Stephen King Essays (Examples)

Stephen King's Works as a Reflection of

Stephen King's orks as a Reflection of Today's Society

Stephen King is one of the most successful writers today. He has published hundreds of works, including novels, novellas, and short stories. Many of his works have been turned into movies that have proved just as popular. Is this simply because he is a good writer or simply because he writes horror? Considering that there are many other writers of horror that haven't experienced anywhere near the popularity, it is suggested that there is something more to the work of Stephen King. A consideration of his work will show that his popularity is closely linked to today's society. In fact, his work can be considered a reflection of today's society, showing what modern society wants to read and think about, showing the concrete issues that concern people, and showing how people want to explore, understand, and overcome the deep psychological struggles…… [Read More]

Stephen King- Short Stories Stephen

" (quoted in Matthews: 1982)

Gray Matter similarly deals with addiction. However in this case there are two protagonists, one is a victim of addiction and the other may become a victim of this victim. Henry is the person who owns a local store from where ichie's son buys beers for his father. ichie is a recluse who is living on disability funds. He is completely confined to his room and rarely ever comes out. No one has seen him for years. The only person who knows about his current state is his son. The little boy tells Henry how ichie has turned into an abominable blob of flesh consuming beer and dead cats. Once this is known, Henry and other local men decide to deliver beer to ichie themselves. When the reach his apartment, they smell a strong stench. When ichie steps out, everyone gasps in horror as they…… [Read More]

Stephen King's Carrie as a

The supernatural in Carrie is real and is expressed primarily through Carrie's supernatural powers. This power, telekinesis, is presented in a very realistic form in the novel, presenting us with a fear that is real as well as supernatural. For example, King accentuates the supernatural with realism with an excerpt from an article printed in the Tulane University Press that writes that Carrie's "ability to move objects by effort of the will alone comes to the fore only in moments of extreme personal stress" (5). The unique powers, while real, cannot be explained scientifically. This type of supernatural power isolates Carrie socially because they are so real they are horrifying and this synthesis frightens us.

The fantastical and supernatural are born from Carrie's natural experience and, apparently, heredity. e read that she was the unfortunate "victim of her mother's religious mania. e know she possessed a latent telekinetic talent" (89).…… [Read More]

Stephen Kings The Outsider Persuasive Argument

Stephen King’s The Outsider: A Persuasive Argument
Introduction
The Outsider is a well-written book with exiting and unexpected turns and twists. The book has several well-developed themes. In my opinion, however, the central theme of the story is the rational man’s inability to believe that which does not conform to reality – the inability to believe in the supernatural. It is important to note that one of the most celebrated traits of the modern man is rationality. In basic terms, rationality could be conceptualized as the ability to rely on logic or reason in decision making. This effectively means that from a rational perspective, anything that does not conform to reason and logic cannot be accepted. We all start off in life having outrageous beliefs and fantasies. For instance, as kids we believe in the tooth-fairy and regard Father Christmas as a real benevolent person. These are beliefs we outgrow…… [Read More]

Stephen King's the Stand

Stand, by Stephen King [...] personal response to the novel. "The Stand" is a disturbing book that recounts the story of survivorship, new worlds, and man's inhumanity.

THE STAND

Stephen King's "The Stand" is a chilling story about a virulent flu virus that is especially chilling today as the SARS virus makes headlines around the world. Stephen King is a noted horror writer who has written numerous books. This novel was first published in 1991, and has been made into a mini-series. King's books are wildly popular, and this book was no exception. It ranks as the 2,697 most sold book on the Amazon.com web site, and had been released in numerous hard and soft cover editions, including a "complete and uncut" version that numbers 1168 pages. The original version was published in 1978, and numbered 823 pages, so clearly the newer version contains much more material, making it more…… [Read More]

Salem's Lot Stephen King's Novel

Thus, Mears emerges as an altruist. Mark Petrie is a lot like Ben in his earnest desire to rid the Lot of the vampires. Both Mark Petrie and Ben Mears could have fled the Lot long before tackling the Marsten House. Kurt Barlow is one of the novel's most one-dimensional characters. The head vampire, Barlow is wholly without morals. He feeds only to sustain himself, is concerned only with his own needs, and does not feel any remorse for causing pain or suffering.

Stephen King does not use just blood and gore to convey horror. Although icky and creepy elements do add nuance and amusement to King's work, what makes Salem's Lot a remarkable work of fiction is the author's command of timing and suspense. The novel captures readers' attention because of its multiple layers of horror. First, King establishes Salem's Lot as a vampire story. Vampires are archetypes deep…… [Read More]

Compare and Contrast of Foer and Stephen King

Foer vs. King

The author of this report has been asked to assess one body of work thorugh the lens of someone else's perspective. The work that will ultimately be assessed will be On riting as written by Stephen King. The person whose lens will be used to assess Mr. King's treatise will be Joshua Foer. Specifically, the work Moonwalking with Einstein will be the prism and lens that will be used to assess and describe what is being manifested in King's work. Of course, the main premise of Foer's work was the "art and science of remember everything," as clearly stated by the subtitle of the book. The work of Foer will be described through some recitation and summary of his work and those quote and ideas will then be applied to the work of King when he wrote his memoir. hile the human brain absolutely has limitations, it…… [Read More]

King's the Man in the Black Suit

King's The Man In The lack Suit

The modern concept of self, and the human trait of self-awareness, have been a part of humanity since recorded history -- as has the notion of good and evil, although clearly on a sliding scale. However, it was not until the Middle Ages that the concept of the self in relation to the choices of good and evil coalesced, moving away from the supernatural "the devil made me do it," and allowing for personal responsibility. That did not change the idea that the human individual always has a choice in their path -- the euphemistic fork in the road -- do we choose good, or do we choose evil? Stephen King's short story, The Man in the lack Suit, is a modern retelling of this conflict, albeit not in the traditional manner (King). King's Devil is more like his own Randy Flagg than…… [Read More]

King David History Symbolism and

" Further, as previously stated, in the Jewish tradition, it is believed that the Messiah (whom Christians believe is Jesus), must be a descendent of David's line.

