Symbols and Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Symbolism in literature is the deepness and hidden meaning in a piece of work.   It is often used to represent a moral or religious belief or value. Without symbolism literature is just a bunch of meaningless words on paper.   The most symbolic piece of work in American Literature is Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.   Hawthorne's use of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter is one of the most significant contributions to the rise of American Literature.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Much of Hawthorne's symbolism is very hard to find but several symbols are also obvious.   In the first chapter Hawthorne describes the prison as "the black flower of civilized society".   The prison represents the crime and punishment that was incorporated in the early Puritan life.   He also contrasts the prison with the tombstone at the end of the novel by suggesting that crime and punishment bring about the end of civilized life.   In the same chapter he describes the overgrown vegetation of weeds around the prison.   The weeds symbolize how corrupt civilization really is.   He also points out a positive symbol, the wild rose bush.   This represents the blossoming of good out of the darkness of all civilized life.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The most important symbol which is carried throughout the novel is undoubtedly the scarlet letter A.   It initially symbolizes the immoral act of adultery but by the end of the novel the "A" has hidden much more meaning than that.   The "A" appears in many other places than on the chest of Hester Prynne. It is seen on the armor breastplate at Governor Bellingham's mansion.   At night while Dimmesdale is standing on the scaffold he sees a bright red letter A in the sky.   While Pearl is playing near the bay shore she arranges some grass in the form of an A on her own breast.   But one of the most important A's is one the spectators see burnt on Dimmesdale's chest.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The letter A also has a variety of meanings.   Originally standing for the sin of adultery it has a different meaning for each character.   The Puritan community considers the letter a mark of just punishment.   Hester sees the letter as a symbol of unjust humiliation.

But these things also – Edward Thomas

Things Also ‘But these things also' brings â€Å"to the centre of attention what has previously overlooked†, as Judy Kendall writes. Thomas explores his fascination with the unimportant in this poem and looks at the connection and merging together of Spring and Winter. Much like his other poetry, here, Thomas struggles to put his finger on precisely what he means. This Is shown by his Inability to separate and distinguish between the two seasons.The poem begins with the first two lines focusing on Spring, however, by allowing this with two lines focusing on Winter, Thomas explodes our first expectations of usual ‘spring poetry of bright and beautiful Images. Instead, he catches the limbo between the two seasons and we are presented with the Idea of the grass being long dead' and ‘greyer now. This pessimistic tone Is not what one usually connotes with springtime, but with the cold and bleak winter. By putting the images of the two seasons so close together in this stanza, Thomas reinforces his presentation of their connection.The last line of the stanza, than all the winter it as', changes the natural syntax of the words. The stress focuses of ‘it was', emphasizing what has past, which creates a sense of longing, introducing the idea that, like in ‘March', Thomas is desperate to find the key' the last two lines of the first stanza finish with the words ‘now and ‘was', bringing together images of the movement of time and emphasizing the gap between the present and the past and importantly, Thomas focus on that gap.The second stanza uses instance to look at things, which are seemingly unimportant. These things show the remains of winter, therefore connecting the seasons further. Once again, Thomas alters the syntax of the words to create a more beautified image. ‘ The word ‘bleached' would usually have a much more negative connotation of fading and perhaps even the loss of hope, however By placing the wo rd at the end of the first line and after the word ‘little' he takes away the harshness of the sound and makes it more delicate and gentle.As well as this, Tomato's use of enjambment stresses the soft ‘L' sounds in the shell of the little snail', which further emphasizes the smoothness of the words. Following this, the surreal pause halfway long the second line, highlights the plosive sounds on the image of the ‘chip of flint'. This draws our attention to the minute details, which Thomas considers and accentuates the signs that spring is not quite here yet. By observing nature In this much detail, we see how valuable Thomas considers It to be, It creates a sense that although these things are small and often overlooked, they are significant.The final Image In this stanza is of the ‘purest white' bird dung. At first It appears odd to be beautifying such a thing as bird dung, but by following It with the words ‘purest white, Thomas Introduces an Idea of I nnocence and positively, as well as a contrast with the previous Image of something ‘greyer now'. This brief glimmer of hope however, Is shattered in the next stanza. In stanza three, the image of White' no longer has positive connotations. But it and death.This instantly darkens the tone and the notion of mistaking bird dung for violets presents the idea that Thomas is truly desperate for any indication of springs arrival. The following violent images of Winter's ruins' and Winter's debts' create an oppressive feeling which moves further from the previous idea of hope. Continuing the pattern of Thomas other poetry, the word ‘something appears ambiguous and vague, creating a sense that Thomas still isn't quite clear on what it is we are paying Winter's debts' with.The final stanza of ‘But these things also' begins to fill us with hope once more. The ‘chattering' birds create a sense of rising morale and the idea of keeping their ‘spirits up' sounds opti mistic. Despite this, when we eventually think that Thomas is going to make a definitive statement, ‘springs here' he reintroduces the feeling of ambiguity with the words Winter's not gone'. This leaves the poem with a sense of not knowing and uncertainty. This reminds us of Thomas tendency to never give absolutes and that he likes balancing a positive idea with a negative.This paradox leaves us with the idea that the winter is preventing the spring from arriving. Throughout the poem, there is a regular rhythm, given by the Iambic Tetrameter, which is occasionally shortened to show the indecisive and unclear seasons. There is never a climax during this poem due to it all being one long sentence. Roberts talks about Thomas use of enjambment and fluidity, which gives a sense of him thinking and working through his thoughts.

