A Short Story - 824 Words

She blinked, slowly waking up. The faint breeze flowing through immediately shook her – the windows were always, without a fault, locked tight at night. As quietly as possible, Vivienne tried to reach under the pillow for the dagger always hidden there, but touched only the smooth satin pillowcase. She froze at a sound, mindful there was someone else in the room. â€Å"Looking for this?† The disembodied voice came from the corner next to the closet. Vivienne could make out the intruder’s shape, and tried to hush the beating of her heart, hiding the fear and racing pulse. She sat up in bed, keeping the covers wrapped tight, and turned to the voice. A glint of metal shone in the dim moonlight, the same one she had religiously kept around a†¦show more content†¦The young woman knew if she passed out, the situation would get out of control. She tried to push the sensation away, but only resulted in making it stronger, whilst the intruder continued his approach. Vivienne grasped at straws of reality in a last effort. Close to the bed now, the man went to grab the covers. Vivienne jumped to her feet, already losing grip on the clamoring reality. The intruder managed to grab her wrist, tugging on it. He breathed on her neck, emanating a foul odour, and she spun around. With a force Vivienne did not recognize possessing, let alone a move she had never learnt, she struck. When the closed fist connected with his jaw, Vivienne fell, the floor and darkness beckoning. The last thing she noted before giving in to the blackout, was a luminous bolt shooting towards the intruder... but emerging from her hands. Vivienne Du Lac, Viv for all her friends, considered herself a wild twenty five year old, with a mean streak for speaking her mind, and a gift with animals. Though not Snow White by any designation – the jet black hair and rosy lips had often times gotten her the comparison – the small creatures had always connected with her. Unfortunately, it was a gift the young woman learned to keep under wraps, realizing it set her apart from everyone else. Another thing differentiating her from fellow humans was what Vivienne called a uniqueShow MoreRelatedshort story1018 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Short Stories:  Ã‚  Characteristics †¢Short  - Can usually be read in one sitting. †¢Concise:  Ã‚  Information offered in the story is relevant to the tale being told.  Ã‚  This is unlike a novel, where the story can diverge from the main plot †¢Usually tries to leave behind a  single impression  or effect.  Ã‚  Usually, though not always built around one character, place, idea, or act. †¢Because they are concise, writers depend on the reader bringing  personal experiences  and  prior knowledge  to the story. Four MajorRead MoreThe Short Stories Ideas For Writing A Short Story Essay1097 Words   |  5 Pageswriting a short story. Many a time, writers run out of these short story ideas upon exhausting their sources of short story ideas. If you are one of these writers, who have run out of short story ideas, and the deadline you have for coming up with a short story is running out, the short story writing prompts below will surely help you. Additionally, if you are being tormented by the blank Microsoft Word document staring at you because you are not able to come up with the best short story idea, youRead MoreShort Story1804 Words   |  8 PagesShort story: Definition and History. A  short story  like any other term does not have only one definition, it has many definitions, but all of them are similar in a general idea. According to The World Book Encyclopedia (1994, Vol. 12, L-354), â€Å"the short story is a short work of fiction that usually centers around a single incident. Because of its shorter length, the characters and situations are fewer and less complicated than those of a novel.† In the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s DictionaryRead MoreShort Stories648 Words   |  3 Pageswhat the title to the short story is. The short story theme I am going conduct on is â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ by James Thurber (1973). In this short story the literary elements being used is plot and symbols and the theme being full of distractions and disruption. The narrator is giving a third person point of view in sharing the thoughts of the characters. Walter Mitty the daydreamer is very humorous in the different plots of his dr ifting off. In the start of the story the plot, symbols,Read MoreShort Stories1125 Words   |  5 PagesThe themes of short stories are often relevant to real life? To what extent do you agree with this view? In the short stories â€Å"Miss Brill† and â€Å"Frau Brechenmacher attends a wedding† written by Katherine Mansfield, the themes which are relevant to real life in Miss Brill are isolation and appearance versus reality. Likewise Frau Brechenmacher suffers through isolation throughout the story and also male dominance is one of the major themes that are highlighted in the story. These themes areRead MoreShort Story and People1473 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Title: Story Of An Hour Author: Kate Chopin I. On The Elements / Literary Concepts The short story Story Of An Hour is all about the series of emotions that the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard showed to the readers. With the kind of plot of this short story, it actually refers to the moments that Mrs. Mallard knew that all this time, her husband was alive. For the symbol, I like the title of this short story because it actually symbolizes the time where Mrs. Mallard died with joy. And with thatRead MoreShort Story Essay1294 Words   |  6 PagesA short story concentrates on creating a single dynamic effect and is limited in character and situation. It is a language of maximum yet economical effect. Every word must do a job, sometimes several jobs. Short stories are filled with numerous language and sound devices. These language and sound devices create a stronger image of the scenario or the characters within the text, which contribute to the overall pre-designed effect.As it is shown in the metaphor lipstick bleeding gently in CinnamonRead MoreRacism in the Short Stor ies1837 Words   |  7 PagesOften we read stories that tell stories of mixing the grouping may not always be what is legal or what people consider moral at the time. The things that you can learn from someone who is not like you is amazing if people took the time to consider this before judging someone the world as we know it would be a completely different place. The notion to overlook someone because they are not the same race, gender, creed, religion seems to be the way of the world for a long time. Racism is so prevalentRead MoreThe Idol Short Story1728 Words   |  7 PagesThe short stories â€Å"The Idol† by Adolfo Bioy Casares and â€Å"Axolotl† by Julio Cortà ¡zar address the notion of obsession, and the resulting harm that can come from it. Like all addictions, obsession makes one feel overwhelmed, as a single thought comes to continuously intruding our mind, causing the individual to not be able to ignore these thoughts. In â€Å"Axolotl†, the narr ator is drawn upon the axolotls at the Jardin des Plantes aquarium and his fascination towards the axolotls becomes an obsession. InRead MoreGothic Short Story1447 Words   |  6 Pages The End. In the short story, â€Å"Emma Barrett,† the reader follows a search party group searching for a missing girl named Emma deep in a forest in Oregon. The story follows through first person narration by a group member named Holden. This story would be considered a gothic short story because of its use of setting, theme, symbolism, and literary devices used to portray the horror of a missing six-year-old girl. Plot is the literal chronological development of the story, the sequence of events

