Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire - Character of Blanche DuBois :: A Streetcar Named Desire Essays

Blanche Dubious and A Streetcar Named Desire  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Blanche Dubious, appropriately dressed in white, is first introduced as a symbol of innocence and chastity. Aristocratic, refined, and sensitive, this delicate beauty has a moth-like appearance. She has come to New Orleans to seek refuge at the home of her sister Stella and her coarse Polish husband, Stanley. With her nervous and refined nature, Blanche is a clear misfit in the Kowalski's apartment. Blanche represents a deep-seated attachment to the past. She has lived her whole life in Laurel, a small southern town; her family had aristocratic roots and taught Blanche about some of the finer things in life. Unfortunately, she cannot cope with life outside Laurel. Her life is a lesson in how a single tragic event can ruin the future; her refusal to come out of the time warp and cope with the real world, makes her unrealistic and flighty. At the age of sixteen, she fell in love with, worshipped, and eloped with a sensitive boy. She believed that life with Allan was sheer bliss. Her faith is shattered when she discovers he is a bi-sexual degenerate. She is disgusted and expresses her disappointment in him. This prompts him to commit suicide. Blanche cannot get over this. She holds herself responsible for his untimely death. His death is soon followed by long vigils at the bedside of her dying relatives. She is forced to sell Belle Reve, the family mansion, to pay for the many funeral expenses. She finds herself living at the second-rate Flamingo Hotel. In an effort to escape the misery of her life in Laurel, Blanche drinks heavily and has meaningless affairs. She needs alcohol to stop the polka music, symbolic of Allan's death, from running on in her head and to avoid the truth of her life. She surrenders her body to various strangers in an attempt to lose herself. She seduces young boys in memory of Allan. But her empty heart finds no peace, and her bad reputation ends her teaching career. Blanche is an escapist who says, "I don't want realism". She hides from bright lights, just as she hides from the truth. Her delicate nature simply cannot bear the reality of present-day existence; she finds it too painful. She, therefore, convinces herself that she has remained pure because "inside, I never lied". She knows that her soul, or inner self, remained uninvolved in her physical encounters.

Free Essays on Kafkas Metamorphosis: Metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa :: Metamorphosis essays

   â€Å"When he lifted his head a little, he saw his vaulted brown belly, sectioned by arch-shaped ribs, to whose dome the cover, about to slide off completely, could barely cling. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, were waving helplessly before his eyes.† Gregor Samsa has gone through a metamorphosis. This change has turned Gregor into a â€Å"monstrous vermin†. The anxieties, inner terrors, and cynicism, which fill Gregor’s life, are expressed by Kafka throughout the novel, metamorphosis. Franz Kafka uses these feelings as an element of Expressionism to convey Gregor’s attitudes towards his life and society. Examples depicting this element of Expressionism used in the novel are Gregor’s feelings towards his job, the effect his job has on his family, and the cruelty that his family displays. The novel opens with Gregor in his monstrous state, late for work. He infers that his job as a traveling salesman is very consequential, yet he is growing tired and frustrated, â€Å"The upset of doing business is much worse than the actual business in the home office, and, besides, I’ve got the torture of traveling, worrying about changing trains, eating miserable food at all hours, constantly seeing new faces, no relationships that last or get more intimate. To the devil with it all!† Gregor has a great amount of fury towards his job, which eventually led to his anger towards society as a whole. The fact that his office manager showed up at Gregor†™s house plays an immense role in creating trepidation and anxieties in Gregor’s mind. Gregor feels strangled by his job and is too weak to tolerate the pressure. In addition to the pressure created by his office manager and society, the Samsa’s, especially Gregor’s father, take advantage of him. Gregor earns the basic income to support his family. â€Å"But of course he actually could have paid off more of his father’s debt to the boss with this extra money, and the clay on which he could have gotten rid of his job would have been much closer, but now things were undoubtedly better, the way his father had arranged them.† The superficiality of the Samsa’s has put Gregor in a difficult position, which is a component causing Gregor’s metamorphosis. Gregor’s family in general, had given him the attitude he has on life. They took advantage of him to the point where he was the means of the family’s survival.