The New Testament in fact introduces Jesus as the son of David and of Abraham (Mt. 1:1). Further, in the Gospel of Luke, he describes how Mary, the mother of Jesus, was descended from King David through one of his sons, Nathan. This leads contemporary Christians to believe that Jesus is the prophesied messiah, as well as the rightful king of Israel.

It is interesting that Jesus, despite the fact of David's obviously sinful nature, follows him in matters of conduct. Indeed, the reader notes that Christ used the actions of the pre-descent David as justification for his own (Luke 6:1-5) concerning the eating of wheat from the fields on the Sabbath. (McCall, 1999). However, even more interesting than David's use as a…… [Read More]

Stephen Rushing 461-35-0813 the Five-Years Between 1997

Stephen Rushing (461-35-0813)

The five-years between 1997 and 2002 were a financial and emotional roller coaster for me - a true rags-to-riches-to-rags journey of self-discovery. Almost overnight, my life was transformed from that of a typical undergraduate to that of a celebrated Austin-area dot-com guru and millionaire. I fell from this gilded perch as the Internet industry's long winter of discontent began. I finally hit rock bottom in August 2002, when I briefly found myself homeless.

My journey began when I discovered the Wall Street Journal in my high school economics class. During college, I successfully interviewed for a Merrill Lynch internship. Initially, being around those serious business people was intimidating, but I was determined to make the most of the opportunity. I worked about twenty hours per week, in addition to my regular coursework. At first, I disliked cold calling strangers, but success required learning how to make a…… [Read More]

Pet Semetary King Stephen Pet

Gage, Louis' son, also goes through a profound change, beginning the novel as an innocent young boy, and then, after he is resurrected after being hit by a car, changing into a strange, zombie-like creature who kills and partially eats his own death-denying mother, as he is now possessed with an ancient Indian spirit, a Wendigo.

Pet Semetary blends the horror of the everyday with the horror of the supernatural. The central protagonists of the novel first experience terrible events in their lives that can afflict all of us like the death of a pet or a child. Then, the supernatural and the foreign intervene in their lives, first in the form of dreams, then through the force of the Indian burial ground. Everyone wants someone who has died to 'come back,' but the novel demonstrates that it is impossible for things to be as they once were, in a…… [Read More]

Stephen Greenblatt's Will in the

Greenblatt also provides us with some thought into what be hidden in Shakespeare's strange epitaph. Perspective is also gleaned on many of Shakespeare's works, including the Merchant of Venice, Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear IV. He also goes into how Shakespeare only had one rival, Christopher Marlowe until 1957, when Ben Johnson emerged. The two men were similarly in age and envy. The two men "circled warily, watching with intense attention, imitating, and then attempting to surpass each other" (256). Here we see how healthy competition can spur talent. Additionally, Greenblatt delves into some of the mysterious aspects of Shakespeare's life with a convincing perspective. His marriage to Anne Hathaway is viewed fairly. Shakespeare's early marriage years and why he left for London are still elusive but Greenblatt attempts to ferret out some of the more popular theories regarding these issues. That Shakespeare did, for all intents and purposes, abandon…… [Read More]

Hawking Stephen William The Universe in a

Hawking, Stephen William. The Univese in a Nutshell. New Yok: Bantam, 2001.

The espected physicist Stephen W. Hawking attempts to intoduce the aveage laypeson to the physical pinciples of the mateial univese in his book entitled The Univese in a Nutshell. Hawking is pehaps best known to the wold as the late 20th centuy's most compelling image of pue scientific genius, as Albet Einstein was the most compelling image of genus fo scientific aficionados duing the fist half of the 20th centuy. Of couse, Hawking took issue with some of Einstein's basic concepts. Hawking is famous fo this bit of scientific daing. Hawking is also famous fo possessing a billiant mind, encased in a body that has unfotunately been sticken by a teible neuological condition that paalyzes his ability to feely move and speak -- although, as this book makes clea, not to wite.

The Univese in a Nutshell is…… [Read More]

Henry of Huntingdon Kings Are Weak

Henry of Huntingdon

Kings are weak: this is the impression one gets from reading the twelfth century English historian Henry of Huntingdon, particularly in his astonishing summary of the troubled reign of King Stephen -- for which, Diana Greenway tells us, Henry's is "the only complete contemporary account"[footnoteRef:0]. Stephen's reign was a time of low-level civil war -- which would last for over a decade -- and ultimately would raise serious questions about the legitimacy of the English monarchy. The portion of his chronicle that presents Stephen's reign, Henry makes it clear that Stephen's own accession to the throne, the ongoing issue of his legitimacy while he ruled, and the bizarre circumstances which lead to Stephen's being forced to acknowledge his female cousin's son, Henry of Anjou, as his heir. But to Henry of Huntingdon, Stephen stands an emblem of the overall weakness of kings in this time period, and…… [Read More]

Texas History Stephen Austin 1793-1836 Is Known

Texas History

tephen Austin (1793-1836) is known as the Father of Texas because he was instrumental in leading the second and ultimately successful colonization of the region by U.. settlers. His name is on a number of streets, schools, parks, and Texas tate facilities. Based on the text, though, and the way that historical figures tend to become more mythic as their legend grows, I wondered about different points-of-view surround Austin and even the legality and morality of the Texas annexation.

