Escape From Poverty - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1343 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/04/16 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Poverty Essay Did you like this example? Living in a country where people have the freedom to define their own destiny, based on the choices made over a lifetime, means that no one has the power to define who you are and what you choose to pursue in life. Glass Castle, written by Jeannette Walls, is a powerful true story about a young girl who does not allow the challenges of growing up in poverty define who she becomes as an adult. Her childhood was plagued with people defining her worth by what they saw and assumed rather than truly understanding that within the poor, tattered young girl was a bright, creative mind wanting nothing more than to survive and be safe. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Escape From Poverty" essay for you Create order Learning was something she believed in and made time for as she was growing up, but it was pure survival that kept her going from day to day. Jeannettes memoir reinforces the fact that no person should be labeled based on socioeconomic status because wealth does not define character and value. Pride and self-awareness is something that lives within us. I believe that it is that same pride and self-awareness that feeds us from within and helps us move from one point of social status to another as it drives us to learn and grow. People do not choose to be born into poverty, but those who experience that life and choose to rise above that lifestyle do so by being aware that they have the power to change their life experiences. Jeannette begins her memoir by describing a moment when she spots a homeless woman sifting through a dumpster in search of food and necessary items. Embarrassment and frustration sets in when Jeannette realizes the woman is actually her mother. Rather than stopping to help her mother or ensure her mothers needs are met, Jeannette continues on to her party praying her family secret will never be shared with others. Even though Jeannette is now considered a respected, educated member of society, what no ones knows is that she was once a child of pov erty being raised by the very woman digging trash out of the dumpster. That poor, dirty woman was the same mother who attempted to keep Jeannette and her siblings safe and loved as they moved from one place to another trying to outsmart the welfare system and stay off the radar of others who were judging their existence. At the end of the novel Jeannette reflects on the fact that her parents, even when offered support from their children, did not want to rise out of the life of poverty because it was a life that they knew and understood. I have had the experience of going to school with students who struggle with having their basic needs met at home. Those kids are in my honors classes and working hard to get good grades so a free college education can be an option for them. Those same students share stories of siblings and family members who dropped out of school and choose to live on the system like their parents because that was all they knew and all they aspired to be. I h ave the greatest respect for those who work hard to overcome their life of poverty and struggle when I speak with classmates who do not feel the need to work for what they have knowing they will be cared for by the system. No matter how I feel, I realize it is not my place to judge. Throughout the novel, Jeannette reflects on a childhood where she and her siblings never knew where they would sleep at night because her parents would up and move with little to no warning. They were never able to take their personal items with them so they never got attached to what little they had. It was not uncommon to hear the words of their father stating, Time to pull up the stakes and leave this shithole behind, he hollered. (Walls, Page 17) These midnight moves were often based on Jeannettes parents discussing, in the dark hours of the night, that the government was after them for not paying their taxes. When moving, the family belongings, as well as the five of them, would all fit in the family car. The items consistently moved from one location to another included, A big black cast iron skillet and the Dutch oven, some army-surplus tin plates, a few knives, his pistol, and moms archery set. (Walls, Page 17) With each new home came the chance to start over and hope for new adventures. I have been fortunate to live in the same home for seventeen years so I cannot relate to the transient existence of many people living in poverty. I have seen students come and go at my school and have observed those students not connect with anyone in the short time they are in school. After reading about Jeannettes experiences as a child, I now better understand that many