The Color Purple - Alice Walker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Color Purple - Alice Walker - Essay Example By the end of the book, Walker imposes the idea that the only way that women can be happy is to be independent of the perceptions of men and the way in which they relate to women. The first way in which Walker presents a boundary between men and women, in which men are not regarded as friendly, is through the point of view that is used with the father. The narrator, Celie, always refers to the men as â€Å"he† and creates a disconnection to the men that are surrounding her in the book. This combines with the perspective toward the narrator’s father, brothers and later toward the relationships that are held. There are several instances where the narrator creates a significant boundary between women and men, specifically which create men as not having a sweet spirit. For instance, in the opening chapter, Walker writes â€Å"He acts like he can’t stand me no more. Say I’m evil an always up to no good. He took my other little baby, a boy this time. But I don’t think he kilt it. I think he sold it to a man and his wife over Monticello†¦ I see him looking at my little sister. She scared. But I say I’ll take care of you. With God help† (Walker, 3). This passage is significant in the point of view from Celie. The first way in which this creates a boundary is through the use of â€Å"he† as a reference to the narrator’s father. Instead of creating an identity that is positive, loving or that can be defined; a boundary is created by the general statement used about the father. The perception then continues with the actions of the father and the statement that he believes his daughter is evil. This immediately creates a perception that Walker believes that men act with behavior that causes difficulties and boundaries for women. The point of view that is given by Celie continues throughout the book to create this same sense of boundary. For instance, most of the

Narrative Technique of Sula Essay Example for Free

Narrative Technique of Sula Essay Although Sula is arranged in chronological order, it does not construct a linear story with the causes of each new plot event clearly visible in the preceding chapter. Instead, Sula uses juxtaposition, the technique through which collages are put together. The effects of a collage on the viewer depend on unusual combinations of pictures, or on unusual arrangements such as overlapping. The pictures of a collage dont fit smoothly together, yet they create a unified effect. The pictures of Sulas collage are separate events or character sketches. Together, they show the friendship of Nel and Sula as part of the many complicated, overlapping relationships that make up the Bottom. Morrison presents the novel from the perspective of an omniscient narrator one who knows all the characters thoughts and feelings. An omniscient narrator usually puts the reader in the position of someone viewing a conventional portrait or landscape rather than a collage. (In such situations, the viewer can perceive the unity of the whole work with only a glance.) To create the collage-like effect of Sula, the omniscient narrator never reveals the thoughts of all the characters at one time. Instead, from chapter to chapter, she chooses a different point-of-view character, so that a different persons consciousness and experience dominate a particular incident or section. In addition, the narrator sometimes moves beyond the consciousness of single, individual characters, to reveal what groups in the community think and feel. On the rare occasions when it agrees unanimously, she presents the united communitys view. As in The Bluest Eye and Jazz, the community has such a direct impact o n individuals that it amounts to a character. In narrative technique for Sula, Morrison draws on a specifically modernist usage of juxtaposition. Modernism, discussed in Chapter 3, was the dominant literary movement during the first half of the twentieth century. Writers of this period abandoned the unifying, omniscient narrator of earlier literature to make literature more like life, in which each of us has to make our own sense of the world. Rather than passively receiving a smooth, connected story from an authoritative narrator, the reader is forced to piece together a coherent plot and meaning from more separated pieces of  information. Modernists experimented with many literary genres. For example, T. S. Eliot created his influential poem The Wasteland by juxtaposing quotations from other literary works and songs, interspersed with fragmentary narratives of original stories. Fiction uses an analogous technique of juxtaposition. Each successive chapter of William Faulkner novel As I Lay Dying, for instance, drops the reader into a different characters consciousness without the direction or help of an omniscient narrator. To figure out the plot, the reader must work through the perceptions of characters who range from a seven-year-old boy to a madman. The abrupt, disturbing shifts from one consciousness to another are an intended part of the readers experience. As with all literary techniques, juxtaposition is used to communicate particular themes. In Cane, a work that defies our usual definitions of literary genres, Jean Toomer juxtaposed poetry and brief prose sketches. In this way, Cane establishes its thematic contrast of rural black culture in the South and urban black culture of the North. Morrison, who wrote her masters thesis on two modernists, Faulkner and Virginia Woolf, uses juxtaposition as a structuring device in Sula. Though relatively short for a novel, Sula has an unusually large number of chapters, eleven. This division into small pieces creates an intended choppiness, the uncomfortable sense of frequently stopping and starting. The content of the chapters accentuates this choppy rhythm. Almost every chapter shifts the focus from the story of the preceding chapter by changing the point-of-view character or introducing sudden, shocking events and delaying discussion of the characters motives until later. In 1921, for example, Eva douses her son Plum with kerosene and burns him to death. Although the reader knows that Plum has become a heroin addict, Evas reasoning is not revealed. When Hannah, naturally assuming that Eva doesnt know of Plums danger, tells her that Plum is burning, the chapter ends with Evas almost nonchalant Is? My baby? Burning? (48). Not until midway through the next chapter, 1923, does Hannahs questioning allow the reader to understand Evas motivation. Juxtaposition thus heightens the readers sense of incompleteness. Instead of providing quick resolution, juxtaposition  introduces new and equally disturbing events. Paradoxically, when an occasional chapter does contain a single story apparently complete in itself, it too contributes to the novels overall choppy rhythm. In a novel using a simple, chronological mode of narration, each succeeding chapter would pick up where the last one left off, with the main characters now involved in a different incident, but in some clear way affected by their previous experience. In Sula, however, some characters figure prominently in one chapter and then fade entirely into the background. The first chapter centers on Shadrack, and although he appears twice more and has considerable psychic importance to Sula and symbolic importance to the novel, he is not an important actor again. In similar fashion, Helene Wright is the controlling presence of the third chapter, 1920, but barely appears in the rest of the book. These shifts are more unsettling than if Shadrack and Helene were ancestors of the other characters, generations removed, because the reader would then expect them to disappear. Their initial prominence and later shadowy presence contribute to the readers feeling of disruption. The choppy narration of Sula expresses one of its major themes, the fragmentation of both individuals and the community. Sula. New York: Knopf, 1973. Rpt. New York: Penguin, 1982