I was surprised that initially Austin was reluctant to accept his Father's empresarial grant after he died, having to be persuaded by his mother. The situation, it seemed, was quite complex. Mexico granted land parcels under one government, and then changed the rules under another. I was also surprised that Austin supported anta Anna, who would ultimately become his enemy. Essentially, if one takes off the myth, it appears…… [Read More]

Fallacies Stephen Colbert's Opening Monologue

Next, Colbert skewers Donald Trump. In his role as a conservative newscaster, Colbert begins with feigned outrage that Trump is not running "ho is going to tell OPEC the fun is over?" he cries when Trump is shown making his announcement that he is not running for the presidency. Colbert mocks Trump's hyperbolic self-promotion with his own hyperbole. Additionally, this is another example of how Colbert's deliberate, humorous false analogies reveal the sloppy thinking and fallacies of his subjects of ridicule. Trump had recently created a smokescreen or 'red herring' issue by crying out for President Obama's birth certificate, a non-issue except amongst members of the extreme right.

Then, Colbert shows a clip of former Reagan screenwriter Peggy Noonan endorsing Newt Gingrich as a 'new voice for a new generation.' Colbert states that Noonan is last generation's news herself, noting that young people, watching her speak, are probably wondering: "ho…… [Read More]

Odwalla According to the Seattle-King

Instituting these measures showed that the company was vitally interested in not only maintaining the company's integrity, professionalism and reputation but also in ensuring that the problems never arose again. Other methods initiated by the company included a program that would test heat cleaning of apples that would kill the bacteria while not affecting the taste of the apples. The company also introduced a process of cleaning and decontamination called "flash pasteurization, which "would guarantee that E-coli had been destroyed whilst leaving the best flavoured juice possible." (Companies 2005).

Some experts wonder why the company did not use the pasteurization method before the outbreak.

"Pasteurization, which involves heat treatment, would have killed the bacteria in the Odwalla products. Health officials said when people drink non-pasteurized juice, they run the risk of becoming sick. They suggest boiling juice first. But authorities also said most juices sold in stores are safe." (E.…… [Read More]

Horror Literature

hits the bestseller list with Stephen King's name on it, Pet Sematary is a book full of horrors, the kind of book designed to make you draw up your feet and tuck them firmly underneath you while you are reading it just in case anything truly vile should find its way into your home and begin creeping across your floor in search of a tender bit of young, uncooked meat for a snack. King intends to scare us, and it's hard to imagine that anyone could read this book without at least a few episodes of goosebumps. And yet, while the book is certainly a model of competent writing and the effect is certainly spooky, it could have been a much stronger story had it been told from a different perspective. This paper examines the character of Victor Pascow as a way of delving into the important themes in the…… [Read More]

Shawshank Redemption Novella and Film Compare and

Shawshank Redemption Novella and Film Compare and Contrast

The 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption takes it inspiration from the Stephen King novella "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption," the first of four stories collected in his 1982 book Different Seasons. hile the film retains much of the novella's plot and structure, it nonetheless diverges in key areas, such as by adding, cutting, or conflating characters and scenes. The film makes these alterations for a number of reasons, and by examining the differences and similarities between the film and the novella one will be able to understand how casting decisions, time limitations, and an attention to visual drama unique to the film medium informed the major differences between the novella and the subsequent film adaptation.

Before examining the film and novella in greater detail, it will be useful to first address the critical reception of the novella, both as a means…… [Read More]

Seated Fear of the Current State of

seated fear of the current state of culture as witnessed in television programming. He argued that through the evolution of ideas beginning in literature with horror writers such as Stephen King, and seen in the present in reality TV programs, a sadistic mental illness has encapsulated the collective viewing audience. He used examples from current television reality programming to highlight his ideas and present a very dangerous environment for those who choose to engulf their minds in the programming produced by such sources. The author empathetically concludes his article with a plea with his audience to observe National Turn Off Your TV day and enjoy the freedom of a TV-free life.

Essay

I strongly resonate with many of the arguments presented in the writings of Goodspeed (2004) as they identify a disturbing trend within culture and media. The author's ability to summarize many of the problems that are noticeable within…… [Read More]

Glow Worm if You Have Any Questions

Glow Worm

If you have any questions about this paper, please contact our customer service department at Reader's Report

My report is on the book Fire Starter by Stephen King. The book's literary genre is fiction. I picked this particular book to read because I like to read scary stories, and I like the author, Stephen King. I have read some of his other books, too.

The main character of this book is Charlie McGee. She is a little girl who has the incredible power to start fires. I liked Charlie because she is a nice girl, who doesn't want to use her powers to hurt people. Actually, she just wants to try to live a normal life with her father, who has telekinetic powers because he got paid to go through some experiments when he was in college. Charlie is 8 years old in the book, and she is…… [Read More]

Clarity and Accuracy When They

The more you write, the more feedback you get about your writing. This feedback is essential for spotting out the weaknesses in one's writing. It often turns out to be less smooth and clear than it seemed while the writer was writing it. A writer's ability to spot these weaknesses is enabled, of course, by reading a lot of bad writing. The more bad writing a writer reads, the better she gets at editing. However, the novice writer cannot spend too much time trying to avoid these mistakes on the first draft.

The writers who are able to strike the balance between pure creative expression and critical evaluation are what we call good writers. When a writer has written enough good sentences and has organized enough ideas, the principles of style and organization are instilled in their DNA. Every word the writer composes thereafter is shaped by these habits and…… [Read More]

Hero The Definition of Hero

Madam Eglantyne the Nun, is also an ironic charater. She eats in a very refined manner and attempts other fine characteristics such as speaking French, although she fares poorly at this. Ironically, not all her language is pure, as she swears cosntantly by "St. Loy," a saint renowned for not swearing. Unlike the general conception of the Nun, she is very concerned with outward appearances and did not much care for human beings. Indeed, she cared much more for her three dogs than the human beings around her. Another irony is that she has a coral trinket to fight worldly temptations, which is clearly failing badly.