Analysis of the play “Florence” by Alice Childress Essay

This 1950 play by Alice Childress takes place in a train station waiting room in a very small town in the south. The play describes how Miss Whitney, an old black woman, discovers that her premonition of the success of her daughter, Florence, as a black actress is undesirably similar to that of a racist, white society. This troubling discovery has just as strong an impact on the reader as it does on Miss Whitney. This drama teaches the reader how the views and opinions of individuals or groups can influence other individuals or groups, although their views and opinions may be opposite, to approach situations with the same reaction. Marge, Miss Whitney’s other daughter, first introduces this frame of mind to as she accompanies Miss Whitney at the train station. They sit in the â€Å"colored† section of the train station while Miss Whitney awaits a train to Harlem to convince Florence to come back home to the south. Florence fled to Harlem with ambition of being an actress. After she calls home to ask for money, Marge is convinced that Florence will fail because she is a black woman attempting to make it in a business dominated by whites in a racially segregated society. Although Miss Whitney seems to have a little bit more faith in Florence, she still wants convince Florence to come back home. They even have a check ready to pay for her trip home, which is causing them to be late on their rent. This reveals to us that they are willing to sacrifice a little in order to prevent Florence from possibly failing in her quest for success. As Marge speaks to Her mother she reveals her mentality in regards to Florence’s situation, â€Å"She ain’t gonna get rich up there and we can’t afford to do for her. She got notions a Negro woman don’t need. She must think she’s white!† (Childress. 1320) Her mother expresses a bit more faith responding, â€Å"Maybe we shoulda just sent her the money this time. This one time.† (Childress. 1320) As Marge leaves the station we are introduced to Mr. Brown, an old black porter. As Mr. Brown speaks with Miss Whitney we find out that his son and brother are both attending different colleges. This makes it known to the reader that Miss Whitney feels it â€Å"takes an awful lot of goin’ to school to be anything.† (Childress.1322) Mr. Brown also informs Miss Whitney that his brother saw Florence in a movie. This excites Miss Whitney only for a second  as she proceeds to ask Mr. Brown about his brother’s aspirations, as if it were more interesting. The conversation is short due to the entrance of Mrs. Carter.