T.S. Eliots use of Poetic techniques in The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufr

T.S Eliot, widely considered to be one of the fathers of modern poetry, has written many great poems. Among the most well known of these are â€Å"The Waste Land, and â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock†, which share similar messages, but are also quite different. In both poems, Eliot uses various poetic techniques to convey themes of repression, alienation, and a general breakdown in western society. Some of the best techniques to examine are ones such as theme, structure, imagery and language, which all figure prominently in his poetry. These techniques in particular are used by Eliot to both enhance and support the purpose of his poems. The theme of Prufrock is the negative, individuality repressing effect that society has on its people. The Prufrock persona illustrates this, he is alienated by the inane social rituals that define his life, â€Å"I have measured out my life with coffee spoons† and make it insignificant and useless. The Waste Land’s theme is that the world, in particular western civilisation, is a culturally and spiritually barren place. Society is portrayed as a pile of â€Å"†¦stony rubbish†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , the ruins of a once great city now reduced to rubble where nothing can grow. Lives mean nothing, but the poem also offers hope through a return to basic religious values, ending with the repeated chant of â€Å"Shantih shantih shantih†, which means, â€Å"the peace which passeth understanding†. The poems both portray the same basic idea, but they have two main differences. Firstly, there is the way in which the themes are expressed. In Prufrock , Eliot uses a pers ona as an example of the debilitating effect of living with so many expectations, rules, standards and meaningless rituals has on a the individual. In many ways, this is a very effe... .... Figuring very prominently is Dante, with the epigraph in Prufrock an exact quote from Inferno, and more subtle references found in The Waste Land that are very suggestive of a Dantean descent into hell. Dante, and to a lesser extent Joseph Conrad, from whom Eliot derives a certain amount of horror, which subtly complements his themes, have had a profound impact on Eliot’s writing. He chooses to quote or allude to parts of other works that complement his own. The techniques used by Eliot in creating both The Waste Land and Prufrock, are used in largely similar ways as far as furthering his purpose, yet differ slightly in style or small alterations when examined more closely. Some techniques, such as imagery, are more similar than others. Though he may use devices differently for each poem, it is only in such a way that makes them unique, and conveys his purpose.