A second character is the Friar, Hubert. While he is jolly, merry, and festive, his actions are nevertheless evil and cunning. He impregnates girls, for example, and marries them off. He deceived the faithful by hearing confessions for a fee, and even begged from…… [Read More]

Jumbled List of Publications From

Ed. Brenda Power Miller, Jeffrey D. ilhelm, and Kelly Chandler. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 1997. 14-21.

- it. New York: Viking Penguin, 1986.

Lilja. "Dollar Babies" 2009. Lilja'sLibrary: The orld of Stephen King. 29 Jan. 2009

Merriman, Scott a. "King Book Signing Scheduled." E-mail to author. 23 April 2008.

Niessen, James P. "Comment for Panel, the Changing Faces of Libraries and Library Services." Journal of the Association for History and Computing. 3.2 (2000, August). 29 Jan. 2009

Power, Brenda Miller, Jeffrey D. ilhelm, and Kelly Chandler. Reading Stephen King: Issues of Censorship, Student Choice, and Popular Literature. Urbana, Ill: NCTE,1997.

Stephenking.com. 29 Jan. 2009 .

Vonnegut, Kurt. Jailbird New York: Dell, 1981.

hite, Ben. "hat Red Ink? all Street Paid Hefty Bonuses." The New York Times 28 Jan. 2009. 29 Jan. 2009

orks Cited Assignment 1… [Read More]

Brief Practice of Preparing an Annotated Bibliography

LUCY'S HOME FOR GIRLS RAISED BY OLVES

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

King, Angela. "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by olves." 4 March 2015. prezi.com. eb. 2 April 2016.

The rhetorical information is that this is a web-based blog dissecting the literary elements of Russell's short story for other literary students and possibly for her professor.

The content is an analysis of the themes of Russell's story and the characters' five stages of: personal freedom; first awkward adaptation to human culture; interaction with "purebreds" and the desire to return to freedom; more comfortable enculturation with the human race; and visit home to her wolf roots.

My evaluation of the source is that this is valuable because the author obviously carefully read and thought about Russell's story and is articulates the main themes and stages of the story.

King, Stephen. "hat Ails the Short Story." New York Times Book Review 30 September 2007:…… [Read More]

Movie Versions of The Green Mile the

movie versions of "The Green Mile"

The Green Mile" is a six-part serial novel by Stephen King, an acclaimed novelist known for his themes of suspense, thriller, and the supernatural. The novel uses Paul Edgecombe, the chief prison guard of Cold Mountain Penitentiary, as the chief narrator of the story. He talks about his life as a prison guard during the Great Depression years, specifically during the year 1932, a year when he met John Coffey, a black American convicted for raping and killing two young girls. Edgecombe shares how his life (and belief) has changed tremendously when he met this particular man, most especially when a "miracle," a supernatural thing that happened to Edgecombe, making him doubt whether Coffey was indeed capable of murder or not. The novel also includes numerous characters that takes the novel an interesting turn, starting from Edgecombe's friends, also prison guards in Cold Mountain,…… [Read More]

Misery the Rhetor for a

Ultimately, the man must fight back and destroy her in order to get back to civilization. The character displays elements of the borderline personality as well as obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Annie ilkes is presented as an obsessive-compulsive personality in the way she keeps her home, in the way she becomes dedicated so thoroughly to this writer and his works (and especially to the one character of Misery, with whom she identifies so closely), and in the expectations she has placed in the past on her patients and now on this particular patient. Davison and Neale identify the obsessive-compulsive personality as a perfectionist, preoccupied with details, rules, schedules, and so on. They state that such people are also work rather than pleasure oriented. They are inflexible, and their interpersonal relationships suffer as a result (Davison and Neale 269-270).

Annie ilkes is seen as obsessive-compulsive in the way everything has to be…… [Read More]

Romantic Monster The Human Within

Yet, we also see that he still does not understand the true origin of the beast -- the human within. The fact that he dies before he is successful, yet the monster obviously goes off to end his own fate, indicates that the evil both originated, and eventually died with him -- the true source from which it sprang.

Victor Hugo's Hunchback: An Illustrative Device

In Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame, there exists a strikingly similar theme -- if different in form. Although it is definitely true that Hugo's famous Quasimodo is a bit more innocuous than the Frankenstein monster, he nonetheless evokes a certain horror if only in appearance. Yet, much like in Shelley's work, Hugo brings out the monster that is human nature within the other character's interactions, motivations, and actions in the story.

There is little question that Hugo fully intended Quasimodo to evoke horror in…… [Read More]

Immersed in the Craft There

Many times, we throw our work away before we give it a chance. e must learn to read our writing as if it is not our own and try to see it from the eyes of someone else that is not emotionally invested in the work. It may sound strange but it is important to become a good reader and the only way to do this is through practice.

If I only had one paragraph in which to convince someone what is necessary to become a better writer, I would tell him or her practice. Nothing can take the place of practice and it takes a lot of practice for one to become good. I would tell them practice on many different styles and to write about many different things. I would tell them to turn off the editor in their brains and just free write for a while. I…… [Read More]

Social Reform

films may have in common are performers, directors or subject matter. The films, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and the Hurricane, have several things in common. All three films follow the results of men wrongly convicted of murder. Two of the films, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, were adapted from original works of the same author, Stephen King. They also were directed by the same person, Frank Darabont. In addition, all three films share something else. They are all films about individuals who have been judged because of the way they look.

