Analysis of Lucina Matlock by Edgar Lee Masters :: essays research papers

The major poets of the early twentieth century tended to reflect in their poetry elements of the rural, agrarian society in which they lived, much of their work focused on traditional American values and yet foreshadowed the changing character of America, hinting at the factors that ushered the changes of the twentieth century: war, urbanization, technological development, increased mobility, and the emergence of minority voices in culture. Edgar Lee Masters indited 243 poems about the people buried in the Spoon River?s Cemetery, which is where the poem Lucinda Matlock came from. Each character speaks from the grave about his own epigraph. Lucinda lived a very long life of ninety-six years. From what Masters conveyed with his poem, it seemed like Lucinda enjoyed her life and was very satisfied with everything she had accomplished. In the first few lines of the poem she talks about going to different dances and how the frequently switched partners, until one day she met Davis. They were soon married and stayed together for seventy years. She and Davis had twelve children, but eight of them died. How the eight children died when never explained in the poem, but it could relate to the time period in which the poem was placed in. In the early 1900?s it was normal to have many children, but unless a family had the resources needed, some of the children may die. She also did many activities such as spinning, weaving, kept the house up and also nursed the sick, which could relate to the time period this poem is taking place in also. The intent that the author was trying to get across is one that, people could life happy live s in a very simplistic way, such as Lucinda did. In his poems, Masters used free verse patterns to make his subjects seem more natural. There are really no historical or literary allusions in this poem. Although she barely includes any similes or metaphors in her poem, there are a few. Lucinda says at the end of the poem ?Life is too strong for you?It takes life to love Life?. Lucinda has a very satisfied tone, which means that she was very happy with her life. By saying that, she is relating that she was very satisfied and happy with her life. Although these poems do not say much about the era that they are in or the social class that these people come from a person could tell a lot just by the poem.

Let’s Go to the Beach Essay

It was summer, last year; in July 15th the hotter day of the season made me took to my young son, my niece, and my mom to the beach. It was noon, when I noticed that my mom to come from Mexico who was visiting me for some months was getting bore at home. Because she loves to be in Mexico, when she visited me I have to do fun thinks to extend her stay with me. Thinking what should I do to make her happy I had a great idea come to me and I told them â€Å"let’s go to the beach†. Without hesitation my mom said â€Å"yes†. I asked my ten years old son and my fourteen years old niece if they could help me to hold her because my mom’s troubles to walk alone. With a very blue sky, hot and yellow sun and the kid’s support with my mom I thought that it would be a perfect day to take my mom to the beach. My mom and I would not expect that going to the beach at a beautiful day, in a blink we will be terrified and involved others to spoil their beautiful day too. Planning to have a perfect day at Seascape Beach Resort, I learn that by my mistake inadvertence the brighter day, would become in a nightmare turning our day in a darkness day. After to invite my family to the beach, quickly I had to package some staff that we need to spend all day at the beach. I gave to my niece some appropriately cloths to go to the beach, my son wore his sandals, short and a light t shirt. Faster, I dressed a short and sandals too but my mom who though that she won’t get wet to the beach, she did not want to change her beautiful light green pants and her write blouse that she was wearing. After we changed our clothes, I got four towels, my sunglasses, and a cap. As my purpose was to stay six hours at the beach, I made some sandwiches, water bottlers I cut a sweet watermelon, a cantaloupe, and bananas. Having it, I tough it is all that we need to get fun at the beach. Exited to be at the beach, my mom and the kids were into my car happily where my mom was in the font, my niece and my son on the back sets. Taking the 101 north highway, I drove to the road of the Seascape Beach Resort. While I was driving, we were listening Spanish music to made my mom felt much more relax. Even though the day was hot we were happy because I turned the air condition in and there was not traffic and we laughed, joked each other, and we talked about the beautiful day that we would expected to have. After twenty minutes driving, we arrived to the parking lot As I worked at Seascape Beach Resort for seven years, I knew where I should park my car safety for a long time and how to get to the beach while we can enjoy the scene of the path. Getting out towels and food, I was trying to leave my cell phone in my car, when my mom saw it she told me â€Å"bring it I’ll take care of it, I won’t be wet in the beach. † Easily, she convinced me and she put my cell in her pans’ packet. Because the hotter day, anxiously my niece and my son wanted to get wet and play with the sand, so they walk faster. Feeling my niece and my son the smell of the beach, they could not wait to touch the cold water. Recently my mom got a total knee replay surgery; she was unable to walk faster as my niece and my son. Taking the path of the beach, they let my mom and me behind. Frequently, I used to take my son at this beach, so they knew the path very well that tis why I allowed them to walk quickly. Whishing this beautiful day for my mom were unforgettable we walked slowly holding my mom’s hand, enjoying the view through the beach’s path. Feeling the freshener of the green threes, getting relax with a beautiful fountains, looking at the flower gardens, and when we were close to the beach we enjoy the smell of the beach. After a few minutes with an enjoyable rode of the beach, we finally were at the beach. Before this day I took my mom to the same beach to watch the waves sitting on the beach’s bench and got refresh because her weakness of her knee. I wanted my mom has a perfect day, pampering her, I said yes for that entire she wanted without though that a nightmare will happen to us. Feeling my mom attracted to the waves and the beach’s freshness and the smell of the breeze she asked me if she could get wet her feet. â€Å"Why not†, I said her. Caring my mom shoes in my left hand and my right hand holding her, slowly, we started to walk. Felling the burner sand in our feet, we continued to walk into the wet sand. With a very beautiful blue sky, and fresh waves, my mom feet happy and relax. After, we met with my son and my niece, who were playing with the sand and getting wet with the waves; I told them â€Å"my mom wants her feet get wet, we will be walking right there to the beach†. With Disregard they said â€Å"yes† because they were very busy with the waves. A few minutes ago, still walking under the wet sand, my mom wanted her feet touch the cooler water. Feeling the coolness of the breeze, touching our face and smelling the fragrance of the beach, my mom feet got wet. Two minutes later, walking still slowly under the sand a very small wave was coming to us. Happily, my mom and I, we were waiting the wave. Suddenly, I saw a very big wave coming to us. Immediately, I told my mom: let’s go back quickly– a big wave is coming towards us†. Even though I want to walk faster, my mom was unable to do because my mom’s knee weakness. Then, the big wave reached us soon. Holding my mom’s hand she, felt down lay at the water. Because my back injured I was incapable to stand up her. Terrify, for a few seconds, and unable to help my mom, I saw some people far of us. Frighten, and desperate because my mom was in danger to be driven for more big waves that were coming to us, I was holding tightly my mom’s hand; with my other hand I made some signal wishing the American’s family help. Fortunately, they saw my hand’s signal, so they guest that we need help. Two minutes later, they were coming one by one to help us. First it was just a lady who was trying to stand up by pulling my mom, while I tried to push her, but we could not stand up her. Soon, they were four more people who arrived to get her up. Thankfully to the kindly family help, by my negligence to allow my niece and my son to separate of my mom instead of held them to be close to my mom while she waked I spoiled the beautiful day to this family also. My mom, totally wet and dirty her light green pants and white blouse when her shoes were driven by the waves too, finally, we got my mom up. Immediately, the kindly family called to Seascape beach life guard to be sure that my mom was not injured. Because she was shaking for the tragedy and the cold water friendly, they sat her down in one of their chair that they had, trying to calm down, cleaning and drying, her with their big new towels that they had. Pampering my mom and waiting for the safe guard they frequently, need me, to asked her if she was fine because my mom cannot speak any English word. After twenty minutes of my mom’s tragedy I remembered that my son and my niece also were there. Still trembling I told the family members that there were two kids with us. Then, my son and my niece were called by one lady of this family witch let they know about my mom tragedy. Generously, around half an hour, my mom was pampering by this family while we were still waiting for the life guard, such us surrounding her, warming, hugging, and trying to make her safe outside the water. A few minutes later, the life guard came to us, when in detail, the family explained to the guy all about my mom’s accident and telling the guy about my mom’s recently knee surgery. Immediately, her blood pressure, her knee surgery, and everything of my mom were examined by the safe guard. Patiently, they helped her to ride the big truck when she was transported the outside of the beach. They also arranged with the bell men to give us a shuttle to my car because my mom’s shoes were missing, even though the bell boy was known to me because we were co-workers. Helplessness, how as humans bad things can happened and we cannot help ourselves, so we just ask others for help. Luckily, the generosity of this family save my mom to be browned at the beach, this nightmare taught me that they are some places when should I not take my mom by myself. Even though I have been giving the best care at my home for a long time, with my mom’s back, hip, and knee problems and her seven and eight years old and my back problem it was my big mistake to took her to the beach alone. With our short stance and bad experience at the beach, we back inside my car quite grateful with the American family who save my mom life.

Essay about Machiavelli’s View of Human Nature - 583 Words

Niccolo Machiavelli was a political philosopher from Florence Italy. He lived during the Italian Renaissance from May 1469 to 1527. This period in time that Machiavelli lived was the rebirth of art in Italy and rediscovery of ancient philosophy, literature and science. Machiavelli’s philosophy about the nature of man is that man possesses both good and bad qualities, but will lean towards his own self-interests when all things are equal: thus man is a fickle creature. Machiavelli’s view of human nature influences his view of government.†¦show more content†¦This advise would not be sound if man was upright; but because he is treacherous and would not keep his promise, a prince should not consider himself bound to keep promises to him. He asserts that it is necessary for a ruler, w hen he is with his army, to not worry about being considered harsh because armies are never kept united and prepared for military action, unless their leader is thought to be ruthless. Men who are fearful of punishment will be apt to obey commands without hesitation. Machiavelli believes the only way to ensure loyalty of men is to be respected and greatly feared by them. This fear will keep his men from dissension whether warfare is going well or badly; thus preserving the defense of the state. Machiavelli maintains that â€Å"men are simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived; thus a prince can appear to be merciful, truthful, humane, sincere, and religious. The advantage of this appearance will be the impression of a just government, even if the government employs underlying unjust means to accomplish its goals. Men will look at the end result to consider whether to praise or denounce h im. Machiavelli believes that men will follow a powerful ruler, and without this power, effective rule isShow MoreRelatedMachiavellis View on Human Nature Essay1454 Words   |  6 PagesMachiavelli’s View on Human Nature The author, Niccolà ³ Machiavelli, is different from other humanists in his time, because his view on the nature of man contradicts what most humanists believed. Humanists of that time believed that individuals played an important role to the well-being of the state, and that â€Å"†¦ they also believed in classicism’s basic tenet that human nature is inherently rational and good† (Western Humanities, pg. 343). Machiavelli, however, had a negative view on human natureRead More Machiavelli’s View of Human Nature Essay1696 Words   |  7 PagesMachiavelli’s View of Human Nature Simple versions of Machiavelli’s conception of human nature may readily be elicited from The Prince. It is easy to find textual support for claims that appear to presuppose or be equivalent to some version of psychological egoism. He says, for example, that â€Å"men in general †¦ are ungrateful, voluble, dissemblers, anxious to avoid danger, and covetous of gain; as long as you benefit them, they are entirely yours,† but their â€Å"love is held by a chain of obligationRead MoreAnalysis Of The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli832 Words   |  4 Pageswas of the view that politics has the morality of its own, and that there is no repute of justice or injustice, of brutality or forgiveness, of agreement or dishonor, which should interfere with the decision of defending the state and preserving its freedom. The Prince was written as a letter of personal advice to Lorenzo Medici. He has made numerous recommendations to the ruler in instruction to protect his power (Jaco bs). Apart from this, he underscored the ideology of human nature, which accordingRead MoreComparing Nicolo Machiavelli s The Prince1014 Words   |  5 PagesWhile the human race is incredibly diverse and expansive, many writers and philosophers work to find common characteristics that they can attribute to what is typically referred to as human nature. Nicolo Machiavelli provides his beliefs on human nature in his text, The Prince. While this work mostly surrounds the proper way to lead a princedom, there are many parts of the text that show how human nature affects the way a prince should rule his people. The examples of princes having to work aroundRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince1699 Words   |  7 Pagesworld leaders to political antiheroes in television dramas, characterizing someone as a â€Å"Machiavellian figure† is perceived more as derisive description than an accurate representation of that person’s philosophical views of power. This popular dep iction is due to Niccolo Machiavelli’s harsh portrayal of the interlaced relationship between power and politics in his treatise, The Prince. Machiavelli begins his work by contending that it is â€Å"more effective† to reveal the â€Å"practical truth of a subject†Read MoreNiccolo Machiavellis The Prince810 Words   |  3 Pages Niccolo Machiavelli’s most famous book, The Prince, contains the most valid information for a prince, a president, and even a king, to keep hold of their own power. Machiavelli tells about the importance and power of political action, his opinions, and most of all philosophy at it’s finest. Throughout the twenty-six chapters of this book he describes the bold, brave, practical, and powerful prince and how the prince’s life should be lived. Machiavelli’s view of human nature is used as justificationRead More Machiavelli?s View Of Human Nature Essay1060 Words   |  5 Pages Machiavelli’s view of human nature. Machiavelli has long been required reading for everyone intrested in politics and power. In The Prince Niccolo M achiavelli presents a unique view on governing a state. Machiavelli believes the ruling Prince should be the only authority that should determine every aspect of the state and put in effect a policy which would serve his best interests. These interests were gaining, maintaining, and expanding his political power. (Machiavelli,5). His understandingRead MoreThe Political Theories Of Machiavelli, Niccolo Machiavelli And Thomas Hobbes1456 Words   |  6 Pagesdifferent views of human nature, which is what people are fundamentally like. In order for a political theory to function in a certain society, it needs to understand how people think and act. Three prominent political theorists were Aristotle, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Thomas Hobbes. Aristotle viewed humans as natural â€Å"political animals† that have both rational and irrational sides to them, allowing for a government that provided overall goodness for the people. Machiavelli took a more grim view of humanRead MoreEssay about Reflection on Machiavelli919 Words   |  4 PagesMachiavelli was born on May 3, 1469 in Florence, Italy. Florence was considered one of the most dominant Italian power to conquer. It was the main attraction for the renaissances influences. Throughout the years, Machiavellis presence was around the time that both the French and Spanish armies were fighting over the control of Italy. During this time, Italy was falling apart because it was deficient in leadership. Machiavelli served 14 years as Chancellor of Florence before he was exiled inRead MoreMachiavelli s A Comparison Of Ideals748 Words   |  3 Pagesthe basis of sovereignty. All things considered, government is still a very broad term. Many have spent years philosophizing the different ways the system of government can function as. Two men, specifically, have thought quite a bit about power, human nature, and the ideal way of governing.   Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s political philosophy in  The Social Contract speaks often of freedom. Some of his popular ideas are the general will that expresses the need for said freedom. Government’s creation was for

Essay on Instant Replay in Baseball

Issue of Instant Replay in Baseball The question about instant replay in baseball is rather a tricky one. There are certain advantages as well as disadvantages in the system. But since it has already been adopted as a regular feature of the game, there is nothing more that can be done about it. We can just hope that the advantages will be further enhanced and the disadvantages minimized. Let us consider the advantages first. Unlike other sports, the game of baseball can be defined by a single bad call. If it is done wrong, it could cost a team their game. With the cameras looking over their shoulders, umpires would also become more alert and precise in their judgments. And with the speed of the instant replay systems improving constantly, implementing it in the game does not slow the game down in any way. Therefore, the advantages of instant replay in a baseball game are quite high. On the negative side, if the instant replay facility is misused and implemented for every close call, it can considerably annoy the live spectators. Even though the speed of the system is being constantly improved, it needs to be developed even more to make things tolerable. There have been instances where it has taken 7 minutes for an instant replay. Seven minutes can never be called instant by any stretch of imagination. Giving too much importance to instant replays might undermine the role and efficiency of umpires. Fans might no longer want to trust their judgment anymore. I don’t mean that umpires don’t err. But overriding their decisions when the calls were too close for the human eye can affect their credibility. So, there are

Financial Crisis During World War II - 1171 Words

uction The â€Å"Great Recession,† the name given to the financial crisis that occurred in the United States between 2007 and 2009, saw the biggest contraction of the US economy since World War II (Amadeo). Real GDP fell as sharply as a -6.4% annual rates and unemployment rose above ten percent in the aftermath of the crisis. The primary culprit of the Great Recession was the US housing market. New financial instruments that allowed for lending to subprime customers, along with deregulation of the banking industry, and asymmetric information produced by credit agencies all played significant roles in these happenings. Moral hazard on behalf of financial product providers ultimately led to the asymmetric information that allowed the housing market to collapse. Every time we feel the onset of a recession or the economy starts to slow down, the government looks to restore the economic growth through different stimulus plans. The recession of 2008 was one example. When the housing bubble burst it caused panic with quick financial fallout, â€Å"the government took immediate measure to stimulate the economy back to normal and to restore confidence in the economic market† (Mitchell). Congress approved the Economic Stimulus Package in 2008 that the Bush Administration put together. â€Å"The package eliminated taxes on the first $6,000 of taxable income for individuals and the first $12,000 of income for couples. A rebate check was mailed out to taxpayers, in amounts as follows† (Amadeo): †¢Show MoreRelatedFinancial Crisis During World War II1119 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction The â€Å"Great Recession,† the name given to the financial crisis that occurred in the United States between 2007 and 2009, saw the biggest contraction of the US economy since World War II. Real GDP fell as sharply as a -6.4% annual rates and unemployment rose above ten percent in the aftermath of the crisis. The primary culprit of the Great Recession was the US housing market. New financial instruments that allowed for lending to subprime customers, along with deregulation of the bankingRead MoreU.s. Military Relations During World War II Essay1466 Words   |  6 PagesSince World War II, Britain and the United States have enjoyed extremely close ties in a diversity of areas, forming what has been known as the â€Å"special relationship†. This phrase, coined by Winston Churchill, underscores the military, diplomatic and economic cooperation that has existed between them ever since their successful alliance during World War II, the shared cultural and historical ident ity between Britain and its ex-colony, and on a smaller scale the close personal relationships that existedRead MoreWorld War II And The Great Depression1658 Words   |  7 Pages The highly numbered risks of war have rigorous effects on societies around the world. 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StandardsRead MoreThe Next Economic Crisis : War And Terrorism1578 Words   |  7 PagesAccounting 5312 February 25, 2017 The Next Economic Crisis: War and Terrorism War Finance â€Å"the fiscal and monetary methods that are used in meeting the costs of war† (www.britannica.com). There are 4 ways that the government can finance the war: taxation, borrowing, printing, and/ or increasing the currency source by making new money (Capella 22-24). How the government finance the war depends on the President and the Congress seated during the time of war. They decide accordingly by looking at the politicalRead MoreGlobal Effects Of The Great Depression Essay1099 Words   |  5 PagesGrace Young Dr. John R. Dabrowski American History II, AMH-2020-H01 7 December 2016 Global Effects of the Great Depression When the American stock market crashed on the infamous Black Tuesday in October 1929, the resulting circumstances were felt worldwide. This crisis resulted in a devastating economic collapse. The ensuing Great Depression was in fact a global event. The world was not immediately engulfed by this wave of economic decline. The timing of economic events varied greatly among nationsRead MoreGlobalization and Its Meaning Broadly Speaking, the Term ‘Globalization’ Means Integration of Economies and Societies Through Cross Country Flows of Information, Ideas, Technologies, Goods, Services, Capital,1074 Words   |  5 Pagestrade in goods and services, (b) movement of capital and (c) flow of finance. Besides, there is also the channel through movement of people. Historical Development Globalization has been a historical process with ebbs and flows. During the Pre-World War I period of 1870 to 1914, there was rapid integration of the economies in terms of trade flows, movement of capital and migration of people. 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Chronicle of a Death Foretold Free Essays

Sarah Winter Silver 1 World Literature 4/27/09 Angela Vicario is responsible for the murder of Santiago Nasar. Although it was her twin brothers that committed the actual crime, the reasons behind their murder come directly from their beautiful sister Angela. While it wasn’t Angela who directly murdered Santiago, she is just as guilty as the rest. We will write a custom essay sample on Chronicle of a Death Foretold or any similar topic only for you Order Now Angela is complacent and also participated in the solicitation of the murder of Santiago Nasar. The marriage between Bayardo San Roman and Angela Vicario set a strong foundation for the murder. If the marriage between Bayardo and Angela had never occurred, Santiago Nasar would still be alive. Ever since Angela was a child, she faced a strong pressure to get married. â€Å"The girls had been reared to get married. † (Page 31) It is notable that Angela was the prettiest of her three sisters and several men desired her. Many men were interested in marrying her, especially Bayardo San Roman, but Angela was not interested in marrying unless she was in love. â€Å"Angela Vicario never forgot the horror of the night on which her parents and her older sisters with their husbands gathered together in the parlor, imposed on her the obligation to marry a man whom she had barely seen. (Page 24) Bayardo, on the other hand, was determined to marry her and in a hurry to do so. Their engagement lasted only six months, and their marriage lasted not even one night. â€Å"No one would have thought, nor did anyone say, that Angela Vicario wasn’t a virgin. † (Page 37) Her family was incredibly protective of her and â€Å"She’d grown up along with her sisters unde r the rigor of a mother of iron. † (Page 37) Angela Vicario was terribly naive for going into this marriage without her virginity. She had been distressed but eventually listened to her two confidantes. They assured her that almost all women lost their virginity in childhood accidents and that even the most difficult of husbands resigned themselves to anything as long as nobody knew about it. † (Page 38) Apparently Bayardo San Roman was an exception. Only four hours after the extravagant wedding and dancing festivities, Pura Vicario (Angela’s mother) was woken by three very slow knocks. â€Å"Her [Angela Vicario] satin dress was in shreds and she was wrapped in a towel up to the waist. † (Page 46) Bayardo San Roman was there to return his wife because she was not a virgin. Pura Vicario beat her daughter mercilessly and urgently ummoned her twin sons home. â€Å"They found Angela Vicario lying face down on the dining room couch, her face all bruised†¦P edro Vicario, the more forceful of the brothers picked her up by the waist and sat her on the dining room table. ‘All right, girls,’ he said to her, trembling with rage, ‘tell us who it was. ’ She only took the time necessary to say the name. She looked for it in the shadows, she found it at first sight among the many, many easily confused names from this world and the other, and she nailed it to the wall with her well-aimed dart, like a butterfly with no will whose sentence had always been written. Santiago Nasar. ’ she said. † (Page 47) Angela Vicario named Santiago Nasar as the perpetrator and whether he did it or not, Angela gave him a death sentence the moment his name escaped her lips. When Angela’s brothers asked who took her virginity, she could have named any man in town. It is never confirmed nor denied whether Santiago Nasar had sex with Angela Vicario or not. However, if he was not the man to take her virginity, then why woul d Angela Vicario give his name? This raises many new questions, for instance, did they have consensual sex? Did Santiago rape her? Were they in love but never had sex, and was Angela only trying to protect Santiago? Or was the entire sexual encounter made up? Marquez never answers these questions, and the reader has to make several inferences. The image of a butterfly pinned to a wall is symbolic of both Angela Vicario and Santiago Nasar’s situation. Once she had stated that Santiago is the one who took her virginity, both of their fates became pinned. If Angela did not give her brothers a name, they would have become furious at her for protecting the man who had dishonored her. She â€Å"pins† Santiago with her words, but she is also pinning herself by the sexism of the culture. The description of Angela’s thought process when she spoke Santiago’s name suggests that Angela is not only thinking of people who are alive but also those who are dead (â€Å"many easily confused names from this world and the other. †) This is not a proven fact, but this strongly implies that Angela chose his name at random, which would mean Angela Vicario sanctioned the murder of an innocent man. Like almost all of the townspeople, Angela Vicario is complacent. â€Å"There had never been a death more foretold. † (Page 50) Everybody knew of the Vicario twin’s intentions, â€Å"The Vicario brothers had told their plans to more than a dozen people who had gone to buy milk, and these had spread the news everywhere before six o’clock. † (Page 58) Yet the only person out of the whole town to attempt stopping the Vicario twins was Colonel Aponte. The murder of Santiago Nasar never would have happened if Angela had done several things differently. If Angela had kept her virginity, the disaster never would have surfaced. Angela could have simply given a different name, and Santiago would still be alive. It also would have been fairly easy for her to stop her brothers from murdering Santiago. Not only is she complacent in the murder, but she also gave the solicitation of murder. Pablo and Pedro Vicario are innocent; they were murdering simply to protect their sister, something any brother would have done without a question. Angela Vicario is clearly responsible for the gruesome murder of Santiago Nasar. How to cite Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Papers Chronicle of a Death Foretold Free Essays William L. Richman Professor Cranston HUM 2641 March 31, 2013 Chronicle of a Death Foretold For starters, I would really love to point out that this short novel, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, really pulled me in. I’m going to discuss the role the women played throughout this story. We will write a custom essay sample on Chronicle of a Death Foretold or any similar topic only for you Order Now First, I want to touch on the fact that it seemed a lot of important women played a very large part in the main characters, Santiago Nasar’s, life. Secondly, I want to discuss the knowledge these women knew of what was to happen to Santiago and the opportunities they had to intervene and possibly change the outcome. Last but not least, I want to get into the fact the Angela Vicario seemed to have held most of the power over Santiago’s fate in this novel. In my opinion, women played very important roles in this novel. As I stated earlier, women seemed to have played a large part in Santiago Nasar’s life. In the little time that takes place before Santiago’s dreadful death it seemed there was more of a presence of women than men in his life. Of course it goes without saying that an important figure in his life was his mother Placida Linero whom he lived with. In addition, he had women servants who lived with him as well. These women were Victoria Guzman, the cook, and Divina Flor, her daughter. Next we’re introduced to a woman named Clotilde Armenta who was the owner of the milk shop in the square. There’s also Margot, who was a close friend of Santiago’s as well as the sister of the narrator of the story. Flora Miguel, Santiago’s fiance, played a large role in Santiago’s life for obvious reasons. Now, there’s Angelia Vicario, but I’ll get into more detail as to what role she played in his life in just a bit. Continuing, we’re introduced to Luisa Santiaga. Luisa Santiaga was Santiago’s godmother, Margot’s mother, and blood relative of Pura Vicario, Angela Vicario’s mother. Pura was also referred to as Purisima del Carmen in the novel. Last but not least, there was Maria Alejandrina Cervantes who was introduced later in the novel and even more notably as his mistress when he was 15 years old. As you can see, women had an extremely large presence in Santiago’s life throughout the novel. Throughout the story it’s obvious that most of these women knew of what was to come and had plenty of opportunities to intervene and possibly save Santiago’s life. As for as his mother, Placida Linero, she knew nothing of what was to happen to him. Unfortunately, when the time came it was the fact that she locked the door of the house to the square that sealed his fate. However, Placida was misled by her servant Divina Flor. When asked whether Santiago had made it home Divina replied stating that he had made it home. When Placida got word of what was to happen to her son it was pretty much about the time the murder was taking place. When she saw the Vicario brothers, who were going to murder Santiago, running towards her home she locked the door locking her son out of the house not knowing he was running toward the house. Because of what Divina had told her, she assumed her son was already in the house upstairs shouting out at the Vicario brothers. Its stating in the reading that both servants have a dislike for Santiago. Divina Flor had the opportunities to speak up and warn Santiago of what was going to happen to him. Instead, she kept it to herself out of her dislike for him. Despite this missed opportunity, the one women I feel had the most potential to save Santiago was Clotilde Armenta. This woman knew of the ordeal practically the entire time. She learned of the brothers intentions while they waited at her shop for Santiago to come out of his home. I feel no one took the matter serious but, this women allowed the boys to stay in her shop even with the weapons intended to murder Santiago. By letting the twins sleep and wait in her shop she basically helped them. She did reach out to others for help and just the same they didn’t take her seriously. Even when Santiago did leave his home to go see the bishop she could have warned him. Instead she spoke under her breath out of fear of what was about to happen and convinced the brothers to kill him after the bishops arrival. His fiance, Flora Miguel, chose a bad time to have an argument and to wish him ill. It was when all the confusion of everything else was weighing on him and she abandoned him. Now, Angela Vicario is the reason this all took place in the first place. These women had plenty of opportunity to save Santiago’s life. Lastly, there’s this total sense of control portrayed that Angela Vicario seemed to have held over this situation. To begin, she’s the reason her brothers Pedro and Pablo Vicario were out to kill Santiago in the first place. Angela was married to a man named Bayardo San Roman. When the two were married and finally made it home after all the festivities, the two were to consummate heir marriage. When it was discovered that Angela was not a virgin, Bayardo brought her home and no longer wanted the marriage. The brothers asked who it was who took her virginity and she claimed the perpetrator was Santiago Nasar. Now, as the story goes on, it’s questioned whether this was true or not. Through details of the story its quite clear to see that by everyone’s knowledge the two never had a relationship or any opportunity to h ave had any kind of relationship in that manner. Lots of questions arise. It’s even questioned whether she was protecting someone who loved her and she loved and said it was Santiago assuming her brother wouldn’t bother someone with money. Even till the end of the novel the narrator tries to find out and questions Angela. Even till the end it goes without saying that it’s one of those unanswered questions. If Angela was lying she could have come clean at any point and saved Santiago’s life. Angela was the women who held the most power in this novel. How to cite Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Papers Chronicle of a Death Foretold Free Essays Chronicle of a Death Foretold Free Essays Animals: Humor, Symbolism, and other Literary Devices in Chronicle of a Death Foretold In Chronicle of a Death Foretold, the author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, utilizes the motif of animals as symbols: pigs for ironic humor, rabbits as foreshadowing, and many other animals to aid in description, characterization, and establishment of theme. ?Marquez uses pigs as motifs the novel. He makes a big deal out of the knives that Pablo and Pedro use while describing the murder. We will write a custom essay sample on Chronicle of a Death Foretold or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Vicario twins went to the bin in the pigsty where they kept their sacrificial tools and picked out the two best knives: one for quartering, ten inches long and two and a half inches wide, and the other for trimming, seven inches long and one and a half inches wide. They wrapped them in a rag and went to sharpen them at the meat market. † Marquez then goes into great detail about how they are pig knives used for killing pigs. This adds insult to injury for Santiago, being an Arab, thus being part of is a culture that considers pigs to be filthy. This is an example of the author’s ironic style of humor. ?Marquez provides an additional bit of ironic humor while Nasar is being slaughtered during the murder scene. â€Å"Trying to finish it once and for all, Pedro Vicario sought his heart, but he looked for it almost in the armpit, where pigs have it. † This further develops the cruel, ironic humor established by killing Nasar with pig knives, and is now being killed like a pig as well. Another use of pigs in the novel occurs when the Vicarios insist on having the wedding at their home, and in doing so are forced to have the ceremony in the pigpen. ‘[The] daughters would be married in the pigpen or they wouldn’t be married at all’†¦ The twins took the pigs off elsewhere and sanitized the pigsty with quicklime. † The Arab culture considers pigs to be filthy creatures, so Marquez continues to play on this belief by using the pigsty as a metaphor for the impurity of the marriage. Addition ally, the parents rely upon the brothers to clean up both before the marriage, and after it’s destroyed by their sister’s untraditional actions, adding to the metaphor. Marquez also utilizes a rabbit similarly to the pig. Santiago walks into the kitchen for breakfast where Victoria Guzman, â€Å"had been quartering three rabbits for lunch. † â€Å"[Victoria Guzman] couldn’t avoid a wave of fright as she remembered Santiago Nasar’s horror when she pulled out the insides of a rabbit by the roots and threw the steaming guts to the dogs. † In this scene not only is Marquez is foreshadowing the killing of Nasar, but he’s also using irony to emphasize details of his violent and cruel demise. Marquez then adds to additional irony by showing Nasar’s opposition to this treatment of living or dead things when Guzman wonders how â€Å"a man accustomed to killing defenseless animals could suddenly express such horror†¦ She went on feeding the dogs with the insides of the other rabbits, just to embitter Santiago Nasar’s breakfast. † The emotions expressed by Nasar in this scene add to his and Victoria Guzman’s characterization: Nasar’s opposition to violence, and Guzman’s hidden despise for Nasar. Dogs are also a motif used by Marquez in Chronicle of a Death Foretold. One of the first scenes that Marquez utilizes the dogs in is the previously mentioned scene with Victoria Guzman feeding the guts of the rabbits to the dogs. But before she does this, Nasar tells her with regards to her actions, â€Å" ‘Don’t be a savage†¦ Make believe it was a human being. ’† This scene foreshadows Nasar’s killing, but then Marquez uses the dogs in a similar way on page 73, after the actual killing has occurred: â€Å"The dogs, aroused by the smell of death, increased the uneasiness. They hadn’t stopped howling since I [the narrator] went into the house, when Santiago Nasar was still in his death throes in the kitchen and I found Divina Flor weeping in great howls and holding them off with a stick. ‘Help me,’ she shouted to me. ‘What they want is to eat his guts. ’† The parallels between the two scenes add to the ironic humor Marquez creates. The dogs are often also used as a motif for the people in the town, especially regarding to their gossip and the way word spreads. As the Vicario brothers are leaving their house to sharpen their knives in preparation for killing Nasar, â€Å"they left by way of the pigpen gate, with their knives unwrapped, trailed by the uproar of the dogs in the yards. † It’s as if the dogs are people gossiping and spreading the word that Nasar is to be killed. This motif continues on page 67, where â€Å"The dogs barked at [Santiago Nasar] as usual when they heard him come in, but he calmed them down in the half light with the tinkling of his keys. In this instance it’s as if people have the intent of warning Nasar, but nobody seems to be able to, and the word is continuing to spread to everyone but him. The dogs also represent the population when they are â€Å"aroused by the smell of death. † The people throughout the story get excited with the idea of a murder, and while many are opposed to the actual act of killing Nasar, they still find excitement in the event and act in accordance with their feelings: they spread the word like wildfire, nobody takes time to warn Nasar until it is too late, and then they gather to watch the act. They treat the entire thing like some exciting, thrilling event, not like a tragic and cruel act, as one would expect. They act like dogs with their animalistic group reactions to the events that take place. Marquez sums up these animalistic reactions on the last page of the book, as Nasar is walking through the neighbors’ house carrying his entrails. Poncho Lanao, the neighbor, recalls â€Å"‘the terrible smell of shit. ’† This recollection carries two related meanings. The first being the entire event ‘smelled bad’. It showed a terrible side of human behavior and leaves bad impressions on people who hear of it. This relates to the second, which comes back to people acting like animals. Animals are often described as smelling bad, or ‘like shit’, and from the way Nasar was killed to the way the people in the story acted, this entire event was extremely animalistic. Birds, in particular falcons, are also a motif in the story. In the dedication of Chronicle of a Death Foretold there is a quote from Gil Vicente, â€Å"The pursuit of love is like falconry. † This could mean that like in falconry, where the falcon learns to accept its role under its master, a woman must learn to accept its role as wife and lover under her husband. This belief, however, is one of tradition, and this novel is constantly bringing into question whether or not tradition is good or bad, right or wrong. This quote could also mean that it is up to somebody to go out and find a suitable lover, one will not just show up, just as a falconer must go out and seek a falcon. Another use of the falcon is on page 65, where the narrator, a friend of Nasar’s, warns him he should not sleep with Maria Alejandro Cervantes, someone who slept with many men his age. He tells Nasar, â€Å" ‘A falcon who chases a warlike crane can only hope for a life of pain. ’† This is again relating the falcon to love. This time, however, the falcon is the one doing the pursuing. Santiago’s friend is warning him that should he choose to be with this woman who sleeps with many men, he can expect to be hurt as a result. Similarly to the falcon, Marquez uses a hawk to characterize Nasar. When Nasar grabs Divina Flor in the front room, Marquez describes his hand as â€Å"the butcher hawk hand. † This goes back to the falcon motif with love. The description of Nasar as a hawk again is used on page 90: â€Å"He was a sparrow hawk. He went about alone, just like his father, nipping the bud of any wayward virgin who began showing up in those woods. This similar to the last, compares Nasar to a hawk, a predatory animal that survives by preying on helpless animals. Nasar is being described as a man who goes from virgin to virgin, taking advantage of them, but never actually engaging in extended relationships with any of them. Gabriel Garcia Marquez uses animals as motifs frequently throughout Chronicle of a Death Foretold to aid in his establishment of theme, characterization, emphasis of events, foreshadowing, and as means of humor. He utilizes a variety of animals, in particular the pig, rabbit, and birds to carry out this variety of literary functions. How to cite Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Essay examples

MacTeer’s family Essay Example For Students

MacTeer’s family Essay This passage is taken from the ‘autumn’ section and occurs during the description of the MacTeer’s family from the point of view of their youngest daughter Claudia, right after she declared her hatred for Shirley Temple. During this passage, Claudia describes a childhood memory of when she received a white doll for christmas. Incapable of understanding why the doll she receives is supposed to represent true beauty because of its blue eyes and light skin and why whiteness is considered to be superior and beautiful, Claudia challenges the idea that she is given by the community and the family she is surrounded by. She describes her unability to identify with the doll because its physical appearance is so different from hers and the way she strongly wants to understand why theses dolls represent an ideal of beauty even the black community has to embrace. Thanks to a description seen through the eyes of Claudia and to various litterary techniques, Toni Morrison brings the character to life and helps us understand the difficulty of growing up and finding an identity under the pressure of beauty standards and internalized racism. Throughout this passage, the author strongly highlights the themes of beauty and internalized racism in the black community and especially in the lives of black girls and women and creates a strong contrast between two important movements in the extract, the idea of society which is seen trough the influence the society has on characters and through what an object is able to convey, opposed to the idea of individuality. First of all, the passage is written by a first person narrator and is described through the eyes of Claudia as an adult which is very interesting because it gives the story she tells a sense of maturity and shows a reflection on past events that is very adultlike. Claudia as an adult uses her childhood memories to denounce internalized racism and its effects on the black community’s lives and the fact that reflection is present in this extract pushes the reader to believe Claudia. Because she is an adult who has been able to reflect on past events, the reader knows that what she describes aren’t only chilhood memories that are very spontaneous and emphasized by childlike naivety. The use of first person narrative helps us to understand a particular aspect of the character as the reader is introduced to his thoughts, feelings and opinions. Through the use of first person narrative, the reader learns that Claudia is different from her society and from her family thanks to the descriptions of her feelings towards the doll, which are given trough her eyes. At one point in the extract, Claudia says ‘ I learned quickly however what I was expected to do with the doll’ which shows that it is the adult Claudia speaking and that although during the moment she described she did not understand, as an adult she now does. Now that she has become and adult, she is trying to denounce internalized racism by showing that even though children do not understand what it is and are not even aware of its existence, they are victims of it. Although the reader also knows what internalized racism is, the fact that the first person narrative directly introduces him into Cl audia’s thoughts as a child pushes him to question and try to understand the values that are shared by the black society as well. When Claudia receives the doll for chistmas, she immediately sees the importance the doll has for the society through the reaction of her family. For her parents, which are used by Toni Morrison to represent the values and ideas of the black community, Claudia should be found of her present because the doll represents what they believe beauty is. This passage creates a strong contrast between society and individuality and is very important to understand the society in which the characters live. Toni Morrison uses the past tense to show it is a flashback told by the adult Claudia who is making a reflection on the society that raised her. When he parents give her the doll, Claudia describes the sounds they make as ‘clucking’ sound which gives the impression that her parents are behaving like children when she does not, because she immediately knows that she is going to have to pretend she likes her present because she is supposed to. Bilingual Education1 EssayShe begins to dismember the doll because she is curious but as she does not find beauty anywhere, a sense of frustration grows, frustration that will turn into cruelty. This feeling of cruelty creates a strong contrast between her and the society which clearly denounces racism : as a child, she is supposed to be innoncent but her violence, the result of internalized racism, shocks the reader. The passage from questioning to frustration and from frustration to cruelty is illustrated by a lexical field that becomes more violent : ‘ break off, twisted, cracked the back, splitting, dying’. The very violent simile ‘ dying lamb’ used to describe the sound of the doll can be seen as biblical reference. The lamb is a symbol of sacrifice in different religions which gives the reader the impression that the doll is sacrificed in order for her to understand, putting the doll in the situation of a victim and reinforcing Claudia’s viole nce. At the end of her violent behaviour, Claudia is still unable to find the beauty she has been looking for and ends up finding a ‘mere metal roundess’, symbol of repetition and the fact that her quest does not lead anywhere. This emphasizes the idea that beauty is something that has been decided by the society, something that you can see if you share the society’s values. Finally, her oppostion to white beauty standards is also seen trough her description of raggedy ann dolls that everyone loves. She gives her description connotation that are generally not associated with beauty, with the words ‘round moronic eyes’ and the metaphor ‘pancake face’. Thanks to Claudia and a first person narration, Toni Morrison is able to denounce internalized racism in this extract of the novel. Through the description of society as being opposed to Claudia because they convey different values and ideas, the author shows two opposite point of view on beauty and whiteness. The point of view that is given by the society and that the majority of the people adopt and the point of view of a victim of internalized racism that tries to understand what are the sources of it. The extract is very significant in the novel because it introduces the important aspects of Claudia’s personnality, a very important character in the book as she is one of the main narrator of the story, meaning that we see an important part of the story through her eyes.