Analysis of The Rocking Horse Winner Essay - 1482 Words

Certain individuals have a drive that can lead them to achieve what they desire most. In the Short story â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner†, D.H Lawrence showcases this through character motivation and symbolism. He further this using pursuit of desire, and how if you take it to a certain extent it can result in tragedy if the individual chooses not to conform. Paul wants to please his mother because his mother feels that there family has no luck, but Paul proclaims that he is lucky. Paul suddenly becomes consumed with this sudden spree of good luck and feels this is the only way he will be able to gain to the affection of his mother. D.H Lawrence reveals that Paul has a certain flaw that turns him to believe that the only way he will be able to†¦show more content†¦This is due to the fact that every one is used to it so it would be like saying â€Å"we are breathing†(20). This led Paul to realizes that there family is in debt and he believes that in order for the m to get out of this debt, he has to take action. This shows that he is willing to take the problem into his own hands because he believes that no one else can do anything about it. Paul aligns him self with the attitude towards lucks. â€Å"I’m a lucky person†(21).Paul states this to his mother, however she responds with doubt and does not truly acknowledge or believe what Paul has just said. She most likely thinks that Paul doesn’t understand what they are going through and what luck really is. He thinks that by being lucky, which in the eyes of his mother is money, he will be able to gain her love but because of this doubt on his assertions he finds that this task is more difficult then he expected. She didn’t believe he is lucky; so he needs to prove it. This â€Å"angered him†(21) and made him want to â€Å"compel her attention†(21). The only way he saw it was that he needed to find this clue to luck in order to gain that admiration. T hus he is determined to find this luck and his passion grows to the point where all he is thinking about is how he can gain this luck. Lawrence describes his rise to luck in the situation when he is riding his rocking horse. This situation describes the point where Paul chooses to conform and begins his pursuit of luck. As Paul makesShow MoreRelatedThe Rocking Horse Winner Literary Analysis728 Words   |  3 PagesThe Significance of The Rocking Horse Winner (An Analysis of Three Messages From Rocking Horse Winner By D. H Lawrence) D. H Lawrence was the author of The Rocking Horse Winner, which was one of his most famous stories, published in 1926. D.H Lawrence was intrigued with fate and destiny of life. The story was based around a young boy with intense amounts of determination because he felt he had to please his mother. D. H Lawrence expresses the conflict of economics and family, causing issues atRead MoreAnalysis Of The Rocking Horse Winner And The Lottery772 Words   |  4 PagesAn Analysis exploring the irony in â€Å"The â€Å"Rocking-Horse Winner† and â€Å"The â€Å"Lottery† Often times an author will use irony as a literally technique to throw a twist in his story, whereby allowing the outcome of it to be completely different from what the reader expected. In D.H. Lawrence’s â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† and Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery,† Mrs. Hutchinson and Paul, despite their motivation, are victims of misguided reasoning, resulting in the irony of each character’s demise. In fact, eachRead MoreCritical Analysis Of The Rocking Horse Winner1178 Words   |  5 PagesThree Messages From â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner† ( A Critical Analysis of â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner†) D.H Lawrence (1885-1930) achieved a generous amount of things during his days, and was known for his award winning stories, like for instance â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner.† â€Å"D.H. Lawrence is regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century† (Guy). Throughout this story in particular, there are many messages that are represented and reflect the way of life or in other wordsRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Rocking Horse Winner819 Words   |  4 PagesDaniel Moos ENGL 1302 Prof. Heflin 7/14/17 Analysis of â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† In the short story â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner,† by D.H. Lawrence, the use of many literary elements creates an enticing and inspirational approach to how the story is told. These literary elements help to form the story throughout the beginning, middle, and end. The ones that mostly develop the story are point of view, tone and style, and symbol. The story begins in an omniscient point of view or third person to makeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Rocking Horse Winner 922 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner,† the author, D.H. Lawrence, reveals the character of Paul through a series of events which result in his death. Upon first glance, Paul is presented as a young boy, unloved by his mother, who tragically dies trying to prove himself lucky to her. However, upon further inspection, Paul is actually a rather complex character. In order to understand why he dies and for what he dies, readers must examine how the narrator depicts Paul’s behavior and demeanor, particularlyRead MoreThe Rocking Horse Winner Analysis742 Words   |  3 Pagesare seen as core parts of the human body â€Å" The eye is the lamp of the body† ( Matthew 6:22). In the Rocking-Horse Winner, special precedence is put on the eyes,as eyes are mentioned 21 times in the entire story. Eyes are distinguished as a core motif in The Rocking Horse Winner, as eyes represent the characters emotional state and physical state throughout the story. The Rocking Horse Winner is a story about a middle-class Englishwoman who feels that she has underperformed society’s expectationsRead MoreCritical Analysis : The Rocking Horse Winner827 Words   |  4 Pages Critical Analysis: The Rocking-Horse Winner The short story, â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner†, by D.H. Lawrence tells the story of young boy named Paul whose fortune turns out to be misfortune. Lawrence focus on the idea of parental love, what we need opposed to what we want, and the dangers of an obsession. Paul’s mother, Hester, firmly believes in the statement, If you re rich, you may lose your money. But if you re lucky, you will always get more money. (18) Paul’s obsessive need to earn moneyRead MoreThe Rocking Horse Winner Analysis956 Words   |  4 Pagesno time to rest. Tolerating days of labor to find happiness, but find yourself empty when you have nothing to show yourself for it. D.H. Lawrence demonstrates this perfectly in his short story by including foreshadowing and symbolism, â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner,† D.H. Lawrence demonstrates that the greediness of wanting money leads to insanity and unhappiness. D.H. Lawrence, throughout the story teaches that the greed of wanting money leads to insanity and unhappiness by using foreshadowing. InRead MoreThe Rocking Horse Winner Character Analysis797 Words   |  4 PagesThe familiar theme in the two fictional stories, â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner,† by D.H. Lawrence, and â€Å"Dog,† by Richard Russo, is the parents’ motivation to achieve a greater source of income or popularity, which ultimately results in the neglection of the children, thus affecting the children’s own motivation to ‘win over’ their parents. Through the financial crisis of the family exemplified in â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner,† or simply through the negligible manner of the parents in â€Å"Dog†, readers canRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Rocking Horse Winner 1702 Words   |  7 Pageslife, which locks us in a dark prison of expectations and the key to freedom gets thrown away. Living a life where you care so muc h about what others think of you is as if we are nothing but sheep being herded to the final slaughterhouse! In â€Å"Rocking Horse Winner†, the author D.H. Lawrence paints a portrait of how the mother Hester can never truly be satisfied with what she poseses since she is always worried about the status and ranking of her class. The most important concern to her is looking respectable

Poetry Is Not Turning Loose From Emotion, By Sylvia Plath...