In The Green Mile, John Coffey, played by Michael Clarke Duncan, is on death row after being found guilty of murdering two little white girls. The Green Mile is the name given to Coal Mountain Louisiana State Penitentiary's death row. Coffey, a black man, was found with the broken bodies of the two dead girls…… [Read More]

Hume -- Morals Crasto in

Parenting is a challenging occupation. Indeed, how a parent raises his or her child is the cumulative result of the mental and emotional character of the parent, the background of the parent, the financial circumstances of the parent, how the parent was raised as a child, and also the emotional character of the child or the actions of the child. Consider a situation where the parent indulges in corporal punishment. As an action agent, the parent firmly believes that this punishment is of a corrective nature, meant to discipline the child. For the child receiving this punishment, certainly it is momentarily painful. The child might resent the punishment; alternatively, the child might recognize that the punishment is in response to instances of mischief.

The spectator might as the moral purveyor of this scenario might see this as a virtue or a vice. The spectator might believe that the corporal punishment…… [Read More]

John Martin Pulled the Plug on Black

John Martin pulled the plug on Black Sparrow Press. The fact that one more small press bit the dust wouldn't be big news, but for those who believe in the power of symbols and metaphors, Black Sparrow Press going flat-line means the end of an era in the world of publishing. Another literary device that one can attach to its passing is irony, for Black Sparrow, considered one of the leading purveyors of fine writing is now in the hands of Random House which itself long past the days when Bennett Cerf made that Random House synonymous with great literature, is now owned by the kingpin of the sensationalistic media, Rupert Murdoch. For most small presses to be bought out by a big fish like Random House would be a dream come true, but for those who know American literature, the acquisition was nothing short of sacrilege, akin to say…… [Read More]

Tottering Giant by a Whole

Such deep discounts on a type of product responsible for such a large percentage of the company's profits will clearly have a negative effect on the company's profit margin.

Thus one of the corporation's key vulnerabilities at the present time is the competition that it faces for bestselling titles from big box retail stores like Wal-Mart. It shold be noted, however, that this race-to-the-bottom-of-the-price war for bestselling books carries risk for other companies as well, as Surowiecki (2009) describes:

Wal-Mart began by marking down the prices of ten best-sellers -- including the new Stephen King and the upcoming Sarah Palin -- to ten bucks. When Amazon, predictably, matched that price, Wal-Mart went to nine dollars, and, when Amazon matched again, Wal-Mart went to $8.99, at which point Amazon rested. (Target, too, jumped in, leading Wal-Mart to drop to $8.98.) Since wholesale book prices are traditionally around fifty per cent off…… [Read More]

Spirits Subtext Context and Other

Class struggles are one type of such instability, and this instability is hinted at again and again throughout the novel. Esteban's rape of one of the servants at the hacienda is indicative of the subjugation and authority that exists within the household, and the fact that this union ends up resulting in a child can be seen as indicative of the generative power of such a power and class structure. This child also ends up having a child, however, and the grandson of this class rape completes the cycle of violence by imprisoning and raping Esteban's granddaughter, showing a new type of class dominance that is representative of the equal evils yet changed perspective of the socialist/Communist regimes.

Gender Struggles and Female Power/Independence

Another very evident strain throughout the House of Spirits, and one that can be seen in both instances of rape along with may other events and details…… [Read More]

Artifact for the Future I

I would say that while the world seems like a smaller place, there are still problems and people still act the way they always have. There are still diseases we cannot cure and people still die. I would say that the one disease that began some 30 years ago in the 1980s has finally taken hold of the majority of the population.

I would talk about how AIDS was once GRID and how heterosexuals thought they were safe but now everyone is a carrier. It is like the plague was back in its day, I would say. I would include pictures of empty neighborhoods, of houses falling apart because money for the medical bills does not allow for upkeep of any kind. I would show empty offices and buildings. There would be pictures of huge offices with no one at the desks. I would include pictures of doctor's offices filled…… [Read More]

Era of Women's Rights and

In Iran, the American-backed Shah had become increasingly unpopular throughout the 1970s. The Shah fled Iran in 1979, finding temporary refuge in the United States. Religious extremist Ayatollah Khomeni easily filled Iran's political and social need for a backlash against American interventionism.

Iran's 1979 Revolution had a major impact on its relationship with the United States and with the rest of the world. hereas the Shah had guaranteed a steady supply of oil to the United States in exchange for "economic and military aid," the Ayatollah Khomeni did not ("The Hostage Crisis in Iran"). The situation created a second oil crisis and subsequent inflation. Moreover, the Iranian Revolution soured American relations with the nation when on November of 1979, Iranian militants "stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran and took approximately seventy Americans captive," ("The Hostage Crisis in Iran"). The hostage scenario symbolized the rise of terrorism and specifically, anti-American…… [Read More]

Guts to Cut -- it

However, there are some techniques that I have found help me, even when feeling less than motivated.

First, before even starting the writing project, create a simple outline. For me, the idea of the five-paragraph theme can be expanded to meet most any assignment: that is a topic, then at least three supporting paragraphs, perhaps one that compares and contrasts. Then, I have learned to do a synopsis that will allow me to still be creative, but redo individual paragraphs and/or scenes that support what I have already written. Then, I was reading a blog awhile ago and the person said the best way to proof and get a sense about spelling, grammar and the drugeries of writing was to read backwards. Then, anything odd pops out.

I also learned that the best way to learn writing is two-fold: just do it, and read more. For some reason, many people…… [Read More]

Boston Photographs Nora Ephron's Boston Photographs Do

Boston Photographs

Nora Ephron's Boston Photographs:

Do Pictures Tell the Most Important Part of the Story?