Balancing work, school and family life

Balancing career demands, family responsibilities, and college studies has never been an easy feat. Since time as a resource, has been and probably will always be scarce, we have to manage it as efficiently as possible. Seemingly, your time Is already being stretched too thin, with work and family obligations, so taking on the added responsibility of a college education, makes It even more daunting. But looking across the board of any spectrum of middle Income earners, one thing that we find common among them is a college degree. With that being said, many people find it an uphill task to obtain a degree.This is because they already have work and family obligations to contend with. However, with higher education being the way out of poverty for most people, they decide later in life to go to college, to pursue tertiary education. Even though pursuing a college education can be an uphill task, its benefits, outweighs any challenges it may present. In the end, it affords you and your f amily, the chance of getting ahead in life. One of the problems most people in this situation face is how much time they spend at the workplace. Whichever way you look at It, there are only twenty four hours In any given day.So more often than not, you will find yourself out of time, running late, trying to get from one particular engagement to the other, or turning In overdue writing assignments. Most people spend between eight to ten hours on the Job on a dally basis. In spite of the added responsibility of college work, you are still expected to meet productivity levels and even in some cases, exceed them. You have deadlines to meet, meetings to attend, and bosses to answer to. Now that you are a college student, the boss has found a way to give you more responsibilities. Of course this comes with some remuneration or your troubles.Brace yourself. Nobody said it was going to be easy. If it is easy, it probably wouldn't be worth much, anyway. There may be times when you will be so overwhelmed with this ‘balancing act' that, you will begin to second guess your decision. But rest assured, nothing could be further from the truth. Most times, by the time you get home you are completely exhausted. You still have a home to run, kids to take care of and a spouse to attend to. You settle In to cook dinner, to feed the family. Listen to how everybody day went. You Inspect their homework, scold where accessory, and praise where praise is due.At this juncture, you send everybody off to bed. You finally get some ‘me' time to yourself, only to be called upon to attend to some spousal duties. Oh lord when is this going to end? By the time you wiggle your way out of that, it is eleven pm. You need a ‘shut eye' badly, but one more thing. There is a writing assignment over due, so you decide to sacrifice a couple hours to get that paper done. You are awoken by your alarm clock at six in morning, still sitting at the desk in your attempt to complete your ass ignment. Another day is upon you, and the cycle continues.You somehow manage to get yourself up and waking everyone, you begin the process of getting them ready for school. It turned out you were able to complete the assignment, before sleep took over. In an hour or so, breakfast In the bellies, lunch boxes packed and backpacks strapped on, you file out ready to begin yet another day. You say a prayer to yourself. Slowly but surely, you are trekking on. You will get through this. In order to accomplish this task of strategies and prioritize. It is imperative to brainstorm. List all your daily engagements in a chronological order.Determining what tasks will be tackled first, which ones will be dealt with second, what will be third, and so forth, is the objective. The idea is to be able to free up some time in your regular schedule. Since all these tasks are of equal importance, you will have to make sure that none of them is ignored. It is always prudent to ask for help if you need o ne. A good way is to ask family and friends to help you out with the personal and family side of things. Let us face it. No one can study for you, that is, if you want to maintain the integrity of your education. Neither can anyone perform your duties at the office for you.This leaves he third option, family demands. Asking a family member to help out with picking up the kids from school, and help with the supervision of their homework, will go a long way to free up a few hours of your night, which you may then devote to your studies. You will be well advised to teach your kids to do some of the chores at home. Chores like the doing the dishes, the laundry, and the cleaning of the house can be undertaken by children. Asking your spouse to chip in where he or she hasn't previously. He or she can take up the cooking for three days of the week, or accommodate with leftovers in the refrigerator.Every little bit counts. Since things does not always go according to plan, having the abilit y to improvise in your arsenal, will serve you well. The act or art, of balancing a college education, work obligations, and family demands, maybe a very challenging ordeal. With that being said, it is not an impossible task. The pursuit of a college education, and all the problems associated with it, pales in comparison to its benefits. With perseverance, and great resolve, at the end of the day, will be worth the effort. You will be better off. It can be done, and has been done. With the wind, in your sail, Godspeed.

Chaucer on marriage

Chaucer looks at male and female perspectives on marriage and shows the entire institution to be a farce, stereotyped by wealthy, flaccid old men and young, beautiful, deceitful wives. January, the old man in the merchant's tale, says â€Å"wedlock is so easy and so cline† (1264), which is sarcastic as the merchant has already spoken out against marriage, and women in particular. Yet January's motivations to get married are hardly pure, but more practical and shallow.For â€Å"sixty year a waffles man was heel and followed ay his bodily delete/ on women† (1248-50); after sixty years of fooling around with numerous women, he is ready to have a wife â€Å"on which he mighty engender hymn an heir† (1272). Rather than choosing a wife who is wise and loving and would care for him in his old age and sickness, he makes his decision as if he were choosing livestock, saying â€Å"l wool noon Old ‘. Nary Han†¦ / she shall Nat passe twenty year†¦ /and bet t han old beef is the tender feel† (1416-20).What is ironic is that January sees this way of approaching marriage as pure because it was so normal and standard. The purity of marriage would come if it were based on love and mutual respect, but instead for most men it is about having an heir and a beautiful wife. January can't see that he's leaving himself vulnerable to a young wife that will be deceitful and seek pleasure from younger more attractive men, instead thinking he can â€Å"a young thing may men gee,/ right as men may warm hex with handed Pyle† (1429-30).In the wife's tale, she shows that old men cannot actually mold their young wives into good, loving creatures. Although the wife of Bath â€Å"sits [she] twelve year was of age†¦ ‘ housebound at creche door [she has] had five† (4-6), she is no innocent. She manipulates and terrorizes her old husbands with her sexuality to gain money and control, until they are her â€Å"[detours] and†¦ [ thralls]† (155). She ends up molding her old husbands to her will.For her a husband is a source of income, and she always sakes sure she has one lined up on the sidelines. She had her fifth husband ready to marry her by the time her â€Å"fourth housebound was on beer† (587), and she â€Å"wept but small' (592), being already â€Å"purveyed of a make† (591). Even though the fifth husband that she takes is younger than her and she is now in the old man's position, she is still able to control her young husband to a certain degree, although it is much harder.It seems like an innate ability that women have to control their cabanas because its more than a survival method, but a way to find pleasure despite being in a technically submissive role. But a true marriage shouldn't be about control. This is what makes marriage such a Joke to Chaucer, and he is very cynical towards it. The tradition and sanctity of marriage means nothing because it is based on a foundation of lying and shallowness. Men and women conform to their stereotypes because of how society has shaped them and made marriage such a necessity.