Evaluation Essay Poetry is not turning loose from emotion, rather it is an escape from emotion. It is a chance to be out of your body and express feelings from a third person perspective. Poetry is a surplus of emotion and power that is taken to paper to share with those who can relate. When you have nothing to say or don’t know how to say it – it is poetry. It can be as simple as explaining an ocean set landscape, to as complicated as explaining how you feel from the inside out. Sylvia Plath effectively expresses her complicated emotions in a form that is bizarre to some. Leaving the reader in curiosity, she uses the stroke of a pen to capture the people who can not capture themselves. Sylvia Plath effectively captivates her readers appeal through her poetry by using emotional appeal, powerful language, and profound and developing structure. Sylvia Plath had a past that represents the type of hell that is unimaginable by a normal mind. Her birth by the seed of her educated parents was on October 27th, 1932. Her relationship with her father never fully developed as he died when she was only eight years old from a complication of diabetes. This death confused her psyche and destroyed her innocence at a young age, further creating a precedent of insanity and depression. Her creativity and ambition for success started with her daily journal that she kept from the age of eleven. As she grew to her teenage she posted her writings in regional magazines and newspapers whichShow MoreRelated Creativity and Mental Illness Essay2384 Words   |  10 Pagesintelligence--whether much that is glorious--whether all that is profound--does not spring from disease of thought--from moods of mind exalted at the expense of the general intellect. Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night - E dgar Allen Poe When you are insane, you are busy being insane - all the time... When I was crazy, thats all I was. - Sylvia Plath Is creative genius somehow woven together with madness? According to the dictionaryRead MoreContemporary American Poetry and Its Public Worlds Essay8159 Words   |  33 Pagespropensity from those we have known so far--philosophers of the dangerous maybe in every sense. (Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, sec 2.) This will not be one more lament for the sad state of contemporary American poetry. Yet to define some of the basic strengths of new work I have to begin with what seems like a lament. For perhaps the most important invigorating element for contemporaries is a widespread dissatisfaction with what is called romantic lyricism, poetry based on the

Exploring the Origin of the Song, Yankee Doodle free essay sample

Yankee Doodle Although it was one of the most famous and popular songs in the American colonies, Yankee Doodles original author and words are not known. Some trace this melody to a song of French vineyard workers; some to a German harvest tune, some to a Spanish sword dance, some to a Dutch peasant song. However, the most likely source is an English nursery rhyme Lucy Locket (American Popular Songs 451). It Is said that In 1755 while attending to a wounded prisoner of the French and Indian war at the home of the Van Renewals family, Dry. Richard Shagbark composed these years.The song is about a little boy and his father visiting one of the army camps of the brigade during the American Revolution. When there, the boy saw the men dancing with the ladles. He saw Captain Washington giving out orders to his men , and various other things which include the swamping gun which uses a horn of powder to be loaded. In stanza 8 the barrel being talked about with the clubs is a drum which was used to call everyone together. The boy also saw men with red ribbons around their waists playing corn stalk fiddles, and also troopers on their horses shooting their rifles.The colonists probably got the song during the French and Indian war, when Richard Shagbark, a British army physician, was so amused at the sight of the ragged and disheveled troops under General Bradford that he decided to mock them. He improvised a set of nonsense lyrics to an English tune with which he had long been familiar; he palmed off this concoction on the colonial troops as the latest English song. The nonsense song of Doctor Richard Shagbark was Yankee Doodle. As stated directly from Our Familiar Songs and Those Who Made Them, Dry.Richard Shagbark was a regimental surgeon, afterwards appointed Secretary of Indian affairs by Sir William Johnson. This piece-up of broken humanity was a wit and musical genius, and the patchwork appearance of these new subjects amused him mightily. As they marched into the handsome and orderly British lines, the traditional picture of Cromwell, an American colonial General on the Kenneth pony, with a macaroni to hold his single plume, came into mind in contrast with the extravagant elegance of Charles and his Cavaliers.He planned a Joke upon the Instant. He set down the notes of Yankee Doodle, and wrote along them the travesty upon Cromwell. Dry. Shagbark gave the tune to the uncouth musicians as the latest martial music of England. The land quickly caught the simple and contagious air, and soon it sounded through the camp amid the laughter of the British soldiers. (583) It grew so popular with British troops in the colonies that they used it to taunt the services (American Popular Songs 452).It was a prophetic piece of fun, and its significance became apparent twenty-five years later when, to the tune of Yankee Doodle, Lord Cornwallis of the British army, marched unto the lines of these same old continentals to surrender his army and his sword (Our Familiar Songs and Those Who Made Them 584). In 1776 the song was interpolated in an early American comic Opera, The Disappointment of Andrew Barton. One year later the song received attention in the press for the first time by the Journal of the Times.At the outbreak of the revolution, the colonials appropriated Yankee Doodle. It was heard at every battle, and became a favorite in every camp, both in defeat and in victory. At the final surrender in 1781, on April 19, General Cornwallis pleading illness, did not appear. His substitute General OHara; prepared to give up his sword to General Washington, but was referred to General Lincoln. General Lincoln, when receiving