Studying Peter Hunts Motivation To Children English Literature Essay

Studying Peter Hunts Motivation To Children English Literature Essay Peter Hunt writes that some idea of a child or childhood motivates writers and determines both the form and content of what they write (2009a, p13). Prompting that an authors choice of book type and content stems from their image of the child they are writing for, elements of which come from their own ideology of society and childhood often shaped by their own lifestyles. It is arguable however if the authors idea of childhood is indeed their motivation or if there are other factors in their writing that point to an additional agenda. In considering Hunts statement we will see the changing childhood ideologies of Victorian and postmodern realism in Louisa May Alcotts, Little Women (1868), and Melvin Burgesss Junk (1996), and also the differing concept of childhood in fantasy literature with Phil Pullmans, Northern Lights (2004). It is also significant to discover what constitutes the authors notion of childhood in their books, and if there are external elements which can shape the co ntent and form of childrens books such as mass marketing and the commodifying of children. Early childrens literature was highly didactic and as Zipes (2009) suggests even the earliest renderings of fairytales were designed to turn children into the type of adults their societies would prefer. Its First Golden Age from the later half of the nineteenth century introduced a change in how we viewed children, we began to celebrate the joys of childhood, (Carpenter, 2009) the most notable books entertained and also gave their readers a sense of empowerment and individuality. An example of such a novel is Louisa May Alcotts Little Women, following the narrative tradition of domestic and informative stories for girls such as Sarah Fieldings The Governess (1749), and ostensibly remaining within the conservative restrictions of her era, Alcott presents the contemporary life of four sisters growing up during the American civil war. Her book, written as a request by her publisher to fill a niche in the market, is to all appearances moralistic and patriarchal. The title, as phrased by the childrens father little women'(Alcott,1868, p12)  [1]  exemplifies the Victorian ideal of childhood, where children were seen as miniature adults and taught the puritan morals to be dutiful , obedient , hard-working and God-fearing (Styles,2009), puritan John Bunyans Pilgrims Progress(1678) is used extensively throughout the book . Little Womens third person omniscient narration is also in quite a condescending adult voice effecting to keep the March girls as children who need guidance, even when they mature, Amys lecture did Laurie good, though, of course, he did not own it till long afterward (LW, p384).The narrators frequent interjections with opinions and views guides the readers into making the required conclusions, thereby giving instruction to its girl readership on how to be good wives and mothers. Arguably however as Fetterley (2009) suggests there are statements within the novel that portray an undercurrent of ambivalence, showing Alcotts perhaps true feelings to opportunities available according to gender and class, depicted primarily in her portrayal of Jo an antagonistic of the submissive young girl of the times. Alcott herself was rather an oddity of her time, a spinster, woman activist and the family breadwinner, her motivation to write was often purely financial (Alderson, 2008). Accordingly Jo is often seen as based on Alcott, portrayed as a talented headstrong writer, Beths words You are the gull, Jo, strong and wild, fond of the storm and the wind, flying far out to sea, and happy all alone.'(LW, p361), echo Alcotts own lifestyle, yet could also be seen as advice to her girl readers to embrace their freedom, rather than their expected domesticity. Even the outwardly repressive marmee, and her ideas of marriage the sweetest chapter in the romance of womanhood (LW, p95), also states better be happy old maids than unhappy wives'(LW, p95). She also occasionally shows her ambivalence to her life, Mother isnt sick, only very tired, (LW, p 109), as Hannah their housemaid points out housekeeping aint no joke (LW, p109) and as Alcott is perhaps trying highlight, domesticity is not so wonderful a role to aspire to. Alcott quite understandably given her precincts denied any subversion in her novel yet it is arguable that it contains many instances of her own childhood. In her journal she recalls the daily drudgery and struggle of her mother as she strived to sustain her family while her father as in LW gave little help (Alderson, 2008). Alcott used the then accepted ideal of the quintessential patriarchal Victorian family childhood and her own family memories to give form and content to her book. The March girls are lost in their own wonderful family plays and games, a loving safe playful family unit that nurtured and trained the child, giving much needed stability to a society shaken by war. This was not however Alcotts only motivation, she disliked her own novel as she says I do not enjoy writing moral tales for the you ng, I do it because it pays well (Alcott cited in Alderson, 2008, pxxiii), and her covert messages of rebellion, portray distaste in the directives which shape the young, especially girls, to be compliant adults. Her novel is also motivated and shaped by her social stance on opportunities available to the gender, class and race of her time, Little Women represents childhood as preparing for future roles, yet covertly it also uses its representation with the potential to disturb societal expectations. Over a century later Melvin Burgess again fills a publisher recognised niche in the teenage market also focusing on the adolescent experience, Junk is unrestrained from nineteenth century conservatism in its graphic depiction of the fall of two runaways into prostitution and drugs. Burgess states children or young people should read about their lives not idealistically but as they really are, his characters are not invented but based on his memories of real people, he also does not preach to his readers yet allows them to evolve their own conclusions, (Burgess, 2009). It has been said Junk neither glamorises nor demonises drug addiction (Falconer, 2009, p375), yet Junk conceals a strong sense of morality within its text, its principles obscured so the book appears to be non didactic or opinionated and so appeal to Burgesses idea of the modern teenager. Junks individual character narration lends to a documentary style of neutrality, yet textual guides bring the reader to the required conclusions, as Tar says If you dont mind not reaching twenty theres no argument against heroin, is there?'