1st 1914 Germany declared war on Russia therefore bringing Russia into a European war. The Great War lasted 4 years but Russia pulled out in 1917 due to problems back home. The reason why Germany declared war on Russia was that it had mobilised it forces and was heading towards Germany.Russia entering that war had both good and bad points for the country and indeed the rest of the world. Many say that cause of the war was the death of Arch Duke Ferdinand air to the Austrian throne. This did spark of a string of events but Russia made some of its own contributions to the war.Russia was a backward country still following Feudal laws and ideas. This caused them to be behind in both industry and agriculture. Russia owned a vast empire that dominated a large percentage of the world. Having people in the west who were in sight of Germany and others in the east in sight of Japan should show the vastness of the land. The people were being led by the tsar and this one man was in cha rge of the whole country this in itself led to many problems. The tsar was isolated from any contact from the outside and any information he was given would have been by his ministers who would have lied to better themselves or to protect themselves. Keeping this in mind that would have been unable to see the state of the people and maybe not have known the state of his army. So when he committed himself to war this factor should be taken into account so not to totally blame the tsar.The tsar was looking out for Russia by committing them for a course of war as it had potential to benefit them. Russia Empire was vast and they would not want to expand much more but to keep its borders strengthened. With the Germans growing in power in the west their eyes would have been set on spreading their land towards the east into Russian lands. With this in mind the Russians had began negations with France which stated if one of them was attacked the other would come to the aid. This was known a s the triple entante France would have agreed, for it would have feared for its own safety from the German threat. By agreeing to this treaty Russia is also keeping its friendship with Europe strong as it would need them to trade with also if it let Germany take on France alone France would lose. This would seem a good idea as they would lose no men and could let Europe sort it out but sooner or later Germanys eyes would turn onto Russian held lands. This was Russias best chance to crush Germany before it grew strong enough to take on Russia.Germany had also been thinking of these problems that it could end up with a war on two fronts so it had made an alliance of its own called the triple alliance this had Germany, Italy and Austria. Austria was looking to expand its own borders as countries were breaking away from the failing Turkish Empire one of these was Serbia. Serbia was important to the Russians as it was Russias only way into the European sea via the phoseprus. The Russians didnt use this as there excuse when they came to the aid of Serbia when Austria attacked. Russia said it was the mother land and protected the Slavs. Austria attacked Serbia using the death of Arch Duke Ferdinand as its reason to blaming it on Serbian terrorists. If Russia had let this happen and not intervene Serbia would have been crushed and its way into the European seas along with it. She then mobilised her forces towards Austria and Germany.Russia had only thought up to battle plans for the war each of these so detailed once the wheels had been set in motion then they couldnt be stopped. One of these was the mobilisation of her forces all out against Austria sending men to the aid of Serbia and keeping its entrance to the sea open. The other was to split its forces and go after both Austria and Germany. The alliances were well known around the world and Russia was aware that Germany may go to the aid of Austria therefore would be forced to attack them. The Russian military de cided to split her forces and go after Germany and Austria. Some could say this sparked of the chain of events that brought Germany, France and Britain into the war. The Germans then seeing Russian troops coming into their land declared war on Russia. France then came to its allys aid by declaring war on Germany.Russia had been in a war with Japan just 9 years ago and had suffered a terrible defeat and was in need of a victory. The Russians had a past of military wins and would think that they could win this. There was wide spread belief that the war would be over in a short space of time. The war sent a wave of patriotism across the country which saved the tsar from a lot of the problems that was going on in his country as peoples attention turned towards the war and away from the problems back home. The Russian economy was not prepared for a long term war though and soon the realisation of the war came in and supplies were unable to get to the front of be produced quickly. In the past a war has boosted a countrys economy by making industries make large produce as the government will by it of them. New ideas start to come about and new inventions are designed. All across Europe countries had been going through an industrial revolution that had been happening naturally. Russia had tried to forces its country to have one and it wasnt working as they drafted in peasants from the country side and output went down by 50%. This is because the peasants didnt have any real training for use of the machines. This also caused agriculture produce to go down and this was Russians primary export.Russia merchant fleet was terrible and that is putting it in a nice term. Russian merchant fleet combined with Finlands accounted for 5% of the worlds tonnage. Half of this was sail powered and therefore was at the mercy of the elements and would been seen as a joke by any enemies ships who could ram through the ship to save ammo. Russia was trading with other countries at the time but wasnt exploiting its huge resources it had in the east and was importing lots of resources it had. This could be accounted down to the fact that there wasnt an efficient transport system to get goods from east to west.The transport system problem also would leave troops stuck at one station which had multiple entrances but only one exit. This would mean that men and supplies wouldnt be able to get to the front line in time. Men could get there but not have enough supplies to survive. This is the story of 1 rifle between 3 men came about. Russian troops had a wave of patriotism about them that would have made them good fighting men due to the fact they are willing to die for the country. The generals were unable to or did not take advantage of this fact.The generals themselves were behind in idea of warfare and most of them were put into the job because of their social status. There were not enough generals who had risen through the ranks and knew how to fight and win a war.Bari ng all of these factors in mind you could say the idea behind going to war was a good one. There were many points to be gained and could be seen as a wise move for the future. Although the lack of a good transport system, merchant navy and industrial system. The country wasnt ready for the vastness of the task ahead.