Establishign a Company Pmo, Ppm & Governance Structure

A project management culture is important in today’s competitive environment. If the company is to thrive and meet future financial targets, project management principles and practices must be a part of our business management model. Every employee must understand how critical this undertaking is. Below are examples (Gary, Larson, 2008) of business environment drivers that are moving the company to create this extremely important initiative. oIn high-tech industries, the product life-cycle is averaging 1 to 3 years.Approximately 30 years ago, life cycles of 10 – 15 years were not uncommon. Time to market for new products with short life cycles has become increasingly important. oThe open global markets of today demand cheaper products and services but also better products and services. This coincides with the quality movement and the practice of building quality into the project plan. oThe growth in new knowledge and understanding has increased the complexity of project s because projects encompass the latest advances from the materials used to the specifications, codes, equipment and specialists required to complete the project objectives.Increased competition has placed much emphasis on customer satisfaction. No one settles for generic products and services. The demand is around customized products and services that cater to specific needs. Years ago there was more of a â€Å"one-size fits all† approach. Now there is a great deal of selection. In summary, there are a substantial number of environmental forces requiring the company to take project management to the next step. The company project management initiative will position us for the future business environment which will require increased accountability, flexibility, innovation, speed and continuous improvement.This briefing will describe this company initiative and plans to create a Project Management Office (PMO), initiate Project Portfolio Management, an improved governance stru cture and addresses a change in culture to assure project management and proper governance are part of our daily activities. Establish Project Management Office Project Management Offices often have different styles (Morris, 2008). The company PMO will have a style of â€Å"Operational Partner. † The PMO is not only to create the project management methodology and governance, it will also help organizations grow and meet their strategic targets.The PMO will also be a major factor in project selection through Project Portfolio Management (PPM). This will assure projects are being selected for their overall contribution and alignment to the company strategies. The responsibilities of the PMO are: oMethodology Creation – Creates successful and repeatable processes in support of the company project management methodologies. oProvide Project Management – Supply the project management function to the company business units. Centralized Reporting – Organizationa l level reporting providing complete views of all project activity and summarizing cost and progress reporting for the entire company. oKnowledge Center – Act as an advisor and will maintain a knowledge center for project documentation. oProject Selection – Creating criteria and methods for project selection via a Project Portfolio Management process. The plan (see accompanying MS Project File) to establish the Project Management Office starts with a Brainstorming session with the CIO.This session leverages participant innovation and â€Å"out of the box† thinking to establish the PMO strategy management elements (Vision, Mission, Goals). Once the strategy management elements are defined, the PMO design and architecture phase will start. During this phase, the PMO Responsibilities, Authority and Accountabilities (RA&A) are documented, the team architecture is defined and the facilities requirements are documented. Choosing the PMO team could be the single most i mportant decision in establishing the PMO (Campbell, Baker, 2007).During the development phase, the PMO staff, team operating rhythm, PMO processes will be created and the facilities build up occurs. Establish Project Portfolio Management A Project Portfolio Management (PPM) methodology will be established. The purpose of the PPM is to assure approved projects are aligned with the company strategic goals and priorities. This methodology will provide information that enables better business decisions. Figure 1 shows a conceptual project scoring matrix that may be used to measure projects against specific criteria.Projects that are approved will be tracked to assure the business case comes home and the forecasted return on investment is realized. The plan (see accompanying MS Project File) to establish PPM, like the PMO, starts with a brainstorming session and again will include the CIO and leverage participant innovation and â€Å"out of the box† thinking. The key outcome of t he session is to define and document the objectives of the PPM and each step of a PPM gated process. The PPM gates to be defined are: oGate 1 – Define and Prioritize Business Strategy Gate 2 – Capture and Publish Idea oGate 3 – Publish Business case for Idea Review and Rating oGate 4 – Idea Analysis and Approval oGate 5 – Finalize Design Document oGate 6 – Approval Each gate will go through a design phase prior to entering