children growing up in poverty live in a state of paranoia, uncertainty and constant change. Unfortunately, the result of this type of lifestyle is poor school attendance, lack of connection with others and behavior problems due to defending your familys lifestyle, which so many do not understand. Education is the key to defining your future because knowledge is the one thing that cannot be taken away from you. Jeannette describes the greatest challenge of growing up in poverty being one of transiency and navigating school and the peer pressure that accompanies school when you come without the tools needed to fit in and learn. As we fought, they called me poor and ugly and dirty, and it was hard to argue the point. I had three dresses to my name, all hand-me-downs or from a thrift store, which meant each week I had to wear two of them twicewe were also always dirty. (Walls, Page 140) As a transient family, the parents often moved without the school records necessary to prove how smart the children were so Jeannette would find herself enrolled in a special education classroom because they assumed she could not read. This assumption was made on first impressions rather than academic data. With each new school placement, social services was probably notified within weeks wh ich would lead to another move in order to avoid the system getting involved and breaking up their family. What Jeannette learned, as a young adult, is that her mother owned property in Texas that was worth quite a lot of money. Jeannette could not understand why her mother would hold onto that land as a family treasure when they had lived the life of poverty for so many years and were eating out of dumpsters in order to survive. Jeannette and her siblings, as successful adults, had also offered to take their parents in, but both chose to continue to live a life on the streets, because that was the only life they knew. What Jeannette, growing out of a life of poverty and now accessing a world open to her through her education, hard work and connections, may never understand is how her parents could take pride in the life they lived. How can it be rewarding to never know where your next home will be or what your next meal will consist of? What would a life of looking over your shoulder or always assuming the worst in others do to a person over time? When reading The Glass Castle, a person learns quickly that it is no ones place to judge the lifestyle or worthiness of another human being. As children, we are at the mercy of the adults who are there to guide and care for us. No child is given the opportunity to pick a parent, nor control the way the parent raise them. This memoir is just one example of how a person in poverty can rise out of that experience by maximizing the opportunities along the way in order to become their very best self. Works Cited Walls, Jeannette. Glass Castle. Scribner, 2005.

Deceitfulness in The Scarlet Letter and The Catcher in...

The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, both are books relating to the alienation of an individual wanting to fit into society. In the Scarlet Letter, the protagonists, Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale have committed adultery which is a sin unacceptable in the Puritan Society. Hester is married to Chillingworth, the strange doctor who is out for revenge. Pearl is born to Hester, as an outcome of their sin however Hester does not reveal who the father is. She is obligated to wear the letter â€Å"A† on her chest, as Dimmesdale lives through his life remaining silent. In the book, Hawthorne shows the interactions of these characters and the reaction of these characters to Hester’s sin. In The†¦show more content†¦(Insert quote). Hester also does not believe that what she did was a sin since her and Chillingworth were never really married because they did not love each other. She even tells Chillingworth, â₠¬Å"thou knowest that I was drank with thee. I felt no love, nor feigned any†. This is hypocritical of Hester because she says she did not commit a sin but yet she wears the scarlet letter without a fight. If she hasn’t committed a sin, why wear it? In addition, Hester says to him, â€Å"What we did had a consecration of its own. We felt it so† (Hawthorne __). Chillingworth asks Hester not to reveal his identity to anyone and Hester agrees but she says she says she loves Dimmesdale (Hawthorne __). Thus, Hester could be blamed responsible for Dimmesdale’s pain caused by Chillingworth because if she truly did love Dimmesdale, she would have warned Dimmesdale about who Chillingworth really is to begin with. Arthur Dimmesdale, the minister with whom Hester committed adultery with, is looked upon as a sinless man. Kenneth Pimple, in his article â€Å"Subtle, but Remorseful Hypocrite†, he examines Dimmesdale’s actions throughout the book and discusses how Dimmesdale’s status in his community is advantageous to him. In the beginning of the book, Hester is put on a scaffold where she is asked to reveal the name of her partner. Dimmesdale is the one who tries to convince her by asking â€Å"what can thy silence do for him, except it tempt him†¦ as it were to add hypocrisy

