The Millers Tale Essay Example For Students

The Millers Tale Essay The Millers Tale is arguably Chaucers best work of humour and it strikes the right balance between bawdiness and vulgarity. The setting of the Millers Tale is very ordinary and therefore we relate to it and is not humorous. The details give verisimilitude to the tale. But the main aspects of humour in The Millers Tale are the four characters and how they react with each other. First John, the carpenter. He is a very stereotypical carpenter in those times who marries a young woman for her beauty so she can share his riches. He is rich but stupid and his stupidity and gullibility provides the chance for the main practical joke of the tale to take place. John can be compared with the Miller an example of Johns stupidity which makes the tale funny is on line 119 He knew nat Catoun, for his wit was rude this tells us directly that he was rude. He is also very gullible which also brings humour to the story. We will write a custom essay on The Millers Tale specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We can see this in the way that he believes Nicholas about the flood and builds the boat in the roof (another stupid thing to do because the roof is a stupid place to build a boat!) and how he is completely oblivious to what Alison and Nicholas are doing while he is in the roof building the boat. Another example of Johns stupidity is that instead of trying to find out about Nicholas and Alison, he tries to help Nicholas because he is becoming concerned that he spends all his time in his room which is ironic because Nicholas is actually plotting a way to win Alison (Johns wife) over. On line 354 John actually feels sorry for Nicholas Me reweth soore of hende Nicholas. This convinces us of his gullibility further. As the story goes on, John gets stupider as he is the key person in Nicholass plot. We find Johns antics funnier because we never have a chance to sympathise with him; if we did then we might not find the way that the whole plot revolves around Alison leaving him and the end part when he is publicly ridiculed for being mad as funny because we would be feeling sorry for him too. A character who completely contrasts with John and who is behind the main comical plot of the story is the scholar, Nicholas. Nicholas is very clever. He is supposed to be a respectable scholar who studies astrology but he isnt he is crude and a typical example of British humour. An example of this is when Absolon comes to Alisons window to woo her and Nicholas plays a trick on him. We would expect Nicholas to do something upper class but he doesnt. As it says on line 698 This Nicholas anon leet fle a fart Nicholas is very crude and very unlike how he is supposed to be. The lesson with Nicholass character is dont judge by appearance. We expect him to be a stereotypical scholar but he isnt. Nicholas is a key person in the mockery of Courtly Love in the tale. He is not actually a courtier but he possesses many of the qualities for it. He has boldness and therefore crudeness which we wouldnt expect from a scholar. We can see an example of this on line 168 And prively he caughte hire by the queynte. This means that he grabbed Alison by the thighs and that is very out of character which shows boldness. This makes him a comical character because he is so un stereotypical that it is funny. He is also a pivotal character because he thought of the main comical plot. .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5 , .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5 .postImageUrl , .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5 , .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5:hover , .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5:visited , .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5:active { border:0!important; } .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5:active , .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5 .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u309dc5492f08f6beb15a8e42ff9b3de5:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Bean Trees By Kingsolver EssayThe character which the three men are fighting for is Alison. The beautiful wife of John the Carpenter. The description of her in lines 125 to 162 is very detailed. It says that she is therwithal (beautiful), yonge (young), hir mouth was sweet as bragot or the meeth (sweetly spoken) ful brighter was the shynyng of hir hewe (brighter then a new coin) From her description by the miller who is much like the carpenter (her husband), we would think that Alison was some sort of a goddess but she is actually a country wench. Like Nicholas, she is also one who should be a bit more like her description and like a stereotypical rich mans daughter who has had a good upbringing but she is the complete opposite of that. She is very common and crude. We can see an example of Alisons crudeness on line 624 And at the wyndow out she putte hir hole. Which means that she put her bum out of the window for Absolon to kiss instead of her face and that is not something that someone like Alison is supposed to be would do. She then shows us how horrible she is by then laughing at him. Alison also contributes to the Mock Courtliness in the story. When she rejects Nicholas for the first time, she reacts in an over exaggerated melodramatic way exactly like courtly lovers do on lines 176 to 178 I wol nat kisse thee, by my fey! Why, lat be! quod she. Lat be Nicholas, Or I wol crie out, harrow and allas! Alison brings humour to the story by being the woman in the middle that everyone loves and she also plays a big part in Nicholass plot. The last character and therefore the funniest character in A Millers Tale is Absolon. Absolon is the complete opposite of the Carpenter and Miller. He is a key person in the mockery of Courtly Love in the Millers Tale. Absolon is the one suitor that tries to woo Alison that has a traditional romantic attitude to courting. He is the victim of Alisons scorn (on line 600 Go fro the wyndow, Jakke fool) and receives only one kiss which he realises is not what it appears (on line 626 But with his mouth he kiste hir naked ers). Absolons romantic affectations make him appear foolish. The Miller sarcastically notes on how Absolon combed his curly blond hair to prepare himself for Alison, a parody of courtly love and romance and the miller and the carpenter have no use for it.