the development phase. A formal tracking method and visual controls will be created to include â€Å"return on investment† verification. The net present value (NPV) model will be used to access the project against management’s minimum desired rate-of-return to compute the present value of all cash inflows.If the result is positive, it will be eligible for further consideration. Other project considerations are shown below. oIncreasing market share oIncreases difficulty for competitors to enter market oCreatio n of an adjacent product or service oIncreases independence from unreliable suppliers oCreation of new technology that enables new products or product derivatives oCreation of a product that will increase sales of more profitable products oReduced production defectsFigure 1 – Conceptual Project Scoring Matrix (Gary, Larson, 2008) Each project will be scored against the selection criteria. Based on the scoring for the project a total scoring based on the weighting will reflect the final score. Establish Governance Structure In order for the PPM to function properly, an Investment Review Board (IRB) must be put in place to assure proposed projects are brought through the approved process, voted on based on the selection criteria established and formally tracked to the success criteria stated in the business case.Each functional area will have representation on the IRB. This assures that impacts to the overall company priorities can be assessed and result in the best possible go vernance of the projects and priorities in alignment with the company strategies. Like the other major planning components of this company initiative, the plan to build the new Governance Structure will start with a brainstorming session. The session will include the CIO and a representative from each of the functional areas.This provides an opportunity for a manager from each area to help shape this important board and voice any risks or issues to assure these are addressed in the design and architecture phase in creating the governance structure. The session will focus on foundational elements in creating the new structure such as board chartering, RA&A (Responsibility, Authority & Accountability), team structure and operating rhythm. A draft of a governance board structure is shown in figure 2 to facilitate initial discussions. Figure 2 – Governance Board Structure Establish Culture Change/Communication PlanThe success of this company initiative is in the hands of every te am member in the company. If we are going to remain competitive and thrive in a global market, we must take our business disciplines in project management and governance to the next level. A communication plan is part of the overall plan to assure the flow of information horizontally and vertically. Culture change requires a high degree of multi-faceted communications (hybrid of high touch and no-touch). This plan supports a corporate communications expert to help assure â€Å"the right information† is getting to â€Å"the right individuals† as â€Å"the right time. This includes branding the activities for promotional purposes and creation of escalation paths for any employee (non-management and management alike) with questions, concerns and issues surrounding the initiative. This effort will mitigate previous issues where a top down deployment of a company initiative did not enable the escalation of issues and concerns related to the implementation challenges experi enced by the employees. Summary This plan requires a commitment from all employees. We can not afford to fail in our efforts.Securing our future growth and prosperity are paramount in the challenging business climate of today. To help the company make this successful journey, extensive use of the Independent Review process (to be created by the PMO) will assure full implementation of the initiative and achievement to the expected level of performance. The benefits of this initiative will be seen and felt by every employee in the way of focused efforts that are sized and prioritized for the approved resources and aligned to the company strategies resulting in greater levels of shareholder value.Thank you in advance for your support of this plan. NOTE: A non-recurring budget snapshot for the development and implementation of this initiative is shown in figure 3. Figure 3: Non-recurring Budget SnapshotReferences Morris, Rick A. (2008) The Everything Project Management Book 2nd Edition Avon, MA: Adams Media Gary, C. F. , Larson, E. W. (2008) Project Management – The Managerial Process New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin Campbell, G. M. , Baker, S. B. (2007) Project Management Fourth Edition New York, NY: Penguin Group

Growth Mindset Essay

