The Realistic Hero Essays - English-language Films,

The Realistic Hero Tom Sawyer, the main character of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, written by Mark Twain, is an average boy who is bored with his civilized life and escapes these constraints by pulling pranks, and pulling other mischievous things. The character of Tom, in the most part, is presented as a realistic and convincing boy. He is kind and loving, but also cruel, stupid, and hypocritical of others at times, as well as, he shows maturation throught the story. The story of Tom Sawyer,as well as being about a realistic character, is a story that is intrusive to adults and children. Tom is shown throughout the story as a typical boy of his time and place. He has a loving, happy home, with his devoted Aunt Polly to care for him. He is mostly restricted by his home routine of prayers, meals, chores, bedtime, and things like that, but when his routine life gets to dull, he has the nearby river and woods, where he can go to escape. Though Tom is not " the model boy" of the village, he even hates the "model boy." He plays boyish pranks on Aunt Polly, Sid, his friends, and everyone in town. He steals, lies, plays hooky, fights, and goes swimming secretly, but he is a normal boy and this is what normal boys do at his age. Tom is a clever, imaginative boy who has a good knowledge about human nature and knows how to use it. He continually outwits his Aunt Polly, and also persuades other boys to do his work for him without them even knowing of his trickery. One example of this is in the whitewashing scene, when his Aunt Polly makes him whitewash the outside fence before he is allowed to play. He slyly conviences the first boy by saying "...I don't see why oughtn't like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence everyday?" (21) With this cunning use of words he manipulates the boy to whitewash the fence, which leads to others also joining in to help. In the end, Tom has made a tidy profit as well as got the whitewashing done without actually doing it. As well as Tom being known as a strong boy, he also has fears. He is afraid, at various times in the book, of being harmed by Injun Joe, starving to death with Becky in the cave, of witchcraft, and of death during the thunderstorm when he is ill with the measles. Some of his fears are based on real dangers, such as with Injun Joe. Others are just simply fears in his mind. Partly by luck and partly by using his mind and courage, Tom is able to eventually triumph over his fears. Tom , who is usually a spirited guy, sometimes goes off by himself to be alone and think about his death. Ususally these dark moods only last a very short time, then he is back to his rowdy self. For example, after being rejected by Becky, he goes off into his comforting woods and thinks about ways to get back at her, and even thinks about running away. Though he gets into these moods occasionally, a quick visit from his friends he totally forgets his depressed mood, and resorts back to his spirited self. Although Tom likes to rebel against society and its restrictions, he is basically respectable. He is the nephew of a woman who is the soul of suitability and who is instilled him with these values. When Tom calculates his pranks and adventures in term's of society's reactions. At the end of the story, he even persuades his best friend Huck, who is an outcast in the town, to become "respectable" by telling him "Well, everybody does that way, Huck." (243) Tom also conviences Huck to "be respectable" by telling him he won't let him join his robber gang " if you ain't respectable." Also another aspect of Tom that is realistic is how he grows throught the story. Tom starts out acting childish and irresponsible and ends up acting more mature and responsible. The story of Muff Potter begins with Tom and Huck going to a graveyard to try

Frankenstein-main themes essays

Frankenstein-main themes essays In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley explores a wide range of themes concerning human nature through the thoughts and actions of two main characters and a host of others. Two themes are at the heart of the story, the most important being creation, but emphasis is also placed on alienation from society. These two themes are relevant even in todays society as technology brings us ever closer to Frankensteins fictional achievement. First, lets examine the alienation from society suffered by Frankensteins monster. The cause of his ostracism was his horrific physical appearance. It was so bad that people would not even allow him the chance to speak or get to know the person behind the hideous face. Shelley is criticizing the importance appearance plays in defining our roles as members of society. The monster knows all too well how people will receive him and so tries to appeal to a blind man, the only type of person who could be dependent on him. Sadly for the wretch, the blind man had others on whom he could depend as well, and upon seeing him caused a stir. His one chance at gaining acceptance thus ruined. This causes his anti-social behavior, a problem we deal with presently. Alienation from society causes violent lashings out at the world that rejected him. We have seen this recently with the school shooting at Columbine. The two boys responsible for the bloodshed claimed that their motive was the daily ostracism they had to endure from other students. So too was this the torturous daily routine for the Shelleys monster. And when Frankenstein rejected him, he sought to make Victor an empathizer by killing those whom he loved. Perhaps less than revenge, the monster only wanted someone to know what it is like to be alone and denied love. This brings us the theme of creation, which really contains smaller sub-themes. There is the relationship between the creator and...