(Burgess, 1996, p166)  [2]  , Gemma is the spoilt little runaway child How do you think her parents feel? asked Vonny. They were just keeping her in. Its not like Tar is it?'(Junk, p75). The events have a moralistic ending, Gemma recognises they have all been deceiving themselves and condemns them all to their fate; her own is to be a single mother. Such reality based writing lends itself as Tucker(2009) says to the authors belief that childhood is primarily a transitional stage leading to adulthood giving readers the truth is seen as providing them with an important aid to their own eventual better understanding of themselves and others (p190). Junk follows this form well, Burgess gives his child readers autonomy in interpretation, viewing them not as innocents, but inexperienced young people, who need empowerment and guidance to make the right decisions. As we have seen i t is impossible to read Junk and come out defending heroin or the runaway, it could be said that Burgess brings Alcotts moral tale for the young into todays modern world. Yet in challenging the ideology of the innocent child, Junks view of childhood is at the opposite end of the spectrum to that of Little Women, he dispels the nostalgic innocence critics connect with childhood. His explicitness Lily said, Ive been a little prossie for half an hour (Junk, p158) foregrounds how altering conceptions of the childà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦can cause both controversy and anxiety among consumers (Squires, 2009, p189), leading to Burgess having to defend his authorial intent over the charge of sensationalism. In response to criticism from Anne Fines, and defending the explicit nature of his books, Burgess says Underneath Annes whole article is that same nasty sneer I remember from when I was small How revolting. Arent you a dirty little boy? the same attitude which was exactly what made me want to write the thing in the first place (Burgess, 2004). It could then be suggested that part of his motivation was indeed to rebel against as he calls it the moral majority (Burg ess, 2009, p317), and stretch the boundaries of appropriate childhood reading matter. Nevertheless saying that drugs and underage sex are what teenagers want to read about could perhaps show that Burgess himself has a distorted idea of todays childhood. An idea he needed to uphold in order to construct his model of the non-reading (conceivably moronic) teenager and defend the sensationalism of his novel, he is perhaps modelling his child to suit the aspirations of his book. Junks content worked as a hook for his teenage audience and also generated him much publicity, conceivably showing another aspect of his motivation, content and form set to shock the critics, produce an outcry and gain him notoriety, all in addition to providing teenagers realistic age related literature. His post modern realism , takes the assumption that children are not innocent, but they still need guidance, also that in order to connect with todays child , this guidance must be hidden allowing the reader per ceived autonomy in their decisions. Burgess also shows a sad irony in the loss of childhood, Gemma wanted a slice of life'(Junk, p161) but could only find this in leaving home, unlike the March girls, in Junk childhood was something to be quickly left behind in order to really live. An authors understanding of childhood as Hunt says can influence the form of their writing , those who see childhood more as an end to itself may prefer literature that is clearly more fantasy based (Tucker, 2009, p190). Phil Pullmans Northern Lights conforms to this ideology using a fantasy world to rewrite the biblical story of creation. Eighteenth century philosopher Rousseau stated that Nature wants children to be children before they are men (Jenks, cited in Hunt, 2009, p23), he believed childhood should be a time of innocence , with children allowed to grow at their own pace not forced into civilisation. Pullmans similar view on childhood freedom is apparent in Northern Lights , Lyra is safe and happy in the freedom of Jordon College, What she liked best was clambering over the college roofs'(Pullman, 2004, p36)  [3]  , as she grows her freedom is stifled by the intervention of her mother, state and church . Poet William Blake also used Rousseaus concept of natural innocence, corrupted by adult intervention, and Pullman uses Blakes contraries and commentary on Miltons Paradise Lost to reverse the morality of the biblical fall to celebrate knowledge (Squires, 2009, p278). He advocates the co-existence of good and evil (body and soul) and free will, which the church refuses to, acknowledge (Bird, 2009, p264). As such Northern Lights, casts an unfavourable light on how religious fundamentalism suppresses knowledge, the Magisterium symbolising the church is shown as repression and death, killing the children whose souls or daemons it removes as it endeavors to preserve innocence all that happens is a little cut, and then everythings peaceful .For Ever!at the age we call pubertyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦daemons bring all sorts of troublesome thoughts and feelings (NL, p283). Pullmans idea of the child is shown in Lyra, her innocence and freedom of mind give her the ability, unlike adults, to easily read the alethiometer, Lyras childlike state'(Squires,2009, p281) when reading makes her feel like a young bird learning to fly'(NL, p152). Which is a suitable metaphor for how she represents Pullmans main concepts of innocence and experience, seeing similar attributes in young people giving them the ability to deal with significant issues free from outside influence; as he says he hopes that young readers will finish à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦having gained the understanding that trusting