Asking Effective Questions Problem Solving Approach in mathematics classroom because it engages student in inquiry, prompting them to build on and improve their current knowledge as they â€Å"construct† explanations and help them solve tasks at hand. In a â€Å"Constructivist classroom† students are seen as the ones who are actively creating their own knowledge†. This is done through questioning to h I need respect, motivation, encouragement, determination, to have confidence in your students. 8 Tips for Effective Questioning 1. Anticipate Student Thinking (plan the possible questions to stimulate thinking and deepen student understanding 2. Link to Learning Goals 3. Pose open ended questions 0 help build students’ self-confidence, help them respond at their own stage of development and allow for differentiation Invitational stems that use plural forms and exploratory language invite reflection. Huinker and Freckman (2004, p. 256) suggest the following examples: As you think about†¦ Given what you know about†¦ In regard to the decisions you made†¦ From previous work with students†¦ When you think about..As you consider†¦ In what ways†¦ In your planning†¦ Take a minute. 4. Pose Questions that actually need to be answered 5. Incorporate verbs that elicit higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs such as connect, elaborate, evaluate and justify prompt students to communi- cate their thinking and understanding, to deepen their understanding and to extend their learning. Huinker and Freckman (2004, p. 256) provide a list of verbs that elicit specific cognitive processes to engage thinking: observe notice remember contrast interpret evaluate summarize visualize (â€Å"see†) differ distinguish decide identify compare predict explain conclude infer relate consider describe 6. Pose Questions that Open up conversations to include others. 7. Keep Questions Neutral 8. Provide Wait Time (use strategies such as turn and talk, think-pair-share and round robin to give students time to articulate and clarify their thinking Ms Hastings does use different Instructional Strategies. She builds strong relationships with her students, set high expectations for performance and has a good understanding of their needs to reach success in her classroom. Ms Hastings first has a strong belief in the â€Å"Growth Mindset† by setting high expectations and showing student they can learn as opposed to the belief of â€Å"either you are good at math or not†. Teacher shows students how they can succeed and achieve through â€Å"application and experience†. Their words and actions make it clear that the past does not dictate the future. If a teacher promotes the â€Å"growth mind-set†, they can focus students on â€Å"self-development, self-motivation and responsibility† and help them develop the mental determination to continue to improve. She clearly sets objectives and provides feedback to her students to help them progress. By reinforcing effort and providing recognition, students believe they can succeed. These strategies all provide students with the belief that they can positively affect their learning She also uses various strategies to promote thinking and learning in the classroom. She uses cooperative learning, uses effective questioning and graphic organizers. She uses team building exercises and forms a base group, in which they learn and work together for the semester. In reading the Capacity Building Monograph in â€Å"Asking Effective Questions in Mathematics† in showed how you can change Learning to becoming something you get for a short time to permananence and building a deeper understanding. In Ms. Hastings class, the 8 tips provided in this monograph are great strategies being used in Ms. Hastings class. One of the most important influences in student achievement is the relationship between teacher and students (Hattlie, 2009). By Ms. Hastings telling success stories this provides encouragement to her students. Ms. Hastings class is preparing her students with the skills of the â€Å"21st Century Learner†. She is doing this by helping her students set personal learning goals, self-assessment for understanding, therefore, making learning permanent, accessing tools and resources for enhancing their understanding and using their learning in rich meaningful tasks in real-world contexts. These students will learn problem-solving, critical thinking and using their prior knowledge and skills to apply them to new situations. Two challenges faced by adolescents is the belief they are not good at math, therefore, find it challenging and are less engaged in math class. The second challenge is to make math learning become permanent through student engagement. This means using Instructional Strategies to ensure students are engaged in their own learning and self-assessment. One of the challenges faced by adolescents is the belief they are â€Å"not good at math†. This may be imparted by their parents belief they were not good at mathematics and do not ask more from their children. There needs to be a shift from this belief from all adults involved. They must recognize and affirm the importance of mathematical literacy for all. In the Ministry’s Numeracy Report (2004), students need the â€Å"ability to deal with the  fundamental notions of number and change in order to make sense of mathematical information presented in everyday contexts† (Paulos, 1988, pg.). Mathematical literacy in important for both employment and post-secondary admissions. Therefore, as teachers, we need to take advantage of the abundant opportunities for fostering mathematical literacy across the curriculum. As with Ms. Hastings, has a strong belief in the â€Å"Growth Mindset† by setting high expectations and showing student they can learn as opposed to the belief of â€Å"either you are good at math or not†. Teacher shows students how they can succeed and achieve through â€Å"application and experience†. Their words and actions make it clear that the past does not dictate the