The Attack on Pearl Harbor Free Essays

To better understand the attack on Pearl Harbor we must first go to the origin of the problem. Japan had little resources and they depended on trade, trade was the only thing keeping them going as a nation. According to Conroy, author of Pearl Harbor reexamined: Prologue to the Pacific War, â€Å"The fundamental causes of the pacific war go back to the turn of the century. We will write a custom essay sample on The Attack on Pearl Harbor or any similar topic only for you Order Now International relations were then characterized by politics, aggressive nationalism, and western colonialism. These forces worked to enlarge the empires, glory, and wealth of the individual nation-state. Japan wanted to expand into Indochina so that they could salvage the oil resources from Southeast Asia and make their nation more powerful. One very important trade resource that Japan relied on was oil. Without oil Japan’s army would be useless. Japan wanted to expand because they wanted a more powerful united Asia. When the U. S. found out Japans plans to expand they wanted to take action and put an end to it, but they didn’t want to start another war. So the U. S. peacefully asked Japan to stop trying to expand themselves into Indochina. But, Japan didn’t want to because they were desperate and needed these resources to make their nation greater. The U. S. , Britain, and the Netherlands then took action and restricted Japan from being able to buy oil and other resources which would make Japans army and navy weak and meaningless. Japan was furious about this restriction and so they only saw two options one to try and get the oil restriction lifted and still allow them to take what territory they wanted or two they were going to go to war. Japan knew that if they were to go to war with the United States that they would lose so they made one last attempt with the U. S. Japans Prime Minister, General Tojo Hideki made one last attempt to negotiate a settlement without resorting to war on November 29, 1941, but the U. S. felt that Japans attempt to dominate other territories to make their nation stronger and more resourceful was cruel, so they kept the embargo on Japans oil and other resources. Now Japan started making preparations for war. Hideki knew the attack on Pearl Harbor would cripple the U. S. Pacific fleet and make it possible for Japanese to carry on with their plans of creating a stronger empire and expanding into China and other nations. Hideki and other leaders of Japan sought out the perfect plan to attack Pearl Harbor. Their Plan was to sneak attack Pearl Harbor on a beautiful morning with clear weather. Zuber expresses Japans urge to move in on Pearl Harbor he says,† Yamamoto’s Pearl Harbor attack was at cross-purposes with years of Japanese strategic planning and preparation, and was so illogical that if it succeeded in delaying the US counter-attack by six months, it would force the US to adopt the long-war strategy that spelled certain Japanese defeat. Readers will be astounded to learn that Yamamoto was so intent on sinking obsolete American battleships, estimating that this would fatally demoralize (! ) the United States, that he was willing to sacrifice a large part of his carrier force and strike aircraft to achieve that objective, indeed was willing to conduct the attack even if the Japanese were detected 24 hours out. † Canfield states† By 6 December 1941, warnings of war in the Pacific had been, percolating, and Japanese Ambassadors Kichisaburo Nomura and Saburo Kurusu were still negotiating in Washington ,†so if they were to attack now the U. S. wouldn’t detect them. On November 26, 1941 Japanese set sail for Hawaii with a fleet of 33 warships, an auxiliary craft, and 6 aircraft carriers. They took a northern route and cut off their radio so that they wouldn’t be detected by the U. S. Hanyok says, â€Å"Japanese radio intelligence discovered that the British monitoring site in Hong Kong had identified and tracked the large ships. (It is not known if the Japanese realized that American naval radio intelligence had done so as well. Alerted to the vulnerability of its communications to foreign RI, the Japanese naval command was compelled to devise a counter plan. † On December 7, 1941, The Japanese fleet had reached their destination. The first wave of fighters, bombers, and torpedo planes had departed at 6 a. m. to the entrance of Pearl Harbor. They even made preparations for five mini submarines to abide submerged below Pearl Harbor until the attack took place. Burlingame states, â€Å"At first, Yamam oto banned