ones own thoughts and feelings is an essential part of self-discovery and growing up (Travis, 2010). Through his use of the fantasy form Pullman is able to transgress difficult subject areas normally out of bounds within a childrens book, capturing his young readers imaginations while keeping the stark realities of his metaphors at bay. He insists on realism and the real implications of his fantasy stories (Wood, 2009, p274), exhorting his readers to take an activist role in creating the world that they want. So saying If I write fantasy, its only because by using the mechanisms of fantasy I can say something a little more vividly about, for example the business of growing up (Rustin and Rustin , 2003 ,cited in Montgomery, 2009, p255). Within Northern Lights, Pullman shows Lyras growth from innocence, he demonstrates the malleability of childhood with the changing form of the childrens daemons that represent their character , which set at puberty into the type of person they are, for example he was a servant , so she [the daemon] , was a dog (NL, p7). Pullman promotes childhood as an innocent time when children are impressionable and make the important decisions that mould their moral fibre, he follows the traditional pattern of childhood freedom, as seen in the like of Ransomes Swallows and Amazons() as the children create their own idyllic morally responsible world (Squires, 2009, p282). Northern Lights uses the Magisterium to establish anti-religious ideology and shows the infallibility of religion in that Lyras saviours are those marginalised and demonised by society; the non religious gyptians (gypsies), risk all to rescue the children, and the witches save their lives in the final battle. Such radical views may seem better placed in adult literature yet as Reynolds (2009) informs avoiding cultural spotlight is one reason why writers may find themselves drawn to write for children (p109). Pullman may be using childrens literature as a vehicle to publicly air his opinions on religious fundamentalism safely hidden within childrens fantasy, to a less judgmental audience. It could be that Pullman simply finds this medium more liberating; however Northern Lights also manipulates its readers opinions in line with Pullmans, ultimately, as with Junks evils of heroin, the reader cannot fail to see the Magisterium as the evil villain. Pullmans use of fantasy fiction proves he can more succinctly air his own opinions, and he could be seen as using the medium of childrens literature in the same way. As he states there are some themes, some subjects too large for adult fiction; they can only be dealt with adequately in a childrens book (Pullman, cited in Falconer, 2009, p378). His view on how we underestimate the potential of the young in order to maintain our own nostalgic view of childhood has certainly shaped the form and content of his book. Reynolds (2009) informs that childhood is a time to negotiate and find a place in society, yet more so with Northern Lights it is also about developing individual potential suited to a future in which societies could be different in some significant ways'(p100). It could perhaps then also be said that Alcott, Burgess and Pullmans motivation to write for children is also their aspiration to create a better society, So Lyra and her daemon turned away from the world they were born in, and looked towards the sun, and walked into the sky (NL, 397). As authors draw on their ideals to write for their audience, it is the book publishers who set the market trends and decide what children would like to read and subsequently influence what an author writes, an area touched upon with LW and Junk. Twenty first century novels show a commodification of childrens literature (Squires, 2009), in which we also see the decline of the individual author with publishers such as Working Partners, where a storyline is created by a conglomerate of author /editors then given to a writer to create the book (EA300, DVD2). Thus providing a quick turnaround and commercial sense but little scope for individual ingenuity and signifying that as Hunt (2009b) says, the cart of marketing, is driving the horse of creativity (p81). A further consideration on external influence is the competition from digital media, which as Burgess (2009) says also has a great impact on what children are exposed to, compounding the difficulty in producing literature that appeal s to the modern child ,a fact he uses to support his hard hitting realism. Childrens literature has been seen to catalogue social, economical and political changes, embolic of societys view of childhood (Hunt, 2009b, p71), a view set as the gate keeping adult world considers what children need to read, putting additional pressure for authors to produce the right book. In conclusion to Hunts statement, it would seem that in order to write a childrens book, the author must indeed have an idea of the child they are writing for, and this determines the form and content of their novel. Yet as we have seen they are also motivated by their own additional agendas, and this can lead to their constructed child being modified for their own purposes and also manipulated by the forces of modern media and marketing. This contributes to the complexity and often popularity of a novel that can then be read on many levels, Pullman could be seen as writing a religious allegory, propaganda or an adolescence adventure story. Authors still have their own view of what childhood should be, and incorporate this into how they believe it is or wish it to be seen. Our realistic view of the modern child is radically different from earlier popular books, such as Little Women, or Swallows and Amazons and as contemporary writers make efforts to loose the nostalgic view of childh ood innocence, there is also the concern that we are now ending childhood too soon, and as Jacqueline Wilson says forcing children to conform to societys teenage image (EA300, DVD2). Yet from Little Womens childish carefree plays to Junks depiction that children are now living real life adventures, we find that, as Lyra does, there is still always hope in childrens books. Childrens literature as Hunt (2009a) says shows what society thinks of childhood, and also what the author and we as adults need to believe it represents.