future. If a teacher promotes the â€Å"growth mind-set†, they can focus students on â€Å"self-development, self-motivation and responsibility† and help them develop the mental determination to continue to improve. She clearly sets objectives and provides feedback to her students to help them progress. By reinforcing effort and providing recognition, students believe they can succeed. These strategies all provide students with the belief that they can positively affect their learning She also uses various strategies to promote thinking and learning in the classroom. She uses cooperative learning, uses effective questioning and graphic organizers. She uses teambuilding exercises and forms a base group, in which they learn and work together for the semester. The second challenge faced by adolescent if to ensure their learning has â€Å"permanence†. This is done through strong conceptual foundations in math and ample opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge. I also believe that as teachers we need to use effective instructional strategies to emphasize student ability to think, use problem-solving skills and build on prior knowledge. Ms. Hastings uses various strategies to promote thinking and learning in the classroom. She uses cooperative learning, uses effective questioning and graphic organizers. She uses team building exercises and forms a base group, in which they learn and work together for the semester. In reading the Capacity Building Monograph in â€Å"Asking Effective Questions in Mathematics† in showed how you can change Learning to becoming something you get for a short time to permanence and building a deeper understanding. In Ms. Hastings class, the 8 tips provided in this monograph are great strategies being used in Ms. Hastings class. One of the most important influences in student achievement is the relationship between teacher and students (Hattlie, 2009). By Ms. Hastings telling success stories this provides encouragement to her students. Ms. Hastings class is preparing her students with the skills of the â€Å"21st Century Learner†. She is doing this by helping her students set personal learning goals, self-assessment for understanding, therefore, making learning permanent, accessing tools and resources for enhancing their understanding and using their learning in rich meaningful tasks in real-world contexts. These students will learn problem-solving, critical thinking and using their prior knowledge and skills to apply them to new situations. To be able to prepare our students as 21st Century Learners, we need to increase our math competence through professional learning to be more effective. The Expert Panels Report on Student Success in Ontario Mathematical Literacy, Grades 7-12 (May 2004) looked at at-risk mathematical learners and came up with a number of themes: Effective teaching and learning begins with the needs to the adolescent learners and have a good understanding of their development stages Connect the learning in math to the lives of the students (having rich meaningful tasks that connect to real-life contexts) Ensuring they have a strong conceptual foundations to be able to apply their knowledge and continue their learning Instructional learning strategies empahisize problem solving and building and one’s own understandings To improve students’ performance, teachers need to link instruction more closely to assessment More professional learning opportunities for teachers to strengthen their competence in math Technology to support learning and have more accessibility to students who are struggling in math Also extra support for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"at risk† students to close the gap Strong leadership and strong planning to create an effective learning environment in which all the needs of the students are met and success is promoted. 2. Changing Climate – Transforming Classroom Culture Dan Myer Inquiry Based Learning Being interest in students thinking How my teachers see them in a sincere way and shed the idea of controlling the process Bring the student who are not strong in the foundations Gains in achievement – multimedia helped students who are identified at risk or LD Teach as we are taught, memorization, calculations, learning formulas, doing math and debrief M.J. Hobbs Senior P.S. –DI 7-8 Differentiated Instruction and problem solving by group readiness Individual Accountability in group work Create a positive work environment Group work looks like, sounds like anchor charts with clear understanding of expectations Participate in work that is engaging and challenging Centennial S.S. HPEDSB Differentiating Instruction Secondary Think-Pair-Share Mathematical Questions Justify using mathematical vocabulary Learning Centres give students choice, work collaboratively and related to hands on materials and manipulatives’ based on their strengths (observe the kids first to see how they are learning Use the entry point depending on their strengths and how they learn to work towards the curriculum expectations Use of different strategies and connect using different means to demonstrate their learning Data given for Problem Solving Exit cards to demonstrate learning in a differentiated environment to take responsibility on teaching the students how they learn DI planning for kids based on grouping on kids strengths and needs.

