Beckett’s Writings :: Literary Analysis, Beckett, Winnie

1. How can you apply the Latin phrase Esse est percipi to a specific and concrete analysis of Beckett’s material? Esse est percipi, or To be is to be seen, is a very profound statement which Beckett seems to use as one of the major themes of his playwriting. Beckett’s Collection of Shorter Plays often have no beginning or end and build good examples of to be is to be seen. Beckett’s utilizes the senses in his writing. With the use of the sense of seeing, and the sense of hearing, Beckett builds his characters very being and thus brings forth the idea of to be is to be seen.. In Happy Days, Beckett created the character of Winnie who is trapped and buried in a mound of dirt. Beckett has written Winnie as being a great deal focused on seeing. During the play, Winnie is constantly doing things that emphasize the act of seeing. She is putting on and removing her glasses, reading the tube of toothpaste, reading the handle of the brush and other such acts. By seeing each item, and reading the writing on it, she justifies its existence and in reading and seeing each item she exists. Her eyes are used as props, opened and shut, demonstrating â€Å"that one sees the other the other sees the one† (28). This declaration is very powerful example of each person justifies the other by seeing the other. Without one seeing the other, there is no one to see the one. In this simple statement, Winnie proclaims the very act of existence. Winnie makes many other statements about the act of seeing, during the play, when talking with her husband Willie, as in â₠¬Å"Could you see me, Willie do you think, from where you are, if you were to raise your eyes to me [†¦] Lift your eyes to me† (28). Winnie needs Willie to look at her to verify that she is still there by seeing him, and him seeing her. Being stuck in the same routine of her day-to-day living can be a prison. By sharing that day with someone, even if it is just hearing or being seen, it gives Winnie a reason to go on and â€Å"to be†. Winnie articulates the feeling of disappearing in a blink of an eye by stating â€Å"Strange feeling that someone is looking at me.

Mary Wollstonecraft Essay

Mary Wollstonecraft was a writer of the Enlightenment and her work, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, is a perfect example of a piece of literature of the time. She took a topic, women’s rights, and applied to it the reason and logical thinking that was so important during the Enlightenment. Very important in Wollstonecraft’s work is the gritty realness and harsh reality of the writing itself. While Romanticism loved to use sweet phases and pretty words, Wollstonecraft spoke plainly. She used hard hitting ideals, such as women were â€Å"rendered weak and wretched† by following the manners men required of them. The reason she was so brutal was she wanted to incite reform. Enlightenment writers presented their rational ideals, well thought out and explained, in an effort to persuade others to agree. Wollstonecraft relied on more than just her rational argument, but on the strength of her words. She believed, â€Å"From the tyranny of men the greater number of female follies proceed†, and she had made it her mission to change that. Another very important goal of the Enlightenment writers was to promote change. They wanted to strip away all the prettiness and write about the truth. They intend their works not as entertainment, but as ideals which not only made people think, but encouraged them to take these ideals and change society. It was the same with Wollstonecraft, and she was working against major barriers to create her change. First of all, men would not agree with her radical ideals and men controlled the society, especially the intellectual society. Also, many women believed their lot in life was fine and they didn’t agree with Wollstonecraft insulting it so much. However, Wollstonecraft had a goal, â€Å"I wish to persuade women to endeavor to acquire strength. † She desired not only strength, but the same right as men to be rational, and for it she is considered the â€Å"mother of modern feminism. † â€Å"The Autumn,† has nothing of the fierceness and determination of A Vindication of the Rights of Women. While Vindication is a battle call, â€Å"The Autumn† is a lulling of the senses and a poem that encourages people to think of happiness and not the facts of life. Imagery is all important in â€Å"The Autumn† and the images in the poem work to summon up thoughts Keats wants to connect to the season, fertility and beauty. Fertility is a continuing theme in the poem, brought out by such phrases as â€Å"fill as fruit with ripeness to the core,† and â€Å"plump hazel shells with a sweet kernel†. After all, autumn is the season of harvest and Keats uses the images of the coming harvest to invoke in the reader a sense of the glory of the time. Another theme very present in the poem is the theme of the beauty of the season. Keats uses various phrases which uses not only the sight but the hearing to experience the glory of autumn. For sight, Keats uses such phrases as â€Å"and touch the stubble, plains with rosy hue†, and â€Å"while barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day†, to create with words a vision so strong the reader ‘sees’ it in the mind’s eye. As for hearing, Keats writes of the sounds of the season to take the reader back to that time of year. â€Å"The red-breast whistles from a garden croft† and â€Å"full grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn† calls to the reader in images that go from just words to almost hearing the birds and lambs as they call. In this way, imagery doesn’t just prompt ‘seeing’ autumn, but ‘hearing’ it as well. Keats also gives us a depiction of a woman. But, while Wollstonecraft paints the picture of a silly creature that is ridiculous and bound, Keats gives her an almost unearthly beauty. She is spirit-like, with â€Å"hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind† and soft and yielding, â€Å"drow’d with the fume of poppies†. This isn’t a woman ready to fight for equality, but rather a gentle creature that enjoys in her soft world.

