The Struggles of Chief Bromden in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a Novel by Ken Kesey

Chief Bromden and The Struggling Ego

Chief Bromden doubles as the narrator and ultimate protagonist in Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Bromden is a Native American, paranoid-schizophrenic character who was raised by an alcoholic father and later joins the army before ending up on a mental ward in 1950's Oregon. Kesey demonstrates how struggles can be empowering through Bromden, who represents the constant struggle between a rebellious mankind and an oppressive society.

Bromden is characterized as both round and dynamic as he undergoes changes throughout the story. He feigns mute and deaf as a way to protect himself from the "Combine". The Combine is the ward. In the beginning, he views it as "a factory for... fixing up mistakes made in the neighborhoods and in the schools and in the churches... When a completed product goes back out into society, all fixed up good as new, better than new sometimes, it brings joy to the Big Nurse's heart; something that came in all twisted different is now a functioning, adjusted component, a credit to the whole outfit and a marvel to behold. Watch him sliding across the land with a welded grin, fitting into some nice little neighborhood where they're just now digging trenches along the street to lay pipes for city water. He's happy with it. He's adjusted to surroundings finally" (Kesey, 40). The ward is supposed to help the patients, yet under the iron fist of Nurse Ratched, it does anything but fix them. Chief Bromden is classified as a "Chronic" and "Chronics are... machines with flaws inside that can't be repaired, flaws born in, or flaws beat in over so many years of the guy running head-on into solid things that by the time the hospital found him he was bleeding rust in some vacant lot" (Kesey, 19). He does not think he can be helped and is set to live out his days, slowly slipping into "the fog". Perhaps Kesey's purpose in typecasting Bromden as a flawed Chronic rather than an Acute is to amplify his transition from meek and mild to bold and brave, or he wanted to broadcast a message: perfection lies in imperfections.

The aforementioned transition commences with the arrival of McMurphy. The world is just one giant machine to the Chief. Not speaking and putting on the dissembling facade that he cannot hear is his form of resistance. He does not want to be a part of the machine; he does not want to be controlled. Chief lacks confidence in himself, though, and fears the world around him because "it's not just the Big Nurse by herself, but it's the whole Combine, the nation-wide Combine that's the really big force, and the nurse is just a high- ranking official for them," and they are all trying to repress the patients (Kesey, 165). The nurse is one part of this show of power; his mother was a part, too. She convinced his father to sell his land, and Chief had to take her name instead of his father's. In his eyes, those who gave into power were small, and those who did not were big. His father became smaller in his eyes, and even at 6'7", Chief views himself as miniscule. He is clueless as to how he could make a change until McMurphy comes in as this boisterous, sexually immoral, loud character who immediately starts breaking ward policies. McMurphy's anti-hero status reinforces one of Kesey's themes-- the strength in weakness. He also serves as a foil for Bromden. People are like herd animals, constantly in need of a strong leader. Chief's reserved nature inhibits him from being said leader. Therefore, McMurphy steps in. Power is oftentimes taken advantage of through the Nurse. She should not have exerted her force by using electroshock therapy, induced seizures, forced unkown medication, signing off on lobotomies, retaining healthy patients, and leading one to suicide then blaming it on others. The government should not have mistreated Native Americans. McMurphy sauntered onto the ward and saw all this corrupt use of power, and he does something about it. He essentially is the catalyst or the stimuli in the Chief starting to believe in himself. Chief Bromden transforms from a reticent observer to a nonconformist, ready to make an impact. He no longer lives as a part of the machine, constantly blinded by the fog and manipulated time.

People are like unruly children in need of a firm parent. As Harding puts it, the "world... belongs to the strong... The ritual of our existence is based on the strong getting stronger by devouring the weak. We must face up to this. Nor more than right that it should be this way. We must learn to accept it as a law of the natural world. The rabbits accept their role in the ritual and recognize the wolf as the strong. In defense, the rabbit becomes sly and frightened and elusive and he digs holes and hides when the wolf is about. And he endures, he goes on. He knows his place. He most certainly doesn't challenge the wolf to combat" (Kesey, 60). He is showing how the ward worked. Nurse Ratched is the wolf and all the patients were the rabbits, succumbing to her display of strength. The patients did not want to be cowardly, but it was the only way they knew how to survive. McMurphy is rebellious, which is why he is labeled as a wolf. He knows how to survive on his own. Rules and policy are an important part to a properly functioning ward. They allow the daily routine to run smoothly, set boundaries, and prevented people from stepping out of line. This applies to people in general. People have natural instincts and desires. Not all inclinations are accepted, though. Rules serve their purpose by making sure everyone falls inside the box, while those who do not are punished. Leaders help to enforce the rules. Albeit, the Nurse goes overboard. She "locks the ward like a watchman's clock. Everything the guys think and say and do is all worked out months in advance, based on the little notes the nurse makes during the day... A number of Order Daily Cards are returned, punched with a pattern of little square holes. At the beginning of each day the properly dated OD card is inserted in a slot in the steel door and the walls hum up: Lights flash on in the dorm at six-thirty: the Acutes up out of bed quick as the black boys can prod them out, get them to work buffing the floor, emptying ash trays, polishing the scratch marks off the wall where one old fellow shorted out a day ago, went down in an awful twist of smoke and smell of burned rubber. The Wheelers swing dead log legs out on the floor and wait like seated statues for somebody to roll chairs into them. The Vegetables piss the bed, activating an electric shock and buzzer, rolls them off on the tile where the black boys can hose them down and get them in clean greens. ... Six-forty-five the shavers buzz and the Acutes lineup in alphabetical order at the mirrors, A, B, C, D... Seven o'clock the mess hall opens... Seven-thirty back to the day room" (Kesey, 32). The freedom of the patients is usurped and individuality is not encouraged but stifled. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, McMurphy is the rebellious mankind, while Nurse Ratched is the oppressive society. Bromden is caught in between the two and has to make a choice. He could continue to live in an oppressed environment, yet he chooses to break free.

Bromden symbolizes the struggle between humanity and authoritative figures within society. Obviously, living in an oppressive environment has negative effects on people. Some people accommodate, learning to live under the hardship and restraint. Some people simply fail, giving into the pressure. Yet, some people fight back. Chief serves as the eyes and ears of the novel. The knowledge gained through observations and picked up conversations that slip from unrestrained tongues and fall onto presumed deaf ears gives him power. Perhaps the whispered conversations and imagined scenes set fear in him, causing him to feel that he cannot successfully confront his foe. He does not recognize the extent of the power he holds, so he chooses to accommodate. Within society, people struggle with wanting to belong and wanting to be themselves. The reality is that each individual is a significant part of the whole, yet society tends to focus in on the small disparities, creating a "pecking party" of sorts among people as they turn in on each other and learn to be apprehensive of dissimilarities. "The flock gets sight of a spot of blood on some chicken and they all go to peckin' at it, see, till they rip the chicken to shreds, blood and bones and feathers. But usually a couple of the flock gets spotted in the fracas, then it's their turn. And a few more gets spots and gets pecked to death, and more and more. Oh, a peckin' party can wipe out the whole flock in a matter of a few hours, buddy, I seen it. A mighty awesome sight. The only way to prevent it—with chickens-is to clip blinders on them. So's they can't see" (Kesey, 55). When turned against each other, destruction ensues. Chief acts as the ego- the reality or balance between the id and superego. He recognizes that rebellion and individuality are instinctual, but he also knows that society (Nurse Ratched in this case) has the power to destroy those who go against her will. The ego can cause people to struggle because how to achieve that balance is not always evident. Chief Bromden is symbolic of this struggle as he tries to learn how to live on the ward and how to become free of it and the constraints of his own mind. He breaks free, leaving stronger than he was before.

The struggle is over for Bromden. It is not clear whether he could save all the patients, but he is able to save himself. "Even if it didn't happen," perhaps readers can gain insight from Bromden's story (Kesey, 13). Strength is more than big words and muscles. Physical health and mental health are equally important, and Bromden's journey proves that people can overcome their own struggles once they gain credence in themselves rather than deprecating themselves.

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A Comparison between the Characters of Alan from Peter Shaffer’s Play Equus and Billy Bibbit from Ken Kesey’s Novel One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest

In Shaffer's, "Equus", Alan is a young boy of 17 who has deep troubling issues. Alan keeps all these feelings to himself; he holds these secrets dear. In Kesey's, "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest", Billy Bibbit is a thirty one year old voluntary psychiatric patient, and he too, fights with his demons. Both of these characters share similarities and differences relating to their mental state. They are both slightly broken and seem at a stalemate with life; both too scared for one reason or another to move on. They both seem to be isolated in one form or another from what could make them happy. Alan, like Billy, seems sympathetic to the feelings of others, though it seems his attitude alters slightly after his barn blinding incident. Alan becomes slightly more cynical as his story progresses; which might relate to his guilt about what he did.

Alan's story is one of passion for something he holds dear; horses. However, his passion is melted with disillusion, that of religion as a result of what he has been taught by his mother. Alan seemed to want to cling onto something powerful and meaningful, and therefore, when his Mother presented to him, religion he gripped on tightly. This became his obsession and his ultimate passion in life; which can be validated by his actions involving a religious print he hung above his bed. His father sees his obsession, and then, is angered by his wife's meddling in their son's mind. Alan's father rips the religious poster from his wall, devastating the poor boy who had not much else to cling to. This causes Alan to go into a fit of sorrow that is only cured when his father gives him a new print; a mighty horse. Alan sees the creature and creates a new passion to cling to; his horse god, Equus, which can be compared to a Jesus-like being. Alan was so alone, he had no friends, he could not read, and the only stories that had filled his mind were that of his Mother's bible tales.

Alan wanted something to hold onto, something more substantial that would give his life meaning. This yearning for something to live for is also seen within Billy. Billy clings to his Mother's will, he seems to live only to please her; which only causes him more grief. Also like Alan, Billy is alone, in the sense that he isn't understood or accepted by all. His stutter slows him down and creates a barrier he must overcome; he struggles to do so under his Mother's thumb. Though both, Billy and Alan, would benefit from the release of their obsessions; they cannot move forward. Billy cannot seem to leave his Mother's side, and therefore, he cannot advance to a peaceful state in his life. Alan is no different than Billy in his inability to stop, though it seems he wants to. Alan wants to move forward, to love a woman (perhaps Jill), but his obsession with Equus stops him like the ache of a guilty conscious.

Both boys show sympathy for those around them. Billy feels mostly for his Mother, and worries about her feelings and opinions. In comparison, Alan is a bit less sympathetic, in the end. From the start he feels for those around him (though he may not always understand); which can be seen in his reaction to catching his Father about to watch a skin flick. However, as his story progresses and his obsession takes hold he begins seeing more cynically; which is because of the guilt related to the fabricated god, Equus. In the end, after Alan is sent to Dr. Dysart the damage to his sympathy for others is done; he is sad and cynical. Through all this, Alan still seems to feel something for others; which can be seen when he feels badly after insulting Dr. Dysart on accident, and on several other occasions relating to the doctor.

Overall, Alan and Billy are both heavily damaged boys. They were alone, and therefore, turned to certain vices to soothe themselves. They are at a stalemate with life, unable to move forward. Though these experiences do not work in damaging Billy's sympathy for others, they do work slowly on Alan, creating a slightly cynical boy who cannot seem to move forward and step into the light.

Work Cited:

  • Kesey, Ken. One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest: A Play. New York: Viking, 1962. Print.
  • Shaffer, Peter. Equus: A Play. New York: Avon, 1975. Print.
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Christian Symbolism in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a Novel by Ken Kesey

Christianity is the world's most followed religion, pursued by as much as 32% of the population. Followers of Christianity often turn to this religion to follow an individual whom they feel liberated them. This liberation led to new life and immense respect for the being that emancipated them. In society, a greater force often oppresses people and they decay and grow numb to the world around them (1). Consequently, they yearn for a savior, someone to sacrifice themselves to save the majority and give them new life. In Ken Kesey's, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Christian symbolism is utilized to convey the idea that a savior is necessary in saving a withered (1) people, helping them evolve from anguish to ease.

In the novel, one parallel to Christianity in the novel is the character, Randle Patrick McMurphy's martyrdom, which is similar to the actions of Jesus Christ in the bible. There is a plethora of instances in the novel where this comparison is evident. For instance, "You are strapped to a table, shaped, ironically, like a cross, with a crown of electric sparks in place of thorns. You are touched on each side of the head with wires. Zap! Five cents' worth of electricity through the brain and you are jointly administered therapy and a punishment for your hostile go- to-hell behavior, on top of being put out of everyone's way for six hours to three days, depending on the individual. Even when you do regain consciousness you are in a state of disorientation for days. You are unable to think coherently. You can't recall things. Enough of these treatments and a man could turn out like Mr. Ellis ... Or turn into a mindless organism" (Kesey 53). In this excerpt from the novel, the author uses the symbol of the cross and the crown of thorns to dramatize the fate of McMurphy. The use of symbolism expounds on the destiny of this savior. To elucidate, the cross and the crown of thorns are a symbol of sacrifice in the bible, it illustrates how Jesus Christ willingly renounced himself in order to save his people. Analogously, shock therapy, and other methods of treatment, such as lobotomies (2), holds the same effect in the novel. The literary element evident in the text would be foreshadowing. To delineate, McMurphy made himself susceptible to being wounded (3), he let his enemies turn him into 'a mindless organism', by surgically removing part of his brain (2), to exonerate those imprisoned in the ward. McMurphy's voluntary vulnerability (3) accentuates the idea that a savior must sacrifice himself to free others. Moreover, McMurphy knew the consequences of acting out against the Big Nurse; however, he proceeded with his actions for the prosperity of the ward.

The Big Nurse, or Nurse Ratched is the obvious oppressor in this novel, and Ken Kesey uses Christian symbolism to help the reader come to this conclusion (4). The reader can deduce (4) the sadistic (5) nature of the nurse through descriptions of her. It becomes increasingly evident that the Big Nurse has no desire to help; she solely craves the pain of others (5). The novel states, "Why, see here, my friend Mr. McMurphy, my psychopathic sidekick, our Miss Ratched is a veritable angel of mercy and why just everyone knows it. She's unselfish as the wind, toiling thanklessly for the good of all, day after day, five long days a week. That takes heart, my friend, heart..."(Kesey 47). Multifarious times in the novel, Nurse Ratched is referred to as an 'angel of mercy'; in the bible, Satan often takes the form of an angel to deceive God's people; both of these individuals became well known for their negative reputation (6). Therefore, it is possible that Ken Kesey is trying to make the connection between the two notorious (6) beings. One literary device that assists this idea is verbal irony, more specifically, sarcasm. In the quote, one of the mental patients are seemingly speaking highly of Nurse Ratched, however, they were just poking fun at her punitive (7) nature. Rather than talking about how Nurse Ratched is solely concerned with inflicting punishment (7), the speaker takes a more sarcastic tone by calling her 'unselfish'. Calling Nurse Ratched 'unselfish' was evidently sarcasm because everything she does contributes to her power trip. The juxtaposition of Nurse Ratched, the phase 'angel of mercy', and the verbal irony, makes it evident that Nurse Ratched is the oppressor. Analogously, since everything that was sarcastically said about her was positive, it can be drawn that she is an ornery (8) person. Everyone in the ward knew that how the Big Nurse was treating them was wrong, They were well aware that her bad temper would lead to their demise, yet they needed a savior to help them. Overall, Ken Kesey displayed how the oppressor is viewed in the eyes of the oppressed through sarcastic irony.

An additional crucial connection Ken Kesey makes in relation to Christianity is through the patients in the ward. The patients in the ward are all a symbol for the Disciples of Christ. One distinct example of this symbolism would be through Billy Bibbit. The text states, "" He looked around him. 'He cut his throat,' she said. She waited, hoping he would say something. He wouldn't look up. 'He opened the doctor's desk and found some instruments and cut his throat. The poor miserable, misunderstood boy killed himself. He's there now, in the doctor's chair, with his throat cut.... 'I hope you're finally satisfied. Playing with human lives - gambling with human lives - as if you thought yourself to be a God!" (Kesey 244). Billy Bibbit perfectly conveys the role of the victim that fell at the hands of the oppressor (10). This is most similar to the story of Judas in the bible where both individuals were left powerless (9) due to the dismay (10) caused by a tormenter. Both individuals were so ineffectual (9) that they ended their own lives. In the novel, Billy Bibbit feared being keelhauled (11); the Big Nurse threatened him with the punishment (11) of telling his mother what he had been up to. In both instances, the weak minds (12) of both individuals lead to their demise; their maudlin (12) personalities led to their death. The author uses a metaphor to help swivel (13) the blame for these actions. Nurse Ratched compares McMurphy to God in order to shift (13) the blame from herself to him. The shift in blame is especially evident in the phrase 'I hope you're finally satisfied'. Nurse Ratched was expecting a bellow (14) or holler (15) from McMurphy however he did neither, he did not yell (14) or let out a cry (15). Essentially the message that Ken Kesey is trying to convey in this section is the impact of the strong on the weak.

Quintessentially, Ken Kesey uses Christian symbolism to convey the stances of the oppressor, the oppressed, and the savior in society. He also used Christian symbolism to highlight the idea that a savior must sacrifice himself in order to bring change and help a group of people. One topic that relates to the idea of a leader sacrificing himself would be during the Civil rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr helped lead this movement; he was well aware that it was a dangerous venture (16), he did not know if he was going to achieve his goal or not (16), yet he still took on the task, the task to lead an expedition (17). He completed (18) his journey (17) as efficiently (18) as he could. With time (19) the task of leading a movement to free a people grew more dangerous. Eventually, (20) Martin Luther King Jr lost his life to his cause, yet the cause did not die. Due to his heft (20) as a leader the movement continued to live. The people now bore the weight (20) that was left by their leader, or savior. Martin Luther King was killed by an oppressor, the majority; in this case, the racist white man. Many of those who were being abused by this group of people knew it was wrong, what their tormentor was doing, but they needed a leader. In essence, a strong savior is needed to bring about change, but the only way things will really be altered is if this individual risks it all and sacrifices their life for the cause.

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My Research on Billy Bibbit, Martini, Chief Brombden and Randle McMurphy from the Movie One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Contents

Abstract

The following paper is my research on Billy Bibbit, Martini, Chief Brombden, and Randle McMurphy, three major characters in the movie, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". Both are patients in a hospital for the mentally ill and suffer from diseases only few have. My research includes stuttering, hallucinations, and the signs of being a psychopath. All three men show signs of their illness within the movie. Billy Bibbit is diagnosed with his horrible speech impediment. McMurphy is sent from his work camp for being labeled a psychopath although he suffers from hallucinations. Martini is in the ward for hallucinations and possibly slight autism. Chief Brombden also shows signs of a schizophrenic and psychopath. My research goes on to talk about these three mental illnesses in death and in relation to their behaviors throughout the movie.

In the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", the setting takes place in a metal hospital where the main character, Randall McMurphy, has just been checked in at. Throughout the movie you meet characters with all sorts of disabilities. Some have stuttering, hallucinations, or even autism. Three main characters whose disabilities stood out to me where Randall McMurphy, Billy Bibbit, Chief Brombden, and Martini.

Randall Murphy has been sent there from his work because they thought he was crazy, unstable, and showed signs of a schizophrenic. When he first arrived he thinks he is just there for an evaluation but later finds out that he cannot leave until the doctors let him. Murphy doesn't feel like he belongs there with " a bunch of lunatics" ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"). He even boasts about his non traditional "too much fightin' and fuckin'" lifestyle that he thinks might've landed him there ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"). As Murphy adjusts to his new home, he tries to befriend the other patients on his floor. He joins in on their gambling card games and therapy sessions.

One of the first things you notice about Murphy is his anger and erratic behavior whether he is excited or upset. For example, he got extremely excited and hyper when trying to teach Chief how to shoot a basketball and became highly upset and angry when Martini would repeatedly ask him questions during a game of cards. This shows common signs of having schizophrenia (Kosslen, Roseenberg). Schizophrenia is a servers mental disorder that affects behavior and thinking. Some symptoms include abnormal behavior, delusions, hallucinations, and more (Mayo Clinic). Murphys random outbursts of anger or excitement could diagnose him as a schizophrenic.

Chief Brombden also shows signs of a schizophrenic. His trick of staying quiet and not talking makes everybody think he is a dumb Indian. In reality, he is very negative and refuses to affiliate himself with the other men on his floor. When he suffocates Murphy to death, his rational and abnormal behavior show how he is self-centered. 

Treatment for a schizophrenic include antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, or different types of therapy. If severe enough, hospitalization is needed if the patient is dangerous to themselves or others (Mayo Clinic). Murphy was a dangerous schizophrenic who would have bursts of anger and violence.

Murphys hallucinations are also portrayed in the movie. When harassing Nurse Ratched about turning on the television to watch The World Series Baseball Game, his behavior becomes very angry towards. At first, she tells him how he needs to have the majority vote while he only has Cheswick on his side. When they meet again during their therapy session the next day, Murphy begs Nurse Ratched to vote again. This time he has all nine votes of the men in his therapy session. Ratched tricks him in saying that he needs to have the majority vote of the entire floor, not just the men in his therapy session. There are eighteen men on the floor meaning that the voting is tied. Ratched adjourns the meeting but Murphy goes on a rampage and desperately asks the rest of the men to vote to turn the television on. At last, Chief Brombden raises his hand. Behind the glass door, Nurse Ratched acts as if she turns the television on, but she doesn't. Murphy acts as if it is on and begins to report the baseball game and get excited over home runs and catching fly balls. He is hallucinating and thinks he sees that the television is actually on and showing the baseball game. The rest of the men on the floor slowly gather around him and become excited and act as if they're watching the game as well. In reality, all of them are hallucinated that they think the television is actually on ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest").