Frederick Douglasss Speeches essays

Frederick Douglass's Speeches essays Frederick Douglass tried to evoke a desire for Liberation amongst the African-American people in his writings and oratory. To many people, Douglass appeared to be the black Moses, leading his people to freedom not only physically, but mentally and getting there by non-violent means. Douglass believed that if he could successfully show that blacks were in fact equal to whites, he thought that in turn everyone would recognize this and put an end to slavery. Frederick Douglass has emerged as the representative black male writer of his time period. As is well known, Douglass, the son of a slave woman and a white slave master, spent the first part of his life as a slave in Maryland, escaping to New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1838 (Levine 3).Fearing fugitive slave hunters, Douglass sailed to the British Isles, and when he returned in 1847, he established the North Star, thus beginning a sixteen-year career as an editor and publisher of three different antislavery newspapers. In the middle of this journalistic career, he printed an expanded version of his autobiography, My Bondage and My Freedom (1855), a text that articulated some of the key tenets of his newspapers temperance and the importance of pursuing black elevation in the United States. As a slave himself, Douglass in his person embodies the possibilities of regeneration. In My Bondage and My Freedom, Douglass signals his entry into revolutionary tradition. And thus he presents himself in his autobiography as a national representative, fighting not only for its moral and political principles but for the very civilization that served as a foundation for the development of those principles. In this work, Douglass implying that blacks, by following Douglasss representative example, can overcome what Douglass refers to as the ten thousand discouragements ... which best their existence, in this country (Holland 58) he nonetheless ...

Gender role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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QUESTIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

QUESTIONS - Essay Example Many times a company has tried it once with failure thus they do not try it again. Attempting to determine why it didn’t work and implementing a new plan or successful approach can yield positive results. Often Managers see it as taking too much time to develop; this usually means the value they received from the effort put forth did not justify the resources they put forth. Also organizations complain they do not have enough data about the people in their organizations, in these cases implement the strategy where you do have enough data. Other initiatives are also seen as more important but without adequate staffing it is difficult to meet these successfully. 2. Explain the difference between a staffing strategy and a staffing plan? A staffing plan describes the staffing actions an organization is going to take to implement a staffing strategy; the plan may address recruiting, promotions and internal movements, retention, the use of part time staff and overtime and possible outsourcing of work. 3. How would you go about defining the right staffing levels for your company? To define required staffing levels it is important to understand what is behind changes in staffing levels in your company, identify what is driving staffing needs. Is this a change in the company’s activity, a shift in the product or service mix, geographic expansion or improvements in service levels? The organization also needs to identify limiting factors and define changes in roles and positions. Use a combination of quantitative techniques such as ratios or time based ratio’s where they are applicable. Supplement these with qualitative techniques such as conducting structured interviews with managers when quantitative approaches do not work for your company. 4. Provide three uncontrollable and three controllable staffing actions that could occur when creating a staffing model? Uncontrollable staffing actions include voluntary turnover, normal

Business and Management about WTO Dissertation