their use, because he feared that they would be spotted by American patrols prior to the attack. The designers and crews of the midget submarines, however, devised an underwater method of launching the midget submarines from the backs of â€Å"mother† submarines, and Yamamoto reluctantly approved  their use. † Then they were instructed to do as much damage as possible from below with their torpedoes. A little before 7 a. m. Opana point detected a signal of massive air flight heading their way from the north. But they were assumed to be aircraft flights from the carrierEnterprise or a scheduled flight of the B-17s from mainland, so no actions were taken. Vice Admiral Nagumo  was given orders to attack Pearl Harbor by Yamamoto at 7:55 a. m. It is said that the attack lasted for almost three hours but it is hard to define the actual length of the attack because Japanese attacked many different airfields of the base. The locations included Hickam, Wheeler, and Bellows airfields, Ewa Marine Corps Air Station and many more. The ending results of the attack on Pearl Harbor included four U. S. Navy battleships sunk, caused another to capsize and severe damage to four more. Japan also sank and damaged three cruisers and destroyers, one minelayer, and 188 aircrafts. The attack injured 1,282 and killed 2,402 U. S. servicemen. America tried to fight back but only little damage was done to the Japanese. The Japanese only loss four midget subs and 29 aircrafts, with about 65 Japanese men killed or severely injured. In the end Japan came out of the attack on Pearl Harbor victorious. They crippled the U. S. Pacific fleet like they planned and crushed America’s pride. Although Japan came out victorious things only got worse for them, little did they know that the attack on Pearl Harbor was only opening the door to their own self-destruction. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Conroy, Hilary. 1990. Pearl Harbor Reexamined : Prologue to the Pacific War. n. p. : University of Hawaii Press, 1990. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost  (accessed September 30 , 2012). [ 2 ]. Zuber, Terence. 2012. â€Å"Book Review: Attack on Pearl Harbor: Strategy, Combat, Myths, Deceptions By Alan D. †Ã‚  War In History  19, no. : 257-258. History Reference Center, EBSCOhost  (accessed September 29, 2012). [ 3 ]. Canfield, Eugene B. 2004. â€Å"ALL SIGNS POINTED TO PEARL HARBOR. †Ã‚  Naval History  18, no. 6: 42-46. History Reference Center, EBSCOhost  (accessed September 30, 2012). [ 4 ]. Hanyok, Robert J. 2009. â€Å"How the Japanese Did It. †   Naval History  23, no. 6: 44-50. History Reference Center, EBSCOhost  (accessed September 26, 2012). [ 5 ]. Burlingame, Burl. 2011. â€Å"Setting a Trap. †Ã‚  Cobblestone  32, no. 9: 20-22. History Reference Center, EBSCOhost  (accessed September 26, 2012). How to cite The Attack on Pearl Harbor, Papers

How Shakespeare Portrays Othello and Iago as Villains in the Two Plays free essay sample

Shakespeare’s plays were written in the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, where the villains brought entertainment value to the plays by their plotting. A villain is someone who is an enemy and plays a prominent part in the play. Often in Shakespeare’s plays, the villains are normally malcontent. A Malcontent is a type of person/character which is prominent in Elizabethan dramas, which is rebellious and wants to cause other people distress. Some great examples of Shakespeare’s villains are Richard III and Tamora. Shakespeare uses Elizabethan types of Villain in his plays Othello and Much Ado about Nothing and J. A. Cudden described them ‘devilish’ and an ‘evil machinator or plotter’. Throughout Shakespeare’s plays Villains are in general antagonistic; they are against the good, innocent people in the play. This normally leads to a grave misfortune of others and often death. I am going to explore how Shakespeare portrays Villains through two well known villains called Iago from the tragedy Othello and Don John from the comedy Much Ado about Nothing. These villains are particularly excellent because they are not ‘Blood-thirsty’; they are devious and deceitful and operate with ‘sly treachery’. These Malcontents play on the emotions of other characters until they stop thinking in a rational way.? Throughout both plays, Iago and Don John are Machiavellian as they effectively destroy the minds of people. Othello is a tragedy and throughout the whole play and thus Desdemona, Emilia, and Othello were killed. Although Much Ado about Nothing is a comedy it verges onto a tragedy towards the end, as Charles Gildon stated ‘Some of the incidents and discourses are more in a tragic strain he accusation of Hero is too shocking for either tragedy or comedy’; Iago and Don John are more similar than different but there are some obvious variations that made one better than the other. Of course, they were Iago