the sword handed it back at once . As the British soldiers lay down their arms, their band played an old English melody entitled, The World Turned Upside Down. With equal suitability the continental army band played Yankee Doodle. Washingtons statement to his troops before the surrender was a great conclusion. My brave fellows, let no shouting, no clamorous hazing increase their mortification. It is sufficient to us that we witness heir humiliation. Posterity will huzzah for us (The Burl Eves Song Book 79). After the Revolution Yankee Doodle still retained its popularity. Benjamin Carr used it in an orchestral medley, Federal Overture, written in 1794 (American Popular Song 452). One of the arguments of the origin of Yankee Doodle is that of JAW Leo Lemma (The American Origins of Yankee Doodle). Lemma argues that Yankee Doodle is said to be written by an English army officer to ridicule the colonial American militia who were gathered at Albany, New York, in 1758, preparing for an attack on Fort Ticonderoga. It is usually claimed that the English soldiers in America first popularized the tune and that they played, sang, and danced to it from at least the occupation of Boston in 1768 to the close of the Revolution. The American took up the song after the Revolution.But Lemma went on to say, because of critical analysis this was found to be the opposite, Yankee Doodle is an American folk song, reflecting American humorous tradition and American self characterization. It probably dates from the late 1740 and it is true that the English soldiers adopted it in the pre-revolutionary decade and use it to ridicule the Americans, but the English soldiers learned during the course of the Revolution to appreciate the true spirit of the song. (436) According to Leo Lemma, the English troops under Lord Percy played it when they marched out of Boston on April 19,1775, going to relief Cool. Francis Smiths regiment, which was been cut to pieces by the American militia, as Smith retreated from Lexington and Concord. Even after Perrys brigade Joined Smiths, the retreating troops were relentlessly attacked until they reached the protection of the British The question is still open of the earliest print of Yankee Doodle. In Moors Song and Ballads of the American Revolution (1855), it is claimed that the Recess appeared with this air as a music sheet in 1779, but no such musical broadside has been found. The history of music printing in America renders this doubtful. Yankee Doodle found its way into print before forming an ingredient in Benjamin Cars medley Federal Overture composed in 1794 and published 1795. After this Yankee Doodle became frequently printed; but curiously enough, all versions differed slightly for decades, and they differed also more or less from two early American manuscript versions, one dated 1790, the other possibly written as early as 1775, at the B oston Public Library (Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians). Yankee Doodle is one of the queer tunes existing in several slightly different versions. It can be taken 6-8, in 2-4, and in common time with equal authority, for it is to be found printed with each of these time signatures and to the ordinary person, there is no difference, one is as good as the other (International Encyclopedia of Music and Musician 2495). At first there were sixteen stanzas to Yankee Doodle. But the early colonials and Americans ever since have delighted in adding more. Today, few people know any of the original stanzas, except the first one and the chorus (Stories of Our American Patriotic Songs 21).According to the International Encyclopedia of Music and Musician, Yankee Doodle is characterized as a popular American tune eminently fitted for humorous or burlesque utterance, to which in the course of 1 50 years doggerel verses in great variety have been sung (2495). Yankee Doodle it has been well said, began and ended the American Revolution. The origin of the song is a mystery to the solution of which many musical antiquaries eave devoted much time and research, but finding the inquiry has been unrewarding. And the mystery of the tune carries with it the mystery of the word Yankee and Doodle (International Encyclopedia of music and Musicianship). As stated by Encyclopedia Britannica, Yankee is a slang or colloquial name given to citizens of the New England states in America, and less correctly applied in familiar European usage, to any citizen of the United States. It was used by the British soldiers for their opponents during the War of Independence, and during the Civil War by the confederates and the Federal troops. The origin of the name has given rise to much speculation.It is considered to represent the Indians pronouncing English or Angles, and was applied by the Massachusetts Indians to the English colonists. On the other hand, the Scots Yankee, sharp or clever would seem more probable as the origin of the sense represented in the Cambridge expression. Dutch origination are other suggestion for the word Yankee. Thus it may be a corruption of Join diminutive Jon, John, and applied to the English of Connecticut as a nick name by the Dutch (903). American air, but none of them have been convincing.Yankee Doodle has caused more quarrels among historians and students of music than any other American song. Nobody knows exactly where the tunes came from (Stories of Our American Patriotic Songs 17). There are also many stories to account for Yankee Doodle usefulness as an American colonial song. One is that during the war of 1812, Yankee Doodle came in handy, serving another important purpose. Aaron Bates kept a light house upon the lonely shores near Situate, Massachusetts, about twenty five miles from Boston. One day when working Mr..Bates and his daughters saw a boat of sailors making their ay toward land, no doubt to raid the country. The two girls acted quickly and played Yankee Doodle with the fife and drum their grandfather used during the Revolution, and the British soldiers quickly turned back their ships fearing that the American soldiers were on the shore waiting and they would be out numbered (Stories of Our American Patriotic Songs 21). Despite the many arguments and stories, since Yankee Doodle was written, many other Patriotic songs have been added to our ever growing store.