Impotance of career planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impotance of career planning - Essay Example As a function of such differing aspects of personal well being and growth, this brief analysis will consider a few of the reasons why career planning is essential to maximizing success and satisfaction in life. In order to accomplish such an analysis and/or investigation, this author will integrate with career planning based upon the following determinants: the necessity of performing career planning in order to define and differentiate what actions must be accomplished in order to direct ones path towards the ultimate goal as well as the necessity of career planning in order to maximize satisfaction. Firstly, the reader can and should integrate with an understanding of the fact that it is necessary in order for the individual to make something of a road map of future actions that must be completed in order to realize the goals they have set for themselves. One can easily take a quick glance around their local academic institution and quickly realize that a very large majority of the students within the system have not a clue or the foggiest notion with regards to how they will accomplish the goals after university. As a function of this, creating a set of metrics and milestones that will help define and guide the shareholder in the correct direction is a requirement to proper career planning (Babik 7). This is not to say that career planning is something of a concrete science that cannot be bent or changed as time goes on. Rather, it is the understanding of this author that unexpected eventualities will shift the way in which the shareholder expects to accomplish the goals that he/she has set; however, having a plan and being able to change that plan is of vital importance due to the fact that without it there is little hope that much in the way of proactive planning or thinking will be accomplished. An aspect of career planning that is often ignored is the fact that proper career planning can easily help an individual to realizes a far greater degree of satis faction than they would had they not engaged in any level of planning (Chen & Fulmer 15). This strikes at the very root of what proper career planning can effect due to the fact that this is the connection between hopes, dreams and realities. Without a clear idea in mind of the aspects of one’s career that can bring the highest level of success and personal satisfaction, the individual oftentimes finds themselves in situations that hardly resemble what they had previously imagined (Magnuson & Starr 99). This is not to say that without proper career planning the individual will necessarily find themselves in a miserable career with little to no satisfaction in the work that they are performing; rather, it merely helps to underscore the fact that without career planning the likelihood that satisfaction will be evidenced in one’s work environment is necessarily reduced (Greenhaus 4). As a function of these determinants that have been listed in this brief analysis, the rea der can come to the understanding that proper career planning is an integral component of helping to maximize personal satisfaction and success. By creating a definitive road map for how key

Dimensions of Intercultural Communication in Organizations Essay

Dimensions of Intercultural Communication in Organizations - Essay Example Japan, having a population of about 127 million people, is well-known for its business skills all around the world. Japan is the territory of peace and harmony that maintains to progress in an affirmative amalgamation of tradition and renovation. By means of its sophisticated and vibrant history and culture, Japan has shaped an individual form of hierarchy, respect and protocol that is still revealed in numerous social and business experiences at present. If some organization plans to do business with Japan, prospective victory lies under an understanding of this ethnically influenced protocol. The literacy rate in Japan is around 100 percent and 95 percent of the Japanese people have a high school learning. Japan is a dynamic, wealthy and thriving state, with the world's second largest financial system. Japanese consumers pay out hundreds of billions of dollars on foodstuff, outfits, tour, leisure and a broad range of further consumer supplies and services every year. The top Japanese companies are along with the most competent and unbeatable firms in the globe. Joblessness is down to approximately 4.1%, lesser than in most industrial nations. The standard Japanese household has above $100,000 in reserves, and disposable earnings of around $4,000 for each month. The majority of Japanese managers think that their ... Therefore, Japanese employees look for opportunities to take part in the management procedure. Resembling their workers, Japanese managers acquire a participatory approach. Participative Japanese leaders exercise a combination of both task centered and people centered perspectives to direct subordinates. Owing to this participative attitude, Japan is frequently used like an illustration of William Ouchi's Theory Z administrator Theory Z administration consists of the following Japanese management features. 1. Leaders and workers are equally motivated by a prevailing sense of commitment for their organization. 2. Workers look for responsibility and struggle for opportunities to progress in an association. 3. Groups are pleased with themselves when they contribute to managerial accomplishment by teamwork. 4. Japanese organizations offer a lifetime job security which develops strong relationships of sincerity among the workers and managers. Japanese managers distinguish with Theory X administrators like those from Middle Eastern states or Indonesia who think that their employees are naturally indolent. Theory X managers are strict, and hence exercise force and pressure of penalties to complete the task properly (Hodgetts & Luthans, 2003). Theory Z managers as of Japan are also dissimilar from leaders in China, Europe and North America who normally track the more paternalistic Theory Y perspective. In Theory Y, managers believe that employees will struggle and look for increased challenge and accountability counting on the rewards related with task attainment. Since Theory Z is participative, Japanese associations