The Art of Sculpture Essay - 1825 Words

The Art of Sculpture Long before man could record history, people were sculpting free standing figures out of bones rocks and other objects. It is said that sculpting is the art of the people, and it is a more powerful art than literature and painting because it can be touched and felt. When a sculpture is in a gallery our attention is sustained by an intensified visual engagement. This is what makes its fixed shape come alive in the viewer’s eyes. Before the 20th century, sculpture was considered a representational art; but its scope has now been extended to include nonrepresentational forms. Sculpting has evolved over many years and it has long been accepted that the forms of functional three – dimensional objects such as†¦show more content†¦Although it created everyday necessities, clay eventually grew as a form of art because its abundance and ease of expression. Metal sculpture can be created by a combination of many methods. Sculpture can be created by cutting metals with shears and snips, by firing and hammering metals, or by joining metals with sheet metal screws, rivets and soldering. Wax sculpture is an art form that dates back to the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Greece. History documents that wax figures were sculpted for religious ceremonies. This was also a costly endeavour and therefore the practice was reserved for royal and religious hierarchies. Finally sculpture in ivory was used by the Greeks in combination with gold for monumental works. In the Middle Ages and in modern times ivory is often used for works of small proportions and it is particularly suitable for delicate and pathetic subjects. Linking the art of Sculpture to Leadership â€Å"An artist chisels away at the stone, piece by piece until they find the figure they seek. Leadership is like a sculpture. That is, it’s a creative expression of who we are after all the stuff has been chipped away.†-Unknown Not one person was born a great leader; as history and society can prove one must develop and evolve into a leader. To become respected and excel as a leader there is a sculpting stage in one’s life whichShow MoreRelatedGothic Sculpture And Gothic Art1352 Words   |  6 PagesThe Gothic Sculpture had not been only a design of art but an exceptionally influential period formulated with its own intricate history. The word is utilized to spell it out buildings and items whose varieties are based after a variety of characteristics from the 12th to the end of the 15th century. Gothic style was a development of the Romanesque yet it was Renaissance humanists who first used it as a disparaging term to spell it out what they noticed as the barbaric structures. With Gothic sculptureRead MoreExample Of Pop Art Sculpture788 Words   |  4 PagesPop Art Sculpture As you may know Pop Art was a popular art movement. You probably know it mainly for different types of photographs in a way. Like Andy Warhol who has colorful portraits and different types of subjects. Like the red Elvis, Campbell’s soup can and many others. But you may have not really known that there is Pop Art Sculptures. I have seen a few around and of course I have seen pictures but I never really put it together that it was part of an art movement at the time. One reallyRead MoreAncient Egyptian Art And Sculpture1259 Words   |  6 PagesThere are many different art styles around the world that developed in various ways. Ancient Egyptian art is around 5 thousand years old, and it is a major contributor to late Mesolithic Art. It arose and took place in the Nile Valley. Ancient Egyptian art attained a high level in sculpture and painting, and was extremely stylized and symbolic. Most of the Egyptian sculptures that have been well-preserved were initially made for temples and/or tombs. All Egyptian art and sculpture was based on the beliefRead MoreThe Use Of Art, Sculptures And Architecture1559 Words   |  7 Pages The Use of Art, Sculptures and Architecture There is many variations of art nowadays, when one thinks of art they think about Michelangelo, Van Gogh, or Picasso. But, religion has a great influence on the art scene. Religions use art to emphasise their faith and its importance. Christianity art is solely based upon Jesus, his followers and saints. Throughout history Christian art has been