Allegories in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” Essay Sample free essay sample

In â€Å"Where Are You Traveling. Where Have You Been? . † Joyce Oates constitutes the usage of fables to make a sense of suspense in the narrative. The narrative depicts the manner society was in the sixtiess. In this clip period. there were a batch of contentions that cause a batch of defeat. Many narratives written during the sixtiess involved a batch of the same things that are in this coming-of-age narrative. The issues incorporated into â€Å"Where Are You Traveling. Where Have You Been? † were common even in world. The fables in Oates’ narrative represent the issue of artlessness and enticement. good versus immorality. and adult male overmastering adult female. Connie seems like an inexperienced person 15 twelvemonth old miss when Arnold Friend shows up at her house. She is easy persuaded to speak to Arnold and gives in to the enticement to travel for a drive with him. Arnold says a batch of sweet things to Connie to seek and do her autumn for his words. We will write a custom essay sample on Allegories in â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He tells Connie how beautiful she is and calls her names such as â€Å"sweetheart† and â€Å"honey. † Connie. being the naive adolescent that she is. believes him. Although he scared her. she gave in to his appeal and went with him. â€Å"Where Are You Traveling. Where Have You Been? † is a narrative that represents good and evil. Connie is basically a symbol for good piece Arnold is the immorality. This narrative seems similar to the narrative of â€Å"The Garden of Eden. † Arnold Friend manipulates Connie in the manner that the Devil does to Eve in â€Å"The Garden of Eden. † As stated above. Arnold persuades Connie to take a drive with him by Sweet speaking her. He even tries to affect her by stating her that he is a portion of her group of friends. He attempts to pull Connie by dressing younger and by listening to the same type of music she does. As Arnold is sweet speaking Connie. he begins endangering her. Arnold tells Connie that there is nil better for her to make than give in to him. Finally. he starts to endanger her household. For illustration. on page 491 in paragraph 131. Arnold says. â€Å"†¦if you don’t come out we’re gon sodiums have to wait till your peop le come place and so they’re all traveling to acquire it. † Besides. on that same page in paragraph 134. he says. â€Å"†¦give me your manus. and cipher else gets injury. I mean. your bald-pated dada and your ma and your sister in her high heels. Because listen: why convey them in this? † At this point. Connie is already scared. She decides to run indoors and name the constabulary. However. Arnold someway persuades her that he is a good cat and is non traveling to harm her. Connie steps off from the phone and walks outside like he asked her to make and that is where the narrative ends. An fable that may non look as obvious in this narrative is adult male versus adult female. â€Å"Where Are You Traveling. Where Have You Been? † symbolizes the position that work forces were more powerful than adult females in this clip period. During the sixtiess. work forces were frequently seen as being much stronger than adult females. and adult females did non daring stand up to work forces because of fright that they would be shunned. In this narrative. Arnold was non needfully physically stronger than Connie. but he was stronger mentally. Because Arnold is so evil and clever. he convinces Connie to give in to his condescending demands. Arnold explains to Connie where he will take her and what they will make. He states this on page 492 in paragraph 154: We’ll go out to a nice field. out in the state here where it smells to nice and it’s sunny. I’ll have my weaponries tights around you so you won’t need to seek to acquire off and I’ll show you what love is like. what it does. The snake pit with this house! It looks solid all right. Now set your manus on your bosom. honey. Feel that? That feels solid excessively but we know better. be nice to me. be sweet like you can because what else is at that place for a miss like you but to be sweet and pretty and give in? â€Å"Where Are You Traveling. Where Have You Been? † may be seen as a really controversial narrative since it involves an older adult male carrying a 15 twelvemonth old miss to travel for a drive with him. The allegorical subjects it nowadayss are really powerful. The narrative shows that it is difficult to defy the enticement from such a powerful beginning. Besides. the war between good and evil is frequently stronger on one side than the other. In the sixtiess. work forces frequently overpowered adult females and were normally in control of everything adult females did. The terminal of â€Å"Where Are You Traveling. Where Have You Been? † is a cliffhanger and it makes you inquire what happened to Connie. She could hold safely returned place. or she could hold neer made it place. Joyce Oates leaves it to you to make up ones mind Connie’s destiny.

Why You Need a Stereotype Essay Sample

Why You Need a Stereotype Essay SampleIf you are considering writing a stereotype essay, then this sample could be very helpful. Some of the people that you see on TV and in movies always seem to fall into the stereotype category. It is not as if they have a hard time breaking away from the stereotype.Stereotype are stereotypes, which have been built in our minds over the years. So much so that it is hard to break them. However, that is only when we keep up with the culture and keep being who we are.People tend to cling to what they are when they don't fit into society. It makes sense to try and challenge the stereotype and portray people in the best light. There are many things that can be said about the writer of the stereotype essay. They might be seen as being very strong minded or confident, or they might come across as being insecure.When you see someone struggle to break free from a stereotype, this could mean that they have had to work to be the way they are. Some of the ster eotypes will be passed down from generation to generation, while others are just around us and are not challenged.The stereotype essay sample will help you look at a stereotype. You will learn how it can affect people in a negative manner, because it may make them feel self-conscious. They might see it as being overly sensitive, which makes them become uncomfortable. So, when you choose to write a stereotype essay, it is important to let that stereotype come through in the writing.The stereotype essay can also show how others deal with a stereotype. The writer may say that they are not dealing with a stereotype, but is that really true? If there is a stereotype that the person has been living with, they may end up doing the same thing that is stereotyped.One of the greatest traits that you can have is to be able to say that you are no longer a stereotype. Even though you cannot be completely removed from one, you can make it something that you enjoy doing. You will be able to become more than what others think you are, and you will be able to meet new people that will not consider you a stereotype.