Pride in Beowulf, Paradise Lost and Gulliver’s Travels Essay

The theme of pride has been treated in various literary texts – from the Old Testament to current literature. The scripture says: â€Å"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. † (Proverbs. 16:18) Pride has various consequences in varied circumstances. Religion views it as a sin, but pride is also used as a sentiment of honor associated with one’s family, nation, or profession which we glorify. In a sense pride is a kind of overstretched or excessive confidence in one’s power. It is necessary to a certain degree for the preservation of one’s dignity, but beyond that limit it is bad like excessive eating and drinking. Moreover, sometimes people are accused of pride even when its merits shine brighter than modesty. Oxford English Dictionary (online) defines pride as: â€Å"A high, esp. an excessively high, opinion of one’s own worth or importance which gives rise to a feeling or attitude of superiority over others; inordinate self-esteem. † In Beowulf king Hrothgar warns Beowulf against pride after his thumping victory over Grendel. In Gulliver’s Travels it is pride that leads to war as well as peace, in Paradise Lost Satan’s pride leads to his fall from heaven to hell, yet he continues his battle with pride and zeal. There are many proud moments in Beowulf’s life. The hero gains victory against colossal monsters thrice: first in his unarmed battle against Grendel, then with his chosen comrades against Grendel’s mother with some divine help, and finally his killing of the fire-breathing flying dragon in old age when he is mortally wounded and dies a hero’s death. But Beowulf’s innate humility is never affected by his outstanding success and even the offer of the crown and people’s adoration. As Hrothgar gives him a hero’s welcome and praises God for helping him with the gold hilt sword, â€Å"Take your place, then, with pride and pleasure,/ and move to the feast. † (ll. 1882-83) and then he examines the mighty gold hilt offered by Beowulf. He delivers a sermon on pride: â€Å" O flower of warriors, beware of that trap/†¦Do not give way to pride. / For a brief while your strength is in bloom/ but it fades quickly;† (ll. 759-1763). He talks wisely about the transience of human youth and power and cites his own example of ignoring the shape of things to come: â€Å"hard reversal from bliss to grief. Grendel struck/after lying in wait†. (ll. 174-76) So the word pride has been used in both good and bad senses. In Gulliver’s Travels pride has another dimension. OED also define pride as: â€Å"A consciousness of what befits, is due to, or is worthy of oneself or one’s position; self-respect; self-esteem, esp. of a legitimate or healthy kind or degree. Though of pigmy size the Lilliputians are highly efficient people proud of their skill. They feed, cloth and manage the Mountain man effectively and even with his help avoid a war with the Blefuscu. Only in Lilliput Gulliver is amazed to find the emperor and his administration strictly honors the rule of reward and punishment. In Brobdingnag Gulliver meets giants who are so honorable and civilized that they shudder at the mention of war and ammunitions. The imaginary lands and peoples provide Swift an opportunity of launching a scathing attack on the pride of English way of life. In spite of great intellectual powers, his pride turns out to be vanity. His overriding ambition to become a great literary man stood in the way of marriage to either â€Å"Stella† or â€Å"Vanessa†, and a man who hated children created a classic of children’s literature. His own obituary reveals the proud author and his works: â€Å"The body of Jonathan Swift, Doctor of Divinity, is buried here, where fierce indignation can tear his heart no more. Go traveler and imitate, if you can, one who strove with utmost to champion human liberty. In Milton’s Paradise Lost Satan defies the Almighty God and his angels to wage a war and seize power in heaven. Though he is hurled into hell as punishment, he provides leadership to his demoralized followers and with Beelzebub’s help holds a conference to wage â€Å"eternal war† against God. Like a proud leader with strategic insight he converts this defeat as a springboard for the next battle and accordingly inspires his followers with a thunderous call: â€Å"What though the field be lost? All is not lost: the unconquerable will,/ And study of revenge, immortal hate,†(ll. 105-07) He instills a confidence in his comrades that victory and defeat are in the hands of the fighters. So his clarion call to his army is addressed to boost their morale and shake off their depression: â€Å"Awake, arise, or be for ever fallen! †. (l. 330) The uncompromising nature of Satan is revealed in his speech: â€Å"our better part remains/ to work in close design, by fraud or guile,† (Bk. I. ll. 645-46) and his continual emphasis on victory: â€Å"For who can think submission? War then, war/ open or understood must be resolved. † (ll. 661-62) The opposition leader often resorts to disparaging remarks and undermining the image of his rival as Satan debunks God, â€Å"Who now triumphs, and in excess of joy/ sole reigning holds the tyranny of heaven. † (ll. 123-24) Satan shows the right mindset of a winner who would not accept anything short of victory as he speaks candidly about it: â€Å"To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell:/ Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. (Bk. I. ll. 262-63) Satan represents the freedom-loving individualist who also demonstrates great pragmatic sense by adapting himself to the harsh realities of Hell and consoles himself with his psychological insight: â€Å"The mind is its own place, and in itself/ Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. † (Bk. I. ll. 254-255) From Beowulf, Gulliver’s Travels to Paradise Lost pride has evolved from good to bad and the worst; it has also passed through religious as well as secular ramifications.

