The Writing Style Of Mark Twain English Literature Essay

The Writing Style Of Mark Twain English Literature Essay Mark Twain once said when asked how to write, Write what you know about. His work of Life on the Mississippi is a great representation of his advice to aspiring writers. It is written in true realistic style, providing the reader with many elements. Likewise, The Lost Phoebe is written in true naturalistic style, showing elements of mans struggle with society and himself. Both works are true to the form they are written in and have many stark contrasts in comparison. Twains writing style not only brings great descriptions of the world he presents to the reader, but he adds elements of humor to make his points. The focus of both works is on two poor characters. Twains character is fixated on the adventure and romanticism he believes that life on the Mississippi River will offer him. Twain incorporates truthful treatment of life surrounding his character. In describing the daily life in the town, he writes, Once a day cheap, gaudy packet arrived upward from St. Louis, and another downward from Keokuk. Before these events, the day was glorious with expectancy; after them, the day was a dead and empty thing. Twain continues to breathe life into his story by describing the town and some of its inhabitants, leaving the reader a well-shaped image of life in the town. In reading the text it seems that most people in the town trudge on in their daily lives and have lost hope or sight of what they once dreamed. They seemed to fall into a quasi-catatonic st ate in which their entertainment hinged on a steamboat berthing at the dock. Once gone, the town returned to regular humdrum. Even Twains character abandons most of his dreams: These ambitions faded out, each in its turn; but the ambition to be a steamboatman always remained. Dimmed hope, to be certain, but not gone, Twains character backs his ears and chases down what he considers the American Dream: freedom and adventure. Twain makes it clear throughout his work that even though one may have a love for something, and romanticize it to the point of exhaustion, doesnt mean it will be easy by any stretch of the imagination. Finding that he was treated poorly by those who didnt consider him one of them, Twain points out, Months afterward the hope within me struggled to a reluctant death, and I found myself without an ambition. Ashamed to return back home because of failure in chasing his dream, he makes an even more bold decision to travel to the Amazon. As the chapters unfold, Twain points out what life on the Mississippi is like and maybe not as romantic as once thought. I believe he was making a point that all dreams can be this way, so be prepared for what you ask for. After all his ambitions of life on the Mighty Mississippi, the prestige of friends and family envying his position as a steamboat pilot, Twains character can not even remember simple navigation lessons taught to him. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦my memory was never loaded with anything but blank cartridges. In the end, it appeared that Twains character simply wanted the status of being a glorious steamboatman without having to learn the true nature of it. Twain shows the follies of chasing dreams without true desire to learn, because by doing so, romanticism of the dream is replaced by the reality of it. Twain also points out how society reacts to those with aspiring dreams. Twains character was mostly rejected by those he was attempting to emulate. There was little help and forgiveness for him. He ties the se realistic elements together by inserting humor at optimal points. In stark contrast to using humor to make a point, The Lost Phoebe is a dark representation of man versus himself, nature, and society. It begins, depressingly, describing the poor conditions of the setting. There is not one bright element in the description of the house or land around it. Indeed, the only happy element is when Dresier writes, Old Henry Reifsneider and his wife Phoebe were a loving couple. Even with this happy element, Dresier even later takes a dump all over that, too, when he writes, Old Henry and his wife Phoebe were as fond of each other as it is possible for two old people to be who have nothing else in this life to be fond of. This work is concerned more with the description of how dismal the surrounding is rather than the true nature of Henry or his wife. Any good qualities either may have possessed are void and irrelevant in this naturalistic style of writing. Whatever Dresiers intent was in writing this work, it is clear that the circumstances involving the p eople Henry Reifsneider encounters, and nature, and even the nature of man, are the antagonists here. As for this reader, this piece of literature throws cold water on any ambition to marry for fear of losing my spouse and wandering around seeing apparitions of them until one day all hope is lost and his life is ended by falling off of a cliff. Every aspect of this work is dark and dismal. Reifsneider encounters the first antagonist with the death of Phoebe: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in a fog of sorrow and uncertainty, followed her body to the nearest graveyard, an unattractive space with a few pines growing in it. The second encounter followed immediately thereafter with Reifsneider struggling against people suggesting he come to live with them. But he wanted to stay near his dead wife. Soon he found himself seeing apparitions of Phoebe that would eventually lead him to his own demise, but not before his struggles with people he encountered. Hes clean outn his head. That poor old fellers bee n livin down there till hes gone outen his mind. Ill have to notify the authorities. one man remarked as he observed Henry. Dreiser amplifies the Naturalism style in that impact of Henrys environment is clear, and is vividly motivated by this, in animalistic fashion, to find his wife. This story is a classic example of Naturalism style in that it is dark, lonely, and full of descriptors about a working-class environment. Arguably, the ending to this story could be construed as a happy one. Henry does find his wife through his own death, and was seemingly happy to leap. But from the first line to the last, this story is a dark tunnel that continually spirals downward. It is full of true Naturalism style and there is absolutely no real humor contained within. From the way the characters talk, to the way they are dressed, and how they interact is a snapshot of this dark theme Dresier attempts to convey. Both works provide great descriptions of the environment of which they are trying to convey aspects of their works. However, where Dresier chooses to gain some type of sympathy for his characters by describing the outward circumstances, Twain conveys his ideas by examining some real aspects of the character as well as the real life around him. Twain makes his points more subtle than those of Dresier, but both are equally true to their form of styles.