In "Boston Photographs," writer Nora Ephron makes a case supporting the decision by newspaper editors to print a photo trilogy showing the tragic moments leading up to the death of a young mother. At the time the photos were printed, in over four hundred newspapers across the nation, there was great controversy. eaders expressed in phone calls and letters to the editor. Some editors chose not to print the photos at all.

Ephron argued that since death is part of life, readers should not be sheltered from it. She asked why photos from fatal car accidents show the wrecked vehicles and not the victims. Mangled steel is worthless; a human life is priceless. Why not capture on film the loss of that which is truly precious?

The so-named "Boston Photographs" were taken in 1975…… [Read More]

Diaz's Examination of Culture Clashes and Identities

Diaz's Examination Of Culture: Clashes And Identities

Diaz's Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is a combination of cultural experiences and influences that are as rich and imaginative as the stories the book contains. Within the main character, Oscar, lies the power to both transcend definition of culture and become victim or prey of a specific culture's stereotypes and norms. Oscar is an obese, alienated person within his own culture, but he is drawn out of his personal problems and violent existence within the Dominican dictatorship through his love of escapist literature and stories. Oscar even refers to himself as a "victim of fuku americanus," or the "Curse of the New World." (Diaz, 2007). This is an integral idea within the novel and helps to shape the cultural struggles that are contained within it.

Throughout this entire voyage through Oscar's life, author Diaz explores the mixture of cultures, languages, and ideas…… [Read More]

Music Art and Literature

Music, Art, Literature Trends

From impressionism to pop art, jazz to hip hop, science fiction to beat poetry, artistic, musical, and literary expressions have varied considerably between 1870 and 2005. The period between the end of the nineteenth century to the current day can be generally described as the modern and postmodern eras. The beginning of the modern era, during the final decades of the nineteenth century, coincided with the Industrial evolution. Along with fascination with modern technology and optimism for the future came simultaneous disillusionment. However, modern technological advancements have made such widespread creativity possible. Social and political trends have also influenced creative endeavors, and vice-versa. Art, music, and literature are more accessible and more possible to create than they ever were in the past. The modern era has been characterized by an overall flourishing of the expressive arts, but some trends have a more lasting significance than others.…… [Read More]

Four 4 Letters

Josh,

Thank you so much for your gift! I was just finishing up a Stephen King book and was hoping to find something good to read after that. I've heard so much about The DaVinci Code and have been meaning to check it out. I'm not sure I would have ever gotten around to buying a copy for myself so I really appreciate your gesture.

You have always seemed to know exactly what I want. I guess we have shared some of the same interests since childhood. Do you remember when we thought that empty house across the street from me was haunted? I remember watching it for an hour at a time, sure that we saw a ghost in the window. It was really creepy. I heard some family moved in there recently. I wonder if the ghosts are bothering them?

Anyway, I'm already halfway done with The DaVinci…… [Read More]

Assigned Readings

American Literature

Listen to Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God preached. Discuss in the discussion group.

Jonathan Edwards gives us a perfect example of the Calvinist beliefs of the Puritan settlers in early New England. Edwards studied theology at Yale University -- where today there is still a dormitory named after him -- but then became a noteworthy preacher in the Great Awakening, which exhorted an entire generation to renew their Christian faith. Edwards' skill in preaching lies in using literary imagery to get across abstract theological concepts. Calvinist theology believes in "total depravity" -- in other words, because of Adam and Eve eating the apple, human beings are fallen, and stained with "original sin." The most memorable image in Edwards' sermon -- the image of the spider being held over a fiery pit -- is meant to be a metaphor to enable the listener to imagine how…… [Read More]

Economic Self-Interest Alone Has Propelled

nytimes.com/2006/05/02/books/02bett.html [26 Apr 2013]]

The main criticism levied against Kinzer's work is the question: where was the American public during these escapades? After all, if America is a democracy, do they not have responsibility for their leaders' actions? Sadly, they cheered their leaders on, or ignored what was being done in the name of their nation. "Only briefly does Kinzer touch upon the U.S. citizens who questioned government tactics in foreign land… Unfortunately, leaders - describing their motivation as benevolence and a desire to liberate the oppressed - have learned how to win popular support for even the most outrageous regime change, and U.S. citizens repeatedly fall for the bait."[footnoteRef:12] [12: Susan Froetschel, "Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq," [Review], Yale Global Online, 2006. http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/about/overthrow.jsp [26 Apr 2013]]

ibliography

etts, Richard K. "A century of intervention, regarded with a cold eye." The New York Times.

2…… [Read More]

Joyce Within James Joyce's Portrait

Mulligan keenly notices features of Stephen's obsession when he mockingly calls him "O, shade of Kinch the elder! Japhet in search of father!" Partially, his argument for Shakespeare's autobiographical tendencies is seeded by his own frustration in his search for paternal links.

Out of this, Stephen's rejection of the Irish renaissance is significant because he wishes to judge himself against the backdrop of classical standards. "In our case, Stephen has 'entered into a competition' with Shakespeare by making himself a companion to the model of Shakespeare and placing himself, as much as he can by means of lecturing, next to the model of Shakespeare." So the contention that Shakespeare's plays are autobiographical, by being a particularly unique argument, if successful, would forever attach the name Dedalus to Shakespeare -- thus, his intellectual roots would be fundamentally defined to the external world. Notably, this would remain true regardless of Stephen's recognition…… [Read More]

Habits of Highly Effective People

" Independent will is defined by Covey as "the ability to make decisions and choices and to act in accordance with them. It is the ability to act, rather than be acted upon" (148). This goes back to Covey's original principle regarding being proactive.