10 History Essay Topics on Egyptian Revolution of 2011

10 History Essay Topics on Egyptian Revolution of 2011 If you need 10 facts for your history essay on the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, consider the causes, casualties, and consequences listed below: In the decade leading up to the Egyptian revolution the opposition organizations decried the presidents power and held rallies demanding free presidential elections. In single candidate referendums president Hosni Mubarak was elected on three separate occasions. In 2005 he faced opposition for the first time in spite of banning the Muslim Brotherhood from entering as a candidate. The Muslim Brotherhood was the most popular opposition group in Egypt and preventing them from running in the election had upset many citizens. When president Hosni Mubarak was elected yet again his runner-up was charged with fraud and put in prison. In the year 2010 independent candidates who were associated with the Muslim Brotherhood did well in the legislative elections and had started to become the biggest contingent in the opposition party for the 2010 elections. Opposing parties were not victorious to the extent that they should have been due to vote rigging, something which caused serious demands for reevaluation. Protests began on January 25th. Inspired by Tunisia success, people began taking to the streets in order to protest unemployment levels, poverty, government corruption, and the autocratic rule. These protests were the first of their scale to take place in Egypt since the 1970s. Protesters began defying curfews and the government responded to them by blocking Twitter which was one of the keys used by organizers to coordinate the protests throughout the city. This didn’t only enrage the citizens but increased the national attention to this uprising. Within the first two days of the uprising Egypt blocked access to Facebook and the riot police began arresting and injuring protesters on the streets with tear gas water cannons and batons. In cities such as Alexandria and Cairo these practices were commonplace. The Muslim Brotherhood was a fierce opponent of the current government regime, officially banned in Egypt. But as soon as the uprising began they started to support the protest helping enhancing the logistics of rioters. The government attempted to block all Internet services in the country on the first Friday after the protests began. Twitter, Facebook, email, social networking, and text messaging being locked down. The protesters began to search for alternative means of getting on the internet and distributing information among themselves. That same day the military was called in to take over the law enforcement and the US made an announcement that the aid they provided to Egypt would be put to review because of the ongoing protests. The immediate response by the president Hosni Mubarak who had remained silent during the first week was to appear on state television and make the announcement that he would be dismissing part of his government but that he himself would not step down. Shortly after this announcement President Obama urged the Egyptian president to make reformation a reality. The reforms that president Hosni Mubarak attempted to introduce did very little to satisfy the enraged citizens who demanded that the president would step down. It was in February that the opposition was invited to talks with the Egyptian government, specifically the Muslim Brotherhood, who had previously been banned. At the same time the president announced that he would not resign in spite of the fact that widespread media reports stated that he might. The following day he stepped down and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces suspended the constitution and dissolved the legislative bodies of Egypt. A new constitution was set to be drafted during which time the military would maintain power for 6 months or until new elections could be held. The internal security services were dissolved the next month, which was considered as a victory by many Egyptian citizens due to the fact that this ministry was known for regularly using torture and violating the rights of political dissidents. In March the Egyptians approved a referendum which proposed constitutional changes to the election process, set up a time limit for president, and restrict the ability of the president to use emergency laws. This document helped pave the way for a transition to an elected government and a new constitution. Continued issues arose in spite of this progress and protesters began to call upon the government to investigate the president Hosni Mubarak finances and the finances of his sons. It was stated that Mubarak and sons had amassed a large fortune which was concealed in a foreign bank. Public prosecutors ordered the detention of the former president and his sons for further questioning. After this the sons were sent to prison in Cairo. The investigating commission had been tasked with looking into the clashes which occurred between the protestors and the police during this uprising. It was found that the majority of the fatalities suffered by the protesters were the results of the deliberate use of lethal force by the security services. The death toll was 365 people. A reconciliation agreement was signed in May and the former president Hosni Mubarak along with his sons were set to stand trial for charges of corruption, abuse of power, and authorizing the security forces to use lethal force in killing the protesters. Some police officers who were charged with killing protesters were released from prison on bail but still face charges in state courts. Protests continued in the face of certain government ministers being acquitted of their corruption charges. 700 senior police officers were fired due to the killing of protesters that took place in January. 1 week after this announcement the new cabinet was established and the interim government announced that elections will be held on November 28th of the same year and in that period more protesters gathered, were faced with repressive tactics, and killed by police forces. The government issued apologies for the continued deaths of protesters. The United States publicly criticized the violence agains t protesters and protesters. The first round of parliamentary elections did go forward in November as scheduled in spite of the unrest. It noted was that the Muslim Brotherhood had some of the highest totals. One year after the start of the protests the Muslim Brotherhood was elected as the new leading party for the country and the new president was elected. These should prove valuable for your planned paper. You may also check our 20 topics and 1 sample essay on Egyptian Revolution of 2011 with additional tips for history essay writing. References: Abdelmottlep, Mamdooh A. The Egyptian Revolution: An Analysis of the Egyptian Police Response, The Way to the Egyptian Police Reform (Subjective Projection).  FRCIJ  1.5 (2015): n. pag. Web. Alexander, Anne, and Mostafa Bassiouny.  Bread, Freedom, Social Justice. Print. Amin, Galal A, and Wright, Jonathan.  Whatever Happened to the Egyptian Revolution?. Print. Baker, Mona.  Translating Dissent. Print. El-Bendary, Mohamed.  The Egyptian Revolution and Its Aftermath. New York: Algora Pub., 2013. Print. El-Nawawy, Mohammed, and Sahar Khamis.  Egyptian Revolution 2.0. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Print. Gunning, Jeroen, and Ilan Zvi Baron.  Why Occupy a Square?. Print.