Important Issues Facing The European Union Today Economics Essay

Important Issues Facing The European Union Today Economics Essay The European Union is an integration of European states that encompasses different histories, institutions, political systems and economies. At present the EU boasts 27 member countries with a combined population of over 500 million. The creation of a single currency, the euro, has led these citizens to depend heavily on the union for the success of their respective economies. Furthermore, many others nations out with EU jurisdiction rely on the EU for trade, finance and investment aid. Political historians such as Leonard (2005) have argued that the EU has been in a state of crisis since its inception. However, despite such problems, the EU has emerged as a strong, steady and powerful force in the global political arena. The dawn of the 21st century has brought with it fresh challenges for the EU to address. Many of these issues were outlined by EU President Jose Manuel Barroso in a speech at the European Parliament in 2007. Barroso cited economic reforms, unemployment, social justice and climate change as being matters of pressing concern (2007). This essay serves to highlight these problems and explain why they are the most important issues facing the European Union today. One of the major problems facing the EU is the ever increasing levels of unemployment affecting the majority of the member states. Barroso (2007) stated that close to 20 million EU citizens were classed as unemployed. More worryingly, Barroso stressed that many of those out of work were of a younger demographic. Modigliani (2005) warned that such rates of unemployment can lead to resources being wasted, a decline in output and thus a loss in savings and investment within the economy. Modigliani also hastened to add that unemployment levels can lead to complicated and long-standing social problems as individuals affected can grow despondent and discouraged by the lack of job opportunities. Therefore, unemployment is an important issue impinging on all of the EU states. Bertola (2000) alluded to labour market participation rates, wage inequality, employment dispersion across EU regions and market performance as being the major causes of high unemployment levels within the EU. Labour market performance is guided by government and institutional policies in the EU which in turn control minimum wages, taxation and unemployment benefits. Room (2006) and Barroso (2007) argue that although there are many ways to reduce unemployment, such as wage differentiation and geographical mobility, such measures could alter the economic and political equilibrium currently in place in the EU. Additionally, Wallstrom (2007) is quick to point out that although the elimination of unemployment subsidies across the EU states would reduce unemployment levels, it would in consequence increase the poverty and crime rates thus leading to accelerated levels of social exclusion. As a result, these repercussions have raised alarming concerns for both public and politicians alike as the EU struggles to implement a programme of reform to address the situation. Access to the member states products, capital and labour resources could provide economic efficiency but the levels of regulation required would prove extremely hard to sustain. In response to the growing problems with unemployment, the EU Commission has proposed some measures designed to tackle the issue. These include a revamp of the member states growth and job strategies as well as increasing investment on research and development. It is hoped that this in turn would lead to increased economic output and thus the creation of jobs in the process. However, Wallstrom (2007) argues this could prove a difficult task given the heterogeneous social and economic structures of the EU member states. Additionally, the collapse of the world economy in 2008 has lead to a global recession and has seen employment levels in the EU increase dramatically. The Employment in Europe Report (2009) estimated unemployment levels in Europe would break the10% mark in 2010 and would continue to rise. The issue of climate change has come to the fore spectacularly in the 21st century and is another important issue facing the European Union. Changes in climate variations are occurring around the globe raising genuine concerns about the stability of the planets ecosystem. According to Schroter (2005) these deviations may have a direct affect on levels of food production and water supplies. For example, Berkhout (2005) noted harvest failure within a country can impact the price of certain food commodities in the EU due to imports. Brandt (2001) explains that these growing concerns lead to the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol an environmentally friendly policy sanctioned via the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change designed to bring greenhouse gas emissions under control in 1997. In the summer of 2003, a heat wave engulfed much of Europe resulting in record temperatures being recorded. Beniston (2004) stated that the