Moral Dilemma of the Death of a Young Boy in Panama City Essay

Moral Dilemma of the Death of a Young Boy in Panama City - Essay Example We don't want to be compelled to believe that our choices are bad. This is then that we are caught in a moral dilemma. Moral dilemmas are considered dilemmas because of a certain kind of conflict between the rightness or wrongness of the actions and the goodness or badness of the consequences of the actions. If doing what is morally right results in something bad or if doing what is morally wrong results in something good, the force of moral obligation may seem balanced by the reality of the good end. We can have the satisfaction of being right, regardless of the damage done, or we can aim for what seems to be the best outcome, regardless of what wrongs must be committed (Ross, 2005). An unthinkable dilemma could be observed in William Styron's novel Sophie's Choice wherein Sophie had to make a choice which among her two children should she give up the o the Nazi doctor. She had to make a choice in order to save one of them, other else both will be killed. This is such an impossible dilemma for a mother who loves her children so much. Whichever child she chooses, she would end up with a negative consequence, that is losing one of her precious children. Sophie did make a choice because she wanted to keep at least one of them, only to find out that in the end, none would be left to her. Like Sophie, we may be faced with similar situations, though not as worse. Just like practicing the so-called white lies, a person thinks that if he uses that for good, the end would also be good because human tends to go for the positive results no matter what the means may be. But there are cases when we should accept the bad consequences because we ought to do something right. It's either we choose to do what is right and suffer the consequence or do wrong to achieve our desired outcome. Life situations, though, sometimes leave us with no choice. The crucial features of a moral dilemma are these: the person is required to do each of the two (or more) actions, the person can do each of the actions, but the person cannot do both (or all) of the actions.

SWOT Analysis of the Football Association (FA)