Business and Management about WTO - Dissertation Example Concentration Index 56 5. 3.4. Diversification index 57 5.3.5. Trade Composition 59 5.3.6. Trade Balance per Product 64 5.3.7. Trade Performance and Multinational Presence in Vietnam 66 5.3.8. Factor endowment and Composition of trade 70 Conclusions 79 References 80 Appendix I 83 1. Introduction It is essential to find out the probable outcomes of the liberalization of trade on macroeconomic variables for various policy reasons. The most significant of which is that the liberalization may influence the direction, the scope as well as the magnitude that may be used to smooth out external shocks and thereby, stabilize the business cycles through the monetary and fiscal policies. Liberalization has the potential of making the countries more prone towards the international price shocks and thus, it may also give rise to the risk exposure. Liberalization may further affect the terms of trade of a country as well as its prices and competitiveness, which may all result into broader implicat ions for poverty and employment. This study will investigate some of the potential macroeconomic impacts on the domestic market of a country resulting from its accession to the WTO, in particular the case of Vietnam’s accession to the WTO will be discussed that will enable us to determine that how it may assist our organization to enter new markets. This study will concentrate on the period from 1995 when Vietnam commenced to undertake its negotiations for joining the WTO, up to the date of 31 December 2007 that is one year after its accession to the WTO. Since the mid of 1980s, Vietnam has boarded on to the economic reforms and its accession to the WTO has been caused by its drive for bringing economic reforms to its economy and for its better integration in to the trading system of the world. The membership of WTO-World Trade Organization and the participation in RTAs (regional trade agreements) pose significant challenges for the domestic firms along with bringing several benefits and opportunities to them. Numerous social concerns related to the trade policy reform and liberalization arises with the implementation of the WTO commitments. The domestic businesses might face several challenges while endeavoring to adjust to the pressure of the rising competition in the market that arises from the commitments undertaken by the government of the state in the process of WTO accession. Having done in various countries, the implementation of WTO obligations has a significant impact over the economy and the society of the host country. Thus, we will study the accession of Vietnam’s accession of WTO in order to assess the impact of WTO on firms and thereby, determine how it may help our organization in entering new markets. For this purpose, we will investigate the role of WTO in the sustainable and equitable economic development of a country. The report will discuss the impact of trade and institutional reforms through the WTO accession by studying an d learning from the case-study of Vietnam. We will learn, in this report, to capitalize over advantages and minimize the potential negative impacts that emerge from the implementation process by working out the measures as well as through action oriented recommendations. In specific, the study aims to investigate the following subjects: 1. the impact of WTO over the macroeconomic policies, the public sector as well as the public revenue, in particular; 2. the impact of WT

Postcolonial literature

Postcolonial literature Postcolonial Literatures in English Title: What do you understand by the term postcolonial within the field of literary studies? You should refer to at least two texts you have read on the course. ‘Without responsibility, straddling Nothingness and Infinity, I began to weep. This comment of Fanons about the frustration of the inability to free ones black self from the oppressive aspects of racism and colonisation echoes through much of the postcolonial literature that has been studied throughout the course. Postcolonial literature refers to texts written about the effects of colonial rule after ‘the very first moment of colonial contact. Postcolonial authors often originate from colonised countries and, it seems to be the case that those writing about the consequences of colonisation have themselves encountered existence at the hand of the colonisers however; this is not always the case. What I aim to accomplish in this essay is to reveal the varied effects of colonisation on the colonised people in two of the texts that I have read on the course. I will be relating the experiences of those in Nervous Conditions, written by Tsitsi Dangarembga, alongside the occurrences in Miguel Street, written by V.S Naipaul. Although these two books are written by different authors and relay vastly contrasting happenings, there are significant similarities in both books which cannot be overlooked. Themes of childhood, education and struggle inevitably communicate through both novels in similar ways. What is most remarkable however is the method different characters in each narrative use in response to the strains caused, inevitably, by colonisation. Nervous Conditions, set in Zimbabwe around the 1960s or 1970s, portrays the developing life of a young female, also the narrator of the book, named Tambu. This coming-of-age novel reveals not only the trials and tribulations of the main female character but, it shows the ordeals suffered by her surrounding family. Likewise the narrator in Miguel Street also takes on the persona of