was in a tragedy and Don John was in a comedy, so there were many effects that made them prominent vi llains in Shakespearian plays. In the tragedy Othello, Iago has a prominent part in the play and appears in a lot of the major scenes throughout the play, whereas, Don John in Much Ado about Nothing doesn’t appear a lot in the play. Both Don Jon and Iago live in a patriarchal time, so they used this to bring down their enemies. Women at that time were easy to manipulate on and they both try and make people think that they are being unfaithful. Iago never showed Othello physical proof that Desdemona was having an affair but he just implanted idea into Othello’s head making him jealous. On the other hand, Don John showed what appeared to Hero with someone else. Although this is clever, his plan did not work in the end. The differentiation between the two villains was that Iago kept on going with his plan until he got what he wanted, and when Don Johns planned failed, he ran away. However, at end the both rogues got caught and detained. First Impressions are important in plays, whatever kind, because it affects our view of that particular character throughout the rest of the play. It’s a lasting impact. In Act 1 Scene 1 of Othello we see Iago and Rodergio having an argument. This does not create an excellent opening impression of Iago, and we see him as a very pessimistic and livid man. This is because Othello promoted Michael Cassio not him. Iago used this to get revenge on Othello later on in the play. Even at the beginning of the play we see evidence of racism, and this carries on throughout the play. Iago describes Othello as ‘the Moor’ ‘thick lips’ ‘the devil’ this explores Iago’s patronising, racist personality. Iago’s use for these words is particularly striking because it emphasises his hatred for him. In Elizabethan times, black people were portrayed as ‘devils’ and in early Church paintings, as the devils were always black. This is evident, when Emilia is dreadfully annoyed at Othello after he killed his wife later on in the play: ‘O, the more angel she, / And you the blacker devil! ’ When Iago declared ‘I follow him to serve my turn upon him’ informs us of his cunning plan to try and ensure that he gets power. In addition, he is pretending to be a supportive and pleasant towards Othello, to guarantee that he will get Cassio’s job. We learn a lot about Iago when he asserted ‘I am not what I am’ because ultimately he’s approachable on the outside but cannot be trusted. This created dramatic irony which is a main feature of this play. This creates dread and tension as the people in connection Iago with could be in danger, as we learn from later on the in play. Iago implies that Othello as animalistic, as he states ‘Beast with two backs’ and that Desdemona and Othello aren’t together because they love each other. This creates anger with Desdemona’s father and further portrays as Othello an as bad evil man who’s just looking for sex. Iago uses soliloquies to further develop his plans. He talks the audience his supreme intentions and reason for the plan for the downfall of Othello. This s one of few times when he is being completely honest, whereas Don John is contradictory to this way of villainy, as he describes himself as ‘a plain-dealing villain’. In Act 1 Scene 3, it’s the first that time he’s alone stage on, and it’s the initial moments that he unleashes his thoughts first on what’s happening. Iago uses ‘I’ a lot in his spee ch from lines 58-66 which emphasis’ his selfishness and self-confidence. Iago keeps his plans to himself with a small amount of help from Roderigo, an admittedly dumb young man, who’s in love with Othello’s wife. Othello’s soliloquies are supremely spontaneous as he thought ‘How? How? Let’s see. ’ This creates apprehension as we realise his earliest and foremost tactics for bringing down Othello. With showing little or no true emotion, the fact that he destroyed so many lives is shocking. Still in the end when his plan and Machiavellian character was revealed, he refused to speak and release his inner character. Act 3 Scene 3 in Othello, is an especially long scene where at the beginning, Othello is unaware of Desdemona’s supposed affair with Cassio, but by the end he is convinced she is. Iago doesn’t tell Othello that she’s cheating directly but Iago ‘plants seeds’ in Othello’s mind and waited for them to grow until Othello is positive that Desdemona is cheating. The time that this play was written, males did not want to be cuckolds and feared to be labelled wrongly. Othello didn’t accept that Desdemona was cheating u ntil Iago said that he will give him proof of her disloyalty. Therefore, Iago suggested ‘Look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio;’ to create suspicion of Desdemona. He doesn’t insult Desdemona and Cassio in an extreme way; instead he regains his neutral position. He