SWOT Analysis of the Football Association (FA) This paper looks to produce a report that seeks to analyse the work of the Football Association (FA) in the context of an evaluation of the impact of its strategy regarding the advancement of the national game and its legitimacy as an organisation in England. This report provides a background to what is the FAs general remit and how this fits with sports strategic management emanating from the work of the UK government. This report then considers what the FA does and how this reflects its strategy for advancing the national game and its legitimacy as an organisation allowing all participants to enjoy the game and maximise their ability and evaluate where the problems lie around the FAs strategic management to date. This report seeks to evaluate the Football Associations (FAs) adjective of the advancement of football in England and the FAs legitimacy as an organisation in this country that serves to permit all those that wish to participate in the sport to enjoy it and maximise their ability through a SWOT analysis. First, this report looks to provide a background to the FAs work before analysing how this fits with the UK governments work with other organisations to achieve effective strategic management for then advancing the FAs aims through recognition of the opportunities for reform. This report then considers the FAs activities and how this reflects its strategy for advancing the national game and its legitimacy as an organisation through organisational management and evaluate the strengths of the organisation and where the problems lie and what threats they pose. Finally, this report will summarise the key points derived from this report regarding analysis of the FAs work in its strategy r egarding footballs advancement and its legitimacy as an organisation. Findings (a) Background What is the FA and what does it do? The FA has governed English association football since 1863 to oversee both the professional and amateur levels by sanctioning all domestic competitive football matches at the national level directly or local level indirectly through the fifty-five County Football Associations with a view to advancing the development of the sport and its legitimacy as an organisation in this country (The FA.com, 2010b). The FA also run eleven competitions including the FA Cup and appoints the manager of all twenty-four national football teams and has also developed and runs Wembley Stadium (The FA.com, 2010f). Additionally, the FA is a member of both the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) along with having a permanent seat upon the International Football Association Board (IFAB). Moreover, the FA bears responsibility for all national teams managements appointments along with the FA Cups organisation and having the power to se t and vary league rules since both the FA and the Football League (and the Premier League although not commercially affiliated) have the power to restrict the transfer of players and also take points away from clubs where they seriously contravene rules of the game (The FA.com, 2010a). (b) SWOT Analysis To better assess the activities of the FA in relation to its long-held policy objective of advancing the development of the sport and its legitimacy as an organisation in England it is necessary to utilise a SWOT analysis created by Albert Humphrey as a means of strategic planning to analyse the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (hence, SWOT) involved with the FAs work (Drejer, 2004). This kind of analysis involves identifying the internal and external factors that are favourable and unfavourable for the FA achieving the advancement of the development of football and its legitimacy as an organisation in England (Armstrong, 1982). This is in keeping with the fact that it has been recognised, for effective strategic management to be carried out by a body like the FA, that there is a need for clear planning, organising, leading and evaluating of both their actions and the resources that they have available to them with a view to advancing the development of the sport and its legitimacy as an organisation in England (Masteralexis, et al, 2009). Therefore, there is a need to evaluate the FAs activities and match them to the environment and its resource capabilities regarding the consideration of operational impacts in terms of expectations so as to then be able to further the FAs long term aims (Torkildsen, 2005). Then, it is also necessary to make a strategic choice through the generation and evaluation of all of the available options so as to then select a strategy for implementation through a set organisational structure that advances the FAs previously alluded to objectives (Parker, 2004). (i) Strengths In considering its organisational strengths, one of the FAs key strength is that it is responsible for both developing and regulating the sport without government involvement through effective organisational management accounting for the environment, the organisations resources and stakeholders expectations (The FA.com, 2010f). To this effect, a further strength of the FA is that, to achieve footballs advancement in England, the FA has a clear commitment to making football more accessible for all regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexuality, ability or background to maintain its market dominance through re-engineering, delayering and restructuring (The FA.com, 2010f). The FA is also able to call upon a significant level of funding illustrated by the fact that the Premier League has generated billions of pounds from Sky, sponsorship and spectators (Bower, 2007) whilst, more specifically, the new Wembley stadium has made a profit of  £229 million annually as an important sou rce of revenue for the FA they could reinvest in football (Wembley Stadium, 2010). This has served to mean that the FA is able to invest around  £60 million annually with around two-thirds of that being utilised at the grass-roots level so there are now around seven million people of all ages playing football in this country (The FA.com, 2010f). Additionally, in view of its desire to increase its legitimacy within the community, the FA has established a series of community projects to further its fundamental objective of advancing the sport and the legitimacy of the organisation in this regard. In total the FA have developed around 6,000 projects valued at over  £630 million to improve facilities along with a further  £4.5m having been invested in Womens football annually so there are now more than a million females involved annually (The FA.com, 2010c). By way of further illustration of the breadth of areas the FAs programmes cover, the FA Charity Programme has been developed to move significant funds to areas within society where it can play a beneficial role with notable partners including The Bobby Moore Fund (The FA.com, 2010c). Furthermore, the FA Hat-Trick Programme has been established to deliver Community Football Development workers to Englands most deprived communities whilst also removing barriers to particip ation for people from all ethnic backgrounds (Norfolk FA, 2010). Moreover, more than 700,000 children under the age of eleven have benefited from The FA Tesco Skills Programme (The FA.com, 2010e), whilst The FAs Respect Programme has improved behaviour and respect to reflect the need for social acceptance (The FA.com, 2010d). (ii) Weaknesses Having recognised the FAs strengths it is necessary to also consider its weaknesses as an organisation. To this effect, in the wake of the Premier Leagues creation in 1992, the FA has arguably lost some of its power of administration and regulation and become immersed in high finance and commercial planning but has been found to lack the professional expertise expected by professionals to its detriment (Bower, 2007). The reason for this is that, although the Premier League may have generated billions of pounds from Sky, sponsorship and spectators, the FAs management has been detrimentally impacted upon by a confused structure of organisation (Bower, 2007). As a result, the FA have proved somewhat stubborn regarding the possibility of reforming themselves with a view to preventing agents corruption, eliminating possible conflicts of interest among club owners and bringing about heightened controls of the ever-increasing prices and wages for players (Bower, 2007). Matters have then onl y been further exasperated by the ramifications of increased foreign ownership of professional football clubs domestically along with the ever-increasing escalation in the value of TV deals impacting upon the Premier League so that the FA now risks the prospect of there being a potential collapse and usurping of the FA by the Premier League (Bower, 2007). Such problems have then been only further exacerbated by the ongoing rise in foreign ownership from billionaire organisations all over the world only arguably serving to further strengthen the Premier League to the detriment of the rest of football that is governed by the FA throughout the hierarchy of the sport (Bower, 2007). (iii) Opportunities Despite the weaknesses that have been recognised with regard to the apparent threats to the FA from the Premier League and billionaire foreign investment, the FA has suggested a system of enforcement to impose a fit and proper test for potential club owners in the Premier League to achieve an effective balance between sporting needs and its commercial potential (Bower, 2007). At the same time, however, it is necessary for the FA to look to maintain its market dominance through re-engineering, delayering and restructuring from the top of the FA all the way down throughout its entire hierarchy (Bower, 2007). In addition, there remains scope for the FA to heighten its legitimacy through the use of community programmes like the the FA Charity Programme that has been developed to move significant funds to areas within society where it can play a beneficial role with notable partners including The Bobby Moore Fund (The FA.com, 2010c). Furthermore, more than 700,000 children under the age o f eleven have benefited from The FA Tesco Skills Programme (The FA.com, 2010e), whilst The FAs Respect Programme has improved behaviour and respect to reflect the need for social acceptance (The FA.com, 2010d). (iv) Threats As for threats to the FAs stated objective of achieving the advancement of the sport and its legitimacy in this country, the problem is that the Premier League will not concede control of its affairs to the FA to make more effective changes to the way in which football is administered and run in this country (Bower, 2007). This is because FA have proved to be somewhat stubborn in relation to the possibility of reforming themselves with a view to preventing agents corruption, eliminating possible conflicts of interest among club owners and bringing about heightened controls of the ever-increasing prices and wages for players (Bower, 2007). With this in mind, as a result of being somewhat outwitted by the Premier League and now foreign owners, the FA now seem to be somewhat powerless to get the new foreign owners to help with the development and sustainability of the sport domestically (Bower, 2007). This is because it has come to be understood that, if the FAs strategic management is weak, there is a risk the Premier league may take over the running of the domestic game so that the limited money trickling down to the grass roots (around  £60 million annually) would cease to the detriment of the advancement of the legitimacy of the organisation and the development of the sport (Bower, 2007). Conclusions What can be understood regarding the FA on the basis of this SWOT analysis? From the SWOT analysis that has been undertaken here, with a view to achieving the FAs objective of the advancement of football as a sport in England and its legitimacy as an organisation in this regard, the FA consistently seeks to advance best practices along with its legitimacy as an organisation to further the development of the sport (The FA.com, 2010f). This kind of analysis involves identifying the internal and external factors that are favourable and unfavourable for the FA achieving the advancement of the development of football and its legitimacy as an organisation in England (Armstrong, 1982). The reason for this is that the FA is seeking to achieve networking and support to further its stated aim through innovative policies in the manner already described to develop skills through an effective infrastructure that permits the establishment of a healthy community and regeneration (Parker, 2004). Therefore, as well as looking to administer football throughout its hierarchy, the FA can issue monetary fines, restrict the transfer of players and deduct points from clubs where they seriously contravene the rules put into place by the FA in matters of finance leading to administration or their failure to keep control of staff (The FA.com, 2010f). In addition, the FA also looks to invest around  £60 million annually in the sport with around two-thirds of that being utilised at the grass-roots level through its sponsorship and broadcasting partnerships so there are now around seven million people of all ages currently playing football (The FA.com, 2010f). At the same time, however, the FA has been subjected to some significant threats from the ongoing development of the Premier League to the detriment of those involved in the sport throughout the hierarchy what with increased sponsorship and billionaire foreign ownership so it has then fallen upon the FA to look to regulate the activities of the FA (Bower, 2007). The problem is that the Premier League is a separate body to the FA and does not consider itself wholly subject to either its administration or regulation to the detriment of the FAs objective of the advancement of football in England and its legitimacy as an organisation. Nevertheless, it remains arguable that the FA will retain a high degree of relevance within society because of the Premier League and, despite the risks to its funding, the FA continues to advance its legitimacy through its use of around 6,000 projects valued at over  £630 million to improve facilities throughout England (The FA.com, 2010c). This is in keeping with the fact that, for effective strategic management to be carried out by a body like the FA through its work, there is a need for planning, organising, leading and evaluating of both their actions and the resources that they have available to them with a view to advancing the development of the sport and its legitimacy as an organisation in England (Masteralexis, et al, 2009).