heat wave bore a resemblance to the type of temperatures anticipated by the end of the 21 century. Beniston (2004) concluded that due to an enhanced atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gas, summer temperatures could be expected to increase by 4 degrees celsius on average. According to Christiansen Wettestad (2003), the EU generates one of the highest levels of greenhouse gas emissions and accounts for 25% of the worlds production. Brandt (2001) states the EU expects that there will be a 0.8% increase in CO2 emissions annually. Furthermore, the EU faces additional problems with its failure to persuade its members to adopt the carbon tax due to the many rules and regulations incorporated in the policy (Christiansen Wettestad, 2003). The use of fossil fuels is another factor that leads to global warming and can have a detrimental long term affect on the climate. Kruger Pizer (2004) cite that increased emission levels due to the development of the transport sector have led to further issues for the EU to address. These substantial growths in emission output can have a direct impact on allowance prices if the EU attempted to meet Kyoto Protocol targets by using offset purchases. The growing carbon market is another area of concern for the European Union. Howse Eliason (2008) argue that it is crucial levels of carbon footprint are monitored in order to reduce emissions in the air. According to Kruger et al. (2007) the European Union launched an emissions trading program in 2005 with the aim of meeting the Kyoto Protocol targets for tackling climate change. However, the complexity of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is causing the member states to experience various political and economic challenges as they attempt to meet the targets set by the Kyoto Protocol. Howse Eliason (2008) cite that an investigation carried out by the Financial Times concluded that a number of companies operating within EU boundaries receive unjust carbon credits and that this is causing an unfair subsidy distribution in EU states. Howse Eliason, (2008) claim this is an issue because the results do not coincide with emissions reduction. Therefore, the EU needs to devise strategies to regulate such outcomes. The issue of security is another obstacle facing the European Union. Kicinger (2004) writes that external threats to security present far greater problems than those posed internally. To put it simply, this is because these threats cannot be predicted. One such threat is terrorism. Wallstrom (2007) argues that although Europes policy of passport-free travel is beneficial for business and tourism, it allows cross-border terrorists and criminals freedom of access within the member states. Terrorism is a major issue because innocent peoples lives are at stake. Schilder Hauschild (2004) note that EU states are also used as a base to plan and devise terrorist attacks. These criminals deploy state of the art resources, have well maintained networks and are capable of resorting to horrific levels of violence. Kicinger (2004) writes that Al Qaeda an Islamist fundamental group formed in the late 1980s and renowned for its terrorist activities housed logistical cells in the EU member states of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain. Therefore, the concentrated effort of the EU to tackle such problems is crucial. Another security concern for the EU is the technological advancements in modern arms. This puts the current security measures in place by the EU in question. Flow of trade and investment within the European states has given rise to the prosperity of the EUs inhabitants. However, in spite of the advantages that free trade has brought, it has also heightened the threat of internal terrorism. Europe is now a playground for organised crime and is rife with drug trafficking, illegal immigrants and prostitution (Schilder Hauschild, 2004). Cross-border and neighboring threats also add to the security concerns of the European Union. Disputes in Kashmir and the Korean Peninsula as detailed by Schilder Hauschild (2004) affected the EU member states both directly and indirectly. The European Union Commission has pledged to combat the security threat and via foreign policy and crisis management initiatives have made provisions for security. According to Barroso (2007), these include securing borders with member states and with international countries more effectively. Moreover, the EU is attempting to forge policies and agreements with their transatlantic partners in order to minimise any threats posed to security although this is proving a difficult task to achieve. In conclusion, since its formation in 1993, the European Union has served to address a great number of important issues. These issues are not solely confined to the borders of EU but are commonly dealt with throughout the world. This essay has highlighted the EUs growing problems with unemployment levels, focused on the pearls of climate change and has detailed the threat of terrorism to the EUs stability. These are just a few of the important issues facing the European Union today.