tells Othello to be â€Å"neither completely suspicions nor completely trustful. † So Iago doesn’t prove that there’s anything going on between Desdemona and Cassio but in effect, Othello trust in Desdemona is ruined, and therefore doesn’t act the same towards her anymore. Iago says many things to reassure Othello that he’s not lying and he looks up to Othello, for example he said ‘My Noble Lord-‘(page 104) which is coming back to the line he said earlier on in the play ‘I follow him to serve my turn upon him’. The stage direction ‘Enter John the bastard’ is quite prominent because it shows his low status. Don John may have used this as an excuse for his villain, as he is an outcast in society. The first we see Don John is in Act 1 Scene 1, where he is welcomed into Leonato’s house. Whenever Don John enters the room the mood changes and no one seems to acknowledge Don John. Leonato seems to quickly welcome him but doesn’t seem to make conversation with him maybe because Leonato doesn’t that think Don John worth is speaking to as he is a ‘Bastard’. In the 1984 BBC adaptation we see that Don John wears dark clothing which is a custom to lonely and sour character that doesn’t perceive well to other people. This is a contrast to the way in which the other characters are dressed as they are in bright colours and are in a joyful mood. In a way, this represents the feeling and villainous beliefs of Don John. The words of Beatrice suggest some disapproval of Don John as she whispered ‘How tartly that man looks’ which informs the reader that he is bitter. Don John disgust for his half brother is known to many of his friends, as they can help him a great deal to conjure up a plan. His sidekick, Borachio, does a lot of work to help Don John when he couldn’t be bothered to do anything. When Don John’s plan failed, in Act 2 Scene 2 Borachio came up of a cunning plan to frame Hero of cheating, which is a plan that is carried on throughout the play. Don John appears more laid back, than Iago, because he is more determined to bring down his enemies. Iago even goes to the point of killing, but not directly. The reasons why Iago is this villainous character is unclear, but there are many suggestions on what could it be. For example, Iago’s words â€Å"Oh, beware, my lord of jealousy† implies that Iago wants to make Othello jealous. From saying ‘oh, beware’ suggests a warning not just for Othello but for Roderigo as well as he loves Desdemona. Jealousy is not the only reason for Othello’s downfall but it undoubtedly has a pessimistic effect on Othello. Iago is full of spite and schemes to gain the promotion that Cassio acquired. Iago went to a big extent to get this promotion. He betrays, misleads, and murders close friends to gain that position. It appears that Othello’s evilness towards others is just to amuse himself. This creates an ominous and menacing feeling towards Iago. He is digging for motives but actually can’t find a justifiable reason for his villainy, this suggest he just did it for the fun of it. Samuel Taylor Coleridge described Othello’s behaviour as ‘motive-hunting of motiveless malignity. ’ As Don John is an open minded bastard in society, and other characters foresee him as suspicious and sly. After Don John had a recent rebellion against Don Pedro, they became friends again which may cause some concerns. Leonato doubts Don John’s faithfulness to Don Pedro by saying â€Å"If you swear, my Lord, you shall not be forsworn†. Even though Leonato is uneasy with Don John, he greeted him pleasantly. Don John is aware of Leonatos thoughts towards him by saying, â€Å"I am not of many words, but I thank you†. When Don John said this line, it shows politeness, however his spite and hatred is revealed in Act 1 Scene 3. The public has no faith in Don John, so he might be dissatisfied with his ‘Bastard’ place in society and therefore Don John might want to get back as society. Don John stated â€Å"had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace† and if he does any horrible, evil things it’s because â€Å"it better fits my blood to be disdained of all†. When Don John said â€Å"blood,† it suggested that his was born a bastard and society pushes him out and thinks that he is â€Å"evil. † He feels that being a villain is a role he’s destined to play because of his origins. The fact that Leonato and Don Pedro are such good friends stings jealousy into Don John which also might determine the reasons of his villainy. Don John speaks rarely in this play and gives the audience little insight on his motives and his reaction to what is happening throughout the play. In conclusion, both villains are very similar in their ways; however they both have different ways approaching their goals. The way that Shakespeare portrays them in these plays are astonishing, as the villains bring down their enemies in such a way that other people wouldn’t expect them.