To what extent and in what ways is Fitzgerald purely critical of Gatsby?

Dreams are a large part of â€Å"The Great Gatsby†, both in the wider sense and in terms of individuals, and Gatsby is the character whose dream is focussed on the most. It is difficult to tell what Fitzgerald truly thinks, due to the fact that he uses Nick as the narrator – meaning the reader finds it hard to separate their feelings. However, by looking at how he presents the characters in the novel, and the society as a whole, we can perhaps see what Fitzgerald thinks about Gatsby's dreams in the novel. Fitzgerald's views are presented ambiguously in the novel, with the comparison to the rest of society being the main point against the title views, and the presentation of Daisy and materialism perhaps being the main arguments to support the statement in the title. One way in which Fitzgerald shows his views to the reader is in his presentation of Gatsby's dream itself, otherwise known as Daisy. From the beginning of the novel, she is presented by Fitzgerald as a rather annoying, simple character who seems to have very few redeeming qualities about her other than her looks. From her simple and repeated dialogue â€Å"Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it†, the reader is made to feel that Daisy has very little substance to her character, with the exception of her â€Å"low, thrilling† voice. Despite the reader having a screen in front of Fitzgerald's viewpoint in terms of Nick as the narrator, who clearly Fitzgerald intends to show as somewhat drawn to Daisy, we are still able to see that the only characteristics of Daisy's that are praised seem to be superficial. Therefore, when we are told that this woman has been Gatsby's dream and who he has built his life around for the past five years, it perhaps makes us question whether Fitzgerald is trying to portray Daisy as worthwhile of this dedication. This doubt arises I feel that if Fitzgerald was applauding Gatsby's dream of Daisy, he perhaps may have presented her as a more likeable, intelligent character with qualities that could easily be admired universally. As a result of this portrayal of Daisy, I believe it shows Fitzgerald to be mainly critical of Gatsby and his dream. However, this could depend on the era that the individual is based in – readers today could find Daisy as more of an annoyance due to the change in women's roles, in that today women are far more independent and take far more responsibility than they did in the 1920's. Daisy's apparent simple nature may therefore annoy modern readers more than in the past as we are less able to understand that this was how women were expected to be in the 1920's. Nevertheless, even taking these time changes into account I believe that Fitzgerald still intended Daisy to appear perhaps lacking in typical good qualities to highlight a potential point about Gatsby's dream. However, Daisy's apparent lack of appeal as a character could be used by Fitzgerald to portray Gatsby's dream in a better light, if we look from the angle of his loyalty to Daisy. The way that Gatsby has stayed so faithful and loyal to his dream to be with Daisy, despite (in our eyes) the fact that she is not worth it, could show that Fitzgerald is praising his dream as a cause of this admirable quality in Gatsby's character. This would go against the statement that Fitzgerald is purely critical of his dreams, as it would imply that they bring out the best in people. However, the other interpretation of Gatsby's loyalty could support the title statement, as Fitzgerald at times implies that Gatsby is foolish for holding on to the memory of Daisy, and building her up to such a high status in his mind. An example of this is when Fitzgerald writes â€Å"and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath†. Although it is implied that it is Gatsby who says the words, I still believe it shows Fitzgerald's dislike of Gatsby's attitude towards Daisy by making the phrase so exaggerated – it implies that he is blinded by his past perceptions of her, in addition to the actual phrase that seems to imply Gatsby is foolish for putting all his hopes into someone who could leave him. I believe that in this way Fitzgerald is criticising Gatsby's dream because of how he holds it in his mind and how it affects him. Another aspect that could show that Fitzgerald is critical is how he links Gatsby's dream of Daisy to material objects and status. Throughout the novel, he creates the impression that these two things are intertwined in Gatsby's mind with his dream of being with Daisy. He describes her voice as â€Å"full of money†, and shows off his house to her, lingering on his wardrobe with the â€Å"pile of shirts [†¦ ] in many coloured disarray†. The first quote shows how Gatsby links Daisy with money in his mind, and as a result of this Fitzgerald makes the reader question whether it is really Daisy he wants or if it is the social status that she represents to him. The close link to materialism in his