Independence Day Essay

â€Å"India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.† Honourable Chief Guest, teachers and all my dear friends. This day 15th August of every year is a golden day engraved in the history of the world. We won our freedom on this date and it is a day of celebration. As we celebrate it hoisting the flag, playing our National Anthem with fervor, singing and rejoicing, we need to recall the past to remember and pay homage to the builders of our nation. My dear friends, we are the privileged lot to have been born in a free India. We are able to breathe in a land that is free from the day we were born. If at all we want to know the pangs of agony of being slaves under a foreign rule, we must ask our elders born before 1947. It was indeed a Himalayan task for every Indian in those days to fight against those powerful giants – the British rulers. We must not allow those hard times and struggles fade away from our memory. Hence it is befitting for us to celebrate such a National festivals and recall those heroic deeds of our National heroes. We remember them today. Right from Mahatma Gandhi to the many patriotic leaders to whom we owe our gratitude. As we regard those martyrs who laid their precious lives for our sake, we must not ignore the common people who sacrificed their lot for the good cause. There were farmers, land lords, businessmen, teachers, writers, poets and students who helped the land achieve the long cherished dream of being free from foreign rule. Today we have travelled a long way in the path of free India. We have proved ourselves worthy of freedom. We are considered as the largest democracy in the world. How proud we were when Sushil Kumar won the silver medal in 2012 London Olympics or when The Indian Cricket Team lifted The ICC Champions Trophy? We are proud of it and feel very happy about all these positive aspects. But can we afford to be blind to the black clouds surrounding us? Let us question ourselves have we used our freedom in the right manner? If so, why should there be so many problems facing our motherland that threaten its existence? Be it terrorist attacks or the blight of corruption; these are the dangers that threaten us all. Well what can a mere student do at this juncture? Should we go catch the terrorists? Should we fight against the corrupted politicians? Or should we take over the country by waging another war for  freedom? No, we are not expected to do anything that brings turmoil to our land. We must keep observing things around us. We will have our own day. Before that, let us do our duty of preparing ourselves to be well-educated citizens of tomorrow. Let us do our duty sincerely and study hard to achieve a goal that is to be responsible citizens of India who believe in their country. Today we require youngsters with lot of energy. Illiteracy is our first enemy for a democratic nation. Let us get rid of illiteracy and become informed citizens who take India to a bright future. Jai Hind

Regional Imbalance Essay

India is a vast plural country, full of diversities of religions, castes,languages, tribes, cultures, etc. A number of cultural and linguistic groups are concentrated in certain territorial segments, to which they are attached, emotionally and historically. As has been said that during colonial rule the administration was interested in economic exploitation of the country and not in its development; it encouraged various divisions based on religion, region, caste and language and did not pursue any plan or strategy for a balanced development of the country. These resulted in regional imbalances,and group identities. Subsequently, the independent India saw the rise of regionalism, linguism, separatism, etc. In this chapter we will read about the background, causes and nature of these phenomena and possible ways out to check them. All these are related and interconnected. A region is a territory, the inhabitants of which have an emotional attachment to it because of commonality of religion,language, usages and customs, socioeconomic and political stages of development, common historical traditions, a common way of living, etc. Any one or more of these, and above all widely prevalent sentiments of togetherness, strengthen the bond. This territory can coincide with the boundaries of a State, parts of State or even with more than one State. A sense of discrimination or competition on economic, political or cultural grounds, desire for justice or favour gives rise to regionalism. Depending on reasons,and related nature, regionalism can be manifested in many ways like demand for autonomy or powers for State,creation of new State, protection of language or culture of the region or separation from the country. By regional disparities or imbalances is meant wide differences in per capita income, literacy rates, availability of health and education services, levels of industrialisation, etc. between different regions. As already mentioned, these regions may be either states or regions within a State. In this regard in India there are enormous imbalances on various accounts. The exploitative nature of British colonial rule either created or accentuated regional disparities. The planning in