Violent Video Games and Kids

Keep the Violent Vids away from Kids Violent video games and their effects on children is a growing debate in today’s society. The controversial problem is: are violent video games a negative effect on children or not? It is my personal opinion that violent video games are a bad influence on children. These young children learn from what they see. It is not a good thing when what they see is violence. It is also not a good thing when they are in control of the character that is doing the violence.Some children may be too young to know right from wrong yet and should not be exposed to these games. They may see something and get the wrong idea. Stricter laws should be made and enforced on violent video games. Children should not be allowed to have these games unless they are at least 15 years of age for the following reasons: Most research illustrates violent video games as a negative effect on children, video games content teaches children the wrong lessons, and violent video g ame use has been linked to delinquent crime.The debate originally began with violence on television and in movies. With the new advancements in technology, it eventually escalated into the debate of violent video games. Craig A. Anderson, a well renowned psychologist and professor at Iowa State, explains it like this: After 40+ years of research, one might think that debate about media violence effects would be over. An historical examination of the research reveals that debate concerning whether such exposure is a significant risk factor for aggressive and violent behavior should have been over years ago (Bushman & Anderson, 2001).Four types of media violence studies provide converging evidence of such effects: laboratory experiments, field experiments, cross-sectional correlation studies, and longitudinal studies (Anderson & Bushman, 2002a; Bushman & Huesmann, 2000). But the development of a new genre-electronic video games-reinvigorated the debate. Two sides of this issue exist. Many parents, researchers, and public policy makers believe violent video games are a bad influence on children.On the other hand, many public policy makers and video game developers believe violent video games can be educational to children and not a bad influence. In order to gain new knowledge and answer some of the questions of this growing debate, scientists all over the world have been doing research on this issue. Most of this research illustrates that violent video games have a negative effect on children. Many studies have found that violent video games cause an increased level of aggression in children.One such study was explained in an MSNBC popular news article written by Kristin Kalning called: â€Å"Does game violence make teens aggressive? † The article was written about an experiment done at the Indiana University Medical School. The experiment consisted of children having brain scans done while playing a violent video game and while playing a non-violent vide o game. The following results were gathered: â€Å"the brain scans of kids who played a violent video game showed an increase in emotional arousal – and a corresponding decrease in brain areas involved in self-control, inhibition and attention.The kids who played the non-violent games did not have the same effect. † Another study done by three scientists named Hanneke Polman, Bram Orobio de Castro, and Marcel A. G. van Aken called â€Å"Experimental Study of the Different Effects of Playing Versus Watching Violent Video Games on Children’s Aggressive Behavior† yielded similar results. It was a study that was done by examining fifty-seven children ages 10-13 who either played violent video games or watched violent video games. The scientists examined their behaviors in free play session at school.The results were as follows: â€Å"After the active participation of actually playing the violent video game, boys behaved more aggressively than did the boys in the passive game condition. For girls, game condition was not related to aggression. These ? ndings indicate that, speci? cally for boys, playing a violent video game should lead to more aggression than watching television violence. † Although it may not be known how much violent video games effect children, these studies illustrate that they do indeed affect children in a negative way.They illustrate that psychologically something is going on in the brain that is not normal while playing. Providing evidence that children of a young age should not have access to these violent video games. Not only does research done on violent video games demonstrate that better age restrictions should be enforced on violent video games, but also the fact that the content of violent video games teaches children the wrong lessons. The graphics in video games these days are so real that they make players feel as if they are in the game. Violent video games often present unethical ideas and less ons to children.Craig A. Anderson explains these lessons very well: â€Å"Recent video games reward players for killing innocent bystanders, police, and prostitutes, using a wide range of weapons including guns, knives, flame throwers, swords, baseball bats, cars, hands, and feet. Some include cut scenes (i. e. , brief movie clips supposedly designed to move the story forward) of strippers. In some, the player assumes the role of hero, whereas in others the player is a criminal. † These ideas and lessons should not first be presented to children in video games.They instead should be discussed before hand with children’s parents. Children should not be able to play these games. Only teens that know their right from wrong and understand that the ideas perceived in these games are completely unethical should be allowed to play them. Another reason violent video games should be kept away from children is violent video game use has been linked to bad behavior among children and even delinquent crime. Children who play violent video games are more likely to bully or start a fight at school. Patrick McCormick, a writer for the U.S. Catholic, in an article titled â€Å"Moral Kombat† references Craig A. Anderson and says this: â€Å"Surveying a gigabyte of studies done over the past 50 years, Anderson found â€Å"unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts. † Children who played video games were more likely to bully and fight with others and less likely to exhibit self-control or empathy. † Violent video games should not be available to children if these are the effects that they invoke in children.What’s worse is there is worse behavior that is linked to violent video games. Violent video games have been linked to delinquent crime, most specifically school shootings. â€Å"In the last decade numerous headlines have made the connection betwee n gaming and violent crimes. Stories have identified the perpetrators in school shootings and other multiple homicides as adolescents who spent a good deal of time playing violent video games, and FBI reports have suggested that fascination with this sort of media violence could be a arning sign identifying possible shooters†(McCormick). The Columbine shooting in Colorado is historical evidence providing proof that violent video games are bad influences on children. The shooters played a violent video game and make a reference to it in a video. Guy Porter and Vladan Starcevic wrote an article called â€Å"Are violent video games harmful? † and say this: â€Å"The 1993 game ‘Doom’†¦was played by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold before they went on a shooting Rampage at Columbine High School in 1999, killing 12 fellow students and one teacher, before committing suicide.The two killers had mentioned the game in a video they made before the massacre, stating it would be â€Å"just like Doom†. † This type of behavior should not be accepted in today’s society. Violent video games should not be responsible for fueling children like this to do heinous crimes. Stricter laws should be enforced and parents should be more educated about the violent video games that are available to their teens. Many critics say violent video games are not a bad influence on children and instead are educational and helpful to children.Peter McCormick writes: â€Å"complex and challenging video games engage our children, helping them to learn useful information and master necessary skills. † Kristin Kalning illustrates the same idea in her article on MSNBC when she speaks of the ESA website. She says: the ESA has done â€Å"several studies pointing to games’ potential benefits for developing decision-making skills or bettering reaction time. † Any video game can be made to be complex and challenging without being violent. Violent video games may teach you better reaction time and how to make decisions quickly, however; they also usually teach children the wrong lesson. Video games in general take away extra time children can be spending outside doing physical activities and studying. Violent Video games should not be sold to children who are under the age of sixteen. Children who are too young do not have a mind developed enough to understand the violence.