Light a Candle with Smoke (Flame Science Trick)

Light a Candle with Smoke (Flame Science Trick) You know you can light a candle with another candle, but if you blow one of them out, did you know you can relight it from a distance? In this trick, youll blow out a candle and relight it by causing flame to travel along a path of smoke. How to Do the Traveling Flame Trick Light a candle. Have a second source of flame ready, such as another candle, a lighter, or a match.Blow out the candle and immediately place the other flame into the smoke.The flame will travel down the smoke and relight your candle. Tips for Success If you have trouble lighting the smoke, try moving your flame closer to the wick because thats where the concentration of vaporized wax is highest. Another tip is to make sure the air is still around the candle. Again, this is so you maximize the amount of wax vapor around the wick and have a clear smoke trail to follow. How the Traveling Flame Trick Works This fire trick is based on how candles work. When you light a candle, the heat from the flame vaporizes the candle wax. When you blow the candle out, vaporized wax briefly remains in the air. If you apply a heat source quickly enough, you can ignite the wax and use that reaction to relight the wick of the candle. Although it looks like youre lighting the candle with smoke, its really just the wax vapor that ignites. Soot and other debris from the flame isnt ignited. You can watch a YouTube video of this project to see a candle relight itself, but its even more fun to try it yourself. Disclaimer: Please be advised that the content provided by our website is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Fireworks and the chemicals contained within them are dangerous and should always be handled with care and used with common sense. By using this website you acknowledge that ThoughtCo., its parent About, Inc. (a/k/a Dotdash), and IAC/InterActive Corp. shall have no liability for any damages, injuries, or other legal matters caused by your use of fireworks or the knowledge or application of the information on this website. The providers of this content specifically do not condone using fireworks for disruptive, unsafe, illegal, or destructive purposes. You are responsible for following all applicable laws before using or applying the information provided on this website.