Darren Aronofskys Requiem for a Dream Essay -- essays research papers

Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream Requiem for a Dream is a movie that was directed by Darren Aronofsky. It's a story about the decent in to the hell and torment of drug addiction; however, Aronofsky sets out to demonstrate both the seductive ecstasy of a high and the shattering anguish of addiction. Character development is the main focus of Requiem, which is shown through creative camera angles, precise editing, and brilliant acting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This movie blew my mind away, actually I found it difficult to sit through the entire movie without taking a break to go outside just to make sure that reality wasn't as bad as the movie made it seem. Aronofsky did a mind-boggling job of exploring the pleasures, and horrors of drug use. However, he did it in a way that I had never seen before, his camera work and editing were so creative I couldn't help but repeatedly think "Wow, I've never seen anything like that before." In a movie review of Requiem Arthur Lazere states "Technique is important here because Aronofsky's films are both manneristic and expressionistic in spirit and style, exaggerating and distorting images for dramatic effect. He uses split screens, fast motion, fades to white, body-mounted cameras, repeated sequences, exaggerated sound effects somewhat self-conscious methods that quite deliberately keep the viewer always aware of the filmmaker and what he is up to, much the same way some painters u se a think impasto"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "I'm somebody now, Harry! Everybody likes...

In rehearsing and performing Essay

When I performed my character I put on a bad back as in the 17th century middle aged women were getting on a bit and would have had injuries. Mrs Putnam behaves in shock and panic because she cannot believe what is going on around her. First of all Abigail states † She makes me drink blood†. So Mrs Putnam just hopes in fear that it isn’t her baby’s blood, â€Å"My babies blood†. Then Goody Osbourn is accused of being with the Devil. Goody Osbourn has been midwife for Mrs Putnam 3 times. Mrs Putnam reacts with shock that someone so close to her has been behind peoples back and been with the Devil. When our group was acting out a scene from act 1, we had Betty lying down asleep in the middle of the stage. The effect of this is that everyone keeps on coming back to the plot, which is McCarthyism. With Betty in the middle of the stage nobody forgets why the characters is there, they all want to find out what is going on and who must be punished, this helps the audience understand the play and keeps them involved. With Betty in the middle of the stage it improved our performance because it gave us a centrepiece to work around and kept us in a huddle portraying that we were all in fear. The language of the scene is a mix between old English and Native American. The language is part Native American because in the 17th century the English had just settled in the US and the only people there before them were the Native Americans so they took over the old English and then picked up some Native American language. There is also a regional dialect in the writing † I be innocent†. This is because Salem would have been in a rural area isolated from any other towns or villages, so they had their own style of language. The themes run through the scene are fear, shock and nervousness. Fear runs through the scene when talk of people has been with the Devil get mentioned. † I saw, Martha Bellows with the Devil. † When the characters hear this they react with fear † The Marshall, I call the Marshall. † Shock runs through the scene when something out of the ordinary is said, † Oh, how many times he bid me kill you, Mr Parris. † † Kill me! † Also nervousness runs through the scene for example when Tituba rambles, † He say Mr Parris must be kill! Mr Parris no goodly man, Mr Parris means man and no gentle man†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. And look- and there was Goody Good. † When she says this all of this it sound like she is making it up because she is nervous. When we performed the play we wanted to show that it wasn’t from our culture but from another one. So we decided in rehearsals if we wanted to convey this we had to put on an accent from that era and part of the world, this worked well. We wanted the audience to feel the fear and the shock of the scene when we performed it. This is because you can’t get into the scene if you don’t fell both of these, as they are what the scene is about. So if they did feel the fear and the shock they would of understood and enjoyed the scene more than if they didn’t feel them. Also we wanted the audience to go away and see what can happen to a small community if something like the Salem witch trials went on and what devastating consequences it can make. Leigh O’Brien Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.