Richard Gregory Rust hadn’t always been ‘Mr. Old School’

No. Hard as it is to comprehend in today's World of airborn luchadores and chair-wielding bump-machines, Richard's nonchalant style of wrestling was once the universal norm. He didn't need to refer to himself as â€Å"Old School†, because, at the time, what he was doing wasn't old at all. It was, in fact, state-of-the-art. Fresh. Dare I say – he was considered â€Å"New-School†. He sighed. Boy, how things had changed. His two oak-toned eyes glared at the images beaming out of the TV screen. They had seen a lot in their fifty years on this Earth, yet what they currently observed before them was a struggle to comprehend: A young-looking, frail-framed male – clad in an extravagant mask and a UCW T-shit – dove gallantly over an official UCW ring's top rope, landing onto another similar looking lad, who – quite obviously – waited to catch him on the outside. They called it a plancha. He called it bullshit. It made no sense to him, at all. ‘Why had the art of professional wrestling become nothing more than a glorified circus show?' he asked himself – no doubt, not feeling too dissimilar to the great Stu Hart when he exclaimed â€Å"that's a great way to break your neck†, after watching a clip of his grand-nephew, Teddy Hart, perform a triple-jump four-fifty moonsault†¦ Or something along those lines. Ricky Rust, however, was hardly quick-witted or half as nifty with words as Stu Hart was – and, so, simply settled on exclaiming: â€Å"Fucking hell, that's stupid†. â€Å"Heh† – It was somewhere in between a giggle and a laugh. Simon restricted himself from all-out cackling, as he didn't wish to seem as though he was in agreement. â€Å"Now, now, Ricky. Don't be like that. I know it all looks very different to what you're used to, but it'll grow on you. Trust me.† He assured; but his heart wasn't really into it. Deep down, he knew that what he was saying wasn't entirely true. Simon Isosceles was merely a sports agent. And not a professional wrestling-specific one, either. Ricky Rust was simply one of the many clients contained within his black book. In actually fact – Simon never really understood what the appeal to wrestling was; but – being dedicated to job, and loyal individual – he put his all into catering for Rust's need. Never-the-less, he was merely a sports agent – yet, even he could sense that UCW wasn't really the right place for â€Å"Mr. Old School†, Ricky Rust. But he had a way of being forever optimistic. â€Å"That's just the lighter guys' division. There's more on the tape, y'know.† He chirped; piping up again, and trying to drag Ricky into a similar mind-frame. â€Å"There'll be som'in' you like. Dave said there's some technical stuff at the end.† Ricky wasn't buying it. Plonking himself on the cream, leather sofa beside the twenty-seven year veteran; Simon snatched the remote controller and jammed down on the fast forward button. The duet sat in silence for a moment, as the images on the screen whizzed forward at a faster pace than they already had been. â€Å"Here it is† Simon began again; releasing the forwards button, and letting the UCW promotion tape return to it's usual pace. Ricky watched as a round grappler – boasting a pair of shorts and matching kickpads – snatched his opponent's thin arms into a Full Nelson. Then, proceeded to pop his hips forward, arch his back and heave his foe backwards†¦ sending him over his own head†¦ and †¦ landing right on his neck. â€Å"Ooh† Ricky couldn't help but release an audible gasp. He promptly filled the now empty space in his lungs with silvery nicotine smoke. As the sound of the tape's commentators nattering away about â€Å"Dragon Suplexes† and â€Å"Stiff American Strong-Style† buzzed irritating on his eardrum, Ricky casually exhaled; before dryly stating: â€Å"So that's what passes for technical wrestling these days†. He put the cigarette to his lips once more. â€Å"Oh, come on Rick. Show some enthusiasm. This is probably an old tape, anyway. UCW's probably different, now. Probably more†¦y'know†¦ your style† Was Simon's last ditch attempt at getting Ricky interested. And â€Å"†¦Probably† was Ricky's flat reply. The conversation was over. No more was, or could, be said to attempt to change the aged wrestler's mind. That's just the way Ricky Rust was – Ridged. Deeply set in his ways. But he was going into UCW. Underground Championship Wrestling. A place that claims to be â€Å"A break from Tradition†. And as Simon settled into the sofa to watch the rest of the tape; he couldn't help but wonder if a man like Ricky could ever bring himself to adapt. ‘He better', Simon thought. Because if he couldn't†¦He wouldn't even stand a chance.