Hallucinations are a symptom of schizophrenia. Symptoms include hearing voices or seeing things that aren't there. In Murphys situation, this would be how he acted like the television was showing the baseball game, but in reality it was not. To treat Murphy for his hallucinations, an EEG or MRI would show an imagine if the brain and how it differs from the normal brain. These may show brain tumors or even if the patient has schizophrenia. Treatment includes a prescription of Nuplazid or going to therapy (Lava).

Billy Bibbit, a young man on the same floor as Murphy and Chief, has a severe stuttering problem. Throughout the movie he has trouble speaking and it takes him a while to say certain words or sentences. Stuttering is a defect in the fluency of speech. These disruptions in speech are called "disfluencies". In Billy's case, he suffers from part-word repetition. This means he would repeat part of a word for a moment until he could get the entire word out. Treatments include sessions that help teach Billy how to slow down or smoothen his words. Stuttering is a behavioral problem which means that he has either taught himself that or mimicked it and now lives with it and can't speak normally (ASHA). Speech therapy can help Billy slow down his speaking so he doesn't stutter much if at all.

Billy is also suicidal. He kills himself after he is caught by Nurse Ratched in bed with Candy, a friend of Murphys who they snuck in the night before. Ratched threatens to tell Billy's mother what happened since she is close friends with her. This throws Billy into a huge tantrum as doctors drag him into an office. When they open the door, they find Billy bleeding to death on the floor after slicing his common carotid artery with a piece of glass. Billy immediately dies for excessive blood loss ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"). Treatments for his suicidal behavior include anti-depressants, life-style changes, or therapy. Many go to therapy while others sadly fall to alcohol or drugs which are basically over-the-counter anti-depressants. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches patients how to work through stressful life events. It can also help replace negative thoughts with positive ones (Khan). Life-style changes for Billy could include becoming more social. He becomes very aroused when they plan an escape from the hospital or when he is with Candy. Billy becomes suicidal when Nurse Ratched threatens to tell Billy's mother how she found him that morning in bed with Candy.

Martini is another character I found diagnosable in the movie. At first, I thought he was autistic due to his childlike manner. While watching more of the movie, Martini is a schizophrenic with mild autism. Throughout the movie, Martini tries to act like one of the guys by always playing cards with them or joining in on their shenanigans. Murphy gets highly upset with him during one card game as he keeps repeating himself and asking Murohy if it is his turn. Murphy gets angry and violent and leaves the table. Martinis voice and actions lead me to think he is somewhere on the autism spectrum.

Autism is a development disability that affects social, communication, and behavioral challenges. This can include speech, childlike behavior, or dangerous anger outburst when in social settings (CDC). For Martini, he acted like a child when he was well over twenty years old. His tone would mimic that of a child and was not mature. When betting in card games, Martini would break the cigarettes in half and sometimes build structures with them. This is a sign of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Although the degree of his autism cannot be determined without testing, it is easy to confer that he may be on the spectrum.

Treatments for ASD patients include different types of therapy. Some types include Behavior and Communication Approaches, Dietary Approaches, and limited medication. Most help patients with behavior issues. While Martini was not violent when put in different situations, his childlike manners put him in the spectrum (CDC). During the setting of the movie, autism was not studied much and many abandoned autism patients at hospitals and mental institutes thinking that they were crazy. Although not crazy, a mental hospital was more than likely the safest place for Martini.

In total, this movie was great and educational to learn about how different people act and how there are many different mental disorders. A lot of them had schizophrenia, just in various forms. Many think that patients in mental hospitals are crazy and have angry behaviors. The movie portrays some of the men having random angry outbursts but most of the other men are quiet and keep to themselves. In conclusion, I found the movie eye opening and loved watching it.

References

  • ASHA. (n.d.). Stuttering. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/stuttering/
  • CDC. (2015). Treatment. Retrieved December 12, 2016, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/treatment.html
  • Forman, M. (Director). (1975). One flew over the cuckoo's nest [Motion picture on DVD]. New York, NY: MGM/United Artists Entertainment.
  • Kahn, April. "Suicide and Suicidal Behavior." Healthline. Ed. Timothy Legg PhD. N.p., 27 Jan. 2016. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.
  • Kosslyn, S. M., & Rosenberg, R. S. (n.d.). Psychological Disorders. In Introducing Psychology (4th ed., pp. 399-440). Pearson Education.
  • Lava, MD, N. (Ed.). (2016, June 25). What Are Hallucinations? Types, Causes, and Treatments of Hallucinations. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.webmd.com/brain/what-are-hallucinations
  • Mayo Clinic Staff Print. (2016, October 11). Schizophrenia. Retrieved December 12, 2016, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/symptoms-causes/dxc-20253198
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My Research on Billy Bibbit, Martini, Chief Brombden and Randle McMurphy from the Movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. (2022, Dec 07). Retrieved November 5, 2025 , from
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American Politics and the Subject of Pro Life (Abortion)

Abortion is a really sensitive subject in American politics. When taking care of this issue, there are two sides that one can take. There is the Pro-life side, which think that abortion is not an advantage, and also ought to be made unlawful. On the various other end of the range, there is the Pro-choice side. The Pro- option side think that its a females choice if she intends to carry the baby, or terminate the pregnancy. There are numerous benefits and drawbacks per of the argument.

One factor that Pro-choice supporters believe that there stance on the issue is the appropriate one is that they believe that its a womans option whether or not she aborts the pregnancy because its her body. Given that the fetus belongs to her body, she can decide whether she lets it live or pass away. Its like, if a lady has something wrong with her leg, and one of the alternatives is to dismember, she can either select to do away with the leg and be done with it, or keep it.

One more factor that Pro-choice advocates think that abortion is alright is that they do not consider a fetus to be a living human. Among the main stances that Pro-life advocates have is that eliminating an unborn child is just like killing a human. While Pro-choice advocates think that life begins at birth, which eliminating the unborn child is not kill a human, simply killing a part of you.

The last factor I will certainly touch upon for the Pro-choice side is that sometimes, an abortion is the best point if the mom is not capable of dealing with an infant. Often a mommy is not anticipating the baby, and when it is developed is not mentally or economically prepared to take care of the infant. When this holds true, an abortion can solve this trouble, making it so she doesn't have a baby to deal with.

On the other end of things, There are reason that Pro-life is the way to be. There are all pretty much the reverse of the factors for Pro-choice. Among them is that a fetus is a human, and that abortion is just murdering a human life that does not have a chance to eliminate back. They think that its hypocritical, considering that murder is a federal infraction, yet abortion physicians murder fetuses daily, and make there lifes work from it.

One more factor is that fostering is a practical alternative choice to abortion. Its offers the child a possibility to live and do something with its life, rather than stopping it prior to it begins. Plus, there are lots of pairs around that are not able to develop children, and also to them, fostering is the only method for them to ever increase a kid of there have. If the unborn child is aborted, no chance it can be adopted.

The last factor for Pro-life that Ill talk about is that life starts at conception, which because a fetus does not have away to defend it self, its legal rights are being broken. In the Constitution, it states that every person can life, freedom, and the search of joy, and also considering that they are considered to be human beings by supporters, there constitutional rights are being gone against. They are stripped of their right to life and also the quest of happiness because they are being eliminated.

My stance on the issue is that I am a complete supporter of Pro-life. Abortion is murder, there is no other means to put it. I think its very hypocritical when individuals state that abortion is alright, however the death sentence is wrong due to the fact that you are eliminating a human. I think that life starts at fertilization, so an unborn child is a human life. So, choosing to terminate it is the same point as sending a guy to the electric chair. The only distinction is that the unborn child has actually not done anything wrong to be worthy of to be killed. Abortion ought to just be a choice if the life of the mommy remains in risk or when it comes to rape. If you get pregnant and also do not want the baby, provide it up for fostering. Do not kill it even if you make poor choices as well as do not completely comprehend the duties that originate from making love, vulnerable or otherwise.

So, altogether, Abortion is an extremely important problem in my opinion. There are many great factors to sustain every side of the disagreement, and every person ought to be able to hear them and also make their own judgment.

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Clipped Wings and a Beak Nailed Shut in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

Clipped Wings and a Beak Nailed Shut

One popular meaning of craziness is the act of doing the very same thing over and over again, but anticipating a various result each time. In guide One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey depicts the living conditions of patients in an insane asylum. Told by a relatively unstable personality himself, Chief Bromden demonstrates to the rise and fall of a remarkable prisoner called Randle McMurphy, who attempts to test the ruler of the ward, Ms. Ratched. Yet, strangely, the quirks of the patients in the ward do not seem to mirror any type of interpretation of craziness. As a matter of fact, the clients of the ward screen sensations of grief and also pessimism to Chief Bromden, along with the visitor.

Throughout the story, Chief Bromden constantly depicts the individuals struggling to preserve their dignity and decency in the face of an unconcerned personnel. In a thoughtful and also very sane means, "crazy" Bromden witnesses the pathetic weeps of his fellow sufferers. Despite the viewers's assumption of discovering him to be weird or creepy in some way, we locate that he is continually observing the derogatory treatment of powerless people that have no one to resort to when the going obtains exceptionally hard:

He's nailed like that on the wall, like a stuffed trophy. They pull the nails when it's time to eat or time to drive him in to bed when they want him to move so's I can mop the puddle where he stands. At the old place he stood so long in one spot the piss ate the floor and beams away under him and he kept falling through to the ward below, giving them all kinds of census headaches down there when roll check came around (Kesey 20.)

When faced with the long-lasting as well as horrible treatment of this person, Bromden makes the effort to describe the man sympathetically. Expressions such as "like a trophy," and also "census headaches" lead us to presume that Chief Bromden isn't a fool. Bromden understands the patient is not to blame for peeing on the floor or being nailed to the wall surface, and makes us knowledgeable about the ongoing tragedy of his victimhood. It's the callousness of the personnel's treatment of the individual that underlies the rawness of Bromden's words in defining the man's pitiful state. The man had struggled with use of the electric chair; a place where behavior "problem" people opt for shock therapy, as well as he had actually returned a veggie. There is no "craziness" to be seen in this scenario, simply misery.

Yet these daily events of human suffering as well as challenge play out each day around Chief Bromden, as well as they are so constant that they do not even somewhat daunt the fifteen-year expert of the ward. The daily fight of wills over the tiniest issues in between the clients and also the staff are constantly shed by the clients. Little battles like bed times, or when the television reaches take place during the day go unheard and are disregarded delicately. One example is seen when a person wants more cigarettes in his regular allocation, yet is removed forcibly although all he had done was reveal his sensations on the subject:.

" "want something done! Hear me? I want something done! Something! Something! Something! Some - ".

The two huge black children secured his arms from behind, and also the least one tossed a strap around him. He sagged like he 'd been pierced, as well as the two big ones dragged him approximately Disturbed; you can listen to the soggy bounce of him going up the steps. When they came back and sat down, the Big Nurse turned to the line of Acutes across the space and considered them.

" "Is there any more conversation,'" she stated," "on the rationing of cigarettes?" ".

Observe the ability at which Kesey has the ability to demonstrate the patient's hopeless please. He makes use of italics to worry the words "something" as well as "done," stressing the sheer desperation as well as climbing frustration in the person's voice. In contrast, the nurse and the personnel dismiss the distressed client without a word of worry or the smallest gesture of compassion. As well as the viewers observes steadly, together with Chief Bromden, the crude interaction in between the distressed individual and also the staff - Chief Bromden relatively disregards it as something that happens regularly. Bromden voices no disruption at the scene, nor does he react when the person is battered from the meeting. His function is to witness - it is dangerous to do or else.

There is something so regular regarding the situation the Chief shows, that it indicates this is just one of the many little battles that have actually been contested the years. This additionally indicates that the scene is symbolic of the individuals' struggles as a whole in defending what they think to be their right to some type of justice. The absence of voice, freedom and care the patients experience is a never-ending prison sentence. Big Nurse and her personnel address his appeals with ruthlessness and penalty. And also when she turns to the other clients with her meticulously phrased question, her meaning is clear: the people do not count. That all of them, including Chief Bromden, don't have the right or perhaps the freedom to say what they desire, obtain what they desire, and also do what they desire. The clients are "points" to be placed in organized schedules, and also pushed sideways. The team doesn't desire a fuss, and also the tiny battle that was just closed down in an issue of a few secs works as an example to all; the patients have no power - they will never win. The problem is "control," as well as Big Nurse is in charge.

Severe words and harsher punishments dictate the individuals' lives at the asylum. Ken Kesey's unique paints a grim as well as brokenhearted photo for his audience, and makes certain to point out the ugly, the dismal, as well as the hopeless in the health center ward. It's an uninspiring tale only lightened up by the glimpse of light Randle McMurphy seems to radiate on the other patients, which is all prematurely snuffed out by the ward's staff as well as head registered nurse. Yet Kesey's audience can be sure this is no dream. This is the real world, and these individuals are all-time low of the social ladder as well as society's concerns. They consequently not paid for the treatment and securities several take for approved. The reader finishes the last web page with a grimace and in unfortunate contract that "crazy" people are embeded the worst sort of jail: clipped wings and a beak toenailed closed.

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Character Analysis of Randle Mcmurphy in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a Novel by Ken Kesey

Introduction

Randle McMurphy is the center of focus based on the reference 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest.' In this psychopathology report, we will be looking at Randle Patrick Murphy, an Irish-American, who was born on the 22nd of April 1925 and Passed on, on 11th December 1963 at the age of 42 years. Murphy is a war veteran who is sent to prison on the grounds of raping a fifteen year old girl but the sentence becomes indefinite.

Chief Complaint/Presenting Problem

Randal Murphy, a thirty-five year old is sentenced to prison on the account of rape which he claims is not true since the lady lied about her age. Upon his sentence, the patient declared his mental instability state which led him to admission in the mental institution under the careful watch of Nurse Ratched. This being the first time in this institution, a close observation would be kept in a bid to determine the reasons as to why he declared his mental instability. However, upon a small conversation, the attendants realize that his stress levels trace back from when he was in the military. The experiences he had when his troupe was captured by enemies were life changing for him. Psychologically, a patient who complains about high stress levels that may actually lead to insanity has a higher chance of suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or even an attention deficit disorder (Campbell, 2015). Prior to his admission to the mental facility, Murphy has no prior mental conditions. His state of anxiety is directly attributed to his life in the military which followed a dishonorable discharge

Personal History

Murphy is a dirty, loud, sexual and confident individual who relates to all irrespective of the social class. He adapts to the facility fast enough and a number of inmates have found close ties with him. His care free attitude drives attention to him because it is difficult to tell what he is thinking or contemplating. His character and attitude is a direct representation of a free soul, sexuality as well as self-determination. Murphy is a manipulative individual who would do anything to make thinks work according to his way. His sanity ideally acts in contrast to what Kesey deems as an institution that lacks sanity (Campbell, 2015).

Murphy grew up at a time where struggle to make something out was one self was at its peak. His neighborhood was a rough one; a reason that led to toughened survival skills faced with constants fights and brawls. Backing down was not an option since respect was not given freely, it was earned.

On the point of questioning Murphy's interpersonal relationship, we find that the mental institution has significant control of the patient's fate. However, Murphy's element of sacrifice in a bid to assist his colleagues depict that of Jesus Christ when he died for humankind. This is an expression of the need to watch out for the welfare of others who cannot stand up to defend what they believe in. Murphy is an Irish American who loves to engage in brawling and gambling activities among other things that excite him in a bid to pass the time. In a world dependent on conformity, he finds it hard to embrace another person's philosophies in life especially when it comes to the nurse. According to the admission sheet that is read to him by the nurse in the hospital, he is in for 'diagnosis and possible treatment.' At this point, Murphy is a thirty-five- year-old man who has never been married before. Most of his life was spent in the military having participated in the Korean War as a distinguished service cross (Reis, 2016).

One of Murphy's innate nature is not adhering to any social facades. Also owing to his arrest and imprisonment in Korea, it contributed significantly to his lack of confidence and trust towards authority. He lived in a small town as a child not too far from the institution. However, he had to move severally due to the numerous challenges he faced during his stay. His life was just, but the ordinary one where he went to work had sexual encounters, and most of all got in trouble often. His love for gambling always led him to play cards while engaging in drinking sprees. His medical records, on the other hand, indicate that his aggressive behavior led to constant conflicting and complicated situations.

Family History

Not much information is presented regarding Murphy's family. However, from his character, we can say that he was a man who learned to quench his curiosity from a young age. Something that he would have probably learned from his parents or siblings while growing up. Murphy grew up with his parents in a small neighborhood not far from where he was on mental health therapy.

Therapy History

Murphy's therapy sessions were intended to make him and restore him back to his normal state. In his pretense of being sick, he is seen to play mind games to the nurse. However, for those who are genuinely not in the right state, they have to undergo proper medical attention failure to which can be devastating. His previous medical records did not show any therapy sessions that he attended. Most of the records retrieved were either treatment of bruises and/or broken bones. Murphy can be described as a somewhat adventurous person who sticks his head high when it comes to doing what he wants to do (Campbell, 2015). He controls what he can control and manipulates to his liking what he cannot control. This is a definition of an exploratory mind, a mind that seems insane at a time that it is sane. While in lockup, the nurse used a therapy that was aimed at restoring sanity to the self-proclaimed insane Murphy. The interventions were well designed to mitigate any risks and complications in that particular situation, and at that, they were meant to work correctly. When looking at the point that determines the success of the treatment, it all depends on what was being treated in this case because the subject had no mental complications at all. The reason as to why he declared that he was mentally unstable was meant to transfer him to a place that could guarantee comfort and some freedom (Campbell, 2015).

Medical Conditions

Murphy had no previous medical record that was bound to raise eyebrows especially during the process of administering interventions. The habits that people engage in significantly determine their behavior. Murphy's love for gambling and alcohol is one of those cases where habits need a close observation because they can later turn into a medical condition. Alcohol is a substance that is widely used globally. However, the amount and frequency that people use it determine the outcome medical wise. His aggressive behavior combined with his attitude and love for gambling in one way or the other is bound to land him into trouble; This suggests that the police area regular visitor since these factors always end up being violent. However, this is just on the negative side looking at it through one dimension. If we were to look at Murphy through different aspects, we would realize that he is indeed a knowledgeable person. He is a strategist, a critical thinker, brave, and daring. In retrospect, he is the judge, the jury and the executioner of most of the things he plots or conspires to do.

Results of Evaluation

We all need some form of development in life; development we can relate to and feel proud of ourselves. Without growth, the feeling of failure kicks in and causes a decreased sense of self-value. We are who we are because of what we think and the activities we engage in on a daily basis. Positivity yields positive results. When we train our minds to think positively

irrespective of the situation, we are bound to receive positive results. Personality and individuality define us but to become who we are; some underlying factors ought to be observed. One of them is Paige's Stages of Cognitive Development which suggests that children think differently from adults. Through this argument aspects of personal development can be addressed from a tender age where we train our minds on affirmative matters. On the other hand, Feud also brings forth stages relating to psychosexual development. Through this theory, Feud suggests that personality develops in different steps which are connected to particular erogenous zones. When people do not complete these stages, complications are bound to arise during adulthood (Nolen-Hoeksema & Rector, 2015).

After evaluating Murphy's case, it can be concluded that he had a plan all along to escape from prison. When he was locked up owing to charges of rape, he knew that in one way or the other he had to get out of prison since his sentence was indefinite. Murphy pretended to be mentally impaired since he knew that in a mental institution, he would find comfort and a little freedom.

Psychodynamic Theory and Therapy

This is one of the most established hypotheses of brain research in which patients are seen inside a model of sickness or "what is inadequate." Individuals are viewed as being made up of a "dynamic" that starts in early adolescence and advances all through life. This psychodynamic state of mind is by and large a diluted branch of the more preservationist and unbending psychoanalytic school of thought. The analysis underscores that every single grown- up issue's underlying foundations can be followed back to one's adolescence. Scarcely any advisors can stand to rehearse strict therapy any longer, and it is ordinarily discovered these days just in the hands of specialists, who have invested extraordinary measures of individual energy being examined themselves and going to a psychoanalytic organization. At the point when individuals think about a "psychologist," they presumably envision this kind of treatment (Baer, (Ed.), 2015).

Advisors who buy into this hypothesis tend to take a gander at people as the composite of their parental childhood and how specific clashes amongst themselves and their folks and inside themselves get worked out. Most psychodynamic specialists have confidence in the hypothetical develops of the personality (an intervening kind of power, similar to an arbitrator), a superego (what is generally alluded to as your "inner voice," as in, "Your heart lets you know not to smoke!"), and an id (the demon inside every one of us that says, "Proceed, what would it be able to hurt?"). These develop go to make up your identity, and the part of the oblivious is underscored. As it were, what you don't know can hurt you. What's more, as a general rule, it does. Since a grown-up's advancement to his present identity structure is seen as far as whether he or she effectively moved through the psychosexual phases of youth, you, as a grown-up, are likely uninformed of how you are messed up. What's more, as indicated by a lot of psychodynamic hypotheses I've been presented to, nearly everybody on the planet can be seen as just a single degree or another of "terrible." Human nature saw through the psychodynamic setting, is quite negativistic (Barlow, (Ed.), 2014).