independent India has also not been ble to remove these. As is well known, the British colonial administration was primarily interested in selling their products in Indian markets and taking away raw materials from here. In some cases they were also interested in establishing some industries to invest their surplus capital and use cheap labour. Keeping these needs in view, they introduced Zamindari system in some regions to get maximum land revenue. In some regions they favoured peasant proprietary system a nd improvement of agriculture to create markets for their products. As such, in agriculture there came up significant variations both in production relations and level of production in different states and regions. The pattern of urbanisation was based on the strategy of exporting primary products and importing finished goods. This laid the foundation for the emergence of port towns as the major centers of urban-industrial activities. Therefore, the growth of trade nd commerce in colonial India meant the creation of jobs and educational opportunities at coastal centers like Bombay, Calcutta and Madras and some princely states’ capitals. This also led to the emergence of some consumer industries in these enclaves and hence to the development of a merchant capitalist class. This gave these regions a head start over others where the vast tracts of agriculture had lost their traditional handicrafts and other small scale non-agricultural activities in the face of competition from the high technology associated with the modern processes of industrialisation. Another factor in the uneven regional development was the growth of the education system. The British imperialists had linked India to Europe via trade relations and the coastal areas especially around the ports of Bombay,Calcutta and Madras. To man the establishments in these areas modern education was introduced. An educated professional class, mainly lower paid government and commercial clerks, grew up in these areas. These regions also threw up an elite group of lawyers and other professionals who were involved on both sides of the independence movement. On the eve of independence interstate and inter-district disparities were quite sharp and widening. There were differences in the levels of per capita income and consumption, literacy, medical and health facilities, natural resources, population growth, infrastructure development,employment opportunities etc. The independent India, thus, was burdened with the task of removing these disparities. The need for the removal of regional disparities was well recognised by the leaders of the independent India. The Constitution of India, has made it mandatory for the government at the Centre to appoint a Finance Commission once at least in every five years. It was to examine the problems arising out of the gaps between the needs for expenditure and the availability of revenue and other such matters. Accordingly, the balanced regional development had become the declared goal of the Central government and of its two principal agencies — the Planning Commission and the Finance Commission. One of the objectives of planning was to restore the balance between various areas and regions. However, these institutions were to work within overall socio-economic infrastructure of the country and the developing political process. As has already been mentioned that because of the strategic position of the ruling class and adopted model of development right from the beginning,the development has been drifting away from the desired goals. Moreover, to begin with planning was primarily restricted to the national level. Hardly any attention was paid to the problem of regional disparities and the few measures that were taken, were adopted to deal with specific problems faced by certain areas having natural calamities. Thus, the problem of regional development in a national context did not get adequate attention of the policy makers. Some of the already developed regions enjoyed the privilege to develop further at the cost of the backward regions which continued to stagnate. The Third Five-Year Plan devoted some attention to the problem of regional disparities. Some efforts were made to identify the backward regions. Fourth plan onward, planners have increasingly emphasised this objective. Deliberate policy measures are being taken to improve the levels of living of the people in regions identified as backward. However, in practice, in spite of the increasing awareness of these aspects, very little has been achieved. While industrially backward regions have been identified by India’s Planning Commission, no such attempt has yet been made as regards regions which can be deemed to be backward from the point of view of overall economic development. Actually, the main focus of regional policy during the Indian plans has been on the dispersal of industry among the different regions of India. But, in spite of various attempts for industrialisation, agriculture continues to be the most important economic activity from the point of view of output and employment in most of the States in India. And within the agricultural sector, because of emphasis on immediate increase in production,inter-state