... was a vivacious and generous man, but often lived outside the boundaries of his tight pocketbook. Later in life Dickens used his father as the basis for his fictional character, Mr. Micawber and his mother as Mrs. Nickleby in the Brothers Cheeryble (Constable 25). In 1814 John Dickens was transferred from the post in Portsworth to one in London. Three years later the family moved to Chatham to be closer to their father who was working steadily at the post. Charles Dickens's mother taught him to read when he was barely five and for the next few years Dickens lived wonderfully, reading every book he could get his hands on. He quickly read through his father's ...
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... it is out of reach so he changes himself. (Fitzgerald, -page 54) Myrtle and Gatsby both want to be part of the same elite crowd. They play a reflection of each other in the book by wanting the same thing but they have different methods of achieving it. Gatsby wants Daisy, and Myrtle just wants to be higher in society. Gatsby plays the god-like character in this book so his means are good but both him and Myrtle do bad things to get higher in a crowd that will never take them in. To make themselves appear better to the other crowd, they lose some of the moral fiber that was there to begin with. (Fitzgerald, -page 83) Loss of morals in the 1920' in America cause ...
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... symbols of intolerance. Chief to these thoughts is Father Dolan, whose statements such as, "Lazy little schemer. I see schemer in your face," exemplify the type of attitude Stephen begins to associate with his Catholic teachers. By the end of Chapter One, Stephen's individualism and lack of tolerance for disrespect become evident when he complains to the rector about the actions of Father Dolan. His confused attitude is clearly displayed by the end of the chapter when he says, "He was happy and free: but he would not be anyway proud with Father Dolan. He would be very kind and obedient: and he wished that he could do something kind for him to show him that he wa ...
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... got burned in." However Arthur Miller argued that times have changed- "we no longer live in an era dominated by kings and queens- and so maybe our definition of tragedy should change, too." Changing ideas on the qualities of a "modern tragedy" means also changing the qualities of a "modern tragic hero". A tragic hero is someone with the dedication to die for a belief, but also someone who has a tragic flaw or limitation that defines him as a character and makes the tragedy happen. Willy is intense and passionate and cares about his dream enough to sacrifice his life to it. He has alternatives, but he chooses to live in a certain way that brings about his dow ...
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... examples of an atmosphere of gloom and terror throughout this story proving that Getting Rid of George is a well written gothic story. Along with a gloomy and terrifying atmosphere, Arthur uses the element of aberrant psychological states of mind to add to his gothic story. An example of irrational behavior is shown when Laura becomes outraged and spontaneously murders George. We thought, as well, that when Laura suffers a fainting spell is also an example of this psychological state of mind. Evidence of this is found when Arthur writes: “Harry held Laura until the nausea within her subsided.” Lastly, hallucinations were also prevalent in the story as well. ...
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... he spotted celebrating the Christmas holiday. He would even put down his nephew because of his Christmas Spirit. The Cratchit's, however, spent their Christmas enjoying the company and warmth of each other. They found a way to have a wonderful time, despite their money problems. In this day and age, Christmas is also known as a time to spend with loved ones. The winter holidays are the most joyful because of the time we spend with our close friends and relatives. No one could ever be happy spending Christmas by themselves, especially in our society. However, there is a difference between Christmas one hundred years ago and Christmas in the present. ...
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... have been invited to a big party, she feels she must live up to her pride. Knowing without a doubt that they have no money, she wants to have a beautiful dress and along with the dress she gets a radiant necklace from Mrs. Forrestier. The incident in which Mathlide loses the necklace plays an active role in Mathlide’s pride. Mathlide refuses to endure embarrassment by telling Mrs. Forrestier that she lost her necklace, so she goes and replaces the necklace. Her pride will not let her stoop so low into apologizing, pleading for forgiveness for nothing, instead her pride tells her that she is capable of replacing the necklace, and so she does. Her pride dreadfully le ...
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... tasks that should be a routine part of his duties. For example, when his boss asks him to examine some copies of financial accounts, Bartleby not only refuses to comply but will not explain his reasons: "What is wanted?" said he (Bartleby) mildly. "The copies, the copies," said I hurriedly. "We are going to examine them. There" and I held towards him the fourth quadruplicate. "I would prefer not to," he said, and gently disappeared behind the screen. "Why do you refuse?" "I would prefer not to"(20). Bartleby's actions show that he is an outcast of society. His attitude toward his work is symbolic of his alienation from life. He prefers not to work or live. In ...
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... control. “She seemed just a wee thing wallowing, miraculously top up, at the mercy of the five oceans. Occasionally a great spread of water, like white flames, swarmed into her.” (pg.145) There is also a sense that man is totally not important to the natural forces controlling his fate. “When it occurs to man that nature does not regard him as important, and that she feels she would not maim the universe by disposing of him, he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply that there are no bricks and no temples.”(pg156) The one character who perishes, the oiler, is of course a victim of determinism. Even as he was so close to land and no long ...
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... ship, if one did not know that he was the captain, he could easily be taken for some royal of the king's that is being transported from one place to another. As Melville points out, “He had seen much service, been in various engagements, always acquitting himself as an office mindful of the welfare of his men, but never tolerating an infraction of discipline; thoroughly versed in the science of his profession, and intrepid to the verge of temerity, though never injudiciously so.” In fact, his downfall is directly caused by his never tolerating an infraction of discipline. Captain Vere instinctively disliked Claggert, a man who, for his own reasons, falsel ...