Revolution Girl Style: Fifty Years of Women in Rock and Roll Essay

Revolution Girl Style: Fifty Years of Women in Rock and Roll Rock and roll was born of a black man's soul and a white man's...well, his whiteness; his wallet and radio station. Rock is the white man's version of black man's music; it's full of rebellion and rawness and soul, a style of music that captured America's youth and the fire and brimstone of the clergy's private hell. Elvis heard Big Mama Thornton's throaty and soulful "Hound Dog" and the rest is history; unquestionable talent aside, it was his white skin that allowed certain DJs to play him on the radio in the midst of the rigid segregation of the nineteen-fifties. Ever since then, rock has constantly walked the line between trendsetters and trendfollowers; those who innovate and those who capitalize. It is, perhaps, a natural occurance when you combine rebellion with big business. An innovative band or artist does something raw and passionate; other artists or labels take it and water it down just enough to make it marketable. As such, rock also has to keep reinventing itself, for t oday's innovation will quickly become tomorrow's tripe. The rawness of rock either frightens people or attracts them; its ability to shock and offend is legendary and vital to the survival of the genre. "Rock has always professed (although many times hypothetically) to ally itself with rebellion and to the dismantling of the status quo." (Juno 4) In the 1960s, racial tensions far surpassed gender ones; the Supremes encountered far more prejudice because of their black skins than Janis Joplin did because of her gender. But in the late sixties and early seventies, the faultlines that held together America's illusions of bliss fractured, and out of the cracks came people fighting for sel... ... Juno Books, 1996. Laven, Anna. Telephone interview. 11 April 2004. McDonnell, Evelyn and Ann Powers, ed. rock she wrote: women write about rock, pop, and rap. New York: Copper Square Press, 1995. Morgan, Joan. When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip Hop Feminist Breaks It Down. New York: Touchstone Books, 1999. O ¹Dair, Barbara, ed. Trouble Girls: The Rolling Stone Book of Women in Rock. New York: Random House, 1997. O ¹Hara, Craig. The Philosophy of Punk. San Francisco: AK Press, 1999. Sinker, Dan. Punk Planet: The Collected Interviews. New York: Adeline Press, 2003. Sinker, Dan.  ³Venus. ² Punk Planet July-Aug 2002: 64-67. Swirling, Ross. Telephone interview. 11 April 2004. Turner, Chà ©rie. Everything You Need to Know about the Riot Grrrl Movement: The Feminism of a New Generation. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2001.

The Struggle for Acceptance in The Cider House Rules Essay -- Cider Ho

The Struggle for Acceptance in The Cider House Rules         In The Cider House Rules, John Irving brings the orphan Homer Wells to vivid life in a rather unusual way.   Homer’s life and existence are part of a large symbolic link to the actual book itself.   Homer’s life as an orphan struggling for acceptance and to â€Å"Be of Use† is shadowed by The Cider House Rules struggle for acceptance in the mass literary market and its need to purvey its views on abortion.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After writing his first few books, Irving was left disappointed that although the literary critics embraced them, for the general masses his books fell on deaf ears.   (Hill 250) Unfortunately it is the general case that the masses and the elite are not in agreement on what is worth reading.   With this in mind, Irving set out writing The Cider House Rules with the intent of reaching not only the critics but the general populace as well.   Similarly, Homer starts life accepted only within the narrow confines of the orphanage he has grown up in.   His first several attempts have ended with failure, leaving Homer only the comfort of familiar arms.   When Homer sets out several years later, with the maturity of one who has stared life’s failures and unwanted, he hits the world head on and starts to make gradual steps toward full acceptance.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If asked, Irving will flatly deny that he had any ulterior motives in the creation of The Cider House Rules.   He will claim that the thought of abortion did not even enter the picture until he was well into the process. (Twayne’s 12)   However, like Homer, this book was purposefully designed with abortion on the mind of the nurturer.  Ã‚   Homer’s Dr Larch is a man who feels morally obliged to ... ...cs of storytelling in John Irving's 'The Cider House Rules.'." Style 15 July 1998. 1 Apr. 2003 <http://findarticles.com>. DeMott, Benjamin. "Guilt and Compassion." New York Times Book Review 26 May 1985: : I25.   Dickens, Charles. David Copperfield. N.p.: n.p., 1849.   Hill, Jane B. "John Irving's Aesthetics of Accessibility: Setting Free the Novel." The South Carolina Review 16 (1983): 38-44.   Irving, John . The World According to Garp. New York: Ballantine Books, 1982.   Lewis, Roger. "Larger than Life." New Statesman 109 (1985) McFadden, Maria. "The Cider House Rules - Not!" Human Life Review 2000. 13 Apr. 2003 <http://www.cinemagap.com>. The Cider House Rules. New York: Ballantine Books, 1985.   Weinkopf, Chris. "The Cider House Rots." Human Life Review 2000. 13 Apr. 2003 <http://www.cinemagap.com/>.