disparities in per capita agricultural production have been on the increase. It is well known that in agricultural development policy, the green revolution and its impact has been confined to relatively small areas. Thus, the disparities in socio-economic conditions of the people have beenincreasing both within and between different regions of the country. Existence and continuation of regional inequalities both among States and within States create the feeling of neglect, deprivation and of discrimination. In a country which is multi ethnic and multi religious, with groups concentrated in states or regions, these disparities also become cause of social conflicts leading to political and administrative problems. In any case regional imbalances are a major cause of regionalism in India in many ways. The movements for creation of separate States in Jharkhand area of Bihar and West Bengal, Uttaranchal and Chattisgarh in Uttar Pradesh andMadhya Pradesh were because of underdevelopment of these regions in those States and a feeling of deprivation and exploitation among people. Finally,these areas were constituted as separate States in 2001. Similar movements are going on in Telengana region of Andhra Pradesh, Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, Darjeeling region of West Bengal and in some other regions. Apart from sense of deprivation in the neglected States or regions there also are grievances due to sectoral imbalances in States like lack of industrial development along with agricultural development. Because ofthis, on the one hand there have developed interests, particularly in rural areas of developed States, and on the other sectoral conflicts. Both these are encouraging regionalism in developed States. For example, in areas where Green Revolution was introduced and has been successful, thenew rich farmers class has become economically and politically important. They are now interested in perpetuating the concessions and facilities which were given to them. In spite of agriculture having become quite profitable they want subsidies to continue and income not to betaxed. These rich farmers in such States provide major social basis of regional parties. Another aspect of imbalanced development is that because of development only in limited areas, the work force from other States and areas, keep on fighting and winning transitions. Focus is on regional development and not on equivocal or equi-sectoral development. This leads to a major imbalance within a country’s economy and across state-wise economies.

Things Fall Apart Analysis - 1671 Words

Objective: In this paper I will discuss the text Things Fall Apart while analyzing the characters, events, and the historical relevance of the story. Also, I will summarize the story while expanding on the major themes of the book. Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, is a tragic story about the rise and fall of Okonkwo. The story takes place in Umuofia, a cluster of villages in Niger during the 1890’s. the Umuofians are known for being a notorious war clan with many members, advanced social institutions, and phenomenal traditions. Chinua Achebe educated his readers throughout the novel by capitalizing on historical importance’s in Nigerian history, like when the Europeans invaded Niger as well as basic history about African culture†¦show more content†¦The two boys became very close and considered themselves to be real brothers. They were inseparable and did all their chores together. Nwoye was not the only one who became fond of the new addition t o the family, but Okonkwo has also grown to enjoy the boys company but tried not to show it so he would not be perceived as weak. Ikemefuna had the privilege of experiencing a very important celebration, The Week of Peace, in the village during his stay with Okonkwo. During this week there was supposed to be no negativity throughout the village. No one is to look down on anyone, speak harshly, or hurt anyone in any way. Okonkwo breaks the traditions of The Week of Peace when he attempts to shoot his youngest wife because she did not fix him dinner. He accepts the consequences but still does not really believe he has done anything wrong. Achebe shows the reader the gender roles present in the village through the way Okonkwo reacted. After this incident, the story began to pick up. Okonkwo’s second wife, Ekwefi, is introduced and we learn that she loves wrestling and her daughter Enzima. Okonkwo is also very fond of Enzima and tries his best to show her love . He does not treat her harshly like the boys because he does not want her to grow up strong like a man should. However, at times he does wish that she were a boy so he could treat her the way he treats his sons and have her work in the fields. At this point inShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Things Fall Apart 1817 Words   |  8 PagesCrystal Wu Ms. Johns Honors English 3-4 12 August, 2016 Things Fall Apart 1. Okonkwo endeavors to measure up to the traditional Igbo standards of masculinity, for which his culture highly regards and esteems. Epitomizing and personifying the ideal heroic qualities in the Igbo culture, an industrious Okonkwo experiences not only social but financial success which is driven and fueled by a passion of loathing â€Å"everything that his father Unoka had loved† (13). His idle, imprudent father owes nearlyRead MoreAnalysis Of Things Fall Apart 1027 Words   |  5 PagesFriends â€Å"Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.