Recommendation

Murphy's case is best analyzed through this lens in ab ditto understand why he behaves in the manner that he does based on the decisions he makes. Based on the gathered information regarding his case, the best way to go about his situation is offer counseling sessions because he does not have any mental issues.

Conclusion

Murphy is a grimy, uproarious, sexual and confident person who extraordinarily relates with Bromden who then again has schizophrenia. His capacity to receive and live openly in the psychological organization is a fascinating element even before his kindred prisoners. In the whole film, no voice has coordinated his while supplementing his uproarious character. Murphy is an immediate portrayal of a free soul, sexuality and additionally self-assurance. Boss Bromden learns that to be sure Murphy isn't at all insane yet slightly his activities are gone for manipulating the framework to his own particular will. His logical soundness in a perfect world acts interestingly of what Kesey considers as a foundation that needs logical soundness.

In the wake of assessing Murphy's case, it can be reasoned that he had an arrangement from the start to escape from jail. When he was bolted up attributable to charges of assault, he realized that in one way or the other he needed to escape jail since his sentence was inconclusive. Murphy put on a show to be rationally disabled since he realized that in a psychological foundation, he would discover comfort and a little flexibility. The theories that asses psychopathology cases have been developed over time, and they suggest that to get a full assessment of an individual's mental health or somewhat abnormal behavior, specific signals are observed. Through this signals, the best intervention is administered in a bid to reinstate normalcy on the individual.

References

  • Baer, R. A. (Ed.). (2015). Mindfulness-based treatment approaches Clinician's guide to evidence base and applications. Elsevier.
  • Barlow, D. H. (Ed.). (2014). Clinical handbook of psychological disorders: A step-by-step treatment manual. Guilford publications.
  • Campbell, S. (2015). "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey and Dale Wasserman. 2012.
  • Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Rector, N. A. (2015). Abnormal psychology. Boston: McGraw-Hill. 
  • Reis, A. E. (2016). The Wounds of Dispossession: Displacement and Environmentally Induced Mental Illness in Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment, 23(4), 711-729.
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Character Analysis of Randle Mcmurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a Novel by Ken Kesey. (2022, Dec 07). Retrieved November 5, 2025 , from
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An Analysis of Pro Life (Abortion)

Abortion is one of the most controversial issues discussed in today's society. Some people believe that abortion is a woman's right, and that it is acceptable. These people fall into the category of pro-choice. The other group of people that believe abortion is completely wrong are people that are in favor of pro-life. Abortion is the act of destroying an un-born fetus in a woman's womb. This issue has caused a great deal of turmoil in the world. Some protesters have even killed other people over this issue, which is ironic because killing human beings is exactly what those people are protesting.

It is wrong for a woman to get an abortion, with the exceptions in cases of incest, rape, and when the mother's life is in danger. It is wrong because women choose to have sex. They know the consequences of having sex could result in becoming pregnant. The women that have an abortion when they become pregnant, by their own choice, are using it as a method of birth control, which is wrong. Allowing a woman to have an abortion is immoral. The fact that a woman has a right to her own body is an idea that more women are starting to realize. Never has a state granted a citizen the right to have another person killed in order to solve a personal, social, or financial dilemmas.

Pro-choice advocates argue that having an abortion is safer that the actual childbirth itself. It is true that childbirth can sometimes cause damage to a woman's body. However, there is a great deal more problems and complications that can arise after a woman has an abortion. Doctors have reported that the occurrence of genital tract infection is a common complication. Infection of the womb and tube can cause the woman to have permanent damage. Another likely problem is the pelvic inflammatory disease. Even if treated promptly it is difficult to manage and can also lead to infertility. Bleeding can also easily become a dangerous factor, which result in 10% of woman having to receive a blood transfusion. There are several other problems that can show up due to having an abortion. The most severe of these problems, but less likely is death. After their abortions, many women have testified that they felt that they had made a mistake." Afterwards I felt so ashamed, I realized that for almost a year I couldn't bare to look another baby. I wanted to just curl up and die after that day. And I wish I had given more thought to my decision." (Mary Holstrom, 1995)

Another opposing argument is that woman has a right to her own body, and the government should not be able to control her. This is not only a good argument, but it is also very true. A woman, and any other human being should have complete control to their own bodies. However, having that control and right to ones body also comes with responsibilities and limits. A woman has the right to get pregnant, so she also feels she has the right to decide what to do with her pregnancy. If she was responsible enough to make the decision to have sex, then she should also be responsible enough to have the child. The problem is that, often, women are quick to defend their right to an abortion of an unwanted pregnancy. They tend to forget, or just overlook other possibilities, such as adoption. So, in reality, the government steps in to make laws and limitations on abortion when women abuse their privilege to the right over their own bodies.

People that are for pro-choice argue when it is that the unborn baby inside the mother's womb is actually alive. Pro-choice advocates tend to argue that life does not begin until the child is born, or sometime relatively close. This is a complicated argument, since the idea of life depends on ones religious, theological, and scientific views. However, from a scientific stand point, there is no room for argument. Life begins at conception, which will continue until birth. The definition of alive is, that a being is growing, developing, maturing, and replacing its own dying cells. At eighteen days the heart of the fetus begins pumping through a closed circulatory system. At forty days the brain starts to function, and in the sixteenth week motion is detected. Therefore if the unborn is developing with each passing day, he must have some life in him.

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A Comparison of One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey and a Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Human Instincts

As people, we are naturally developed with all-natural human instincts. Human instincts permit us to survive as hunter-gatherers in an underdeveloped or pre-civilized world. The purpose of human instincts is to protect us against intimidating individuals, locations, or points. The basic human instincts consist of reproduction reactions, fear instincts, as well as safety instincts. Influenced by the European Industrialization, many underdeveloped nations began establishing economic climates and also profession systems, which enabled people to move away from "hunter-gatherers," therefore changing how our impulses function by advancing from an uncivilized world into a culture where survival is extra quickly obtained. Some problems that may occur from human impulses include violence, burglary, and rape. Rape would certainly be an unfavorable outcome of the recreation reaction which manifests with human sexuality. Violence would certainly be an unfavorable result of the fear reaction. For example, if a person is strongly addressing one more person, the other individual might feel endangered and also pick to act on his worry and strike the aggressively-speaking individual in an effort to shield himself, even if it was unneeded. A write-up labelled "Human Nature" composed by Harvey W. Zorbaugh expands on rage as well as craze within human nature, mentioning, "Human nature would certainly appear to be meaningless besides a geographic as well as historic context. Let us take, for example, what a male does when he is angry. In Anglo-Saxon nations, for centuries the rank and file of angry males have settled their differences with their clenched fists ... Now rage is an universal initial nature attribute. All infants, irrespective of time or place, reply to restraint with battling, howling, tensing. Occsional adults never ever outgrow this childish manner of acting when upset. We state they have tantrums" (Zorbaugh 1999). Burglary would be a negative outcome of the safety and security impulse. If a private feels as though his protection, or financial requirements, is not being fulfilled, he may pick to rob or swipe someone as an attempt to feel secure again.

Upon analysis as well as examining Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and also Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange, it is apparent that Kesey demonstrates the reductions of human reaction with the dynamics and techniques of the ward while Burgess says that it is unnatural for humans to only possess excellent instincts or evil reactions. Kesey shows the suppression of human impulses via the mechanistic dynamics of the ward regulated by authoritative numbers through the lack of freedom of speech, originality, as well as the right to select. Burgess says that it is not human nature to have only great impulses or only wicked reactions and also shows that as we outgrow teenage years and go into their adult years, we are much more capable of believing before acting upon impulses, while in adolescence we tend to act on our instincts. Initially of Kesey's unique, the protagonist McMurphy initially reaches the ward. Many of the individuals at the ward have adjusted to the suppression and also control that the reliable numbers have bestowed upon them when he gets here. McMurphy enters the ward with an one-of-a-kind charisma that the ward hadn't experienced in a long time, as well as after trying to make small conversation, "He stands there waiting, and when nobody makes a move to claim anything to him he starts to laugh ... This sounds genuine. I understand suddenly it's the first laugh I've heard in years. He stands considering us, shaking back in his boots, as well as he giggles and also chuckles and also laughs" (Kesey 12). The language utilized by Kesey in this quote exposes that the ward hasn't experienced authentic laughter in a very long time. When no one replies to McMurphy's uplifting small talk, his giggling highlights his carefree individuality, which is the opposite of the ward's mechanical framework that influences the absence of the person's actions.

Principal's reaction to McMurphy's laughter, noticing the credibility of it, shows that there is no authentic laughter or joy present on the ward. This quote specifically proves the writer's factor that reliable figures reduce human impulses by limiting clients to express their individuality via the production of an atmosphere where there is no laughter. The value of this proof is that it gives us a clear image of the characteristics of the ward, permitting us to see the magnitude of the lack of liberty for individual expression amongst the people. The specific globe sight that is being expressed is that liberty of uniqueness, expression, and also selection can be entirely removed by reliable figures.

control people, which is similar to culture managing people. This quote amplifies my argument by stressing the power that Nurse Ratched has more than the people by removing their freedom, or their right to choose. The particular world sight being verbalized in this evidence is that powerful people reduce fundamental human reactions, such as safety and security as well as safety, by taking away the right to pick. This world sight impacts us due to the fact that if we allow effective people reduce our instincts by swiping our right to pick, then we have a minimum opportunity of a battle to get it back.

After the clients welcomed 2 ladies right into the ward without the understanding of team, the individuals and also the women get drunk with each other, leading Billy Bibbit to lose his virginity to Candy. After Nurse Ratchet discovers them nude together, she reproaches Billy as well as threatens to tell his mother. Registered nurse Ratched locates Billy and tells McMurphy," "He reduced his throat,' she stated. She waited, hoping he would certainly state something. He would not search for. 'He opened up the physician's workdesk as well as found some instruments and also cut his throat. The inadequate unpleasant, misconstrued young boy killed himself. He's there currently, in the medical professional's chair, with his throat cut"" (Kesey 318). The specific language in this quote discloses the seriousness of suppression of fundamental human instincts by authoritative numbers taking away civil liberty. The language likewise reveals more of Ratched's personality, blaming his self-destruction on him being poor, miserable, and misconstrued rather than taking obligation for her actions minutes before he eliminated himself. The proof specifically shows the point that reliable figures on the ward reduce all-natural human impulses, in this situation sexual impulses, by restricting the freedom to express sexuality and then being shamed for it afterwards. The author argues that it is possibly dangerous to subdue all-natural human impulses to the size that the ward did, especially sexual impulses. The globe sight that is being articulated in this debate is that suppression of sex-related human instincts by authoritative figures is highly abnormal and also may have extremely unfavorable end results. If we allow individuals in power reduce our natural human impulses, the influence that this world sight has on us is that it reveals what the outcome could potentially be.

In Burgess's novel, Alex and his good friends go out into town at night with the intent to commit acts of violence versus individuals. They are going through community, "Then we saw one young malchick with his sharp, lubbilubbing under a tree so we stopped and cheered at them, then we bashed into them both with a couple of apathetic tolchocks, making them cry, as well as on we went" (Burgess 23). When they are dedicating acts of physical violence against people, the language made use of in this quote reveals exactly how indifferent Alex and also his good friends are. The language likewise implies that the team of children simply beat up these guys, then left as if absolutely nothing had taken place. The proof specifically proves the writer's point that young people act upon their reactions to destroy and also act violently before reasoning their activities. The author's debate based on the proof is that adolescents act upon their impulses and do not choose based on factor, but rather based upon impulse. The proof highlights just how youth do not possess the exact same decision-making process that grownups act and have on their fierce impulses as a result. The evidence is considerable since it gives us a representation of how negligent as well as spontaneous adolescents can be. The globe sight being articulated in this argument is that prior to adolescents end up being grownups, they often tend to act on their all-natural human reactions to be fierce as well as this affects us since we need to be familiar with just how adolescents may materialize their activities as well as to be understanding of their reactions.

After Alex accepts join a behavior experiment instead of prison time he discovers that the experiment literally compels him to watch flicks which educate him to literally respond to violence with being sick, Dr. Branom replies," "What is happening to you now is what must occur to any kind of healthy human organism contemplating the actions of the forces of wickedness, the operations of the concept of destruction. You are being made sane, you are being made healthy"" (Burgess 121). The language in this quote exposes the abnormal methods which are being made use of as an effort to avoid Alex from devoting any kind of acts of violence once more. The language likewise indicates that they are making him into a human only with the ability of being excellent, and conditioned to become incredibly unwell when taken into scenarios which are considered poor or violent. This especially verifies the author's point that it is not human nature to just possess good human impulses since Alex is being forced to have good human impulses via severe conditioning as well as be activated to get ill at the thought of physical violence. This certain item of proof illustrates the specific nature of the strategy in which Alex was joining as well as how he was being made into a human unable of having evil instincts or bad impulses and also this is important for us to recognize because every human possesses both wicked and excellent reactions.

Towards completion of the unique, Alex sees his old pal Pete as well as begins envisioning himself as a daddy and a hubby. He desires for having a family members as well as believes, "Yes yes yes, brothers, my boy. And also now I felt this bolshy big hollow inside my story, really feeling very stunned as well at myself. I understood what was taking place, O my brothers. I resembled maturing" (Burgess 211). The language in the quote reveals the changes that occur between adolescence and also their adult years. Burgess uses Alex as an instance of exactly how the process of thinking shifts as we age. The language additionally suggests that Alex is feeling something he has never ever really felt before, which is a yearning for love as well as creation rather than a yearning for destruction. The proof particularly confirms the author's factor that grownups are a lot more with the ability of believing before acting upon all-natural instincts by revealing Alex as an adult and his shift in believing compared to Alex as an adolescent. Due to the fact that it highlights an adjustment that has taken place to Alex as an outcome of everything he placed himself through as a young adult, this proof is considerable.

The post entitled" A Clockwork Orange': Awareness Is All" composed by John W. Tilton states, "And that is what the eighteen-year-old Alex of the final phase fails to comprehend. Alex truly attributes his very own wickedness to his youth ... and anticipates only great in the future, in his adult life. He worries the sincerity of that sentence by 'reasonably' acknowledging that his child as well as his son's child will act in their youth just as he performed in his. The reality established by the material of his own tale as well as strengthened by its design and also by the very truth that he composes everything is that the integral evil of male will manifest itself no matter that he is or exactly how old he is" (Tilton 1977). Although I agree with most of Tilton's write-up, I do not agree with his view in this particular quote. The write-up focuses on the significance of the last chapter of the unique, which, as Burgess discusses to us in the intro, was modified out by Norton. This quote goes straight against my debate by stating that age does not have anything to do with the symptom of evil, when clearly it does. Tilton's disagreement is wrong because the last chapter specifically shows the adjustment that has happened within Alex as a result of him aging and also additionally far from young people. Burgess did not write the last chapter to share that evil will continue to materialize itself via Alex, but to give light to Alex's story as well as want to the viewers that change is feasible, and also as we get older we come to be wiser and extra capable to believe before we act on terrible or evil instincts.

The globe view being verbalized in this argument is that as teenagers, we are a lot more inclined to act on our instincts however when we become adults we think about our activities prior to we act on them Kesey's world view is that authoritative figures attempt to reduce all-natural human instincts by taking away freedom of expression, uniqueness, and also the right to choose while Burgess's globe view is that no one can have only good impulses or only bad reactions which teenagers act on impulses without believing first. If Kesey's globe sight was the only world sight, then individuals in culture wouldn't have any kind of freedom of expression, originality, or the right to select as well as if Burgess's globe sight was the just one, people would certainly have excellent and wicked instincts and also as adults they would have the ability to make conscious decisions to act on these impulses or otherwise. In my viewpoint, I agree with both Kesey and also Burgess's globe views since we see reliable figures throughout the world eliminating freedom of expression, uniqueness, as well as the right to choose, such as Kim-Jong Un, the President of North Korea.

He offers minimal rights to individuals of his nation. His people obtain distributions of food, are assigned tasks in which can be thought about slave labor, and also kills anybody who tries to break him or the federal government. On the other hand, we can see Burgess's world view in social environments such as grade school, intermediate school, and also senior high school. There are young trainees that tease various other pupils, disobey teachers, and also participate in fights with other students because they don't believe prior to they act upon their reactions. We can likewise see how grownups assume before they act, such as in the work place. If we get irritated with a coworker, we do not simply punch them in the face. Rather, we confront our colleague or our supervisor, as well as if that does not function then we take it up with human resources.

  • Brown, Donald E. "Human Nature and History." History and Theory, vol. 38, no. 4, 1999, pp. 138–157. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2678062. Web. Accessed 23 May 2017. Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1962. Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Penguin Group, 1962.
  • Sullivan, Ruth. "Big Mama, Big Papa, and Little Sons in Ken Kesey's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Carolyn Riley and Phyllis Carmel Mendelson, vol. 6, Gale, 1976. Originally published in Literature and Psychology, no. 1, 1975, pp. 34-44.
  • Tilton, John W. "A Clockwork Orange: Awareness Is All." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Sharon R. Gunton and Laurie Lanzen Harris, vol. 15, Gale, 1980. Originally published in Cosmic Satire in the Contemporary Novel [1977 by Associated University Presses, Inc.], by John W. Tilton, Bucknell University Press, 1977, pp. 21-42.
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The Fight for Equality in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a Novel by Ken Kesey

The Struggle for Power

James Baldwin was an essayist, storyteller, playwright and also poet. He is regarded as an extremely intellectual informative author, and also renowned writer in the blog post battle 20' th century. Baldwin invested his early years in a prominently black, ghetto neighborhood called Harlem in New York City. This area is similarly popular for its medication problems, along with the talented authors, poets, musicians, and also artists it produced. After Bal

there are?' 'Be severe' I claimed. He laughed, throwing his head back, and afterwards took a look at me. 'I am significant.' 'Well, after that, for Christ's sake, stop kidding around and also address a severe question. I mean, do you want to be a concert pianist, you want to play symphonic music and all that, or-- or what?' Long prior to I finished, he was chuckling again. 'For Christ's sake, Sonny!' He sobered, yet with trouble. 'I'm sorry. However you appear so-- terrified!' and also he was off again. 'Well, you may think it's funny now, child, but it's not going to be so amusing when you need to make your living at it, let me tell you that." (134 )

The storyteller deals with Sonny like a kid rather than a brother and his attempt to determine Sonny's life triggers tension between the bros. This tension counts on separation when Sonny leaves New York and also "went as away as the navy would certainly lug him". The narrator states "He finally sent me a postcard from somewhere in Greece and that was the initial I knew that Sonny was still to life" (138 ). The storyteller promised Mama that he wouldn't let anything take place to Sonny, and rather, goes months without even speaking to him. This isn't the actions of a supportive sibling, and also causes Sonny having a difficult time staying on the best course.

After the falling out with his brother, Sonny transforms in other places for the soothing sense of household he no longer has. Those who were once simply close friends he satisfied on the street, became his family. The storyteller sees Sonny after not seeing him for months, and also found "he dealt with those other individuals as though they were his family members and I weren't" (139 ). Sonny likewise found family members in music and individuals he develops music with. After his mother's fatality, Sonny plays the piano every spare moment of every day. It ends up being a coping mechanism and also a way of living for Sonny. Later, the narrator sees Sonny's interactions with Creole and also it becomes clear what type of support Sonny has always needed. On stage, Creole "with his eyes half shut, he was

dwin shed his papa he moved to paris. This came to be a turning factor in his creating career. He told the New York Times "Once I found myself on the other side of the ocean, I see where I came from very clearly ... I am the grandson of a slave, and also I am an author. I have to manage both." This informs us a great deal about Baldwin, particularly exactly how he pertained to write the dazzling stories and rhymes he has. His childhood years upbringing plays as integral part of his tale writing. Based on lots of people living in the location Baldwin grew up in, the idea of escape was extremely pleasing. This theme along with the style of medications transfers into his job. In Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin, the author information themes of avoidance incidentally in which he incorporates drug dependency, career choice, and music.

Escapism is an usual theme that lots of people experienced one time or another. It is defined as a form of mental diversion in regards to entertainment or entertainment, as an "retreat" from the viewed undesirable or banal aspects of life. Avoidance acts as a self-defense system our brain uses in order to manage truth (Tvtropes Editors). It gives a haven within a situation in which a person is not able to cope. In this specific work, the writer utilizes his imaginary characters in order to press this motif.

One of the minor, yet still appropriate consolidations of the motif of escapism remains in the personalities use their job in order to leave the harlem ghetto. For the storyteller, likewise referred to as Sonny's bro, the very first avenue of escape was the armed forces. After the narrator's mother asked him to watch over, and be by his brother's side he was wed and also delivered off to go into the military. The narrator states "as well as I quite well forgot my assurance to Mama till I obtained delivered residence on unique furlough for her funeral." This is a core and prime example of the requirement to obtain away from the thoughts of Harlem. The narrator was not impacted by the ideas of Harlem and also his promises till they came collapsing down upon his shoulders. He used the military to escape his life in Harlem. An additional example of the use of occupation as getaway comes later in the timeline of this job. The storyteller uses his education and learning as another pathway of getaway by coming to be an institution educator. He relocates into a housing project near the school, which he describes as "uninhabitably new, now of course, it's currently rundown", "a parody of the great, tidy, faceless life", "beat- looking lawn existing around isn't sufficient to make their lives green", as well as "the bushes will certainly never hold up the streets." Though he uses his occupation in order to get away, soon fact sinks in and also Sonny's bro recognizes the although they are surrounded by the housing project, the Harlem streets feet away are pressing themselves in. He can't run away from his environments, it is inescapable that he must face his reality. By including occupation as a kind of retreat, Baldwin gives the storyteller a relatively easy method to leave the Harlem ghetto.

