Orwell’s perspective as a reluctant and disgusted colonizer shapes his essay’s development, detail and main thesis. The essay’s first-person narrative, causal analysis and the detail it employs obviously produce a powerful condemnation of British colonialism. However, while Orwell briefly lists the obvious abuses of colonialism---the torture of prisoners, the appalling conditions in imperial jails, the destruction of the colonized’s spirit---he focuses his essay’s detail and development on colonialism’s effects on himself as colonizer, how this system causes his degradation and corruption as a human being. He presents his younger self as tormented by his role in this system, but also as someone who has absorbed its racist attitudes. He emphasizes his “intolerable sense of guilt” (313), but also his contradictory hatred of the Burmese, those “evil-spirited little beasts” (314), as well as his callous disregard for the native man killed by the elephant (319).
The novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and the 2002 movie Equilibrium directed by Kurt Wimmer, are in fact, perfect examples of this. Both the book and the movie, use censorship to illustrate a utopian society gone wrong, or in other words, dystopia, in which thinking and feeling are executional crimes. The novel Fahrenheit 451 and movie Equilibrium have comparable characters, themes and settings, and both conclude that forced utopian societies always fail, and that unfortunately there is no “perfect world”. First of all, a comparison can be made between the protagonists, antagonists and secondary characters of the novel and movie. These characters
Stedmon Parker 1 April 2011 HIS 201 In the Time of the Butterflies Las Mariposas Throughout the course of human history men have given way to their base primitive instincts in an effort to hoard and consolidate power. Moral and philosophical, even religious and scientific studies demonstrate that holding despotic rulers as a adumbration for the nature of man is a flawed method of attempting to understand humanity as a whole. However, it cannot be denied the power is often the only necessary catalyst for corruption. Similar to any addiction, once started down that dark road acquisition becomes the law of the land. Adhering to the trite caricature of most despots Rafael Trujillo is a man who employs cruelty and fear to preserve
Moreover, when being chosen by the mining company, the unsteady camerawork and constant switching of perspectives highlights the controversial nature of the conversation and presents Ernesto as an authoritative figure fighting the inhumane treatment of the impoverished in South America. By dismissing the notion of Justice within their environments, the composers argue that morality and justice are values necessary to our existence. By comparing two contextually dissimilar texts, John Steinbeck’s 1937 novella ‘Of Mice and Men’ and Walter Salles’ 2004 biopic ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’, we gain a clearer understanding on what is required of humanity. Through Steinbeck’s response to the socio-economic
Frank R. Stockton’s tone in The Lady or the Tiger is ironic. This is evident from the first paragraph in which Stockton describes the king as “semi-barbaric” switching back and forth between descriptions of the king as a primitive, barbaric man and as a king who wants the best for his subjects. “…for nothing pleased him so much as to make the crooked straight and crush down uneven places.” This phrase is used to end the description of the king, and the juxtaposition of the pleasant and violent diction in “pleased” and “crush” contributes to the ironic tone. Stockton’s description of the justice system, the element upon which the story is built, is also ironic. “This vast amphitheater, with its encircling galleries, its mysterious vaults, and its unseen passages, was an agent of poetic justice, in which crime was punished, or virtue rewarded, by the decrees of an impartial and incorruptible chance.” The anteceding description of the justice system is one that delivers anything but poetic justice; both outcomes of the trial can be viewed as equally undesirable.
Nicks description lacks colour, “ash grey men, who move dimly, and already crumbling through the powdery air,” the specific language used creates the dull, yet detailed description which highlights the poor results of an economic boom in America 1920’s. Fitzgerald deliberately does this to establish the setting of America in the 1920’s. It also shows Gatsby’s rich life in opposition to those who live in the Valley of Ashes. Dr T.J. Eckleburg is the first new character introduced in chapter two. The description Fitzgerald presents of Dr T.J. Eckleburg symbolises an authoritative figure looking down up society, witnessing and judging the events that occur almost as if he were God.
Eugenee Del Rosario Ms. Ivey American Lit April 16, 2012 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald is very clever in the ways he uses and demonstrates symbolism in The Great Gatsby. In the novel, Fitzgerald criticizes the role of money in society. He describes essential traits of human life, especially romantic love and importance of money. There are different amounts of significance and symbolism throughout the novel. Through the use of symbols such as the Valley of Ashes, time, and the green light, he portrays the American society as a corruption of wealth.
The character of Jack in Lord of the Flies serves to highlight the uneven cruelty and power distributed through society. His character depicts a battle between good and evil, this theme is one that was influenced by Golding's own experiences in World War two. Jack represents the breakdown in society and how the “blood thirsty”, savagery in human nature can cause the fall of man and lead to autocratic tribalism. Jack’s craving for power is made evident right from the beginning of the novel. when the boys decide that they “ought to have a chief”, Jack jumps at the chance with “simple arrogance”, and states that its because he is “chapter chorister”, and can “sing C sharp”,so in other words, for no valid reason at all.
Journalist Daniel Flynn, Author of A Conservative History of the American Left, Why the Left Hates America: Exposing the Lies That Have Obscured Our Nation's Greatness, and Intellectual Morons: How Ideology Makes Smart People Fall for Stupid Ideas[Flynnfiles.com], points out the bias and assumption in Zinn’s work in his article “Howard Zinn’s Biased History” of the History News Network[Flynn]. And while Flynn may seem a little radical, he does make a fair point when he notices how Zinn demeans our founding fathers noble and historical actions to a greed filled angle created souly to benefit the upper class by
“Roving bandits” versus “stationary bandits” a. the ‘roving bandits’ under anarchy conducted uncoordinated competitive theft, which destroys the incentive to invest and produce b. by contrast, a ‘stationary bandit’ monopolizes and rationalizes theft in the form of taxes by setting himself up as a dictator; a secure autocrat thus has an encompassing interest to provide a peaceful order and other public goods that increase productivity in his territory 2. the tenure of an autocrat matters: c. the brief tenure, the inherent uncertainty of succession in dictatorships imply that autocracies will rarely have good economic performance for more than one generation d. the conditions necessary for a lasting democracy are the same necessary for the security of property and contract rights that generates economic growth The first blessing of the invisible hand 1. Why have most populous societies throughout history normally avoided anarchy? a. Why should warlords, who were stationary bandits continuously stealing from a given group of victims, be preferred, by those victims, to roving bandits who soon departed? b.