dream can also be seen in the section where Gatsby shows Daisy his shirts, where he is literally trying to prove himself to her using what he owns. They are even described as a â€Å"rich heap†, which I believe could be a play on words by Fitzgerald – obviously â€Å"rich† in terms of the colours of the shirts, but also literally â€Å"rich† as perhaps this is what the shirts mean to the characters. The description is also given as a list – the frequent repetition of the word â€Å"and† in the paragraph also implies that Gatsby is showing off as much of his material worth as he can. I think both of these things are a criticism of Gatsby's dream by Fitzgerald, as it seems as if he is trying to say that this love he has had for Daisy all these years is really fuelled by status and money – a criticism because it therefore becomes even less of a worthwhile dream. It also appears to be critical as these links would imply that Gatsby has spent all this time chasing after a somewhat empty dream, as he has money and a certain amount of status in his community. It could also give the impression that Fitzgerald feels that Gatsby may never feel that his dream has been completely fulfilled if it is status that he wishes to have. This point could be linked to Fitzgerald's overall views about dreams in America at that point, as he could be trying to say that these people who think that material objects and status will make them happy (perhaps those people who were or are enticed by a vision of the American Dream) will never be truly happy as there will always be somebody richer, more popular or at a higher status than themselves. If the reader links this point to Fitzgerald's feelings about Gatsby's dream, it would indicate that he is critical of it for the most part. A second quote that could show that Fitzgerald is critical of this intense build-up of dreams is on page 93; â€Å"No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man can store up in his ghostly heart†. I believe that this quote is Fitzgerald telling the reader that what is there in reality can never match our dreams – in Gatsby's case, that the real life Daisy can never live up to the image he has stored of her in his heart and mind, the realistic approach being represented by the â€Å"fire† and â€Å"freshness†. Again, I believe that this is also referring to dreams in general, and how it is so often the case that dreams are not always so amazing in reality, and can often disappoint – and could perhaps be a specific reference to the â€Å"American Dream† and how, for many people, this is not as amazing as it is built up to be when achieved. This seems critical from Fitzgerald, both of Gatsby's dream and of dreams universally as he appears to be making the point that dreams are often built up and aimed too high – perhaps giving false hope. Although there are many aspects throughout the book that indicate Fitzgerald is solely critical of Gatsby's dream, by giving us the comparison to the rest of the East Coast society, parts of the novel seem to be suggesting that this is not the case. Throughout the novel, the residents of the East and West Eggs have been presented by Fitzgerald as very materialistic – living for objects, and trivial gossip, rather than people or feelings. Mrs Wilson describes how she knew Mr Wilson wasn't right for her when she discovered he had â€Å"borrowed somebody's best suit† to get married in – showing the focus on objects rather than feelings in the society. Therefore, amongst the gossiping and whispering (for example at Gatsby's parties), to have Gatsby focused on someone and loyal to someone for an extended period of time makes for a very refreshing comparison. Fitzgerald is therefore showing to the reader how having dreams can make you a better person, and almost more real in comparison to the rest of the society, which has been portrayed as somewhat fake by Fitzgerald. In this sense, it would go against the statement that Fitzgerald is purely critical of Gatsby's dream, as this seem to be a positive side to his dreams. Another element of the novel that could be seen to contradict the title statement is also a comparison between Gatsby and the rest of the East Coast society. We are shown throughout the novel how many of the residents do not seem to care about anything, anyone or consequences of their actions. An example of this is Jordan, who confesses to Nick that she feels she can avoid being careful whilst driving because â€Å"other people will keep out of† her way. This shows a disregard for the consequences of her actions and of other people and can be seen to be representative of many of the upper class people on the East Coast – expecting everyone else to comply with the rules and regulations but disregarding them themselves. Again, in this way Gatsby is definitely a contrast – he obviously cares about something, which is the first main difference that I believe Fitzgerald wants us to see. In addition to this, Gatsby has been shown to think very carefully about the