hile the ideas of being proactive and prioritizing are widely accepted as essential parts of effective management, where Covey seems to go off track a bit in this chapter is his downgrading of the importance of efficiency. Covey believes that there is too much focus on efficiency and not enough focus on developing rich relationships. This may very well be the case, but in today's technology-driven environment, efficiency is king, and it is highly unlikely that it will be dethroned anytime soon.

here Covey's model does make sufficient sense for the working world of the 21st century is in regard to prioritizing. Certainly not a new…… [Read More]

Shawshank Redemption Summary of the Novel the

Shawshank edemption

Summary of the Novel

The Shawshank edemption is concentrating on the challenges that an innocent man endures while he is in prison. This is accomplished in the intro through showing how Andy Dufresne is arrested for the double murder of his wife and her lover. During the trial, he has no chance to have his views heard. Instead, he is convicted of both crimes and sentenced to life in prison. (King)

The rising action is taking place when Dufresne is sent to Shawshank Prison. During this time, he is exposed to the brutality of prison life by being constantly raped and beaten from gang known as the Sisters. At the same time, he has no friends and no one seems to care about what happens to him. This is when Dufresne is selected to work on the roof of a nearby building. (King)

During this time, Andy hears…… [Read More]

Daughters in Literature Requires a Thorough Analysis

Daughters in literature requires a thorough analysis of gender roles and norms. The concept of daughter is directly linked to gender roles, as being a daughter entails specific social and familial responsibilities. Daughters' rights, roles, and responsibilities vis-a-vis their male siblings can therefore become a gendered lens, which is used to read literature. This is true even when the daughters in question are not protagonists. For example, Sonya in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment is not a protagonist but her supportive role has a tremendous impact on main character Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov. Likewise, no one of King Lear's three daughters is the play's protagonist but they nevertheless propel the plot of the play and are central to its outcome. Virginia oolf's To the Lighthouse barely features any of the Ramsay daughters, and yet there are ample textual references to the role of daughters in families and correspondingly, the role of…… [Read More]

John 5 13-21 Passage -- John

Gnostics believed that they belonged to the "true church" of an elect few who were worthy; the orthodox Christians would not be saved because they were blind to the truth.

Part E -- Content - if we then combine the historical outline of the "reason" for John's writings with the overall message, we can conclude that there are at least five major paradigms present that are important in a contextual analysis of John.

John 5:13 - I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This seems to point that John saw a clear difference between those who believed in Jesus as the Son of God, but were unsure about eternal life. However, if we look back at other parts of his Gospel, we do find repetition of this theme. In John 1:5-7,…… [Read More]

Education Throughout the World There

Nearly all failing schools fit this description (Six Secrets of School Success 2000)." If a country is to overcome educational problems, they must take into account the mentality that poverty creates and how that mentality deteriorates the wherewithal to do well in school.

Although poverty is the issue that affects most underachieving schools, the idea of the super head was conceived as the answer to poorly performing schools. According to Marshall (2001), recruiting exceptional headmasters to improve schools was begun with what was once known as the Hammersmith County School (Marshall, 2001). The local authority school was located in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (Marshall, 2001). The neighboring schools were grant maintained and church schools (Marshall, 2001). The Hammersmith School was being closed because of poor results and OFSTED reports (Marshall, 2001). However, instead of closing the school the administration decided to reopen it and called it the…… [Read More]

Ulysses Relationships in Ulysses to

For the first several years of one's life, their mother and father are their world. These first relationships occur at a time when the tiny human is learning the basic of their environment and how to respond to it. A child learns much of their early actions by imitating the role models around them. The relationship that exists between a child and each of their parents will set the tone for how they deal with other relationships that they encounter throughout their life.

In Chapter One we discover that our hero has "issues" with his paternal and his maternal relationship. These relationships overshadow almost any other conflict in the story at this time. It is apparent through Stephen's interactions with Mulligan and Haines that he did not have a strong paternal figure to model. He reacts in a rather passive manner. One must remember that this chapter takes place in…… [Read More]

Extra-Credit Questions on Readings There Are Different

Extra-Credit Questions

Questions on Readings

There are different kinds of peril that a person can find himself (in this case) in, and Macready and Macon Detornay find themselves embedded in several of them, in large measure because of their own actions, including their own attitudes about the position that they hold in the world in which they spend their lives. Detornay is more clearly culpable for the problems in which he finds himself because these are dangers into which he places himself. Lacking what he perceives to be an authentic life, he casts off the superficial markers of the community in which he has been raised and to which his life has accommodated him, he pretends that he can live a more authentic life by becoming what he sees as an urban black. Not only does this place him at occasional physical risk but on a consistent basis in moral…… [Read More]

Interventionism From the Perspective of Realism vs

interventionism from the perspective of realism vs. idealism. Realism is defined in relationship to states national interests whereas idealism is defined in relation to the UNs Responsibility to Protect doctrine -- a doctrine heavily influenced by Western rhetoric over the past decade. By addressing the question of interventionism from this standpoint, by way of a case study of Libya and Syria, a picture of the realistic implications of "humanitarian intervention" becomes clear. Idealistically, humanitarian interventionism is a process that stops atrocities and establishes peace and prosperity. Realistically, interventionism allows Western businesses to reap the spoils of destabilization -- as has been seen in Libya with the Libyan oil fields being claimed by Western oil companies -- and as is being seen in Syria, with the threat of invasion bound to have detrimental effects on the construction of a new pipeline that bypasses the Turkey-Israel pipeline. Syria also presents itself as…… [Read More]