Hemingway Indian Camp

â€Å"Indian Camp† Essay In Hemingway’s short story â€Å"Indian Camp†, the use of light and dark symbolism is apparent throughout. Two different races are seen in the story, the white man, and the dark skinned Indians. The white man seems to be living the life, while the Indians live in a life of oppression and despair. The white man is clearly â€Å"superior† to the Indians, however Hemingway’s greater purpose of this symbolism is seen in the enlightenment of Nick Adams.When Nick Adams begins the story on his way to this camp he is already taken into the dark upon his initial journey along with his father and Uncle. Led by an Indian guide, Nick has no idea of what to expect or where he is being led. Upon their arrival to the camp several symbols of light and dark are seen quite clearly. Hemingway touches on a few characteristics including the Uncle’s cigar, and Indian guide leading them with his lantern. In the cigar, it burns and sheds lig ht in a dark world, a world these white men are not accustomed to and have no knowledge on.He then attempts to share his cigars with the Indians, perhaps showing he is willing to share his knowledge with them as well. Later, Hemingway describes how the Indian guide uses his lantern during their journey to the camp, however once they reach the road, he blows it out signifying how that road built by the white man now sheds light on where he is, and that is the Indian Camp. Upon their arrival, Nick’s father finally finds Shanty, the pregnant Indian he must perform surgery on. The Indians in this scene, step away from the lit road, and sit in the dark.Perhaps they are more comfortable in the dark and have no desire to be under the white mans light. Or in this case watch the white man perform surgery. Later, the woman’s husband is found dead, and Nick’s father tries to hide this harsh reality from his son, but Nick experiences it all in one night. At the beginning of their journey, Nick was led to the camp by the Indian guide with the lantern. Upon his departure, he reaches enlightenment on life in the light of a new day. He found a new understanding thanks to a dark skinned Indian guide with a lantern.Symbolically he was guiding Nick to his new perceptions and understanding, at least in my opinion. The metaphors are quite apparent in Hemingway’s writing. Two opposing cultures, races, and people contrasted throughout in â€Å"light† and â€Å"dark†. Nick had to take the darkness to eventually receive the light. He had to see a different side of life to reach clarity and understanding. Hemingway displays the racial differences and thoughts of both the Indians and white men with his symbolism in this story.

Wikipedia: the Basis of Unreliable Sources

Over the years that Wikipedia has been running, there has been a continuous debate on whether it is a reliable resource or not and no one has been able to come up with a conclusion. However, there are many people who think that they have come up with a compromise, which includes Wikipedia being a good source for basic information but not for the sole information of any given topic. Especially for college students, Wikipedia can get tricky in the sense where it is easy to just read through and agree with; however, it may be misleading and have incorrect information.People including college English instructor Jenny Meister, Marquette University Law School student blogger Jessica Slavin, and Internet executive Mark Moran can all agree that Wikipedia is helpful in college research but only for basic knowledge, not for sole information. Throughout college, students must do a lot of book and computer research in order to do papers, class work and home work. The computer research is what sc ares professors the most because they know how easy it is for the students to click the first link that comes up on Google-Wikipedia.These students seem to get all of their information from the website, which can be edited by anonymous sources at any time. This means that the information is not always correct which can be frustrating to professors. â€Å"As someone who's been there and done the grading thing, I can tell you that when a professor flips to your Works Cited page and glances over your list of sources, a page full of Wikipedia entries is going to spark a frenzy of eye-rolling and red pen† (Meister).College students not only have to worry about having the wrong information in their school work, but also need to consider Wikipedia in their future careers. They must ask themselves how they should use it and the proper way to use it without hurting themselves. For example, law student Jessica Slavin had stated she was only going to use Wikipedia for background informa tion. â€Å"I will admit that I sometimes read a Wikipedia entry if I want background information about a topic. I do not think, though, that I would cite an entry as proof of anything in court† (Slavin).Wikipedia can be useful at times for background information about a topic, however, it can not be trusted because you are never sure who is writing it, if it is from a reliable source, or if the information is completely accurate. In Mark Moran’s blog about how Wikipedia is not reliable he makes one important point on why it should not be trusted for sole information. â€Å"In March 2009, Irish student Shane Fitzgerald, who was conducting research on the internet and globalization of information, posted a fake quotation on the Wikipedia article about recently deceased French composer Maurice Jarre.Due to the fact that the quote was not attributed to a reliable source, it was removed several times by editors, but Fitzgerald continued re-posting it until it was allowed to remain† (Moran). Moran is making the point that it is the contributor with the strongest agenda who â€Å"wins† and it is not always the one with the most correct information, which makes the site less reliable. For many years, Wikipedia has been known as an unreliable source and to be unused in school, although, it can be useful at times for basic information.Throughout college, students use Wikipedia as a main source which is giving them the wrong information in papers, class work, and school work, which is extremely frustrating for the professors to see. The students need to consider their future and if they would use Wikipedia as a primary source when they are at their future careers. College students should be allowed to use Wikipedia, but only as a basic information source in order to get background knowledge on a topic.