Response to Monets Water Lillies Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Response to Monets Water Lillies - Thesis Example This commentary note is a series of reflections and important aspects of Clark’s experiences as he viewed two works by Poussin and wrote on his insight through these viewings, and on my own art-making, First, I discuss what insight the current body of literature concerning Monet’s Water lilies series can offer to a discussion of the work. Second, I examine the work through the perspectives presented in The Sight of Death and Art and its Objects. Third, I explore future research and lesson developments. Finally, I considered my reflections as they impact my future scholarship and art-making. While there are a host of famed artworks that grace the walls and spaces of the world’s great cultural centers and museums, few have gotten the attention of the public like those of the impressionists, particularly the works of Claude Monet (1840-1926). In fact, one of the highest prices paid for a single work of art was invested in one of his Water Lilies (1920-1926) series, which sold in 2008 for over $70 million. The interest in this series of paintings continues today, as seen by the public and critical response to the Monet’s Water Lilies exhibition held in New York City at the Museum of Modern Art from September 13, 2009 until April 12, 2010. The in-person access to artworks of this stature gives an opportunity for critique and interpretation from many viewpoints. It was in this spirit that Dr. Baldacchino granted permission for me to use my personal notes from several visits during this showing period in order to offer my interpretation of Water Lilies through a novel lens. Water Lilies In-class Presentation November 2010, Monet’s Water Lilies series is astounding in person. Its size is monumental, its colors are overwhelming, and its brushwork is beautiful. Upon my initial viewings, several key aspects of the work became apparent to me. First the monumental perspective of the three paintings seemed interesting to me because it stand s in contrast to many of the landscape paintings of the same time period. Second the brush strokes used by Monet in these works seemed expressive and natural, specifically in the water reflections and surroundings areas. Lastly, Monet’s unique style of brush stroke intrigued me. The Water lily triptych has a strong drawing quality about it that is also noticeable in many of Monet’s other artworks. He draws nature’s movement with his brush strokes rather than painting them. As a viewer felt, this technique gave me the effect of feeling closer to nature, as if having been face to face with elements of nature facing back at me. This water lily triptych created a romantic and natural atmosphere that caused me to become aware of the natural environment that I live in and appreciate this further. Considering Monet as naturalistic opens up a larger idea. As Temkin and Lawrence explain, â€Å"Artist’s ambition to create a panorama that enveloped the viewer, an e nvironment that in today’s parlance would be called an â€Å"installation†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Temkin&Lawrence, p.9). As the High Museum states, these installations were sometimes large in size. â€Å"Monet created 250 different water lily paintings and 19 were large panels† (High Museum, 2009). The unique way he wanted to view these triptych paintings in the gallery space was interesting to me. As always, there is no indication of the horizon or pond’s edge, but here the viewer is treated to an exceptionally harmonious expanse of painted reverie. Softly flowing passages of cloud reflections, overhanging foliage, lily pads, and water share the space without dramatic incident (Temkin& Lawrence, p.34). The Water lilies panel caused two things to

Report based on group discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Report based on group discussion - Essay Example BASF has an employee base of 112,000 employees who have helped the company post a strong revenue growth; in 2013 the company’s turnover was â‚ ¬74.0 billion and a profit of â‚ ¬7.2 billion (BASF). BASF like other companies in the chemical industry represent an important sector in every economy, in our case Germany. At the same time, the industry represents one of the greatest environmental costs and is a clear threat if no mitigating factors are enforced. The chemical industry is also interlinked with other sectors in the economy considering that only about 13 percent of the total production leaves the plant as finished products (Esty & Simmons, 2011.p.15). In regard to the environment, chemical production utilizes the environment to source for materials with much greater intensity than any other sector. At the same time, these companies use the environment as a medium for production, storage, transport, and disposal of resulting products. Almost every stage of the production process in chemical companies represents a threat to the environment. However, this should not be the case as there are ways and means to curtail these threats without affecting the company’s prof itability. In studying BASF, we examine ways through which the company can sustainably fashion its production process and products to achieve eco-efficiency. Eco-efficiency in this case not only represents green processing but a means to improve the company’s financial standing. In setting up a win-win strategy, BASF will have to address the major processes especially those with the highest impact on the environment. In this section, we look at the foremost changes that would help achieve eco-efficiency with greater emphasis on the manufacturing processes. The first step is to research and put up alternate means of supplying energy to the manufacturing process. At present, there are several ways through which energy for manufacturing