A Scanner Darkly Essay Example

A Scanner Darkly Essay Ashlyn Phillips Mr. Flanigan/ Dystopian Literature Period 2 December 4, 2012 Who Are You? As young children we begin to develop a personality, one that is based off of the people we are surrounded with. When identifying who we are as people, physical appearance is less important in comparison to our spirits and mindsets. The body serves only as a shuttle for our spirits and minds, without these two assets our bodies would simply only be empty shells. In Philip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly, the protagonist, Bob Arctor, has fallen victim to a highly addictive drug called Substance D, which has the side effect of splitting the personality in one’s mind. In dealing with the abuse of this drug, Arctor begins to lose himself and forgets what really makes him who he is. Our souls, character and appearance determine who we are as people, without these three attributes it would be very difficult to differentiate between one human from the next. The brain begins to develop in the first trimester of pregnancy, even as fetuses we are able to think and begin to develop our personalities inside the womb. As we enter the world and begin living, our surrounding environments control the outcomes of our minds, bodies and spirits. If you are born into a wealthy family, it is more than likely that you will live a wealthy lifestyle; if you are born into a poor family, it is more than likely that you will live a poor lifestyle. We will write a custom essay sample on A Scanner Darkly specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on A Scanner Darkly specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on A Scanner Darkly specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In society, we are first identified by how much money we have, then by how we look and at last we begin to learn more about each other to identify who our characters are through how we wish to portray ourselves. Our personalities begin to develop when we are first able to open our eyes, smile and really when we begin to communicate with each other. From there we begin to learn what we like to do in life; whether it be dancing, singing, painting, playing sports, etc. These attributes are major when identifying a person. Our spirits begin to develop at an early age and although they can be slightly altered as life goes on, we never really change entirely. One can be judged by their physical appearance and be separated from one person to the next simply based on that, however, if asked who Bob Marley is as a person, the answer would be far more detailed than if only asked what he looks like. Personality and character traits are really the basis of determining who we are as people. If a set of identical twins were put in the same room together and a group of people were asked to differentiate between Sarah and Mary, they would only be able to based on appearance. The more in depth question would be, how can you tell who Sarah is and who Mary is? In answering this question many key attributes are discussed such as, Sarah may be more energetic, loud, creative, talkative, religious and athletic than Mary, allowing for their friends to automatically know who is who when confronted by either twin. Personality always gives the answer. If the personality changes or begins to morph into two different sides, determining who someone is becomes a very difficult task. In A Scanner Darkly, Fred goes undercover as a drug addict in order to solve a major case but in doing so, he himself becomes addicted to the drug and his personality begins to split into two different people, Fred and Bob; Fred being the undercover cop and Bob being the addict. As Fred’s life morphs into Bob’s, he begins to lose himself entirely and the world as he knew it before completely changes into something different than he thought. â€Å"He will sink into a needle-and-a-spoon existence, or bounce off the walls in a psychiatric hospital or, worst of all, a federal clinic†¦And all this will occur deliberately, someone figured out what he was doing and then got him this way. The worst way of all: with the stuff they sell that he was after them for selling. (86) His personality can no longer be analyzed because he thinks as two entirely different people as if he has two separate brains in one head. Clearly this is an issue due to the fact that we are recognized by our personalities. If two personalities are competing against one another inside of one mind, there is no way to really know who that person is. Fred loses himself in Bob’s world and the drug becomes more important than anything else, as it usually does inside the mi nd of a drug addict. Without the soul, the body is like a light bulb without electricity. The soul gives the body meaning and purpose, without it there would only be boys and girls, not unique individuals with their own characteristics. The soul carries along every memory, experience, encounter, and detail of each person in the world. A wise soul will think beyond their years, a young soul will stay a teenager at heart forever and an evil soul will end up in the dark side of life and all of these souls grow through life experiences and will only be influenced by these experiences. The soul in one person does not change entirely through life experiences it can only change slightly by being influenced by those around us. In determining who we are as people, the soul is the key ingredient and it should be the first thing that is analyzed from one human being to the next. More often than not, looks do not matter, it is what lies within ourselves that determines who we are as individuals.

The Influence of the Western Culture on the Essay Example

The Influence of the Western Culture on the Essay Example The Influence of the Western Culture on the Essay The Influence of the Western Culture on the Essay Introduction Culture is a broad term which has been described by various philosophers since decades. It has been claimed by Raymond Williams to be â€Å"†¦one of the two or three most complicated words in English language† (Williams, 1976). Different definitions of the term, culture may have distinct descriptive ways and criterion to evaluate human activity. It is important to define the broad base of the sophisticated term ‘culture’, in the sense used later in the paper, to narrow down the discussion on our topic. Culture is a word stemming from a Latin word ‘cultura’ which means to cultivate (Harper, 2008). It is defined by Findley and Rothney as, â€Å"systems of symbols and meanings that even their creator contest, which lack fixed boundaries, that are constantly in flux, and that interact and compete with one another (Findley Rothney, 2006). This is the defination of culture I would be using here on. The authors describe culture to be a system of symbols having blurred boundries. The curx however is to see how do we recognize these system of symbols? The answer to this question is provided by Williams who says that culture can be judged or embedded in music, literature,lifestyle, painting and sculputure,theater and film and similar things (Williams, 1976). These dimensions are common to all cultures. In the foreface of the rapid globalization and the interaction in the past, these dimensions of various cultures are often influenced by each other. The following Paper discusses the influence of the dimensions of western culture to the respective dimensions of the subcontinental culture and vice versa. The subcontinential culture, is the culture refering to the South Asian region which includes the modern day India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sirilanka. The