Revolutionary Choices essays

Revolutionary Choices essays Thomas Paines pamphlet titled Common Sense had me up in arms ready to fight for independence from England. Self government, anchored along with the whispered promise of protection from a constitution that made it clear that All men were to be created equal. I would have happily shed the yoke called "Duty" to King and Country. Having the opportunity to make choices, choices that would affect me and my familys future, and the future of all American mankind, I would have served as a Patriot without a second thought towards my Loyalist upbringing. In America's beginning, my ancestor's immigrated to this new world to seek asylum and peace. They brought with them a rich history of tradition and culture. They brought with them a sense of freedom. Unbeknownst to them they instituted the same ideas and laws that they were running from, into the minds of their children. The charismatic Patriots were very good at stating the obviousness of current affairs in the colonies, bringing controversial opinions to light. Encouraging all of us to sit up and take notice of what was really going on in our country. Apathy was the number one killer of free thinking. There were too many individuals that condemned the actual process of freedom. Young men and women were being protected by an antiquated way of life, shadowed by patriarchal control. The wars that were fought on our soil offered a fresh and often too realistic look at who was actually governing our country. Loyalist suspicions, against any one who tried to harness the thought of a fight for freedom, were whispered throughout our villages and towns. I heard those whispers and began to turn a deaf ear. Traditional religious views, although altered from the original design, accompanied my fore fathers to the new world. These beliefs could be used as a crutch for anyone who was afraid of change. Any free thinking, that turned young people away from the s...