The Enemy Within

Juan Conde Professor Muniz 19 November 2012 English 67 The Enemy Within Throughout life everyone is forced to face their own worst enemy and will have a lot of trouble confronting and dealing with them that worst enemy will always be themselves. This enemy brings many problems and inner conflicts that are difficult to solve. Everyone has their own way of coping with these problems, some more critical than others. In the book Drugstore Cowboy, by James Fogle, the main character Bob deals with this dichotomy in different was throughout the book and his two sides are very easily differentiated.Throughout the book Bob is faced with difficult decisions and has the choice of either being that humane and caring man or the cruel and manipulative man that he can be. As he is making these decisions Bob has to not only think of the situation but also make sure that his crew is safe or if he needs to use them. Bob is a very complex individual with two conflicting sides to him, one that is used t o show his humane and caring nature and the other is used to intimidate or manipulate people. Deep down, Bob is a caring and humane man.He protects his crew with his life; he puts himself on the line for his crew and for the people he cares about like his mother and Diane. This side of Bob is made very clear when he visits his mother and shows her nothing but respect and he even shows some humility when speaking to her. When Bob’s mom exclaims that Bob is a thief he replies, â€Å"Jesus, Mama, when have I ever stole anything from your house? Name me one thing I ever took from you without telling you? Just name me one thing? † (Fogle58). The way he replies and speaks to his mother shows that he has the outmost respect for her, his way of talking to his mother shows humility.When speaking with his mother he always calls her mama or mom; he never called her by her first name or by anything else. Bob also shows a lot of submissiveness when he is with his mom, it seems like he still feels like a little kid when he talks or confronts her. Bob would do anything for his wife, Diane. Bob loved Diane; when he first met her he felt like she wasn’t like other woman. Bob took Diane cross-roading but had the intentions of stealing her car, instead he fell for her. Fogle comes to explain how Bob felt about Diane, â€Å"Bob loved Diane body and soul by then.Even narcotics had never brought him the pleasure and satisfaction that Diane did back then â€Å"(166). It seems like Bob is truly a caring and humane person because of how he felt and still feels about Diane. Bob seems to put Diane before himself subconsciously he might not want people to see how much he really cares about her but deep down she means everything to him, he will defend her as much as he can. It also seems that Bob only wants to keep Diane happy but he thinks that the only way he can do that is with narcotics.Bob seems to always try to hide how he feels about the people close to him b ecause he is scared that something might happen to them and he just wants them to be safe and out of harm’s way; he is truly a caring and protective individual. On the other hand Bob can also be a very maniacal and manipulative, he can even seem inhuman and cruel; he uses any means necessary to obtain what he is after, he finds a way to manipulate and control people to make his plans go how he wants. Bob will use people to control a situation to go in his favor without any resentment about what happens to the other people.Bob show his manipulative side when he told his crew: â€Å"I just wrote the narcos and anonymously told them that the reason they could never catch Bob Hughes for possession of narcotics was that he had an arrangement with the guy that lived on the north side of him†(Fogle 82). Bob doesn’t seem to have any problem using people to get what he wants he doesn’t seem to have a conscience. Most of Bob’s actions show how he is a manipu lative man, he uses people in order achieve what he wants. Bob would go through any means necessary in order to get whatever he wants.Through Bob’s actions it seems that he is nothing but a selfish man that only cares about what he will receive from the situation. It seems that Bob only wants to do only what he will benefit from; he doesn’t seem to care about anything or anyone else. Bob is also cruel and inhumane towards his own crew. When Bob walks into the room after an attempt to get drugs he sees Nadine’s dead body and a hat on the bed; he then pays more attention and is more worried about having a hat on the bed than Nadine being dead. After seeing Rick balling and crying over her â€Å"Bob shook his head in disgust. ’She beat you, man.Your own woman beat you out of part of your own cut on a score. She got what she deserves’† (Fogle 134). This shows how Bob not only doesn’t care about what happened to her, but also he has been d esensitized to death, he only cares about the fact that she wasted the drugs and left them with the burden of having to get rid of a dead body. Bob only sees that because he feels like she cheated them out of the drugs and they can’t do anything about it. Bob also seems to react this way because of how Nadine has acted in the past, she would complain a lot and always wanted more than she could handle.Throughout the book Bob shows that he can and will use and manipulate people into doing what he wants so that he gets what he wants and whatever it is he has been working for. In both scenes Bob shows how he can get into people’s heads and make sure that they do whatever he wants them to do to achieve whatever he wants. Life is full of nothing but conflicts and difficult situations and everyone has their own way of dealing with them. Throughout the book, Drugstore Cowboy, Bob is put through various difficult situations which he handles in one of two ways: being a humane an d caring man or being a manipulative and maniacal man.Bob is depicted as both a caring and maniacal man in the sense that he cares a lot about his crew but also if the situation calls for it he will not care at all for them. Bob will manipulate anyone who gets in his way of obtaining what he wants, but he cares for those close to him but will sometimes even use them in order to get what he wants. Bob has a very complex way of living and thinking and it is showed in various ways throughout the book. Work Cited Fogle, James. Drugstore Cowboy. New York: Dell Publishing, 1990. Print.