a child however, this novel is set in Trinidad and the narrator is unnamed. The reader is aware that the unidentified speaker is male and this fact presents interesting contrasts between the two Bildungsroman novels with relation to male and female experiences under colonisation. The weight of Miguel Street conveys the lives of the unnamed storytellers friends and neighbours, rather than his direct family. That said, both of the postcolonial authors disclose their narratives directly from the focal point of colonised communities, coincidently both of which have political conflict in their back-drops. I found the theme of childhood very prominent throughout my reading of both Dangarembgas and Naipauls novels. Both authors use of children as narrators created a sincere naivety something which I do not feel would have been achievable through more experienced relaters. However, I am not suggesting that everything related in the narratives is entirely impartial. Both children, Tambu and the unnamed narrator, encounter, and illustrate to the reader, their lives after the initial occurrence of colonialism on their very different countries. Both young people also experience extreme poverty but, of course whilst Tambu is initially raised on the homestead, the latter develops in to an adult in a much more industrial area. These contrasting, yet ironically similar, lifestyles in the texts reveal the collective impact that colonisation can have on citizens oppressed by colonial rule, irrelevant of their precise locations. Although there are definite similarities between the experiences of Tambu and the unnamed narrator, womanhood serves as an extremely prominent theme in Nervous Conditions. Miguel Street, on the other hand, focuses the readers main attention on the experiences of male hood. This is not to suggest that the women in Naipauls novel do not encompass a purpose, I am merely implying that, through my reading of the text, the male occurrences in the novel are at the forefront of the readers attention. The opening line of Dangarembgas novel, ‘I was not sorry when my brother died. immediately insinuates that the novel will contain some aspects of struggle and resistance. What is most remarkable however is the fact that this powerful statement is declared by a female character, a character that is of a young age at the death of her sibling. Tambu is clearly seen to suffer at the hands of her brother, right up until his death. The narrators destitute parents use what little income they obt ain to send Nhamo to school. This lack of money for educational means highlights the inability of poor, black families, living in colonial areas, of ever ridding themselves from such their current situations. However, the narrators destitute parents decision to provide schooling solely for the male child of the family reveals an awfully apparent situation of female inequality. Nhamos harsh words towards Tambu, after her attempts to grow maize in order to send herself to school, provide a fine example of the oppression felt by the women in the novel. Nhamo uses Tambus femaleness to belittle her when he remarks, ‘Did you really think you could send yourself to school? This satisfactory tone in Nhamos words, as well as his unkindness in stealing Tambus maize, reveals the double struggle experienced by the women in text. MaShingayi, Tambus mother, poignantly highlights the situation of black women when she informs her daughter that life for her, ‘with the poverty of blacknes s on one side and the weight of womanhood on the other, will not be trouble-free. The women in Nervous Conditions endure domination in two different ways; not only are the females in the novel subjugated for being black, they are also repressed for being women. Further evidence in the novel of female strain is through the use of Nyasha and her mother, Maiguru. Although both women are black, they are educated and are reasonably wealthy in comparison with Tambus direct family. Nevertheless, Maiguru and her daughter inevitably still suffer nervous conditions. Nyashas personal toil becomes extremely apparent when she brawls with her father, Babamukuru. Babamukura, the head and main provider for his entire family is highly educated and greatly respected. On Babamukurus return from England with his family, Jeremiah, Tambus father, repeatedly refers to his brother as ‘Our returning prince. There is a great family celebration and the entire family is relieved at their ‘returning hero [s] homecoming. The obvious reason for the admiration of Babamukura is his educative status. Tambu, later in the novel, relates her uncles education with his superiority when she remarks, ‘he had made himself plenty of power. Plenty of power. Plenty of money. A lot of education. Plenty of everything. Unfortunately however, Babamukurus educated daughter and wife do not experience equivalent praise and