consequences of his actions – for example when he re-enters Nick's house after Daisy arrives to make it appear as if he has not been waiting. Whilst this could be seen as somewhat calculating, I believe Fitzgerald intended it as another comparison to the rest of society, as it again uplifting for the reader to see that at least one character is concerned about the effect his actions might have on others. This once more shows that the effect of Gatsby having a bigger dream and ambition in his life has led to him seemingly being portrayed as a better person. This aspect of the comparison would also contradict the title statement, as to me it seems that Fitzgerald wished for this positive difference to be shown – meaning that he would not be purely critical of Gatsby's dreams. A view that Fitzgerald seems to put across to contradict the belief that he is purely critical is when he links dreaming and dreams to vitality and life. More than once in the novel he describes Gatsby in terms of the life Daisy seems to give him – describing the â€Å"colossal vitality† of his dream and the two of them as â€Å"possessed by intense life†. Both of these quotes seem to imply that Fitzgerald dreaming is natural, and is almost what makes you human. More specifically, the way that Fitzgerald implies that reaching his dream has given Gatsby life makes it seem as if we are completed by our dreams and that finally having Daisy in his life has completed Gatsby. Considering that Gatsby has already what many people might dream of – a lot of money and a mansion, the fact that it has taken his sentimental dream based on feelings and love to give him life seems a very positive view from Fitzgerald. It also links to the earlier comparison between Gatsby and the rest of the East Coast society that we view, as this clearly shows that Gatsby puts more emphasis on emotions and feelings than many of the other people. These quotes from the book could possibly be taken as negative, as it could perhaps be seen as somewhat pathetic that Gatsby relies on somebody else (and, as mentioned earlier, particularly Daisy) to complete his happiness, meaning that Fitzgerald would perhaps view Gatsby as foolish. However, I believe that the way Fitzgerald has tried to make Gatsby's dreams and feelings seem more natural are a direct pointer to how dreaming is a part of human nature, and as such, he is not criticising Gatsby's dream at this point. Due to Fitzgerald's seeming disregard for Daisy in the novel, I believe that he is critical of Gatsby's dream to be with her. However, I believe the other aspects of his presentation linking to dreams in a wider context prevent this view from seeming as if he is purely critical of it – the way that he suggests dreams are important to human nature and separate Gatsby from the crowd imply that Fitzgerald finds dreaming admirable, to an extent. For him to be purely critical I believe that he would have to feel purely critical of dreaming in general, which I believe not to be the case. Therefore, I believe the conclusion that Fitzgerald is critical to an extent is far more feasible and takes into account the more positive aspects of dreaming that he seems to incorporate and believe in.

In the Lake of the Woods, by Tim O'brien Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

In the Lake of the Woods, by Tim O'brien - Essay Example He pictured the lake itself as â€Å"vast and cold†¦infinitely blue and beautiful and always the same† (O’Brien, p.1). This allowed the reader to feel that the lake by itself is peaceful yet elicits feelings of isolation. With this O’Brien builds mystery and fear, the lake brings a warning to the reader that something is going wrong or might go wrong while the couple settles in the cottage by the lake. Vietnam, on the other hand, is described as full of mud, mines and maze. This depicts clearly a view that this is a place of danger. John’s traumatic experiences in the Vietnam War, particularly the My Lai massacre, is a proof that he has deep inner conflicts and guilt that plagues his mind resulting not only to a crack in his psychological fitness but also deepens the gap between him and his wife. Situating the story back and forth the primary settings while inserting settings of the civilized and modern world in the form of the university campus in Minnesota, Minneapolis-St Paul and Las Vegas symbolizes the contrast between reality and delusions. This created an impact on the reader that both Vietnam and the lake symbolizes horror and secrets, both of which can destroy a person and his relationship with other people. This in fact is what happened with John and Kathy’s marriage. It has been destroyed by the secrets of both. It may seem that the settings symbolized the main characters, Vietnam for John and the lake for Kathy. The mystery and secrets behind Vietnam and the lake both resulted to their

Differentiating Brands Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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