The 2nd very essential incorporation of avoidance is in use of heroin. Because of the environments these personalities have actually been positioned in, drugs are a really normal point. The narrator defines his bro's drug addiction as "dropping, coming to nothing, all that light in his face headed out." He speaks of seeing this multiple times. He broaches the students he shows specifying "I was, discussing algebra to a lot of boys that might, each of them for all I recognized, be popping off needles every single time they mosted likely to the head. Possibly it did more for them than algebra could." This use escapism is not just fantastic as well as subtle, however also a key point in recognizing the drug troubles in Harlem. By stating heroin is able help the little ones greater than algebra can, is a core instance of avoidance, as well as the way in which the personalities utilize drugs to get away from their reality. An additional example of this comes near the final thought of the job, from a scene in which Sonny is explaining why he makes use of drugs to his bro. Sonny mentions "well, I needed a repair, I needed to locate an area to lean, I needed to remove a room to listen." Sonny's demand to escape from Harlem- as well as eventually himself, triggered him to make use of heroin to get far from truth. By incorporating heroin as a form of getaway, Baldwin provides Sonny a pathway to leave the Harlem ghetto. Granted, this path is probably among the most awful to choose, nevertheless Sonny makes use of heroin as a form of retreat.

One of the most noticeable use of avoidance in this job is anchored in the method music is integrated into this short story. As soon as Sonny overcomes his heroin addiction he resort to music in order to get away the harsh truths of Harlem. In a scene in which Sonny is enjoying 4 vocalists, he specifies "her voice advised me for a minute of what heroin feels like sometimes-when it's in your blood vessels", "warm and also cool at the same time", "far-off. And-sure", "it makes you feel-in control", "occasionally you got to have that sensation." The method Sonny compares music to heroin is among the reasons he moves to music to sustain his require and desire to get away harlem, and himself. Another example of this is the scene in which Sonny brings his bro to pay attention to him play. The storyteller states "Yet, it was clear that, for them, I was just Sonny's brother. Right here I remained in Sonny's globe. Or rather: his kingdom. Right here, it was not even an inquiry that his capillaries bore royal blood." This is such a key example of exactly how in this job songs plays an essential function in getting away Harlem. When playing or listening to songs, the personalities are able to escape right into this globe. By including music as a type of retreat, Baldwin provides Sonny and his brother the capability to get away from their truth as well as exist entirely in the world of songs.

To conclude, James Baldwin utilizes medication addiction, job option, as well as music to incorporate escapism into Sonny's blues. Their is a big amount of in message proof showing these points such as, yet not restricted to the scenes stated above. By doing this Baldwin provides his personalities a mean of retreat from the harlem ghetto's.

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An Analysis of Societal Disparities in the Great Gatsby, the Crucible, Fahrenheit 451 and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Exploring the Separation in Societies

Upon reading four novels where the subjects often contain assorted scenarios, it became undeniably coherent that disagreements occur often in societies, leading others to branch out, or abandon said community completely. Society has never been an facile group of people to control; throughout history, and currently, there are obstacles that stand in the way of a community operating peacefully, and without hostility. Whether the reason be because a tyrannical leader refuses to confirm to the laws the public demands, or because there was a dramatic shift in economic growth has shaped the country itself, there has consistently been a barrier that does not allow each individual to be satisfied with the way their community is operating. Reasons of this inevitable separation in societies include how one treats another in their community, why the societies became separated in the first place, as well as the end result of the continuation of individualism. Many of the setbacks society has faced in the past can correlate accordingly to the dilemmas occurring the novels.

Throughout the four novels that were analyzed, intense separation of society plays a prominent role in each written piece. This idea is demonstrated through the way the author executes the plot, allowing the characters to determine their path by the precarious decisions they make, furthering to damage the attempt of keeping a society tightly bound together. These characters are motivated by lack of respect, discrimination, continual neglect, moralistic views, and so forth. These factors are powerful enough to motivate various individuals to follow the leader's guidance, advancing towards the either tragic or fortunate outcome of rebellion.

Whether the final result is beneficial or not, it consistently causes changes to occur in these societies, as well as shift the future of it.

The novel The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald displays an eminent understanding of how the economy created conflict within the 1920s society. There is a clear distinction of who possesses an immense amount of wealth, and who does not. Those who were not considered upper class, were often left with unsatisfactory careers that did not provide enough finances to live a secure life. Numerous farms were deemed futile because of the significant drop in the horticultural expense, and the employment rate for farm workers dropped drastically. Notably, the conditions of the jobs being offered for the lower class individuals were highly known to be perilous. Soon after this issues were addressed, "A number of strikes revealed the dissatisfaction of industrial workers and a labor force largely increased due to farm foreclosures" Wheelock (3). These strikes created tension between the upper and lower class, understandably, it was the roaring 20's, therefore many people expected to receive economic prosperity. The mistreatment of the lower class was minorly addressed throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby, "Gatsby was overwhelmingly aware of the youth and mystery that wealth imprisons and preserves, of the freshness of many clothes, and of Daisy, gleaming like silver, safe and proud above the hot struggles of the poor" (150). Fitzgerald's statement demonstrates that although his novel primarily focused on the robust aspects of wealth in the 1920s, the said wealth created an equal amount of adverse effects. An additional reason as to why the society in the 1920s remain separated can be shown through Myrtle Wilson, and the illusion of wealth she is exposed to. Since, "social status and wealth, which we can establish go hand in hand, also mould characters and their happiness with their situations" (McMahon 5), makes the subjection Myrtle experiences to the "American Dream" to shift her manner of thinking. Myrtle lives in the Valley of Ashes, which in itself is symbolic for the failure to pursue a life of wealth. The gas station she resides in seems nearly unbearable in her perspective, due to the way she glamorizes the city life and extreme wealth. This delusional Myrtle suffers from causes her to behave in a persona contrasting from the individual she genuinely is, for example, decorating her apartment in the style of a novel she read, Town Tattle. The readers are lead to believe that other individuals begin to act in this manner as well, furthering the defeat of tethering the upper and lower class back together as one community. However, at the end of the novel, consequences are coherently shown through the pattern which Nick narrates. It focuses on the main theme of the novel, it acknowledges how condemned their society was, it addresses the tragedy. Importantly, it apprises the reader of how despite the enormous wealth Jay Gatsby retained, his economic and social status could not save him from his fate. The meaning behind the conclusion to The Great Gatsby is defined as, "The last few pages of The Great Gatsby are a sort of eulogy for Jay Gatsby, preceded by an account of the tragedy" (Liontas 8).

The economy is not the primary reason for disputes, commonly, it can derive from one person to the next. During a profusion of times it is not the government or those running it that are the root of the problem. This theory is highly implied in Arthur Miller's, The Crucible, where the individual's apprehension is directed towards Reverend Parris, who is shown to be selfish, and only shows concern when something threatens his position in the community. This is expressed in Act I, as Betty, his daughter, lies in bed from supposed illness, he states, "Abigail, I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character" (1.63). Due to Reverend Parris' arrogance, and his desire to possess power over those in community, causes the villagers to maintain little to no respect or trust any given authority figure. The mistrust creates a disunion between the individuals, complicating the environment for a community that continues to struggle because of the small population, as well as the pious commandments established within it. The extension of inadequate individuals being named in the church is the reason for others harboring a secure disliking towards one another. These figures, such as Reverend Parris, drive the members of the community away from each other, by the lack of replacing a satisfactory individual in place of Reverend Parris further intensifies the issue. Notwithstanding, the members of the community are not to blame. During this time period, religion was arguably the most essential, principal factor in a society, provoking an askewed mindset in the villagers, leading them to believe that these preachers were chosen by God. The immortality of putting the wrong individual in a position of power in the church "created a theocracy, established on God's providence, in which officials were "divinely guided" by God himself. Since the people of Salem believed that the officials were advised by God, they trusted their judgement. They obeyed the instructions of their leaders without questioning the leaders" (Swainer 1). Therefore, individuals developed a deep certainty for the church, refusing to question any tactics or actions that originally they have deemed sacrilege. John Proctor takes an instant hatred towards Reverend Parris, resulting in Proctor to not attend his sermons. Proctor views Reverend Parris as a hypocritical, avaricious individual, shown through an interaction between Reverend Hale and John Proctor. Once questioned by the lack of attendance to Parris' sermons, Proctor states to Hale, "It may be I have been too quick to bring the man to book, but you cannot think we ever desired the destruction of religion. I think that's in your mind, is it not?" (1.231). The droll remark from John Proctor openly arrays his loathing towards Reverend Parris, yet, Proctor appears to be the primary person to speak poorly of Parris throughout the written piece. Concerning the end of the novel, the verdict is not sufficient, nevertheless, it teaches the audience what consequences will result from the disheveled manner of the society in The Crucible. Mercy Lewis and Abigail Williams disappear from the village after the trials, however, the assorted deaths of innocent people is the momentous concomitant. The lack of ample leadership in the community cost the honorable individuals their lives, bringing those in the community even further apart than they were before the trials because of the barbaric, unnecessary killings. This error has been addressed and applied to reality, "Even though most of the girls did not apologize, in the end, the church, the state legislature, and some important members of the community understood what errors were made and apologized for killing twenty-four innocent people" (Grace T 8).

Discrimination is a conventional motivator for those who wish to isolate themselves from tyrannical leaders, as indicated in Ken Kesey's, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Throughout the novel, the head nurse of the mental institution, Nurse Ratched, frequently mistreats, degrades, and debatably, abuses the patients, whom are all men. The mistreatment Nurse Ratched indulges in includes depriving the patients of their medication, which allows them to function normally, as well as stripping them of their basic human needs. Emasculating the patients with emotional abuse is the most common occurrence she speaks to them as if they are children, forcing them to behave in a youthful manner, and intimates the patients to tell others their most humiliating secrets. These factors construct a barrier between the staff and patients at the mental institution, causing the patients to fear not only Nurse Ratched, but the additional doctors. During an interaction between Nurse Ratched and a junior nurse while discussing the new patient, Randle McMurphy, Ratched states, "Sometimes a manipulator's own ends are simply the actual disruption of the ward for the sake of disruption. There are such people in our society. A manipulator can influence the other patients and disrupt them to such an extent that it may take months to get everything running smooth once more" (28). This statement can be viewed as a reflection on her own actions; the diction within the sentence suggests that Nurse Ratched is aware of the harm she is inflicting onto the patients, and how it creates an unhealthy environment for their community, yet continues to do so. Nurse Ratched is forced to suffer the corollary for her actions at the end of the novel, when Randle McMurphy attempts to strangle Ratched to death after she blames him for the suicide of a former patient. Nurse Ratched survives the attack, but is unable to speak because of her injures, therefore, cannot harm the patients verbally anymore. Although it took an action of violence to erase the detachment the patients were experiencing from Nurse Ratched, the result of Randle McMurphy's actions were favorable, and resolved the indifference each victim was undergoing.

Often societies experience separation because of the laws that have been established, as observed in Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury. This segregation is more authoritarian than previous reasons, considering that there are two types of people in this novel; those who believe it is wrong to burn books, and those who do not. These individuals interact traditionally, if no laws are being disobeyed. Guy Montag, the protagonist who is a fireman that burns novels, encounters a young woman named Clarisse McClellan, who continually pesters him with questions that cause Montag to analyze his life, the choices he makes, and eventually, come to the realization of how harrowing their society is. The paramount reason the individuals in their community feel phlegmatic of one another is due to the excess amount of technology being utilized, and the lack of knowledge, the lack of critical thinking, the lack of books being deployed. This recognition causes Guy Montag to seek out others whom are interested in advancing their intelligence, and redirecting books back into their society. Guy Montag begins to see the brutality and savagery behind being a fireman once he witnesses a woman burn herself along with all of a books she had owned, instead of allowing the firemen to confiscate them. The woman follows through with this decision because she realizes she is residing in a society of oppression, and would rather not live, so that she may be able to have the opportunity to exist into a world of freedom. This belief is addressed when stated, "There must be something in books, something we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing" (48). At the end of the novel, the city Montag had lived in is bombed, and he is forced to flee. Montag meets a group of survivors who believe in the righteousness of novels, who study philosophy and literature in order to preserve what is left of it, in exceptional hope of restoring them in the future. Guy Montag was given the opportunity to revolt against the regulations of society, resulting in the community to moribund entirely.

From studying these four novels, the notion that societies in literature often struggle with reliance and individualism is consilient. Throughout the sources cited, additionally from the novels themselves, the pattern of separation between individuals caused by authority figures, moral values, and economic status are customary. The authors mentioned involved diligent effort in order to relay their allegorical messages towards the audience concerning the topic of how those who occupy contrastive beliefs often spawn a series of events that demolish their society. The acknowledgement of chaos arranged in these societies are meant to be addressed, and at a point in time, can deftly be resolved.

Works Cited

  • 2012 1-2 Period Class of Mr. Sam Nekrosius. The Salem Journal: The Aftermath. Web. 20 June 2017.
  • "Crucible Essay: Seperation of Church and State - Swanierenglish." Google Sites. Web. 20 June 2017
  • "The Crucible by Arthur Miller." English Works. Web. 20 June 2017.
  • "The Pre-Depression Depression." The Pre-Depression Depression - Index. Web. 20 June 2017. "So We Beat On: The Last Lines of The Great Gatsby." Scribner Magazine. 18 July 2016. Web. 20 June 2017.
  • Sumantha_M. "Social Status in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald." Freelance Writer. 17 Jan. 2013. Web. 20 June 2017.
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The Multiple Themes of Notions of Suffering, Catharsis, Jazz and the Blues, Drugs and Alcohol, and Family Life in the Short Story, Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin

"Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin is much like an intricately designed fabric with the threads of many themes. Among these themes are the notion of suffering, catharsis, jazz and the blues, drugs and alcohol, and family life. The themes that James Baldwin addresses in Sonny's Blues work together strongly to reveal his message about the damage in the lives of the characters he creates.

James Baldwin uses the theme of suffering to describe how the people of Harlem in the 1950s are suffering. The "poverty and neglect" in Sonny's neighborhood clearly illustrates the circumstances that led to his heroin addiction. Race is only a contributing factor in the story, however, because it mostly focuses on the consequences of and the circumstances caused by racial discrimination, such as limited economic opportunities and poor living conditions. (Wilson 249). The racial discrimination, which is clearly indicated by the narrator's mother's anecdote to him, where the narrator's uncle is killed by a car full of drunken white men. (Baldwin 9) Both the narrator and Sonny suffer. The narrator suffers from the immense darkness in his life caused by the poor conditions in the city. (Wilson 249)

The unnamed narrator of "Sonny's Blues" relationship with the suffering he experiences is very different from the way that Sonny experiences suffering. Though they have been through the same things, Sonny's brother copes with the situation in a much more positive way, while Sonny has "the blues". Though Sonny uses music as an outlet for his emotional suffering, he gets entangled with the drug culture associated with jazz music and becomes addicted to heroin. As an algebra teacher, he sees the world in terms of black and white, so the shock that he experiences when he finds out that Sonny is using heroin rocks his world. He begins to question whether his own students could be using the drug, saying "every one of them for all I knew, be popping off needles every time they went to the head [toilet]" (Baldwin 1)

The conditions in which Baldwin grew up significantly contribute to the setting that Baldwin depicts in Sonny's Blues and how he depicts suffering. In his writing, he attempts to depict the African-American experience as something special and black American society as a "community with its own traditions and values". (Hicks 253) However, whether members of this society decide to challenge the white-dominated society's status quo or abandon a part of their identities to become successful is up to them. Sonny's brother becomes an algebra teacher and finds success in the white dominated society, while Sonny struggles to find success because of his passion in the arts and his reluctance to adhere to the rules of authority. This idea also corresponds with the idea of the American Dream, showing that it was more difficult for black Americans at this time to attain. Overall, Baldwin's experiences led to a unique perspective on the world, which he portrays through the themes in "Sonny's Blues". (Hicks 253)

In "Sonny's Blues", where there is suffering, there is catharsis. Because drugs and alcohol were a very temporary and negative solution to Sonny's suffering, Sonny uses jazz and the blues as a more constructive outlet for his feelings of suffering. Effectively, jazz becomes Sonny's heroin. (Wilson 247) Because of jazz, Sonny begins to feel that he has a family again when he is among his bandmates and that he belongs somewhere. At first, Sonny's brother sees jazz as something that is beneath Sonny when he decides to become a musician. (Baldwin 10) This is because in the early days of jazz, the style was seen as very visceral and inherently sexual because it had more exaggerated rhythmic elements and promoted dancing ("clowning around on bandstands"). (Baldwin 10) Later on in the story, however, Sonny's brother comes to the realization that Sonny's music means a lot to him and could be a sign that Sonny will start to recover from his addiction. After all, Sonny had decades of the blues running through him and was ready to carry his family through his music, shown when Baldwin writes "He had made it his: that long line, of which we knew only Mama and Daddy. And he was giving it back, as everything must be given back, so that, passing through death, it can live forever." The blues were originally created as songs for oppressed African-Americans to express their feelings, and the tradition of the blues has been passed down and integrated into almost every style of popular music. Through his music, Sonny finally makes his brother see his world and is able to legitimately show how he feels and give his brother some kind of hope. (Baldwin 21)

The style with which "Sonny's Blues" is written mirrors the emerging bebop style of jazz in the 1940s, with its contrasting ideas of dark and light complementing each other like two soloists in a jazz band. The flashbacks in the story are very much similar to the sections of a jazz record that call back to the themes of suffering. Sonny's brother's very calculated and mathematical attitude also possibly calls to the more technical style of bebop, even though his brother seems to reject notions of artistic expression.

The images of music and street revival throughout the short story contribute to a scapegoat metaphor, shown in the image of the "cup of trembling" at the end of the story. The cup of trembling is an image from both the Old Testament and the New Testament of the Bible, where it represents justice and mercy, respectively. Therefore, Sonny's music brings hope, justice, and mercy to the world, allowing his suffering to make him a Jesus Christ figure. (Robertson 255) The reason for Sonny's suffering also comes into realization when Sonny and his brother attend the revival meeting and Sonny feels empathy for the revivalists. In this incident, Sonny states that they must have gone through a lot in order to play music that evokes such a feeling of suffering. Additionally, to further exemplify his role as a suffering, sacrificial figure, Sonny says that there is no way for him not to suffer. (Baldwin 17)

his: that long line, of which we knew only Mama and Daddy. And he was giving it back, as everything must be given back, so that, passing through death, it can live forever." The blues were originally created as songs for oppressed African-Americans to express their feelings, and the tradition of the blues has been passed down and integrated into almost every style of popular music. Through his music, Sonny finally makes his brother see his world and is able to legitimately show how he feels and give his brother some kind of hope. (Baldwin 21)

The style with which "Sonny's Blues" is written mirrors the emerging bebop style of jazz in the 1940s, with its contrasting ideas of dark and light complementing each other like two soloists in a jazz band. The flashbacks in the story are very much similar to the sections of a jazz record that call back to the themes of suffering. Sonny's brother's very calculated and mathematical attitude also possibly calls to the more technical style of bebop, even though his brother seems to reject notions of artistic expression.

The images of music and street revival throughout the short story contribute to a scapegoat metaphor, shown in the image of the "cup of trembling" at the end of the story. The cup of trembling is an image from both the Old Testament and the New Testament of the Bible, where it represents justice and mercy, respectively. Therefore, Sonny's music brings hope, justice, and mercy to the world, allowing his suffering to make him a Jesus Christ figure. (Robertson 255) The reason for Sonny's suffering also comes into realization when Sonny and his brother attend the revival meeting and Sonny feels empathy for the revivalists. In this incident, Sonny states that they must have gone through a lot in order to play music that evokes such a feeling of suffering. Additionally, to further exemplify his role as a suffering, sacrificial figure, Sonny says that there is no way for him not to suffer. (Baldwin 17)

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An Effective Use of Flashbacks in Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin

Sonny's Blues

In the short story "Sonny's Blues" the writer, James Baldwin, uses flashback to help better understand what is going on in the present. Sonny is an African-American man that is currently in jail for using and selling heroin. The narrator of the story is Sonny's brother, whom we never get the name of. They grew up in Harlem, New York, a city with a high population and a high drug volume.

The first time the author uses a flashback is to show what Sonny was like when he was the same age as his students. "...his face has been bright and open, there was a lot of copper in it; and he'd had wonderfully direct brown eyes, and great gentleness and privacy. I wondered what he looked like now (pg. 74)." This helps the reader show that Sonny hasn't always been a dull soul; he used to be very gentle and shy. The reader now wants to know what made him this way, questions that can be answered within a flashback.