control. Nyasha and her father, after a continuing conflict of principles, furiously exchange physical blows. Babamukuru scolds her daughter for defying his morals and eventually ‘condem[ns her] to whoredom. In contrast to Nyashas weighty presence in the novel is the heavy absence of her brother Chido. For example, Chido does not attend the Christmas celebrations with his family at the homestead. Unlike Nyasha, Chido is given full reign to do whatever he pleases and go wherever he desires. Although Babamukuru is ‘disappointed that his son will not be accompanying his relatives, there is no transference of harsh words between the two males. It seems to be the case that Babamukuru is gloomy at his sons absence not for the reason of dissatisfaction but for the loss of well-educated male company. The aspect of female inferiority is all too obvious through the contrasting attitudes of Babamukuru towards his son and daughter. Nyasha, according to Tambu, is ‘a victim of her femaleness, a ‘Femaleness as opposed and inferior to maleness. Evidence of the accuracy poignant comment about female suffering in the novel is not sparse. Nyashas development of an eating disorder, along w ith her mental breakdown later in the novel, reveals that not only is Nyasha affected psychologically by her suppression but her physical self is also jeopardised. It is clear that Nyasha loses her sense of self through visiting England and then returning to her country of origin, Zimbabwe. Nyasha confesses her personal damage to Tambu when she claims that she and her brother are ‘hybrids. Tambu also experiences her cousins alter ego when she is searching for Nyasha shortly before leaving to attend Sacred Heart. Tambu sadly finds Nyasha ‘reminding her of the closed girl who had come from England in a pink mini-dress, not the cousin and friend she had mellowed into in the three years since then. The extremity of Nyashas condition becomes clear on Tambus return from the convent school. Tambu describes Nyasha as ‘grotesquely unhealthy from the vital juices she flushed down the toilet and, she gives the reader a commentary of her nervous breakdown. After Nyasha ‘ rampaged, shredding her history books between her teeth, breaking mirrors, her clay pots, and jabbing the fragments viciously into her flesh, her parents finally realise that their daughter is genuinely suffering. Nyashas uncertainty about where she belongs and, according to Tambus mother, ‘the Englishness, ultimately leads to her downfall. Similar to the frustrations felt by Nyasha, although not to the same extremity, are the hardships experienced by Maiguru. Maiguru, although educated, does not receive comparable respect to Babamukuru, from Tambus direct family. Whilst Tambus uncle is welcomed home with an almost royal status, Maiguru attracts little of the praise given by the relatives. Maiguru is belittled by Babamukurus family and Babamukuru provides her with no real support For example, Lucia remarks to Maiguru, ‘Dont worry yourself, Maiguru. The matter concerns Babamukuru. This dismissal by Lucia, along with constant disagreement with Babamukuru about the running of her own household inevitably causes Maiguru to leave her family however she is never really able to escape her situation. Nyasha solemnly claims that her mothers homecoming is ‘such a waste with regards to Maiguru having the possibility to better her lifestyle. Maiguru obviously feels that inevitably she should be at home with her family h owever, it is clear that this believed duty is at the expense of a career of her own. Although the educated Maiguru does have an opportunity for escape, the restraints of her family life are holding her back from a desired profession. It seems to be the case that for the women in Nervous Conditions, to escape from colonial lands and male oppression, one has to leave their family life behind them. By exploring the life experiences of Nyasha and her mother, it can without doubt be supposed that education for women does not offer the same power that it puts forward for men. It would seem that for women, irrelevant of their schooling, there really is no real escape from colonialism or their own men. Fanon, although a highly influential writer, does not tend to regard femaleness in his writings. Fanon claims, ‘My blackness was there And it tormented me, pursued me, disturbed me, angered me. Although these aspects are extremely apparent to the black men in Miguel Street, Nervous Conditions reveals Fanons experiences being largely dedicated female characters. However, as we have already seen, Dangarembgas women are not only imprisoned by their black but also by their femaleness, by men. Nervous Conditions, its title being taken from the introduction by Jean-Paul Sartre to Frantz Fanons The Wretched of the Earth, is unmistakably a feminist re-writing of Fanon.