Review Literary Terms, Eng 125 Essay Example for Free

Review Literary Terms, Eng 125 Essay Imagination is the power to create. It is the key component to literature. Without imagination, there wont be an interesting story, I believe. Imagination is not only important to the writer, it helps the reader broaden their interpretation of the story. When you allow reading to unlock your imagination, your connection sets the stage for intellectual engagement. It allows the experience of reading literature to include the pursuit of ideas and knowledge. (Clugston, R. W 2010). With imagination comes genre. Choosing what category or type of literature. It can be a short story, poem, or drama. It can be used to make broad distinctions or to identify specific categories within a broad category. The short story and the novel, for example, are specific literary genres within the broad category of fiction. (Clugston, R. W. 2010). I think another very important component to literature is the tone. Setting the tone will let the reader know what attitude the literary work is going. For example, the final lines in Updikes poem create an initial feeling of sympathy, which is likely to become empathy if the reader reflects on the dogs predicament in not being able to communicate its final struggle. (Clugston, R. W 2010). Tone is followed by image. Image represents the experience that go through your senses, the idea. Writers use specific language to describe the imagery. Again, in Frosts and Updikes poems about the dog, In Frosts image of an old dog theres an initial feeling of sadness, but if the reader reflects on what the poem has to say about the inevitable life cycle that both the dog and the speaker face, sadness is likely to fade somewhat into acceptance. Reference Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart - The Downfall of the Ibo Essay

One of Chinua Achebe’s goals in Things Fall Apart is to portray Ibo culture vividly and honestly. Unlike European perspectives of the Africans – such as Conrad’s Heart of Darkness – Achebe’s representation explains intricate customs, rituals, and laws and develops individual characters. Things Fall Apart shows Ibo society to be fully functioning and full of life. However, Achebe maintains his objectivity and avoids giving the Ibo any undue sympathy, painting some of their customs – such as the mandatory abandonment of infant twins – in a questionable light. While it is easy for us – especially in this age of political correctness and multiculturalism – to place upon the white man all the blame for the downfall of the Ibo, Achebe does not make the situation so simple. In fact, it is the acquiescence of his comrades, not the intrusion of the Europeans, which eventually causes Okonkwo to take his own life. Thus, it is difficult to place the Ibo and the white men into traditional categories of good and evil, for each exhibits positive and negative qualities. Although the Ibo certainly possessed a lively, stable society before the Europeans arrived, their internal struggles contributed to their own demise. DEVELOPED CULTURE Throughout the novel, Achebe offers detailed illustrations of the richness of Ibo culture. Many episodes do not directly advance the plot, but rather serve to provide examples of this culture. One of the most significant signs of the development of Ibo culture is its system of laws and justice. A whole chapter describes the proceedings as egwugwu (important clansmen who dress as village ancestors) determine the verdict in a wife-beating case (87). The villagers are not stupid enough to believe... ...ld do if the missionaries brought military reinforcements. In any case, if Ibo society can be compared to a tragic hero, its irrational beliefs would be its tragic flaw. It was these beliefs which directly alienated members of society, such as Nwoye, Nneka, and the osu, and created a rift within the Ibo. While such beliefs and customs are certainly evidence of the depth of Ibo culture, their irrational basis could not withstand the white man’s defiance of them, as shown by the church’s survival in the Evil Forest. Ironically, it is these beliefs – the presence of a social structure, the development of a religion – which not only show the richness of Ibo culture, but also lead to its downfall. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. â€Å"An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.† An Introduction to Literature. Terry, Joseph. New York, NY: Longman, 2001.