major influene on the subcontinental cultrue came first with the arrival of the British in India in the early 1600’s. The British brought with them the rest of Western culture customs and traditions. The traditional religions and cutltures in the subcontinent were slowly subverted. The conversion of people from the prevailent religion in the subcontinent played an important role in the change in the traditional culture. The converts to chiristanity were encouraged not only to give up their religion but also their traditions and cultures. A fine christian convert would dress like an Englishman and imitate English behaviour in all things. Thus the converts to Christanity were buoyant to think behave and live like the Englishmen. The English education system was introducced by the then Governer Generals’ council in Calcutta (East India) 1 The influence of the western culture on the Sub continental culture and vice versa Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800 1859), aimed at producing Indians who were English in taste. This progressive system was implemented all over India providing Western education. To the Sub continent people, this was perceived as much more of an enlightenment than exploitation as more people could go to collages built by foreign rulers. It gave them the aura of becoming more civilized, rational and modern by acquiring the knowledge. This is also one of the reasons of no significant initial resistance to the shift in the cultural values (Sundaram, 2006). This extensive educational programs resulted into well read sub continent scholars and writers. In the late 1800’s the literature started to take its turn and produced much more writings in English by local people than ever before. It also gave birth to notable writers such as Bharati Mukherjee and Jhumpa Lahiri. Globalization of the world has had its influence on the sub continental culture as well. In a modern day scenario people are instantly connected and communicating with each other than ever before. The products produced in one part of the world are easily available in the other part and international traveling has just become a norm. The world is very interdependent today and we are living in an era where information travels like the speed of light. While some people might think that globalization is just about making business without any restrictions, it is much more than that. At the same time Globalization allows different cultures to combine and integrate through having common social activists, labor organizers, journalists, academics and many others (Sundaram, 2006). Music, theater and the film industry has also been broadly influenced by the increased globalization. Music has been a center stone of the sub continental background. It has been traditionaly been based on the simple melodies and is regarded as one of the most well-developed systems of the classical world. The classical beats of the conventional music provide the true cultural and the traditional taste to the sub continental music. Later in the 13th Centruy the sub continental music remained under the influence of the Islamic presence. There is a faction who believes that the classic sub continental traditional music dates back to Amir Khusro, one of the singers in the Mughal Empire. The remarkable poetry by some famous poets brought the traditional music to new hieghts. However the first influence of the sub continental music of such kind was widely evident in the 1960’s when it found its way in the form of some extra ordinary play of the sitar (a voiln type instrument) by Ravi Shankar on the famous Beatles album, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. The sub continental music made its way into the west with the well known players such as Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan. This was the first time that the Sub continental music started to acquire Western students. The classical music 2 The influence of the western culture on the Sub continental culture and vice versa was brought to the attention of the western world (Manas, 2006). Even today we see traces of the classical sub continental music in the rap songs such as the Indian flute sung by Timbaland. There are other various singers who use the rhythmic Sub continental beats in their music. Ghazals, the poetic compositions that aspire more than do popular film songs to poetic qualities are also very popular among the west: the subject here is usually the loss, memory, and remembrance of love. A prime example of the influence to the west is the famous Ghazal singer Nusrat Fateh Ali khan. He has been the â€Å"king of Qawalis† as he is labeled in Pakistan. Mr. Khan’s popular work (Qawalis/Ghazals) has been a part of international books, series, plays and movies. His famous songs have been played in the famous movie Bend it like Beckham, the TV series Sex and the City and various other international stages. The cultural music of the sub continent has therefore influenced the western cinema and music in a subtle but obvious way (Manas, 2006). This does not end here, the traditional beats of the Punjabi Bhangra dance were/are increasingly being remixed by various south asian Dj’s to add a different intercultureal flavour to the traditional Bhangara. The traditional beats of the bhangra dance are mixed with house, reggae and hip-hop to create a newsensation to the music. These remixes became immesnsely popular in the Uk and the USA by the end of the 90’s. One of the famous bands which resulted in this fusion of cultural music was the Punjabi MC, whose songs are a part of the playlists in almost all the disc clubs in the western society. It is easy to see here how the fusion of the music style in terms of other generes of raggae, Rap or hip-hop attacks the fundamentalism of the sub continental music. By producing such music the artists put the racial signifiers of being essentially sub continental or south asian at risk. Since the bhangra music is a type of music signiying the region of south asia (sub continent), this diffusion of the music with the integration of western elements creates disputes of identity and the ownership of the remixed music. On the other hand however, the remixed veriosn of the bhangra music offers the displaced sub continent people mainly in the USA and the UK a way to express themselves in a western society. This offers them a channel to prove that their remixed version of the bhangra has been an effort through social difficulties and is truly authentic. This does not end here, side by side the influence of the Western Music has also overshadowed the Sub continental musical industry. The Sub continental music has become under increased influence of the western â€Å"rock and pop† culture. This is primarily true for the younger generation who prefer westeren music over the sub continental numbers. The entire process of making music has also been westerenised. The focus now is not on live performances of talent and intruments but more on back stage artificial manipulation of the 3 The influence of the western culture on the Sub continental culture and vice versa sounds which apeal to the changing demands of the new generation (Sabharwal, 2007). According to the Times of India meagazine almost 80 percent of the songs played in the sub continent today are of westeren influence. Aadesh Srivastava, a renowned Indian music director argues that the Indian music has been damaged by the â€Å"cut-copy-paste culture†, whereby the directors copy the theme and the essence of the music to reproduce it with a hint of modification. This â€Å"cut-copy-paste culture† is the reason why we see most of the sub continental music being