Organization in the workplace as an lpn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Organization in the workplace as an lpn - Essay Example In this case, listing time management priorities and the rationale for the order given will significantly help in the organization in the workplace. The goal of time management and organization in the workplace as lpn is easy: effective use of limited time and resources. Strategies to achieve effective organization in the workplace include reflection, inventory of daily events, and avoidance of distractions. Reflecting on the actual use of time and activities that are completed and left undone will help an lpn analyze the cause of disorganization in delivering care. Likewise, inventories of daily events also trace the amount of time rendered on every lpn care as well as identify where the majority of care was rendered. Finally, the important thing to follow giving care: avoid distractions. The complexity of work does not determine the exact time to avoid distractions; therefore, it must be upheld at all times, because just like nurses, lpn are health care professionals responsible for the lives of the people they cared for. Organization in the workplace as an lpn reflects one’s personality, attitude towards work, and values for life. An lpn has to bear in mind that organization in the workplace will lead to smooth flow of care

Luca Signorelli and His Work at Orvieto Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Luca Signorelli and His Work at Orvieto - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  every artist reveals a certain theme in any given work. From the works of Luca, themes such as strength of youths, the strict austerity of middle life, and the resolute seriousness of the old age were depicted. He showed dignity in appreciating human life. Among the remarkable works of Luca, only two were executed before Luca approached forty years. These are the Madonna and Flagellation. The execution of Flagellation though done skillfully, it depicted the strength in youths. This vital work inspired the youths and encouraged them to bring out the power in them.This study discusses that later works showed strict austerity in middle age, and the resolute seriousness of the old life. The theme of inspiration came out of all the work that Luca did. For example, in some of the decorations, in the Chapel, Luca showed several famous poets and scenes taken from their work; to clarify the theme of inspiration. In his work, in Orvierto, Luca portrayed them es chosen for decoration of the chapel. The main themes chosen were ruling of the antichrist, last judgment, redemption, damnation, and the resurrection of the dead. These themes helped other artists and readers to fathom the culture of Renaissance.  Luca is known to have done numerous paintings in different cities. It may not be possible to mention all the works that he did, but some of his principal works can be analyzed.... Luca worked in Cortona, where some paintings, which he painted, remains still. He began painting in the Cathedral of Perugia, then Monte Oliveto before being commissioned to undertake the decoration of Cappella Nuova in the Cathedral of Orvieto. In the Cathedral, he represented the prophetic series story of the Anti-Christ; End of the World; Resurrection of the body, Paradise; Inferno, and the Divine comedy (Henry 45). The inferno scenes about End of the World scene indicate tortures of Hell. This layout of work influenced many artists in the field of painting. His later work ended in Vatican, where he sacrificed to make way for Raphael’s work. Luca returned to his native land, Cortona, after the Vatican contract where he continued to do his paintings, but in small bits. His painting career ended in his native land of Cortona (Henry 46). Theology of Luca Signorelli Through the Church art work, an artist portrays religious views or teachings. Most of the art work done by Luca p ortrayed his views regarding Christian teachings. He seemed dedicated in knowing the truth about Christ’s teachings, and described the truth teaching through the paintings, which he created. His desire to enquire the truth about Christ can be seen when he got a contract to paint the Cathedral of Orvieto. In this contract, he sought theological advice from masters of theology. In most of his paintings, he created images representing the true view of the religious books. According to him, true representation of religious matters was a crucial aspect in helping people to discover the truth (Gilbert 55). He represented in art form, the consequences or the end results of preaching and embracing antichrists. In his paintings, he started with