Sonny's brother then begins to talk about those who have passed away which include their mother, father, and also the narrator's daughter (Sonny's niece). This then leads to the development of flashbacks about their parents. "You got to hold on to your brother," she said, "and don't let him fall, no matter what it looks like is happening to him and no matter how evil you gets with him" (pg. 84)'. Sonny's brother did exactly what the mother said not to do. The brothers lost contact and Sonny was taken over by "evil". The father's brother was killed by a group of white men driving drunk. Sonny's mother is telling the narrator to keep Sonny close to him so nothing happens to him as it did to his uncle. I believe that this flashback is the most crucial to the story. Sonny and his brother didn't have much of a connection because of the age gap, but the fact that he almost lost his brother made him open up his eyes.

Sonny mentions that the music did not make him a drug addict. There was something that music and heroin had in common that attracted Sonny to heroin. There was a flashback where Sonny told his brother that he wanted to become a jazz artist, which the narrator did not approve of. Music was something that Sonny was passionate about and his brother shot him down. He then moved out of his brothers place, joined the navy, and moved as far away as he could. The author currently feels ignorant to the fact he did not accept his brothers passion. The reader then begins to understand why his brother became a drug addict on. "It makes you feel-in control. Sometimes you've got to have that feeling." The two brothers now have a bond that they have never had before. They realize that they now need each other.

The flashbacks in "Sonny's Blues" helps give the reader background information to understand why Sonny is the way he is. We now get how heroin came into his life and why it took over. The flashbacks were affective for the reader and the author. The author didn't have to explain why Sonny got addicted to drugs; the reader is able to use context clues from their neighborhood and the flashbacks to infer what happened to Sonny.

Questions pg. 100 1-3

  1. Baldwin achieves mystery and is able to include flashbacks by beginning the story in medias res. The order of events are related later in the story affect my experience of reading and interpreting the meaning because we have to get the background information as the narrator touches upon each issue that has occurred in their families life leading up to his brother going to jail.
  2. The external conflict depicted in the story in Sonny and the narrator. This is resolved by the letter that Sonny sent to his brother. They have spoken for the first time in a long time. The internal conflict is Sonny and himself and also the narrator and himself. This is resolved by both of them accepting the past and moving forward together.
  3. The story that seems to be told through and about music in "Sonny's Blues" is that many people have different passions and what you truly love should be what you are doing. You don't want to live your life suffering to make someone else happy, you want to do what you love to make yourself happy. If this person cares about you they will learn to accept everything about you.
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Familial Connections in Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin

Familial connections are part of what makes us human. They can also be what makes us successful in life. In the short story "Sonny's Blues", James Baldwin shows us the true importance of family through the lives of Sonny and his brother. Baldwin uses their dad and his brother as a mirror for their own relationship, and shows Sonny's struggle to find family when he can no longer find it in his brother. The narrator initially sees his role in Sonny's life as the parent, then he begins to reinvents his broken relationship with his brother. The outcome is the core lesson that Baldwin is trying to teach, that familial relationships can make all the difference in someone's life.

Baldwin creates a parallel to Sonny and the narrator's relationship when he reveals the story about their father and his brother. Sonny is comparable to his father's brother in that they were "maybe a little full of the devil, but didn't mean nobody no harm", and "like all young folks, (they) just liked to perform on Saturday nights"(Baldwin, 132). Likewise, the narrator reflects his father; the older, wiser brother. His mother recounts the story of the night her brother-in-law was killed not to make her son "scared or bitter or hate nobody" but urges him, "you got a brother, and this world ain't changed... you got to hold on to your brother, and don't let him fall" (133). The mothers believes that the narrator's role in his brother's life is vital. It is clear that she fears for her youngest son's life. This creates a parallel that grabs you by the shoulders and doesn't let go until the final scene of the story.

With the last promise to his mother lingering in his mind, the narrator gets hitched and heads off to war. He admits "I pretty well forgot my promise to Mama, until I got shipped home on a special furlough for her funeral" (133). Now, the narrator sees himself as the only family member left for Sonny, and therefore his new parental figure. This misunderstanding of his role is Sonny's life ultimately leads to an epic falling out between the brothers. "What kind of musician do you want to be?' He grinned. 'How many kinds do you think listening to everything, but he was listening to Sonny. He was having a dialogue with Sonny. He wanted Sonny to leave the shoreline and strike out for the deep water. He was Sonny's witness that deep water and drowning were not the same thing -- he had been there, and he knew" (146). Creole is able to do what the narrator couldn't; listen to Sonny and provide genuine support.

The turning point that creates Baldwin's message emerges in the last scene of the story. When the brothers walk into the nightclub, the narrator says "It was clear that, for them, I was only Sonny's brother. Here, I was in Sonny's world. Or, rather: his kingdom" (145). As the narrator steps into Sonny's "kingdom" he begins to develop an understanding of his younger brother. Through this new understanding, the narrator recognizes that what Sonny needed was someone to listen and be supportive, not someone to dictate his future. The transition of the narrator seeing himself as Sonny's father figure to understanding his role as a brother is key to the new, healthy relationship that arises between the brothers. With the newfound support from his brother, Sonny will be able to confidently go after what he wants most, to be a musician.

The roller coaster that is the relationship between Sonny and his brother in James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" reveals the importance of family in one's life. Sonny struggles with growing up after his parents pass away, and later struggles with drugs. Throughout this struggle, he lacked the support he needed from his brother. Their mother urged her eldest son to watch after Sonny before she died, because she knew that in order for Sonny to be successful, he would need to feel loved. It is not until the end of the story that the brothers gain an understanding of each other's lives, and are then able to have a healthy relationship.

Works Cited

  • Baldwin, James. "Sonny's Blues". The Partisan Review. 1957.
  • http://swcta.net/moore/files/2012/02/sonnysblues.pdf
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The Theme of Escapism in Sonny’s Blues, a Novel by James Baldwin

The Great Escape

James Baldwin was an essayist, playwright, novelist and poet. He is considered an extremely intellectual informative author, as well as famous writer in the article war 20' th century. Baldwin invested his very early years in a plainly black, ghetto community called Harlem in New York City. This community is just as popular for its medication troubles, as well as the talented writers, poets, artists, and musicians it created. After Bal

there are?' 'Be major' I stated. He chuckled, throwing his head back, and afterwards looked at me. 'I am severe.' 'Well, then, for Christ's sake, quit kidding around and also address a major inquiry. I imply, do you wish to be a concert pianist, you want to play classical music and all that, or-- or what?' Long prior to I completed, he was laughing again. 'For Christ's purpose, Sonny!' He sobered, yet with difficulty. 'I'm sorry. But you appear so-- terrified!' and he was off once again. 'Well, you might assume it's amusing currently, infant, yet it's not going to be so funny when you have to make your living at it, let me inform you that." (134 )

The storyteller treats Sonny like a kid instead of a sibling and also his effort to determine Sonny's life creates tension in between the siblings. This stress relies on separation when Sonny leaves New York and "went as far away as the navy would certainly bring him". The storyteller states "He ultimately sent me a postcard from somewhere in Greece which was the very first I recognized that Sonny was still active" (138 ). The narrator assured Mama that he would not allow anything take place to Sonny, as well as rather, goes months without even talking with him. This isn't the actions of a supportive bro, as well as results in Sonny having a tough time remaining on the best course.

After the falling out with his brother, Sonny turns elsewhere for the comforting feeling of household he no more has. Those who were once just close friends he met on the street, became his family. The storyteller brows through Sonny after not seeing him for months, and discovered "he treated those other people as though they were his family as well as I weren't" (139 ). Sonny likewise found family members in music and individuals he produces music with. After his mommy's fatality, Sonny plays the piano every spare moment of daily. It becomes a coping system and a way of life for Sonny. Later, the storyteller sees Sonny's interactions with Creole as well as it becomes clear what kind of support Sonny has actually always needed. On phase, Creole "with his eyes half closed, he was

dwin lost his father he transferred to paris. This came to be a turning factor in his writing occupation. He told the New York Times "Once I discovered myself on the other side of the ocean, I see where I originated from extremely clearly ... I am the grand son of a slave, as well as I am a writer. I have to deal with both." This tells us a whole lot concerning Baldwin, especially exactly how he involved create the great tales and rhymes he has. His youth upbringing plays as integral part of his story writing. As per many individuals living in the location Baldwin matured in, the idea of escape was extremely pleasing. This theme along with the theme of drugs transfers right into his work. In Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin, the author details styles of avoidance incidentally in which he incorporates medicine dependency, career choice, as well as music.

Avoidance is a common motif that the majority of people experienced one time or another. It is defined as a type of psychological diversion in terms of enjoyment or leisure, as an "getaway" from the perceived banal or unpleasant aspects of daily life. Escapism functions as a self-defense system our brain uses in order to manage truth (Tvtropes Editors). It supplies a haven within a scenario in which an individual is not able to cope. In this specific job, the writer uses his imaginary personalities in order to press this style.

One of the small, yet still pertinent incorporations of the theme of escapism remains in the personalities use their career in order to leave the harlem ghetto. For the storyteller, also known as Sonny's sibling, the initial opportunity of retreat was the armed forces. After the narrator's mom asked him to supervise, and also be by his bro's side he was wed and shipped off to enter into the military. The storyteller mentions "as well as I pretty well forgot my assurance to Mama up until I got delivered residence on special furlough for her funeral." This is a core and also prime example of the demand to obtain away from the ideas of Harlem. The storyteller was not impacted by the ideas of Harlem and his guarantees until they came collapsing down upon his shoulders. He used the armed forces to escape his life in Harlem. Another instance of using career as retreat comes later on in the timeline of this job. The storyteller uses his education and learning as an additional path of getaway by coming to be a college teacher. He moves right into a housing project near the institution, which he calls "uninhabitably brand-new, now of course, it's currently run-through", "an apology of the excellent, clean, faceless life", "beat- looking yard lying around isn't enough to make their lives environment-friendly", and "the bushes will certainly never ever hold up the streets." Though he utilizes his occupation in order to run away, quickly fact sinks in and Sonny's bro realizes the although they are bordered by the housing project, the Harlem streets feet away are pushing themselves in. He can not escape from his environments, it is unavoidable that he has to encounter his truth. By incorporating profession as a form of getaway, Baldwin provides the storyteller a seemingly easy way to escape the Harlem ghetto.

The 2nd extremely key incorporation of avoidance is in use heroin. Medications are an extremely common point since of the environments these personalities have actually been placed in. The narrator describes his brother's drug addiction as "decreasing, coming to nothing, all that light in his face gone out." He speaks of seeing this several times. He broaches the students he teaches stating "I was, talking about algebra to a lot of children that might, every one of them for all I understood, be popping off needles each time they went to the head. Perhaps it did a lot more for them than algebra could." This use escapism is not just great and also refined, however likewise a key point in recognizing the drug issues in Harlem. By mentioning heroin is able assistance the kids more than algebra can, is a core example of escapism, as well as the way in which the personalities utilize medications to escape from their truth. Another instance of this comes near the conclusion of the job, from a scene in which Sonny is defining why he uses medicines to his brother. Sonny states "well, I needed a solution, I needed to discover a place to lean, I needed to clear a room to pay attention." Sonny's need to leave from Harlem- and also eventually himself, created him to utilize heroin in order to get away from reality. By incorporating heroin as a kind of escape, Baldwin gives Sonny a pathway to escape the Harlem ghetto. Approved, this path is arguably among the most awful to choose, nevertheless Sonny makes use of heroin as a type of retreat.

One of the most noticeable use avoidance in this work is anchored in the method music is integrated right into this narrative. When Sonny gets over his heroin addiction he resort to music in order to run away the extreme realities of Harlem. In a scene in which Sonny is watching 4 singers, he mentions "her voice reminded me momentarily of what heroin seems like sometimes-when it's in your veins", "awesome and cozy at the same time", "distant. And-sure", "it makes you feel-in control", "often you reached have that feeling." The way Sonny contrasts songs to heroin is just one of the reasons he moves to songs to sustain his want as well as require to get away harlem, as well as himself. Another example of this is the scene in which Sonny brings his bro to pay attention to him play. The narrator specifies "Yet, it was clear that, for them, I was only Sonny's brother. Here I remained in Sonny's globe. Or rather: his kingdom. Right here, it was not even a concern that his veins birthed imperial blood." This is such a vital instance of exactly how in this work songs plays a crucial duty in getting away Harlem. When playing or listening to music, the personalities have the ability to leave right into this world. By including songs as a kind of retreat, Baldwin offers Sonny as well as his brother the capability to get away from their truth and also exist totally on the planet of music.

In conclusion, James Baldwin utilizes medication dependency, career choice, as well as songs to incorporate avoidance right into Sonny's blues. Their is a large amount of in message proof verifying these factors such as, yet not restricted to the scenes specified over. By doing this Baldwin gives his personalities a mean of escape from the harlem ghetto's.

Bibliography

  • Biography.com Editors. "James Baldwin Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
  • Tvtropes Editors. "Escapism / Analysis - TV Tropes." TV Tropes. Tvtropes, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
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Escapism in Sonny’s Blues, the Lottery, and no Speak English

Desire to Escape

The desire of escaping reality stems from the unhappiness of one's current situation. Unhappiness could be the lack of contentment, loss of family values or living in a false reality. It can also be "more often indicated by a simple wish for the masses to simply, magically, disappear." (Krishna 2327). This unhappiness sometimes results in the need to be somewhere else or do something else with one's life, such as moving away for a change of scenery, refusing to accept a new or different lifestyle or refusing to accept true facts as reality. Many examples of unhappiness and the results it can cause can be found throughout the texts.

In "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin, Sonny escapes his reality through a number of things including music, drugs and physically moving away from his family. Baldwin writes that Sonny's brother is said to escape through teaching, "Some escaped the trap, most didn't. Those who got out always left something of themselves behind...It might be said, perhaps, that I had escaped, after all, I was a school teacher; or that Sonny had, he hadn't lived in Harlem for years."[Jam]. While the main character escapes by not getting involved in drug abuse and instead focusing on his studies to become a school teacher, it could be argued that though Sonny does abuse drugs, he still escapes by moving out of the city. Baldwin suggests that Sonny moves out when he writes, "Do you mind," he asked, "if we have the driver drive alongside the park? On the west side I haven't seen the city in so long."" [Jam]. Sonny requests that they drive around the city, because he has not been there in so long. He escapes his reality and drug addiction through physically moving to a new place in order to start over again.

Another example of escaping is shown in "No Speak English" by Sandra Cisneros, where the wife escapes her reality through her refusal to assimilate and adjust to a new life. She protests leaving the house and learning English, while instead she listens to Mexican music and fights with her husband about returning home. The author alludes to this idea in writing, "She sits all day by the window and plays the Spanish radio show and sings all the homesick songs about her country in a voice that sounds like a seagull." [San2]. Mommacita escapes her husband's forced new lifestyle through music while day dreaming about being back home, where she believes she belongs.

A loss of family values is the reason for a mother's desire to escape in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. Tessa is determined to escape her own fate when her family is chosen for the annual stoning by the towns people. She tries to minimize her chances of being picked in abandoning her family values by asking if her daughter could draw with them, deserting the safety of her family. Tessa also intentionally forgets things she knows to be true, living in a false reality at the time her family is chosen. The author suggests this in writing, "There's Don and Eva," Mrs. Hutchinson yell[s]. "Make them take their chance!" "Daughters draw with their husbands' families, Tessie," Mr. Summers said gently. "You know that as well as anyone else."" [Shi]. While endangering her family Tessa attempts to escape the situation, she stops trying once she is finally chosen. This is made clear when Jackson writes, "Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her. "It isn't fair," she said. A stone hit her on the side of the head... "It isn't fair, it isn't right," Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her." [Shi]. Tessa does not fight back, or try to run or escape once she is alone and separated from her family. While she is still unhappy and desires to escape her current position, Tessa comes back to reality and accepts her fate. Tessa's desire to escape dissolves throughout the story, and finally disappears at the end when the stoning begins.

The next illustration of living in a false reality can be seen in "Night Woman" by Edwidge Danticat. The son of the prostitute escapes the truth of how his mother keeps them alive through a variety of things. First, the mother gives her son her scarf that she wears during the day to comfort him as she works through the night. Danticat suggests this when she writes, "He wraps my long blood-red scarf around his neck, the one I wear myself during the day to tempt my suitors. I let him have it at night, so that he always has something of mine when my face is out of sight." [Nig]. The mother still wants to comfort her son, even while she is working through the night. One of the night woman's suitors even gives him a radio to distract him at night, the mother says, "I hear the buzz of his transistor radio. It is shaped like a can of cola. One of my suitors gave it to him to plug into his ears so he can stay asleep while Mommy works." [Nig]. The mother gives her little boy an escape from the reality of her work, and the fact that she is gone most of the night. She tries to make up for it in gifts, such as the scarf and radio in an effort to comfort him even when she is gone.

The following instance of desiring to escape is "My Name" by Sandra Cisneros, the main character tries to escape her reality by changing her name. Esperanza does not want to repeat her grandmothers past because, "She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow". [San]. Esperanza does not wish to relive what her grandmother already has, and in attempt to escape this fate she wishes to change her name. Later in the text she states "I would like to baptize myself under a new name, a name more like the real me, the one nobody sees." [San]. In changing her name to something more 'modern American', Esperanza is determined to positively change the future she is bound to inherit.

In the final text, "Bums in the Attic" by Sandra Cisneros, the main character tries to escape through the fantasy of having things she knows she cannot have. Cisneros suggests this when she writes, "I want a house on a hill like the ones with the gardens where Papa works... I am tired of looking at what we can't have." [San1]. The main character's family longs for a house and ultimately a life that they cannot obtain. The family escapes their current situation by day dreaming and house hunting although they know they will never live in places anything like the ones they dream of, thus living in a false reality to escape their real lives.

The concept of escaping and the desire to escape can be seen in many literary works. While in some texts characters' desire to escape is successful, others are not, as seen in "The Lottery". In most works of literature, a false reality is on display, creating a false world that specific characters live in while others come to a different conclusion and accept the true reality portrayed in the story, such as "Bums in the Attic", "No Speak English" and "Night Woman". However, there are some instances in which the characters are so determined to escape that they are successful as seen in "Sonny's Blues" where both characters' desire to escape is beneficial for them. Nevertheless, there is one thing that every text provided has in common, and that is the unhappiness the characters feel leads them to a desire to escape their current reality.

Works Cited

  • Baldwin, James. "Sonny's Blues." The Art of the Short Story 13 (n.d.): 32. Cisneros, Sandra. "Bums in the Attic." The House on Mango Street (1984). -. "My Name." The House on Mango Street (1984).
  • "No Speak English." The House on Mango Street (1984).
  • Danticat, Edwidge. "Night Woman." The Art of the Story (1992): 196-197. Jackson, Shirley. "The Lottery." The Art of the Short Story 13 (1949): 394-396.
  • Krishna, Sankaran. "The Bomb, Biography and the Indian Middle Class." Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 41, no. 23, 2006, pp. 2327-2331. www.jstor.org/stable/4418323.
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The Effects of Light in Sonny’s Blues, a Short Story by James Baldwin

Filled with Light and Darkness; Filled with Laughter and Rage

Light changes, damages, as well as boosts experiences and ideas throughout 'Sonny's Blues', by James Baldwin. Sonny as well as his sibling, the narrator, matured in the 'dark' atmosphere of Harlem and also its housing projects and degrading, drug-ridden roads. The process of maturing, of shedding their moms and dads, and of living amidst both light and also darkness had shaped both the narrator and also Sonny. Baldwin makes use of light, and its counter, darkness, to present the challenges and also hopes of the grown-up and boyhood days of the lead characters. If there is one line that summarizes the factor that Baldwin shares via this images, it is, "All that disgust and also torment and also love. It's a marvel it does not blow the avenue apart" (pg 639). Through Sonny and his brother, we can see that light and dark can be put together, like disgust as well as love. Light and dark reflect the basic human experience; they are prehistoric facets of the globe that have actually constantly contrasted, but in this story, Baldwin brings them with each other.

The storyteller's childhood years in Harlem was an experience that influenced him to be an instructor, as well as provided Sonny to have the desire to get as away from his hometown as feasible; this can be seen through making use of light and darkness. In the initial flow, every little thing bordering the children while growing up is darkness. Their lives only lead into the darkness. The films are an actual darkness that helps them leave their lives for a few hours, but ultimately just make the actual darkness of life in Harlem even much deeper. This exact same views on life in Harlem were echoed in the Narrator's childhood years, "And when light fills up the space, the child is filled with darkness ... relocated a little closer to the darkness outside ... what the old folks have actually been talking about" (pg 623). With the passage, and this quote, we see that the basic sight is that light -like the movies stated in the very first flow- just deludes a youngster, attracting him far from the harsh reality that will certainly be his life, which "old folks" have actually experienced currently. In response to this, the storyteller tries to remove himself mentally from his environment by ending up being a mathematics instructor, by marrying, and also even by cutting off his bro for a few years. He believes that if he ignores his inside, he can leave the darkness; yet rather, he brings more darkness in. Sonny scares the narrator, since he rises and fall in between "open and brilliant" (pg 613) as well as "all the light in his face. gone out" (pg 614). Sonny is linked to his lights and also darknesses with drugs, and after that through songs; these are both parts of Sonny's life that the storyteller can not accept or comprehend for the majority of the story.