a sister production of the western music. The traditional and the classical instruments such at the tabla and the harmonium are being substituted by the western invented drums and violins, explains the contemporary musicians like Vineet Arora (Sabharwal, 2007). He further explains the instruments such as the drums and the Violin, â€Å"†¦are easier to operate and learn so we’ve never felt the need to introduce sun continental instruments in our band† (Sabharwal, 2007). The influence of the Western culture to the Sub continental culture is carried forward by the powerful media, films and theater widely active in both regions. Western media culture has created major inroads in the sub continental film industry through Hollywood influencing Bollywood and Lollywood. The sub continent youngsters now are increasingly challenging the traditions and norms of the society. This is the result of the trend of western elements taking part in the Sub continental films, such as Rachel Shelley in Lagaan. The sub continental films are trying to raise their production standards to meet those seen by the western films. There have also been a number of films being shot overseas and adopting English in their scripts. This trend can be clearly seen in the Films such as â€Å"Kal Ho Naa HO†. The film has shown explicitly the influence of the Hollywood has on the sub continent culture. On the other hand the films from the biggest film industry in the world, in terms of the number of movie produced i. e. Bollywood, are attracting great number of non-subcontinent origin viewers around the world, especially in Europe and the USA. As the number of western viewers increase there is an increased number of western investments in the sub continental cinema, especially to produce movies which interpret the sub continental culture for western viewers. Some prime examples of this are the movies such as â€Å"Pride and the prejudice† and â€Å"Monsoon Wedding† produced by foreign investment. The Western symbolic icons such as MTV have been swiftly accepted by the sub continent. An example of a TV series â€Å"Rodies† aired by MTV India is noteworthy. This TV show is an on field series of a contest such as the famous American â€Å"Survivor† series. The western impact has also made it fashionable to wear tight jeans and have ideas such as sex before marriage which have not been portrayed before in the local culture. The concept of 4 The influence of the western culture on the Sub continental culture and vice versa nudity is also creeping into the sub continental film industry. Even though the sub continental films are traditionally based on the romantic story based on the idea of love, the movies in the past have been conservative on showing romantic scenes in the movies. The movies like â€Å"Monsoon Wedding† have changed that perception. Such kinds of films are on the rise and therefore have an influence on the audience of the movies. The other source of western influence to the sub continental culture is from the Non Resident sub continent people; these are people from the sub continental origin who have lived in the West. They have been exposed to the western ideas and culture thoroughly. When Film producers such the Canadian Indian Deepa Metha produce films, they are preoccupied with the western influence. Mr Metha produced a film â€Å"Fire† which showed a lesbian love story. This sort of western influence, even though might be rejected by many of the sub continent population is slowly inching into the film industry and from the film industry to the mainstream sub continental culture (papers, 2005). The lifestyle of the sub continental people is also chaning raidly with the major impetus coming from the westeren sources. A late night walk around the milti million inhabitant city of Bombay, Bangalore or Karachi would ascertian the fact that the lifestyle is drifting from its traditional cultural way of life (Michael, n. d. ). There is a shift of the social life in the sub continent. One can easily observe youndsters mingling openly in the streets and consuming alcahol freely (Michael, n. d. ). The dress code has changed swiftly over the years aswell. Saris (a traditional subcontinental dress) are being replaced with the thight jeans or skirts. The brand conciousnes is common aswell is the fast food culture of Mcdonads and KFC among the masses in the urban areas. The â€Å"Public display of affection (PDA)† as Mr. Kamekish puts it, is common (Kamekish, 2007). One may argue that all this is the trickle down effect from what the media projects to the people. All the latest fashions, trends and lifestyle tips projected through the TV screens ans the cenimas is refelcted in the everyday lifestyle of the urban sub continental people. On the other hand the Western culture is also not far from the sub continental influence. The western lifestyle has also been vastly influenced by the sub continental culture. The golorious influences of the designers industry has kept the western fashion indusry busy. The desginers such as Jean Paul Gautier and Alexander McQueen have vastly included sub continental designs into their collections portfolio. Gautier infact has dedicated a whole collection called the â€Å"Indian Chiaroscuro†, which reflects the traditional designs of the Sub 5 The influence of the western culture on the Sub continental culture and vice versa contienent (Karthik, 2005). The international fashion icons such as Giorgio Amrani, Valentino, Christian Lacroix and Emmanuel Ungaro are getting the services of craftsmen from India to craft their creations with the artistic hand work embroidery to vie in the international market. The other major example of the cultural influence is the famous Pashimina shawls. These pure silk hand knitten pieces of cloth have been a desire of many women around the world. The cultural influence does not end in the clothing industry. The other fashion brands such as Cartier have also been prejudiced by the sub continental culture. The traditional carved coloured stones and the hand work on the precious jewels stemming from the persian and Indian decorative design have been extensively used in the products displayed by Cartier (Karthik, 2005). The influence of the sub continental lifestyle in the fashion industry has cetianly produced some remarkable pieces of art and fashion. Other than this the traditional artefacts produced in the sub continent have been increasingly finding their way into the western homes. The famous Indian poterry and the traditional hand weaven carpets have made huge inroads in the shops around the western world. The cultural influence of the western world in the form of sculpture and architecture has had a long lasting effect on the sub continent. The European colonisits brought the new concept of the western sculuptural art to india. They were very affluent in the Neo-classical, Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance style of sturctural design. The initial sturctures built by the colonists were warehouses and walled trading posts aswell as forted townships along the costline (India Net Zone, n. d. ). The St. Francis Church, built by Portuguese in 1510, is regarded as the first church built by Europeans in India. The Portuguese were first to built the forts like Castella De Aguanda near Mumbai. They added fortification to the Bassein fort built by Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujrat, in 1532 AD (India Net Zone, n. d. ). The sub continent architecture also can be seen having some Danish influence as well; the Nagapatnam church in the state of Tamil Nadu in India is the clear evidence of this. Similarly the French influence can be noticed in