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

â€Å"Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost† Steph Johnson ENG 155 January 23rd, 2012 Professor Jan Ward Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost A long, white beard and curious eyes peering from underneath a largely pointed hat often leave an imprinted image in mind. A scholarly grin and archaic tobacco pipe complete the picture formed. The faint imagery of what a wizard is can only be complete when thinking of Gandalf the Grey. A magic staff and a knowledgeable mind are cause for the quest that Gandalf sets out on in the novel â€Å"The Hobbit† by J.R. R. Tolkien. He can overcome adversity and aid his fellowship of 14 unlikely creatures in their attempt to regain their long-lost home. Gandalf is a venerable wizard and exemplifies a mythological hero throughout his entire written history. Gandalf always seems to be in the right place at the right time with a sort of grace about him, as if always waiting for the perfect moment. His knowledge of Middle Earth is inexplicable; he rar ely misses a beat. Although he is not on a personal quest, he is quick to help those he sees fit.Several times over the fellowship found themselves in a sticky situation, and Gandalf appeared only just in time. Knowledge, a keen eye, the desire to do what is right, and also a grain of mystery are all characteristics residing in Gandalf the Grey. According to â€Å"Tolkien-Online† (2007), â€Å"Tolkien was likely heavily influenced by one of the tales found in the Elder Edda which tells of the Norse god Odin traveling the Earth in the guise of a bearded old man with a staff. Gandalf the Grey shares several similarities with the â€Å"Father God† known as Odin. For instance, he is seen as the overseer of the group. He unintentionally becomes a father figure within the fellowship. He is constantly keeping them out of the trouble they so easily find themselves in on their adventure. Gandalf finds himself in a difficult situation in â€Å"The Fellowship of the Rings† and essentially dies. However, he is simply reincarnated from â€Å"Gandalf the Grey† into a more powerful and poignant â€Å"Gandalf the White,† which is similar to Odin. Odin's ‘death' upon the tree is really more of a shamanic ritual descent to discover magic runes than an actual death† (Leeming, 1990, p. 162). Although there is physical death, it is not enough to keep these figures from life. Gandalf the Grey exemplifies a mythological hero in the sense that he defies the odds against him (which are a great deal) and overcomes the darkness attempting to pull him in. As a wizard, he is eccentric and hard-headed. He is a necessary character in the story of Middle Earth and without him, the chain of events written about by Tolkien would not have been possible.The purpose of Gandalf's quest in â€Å"The Hobbit† is to take back the Lonely Mountain from the devious dragon known as Smaug, and regain the home for Thorin and his kind once more. Gandalf knows what dismal troubles lie before them and feels a burglar is necessary to join the fellowship. With this information, he invites a hobbit with the name of Bilbo to join the quest, and ultimately shapes the stories that follow with one simple scene. Bilbo encounters a ring and hastily shoves it into his pocket.He thinks little of this and is eventually safely back within the fellowship. Gandalf is curious and aware of what Bilbo may have taken ownership of, but does not mention it for several years (and the following story). The fellowship is successful in defeating Smaug and the dwarves take their original place within the Lonely Mountain. Gandalf is a classic character with simple qualities; he is a strong-willed wizard with more knowledge, and cunning than meets the eye.His quest proves dangerous and he prevails by using several of the mythological characteristics he portrays. He attains striking similarities to the Norse god, Odin. â€Å"Tolkien himself acknowledged the sim ilarity in a 1946 letter, calling Gandalf an â€Å"Odinic wanderer† (Tolkien-Online, 2007). Gandalf is a venerable wizard and exemplifies a mythological hero throughout his entire written history. References Tolkien-Online. (2007). Retrieved from http://www. tolkien-online. com/gandalf. html Leeming, D. A. (1990). The world of myth. New York, New York: Oxford University Press.

Social Stratification Implications of Race on Poverty

D. Lily Palmer John L. Steadman WRIT 121 February 17, 2011 Social stratification: implications of race on poverty Poverty is a significant yet emotional, concern that may seem like unrealistic fiction yet is a real condition affecting hard working Americans as cost of living and inflation rises yet the minimum wage remains the same. With increased unemployment, there is an increase in the number of people who are considered either at poverty level or on the threshold of poverty. Although Effects of poverty are not specifically restricted to a specific race or social class, there is a correlation in poverty levels indicative to specific racial groups. To help us better understand the effects poverty has†¦show more content†¦Native Americans, African Americans and Hispanics tend to be the three major races fulfilling these roles. A functionalist would state that this is because their meritocracy. These particular races also provide Jobs for educated people as homeless and destitute people provide social service jobs. They perform a vital function to social structure without them we would have no definition of what poor is. Not only do they create jobs and provide service’s that others would not, they also fulfill an economic role kind of like a ladder you need the step below you to support the next step. The same with races you need Hispanics to raise the social status of African Americans you need Native Americans to raise the status of Hispanics and so forth. In contrast a conflict theorist would maintain that poor and destitute compete over resources. The Native Americans are at low end of the income scale because they are competing with other races that have more social power. Therefore they have a harder time getting jobs and have difficulty getting secondary education due to the steep competition between races for financial aid. 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