AP Literature Reading List 127 Great Books for Your Prep

AP Literature Reading List 127 Great Books for Your Prep SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips A lot of students wonder if there’s a specific AP English reading list of books they should be reading to succeed on the AP Literature and Composition exam. While there’s not an official College-Board AP reading list, there are books that will be more useful for you to read than others as you prepare for the exam. In this article, I’ll break down why you need to read books to prepare, how many you should plan on reading, and what you should read- including poetry. Why Do You Need to Read Books for the AP Literature Test? This might seem like kind of an obvious question- you need to read books because it’s a literature exam! But actually, there are three specific reasons why you need to read novels, poems, and plays in preparation for the AP Lit Test. To Increase Your Familiarity With Different Eras and Genres of Literature Reading a diverse array of novels, poetry and plays from different eras and genres will help you be familiar with the language that appears in the various passages on the AP Lit exam’s multiple choice and essay sections. If you read primarily modern works, for example, you may stumble through analyzing a Shakespeare sonnet. So, having a basic familiarity level with the language of a broad variety of literary works will help keep you from floundering in confusion on test day because you’re seeing a work unlike anything you’ve ever read. To Improve Your Close-Reading Skills You’ll also want to read to improve your close-reading and rhetorical analysis skills. When you do read, really engage with the text: think about what the author’s doing to construct the novel/poem/play/etc., what literary techniques and motifs are being deployed, and what major themes are at play. You don’t necessarily need to drill down to the same degree on every text, but you should always be thinking, â€Å"Why did the author write this piece this way?† For the Student Choice Free-Response Question Perhaps the most critical piece in reading to prepare for the AP Lit test, however, is for the student choice free-response question. For the third question on the second exam section, you’ll be asked to examine how a specific theme works in one novel or play that you choose. The College Board does provide an example list of works, but you can choose any work you like just so long as it has adequate â€Å"literary merit.† However, you need to be closely familiar with more than one work so that you can be prepared for whatever theme the College Board throws at you! Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. Note: Not an effective reading method. How Many Books Do You Need to Read for the AP Exam? That depends. In terms of reading to increase your familiarity with literature from different eras and genres and to improve your close-reading skills, the more books you have time to read, the better. You’ll want to read them all with an eye for comprehension and basic analysis, but you don’t necessarily need to focus equally on every book you read. For the purposes of the student choice question, however, you’ll want to read books more closely, so that you could write a detailed, convincing analytical essay about any of their themes. So you should know the plot, characters, themes, and major literary devices or motifs used inside and out. Since you won’t know what theme you’ll be asked to write about in advance, you’ll need to be prepared to write a student choice question on more than just one book. Of the books you read for prep both in and out of class, choose four to five books that are thematically diverse to learn especially well in preparation for the exam. You may want to read these more than once, and you certainly want to take detailed notes on everything that’s going on in those books to help you remember key points and themes. Discussing them with a friend or mentor who has also read the book will help you generate ideas on what’s most interesting or intriguing about the work and how its themes operate in the text. You may be doing some of these activities anyways for books you are assigned to read for class, and those books might be solid choices if you want to be as efficient as possible. Books you write essays about for school are also great choices to include in your four to five book stable since you will be becoming super-familiar with them for the writing you do in class anyways. In answer to the question, then, of how many books you need to read for the AP Lit exam: you need to know four to five inside and out, and beyond that, the more the better! Know the books. Love the books. What Books Do You Need to Read for the AP Exam? The most important thing for the student choice free-response question is that the work you select needs to have â€Å"literary merit.† What does this mean? In the context of the College Board, this means you should stick with works of literary fiction. So in general, avoid mysteries, fantasies, romance novels, and so on. If you’re looking for ideas, authors and works that have won prestigious prizes like the Pulitzer, Man Booker, the National Book Award, and so on are good choices. Anything you read specifically for your AP literature class is a good choice, too. If you aren’t sure if a particular work has the kind of literary merit the College Board is looking for, ask your AP teacher. When creating your own AP Literature reading list for the student choice free-response, try to pick works that are diverse in author, setting, genre, and theme. This will maximize your ability to comprehensively answer a student choice question about pretty much anything with one of the works you’ve focused on. So, I might, for example, choose: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare, play, 1605 Major themes and devices: magic, dreams, transformation, foolishness, man vs. woman, play-within-a-play Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte, novel, 1847 Major themes and devices: destructive love, exile, social and economic class, suffering and passion, vengeance and violence, unreliable narrator, frame narrative, family dysfunction, intergenerational narratives. The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton, novel, 1920 Major themes and devices: Tradition and duty, personal freedom, hypocrisy, irony, social class, family, â€Å"maintaining appearances†, honor Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys, novel, 1966 Major themes and devices: slavery, race, magic, madness, wildness, civilization vs. chaos, imperialism, gender As you can see, while there is some thematic overlap in my chosen works, they also cover a broad swathe of themes. They are also all very different in style (although you’ll just have to take my word on that one unless you go look at all of them yourself), and they span a range of time periods and genres as well. However, while there’s not necessarily a specific, mandated AP Literature reading list, there are books that come up again and again on the suggestion lists for student choice free-response questions. When a book comes up over and over again on exams, this suggests both that it’s thematically rich, so you can use it to answer lots of different kinds of questions, and that the College Board sees a lot of value in the work. To that end, I’ve assembled a list, separated by time period, of all the books that have appeared on the suggested works list for student choice free-response questions at least twice since 2003. While you certainly shouldn’t be aiming to read all of these books (there’s way too many for that!), these are all solid choices for the student choice essay. Other books by authors from this list are also going to be strong choices. It’s likely that some of your class reading will overlap with this list, too. I’ve divided up the works into chunks by time period. In addition to title, each entry includes the author, whether the work is a novel, play, or something else, and when it was first published or performed. Works are alphabetical by author. Warning: Not all works pictured included in AP Literature reading list below. Ancient Works Title Author Genre Date Medea Euripides play 431 BC The Odyssey Homer epic poem (no date) Antigone Sophocles play 441 BC Oedipus Rex Sophocles play 429 BC 1500-1799 Title Author Genre Date Don Quixote Miguel de Cervantes novel 1605 Tom Jones Henry Fielding novel 1749 As You Like It Shakespeare play 1623 Julius Caesar Shakespeare play 1599 King Lear Shakespeare play 1606 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Shakespeare play 1605 The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare play 1605 Othello Shakespeare play 1604 The Tempest Shakespeare play 16 Candide Voltaire novel 1759 1800-1899 Title Author Genre Date Emma Jane Austen novel 1815 Mansfield Park Jane Austen novel 1814 Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen novel 1813 Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte novel 1847 Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte novel 1847 The Awakening Kate Chopin novel 1899 The Red Badge of Courage Stephen Crane novel 1895 Bleak House Charles Dickens novel 1853 David Copperfield Charles Dickens novel 1850 Great Expectations Charles Dickens novel 1861 Oliver Twist Charles Dickens novel 1837 A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens novel 1859 Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoyevsky novel 1866 Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert novel 1856 Jude the Obscure Thomas Hardy novel 1895 The Mayor of Casterbridge Thomas Hardy novel 1886 Tess of the d’Urbervilles Thomas Hardy novel 1891 The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne novel 1850 A Doll’s House Henrik Ibsen play 1879 The American Henry James novel 1877 The Portrait of a Lady Henry James novel 1881 Moby-Dick Herman Melville novel 1851 Frankenstein Mary Shelley novel 1818 Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy novel 1877 Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain novel 1885 The Queen of AP Literature surveys her kingdom. 