[1] Contrasting with the women as the main focal point in Nervous Conditions, it is the mens experiences and struggles in Miguel Street which makes up the bulk of the novel. Although some of the women in Naipauls novel are seen as victims at the hands of men, the males in the book are often seen as equally foolish, if not more so than the women. Whilst Babamukuru is highly respected by most in Nervous Conditions, Naipauls George is seen as extremely idiotic and compared to a ‘donkey. After the death of Georges wife, whom the reader is led to assume died at the hands of her husband, the unnamed narrator remarks how George ‘went about crying in the streets, beating his chest. This mocking, monkey-like image is far from the genteel representation of Babamukuru. Another illustration of male mocking in the novel is through the use of Man-man. Laughter is a substantial theme in Miguel Street and almost everyone in the novel, at some point, laughs or is laughed at. Man-man is no exc eption. After it is revealed that Man-man always receives ‘exactly three votes when he puts himself ‘up for every election, Hat remarks that ‘Perhaps [it] is two jokers that have voted for Man-man, as well as himself. The idea that this male figure only obtains electoral support from two people who are ultimately ridiculing his sense of self emphasises male weakness in the novel. The scorning towards Man-man continues when he is illustrated as the ultimate irrational fool. After deciding to ‘crucify his-self, Man-man remarks to the surrounding people, â€Å"Stone, stone, STONE me, brethren! Although this behaviour is absurd, I as a reader could sympathise with Man-man for his attempt at escape from the confines of his life. However, as soon as the male extremist shouts, ‘I go settle with that son of a bitch who pelt a stone at me., the bafflement simply conveys Man-man as ludicrous. Inevitably, the contempt shown towards many of the male figures in the novel could be due to Naipauls own personal hatred of Caribbean people. Naipaul was treated extremely badly by his Afro-Caribbean neighbours, which inevitably led to an acquired detestation for them that still remains to this day.[2] Some postcolonial countries go so far as to view Naipaul as a racist.[3] On the other hand, the use of characters such as George and Man-man may be for sympathetic devises. Man-man is conveyed as a pathetic character however, his search for a sense of self echoes the behaviour of Nyasha in Nervous Conditions. The narrator remarks, ‘The authorities kept [Man-man] for observation, Then for good. This occurrence highlights a double oppression. Not only is Man-mans sense of self trapped by colonialism but it is also confined by law enforcement. Similarly, Nyasha is trapped by her femaleness as well as by colonialism. Both characters produced in me a sense of pity; both individuals act irrationally to attempt to free themselves from their surrounding restraints however there is no escape for either. Although most of the male figures in Nervous Conditions are revealed as ridiculous, Elias, the son of the detested George, makes real attempts at bettering his life, and inevitably escaping from life in Miguel Street, through schooling. The narrator claims, ‘I was prepared to believe that [Elias] would become a doctor some day. Unfortunately however, the young man is unable to achieve the desired grades and is destined to life as a cart driver. The inability to escape from his disheartening destiny, without appropriate qualifications, highlights further the importance of education. Without education, men in the novel have no choice but to exist in poverty in colonial lands. Due to Naipauls negative judgements of Caribbean people there is some ambiguity in the narrative about whether Elias situation is presented by the author to generate sympathy or scorn. The fact that Elias has lost his mother generated compassion however, the use of other characters in the novel that reveal wasted chances due to lazy and brainless suggests that Elias exists in the novel just as another dim-witted black man. Another possible case of Naipauls contempt is through the use of Titus Hoyt. Although Titus Hoyt is shown as reasonably intelligent and is regarded with an evident admiration, mainly by the narrator, his achievements do not compare with those of Babamukuru. Although both Babamukuru and Titus Hoyt eventually run schooling institutions, the latter is made to seem like a fool in front of his students. For example, when Titus Hoyt battles to teach his associates Latin Boyee remarks, ‘Mr Titus Hoyt, I think you making up all this, you know, making it up as you go along. The accusative statement ultimately disparages Titus Hoyt and reflects the lack of achievements of some of the more obviously senseless characters in Naipauls novel. Even when Titus Hoyt finally gets recognition through having his photograph placed in the local newspaper, there is a