The narrator's sight of light and dark culminates in the second passage, and afterwards factor. It is an epiphany for the storyteller, as well as for Sonny. The narrator fears for Sonny, for his "diing in flame", for his internal fire to take control of as well as shed him out, like what almost happened with his heroin addictions. He concerns comprehend that light as well as darkness exist with each other in the real world, with various drawbacks and advantages, equally as they both exist within Sonny. The narrator starts by being downright petrified of the light, as well as when Sonny as well as his fellow artists cross into the light, it is like an obstacle is broken in his mind that enables the narrator to finally understand. He finally saw Sonny delighted, as well as saw him grinning. He saw Sonny as a god, a maker of his own globe. In spite of every one of the darkness that Sonny has within him, and in his past, he is able to embrace the light and not hesitate. Sonny was "so touched he can have sobbed" in this minute and also he "placed his hand to his heart"; it is the conclusion of 2 emotional responses, weeping is combined with love wherefore he does. Even the tricks of the piano are light and also dark, as well as lie next to each other. The piano is actual and also stunning as well as psychological with all of its lights and also darknesses, the very same opts for Sonny's songs, as well as the same goes with his as well as the narrator's lives.

The sign of light creates as the siblings start to recognize each other as well as themselves a lot more. Sonny began by "... trying to climb up out of some deep, real deep, as well as fashionable opening as well as simply saw the sun up there, outdoors." (pg 618). The storyteller began by seeing "the darkness growing versus the windowpanes" (pg 622) throughout his youth. In both passages, we see that the storyteller initially saw darkness everywhere, however with Sonny's songs as well as real emotion, the storyteller starts to understand that light will certainly not cause any person to "die". Instead, some light- and also some pure optimism- is part of life.

The use of light and darkness attracts to a final thought on the final web page; Sonny's songs was "melting", as well as yet "trouble extended over [them], longer than the skies". The last line portrays Sonny as "radiant". A man that clearly had much darkness in his life, and also who will possibly have similar darknesses in his future, still has the potential and talent to "glow". Light as well as dark are the battles of life that are depicted in "Sonny's Blues"; from this we see that light can be too extreme, and darkness can be the reality that needs to be accepted. They exist with each other and also balance each other: one can not reside in pure light, as Sonny tried through his music, need, and heroin to transcend; one can not stay in deep darkness, as the storyteller attempted with suppressing his emotions. Sonny certainly did have his darknesses, and also the narrator had his lights.

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An Analysis of Suffering in Indian Camp by Ernest Hemingway and Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin

In numerous circumstances jobs of literary works represent reality scenarios whether it be physical, psychological or mental problems. Humans all experience some form of suffering in their lives. Functions of literary works use the theme of experiencing to portray how individuals endure in their very own means and also exactly how they react to their suffering. Writers like James Baldwin and Ernest Hemingway make use of the motif of enduring to add realistic circumstances as well as drama to their narratives to attach to the viewers.

In James Baldwin's short story "Sonny's Blues," the story is about a young jazz musician named Sonny that fights his dependency to heroin. His story and also his discomfort are clarified to us from his bro's perspective, who is the narrator. Initially, we figure out that Sonny was arrested for making use of and marketing medicines and then in the future when he is launched from prison, he moves in with the narrator as well as his household in Harlem, New York. With the narrator's point of view, we can understand the various kinds of experiencing throughout this story.

Most of the personalities in the tale endure in their very own method. Of course, the main issue in this piece is drug dependency, yet also the issues of sorrow, destitution and restricted possibilities in life appear. Several of the personalities attempt to fight to leave their suffering while others accept their discomfort.

Sonny experiences in different ways however the most evident one is his drug addiction. According to the narrator, Sonny began utilizing heroine when he was simply in high school. Presently, the storyteller is a secondary school teacher. He claims, "I made sure that the first time Sonny had actually ever before had [heroine], he could not have been older than these boys were currently" (265 ). Growing up in Harlem contributed in the beginning of Sonny's use heroin - destitution is anywhere as well as there is a wealth of drugs. Sonny attempted leaving the suffering he experienced from hardship by leaving Harlem to seek a songs profession yet he never ran away the hold medications carried him.

His inability to escape poverty in his adolescent years is what led him to medications - he really felt in control when he was using them. He couldn't manage his circumstance of living in a location like Harlem In numerous instances works of literature portray the real world situations whether it be physical, emotional or mental concerns. Human beings all experience some kind of experiencing in their lives. Functions of literary works use the style of experiencing to depict just how individuals experience in their very own means and how they respond to their suffering. Writers like James Baldwin and Ernest Hemingway make use of the style of suffering to add sensible situations and drama to their narratives to link to the visitors.

In James Baldwin's short story "Sonny's Blues," the tale is about a young jazz artist named Sonny that battles his dependency to heroin. His story and also his discomfort are clarified to us from his sibling's point of view, who is the storyteller. In the beginning, we discover that Sonny was apprehended for using and also offering drugs and after that later when he is launched from jail, he relocates with the narrator and his family in Harlem, New York. Through the storyteller's perspective, we can understand the different forms of enduring throughout this tale.

A lot of the personalities in the tale endure in their very own way. Of course, the main problem in this piece is drug addiction, yet likewise the issues of despair, hardship and also minimal chances in life appear. Several of the personalities try to combat to escape their suffering while others approve their pain.

Sonny endures in various methods yet the most apparent one is his medicine addiction. According to the narrator, Sonny began using heroine when he was simply in secondary school. Currently, the narrator is a high school instructor. He claims, "I was sure that the very first time Sonny had actually ever had [heroine], he could not have been older than these kids were currently" (265 ). Growing up in Harlem contributed in the begin of Sonny's use of heroin - hardship is everywhere as well as there is an abundance of medications. Sonny tried leaving the suffering he experienced from destitution by leaving Harlem to go after a music job but he never ever ran away the hold drugs had on him.

His inability to get away destitution in his teenage years is what led him to drugs - he really felt in control when he was utilizing them. He couldn't manage his situation of living in an area like Harlem faces somebody that was an old buddy of Sonny. That old pal is likewise an addict. For a quick minute the man resembled Sonny to the narrator till he understood it had not been him but that he also reminded him of Sonny. Due to the fact that of just how his scenario is comparable to Sonny's, the storyteller has a strong feeling of hate towards Sonny's old buddy. The storyteller talks with him concerning Sonny as well as what will certainly take place to him after prison. The male asks for the narrator as well as some money understands what he'll be utilizing it for so he really feels understanding as well as thoughtful when he is regarding to leave the guy. "All at once something inside offered and endangered ahead pouring out of me. I really did not hate him anymore. I felt that in one more minute I would certainly start weeping like a kid" (268 ). He doesn't despise the man anymore however nearly literally expresses his grief over him and also Sonny as well as what their lives have ended up being. Seeing the man offers him memories of his sibling before he left Harlem.

Another circumstances of suffering in the tale which isn't actually talked about is the experiencing the young boys maturing in Harlem need to withstand. Their chances to try to run away the extreme life of Harlem are limited. The narrator compares their scenario to his as well as Sonny's circumstance maturing in Harlem. "These children, now, were living as we would certainly been living after that, they were growing up with a thrill as well as their heads bumped suddenly versus the low ceiling of their real possibilities" (265 ). The kids understand they don't have much of a possibility to make a change to their lives, to get over the barriers obstructing them from achieving success and also to transform the circumstances they remain in.

Suffering is shared in various methods this story. Some are really managing their kind of experiencing straight while others aren't. Regardless, suffering exists in all of their lives, and also will influence them whether they recognize it or otherwise.

In Ernest Hemingway's narrative "Indian Camp," a young kid named Nick mosts likely to an American Indian camp on the other side of the lake with his daddy, who is a medical professional, as well as his Uncle George. His father was contacted us to assist provide a baby of an American Indian lady that has been in labor for the past 2 days. She is in pain and Nick sees as the scenario unfolds in front of his eyes.

The style of suffering appears in this tale and also the suffering by two of the characters is brought on by the expected baby itself. There are both physical and mental suffering and each character handles the discomfort in their own means.

The Indian woman is struggling with the physical pain of remaining in unpleasant labor for 2 days. Since he doesn't have any type of anesthetic, she has actually been howling for days as well as the doctor was not able to stop her howling. The Indian lady goes through even more physical discomfort when the medical professional started operating on her without the ideal medical products. The doctor happily specifies how he did the operation: "... a Caesarian with a jackknife as well as stitching it up with nine-foot, conical intestine leaders" (481 ). When Uncle George is following to her, she is not able to control her suffering however she does try to cope with it. She bit on his arm when she was being held down by him and 3 various other Indian males while the medical professional operated her.

The Indian woman's hubby is suffering from the mental pain of seeing his other half going through labor. The partner is dealing with pity - the reality that his better half was impregnated by one more male, not to mention a white guy. He is additionally struggling with the physical pain from when he had reduced his foot terribly with an axe. Listening to his partner howl in pain was also causing his suffering since he couldn't escape her sobs and he understands the only reason that she remains in this circumstance is as a result of Uncle George. The spouse is in mental pain when Nick asks his daddy to make her quit screaming the medical professional responds with "... her screams are not important. I do not hear them due to the fact that they are trivial" (480 ). As quickly as he stated that, the hubby "surrendered versus the wall surface" (480 ). He is also experiencing the psychological injustice from the white men as well as from the truth that the physician doesn't consider his partner's physical discomfort as essential. In society, males aren't meant to reveal their weaknesses and show that they are suffering. So, the hubby calmly takes the mental pain he is enduring which eventually results in his suicide.

At the end of the story, Nicks asks his father regarding the Indian female's spouse. He asks, "Why did he kill himself, Daddy?" to which the dad responded, "I don't understand, Nick. He could not stand points, I presume" (481 ). Nick's father knows that the Indian male couldn't bare to stand his mental pain a lot longer so he devoted suicide as a method to handle his suffering.

Both characters manage their suffering in different ways. Sex has a function in how both the Indian guy and also Indian woman select to deal with their pain. Suffering can be linked to weakness which is why the Indian man did not express himself in any way. Rather, he remained in his place on the bed, relaxing till he could not take it anymore. The Indian female nevertheless did share herself and since she is a woman, her signs of weak point were deemed as normal. Suffering is a state of physical, emotional or psychological pain that is inescapable. Just how someone picks to take care of their suffering is what determines whether or not a person has the ability to conquer their issues. Both James Baldwin as well as Ernest Hemingway wonderfully make use of the theme of suffering to depict just how it impacts various individuals in various scenarios.

Works Cited

  • Baldwin, James. "Sonny's Blues." 40 Short Stories, edited by Beverly Lawn, Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013, pp. 264-293.
  • Hemingway, Ernest. "Indian Camp." Handout, pp. 479–481.
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The Theme of Music and its Effects and Relation to People in James Baldwin’s Sonny’s Blues and August Wilson’s the Piano Lesson

The Hope And Perseverance that Music Strengthens Within a Family

Songs plays a considerable function in many individuals's lives, particularly ones that lack elements like the ability of true liberty, expression of identity, convenience to be one's true self and put in self love, and unity within each household. Families like these are oppressed by society and also tend to be unfortunately, dominate among African American family members. It is concurred that throughout our background of the United States of America, African Americans were not permitted the same legal rights and also were inspected for their skin complexion in numerous means. Because of the difficulties of being victimized, several family members and also individuals relied on songs, which, in return, enhanced their determination and also hope. Their determination regardless of the barriers, and their need for chances as well as particular results is shown with the songs they play as well as the importance of these songs. Great examples of this revealed through a play and also short work which are placed in the time period of the 1930s to 1950s. These examples consist of the play, "The Piano Lesson" by August Wilson as well as the narrative, "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin. Both jobs reveal a hidden motif of songs and its relation to people and exactly how it impacts them.

Starting with the short story, "Sonny's Blues", a crucial facet of Sonny's life was songs. Maturing, he was a misunderstood child and also was very different from his rational, rule following bro. Due to this, he went astray as well as started to run along the path of music as well as substance abuse that his bro, and also moms and dads did not actually accept because of their household's previous experiences. However, music was the only way Sonny had the ability to share himself, build a sense of comfort and alleviation within himself, and be type of approved as the person he is despite the reality of their true character. Although his sibling, our storyteller, describes these individuals as drug user and don't discover himself feeling favorable about the target market's purposes, he sees that these individuals are most than their negative choices, particularly to Sonny. This team of people approves Sonny as well as listens to him express his true feelings as he gets on phase playing not only jazz yet, blues.

Throughout years of misconception and also evasion, Sonny's bro didn't begin to understand the person his bro was until he watched him execute as well as connect with his artist pals. The narrator describes this scenario stating, " Here, I remained in Sonny's globe. Or rather: his kingdom ... Freedom hid around us and I recognized, at last, that he might aid us to be free if we would certainly listen, that he would certainly never ever be free till he did. Yet there was no fight in his face now. I heard what he had actually gone through, as well as would continue to go through till he came to rest in earth," (Baldwin 44-47).

This flow reveals although Sonny genuinely may have less opportunities as well as security in the life he picked, nevertheless, the songs he plays allows a feeling of freedom and also expression that he can not typically take part in. For when, Sonny's brother listened to his story before judging it. Sonny's expression of himself via songs, neglecting the negative reaction of being a "medication induced" musician as well as outside stress of racial bias, shows his perseverance and just how he chose to manage his conflicts in a different way than his sibling.

Siblings, Berniece and Boy Willie, from the play, "The Piano Lesson," likewise have their very own ideas on music. Although they may challenge concerning the value of the historically valuable piano that has their family members's background sculpted right into it, the significance of songs within their household is without an uncertainty vital. Songs plays a vital part in this family members's life although, most of them time they are not mindful to it. It attaches them, it permits them to share themselves and also their feelings, as well as it is made use of as a release and to relieve tension. There are lots of examples of this throughout the play. For instance, after the men of the play beginning to gently dispute regarding Sutter's land, Boy Willie began to sing, " O Lord Berta O Lord girl oh-ah/O Lord Berta O Lord gal well [LYMON and WINING BOY take part.] Go 'head marry do not you wait on me oh-ah ... BOY WILLIE: Come on, Doaker. Doaker know this. [As DOAKER participates in the men stamp and clap to maintain time. They sing attuned to great fervor and design.] (Wilson 20).

This passage shows one example in which songs assists link the family. As they are starting to differ, they change the mood by Boy Willie singing and everybody else chimes in. This reveals the unity and also connectedness of this family members which is one element that builds a sensation of hope as well as perseverance among the individuals. This additionally demonstrates how they eliminate dispute as well as stress. As things obtain tense, individuals may locate convenience in "singing the stress and anxiety away."

Music helps individuals cope with scenarios or problems one otherwise would not have the capacity to do. As times was difficult, especially for African Americans, they looked to songs to share their voice that wasn't being heard. Nonetheless, songs has the capacity of doing so a lot more. Not just does it allow freedom of expression but it aids construct unity as well as even eliminate dispute.

The songs introduced to the viewers of those 2 works, both had a truly bigger importance than clearly specified.

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An Analysis of the Oedipus Complex in Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison and Hamlet by Shakespeare

Compare Contrast: Song of Solomon and Hamlet

The Oedipus Complex, a term coined by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, describes a boy's desire to sexually possess his mother, and to that end, kill his father. Named for the character Oedipus in the play "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles, the Oedipus Complex also says that the boy in question is virtually unable to love any women other than his mother. The most famous example of this theory (besides the original play) is Hamlet by William Shakespeare, where it is heavily implied that the protagonist Hamlet's desire to kill his stepfather is propelled by sexual desire for his mother, Gertrude. In the modern novel Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, the main character Milkman Dead struggles to grow because of his somewhat-erotic connection to his mother Ruth Dead. Both Milkman and Hamlet become victims to the Oedipus complex because both show violent antagonism towards their current paternal figures in defense of their mothers and have a difficulty in truly loving any other women. However, Milkman's suggestive relationship with his mother stems from her abuse, while Hamlet and Gertrude's relationship results from his desire to sexually posses her and to replace his father.

The hostility Milkman and Hamlet show towards their respective fathers and father figures exemplify the Freud's theory. For example, after Milkman's father Macon hits his mother, Milkman physically attacks Macon and says to him, "You touch her again, one more time, and I'll kill you." (67). This statement expresses the rage Milkman feels towards his father for abusing the woman that he loves. The Freudian theory is proved because the outrage at his father's actions most affect the woman learns to believe he loves the most. In Hamlet's case, when his uncle Claudius calls him "son", Hamlet says under his breath, "A little more than kin and less than kind." (25) This openly harsh statement, in which Hamlet basically condemns all familial ties he has to his uncle, summarizes his feelings towards his new father figure. He feels disgusted by having relations to such a horrible person, explaining the antagonism he shows towards him. By having both characters show open antipathy towards the men who dominate them, the Oedipal theory is proved.

Both Milkman and Hamlet are unable to love the two women who dominate their "romantic" lives, Hagar and Ophelia, respectively. Milkman summarizes his feelings towards Hagar in the expression, "She was the third beer" (91). This blunt statement about Hagar shows the very little care and love that Milkman feels towards his lover. By saying that he just liked her for their sexual relationship instead of for her personality, he proves his inability to love other women. It is also important to note in this context that his lover Hagar is also his cousin, which highlights the incestuous theme that possesses Ruth and Milkman's relationship. Hamlet renounces his love for Ophelia when he says, "You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so (inoculate) our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not." (131). The way in which this statement can be interpreted is that Hamlet is telling the truth, that he truly doesn't love Ophelia and thus, cannot marry her. Although they were previously a happy couple, Gertrude's betrayal to Hamlet effectively destroys the love he can feel towards any other women. Though both women love the protagonists very much, neither of the men is able to express love for their set romantic partner.

Milkman's Oedipal relationship with his mother originates from the abuse he received from his mother at a young age. Until he was an older child, Ruth would breast feed her son in order to gain some sexual pleasure out of her otherwise abstinent life with her husband. The abuse is described when Morrison says, "She felt him. His restraint, his courtesy, his indifference, all of which pushed her into fantasy." (13). This description proves that Ruth was using her son to fill the sexual void her husband refused to fill, and that he simply acquiesced to it because he didn't know any better. Ruth unwittingly abused her son by using him in that way, which is proof of why he is so attached to his mother throughout most of his life.

The Oedipal relationship between Gertrude and Hamlet, stemming from Hamlet's desire to be his own father, is one of the most famous examples of the Freudian complex, and still contrasts the Milkman/Ruth relationship. He displays the concern he has for his mother in her new marriage when he says to himself, "It is not, nor it cannot come to good. / But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue." (1.2 157-159). This line shows Hamlet's concern for the well being of his mother as she lies in an incestuous marriage. Freud would argue that he says this because he unconsciously believed that his father's death eliminated his competition, and Claudius' marrying her takes away his object of desire. Hamlet's words grow in sexual candor when accuses his mother of living, "In the rank sweat of an enseamented bed stew'd" (3.4 93-96). By making graphic sexual references in regards to his mother's sex life, Hamlet expresses his own repressed desires for his mother. The scene, taking place during a confrontation between the two characters in Gertrude's bedroom, adds to the intimacy implied in Hamlet and Gertrude's relationship. Instead of having it's origins in an abusive relationship, Hamlet's Oedipal complex is out of repressed unconscious desire.

Both Milkman and Hamlet embody the three principle characteristics of the Oedipal Complex: a wish to kill their paternal figures, and an inability to love women other than their mother, for whom they feel a sexual obsession and desire. While both exemplify Freud's theory, it is important to note the differences between the lusts each character feels for their mother. Milkman's complex comes from his mother's abuse, while Hamlet's obsession comes from a longing to be his father. The Oedipus complex serves to contribute to the overall meaning of each book. Milkman undergoes a "re-birth" and overcomes the fixation as he finally matures and discovers his true meaning in life. However, there is no evidence that Hamlet moves on from his longings, and he dies before he has the chance to undergo such a drastic change in character, as Milkman had. Though the protagonists experience the Freudian theory in different ways, the classic characteristics of the psychoanalytical theory are evident in Song of Solomon and Hamlet.

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The Burden of Love in the Characters of Guitar and Milkman in the Song of Solomon

How Much Can be Carried?

Is it possible to love too much? In Song of Solomon, love and the burden of love is the primary influence on many of the character's actions. To start, we can take a look at Porter, one of the members of the Seven Days, an organization who claims to base their entire ideology and purpose on love. "I'll take hate any day. But don't give me love. I can't take no more love, Lord. I can't carry it. Just like Mr. Smith. He couldn't carry it. It's too heavy" (26) Porter declares. The question of how far one will go for love is a question that continues throughout the book, influencing Hagar and Guitar's actions and eventually causing Hagar's death. Many of each characters' actions are based on their idea of and perception of love and the burdens that follow with their actions in the name of love. The power of love consumes and injures Hagar, Pilate, and Milkman through actions of themselves and others believed to be helpful in attaining what they seek.

Guitar uses love as an excuse for attaining revenge. For him, love is a form of protection and violence. He swears off family and all traditional forms of love in order to stay with the Seven Days. "No love? No love? Didn't you hear me? What I'm doing ain't about hating people. It's about loving us. About loving you. My whole life's love." (159) Guitar declares, speaking to Milkman about the issue of living a loveless life. This quote can connect back to Mr. Smith's note from when he tried to fly but instead died. Logically speaking, it should be quite difficult to murder without incredible drive or hatred. Hatred can act as a driving force allowing for murder. However, both love and hate are powerful emotions and can easily be considered as different sides of the same coin. The Seven Days is made up of people who all hold a grudge of some sort against whites, but instead claim to be motivated by love. This love they claim hold for their race is enough that Guitar is willing to kill Milkman and does kill Pilate for getting in the way of his mission to attain love.