Amazon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Amazon - Essay Example This means that the company has successfully attracted the future clientele for itself. The young generation will continue using the online retailer throughout its life because they have had a good experience with the company. This is one of the greatest assets of Amazon.The company is also following cost leadership strategy with great success. The shift in the policy came after 2001 as it was the time when company decided that it has gained enough clientele to follow a cost leadership strategy. This strategy is working and it is expected to work in future as well. This is because in future more online retailers will come and competition for Amazon is increasing. The future competitors will come up with new innovations but the only way through which the new competitors can be fought is through cost cuttings. Any new competitor will not be able to compete with Amazon in future if the company offers excellent services at lowest price. Amazon is also currently trying to pursue a long te rm strategy and this is a good approach. The company should not focus on short term profits rather it should capitalize its brand name in a better way. The company is still in the growth phase therefore it should follow a growth oriented strategy. The lower profits in the short run can be accepted in favour of long term growth. The company is focusing on customer satisfaction and retention, according to the case. This strategy is also commendable as customers are the main source of revenue. Amazon is known to be customer friendly and this should remain the case in future as well. Customer base of the company is strong and this shows that customers are responding to the policies of the company. There are also certain problems in the long term strategy of the company. The company has not accumulated enough cash that is should have and it is not prepared to face any unseen economic disaster. Any unexpected economic problem can drive the company out of business and this is serious conce rn in the short run. The lower profits of the company through services are also a concern. The company should try to earn more and more revenue through advertisement. This is an area where the company is lacking. Google and Yahoo are making use of their brand name and presence to earn massive advertisement revenue. Amazon should do the same thing and should attract companies by selling places on its websites. This is an area where the company is lagging behind and more can be done in this regard. Long term growth strategy is good enough but short term cash accumulation should also under focus. Question 2 Turnaround strategy refers to a set of steps a company takes in order to rejuvenate its business that was previously not working in a desired manner. Businesses when facing serious problems are forced to think differently and come up with strategies that can bring new life to their company. Turnaround strategies help the company change its normal path and do something in order to pe rform better. Turnaround strategies involve reallocation of resources and the most common resource that is reallocated is the management. Companies are sometimes faced with problems that can only be solved by complete overhauling the way the business is run. Amazon is facing problems from its competitors and although the company is enjoying a first mover’s advantage, still competitors are quickly catching up. This is a problem for the company so turnaround strategy will aim at solving the problem of increasing competition. The company should start to think in a different way in order to save itself from the increased competition. The company should immediately turn its focus on its core activity and that is online

Introductory Speech for Speech Class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Introductory Speech for Speech Class - Essay Example 3. Today I am going to tell you about the three main chapters in my life. I will talk about kindergarten and junior school years, and the happy times I had over all that time. I guess you could call that part an adventure story. Then there is my high school, which I would describe as something of a horror story. Finally, there is the latest, unfinished chapter about my studies at college which I would call an uplifting story. Altogether, then, my life has had three very different chapters so far, and I will now tell you the story of my adventures in chapter one, my scary years in chapter two and the uplifting years of chapter three. [body: chapter 1] Once upon a time there was a little boy called Joshua Ono. He was born and raised in the most beautiful place in the world, Honolulu, Hawaii. He was very much loved by both his parents, and grew up with a deep respect for nature and a fondness for his Mom’s cooking. In kindergarten, he learned to dance and sing to the music of the islands. Joshua was a happy child, and he was known for his habit of singing all day long, even when he was supposed to be concentrating on his learning. At the age of five, Joshua thought that he could do anything he wanted in the world. He had confidence in himself and he enjoyed playing with a large numbers of friends. Life was good and everything started out with high hopes. As you see, chapter one of my life was like a long sunny day, with a beautiful blue sky and plenty of love and laughter. It was not long, however, before some dark clouds appeared on the horizon and things change for little Joshua. [body chapter two] When I was about ten years old we had a very strict teacher for math, and I really didn’t get along with her at all. From the very first day we met, I had the feeling that things were going to be difficult between us, that is exactly how it turned out. I became a restless student, spending more time with my guitar, meeting up with friends, than with my b ooks. My grades suffered, and of course my parents were disappointed with me. For a couple of years I lost my way, and in the end I opted for the G.E.D. and left the high school. I never was a traditional student, but I enjoyed non-traditional learning and expressing myself. I remember thinking at the time that some people looked down on me and thought I was a failure because I didn’t stay on to complete my qualifications there. These were dark days for me, and I prefer not to think about them, other than to remind myself that this horror is now over, and I have been able to make a fresh start. This brings me to my final chapter, the third episode in my life. The stormclouds cleared, and I walked into the whole new world of adult life. [body chapter 3] Two years ago I joined Kapiolani Community College and this has been exactly what I needed to get my life back on track. I met new friends and found that the more relaxed environment suited my thoughtful temperament. For some r eason there was no longer a conflict between schoolwork and leisure time, and finally I have learned to find a balance between the two. I work hard during the day, and then plan my new band in the evenings. I see that there are many different paths that a young person can choose in life, and I have chosen to aim for a career in nursing. This has lifted me up in so many ways, and I am so glad to be focused and ready to use my creative