suggestion that through the anonymity of the student who apparently wrote the correspondence , he composed a letter to himself praising his own ‘virtue. Even the description of Titus Hoyt as ‘pop-eyed in the photograph makes the teacher appear as a counterfeit of success. Recognition is an important factor for most of the men in Miguel Street however it seems that there is always some underlying factor which is preventing them from succeeding. Whilst the struggle of colonised lands is extremely apparent throughout this novel, it cannot be ignored that perhaps Naipaul is prohibiting the triumph of the Caribbean male figures for his own satisfaction. Although the men in Miguel Street are shown as foolish and disaster-prone compared to Babamukuru, some of the male figures in Nervous Conditions are also portrayed as idle. Tambus father, Jeremiah, for example, is shown as an extremely futile man, depending on the successes of his brother to support him and his family. It emerges that whilst ‘Babamukuru had defied ‘the weight of his poverty., Jeremiah had merely ‘cringed ‘under the evil wizards spell, the spell that is inevitably colonial rule. The use of Jeremiah as a character may be for the purpose of a mocking devise by Dangarembga to highlight Tambus success as a woman in comparison with her fathers failure as a man. Conversely, Dangarembgas use of a character like Jeremiah may also be to highlight the importance of education and, to reveal that men can suffer frustration just as women can. It becomes clear that nobody in either novel really escapes the oppressions of colonialism. Whilst the failures in Miguel Street are all too apparent, Nervous Conditions promote more subtle disappointments, mainly through women. Although the unnamed narrator gets away from Miguel Street at the end of the novel, it is only through his his mothers bribing that he is able to do this. Furthermore, although Tambu physically breaks away from her toils through genuine personal achievement, there is a psychological part of herself that remains with her previous life. Fanons comment at the opening of the essay cleverly fits in to both Dangarembga and Naipauls novels, as well as much of the other postcolonial texts I have encountered on this course. The frustration Bibliography 13 [1] [2] [3]

Satire in How to Poison the Earth Essay -- Linnea Saukko

â€Å"How to poison the earth† by Linnea Saukko can be seen in two different aspects. The first one would be by looking at it in a literal way, in which it will make it a very harsh, inhumane and cold text. On the other hand, it could be seen as a satire, sarcastic and ironic text in which Saukko expects to catch the reader’s attention. Saukko exaggerates the sarcasm, and satire in her writing in order to make the readers realize and understand the main purpose of her essay, which is to warn readers about threats to the future of our planet. Scientific terms are used frequently through out the text, but are followed by explanations in a coherent way, hence it makes it clearer and more understandable to the reader. For example, she is writing about substances and their characteristics, one of them is an unusual term called â€Å"half-life†, followed by an explanation in a parenthesis with a clearer explanation of the term. That way, it can be understood by the general public. The writing is straight forward and it’s absent of metaphors and similes. It is more an informative reading rather than descriptive, therefore it is lacking details and adjectives. Saukko starts by pointing out sarcastically how difficult polluting the earth can be. Afterwards, she starts listing efficient methods on contaminating the world, such as â€Å"generating as much waste as possible from substances† (Saukko, 246), or building more nuclear plants. At the beginning, it might be shocking to the reader the approach she is taking to make her point. In other words, the readers might not understand why she has such a negative attitude and hatred against the world. The manipulation, exaggeration, and the wor... ...d for the general public in order to raise social awareness in preventing polluting the world. It is important to raise social awareness on topics of this nature because it is affecting our world. It is important to consider it as every individual problem and concern rather than see it as an external issue. Saukko chose a whole new approach and technique to get into people’s mind. Usually, authors that want to point out and raise social awareness on issues of this nature, tend to be direct and straightforward about it. However, Saukko has taken it to the next level by approaching the readers in a unique way that will catch more of their attention and hopefully move their emotions on the topic. Works Cited Saukko , Linnea.â€Å"How to Poison the Earth.†The Brief Bedford Reader. Bedford/St.Martin’s Boston: 9th edition ,2006.246-247.