My Strengths and Weakness of each of the Domains of The Framework for Essay

My Strengths and Weakness of each of the Domains of The Framework for Teaching - Essay Example I need to do self- assessment. I need to improve the way I do teaching. The Domains of the Framework for Teaching, I realized, is the thing needed to be done in order to address our aspiration to be good teachers. Domain 1: Planning and Preparation This is the foremost thing I do when teaching. I consider this as the springboard to teaching. My strength in this area is the â€Å"knowledge of content and pedagogy.† I studied my concentration for many years. My interest is encompassing when it comes to my adored area of study. And I enjoyed teaching the content to my students. My knowledge in pedagogy complements well the teaching and learning process. All in all, this is my cup of tea. My weakness, though, is â€Å"demonstrating knowledge of students.† I find it a hard time to individually identify my students’ strengths, weaknesses and intelligences. There are instances when I sense a divide between my expectations and students’ actual capabilities. I also find it hard to customize my instruction to suit their background knowledge and readiness. To demonstrate well the knowledge of students is my desire. I realized that if only I can do it, teaching can be more exciting and rewarding. I have to have knowledge of my students’ personality. I should do efforts to recognize them more. I can do this by analyzing and discovering their backgrounds and abilities through student-centered strategies in teaching. I should exhibit care and concern to their ideas and opinions. My students and I should open up channels of communication where the students can freely ask guidance and comfort. I can start doing efforts to know my students immediately. I will regularly include this in my day-to-day life as a

Kant and Moral Values Essay -- Philosophy Essays Papers

Kant says that moral values are ‘good without qualification.’ This assertion and similar remarks of Plato can be understood in terms of a return to moral data themselves in the following ways: 1. Moral values are objectively good and not relative to our judgments; 2. Moral goodness is intrinsic goodness grounded in the nature of acts and independent of our subjective satisfaction; 3. Moral goodness expresses in an essentially new and higher sense of the idea of value as such; 4. Moral Goodness cannot be abused like intellectual, aesthetic, temperamental and other values; 5. Moral values are good in that they never must be sacrificed for any other value, because they are incomparably higher and should absolutely and ‘first’ be sought for; 6. Moral goodness makes the person as such good; 7. All three different modes of participation in moral values are linked to the absolute, most ‘necessary’ and highest good for the person; 8. Moral Values are go ods "in the unrestricted sense" by being pure perfections in the sense that "neither in this world nor outside it" can we find anything that could be called good unqualifiedly except moral goodness which is absolutely better to possess than not to possess. 9. Moral Values are unconditionally good because they are never just ‘means’ towards ends. 10. Moral values imply a new type of ought which elucidates the ‘absolute sense’ in which they are good. Conclusion: These distinctions allow a better grasp of Kant and Plato as well as of a central ethical truth decisive for the moral education of humankind. Kant calls moral values the only values that are ‘good without qualification,’ and thereby states something very profound about morality. Let us read his great text in which he expresses ma... ...1961. S. 58-84. (8) See John Finnis, Fundamentals of Ethics (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1983); see also the same author, Natural Law and Natural Rights (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1980). (9) See on this Anselm von Canterbury. Monologion, ch. 15. See also Josef Seifert, Essere e persona. Verso una fondazione fenomenologica di una metafisica classica e personalistica. (Milano: Vita e Pensiero, 1989), ch. 5. (10) Also in Anselm the deepest meaning of ‘maius’ is a moral one. Compare my Gott als Gottesbeweis (Heidelberg: Università ¤tsverlag C. Winter, 1996), ch. 11. (11) See on this Ethics, 2nd edn (Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1978), ch. 17-18; Josef Seifert, Josef Seifert, Essere e persona, cit., ch. 9. (12) On a sevenfold motivation of moral acts see Josef Seifert, Was ist und was motiviert eine sittliche Handlung? (Salzburg: Univ.Verlag A. Pustet, 1976).