While Guitar seeks love for his race, Hagar seeks to give and receive love she believes is worth more than anything else. Hagar had always been showered with love from Reba and Pilate, who did their best to insure that she had everything she wanted so that she could be happy. As a result of them thrusting their love at Hagar, she becomes what Guitar calls a doormat woman. "The pride, the conceit of these doormat women amazed him. They were always women who had been spoiled children. Whose whims had been taken seriously by adults and who grew up to be the stingiest, greediest people on earth and out of their stinginess grew their stingy little love that ate everything in sight." (306) In a way, who she becomes is a creation out of the heavy burden of Reba and Pilate's love which they expressed by giving Hagar everything she wanted. Because Reba and Pilate were never willing to be tough and show hatred towards Hagar, she is unable to accept that she deserves anything but love and believes that to receive her love is better than receiving the love of anyone else, as that is what she had become accustomed to due to the actions of Reba and Pilate, all of which strived to shower her with love and get her to give them love. Thus, the burden of not being allowed access to the love she believes she deserves gradually cracks her wide open.

Upon Milkman refusing to continue his relationship with Hagar, Hagar snaps under the burden of her overwhelming love for Milkman that Milkman continuously rejects. "Totally taken over by her anaconda love, she had no self left, no fears, no wants, no intelligence that was her own." (77) She becomes completely consumed by love, as it is too much for her carry and she is unable to accept the fact that someone does not want her love. In a way, Hagar is taken over by her love for her love of Milkman. As a result, she turns to hate, aiming to make Milkman hate her instead so that he will continue to pay attention to her, as she decides that being hated is better than indifference. By the end of the book, Hagar decides that she is not loved by Milkman because of her appearance, and thus aims to change herself. However, this final pursuit of love, which, by this time, has become her sole purpose in life, is what then kills her as the burden of needing love that she cannot have finally devours her.

Love and the burden love haunts many of the characters in Song of Solomon and motivates them in their actions. For Guitar, it motivates him to kill in order to demonstrate his love of blacks to himself, ultimately resulting in him killing Pilate. For Hagar, the constant shower of love from Reba and Pilate burdens her with the need for love and the belief that her love is better than that of everyone else. Finally, her love for Milkman and its burden ends up killing her. Milkman ends up having to take the blunt of all this love, become the target as Hagar and Guitar tries to get the love they so desperately need. For all of these characters, they end up unable to carry love thrust upon them by others and love that they themselves hold, injuring themselves and others. Love and hate act as the same side of a coin, so how long can one hold on before snapping from love to hate? According the characters in Song of Solomon, love can switch to hate, which can then switch to murder, in a blink of an eye.

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The Lack of Consummate Love in the Novel Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

Consummate Love

Love has been a constant within human society, whether it be romantic love or dedication between a man and a wife love has always remained. Literature has been used to capture the many forms of love and to emphasize the importance of love in society. Love is a complicated emotion to explain because of the many different varieties and forms love can take. It seems to have become a rule that authors, despite love being a complicated subject, use the love between their characters to make statements about how love impacts our society. Toni Morrison, who is perhaps one of the most celebrated African American writers of all time, is no exception to this rule, and Morrison's statements about love are made prevalent in her novel Song of Solomon. Morrison uses the ever-changing feelings of love between her characters to illustrate her belief that true consummate love is almost impossible to attain. Consummate love is love that has the following attributes: passion, intimacy, and commitment. Without all three of these attributes, consummate love can't exist. Though it is possible to attain consummate love none of Morrison's character in the novel attain it and it is through this lack of consummate love in Song of Solomon that her true beliefs are revealed.

There are several different relationships within Song of Solomon that illustrate Morrison's point that consummate love is nearly impossible to attain. The first relationship illustrated in the novel is that of Ruth and Macon Jr. This relationship is evident that long married couple cannot maintain the passionate love necessary to maintain consummate love. The reader is not told if Ruth and Macon ever attained consummate love but in the time period shown in the novel, it is evident that any shred of consummate love the couple had shared, has been decimated. Macon believed that Ruth had sexual relations with her own father and because of that when Ruth mentioned that she, "certainly [was her] daddy's daughter!" he lashed out, his hand, "becoming the fist that smashed into her jaw." (Morrison 67) Any passion, or even liking that used to exist within the relationship disappeared, and Morrison's use of flashback, Macon's telling Milkman the story of the offensive love Ruth and her father shared, further explains why Macon and Ruth do not trust each other. Morrison's use of flashback implies an importance of the memory, and how it consequently destroyed the passionate and intimate parts of Macon and Ruth's relationship. However the love shared by a married couple is not the only love illustrated in the book. Macon and Ruth are one of the only married couples examined and the books and Macon, "[Couldn't] even tell [Milkman] [he] was in love with her." (Morrison 70). Morrison believes that married people will always find rifts, even a seemingly happy couple, Empire State and his French wife, seemed to be intimate and passionate, but they lacked the commitment that bound together Macon and Ruth, proving that two corner's of the love triangle existed but once again at least one aspect of consummate love was missing. This lack of consummate love is evident not only in older couples but also in young ones.

Milkman and Hagar are a representation of young love and their relationship is very flawed it is evident of their lack of love that Hagar was obsessed with Milkman. And Milkman had the passion required for consummate love but Milkman did not have the commitment or the intimacy to Hagar to make the relationship work. Because Hagar was infatuated with Milkman, the termination of their relationship drove her crazy, Morrison uses interesting negative diction and illiteration to draw attention to Hagar's emotional distress stating, "she felt a longing so bitter and tight it yanked her out of a sleep swept clean of dreams." (Morrison 127). This quote with its alliteration on "sleep swept" and its figurative language of being pulled from a dream emphasize Hagar's feeling of loss. Milkman ended up meeting and entering a relationship with Sweet. Sweet and Milkman shared a Romantic love, a love in which the shared intimacy and passion but still Milkman was unable to reciprocate commitment, and because of this he was unable to reach the level of consummate love.

Love is more than romantic and can be shared between everybody. Guitar stated that despite his murderous ways he still believed that it was all for love, "No love? No love... What I'm doing ain't about hating white people. It's about loving us. About loving you. My whole life is love." (Morrison 160) Even Pilate has such a strong familial love for Hagar that when she is shaken she delivers the most important line of the novel, "I wish I'd a knowed more people. I would of loved 'em all. If I'd a knowed more, I would a loved more." (Morrison 336) Despite the fact that consummate love is nearly unattainable, Pilate hits the nail on the head that love is worth it regardless of whether or not you attain the perfect balance of love and achieve consummate love, society is begging to have more love poured into it.

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Why the Song of Solomon Interested me

Before the class Sex and the Bible. I hardly knew who Jesus was or what the inside of Bible looked like, or how it was set up. I have been my entire life non-religious, and while I don't believe that this class would ever change that, it is interesting to learn about because it is such a huge part of our culture and other cultures around the world. In short, biblical text interests me because I am curious, because I feel it is something I know absolutely nothing about but maybe should, and because I think that this class, because it is paired with sex, will be a nice ease into the world of Christianity and what it is all about. The Song of Solomon, being the first thing in the Bible I have ever read, interests me because it shows a side of the Bible I have never heard or have heard talked about.

The Song of Solomon is a poem that portrays Solomon falling in love with a woman and taking her to bed. He describes her beauty and their time together, but she also speaks in this text about their time and her love for him. In chapter 5 of Song of Solomon, verse 3, she says "I had put off my garment; how could I put it on again?" It was first in this verse that I realized that she was ashamed that she had had sex before marriage and that for the time, it could reflect poorly on her. Never in the text did it mention that Solomon had regrets of his experiences with her. Again in chapter 5, verse 7, the woman mentions that the people of the city have found her and know what she did, and she is being "beat" and "wounded" for it; assumingly, this means that her ego and pride have been damaged (Harper Collins Study Bible, 2006).

In the first chapter of Unprotected Texts by Dr. Knust, we read that Knust herself had been a part of slut shaming as a child, even when she had been a good Christian girl and was by no means a "slut" at all. But her church and her Bible, that she had read and understood, didn't help her get past this time in her life. Knust states, "...my Christian upbringing did little to help me handle the shame of being the designated slut. If anything, I had learned to hate sluts..." She also begins discussing how modern culture is still putting a lot of pressure on the women, and not the men, to avoid sex and be "pure". She introduces the 'biblezine' named Revolvethat was marketed to young Christian girls and describes the text as basically saying "Better not be a slut, girls! You may end up dead. Sex is dangerous...but being pretty is a top priority." These glimpses at modern culture compared to what we read in Song of Solomon line up nicely. We are given the beautiful female that falls in love, has sex with the "innocent" male, and is later shamed for it, or "dead" or "wounded" (Knust, 2011).

References

Knust, Jennifer Wright. Unprotected Texts: The Bible's Surprising Contradictions about Sex and Desire. New York: HarperOne, 2011. Print.

"Song of Solomon 5.0-6.0." The Harper Collins Study Bible. 1st ed. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 2006. N. pag. Print.

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The Uncontrollable Factors of Life in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon

According to Hamlet, Shakespeare is stating that an individual does not have complete freedom in his/her life. The character Hamlet, created by Shakespeare, is the Prince of Denmark. Being born a prince, Hamlet has little control over the course of his life. Using imagery, allusions, and metaphors, Shakespeare shows that when one is born as royalty, many things have already been decided for them and they can't always do what they want. Besides Hamlet's identity, Shakespeare included many other factors that affected Hamlet's life without his control, such as the environment he's in, the certain events that occurs to him, and the people surrounding him. However, Shakespeare also shows that an individual do have the freedom to make their own decisions and perform their own actions. And all this, things within and without Hamlet's control, conjures up his course of life.

Hamlet was born as the prince of Denmark and because he is royalty, his freedom is limited. Like Laertes said to Ophelia, "...his greatness weigh'd, his will is not his own." Hamlet couldn't do what he wants to. His life would always be affected by who he is. Along with his identity, Hamlet also couldn't control certain events that happen to him, such as his father's death or Gertrude's and Claudius' wedding soon afterwards. These unfortunate events also play a role in shaping his life and who he is. Hamlet doesn't have the freedom to stop these things from happening. However, Hamlet has the freedom to react and respond to them a certain way, such as the time when he decided to take revenge on Claudius for murdering his father. This incident along with the others Hamlet have experienced, lead to his downfall.

The story of Hamlet shows that no individual can have complete freedom in his/her life. Hamlet's identity and the situations he was in prove that it's not possible for him to have full control of his life. He could control his emotions and responses to certain things, but he couldn't control the happenings or the people around him.

According to Song of Solomon, Morrison is stating that no individual could have complete control over his/her life. Relationships play a significant role in this novel and these relationships between the characters could affect the amount of freedom a character has. Along with the relationships, the character's background, identity, the situations he's in, and the people surrounding him could affect the course of his life. Using some southern gothic elements and magic realism, Morrison shows how society can put a huge impact on an individual's life. However, the individual has the freedom to make his own decisions and have at least some control over his life.

Being the youngest in the Dead family, Milkman has a bit more freedom than his sisters First Corinthians and Magdalene called Lena. However, Milkman still doesn't have total control in his life. His life is still affected by those he is connected to and situations he is caught in, such as Freddie catching his mom breastfeeding him and nicknaming him Milkman or Hagar trying to kill him. Milkman isn't the only character whose freedom is limited but also Macon Dead Jr., Guitar, Pilate, and almost every other character in this novel. Although certain unfortunate events could help shape a person's life, the person himself would always have some affect. Pilate was born without a bellybutton and this information about her has caused a lot of people to fear her. However, although she doesn't fit in with the rest of society, she tries to help and still plays her role in the community. This shows that an individual couldn't have total control in his/her life but they could always change certain things if they want to.

The Song of Solomon shows that no individual can have full control in his/her life but they do have the freedom to change the direction that certain things are headed. Any character in this novel can't help what others think of him or how they can affect him. This novel shows how society can have a great impact on an individual. However, an individual can make certain decisions and deal with certain situations the way they want to.

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Character Analysis of Pilate in Song of Solomon, a Novel by Toni Morrison

Natural Imagery

Toni Morrison uses nature and natural imagery to characterize Pilate as a down to earth person because rather than chastising Milkman and Guitar, she welcomed them into her house in order to explicate the story of her life. The kids were more inclined to "...go inside the wine house of this lady who had one earring, no navel, and looked like a tall black tree" (Morrison pg. 39). The author compares Pilate's appearance and height to a tall black tree using simile. Trees are always grounded and deeply rooted. The fact that the tree is tall and deeply rooted indicate the ability to envision what is ahead and behind while still maintaining one's stance. Pilate relates to the tree because she is a wise woman with a tall stature and always stands her ground. An example would be when her brother, Macon, instructed her not to come to his house anymore. Because she has her own house, she refrained from going to his. So rather than going to Macon's house to be insulted about the way she dresses, she stays under her own roof enforcing her own laws. Pilate is also knowledgeable about the past and has a vision of what the future might look like, which is the main reason why she sat the kids down to enlighten them about their family's heritage. However, the author points out that she "...had one earring, no navel" to declare Pilate as an independent woman. A typical woman will have on two pieces of earrings: one on each ear, but Pilate only has one in one ear. Furthermore, the author figuratively emphasizes that she doesn't have a navel in order to convey the absence of having a strong connection with her mother before and after she was born. When a baby is in the womb, he or she would receive oxygen and nutrients from her mother. In Pilate's case, "she had not come into this world through normal channels..." (Morrison pg. 28) and did not get to know much about her mother before she died. Therefore, she is not born in the way a normal person would be born. Readers can infer that her unique birth is what led her to be prevalent in her field of business. Since she is a self sustained women, she has pride in what she does in other to work her way up the ladder of success.

Toni Morrison uses simile to compare Pilate's fingernails to Ivory. She indicates "The whites of her fingernails were like ivory" (Morrison pg. 38). Ivory is a precious material that can only be found on the tusks of an elephant, walrus, and narwhal. It takes a brave soul to defeat these types of animals that use their ivories as a defense mechanism. Being that ivory is something that many people wish to have but can not access to, she is aware of the value and realizes that she can not do without it as much as she can not do without her fingernails: it enhances the sensitivity of the fingertip. The characterization of her fingernails as ivory suggests an identity rooted in Africa because of the origin of ivory. Since ivory is a representation of Pilate's African roots, she can not trade her identity for anything else. Pilate can be characterized as a steadfast, hardworking individual with strength because she has in possession a tangible gem that many people will pay a huge sum of money to acquire. Besides, hands being multipurpose serves to show that she knows the value of her labor as a bootlegger and, at the same time, grasps her cultural identity by holding onto it tightly. With this understanding, a parallel can be drawn between ivory and her African heritage. Pilate's roots in Africa indicates that she must have been through hell and back to see value in the labor she has been enduring for years Toni Morrison uses electricity as an allusion to power. Pilate is not concerned by that fact that electricity is not radiating inside of her house. The author asserts "she had no electricity because she would not pay for the service...they warmed themselves and cooked with wood and coal..." (Morrison pg. 27).

Part of being an authoritative figure means standing up for what one believes in. Pilate believes that electricity is not as important to her and her household as it is to others because she is happy being a simplistic person. This can also characterize her as a conservative woman who prefers to save up her money rather than wasting her hard-earned money on materialistic elements. The electricity provider is running their own business with the aim to make profit. Pilate is trying to do the same thing as well. She realizes that as soon as she is unable to pay her monthly dues, the electricity provider will cut her line off. Therefore, she refused to pay for the service. Her failure to pay is her way of rebelling against conformity. She cooks in the traditional way; although, it might take longer for the food to cook properly. However, she would not need to subscribe for electricity because she rarely cooks. From the kind of person that she is, "No meal was ever planned or balanced or served. Nor was there any gathering at the table....They ate what they had or came across or had a craving for" (Morrison pg. 29). She made the right decision considering that she is a mere bootlegger who makes little amount of money than a working class household. Since her family do not eat much, it would not be necessary to her to pay for a service she knows she does not need.

Pilate is classified as the epitome of nature because she is practical. She "....loved, as a girl, to chew pine needles and as a result smelled even then like a forest" (Morrison pg. 27). The author uses simile by comparing Pilate's smell to a forest. For her to smell like a forest, she has to be earth herself. In a forest, there are a lot of different species of plants available. This acknowledges that Pilate does not only have one aspect that defines her character. She is multi faceted and dynamic. She is like an average human because she is not perfect; she makes her own mistakes sometimes. Besides, the fact that she chews pine needles as if it is a bubble gum suggests that she is a genuine and honest person. She is the kind of person that will be blunt while giving advice to someone else, regardless if the words that come out of her mouth hurt the person's feelings. This is because pine needles are so sharp, and if it pokes someone, the person will feel the pain and react to the situation temporarily. Same thing goes for advice that can hurt someone's feelings. However, the pain will not kill the individual. It will only make the person stronger either physically, socially, or mentally if they yield to the advice..

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A Character Analysis of Macon in Song of Solomon, a Novel by Toni Morrison

Song of the Past, Song of the Passed

It is no accident that we strive to have our names remembered. Whether it be the Native Americans, who named their children after those who had died so that each name's history would not be forgotten, or the Western tradition of taking on our parents' surname, names define us and we in turn carry our family names' history. But what if we had no knowledge of our surname? What if our surname wasn't our actual one? This is the challenge the central character of Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, Macon III "Milkman" Dead, has to contend with. Having grown up without knowledge of a past, Milkman searches for his past in earnest. His quest drives the plot of Song of Solomon forward, ultimately concluding that our past is internalized in us and materializes around us, even if we are not conscious of it.

We learn from the past so as to not repeat old mistakes. Milkman Dead, however, is fated to repeat the mistakes of his ancestors because he lacks knowledge of his family's ancestry; he is unaware of his past. In a stroke of irony, it is when he deliberately sets out to pursue the Dead family's past that he repeats the mistake of his ancestor, Solomon. Just as Solomon leaves his wife Reyna to insanity and his twenty-one children in pursuance of something greater, so too does Milkman leave behind his ex-lover Hagar to her insanity (and ultimate death) when he travels South pursuing his ancestry. It is only after he internalizes his ancestor Solomon's action that he realizes that he had "hurt [Hagar], left her.... [w]hile he dreamt of flying, Hagar was dying" (Morrison 332). In leaving behind Hagar behind, Milkman becomes his generation's Solomon. With no knowledge of his family's past, Milkman inevitably repeated the same mistake his ancestor made.

Our past manifests itself in our present. Even though Milkman is wholly unaware of lineage, aspects of his past reveal themselves around him and influence him. An alternate form of the Dead genealogy song, the titular 'Song of Solomon' is sung at his birth by Pilate Dead, his aunt. The song, which is also Reyna's lament over Solomon's flight, foreshadows Milkman's future as well. Milkman parallels his ancestor's flight when he flies (in an airplane) from his privileged life in the north to the underdeveloped south. Just as Solomon does, he sees what he leaves behind as constraining him: “Lena's anger, Corinthians' loose and uncombed hair, matching her slack lips, Ruth's stepped-up surveillance, his father's bottomless greed, Hagar's hollow eyes," causing him to be "fed up" and leaving all the more quickly (220-221). What drives him to the south, however, is gold. Macon II Dead, believing that the green bag Pilate carries around holds gold, orders Milkman and his friend Guitar to steal it. Upon recovering it, the Macons (and not Guitar) discover that it contains bones, assumingly the bones of the miner Pilate and Macon II Dead murdered. However, the greed for gold remained after the bones' discovery, propelling Milkman south to Pilate's hometown in search of it. Unbeknownst to the reader and the characters, the bones are actually those of Pilate and Macon II Dead's father- Milkman's grandfather's bones. Thus, Morrison implies that Milkman's past is the true gold to be discovered inside Pilate's green bag, and that it is actually his ancestry that drives him to fly south.

The past has an influence in our everyday lives. However, it is only when we are wholly aware of it that we can learn from our past and the mistakes it holds. Milkman desire to uncover the past is what prompts his journey from his privileged life in the North to his ancestor's land in the underdeveloped South, ironically paralleling the flight (and mistake) of his forefather, Solomon. He only realizes his mistake after Pilate and Hagar, his Reyna and twenty-one children are gone. Song of Solomon ends with Milkman's flight this time however, a flight for, not away, from Pilate and Hagar. He had learned from the past.

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A Personal Review of Song of Solomon, a Novel by Toni Morrison

Appropriateness of the Song of Solomon

Originating from a Christian history, my initial thought receiving Song of Solomon as one the summertime project publications was panic since I had actually neglected every one of my Biblical lore. After that I saw that the author's name was 'Tony Morrison', as well as I felt much more stressed. Beloved did not go over well with me.