the Eglise De Sacre Coeur De Jesus or the Church of Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Eglise De Notre Dame de Anges and the Eglise de Notre Dame De Lourdes at Pondicherry. However the impact of the British on the architectural culture of the sub continent was the greatest. They started off by building mainly factories for business purposes but soon they started building courts, schools, municipal buildings and Dak Bungalows, which were normal buildings built by army engineers. The most well known architects of that time designed and constructed buildings all over the sub continent. Many of the structures erected were a derivative of the famous buildings in London and other places in England. For example, the 6 The influence of the western culture on the Sub continental culture and vice versa church of St. John at Calcutta, built in 1787 was a replication of the St. Stephens Church at Walbrooks, the Government House in Calcutta, built by Captain Charles Wyatt was re-sculpted on the Kedleston Hall of Derbyshire, the Indian Government Mint in Calcutta was a semi- replica of the Temple of Minerva at Athens and the Pachaiyappa`s Hall in Chennai was the duplication of the Athenium Temple of Theseus (India Net Zone, n. d. ). The Neo-Gothic style of architecture was also evident under the British rule. The Secretariat, University Library, Rajabai Tower, Telegraph Office all adopted the Victorian Gothic style, similar to buildings in London† (India Net Zone, n. d. ). Another noteworthy piece of architecture is the St. Martin`s Garrison Church in Delhi which is considered as zenith of the British architectural ventures in the sub continent and the Victoria Terminus in Bombay (Mumbai), designed by architect Frederick William Stevens followed the St. Pancras Station, London. The Church is a huge structure with a high square tower and deeply sunken window shelves, which is a souvenir of Dutch and German architecture (India Net Zone, n. . ). There has been a reciprocal impact of the Sub continental traditional architecture on that of the western world. During the late 19th century there was an adept feeling of orientalism in the western societies. Many of the renowned architects of that time felt the need to look at what the sub continent had to offer before working on a major project. It was also common for the young architects to travel to India in search of the mystique and oriental designs the region had to offer (Pochoy, 2002 ). The fascination for exotic styles was foremost ignited by the considerable display of the sub continental art at various international exhibitions around the world. The various artifacts from the sub continent were according to the famous philosopher considered to be of good designs from the people who are faithful to their art as they are faithful to their religion, habits and thoughts which inspired the former (Oshinsky, 2004). Today the structures like the Taj Mahal in India still startle the eyes of most western societies. The sculptures of such magnificent buildings along with others such as the huge exuberantly decorated vases can be seen in the western homes. There are also other influences between the dimensions of both the western and the sub continental cultures which can be classified as food habits, family structures and the use of foreign lingo. The sub continental cuisine has had huge in roads into the western culture. Europe in general and England in particular enjoys the sub continental oriental food through the enormous amount of restaurants easily located all over the region. The amount of sub continental restaurant in England has risen dramatically from only 500 in 1960 to an estimated 7 The influence of the western culture on the Sub continental culture and vice versa number of 9350 in 2007 (Facts, 2008). This phenomenal growth in the sub continental cuisine in the western society such as England provides strong signals of how the western taste is being influenced by the sub continental cuisine. On the other hand the British tradition of having evening tea has been picked up by the sub continental society. The subcontinent consumes an estimate of 900 million kilos of tea altogether which is around 30 percent of the world’s total tea production (Mandal, 2003) (Hasan, 2005) (Isphani, 2003). The family structure of the sub continents is also being vastly influenced by the Western culture. Traditionally it is a norm to have large families in the sub continent. However this culture is changing and the enforcement of the family planning schemes based on the western research are changing the family structure of the sub continent. The empowerment of the women has also influenced the traditionally subdued role of the women in the family. The traditional joint family system is slowly changing into a nuclear family system. The educated class and the new generation have certainly adopted a family structure compatible with the western culture. The influence of language usage from the west has been widely felt. English was the second most commonly reported language to be used, after the mother tongue in the sub continent according to a survey conducted by Annika Hohenthal who included all the top universities in the sub continent in his research (Hohenthal, 2003). 8 The influence of the western culture on the Sub continental culture and vice ersa Conclusion: People today are linked to each other today more than they ever were. The global forces have made the developing world countries to stay in close contact with the developed world. There is a meeting of the global cultures mainly because of the connection created through the television, music, sporting events, the same news, sitcoms, soap operas, theater, corporate foo d chains and the same glamorous lifestyle (Hong, 2000). This is the reason why the current era can be described as â€Å"The Era of Globalization of culture†. Western culture is the â€Å"machine culture† (Straggler, 2008). This is because as the historian Arnold Toynbee said that the mankind has made more progress in the 200 years since the industrial revolution than in the previous 10,000 years. This is the prime reason that the west with its â€Å"machines† is very attractive to the ever developing sub continent. To have a western influence on the sub continental culture is inevitable. To dress like a westerner is a part of being influenced by the â€Å"machine culture†. A villager in the rural areas of the sub continent dresses acts and thinks differently than a person in the urban town center. As the sub continent becomes more prosperous it would keep straying from its traditions, cultures and norms (Straggler, 2008). We should relish the sub continental culture and be prepared for radical changes in the same. On the other hand the western culture is influenced by the sub continental culture as it is something oriental and different from what they have. The aura of sensation and mystique found in the sub continental culture is appealing to the western society. With the â€Å"The Era of Globalization of culture† underway the influence of the sub continent culture on the western culture would also certainly take a steep flight. The influence of the western culture on the Sub continental culture and vice versa Bibliography Facts, F. . (2008, March 3). Facts, Figures Market Research. Retrieved April 12, 2008, from Facts, Figures Market Research: http://209. 85. 135. 104/search? q=cache:zzhZ6LCNLGgJ:www. menu2menu. com/indfact. html+total+number+of+Indian+restaurants+i n+londonhl=enct=clnkcd=1 Findley, C. V. , Rothney, J. A. (2006). Twentieth? century World. In C. V. Findley, J. A. Rothney, Twentieth? century World (p. 14). Harper, D.