1900-1939 Title Author Genre Date My ntonia Willa Cather novel 1918 The Cherry Orchard Anton Chekhov play 1904 Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad novel 1902 Sister Carrie Theodore Dreiser novel 1900 Murder in the Cathedral T.S. Eliot play 1935 Absalom, Absalom! William Faulkner novel 1936 As I Lay Dying William Faulkner novel 1930 Light in August William Faulkner novel 1932 The Sound and the Fury William Faulkner novel 1929 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald novel 1925 A Passage to India E.M. Forster novel 1924 The Little Foxes Lillian Hellman play 1939 Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston novel 1937 Brave New World Aldous Huxley novel 1931 A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man James Joyce novel 1916 Billy Budd Herman Melville novel 1924 Major Barbara George Bernard Shaw play 1905 The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck novel 1939 The Age of Innocence Edith Wharton novel 1920 Ethan Frome Edith Wharton novel 19 The House of Mirth Edith Wharton novel 1905 Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf novel 1925 1940-1969 Title Author Genre Date Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe novel 1958 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Edward Albee play 1962 Another Country James Baldwin novel 1962 Waiting for Godot Samuel Beckett play 1953 The Plague Albert Camus novel 1947 Invisible Man Ralph Ellison novel 1952 Lord of the Flies William Golding novel 1954 A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry play 1959 Catch-22 Joseph Heller novel 1961 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’ s Nest Ken Kesey novel 1962 A Separate Peace John Knowles novel 1959 To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee novel 1960 The Crucible Arthur Miller play 1953 Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller play 1949 House Made of Dawn N. Scott Momaday novel 1968 Wise Blood Flannery O’Connor novel 1952 1984 George Orwell novel 1949 Cry, the Beloved Country Alan Paton novel 1948 All the King’s Men Robert Penn Warren novel 1946 The Chosen Chaim Potok novel 1967 Wide Sargasso Sea Jean Rhys novel 1966 The Catcher in the Rye JD Salinger novel 1951 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Tom Stoppard play 1966 Cat’s Cradle Kurt Vonnegut novel 1963 The Glass Menagerie Tennessee Williams play 1945 A Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee Williams play 1947 Black Boy Richard Wright memoir 1945 Native Son Richard Wright novel 1940 Don't get trapped in a literature vortex! 1970-1989 Title Author Genre Date Bless Me, Ultima Rudolfo Anaya novel 1972 The House on Mango Street Sandra Cisneros novel 1984 â€Å"Master Harold† . . . and the boys Athol Fugard play 1982 M. Butterfly David Henry Hwang play 1988 A Prayer for Owen Meany John Irving novel 1989 The Woman Warrior Maxine Hong Kingston memoir 1976 Obasan Joy Kogawa novel 1981 Beloved Toni Morrison novel 1987 The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison novel 1970 Song of Solomon Toni Morrison novel 1977 Sula Toni Morrison novel 1973 Jasmine Bharati Mukherjee novel 1989 The Women of Brewster Place Gloria Naylor novel 1982 Going After Cacciato Tim O’Brien novel 1978 Equus Peter Shaffer play 1973 Ceremony Leslie Marmon Silko novel 1977 Sophie’s Choice William Styron novel 1979 The Color Purple Alice Walker novel 1982 Fences August Wilson play 1983 The Piano Lesson August Wilson play 1987 1990-Present Title Author Genre Date Reservation Blues Sherman Alexie novel 1995 The Blind Assassin Margaret Atwood novel 2000 Oryx and Crake Margaret Atwood novel 2003 The Memory Keeper’s Daughter Kim Edwards novel 2005 Cold Mountain Charles Frazier novel 1997 Snow Falling on Cedars David Guterson novel 1994 The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini novel 2003 A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini novel 2007 Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguro novel 2005 The Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingsolver novel 1998 The Namesake Jumpa Lahiri novel 2004 All the Pretty Horses Cormac McCarthy novel 1992 Atonement Ian McEwan novel 2001 Native Speaker Chang Rae-Lee novel 1995 The God of Small Things Arundhati Roy novel 1997 A Thousand Acres Jane Smiley novel 1991 The Bonesetter’s Daughter Amy Tan novel 2001 The Story of Edgar Sawtelle David Wroblewski novel 2008 Don't stay in one reading position for too long, or you'll end up like this guy. Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. An Addendum on Poetry You probably won’t be writing about poetry on your student choice essay- most just aren’t meaty enough in terms of action and character to merit a full-length essay on the themes when you don’t actually have the poem in front of you (a major exception being The Odyssey). That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be reading poetry, though! You should be reading a wide variety of poets from different eras to get comfortable with all the varieties of poetic language. This will make the poetry analysis essay and the multiple-choice questions about poetry much easier! See this list of poets compiled from the list given on page 14 of the AP Course and Exam Description for AP Lit, separated out by time period. For those poets who were working during more than one of the time periods sketched out below, I tried to place them in the era in which they were more active. I’ve placed an asterisk next to the most notable and important poets in the list; you should aim to read one or two poems by each of the starred poets to get familiar with a broad range of poetic styles and eras. 14th-17th Centuries Anne Bradstreet Geoffrey Chaucer John Donne George Herbert Ben Jonson Andrew Marvell John Milton William Shakespeare* 18th-19th Centuries William Blake* Robert Browning Samuel Taylor Coleridge* Emily Dickinson* Paul Laurence Dunbar George Gordon, Lord Byron Gerard Manley Hopkins John Keats* Edgar Allan Poe* Alexander Pope* Percy Bysshe Shelley* Alfred, Lord Tennyson* Walt Whitman* William Wordsworth* Early-Mid 20th Century W. H. Auden Elizabeth Bishop H. D. (Hilda Doolittle) T. S. Eliot* Robert Frost* Langston Hughes* Philip Larkin Robert Lowell Marianne Moore Sylvia Plath* Anne Sexton* Wallace Stevens William Carlos Williams William Butler Yeats* Late 20th Century-Present Edward Kamau Brathwaite Gwendolyn Brooks Lorna Dee Cervantes Lucille Clifton Billy Collins Rita Dove Joy Harjo Seamus Heaney Garrett Hongo Adrienne Rich Leslie Marmon Silko Cathy Song Derek Walcott Richard Wilbur You might rather burn books than read them after the exam, but please refrain. Key Takeaways Why do you need to read books to prepare for AP Lit? For three reasons: #1: To become familiar with a variety of literary eras and genres#2: To work on your close-reading skills#3: To become closely familiar with four-five works for the purposes of the student choice free-response essay analyzing a theme in a work of your choice. How many books do you need to read? Well, you definitely need to get very familiar with four-five for essay-writing purposes, and beyond that, the more the better! Which books should you read? Check out the AP English Literature reading list in this article to see works that have appeared on two or more â€Å"suggested works† lists on free-response prompts since 2003. And don’t forget to read some poetry too! See some College Board recommended poets listed in this article. What's Next? See my expert guide to the AP Literature test for more exam tips! The multiple-choice section of the AP Literature exam is a key part of your score. Learn everything you need to know about it in our complete guide to AP Lit multiple-choice questions. Taking other APs? Check out our expert guides to the AP Chemistry exam, AP US History, AP World History, AP Psychology, and AP Biology. Looking for other book recommendation lists from PrepScholar? We've compiled lists of the 7 books you must read if you're a pre-med and the 31 books to read before graduating high school. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: