Treasure Island and Hard Times Essays -- Character Analysis, Stevenson

Treasure Island and Hard Times are novels in which, the effects of human influence are taken to their limit. These novels explore the terrors of two protagonists constantly being bombarded with thoughts and ideas of others. Because of the strong authority placed around them, they are exiled into their own minds. Yet, these characters still demonstrate the willingness to think on their own and express themselves freely. Stevenson and Dickens depict through their characters that the innate human ability to think and act is a product that can be influenced by all individuals one may come across. It is normal for humans to express themselves in any way they please, but for the protagonists in Treasure Island and Hard Times it is something that does not come to them naturally. When someone is being influenced, it is difficult for that person to take a stand and disregard any thoughts that are being thrown at them. They may find it challenging to think for themselves or their ideas may be completely disregarded. Jim Hawkins, the protagonist in Treasure Island is a man who experiences these situations. In the novel Treasure Island, the narrative of the story leads the readers to believe that the protagonist Jim Hawkins is a very knowledgeable boy. On his own he has, â€Å"discovered a map that leads to riches,† [Stevenson 48] and was able to find the most trustworthy men in town to tell this important information to. This proves to the reader, that Jim is wise and not foolish. However Long John Silver, The Squire and Dr. Livesey are three characters who, at times seem to believe otherwise. Long John Silver seems to doubt the competence of Jim Hawkins. He is not confident in the ideas that Jim may have to offer, so instea... ...e to tell her father that she has been, â€Å"tired and [that she has] been tired for a long time.† [Dickens 168] Louisa has developed the strength to tell her father the real emotions she has towards him and the way she felt about his various influences on her. She can explain to her father that she is very sick of his teachings, and that she wants the freedom to explore and discover for her own whim. She is finally able to confess to her father that she has been burdened by her father’s presence and that she does not agree with his ideologies. Jim Hawkins and Louisa Gradgrind have the similar desire to be heard. They are constantly battling the people in their lives who constantly sway them in various directions- not of their own. These characters both go through a cycle of discovering their own thoughts and ideas without the influence of others.

Hippolytus: Seneca, Euripides, Ovid

Liz Soolkin Hippolytus: Seneca, Euripides, Ovid The story of Hippolytus, a man wronged and killed by his own stepmother is a myth retold by many different writers. For this paper, I have chosen to discuss the myth as retold by Ovid, Seneca, and Euripides. Each multiform has a few distinct differences that impacts the meaning of the myth as whole. While reading each myth, the reader receives a completely different sense from the story, a conclusion that is unique to each story.The difference in each retelling that changes the meaning of the story most significantly is the stepmother, Phaedra’s role and the emphasis each author places on her character in his form of the story. The variations in the portrayal of her character provide each story a different meaning; a large portion of the meaning comes from the reader’s ability or inability to relate to Phaedra; this ability depends on the author’s portrayal of her and her actions.Seneca’s version of the story of Hippolytus’s death is called Phaedra. Before even beginning to read the narrative, the reader understands that Phaedra is the main character in the story; the main conflict of the story is one between her and her stepson. She does everything in her power to get Hippolytus to sleep with her: she asks the nurse to convince him and even tries to do so herself after fainting in his arms. She does not seem to care about his strong morals or her own morals.Aphrodite’s curse on her has led her to be so determined to sleep with her stepson that she ignores her ideals and the ideals of Hippolytus. When she is rejected, she spreads the lies about Hippolytus having raped her and lives to see the consequences of those lies; though she is in control of the situation and could physically stop the story from ending tragically, she does nothing to prevent her stepson from being cursed by his father. She is alive when Hippolytus’ mangled corpse is brought to her and her husb and, Hippolytus’s father, Theseus.Only then does she realize her immense shame because she recognizes that her dishonest actions lead to Hippolytus’s undoing and that her need for revenge is what causes Hippolytus to suffer his horrendous fate. Her shame only comes after she causes her stepson’s death. In Euripides’ version, Phaedra kills herself before Hippolytus is cursed. She leaves a suicide note blaming Hippolytus with her death. She is unable to outlive Hippolytus and see the consequences of her vengeful actions.Unlike in Seneca’s version, in Euripides’s retelling Phaedra dies and has no ability to stop the spread of lies about Hippolytus. She can do nothing to take back her actions like she could have in Seneca’s version. The reader can accept Phaedra’s actions more in Euripides’s version because she dies, attempting to keep herself morally good and free from shame and guilt for her lust; she is portrayed more as essentially a good person who is cursed by Aphrodite and her attraction to her stepson. One can be more empathetic to her in this version because Aphrodite could cast the same curse on anyone.In her death, she blames Hippolytus of rape, relating her to Seneca’s version of her character as a harsh person, intent on revenge, someone to whom the reader cannot easily relate. Ovid’s retelling of the myth of Hippolytus is completely different from Seneca and Euripides’ narratives. First of all, Ovid’s account starts with Hippolytus’s narration of the story; the reader is first introduced to Hippolytus as someone returned from the dead so, even without reading the story, the reader already knows that Hippolytus suffers tragic death at the end of the story.Because he is telling his story to a bystander, Hippolytus does not go into great detail of his life; he recounts the story of his stepmother’s betrayal in a very short and succinct manner, concen trating more on the suffering he faced when his â€Å"limbs [were] entangled in the reins [of his chariot]† (Ovid’s Metamorphoses p. 539 line 608-609). The fact that Hippolytus talks of his own death in a conversational manner, attempting to console Egeria is important because it is one of Ovid’s techniques that he used to place the reader’s attention on Hippolytus.Whereas Seneca wrote about Phaedra and described the story with her as the main character, Ovid wrote about Hippolytus, from Hippolytus’s point of view. In this story, Aphrodite is not even mentioned as being the instigator of Phaedra’s lust. Phaedra is portrayed as a cold-blooded, merciless killer who did not feel shame for her murder of Hippolytus. The shame aspect, that was so important in defining the other author’s versions of the myth, is absent from Ovid’s version. Phaedra’s shame’s absence from the myth can be explained by the fact that Hippolyt us himself is narrating the story.Ovid gives the reader a perspective from the victim’s point-of-view, which does not view any guilt felt by Phaedra as relevant. Even if she feels guilt, she is still held responsible for her actions. Whereas in the other myths, the reader knows that Aphrodite is the final cause of Hippolytus’s death and Phaedra is not completely guilty, in Ovid’s myth, she is not mentioned since Hippolytus was not aware of her influence on Phaedra. The three versions’ portrayals of Phaedra are important when analyzing the different meanings of the multiform myth.The difference lies in the different conflicts that arise in each myth and the various sources of Phaedra’s shame, or the absence of it. In Euripides’ version of the story, the main struggle of the myth lies in Phaedra’s inner conflict; she struggles with her desires and is unable to express them and deal with them in a healthy way. She must use the help of he r nurse to help her and before the story is over, the shame of her immoral thoughts kills her. Unlike Euripides’ version, Seneca’s retelling of the myth shows her conflict to be one with Hippolytus.Phaedra’s every action is a struggle against Hippolytus’ strong morals and chastity. The story is one of a fight between the two characters, concluding with Hippolytus’ loss of life, an event that leads to Phaedra’s shame and eventually her death. Ovid tells the story as a conflict between Hippolytus and Phaedra from Hippolytus’ point-of-view. Hippolytus, in Ovid’s version is wronged by his stepmother, who is portrayed as evil and coldhearted. There is no mention of any shame she might feel for her stepson’s murder; the lack of shame depicts as heartless, an obvious antagonist to Hippolytus’.From these differences, one can interpret that a greater meaning lies in the three author’s definitions of shame. Whereas P haedra in Seneca’s version is shameful of her own immoral thoughts and urges, the other Phaedra, in Euripides’ version, only realizes her guilt when she sees Hippolytus’ dead body; she acts more child-like, not believing that such terrible consequences could come from her actions until she sees them. Ovid differs completely in his view of shame. He sees it as irrelevant to the victim’s suffering and pain.In his version, Hippolytus does not consider Phaedra as having felt any remorse for her actions, he sees her as a coldblooded killer who caused him immense grief. The way I began to analyze the myths of Hippolytus was to think about the major differences between the characters. Because the story is all about the characters rather than the setting or culture, I thought that the differences of each character among each multiform would give me a clear view of the meanings of each multiform. The character that seems to influence each story the most is Phaedra .I could have gone into greater detail about the differences amongst each Hippolytus, Theseus, and nurse but I realized that analyzing those differences would result in an essay of 20 pages and would not be as meaningful. Relying on the differences among each author’s version of Phaedra to give meaning to the differences was very fruitful. I managed to find that the differences in Phaedra’s character were based in her decisions throughout the story. In one story, she killed herself before Hippolytus was dead; in another version, she killed herself after Hippolytus died and in the third version, she was barely even mentioned.Each story showed her as more or less humane; in Euripides’s and Seneca’s versions of the story, Aphrodite was mentioned as the source of her attraction to Hippolytus. The godess’s participation in the crime took some of the blame off of Phaedra’s shoulders and made it easier for the reader to relate to Phaedra. In Ovidâ €™s version, Aphrodite was not mentioned and Hippolytus’s death was viewed as a direct result of Phaedra’s cruel passion. More differences between Seneca and Euripides’s versions could be found and meaning could be discovered from the timing of Phaedra’s death.I asked myself, â€Å"why caused her to die before or after Hippolytus and what is the meaning of the difference in her suicide? † I realized that in both cases, shame had caused her to kill herself but in each story, shame was a result of something different. In Euripides’s version, Phaedra kills herself because of her own immorality; she feels guilty about her sinful passions towards Hippolytus. In Seneca’s versions, she commits suicide from guilt of seeing Hippolytus’s mangled corpse and realizing that her actions had caused his death.

Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin - 975 Words

Being black in America means to exist while subconsciously striving to reach out and own that imaginary white picket fence. You know, that nice house nested inside that white picket fence in that wonderful neighborhood with the perfectly cut grass on top of that sunny hill along with the perfectly paved roads leading up to it. African Americans see it all the time in televisions, magazines and newspaper ads. As poor blacks invest their life’s work in trying and subsequently failing to achieve this imaginary dream, they end up devouring any sense propriety remaining in their life; the play A Raisin in The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry exemplifies this tragedy. In the play Lena Younger and her family was rewarded ten thousand dollars of life insurance money, which is a lot of money for a family of their socioeconomic class. With that kind of money the Youngers dreamt for better things, like a new house, a family owned business as well as med school for Lena’s youngest daughter Beneatha. The poem Harlem by Langston Hughes paraphrases these dreams perfectly. One could see how all of their dreams exploded into existence during the weeks leading up to them receiving the check, and ultimately ended up sagging like a heavy load when Lena’s son Walter Lee Younger lost most of the money to his thieving friend Willy Harris. Their dreams were instantly deferred because they had to come back to the reality of not expecting anything when Walter Lee lost the money. Walter’s dreams wereShow MoreRelatedLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin1120 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"A raisin in the sun† was written by Lorraine Hansberry. The play was not expected to do so well because it had one white cast member, an inexperienced director, and an untried playwright. Set in the south side of Chicago in the 1950s, the play begins in the morning in the Youngers apartment. Their apartment has two bedrooms, one for mama and Beneatha, and one for Ruth and Walter, while Walter’s son Travis sleeps on the couch in the living room. Ruth gets up first and talks and Walter and TravisRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin1474 Words   |  6 PagesLorraine Hansberry created the play A Raisin in the Sun. A Raisin in the Sun recounts an anecdote about The Youngers who is a poor African American family living on the Southside of Chicago. A chance to escape from neediness comes as a $10,000 extra security watch that the female authority of the family (Lena/Mama) gets upon her significant other s passing. Lena s kids, Walter and Beneatha, each have plans with the cash. The most established child, Walter (a man of 35 with a spouse and a youthfulRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin1758 Words   |  8 Pagesare located right within the â€Å"Black Metropolis†. Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun takes place in Southside Chicago in the 1950s. It revolves around the Younger family who bought a house in a white neighborhood with the money of Big Walter’s insurance check. But they are facing problems from the neighborhood as the â€Å"welcoming committee† offers to buy the house of off them just so they will not move into the neighborhood. In the play A Raisin in the Sun one of the many issues the YoungerRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin1278 Words   |  6 Pages A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a realistic fictional drama in which the play s title and the characters represent the play s theme. The play focused on black American struggles to reach the American Dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness during the 1950’s and the 1960’s. The idea of everyone having the chance to achieve a better life should exist for all. Hansberry created her title using a line from Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"A Dream Deferred† the original poem wasRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin869 Words   |  4 Pagesand I pass them cool quiet looking restaurants where them white boys are sitting back and talking bout things†¦sitting there turning deals worth millions of dollars†¦sometimes I see guys don’t look much older than me’’- (1.2.226). A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry was published in 1959, develops the plot of an African American family facing a war against racism in the slums of Chicago. They are a family of 5 squeezed in a two-bedroom apartment, they are restricted socially and financially withRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin1147 Words   |  5 PagesIn A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. Broward College, Central Campus Theater in building 6, on Sunday, the 1st of November. The play was performed by Broward College students. The type of stage was Proscenium stage with extended apron. I thought it was a little bit small, but it did not show as a problem. The pre-show was dark and a feel of suspense. I felt excited to see how everything would play out. The play takes place down south of Chicago in the 1950’s. The production was much aRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin1995 Words   |  8 Pages In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry utilizes the insurance check to symbolize the American Dream as the check provides the members of Younger family with the opportunity to achieve their aspirations. The concept of the check reveals Walter’s and Mama’s perceptions of themselves and of their lifestyle, and their responses to the check reveals their contrasting approaches for escaping their impoverished world; therefore, Walter’s and Mama’s characteristics and reaction to the arrival of theRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun1527 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† is about the Younger Family who live in a small apartment in Chicago. The family is torn apart as every member has different dreams and goals, yet Mama and her daughter-in-law Ruth desperately attempt to hold the family all together. In both the movie and the play, the family’s dreams remain the same. Mama wants her family to get along and she wants t o purchase a house. Her son, Walter, wants the life insurance money from his father to invest in a liquor store to achieve hisRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Essay1445 Words   |  6 Pages A Raisin in the Sun is a dramatic play written by Lorraine Hansberry in 1957 and debut on Broadway in 1959. Lorraine Hansberry used the title A Raisin in the Sun from Harlem A Dream Deferred a poem by Langston Hughes, Which ponders the question of what happens to a dream if it’s never achieved. The play helps shed light on the lives and struggles of a black family during the Civil Rights movement. The play was set in the Southside of Chicago during the Civil Rights movement, sometime between 1945Read MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin982 Words   |  4 Pagesauthor is talking about, it is better to ask them directly in person, but the unfortunate part is that they might be dead. In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, the author, Lorraine Hansberry, choose to name her play from a famous poem by Langston Hughes. It is difficult to really know why she choose Hughes’ poem but there are reasons to infer. Lorraine Hansberry choose to name her play after Langston Hughes’ poem because of what the poem meant and that poem closely related to the characters within the