Song of Solomon is a publication in the scriptures that commemorates love between a man and woman; specifically that of sexual love. Nevertheless, Morrison's work does not celebrate sexual love, or loyalty. Instead, one of the major themes she checks out throughout the book is the negative consequences of having females specify themselves via and also rely on the men around them. Most of females in Song of Solomon endures because of men in their lives, and also as a result, has problems with love. Hagar is so steadfastly to Milkman that after he declines her for various other women after twenty years of what he thinks is messing around, Hagar loses herself: "having actually spent an additional day without his visibility, her heart beat like a gloved clenched fist versus her ribs" (Morrison 127). Hagar has committed her life to Milkman to the point that if she can not have Milkman, no person can. Thus, why she decides to assault him with an ice choice, swing a hammer at him, stab him with a knife yet" [a] wed. by the very presence of her target, she trembled strongly and also her blade drives and also hammer swings and also ice-pick stabs were awkward" (129 ). Hagar inevitably dies because of Milkman; she catches a fever after she invests thousands of dollars getting accessories as well as apparel with which she hopes to capture Milkman's eye.

Transforming once more to the persisting Biblical allusions, Milkman's mother (Ruth)'s personality does not match that of her Biblical counterpart. In the Bible, Ruth is renowned as well as maintains her online reputation for her loyalty to Boaz, her partner. On the other hand, Ruth is not faithful to her hubby, Macon Dead. Although this seems to be an exemption to the thesis, Ruth does not rip off on her other half. Rather, she is not mentally dedicated to Macon - she remains committed to her dad, the Doctor, even reaching to having him act her midwife, as well as her kid, Milkman, whom she continues to nurse previous his teething stage (i.e. he is capable of eating and consuming strong food). Milkman eventually adhere to Ruth out of the house, thinking she is having an affair behind her husband's back, just to discover that she is visiting her now-dead daddy's tomb. In a sense, her loyalty to her daddy (and also son) is her event. She is not true to Macon, unlike her Biblical equivalent.

Currently looking to the single lady that does not depend or define on males around her, Pilate Dead, sis of Macon Dead. Sticking to the contrast between the characters as well as their Biblical counterparts, we see that Pilate is the 'bad guy' of the New Testament. He is a thief who is launched in order to have the ability to kill the (colloquial) sacrificial lamb, Jesus. Nonetheless, Pilate Dead does not allow her name's background, or her history, define her. Rather, she turns down all social standards and also is self-dependent. Pilate can also be stated to be the rescuer to Milkman, in contrast to the thief the Biblical Pilate is; Milkman's significant peacock tail is entirely chosen her death, resulting in his flight. Not only that, yet because of her absence of a navel, her "tummy was as smooth as well as sturdy as her back" (27-28), she does not have the sign that links her to planet. In a sense, she rises due to the fact that she is not tied down to just mankind. Oh, as well as she likewise regularly consorts with the dead.

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The Journey of Milkman Dead to Find his Identity in Song of Solomon, a Novel by Toni Morrison

Milkman Gone Splat! An Analysis of the Final Scene in Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon

Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon follows the life of Milkman Dead as well as his odyssey in the direction of discovering his real identification as well as finding the background of his forefathers. The look for identification is one of the essential motifs in Song of Solomon, as it ends up being very crucial for Milkman to experience a complicated journey in order to find himself. Along with the search for identity, flight as a way of escape is additionally a persisting style throughout the book. Via making use of magic realism, Morrison develops a world that parallels fact, however at the same time, adds magic elements to the world, making the flight of people appear all-natural. In the tale, Milkman learns that his great-grandfather Solomon flew back to Africa to leave the predicament of enslavement and obtain liberty, which influences Milkman to do the exact same at the end of guide. After understanding his quest for his identity is complete, Milkman decides to leap as well as "fly" with the air. In the last scene of Song of Solomon, Milkman accomplishments in regards to discovering his authentic self and also attaining liberty, but inevitably passes away. Morrison provides the story with considerable flows that not only foreshadow Milkman's fatality, however additionally structures her book in a way that makes Milkman's death the most rational finishing.

Toni Morrison finishes Song of Solomon with a scene where Milkman asks his pal as well as opponent Guitar whether he wants his life, which links back to a discussion that Milkman and also Guitar had in Chapter 10 about life and death. This discussion between Milkman and also Guitar, which could be taken for given, in fact provides a lot of foreshadowing to the events that comply with the discussion. In phase 10, Guitar tells Milkman that "everyone wants the life of a black male," yet thinks that every guy can picked something to crave (Morrison 223). Milkman initially disagrees with Guitar, thinking that "no one can select what to die for," however, in the last scene, Milkman submits to Guitar's theory by allowing Guitar have his life and selecting what to die for (223 ). By making Milkman's last words be a deal for Guitar to take his life, Morrison shows how the two parts of the book are connected. Via this connection, Morrison suggests that Milkman passes away at the end with his attempt to fly, however certainly chooses what to need as well as does so willingly, as he dies with a feeling of fulfillment after understanding his odyssey is complete. In the last scene of the unique, Toni Morrison defines Pilate's death as a procedure of freedom as she "flies" away, which recommends that Milkman additionally accomplishes liberty with his death. In the final scene at Solomon's Leap, when Milkman as well as his aunt Pilate hide Pilate's papa's bones, Guitar appears to kill both of them. The last scene entails Guitar killing Pilate, but instead of describing her death in a damaging way, Morrison compares her fatality to the procedure of freedom as well as flight. For comparison, in Chapter 13, Morrison defines Hagar's fatality in a lot more devastating way than the death of Pilate. Morrison selects to define Pilate's death in a rather comforting manner that offers hope and also relief. When explaining Pilate's fatality, Morrison declares that "without ever leaving the ground, [Pilate] might fly," as some bird "scooped something glossy in its beak prior to it flew away" (336 ). As an icon for her heart flying away when she passes away, Morrison shows how Pilate accomplishes individual liberty through her fatality. Milkman's flight in the end can be analyzed the same way. With Milkman's search for his real identity full, similar to Pilate, he attains his individual through fatality. Milkman does attempt to fly, but only accomplishes individual liberty when he dies in the last phase.

In Chapter 12, when Milkman has his desire about flying, Toni Morrison defines his desire in a way that not just foreshadows the ending, but also recommends that Milkman's "trip" is extra similar to fatality than literal flight. In among the final phases of guide, Milkman has a "cozy wonderful sleep all about flying," where he "float [s], "cruis [es], in the kicked back setting of a man resting on a couch checking out a newspaper." Milkman really feels as though he is "alone overhead, but crave (223 ). By making Milkman's last words be a deal for Guitar to take his life, Morrison demonstrates how the two parts of guide are connected. Via this connection, Morrison implies that Milkman dies at the end with his effort to fly, but certainly picks what to need as well as does so willingly, as he dies with a sensation of fulfillment after understanding his odyssey is full. In the last scene of the novel, Toni Morrison defines Pilate's death as a process of freedom as she "flies" away, which recommends that Milkman likewise accomplishes freedom through his fatality. In the last scene at Solomon's Leap, when Milkman and also his auntie Pilate bury Pilate's dad's bones, Guitar shows up to kill both of them. The last scene involves Guitar killing Pilate, yet rather than explaining her fatality in a damaging fashion, Morrison compares her death to the process of liberation as well as trip. For contrast, in Chapter 13, Morrison explains Hagar's fatality in a much more devastating way than the fatality of Pilate. Morrison selects to describe Pilate's fatality in a rather calming fashion that offers hope and also alleviation. When explaining Pilate's fatality, Morrison declares that "without ever leaving the ground, [Pilate] could fly," as some bird "scooped something glossy in its beak before it flew away" (336 ). As a symbol for her spirit flying away when she passes away, Morrison demonstrates how Pilate accomplishes personal flexibility with her fatality. Milkman's trip ultimately can be interpreted the same way. With Milkman's search for his real identity full, comparable to Pilate, he attains his individual through fatality. Milkman does try to fly, however only achieves personal liberty when he dies in the last phase.

In Chapter 12, when Milkman has his desire about flying, Toni Morrison explains his dream in such a way that not just foreshadows the ending, yet likewise suggests that Milkman's "trip" is a lot more comparable to death than actual trip. In one of the last phases of the book, Milkman has a "warm fanciful rest everything about flying," where he "float [s], "cruis [es], in the loosened up position of a male lying on a sofa checking out a newspaper." Milkman feels as though he is "alone overhead, however the novel as a life process, by beginning with Mr. Smith's fell short attempt to fly, following it with Milkman's extended mission to find himself, as well as ultimately, his success with discovering himself at the end. Morrison reveals that one of the most logical finishing to this life process of Milkman would be his eventual fatality. Even in a globe where flight is possible for humans, the framework of the unique suggests that in the final scene of Song of Solomon, Milkman completes his rite of passage right into their adult years, however passes away, making the novel end as well as begin with a failed effort to fly.

By intentionally leaving the finale of Song Solomon uncertain, Toni Morrison creates a variety of different opportunities wherefore in fact takes place. Although, some people will say that Milkman does fly in the long run, and also some will declare that he passed away; in the end, it does not issue. Morrison makes the ending unclear to show that the journey matters more than the end-result, as it is unimportant whether Milkman passes away or not. Morrison does not desire the focus of the novel to be the ending scene, as she thinks that Milkman's endless struggle to locate his genuine identification, which leads him to the sensation of satisfaction at the end of the unique, is the most important aspect of guide. In Wilfred D. Samuels's essay Toni Morrison, he deals with the meaning of flight in Song Solomon, even pricing quote Morrison about what she needs to state concerning the questionable last scene. In his essay, he discusses exactly how Morrison herself claims that no matter whether Milkman flew and also the accomplishment or catastrophe that follow his trip, what matters one of the most is how Milkman concerned that stage. According to Morrison, Milkman's "willingness to end up being remarkable [and] to take the jump" is one of the most important feature of the ending (Samuels 70). By keeping the ending uncertain and making Song of Solomon concentrate extra on the Milkman's mission instead of his trip, Toni Morrison shows that for any kind of bildungsroman, the initiation rite issues more than the result.

Works Cited

  • Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. Vintage, 2004.
  • Samuels, Wilfred D., and Clenora Hudson-Weems. Toni Morrison. Twayne Publishers, 1990
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The Interpretation of the American Dream in the Song of Solomon and the Great Gatsby

Monetary Wealth and Materialism

Monetary Wealth and materialism are two components that both, The Song of Solomon as well as The Great Gatsby share. These stories translate "The American Dream" and consequently emphasize the importance of the function that cash plays in each of their character's lives. Within each of these stories, the presence of a yearning for wealth within the personalities as well as their decisions ex lover- ists as a way of social criticism that exhibits the corruption that coincides with materialism. The personalities buy into the concept that cash will certainly offer joy and also therefore a sense of satisfaction. Nonetheless, oftentimes, a too much amount of money can create one to become vacant and also troubled. Money can offer deluxe as well as ease yet it does not have the ability to alleviate all troubles. Toni Morrison and also F. Scott Fitzgerald disclose this concept in The Great Gatsby as well as The Song of Solomon with concentrate on their personality's interest to cash and also standing which results in their overall corruption.

The Great Gatsby highlighted financial affluent via several personality as well as themes throughout the book. Cash is a huge incentive in the personality's partnerships and also drive. The character's disclose themselves to be highly materialistic, especially when making decisions. Tom as well as Daisy's connection is supported by their cash. They have the ability to be part of the upper-class elite because of their high socioeconomic standing. They make the most of what they have which has negative effects on the lives of other people. The narrator, Nick, is awkward as a result of the means Tom and also Daisy inadequately managed their disruptive acts. Because he is totally revolted, he doesn't also desire to tremble Tom's hand after running into him.

"I couldn't forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely

justified. It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and

Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money

on their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other peo-

ple clean up the mess they made...." (Fitzgerald, 179)

Tom and Daisy stay together due to Tom's riches that Daisy is brought in to. Since they are abundant, they do despicable acts and also obtain away with it. They think that due to the fact that they have money they are superior to others that do not have as long as them. Due to the fact that their cash is blinding, they do not stick to morality. Nick observes that while Myrtle, George, as well as Gatsby have all passed away, Tom and Daisy are not punished at all for their activities or behavior. The couple utilizes their cash as a shield to avoid obligation. While they technically have caused three fatalities, they are still able to live how they would certainly like because they have the means to do so. They make use of cash to escape from their troubles yet eventually money can not bring people back after they are dead. Tom and also Daisy subconsciously know this, which is why they choose to escape. Nick sees past their external expression of their riches and also is dissatisfied with who they are underneath their cash guard. He can not forgive what they have done to Myrtle, George, and also Gatsby. Their activities are not endured by Nick which verifies that money can deny mercy. Fitzgerald accomplishes the idea of corruption as a result of riches though Daisy. She is a character that has actually prioritized wealth but has come to realize that she isn't pleased. Her money has not al- lowed her to locate happiness.

"You see I think everything's terrible anyhow," she went on in a convinced way. "Every- body thinks so the most advanced people. And I know. I've been everywhere and done everything." Her eyes flashed around her in a defiant way, rather like Tom's, and she laughed with thrilling scorn. "Sophisticated-God, I'm sophisticated!"(Fitzgerald, 17)

Sissy has led a life supported by financial wealth. She has actually traveled the world and also had accessibility to the unimaginable. Yet, she still assumes her life is awful. Because cash can not purchase one's joy, she thinks this. She believes she has actually already seen all that the globe has to offer, but in actual- ity, she has just seen what cash can purchase. Since it has actually been built on materialism, she is left unsatisfied by the life she has actually selected to live. She is triggering from a location of arrogance. Fitzger- ald emphasizes this when describing her eyes. They "blinked around her in a defiant method, rather like Tom's." Daisy, like her partner, speaks from a blessed perspective. She knows that she is fortunate. She remains specific in her word but is insincere. She is pompous and also carries her- self therefore. She uses her condition as a way to conceal that she actually is. She remains in fact an unpleasant per- kid who is left empty on the within yet she surrounds herself with product items that stopped working to make her feel much better regarding herself.

Toni Morrison executes the theme surrounding the anxiety to have access to cash though Milkman Dead's character. Milkman embarks on his very own pursuit for success which he ini- tially believes is Pilate's gold. Milkman shares his dad's materialistic worths. He has no empa- thy for those whom he perceives as being inferior to him economically. The gold is blinds Milk- guy's feeling of principles as he intends to swipe Pilate's gold for himself in order to gain freedom. His papa has actually always expressed that money is the key to one's freedom. Macon Dead states to his kid, "You'll possess it all. All of it. You'll be totally free. Cash is flexibility, Macon. The only actual freedom there is."( 163) Macon emphasizes the relevance of money to his son. He thinks that the only means to be free, is to have enough cash to support on your own. Milkman thinks this too which leads him to act in manner ins which he would not if cash was not the concern. Macon Dead wants his son to "reclaim" what he thinks Pilate stole from him. Macon Dead desires his kid to basically swipe this cash back. He claims, "Macon, get it and also you can have half of it; go wherever you desire. Get it. For both people. Please get it, boy. Get the gold." When he states that money is the essential to being cost-free,( 172) Milkman desires to obtain out of the community he has grown up in and thinks his papa. Therefore, he consents to taking back the gold from Pilate. Milkman's daddy manipu- lates him right into assuming that the money will certainly minimize what has actually been creating him anxiety. Milkman believes that this gold will address every one of the issues that he thinks he has as a result of the truth that he has no cash. His dad stress him into obtaining the money by explaining what he will certainly be able to do with it. Although Milkman recognizes that taking is wrong, he is hopeless to be free. Milkman thinks the cash will bring salvation and happiness.

Milkman wanted watercrafts, automobiles, planes, and also the command of a huge crew. He would be wayward, generous, mysterious with his cash. But all the time he was chuckling as well as going on concerning what he would certainly do as well as just how he planned to live, he was aware of a false- ness in his voice. He desired the money-desperately, he believed however apart from mak- ing tracks out of the city, away from Not Doctor Streetm as well as Sonny's Shop, and also Mary's Place and also Hagar, he could not visualize a life that a lot different from the one he had.( 179-180).

Milkman wants all the product items that money can buy. He fantasizes about the turf being greener beyond. He intends to live an extravagant life filled with luxurious products that he believes will bring him delight and also happiness. He believes that access to a large amount of cash will bring him away from the globe that he has actually recognized his entire life. Nonetheless, he recognizes the "false- ness in his voice." Milkman recognizes that this imagined life is deep and also optimistic down he recognizes that it might not bring him specifically what he requires since money can just give worldly things. It can not provide one with emotional support. Milkman is trying to find emotional support yet the money will only obtain him until now. He can not visualize a different life because he has known the.

same one his whole life. His environment hasn't changed, consequently his frame of mind hasn't changed. He can not see what he has actually never been revealed to, which leaves him longing for the money extra. Milkman intends to break away from parents and the life they have developed on their own. However, he doesn't recognize that by prioritizing monetary wealth, he will wind up much like the person he wishes to run from his dad. Even after Milkman get to gold, it is not assured that the troubles brought on by his youth will certainly just disappear.

Monetary riches is a principle that is prioritized in both The Great Gatsby and Song of Solomon. The personalities that earn money an important part of their life are the ones that are the most lost due to the fact that cash does not give psychological security. Money can only do so much be- fore one understands it is not nearly enough. Fitzgerald as well as Morrison both highlight this factor by permitting the visitor to acquire insight on each of the personality's lives and just how money does not improve their overall happiness. Money can offer specific eases however can not get rid of all issues to deal with. Cash can just do so much prior to one realizes that money can deny happiness in the grand scheme of things. Fitzgerald and Morrison make an effort to reveal this with use their personality's journey to identifying this motif for themselves.

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An Analysis of the Topic of the Concept of Responsibility and the Bluest Eye and Hamlet

Throughout this course, the concept of responsibility has been echoing over the novels and plays that we have read. I have come to observe that in The Bluest Eye and Hamlet, the characters rely on their responsibilities or the notion of responsibility to make their decisions. In such a case, the characters develop their own responsibilities, constantly changing their concepts of responsibility in order to make different decisions based on the situation. The Bluest Eye and Hamlet have shown me that all characters have ideologies from which they derive their sense of responsibility. In The Bluest Eye, Cholly is afraid of taking responsibility of his life and child, as he had been abandoned and abused constantly in life. However, he takes various attempts throughout his life that show that he was trying to fix himself. Additionally, in Hamlet, Hamlet believes that he has a responsibility to his father but also one to the kingdom, hindering him from rashly killing Claudius.

Without doubt, many works of literature demonstrate how characters are affected by their ideologies and sense of responsibility. They base their decisions and actions on such notions. However, The Bluest Eye presents a unique situation for one of its main antagonists, Cholly. Cholly's parents neglect their responsibility of Cholly. When he is only a child, Cholly is abandoned by his parents and left with his great aunt, who dies when Cholly becomes a teenager. This event forces Cholly to take more responsibility of his life and make his own decisions. However, when Cholly has sex for the first time, he is victim of racism, as two white men force him to continue while watching him. From this incident, Cholly begins to question his own identity, compelling him to search for his father. However, when Cholly does find his father, his father refuses to acknowledge him and take responsibility for his past. Such a rejection leaves Cholly to feel like a trapped man in a world that has constantly refused and neglected him. When he marries Pauline, he shows some sign of responsibility, however, his neglect of Pecola indicates otherwise. It may be that Cholly is afraid of taking on responsibility for his family, as his own parents have never taken on responsibility for their child. Nevertheless, raping Pecola and giving her the "love" that he felt that she deserved might have been Cholly's attempt at taking on responsibility for his child. Cholly never understood how to truly interact with others, let alone his own child. Therefore, Cholly attempts several times in his life to take on a sense of responsibility that nobody else has shown him. Cholly has been always abandoned, intentionally or accidentally, leaving him to question any sense of responsibility that he should have.

Although some works of literature may present complex situations from which characters develop their sense of responsibility, other works demonstrate conflicting situations. In Hamlet, Hamlet has responsibility to both his father and kingdom. Initially, Hamlet chooses his loyalty and service to the kingdom over any ideas of revenge. Even though Hamlet suspects some "foul" play in his father's murder and has a notion that Claudius has a hand in it, he goes alone with Claudius' rule, as his kingdom should come before his own emotions. Hamlet wants the kingdom to again be stabilized after the death of his father, ensuring that Prince Fortinbras of Norway does not invade Denmark at any signs of weakness. However, as Hamlet begins to suspect Claudius more and more of an involvement in his father's death, he is driven into seemingly madness. Essentially, he is conflicted between his devotion to his father and his loyalty to the kingdom. If Hamlet does avenge his father and kill Claudius, the kingdom would be more vulnerable, enticing an attack from Norway that Denmark possibly could not hold off. Furthermore, if Hamlet does not take any action against Claudius, Claudius would have impunity, but the kingdom would be stable. Eventually, Hamlet chooses the responsibility to his father, going down the path of bloodshed that leaves the entire royal family dead and the kingdom lost to Prince Fortinbras. Hamlet was left to choose between two conflicting responsibilities that completely affected an entire nation.

The Bluest Eye and Hamlet have taught me that characters base their decisions and actions on a sense of responsibility that stems from their ideologies. This sense essentially drives the plot, creating the events of the story. Notably, the sense of obligations defines the characters. In The Bluest Eye, Cholly bases his notion of responsibility from his past experiences, afraid of taking on a more effective role in his daughter's life because he lacks the social connections to do so. His attempts at taking on responsibility are fruitless, further discouraging him from improving and changing. In Hamlet, Hamlet is conflicted between two responsibilities: one to his father and one to his kingdom. His ultimate choice to avenge his father leaves the entire royal family dead and the kingdom lost. These works of literature have shown me that the characters' sense of responsibility is what defines them, creating the events of the plot.

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