† The author, Achebe, uses part of the poem â€Å"The Second Coming,† and hints at the turmoil that is intensifying as the community falls within the novel â€Å"Things Fall Apart.† (Yeats, 1) The African tribal system is beginning to have many cultural and tradition changes while at the same timeRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Things Fall Apart974 Words   |  4 PagesChinua Achebe published the fictional account Things Fall Apart in 1958. It was written to provide a new perspective on the African culture and the societies of the pre - colonial villages in Africa. He tried to dispel stereotypes and overshadow the writers who previously persuaded the world to shun Africa and its culture. Things Fall Apart told the story of the village of Umuofia over a period of many years and how they behaved and what happened with white foreign missionaries entered their livesRead MoreThings Fall Apart Character Analysis1071 Words   |  5 PagesIn life, we all have fears whether itâ⠂¬â„¢s spiders, darkness, or even death. In Things Fall Apart, we see the fears of many of the main characters being shown especially in Okonkwo. Okonkwo was not born into power and wealth and it was up to him whether he was going to make something out of his life. His choice was to disregard his father’s ways and work as hard as possible so that he can become one of the most powerful men in his village of Umuofia. His work ethic and passion for success drive himRead More Analysis of Things Fall Apart Essay875 Words   |  4 Pageswithin this area is Umuofia, which is where the Ogidi tribe lives. These people have beliefs that rest strongly on religion and faith in god. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe takes a look at the life of an African tribe that has been isolated from the outer more technologically advanced world where science has become a part of religion proving that certain things live sickness are not caused by evil spirits. But the African tribe has no knowledge of this and they live in a society where there traditionsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel Things Fall Apart 1435 Words   |  6 Pages ‘’Things Fall Apart’’ novel tries to bring back up cultural, social as well as spiritual basics of traditional Igbo (Ibo) existence from the year 1850 and 1900. The novel cannot be fixed like truthful societal and political old times of Ibo society since it is a work of invented story. However, the novel describes disagreements and apprehensions in Igbo society. It also depicts changes initiated by colonial ruling and Christianity. The author mentions that European colonialism operates as a powerfulRead MoreThings Fall Apart Okonkwo Analysis735 Words   |  3 Pagestribal elder. This aphorism was respected by everyone in the community. People were not judged on by their fathers success. Because of this Okonkwo works hard to gain status and made it his goal in life to not be like his father. In the book Things Fall Apart b y Chinua Achebe Okonkwos actions were due to extreme belief in his village`s saying that if you worked hard you would be greatly rewarded. When Okonkwo was a young boy he grew up with a lazy father which he despises â€Å"In his day he was lazyRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Things Fall Apart Themes1246 Words   |  5 PagesLiterary Analysis of Things Fall Apart Themes Masculinity â€Å"Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper† (Achebe 13). Okonkwo is the definition of hypermasculinity. As someone who condemns all things feminine, he never learned how to express his feelings, leading to him lashing out in violence instead. It is important to note his treatment of the women in his life as well. Okonkwo’s poor, often times abusive relationshipRead MoreThings Fall Apart Music Analysis1270 Words   |  6 PagesHarmonic Tunes A person’s heartbeat changes to mimic the music they listen to. Different types of music portray an emotion or specific memory of an individual. Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe is a story of pre-colonial times in the Niger villages. The protagonist’s, Okonkwo, ideals of masculinity are challenged by various forms of misfortune portrayed through the music in his community, Gbo. The music highlights the key points of Okonkwos village and culture as it looks ahead at the disintegrationRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel Things Fall Apart 1100 Words   |  5 PagesChristine Kittrell Professor Harrington HUM 200: Contemporary Lit Culture 30 September 2014 American society vs. Umuofian society Values are beliefs, priorities, and or activities that people find importance in. In the 1959 novel â€Å"Things Fall Apart† written by Chinua Achebe, the concentration is on the nine Ibo-speaking villages of Umuofian, which means People of the Forest†. Umuofian is the village in which Okonkwo, the protagonist, thrives in everything and is able to secure his manly position