Francis Bacon's Advancement of Learning an Analysis

Francis Bacon's Advancement Of Learning

An Analysis of Bacon's Rationale for riting the Advancement of Learning

hen one analyzes Francis Bacon's Advancement of Learning, he does so by first entering into an era that was primarily dedicated to overthrowing the Learning of the past -- that is to say, it was breaking with the old world and advancing the new. That old world was one of scholasticism, with men like Thomas Aquinas incorporating Aristotelian philosophy into the medieval world and using the pagan to prove the Christian. It was a world where religious truths were accepted on the authority of the Church, and a world where that authority was still in place and still in power. In the 14th century that authority would begin to corrupt (with the papacy's abduction and removal to Avignon) and the natural catastrophe that was the Black Plague. These events (though soon over) left their…… [Read More]

Passover Theme an Analysis of

The Jews, of course, were as antagonistic to hearing Stephen preach the life of Christ as they were to Christ Himself -- ho is the way of salvation, and hom they have rejected. Stephen's speech is fiery and full of love and fury -- love for Christ, fury for the Jews who rejected Him: "You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised." (Here Stephen as much as says, "You are not real Jews. Real Jews would have recognized their Redeemer.) "You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!" The reaction of the Jews is to stone Stephen to death. Stephen accepts his martyrdom and dies as Christ died, with a prayer for his persecutors -- and out of that prayer comes (through the mercy of God) the conversion of St. Paul.

In conclusion, "we may say that perseverance as a Christian is the only…… [Read More]

Price Beauty 'For Though Beauty Is Seen

Price Beauty?

'For though beauty is seen and confessed by all, yet, from the many fruitless attempts to account for the cause of its being so, enquiries on this head have almost been given up"

illiam Hogarth, The Analysis of Beauty, (1753)

Not very encouraging words, but if the great artist illiam Hogarth felt himself up to the task, we can attempt at least to follow his lead. That beauty is enigmatic goes almost without saying. Different ages, different cultures, and even different individuals, will have their own definitions of "beauty." The problem is more than skin deep. Any term that can be so widely and irregularly employed is bound to trap the casual researcher ... Or reader ... Or viewer ... Or for that matter, any other human being who attempts to define what is and what is not "beauty." People, places, things -- even ideas dreams -- can…… [Read More]

Trainbands Those That Were Early

Free grazers were the ones that utilized this land in order to feed their cattle throughout the way to the cattle markets which were located in Kansas. Many of the settlers were inspired to bring some kind of settlement to this area by the government which in no time started making aggressions among the grazers and settlers. The grazers were not fond of them at all due to them taking away the grasslands and then putting up fences made of barbwire which in return restricted where the cattle would be able to roam. Therefore, the grazers would cut graze and fence upon the terrestrial of the colonist. These actions would then guide to a person shooting another individual for some crime they did. Since there was no state to rule, the ruling was taken up by local vigilante crowds.

Section 3

At the set of the revolutionary ar the Army…… [Read More]

Henry IV Part 1

Henry IV is a fifteenth century play set in England. The political condition in England is edgy: King Henry IV is dead, his son, the youthful King Henry the V, assumes throne. More than a few harsh civil conflicts leave people of England agitated and disgruntled. In addition, gaining the English peoples respect, Henry has to live his wild adolescent past. The peak of war finds the English less prepared as compared to the French. The English win the battle, and the French admit defeat at last. Dialogue works out: Henry marries the French Kings daughter Catherine; this implies that Henrys son will be King of France, as the marriage unites both kingdoms.

The play Henry IV, Part 1 begins when King Henry tries to bring peace in England. His speech at the start of the play extremely alludes to a civil warless England. On the other hand, this self-actualized…… [Read More]

Texas History

German Influences on Texas Culture

If one has lived in Texas for any length of time, they will realize immediately that the Texas culture is influenced by German culture in a number of ways. Modern day Texas culture would not exist as it does today if it were not for German influence. Today Texas culture can be described as a blending of German and Texas traditions. Though German culture is not the only culture that has impacted the Texas of today, it is often considered one of the most significant influences historically.

Whether one examines the architectural landscape of the towns and cities, examines the art and music or simply talks with many of the German descendants living in Texas, one must immediately acknowledge the significant influence the German people have had on the development of Texas as known today. In early Texas history German influence was widespread, often comprising…… [Read More]

Plato vs De Tocqueville -- the Ideal

Plato vs. De Tocqueville -- The ideal vs. The real vision of the democratic character and the democratic state

Both the Greek philosopher Plato and French traveler Alexis de Tocqueville approached different 'lived' versions of contemporary democracy as outsiders looking in. Plato (using the persona and voice of the deceased teacher Socrates) critiqued ancient Greek democracy with the aim of putting in that democracy's stead an idealized version of a republic, run entirely by philosopher kings who were judged to be the most fit to rule. Alexis de Tocqueville, in contrast, came from France to American. He came from a nation that had experienced a difficult relationship with its monarchy to a nation where the democracy of the masses was something to be aspired to rather than something to be feared and dreaded. Although de Tocqueville did allow that democracy had its potential to become abusive, when the popular will…… [Read More]

Knight Templars

Knights Templar was a group of knights whose history dates back to the First Crusade at around 1119 AD. hen originally convened, the knights chosen were the bravest and most devoted Christians amongst all the men fighting in the Crusades.[footnoteRef:1] Their purpose was to help defend Jerusalem defend itself against the Muslim enemies. Also it was the job of the Knights Templar to provide protection for people who were making pilgrimages to Jerusalem for religious reasons. At first the order only had nine knights who were devoted to providing safe passage to the Holy Land and defending it from the enemy of the Christian Church.[footnoteRef:2] The Knights became extremely powerful groups of men, too powerful from the perspective of many clergymen. Over the course of time, the Knights Templar was given special permissions by both the church and national governments. In 1139, Pope Innocent II issued the Omne Datum Optimum,…… [Read More]