Othello by William Shakespeare Essay

Othello by William Shakespeare is a tragic story of envy, hatred and giving trusting to a very iniquitous person. It tells a tale of two people who loved each other despite the fact that they are worlds apart in terms of race, age and experience. Othello was a Moor, and Desdemona was the prettiest woman. Envied by Roderigo and Iago, the latter devised a plan to deceive Othello that his wife is cheating on him with his most trusted lieutenant Cassio. Unfortunately for the main characters, the plan worked and Othello ended up killing his faithful wife. Learning about what a fool he had become, not believing his own wife, Othello killed himself and died in his wife’s embrace. Roderigo was killed by Cassio and Iago was tortured to death. I have chosen to discuss Act V, Scene II of the play Othello, where Othello was convinced his wife was unfaithful and made up his mind to kill her. For him, this was the only honorable thing to do. The first part showed Othello looking at his sleeping wife amidst a flickering candle. He states: It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul,– Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars! — It is the cause. Yet I’ll not shed her blood; Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow, And smooth as monumental alabaster. In this speech, Othello is trying to convince himself that it was Desdemona who was at fault that is why killing her must be done. He accuses his wife’s beauty as the cause of her infidelity. And because of this beauty that he will kill her with honor, and not damage any part of her splendor. He is obviously confused, hesitant, trying to make sense of what he is about to do. Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men. Put out the light, and then put out the light: If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, I can again thy former light restore, When I have pluck’d the rose, I cannot give it vital growth again. It must needs wither: I’ll smell it on the tree. In these lines, Othello has affirmed reasons for him to kill his wife, and convinced himself that by killing her, he is relieving her of her sins, bringing back her purity and innocence, as if being born again. He then kissed his wife and this awakened her. Desdemona, quite feeling there is something wrong, tried to capture her husband’s love once again by inviting him to lay beside her but instead, Othello asked her whether she had already prayed because he does not want to kill an unprepared spirit. When Desdemona appeared confused, Othello told her that is has been proven that she has betrayed him by being with Cassio and that he has the handkerchief that Othello so lovingly gave her. Despite Desdemona’s pleadings of innocence, Othello’s mind has already been poisoned by Iago’s stories, and he killed his wife. This scene, I believe is the umbrella of the whole play. Even though it was not actually stated in Act V, Scene II, it was obvious that Othello was a great man but was blinded by jealousy. And this blindness is a solid proof of Iago’s cunningness in manipulating the different characters. It was also shown here how Desdemona truly loves her husband by admitting suicide and not revealing that it was Othello who killed her. The painting that I have chosen (above) somehow shows the entirety of scene II of Act V. By looking at it, one can clearly see the difference in Othello and Desdemona’s lives. She was almost a goddess, sleeping in her white wedding sheets, and he looks like a confused peasant wearing a suit that is fit for him. There was hesitation, uncertainty and doubt in his eyes. He was holding a dagger evidently implying that he is about to kill her (although this was actually used to kill himself). His pose seems like he was sneaking in to steal a look of his stunning wife. Desdemona on the other hand, looks so peaceful, almost illuminating in just a faint light of a flickering candle. Although the painting pretty much illustrated the scene from the play, it was still lacking of life and dimension. In a third person point of view, it would not be as effective in delivering the message unless the person really knows the story. Therefore, while I consider myself as a visual person, I still much prefer the written form of this particular scene. It is more dramatic and touching to be able to create a scene with your own imagination. A major factor for this choice is that I have always loved reading because it can really take me on a journey where I can be in control. Also, I can have my own interpretation of different chapters in a book or novel whereas in watching a movie to looking at a photograph or painting, you can only interpret up to the limit of what the artist or director. Written literary works can give you limitless possibilities, and that is the challenge I treasure in reading.