connected to mainstream idea of art. However, there are several other religions that demonstrate their faithRead MoreThe Ecstasy Of Sculpture : A Comparison Of Art2008 Words   |  9 PagesThe Ecstasy of Sculpture: A Comparison of Sculpture in Italian Baroque Art Focus Question: To what extent was the Italian Baroque art, specifically Bernini, a support for the Catholic-Counter Reformation compared to The Neoclassical era, not even a century later? A comparison of Bernini’s â€Å"The Throne of Saint Peter† and â€Å"Ecstasy of Saint Teresa†; and Antonio Canova’s â€Å"Amor and Psyche†. Michael Thiessen IBN: 000874-0212 Friday, March 20, 2015 Word Count: 2000 IB Art History─Period 5 JamieRead MoreMen Sculptures From Ancient Art867 Words   |  4 PagesMen sculptures from Ancient Art The mini exhibition will center on ancient art found in the Rome and Greece, and will mainly focus on male sculptures from that area. History dates that the civilization of man began in the Rome hence their advancement of art is especially important as well. The rulers of the time appreciated the art built regardless of its structure. The artist was strict on the appearance and representation of the sculpture. Their attention to detail makes them unique and interestingRead MoreStatues and Sculpture: An Art Form that Depicts Human History1957 Words   |  8 PagesArt Stands Tall for Human Values In 2008 a group of archaeologist unearthed what could now be the world’s oldest statue. This larger than life statuette stands at whopping 2  ½ inches tall with an estimated carving date from 35,000 to 40,000 years ago from a mammoth tusk. The form of the statuette is that of female figure missing her head and feet with a primary focus on reproductive organs. Due to the pornographic nature of the statue archaeologist believe that the statue’s purpose and functionRead MoreArt History Paper: Transformation Between Sculpture and Early Classical Period1113 Words   |  5 PagesCasey Chiovaro December 3, 2012 Optional Paper Art History 109 Define the transformations that have taken place between the sculpture of the late archaic period and that of the early Classical period. Note how these imply a change in relationship of the viewer to the work of art. Throughout history, sculptures have developed significantly. The Western tradition of sculptures began in Ancient Greece along with Egypt and many other ancient civilizations around the world. Greece is widelyRead MorePart a730 Words   |  3 Pagesthe sculpture Pietà   by Michelangelo. As we have studied, Michelangelo’s Renaissance period returns to the Greeks for inspiration and ideas.    Using 200 – 250 words, answer the following questions. Don’t forget to defend your answer referencing the themes of the Hellenics and Hellenistics as discussed in this module. 1. Is Pietà   more of a Hellenic or Hellenistic sculpture or a conglomeration of both Greek periods? 2. Compare this sculpture to David. How are the two sculptures similarRead MoreMy Personal Field Trip At The Permanent Sculptures At Western Michigan University942 Words   |  4 Pagesto observe the permanent sculptures as well as the ones on tour. I really enjoyed looking at both but I personally felt that I enjoyed the permanent ones better and that is what I will write about in this paper. The permanent sculptures resemble students and faculty at Western Michigan University. In contrast, the sculptures on tour did not relate so much to the students or campus as much but they did relate to the state of Michigan. While I was observing the sculptures, I did have one favorite and

Naturalism Free Essays

Naturalism is a type of literature that â€Å"exposed the dark harshness of life . . . We will write a custom essay sample on Naturalism or any similar topic only for you Order Now were often very pessimistic and . . . blunt .† (Wikipedia).  Ã‚   Naturalistic writers do not moralize about the nature of human beings in their works, but view them with cold impartiality.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To them, nature is an indifferent force that adopts a hands-off policy vis-à  -vis human beings and the calamities that befall them.   Naturalistic works often depict an individual’s struggle to survive against the forces of nature.   At times, the conflict may be that of man against himself as he strives to maintain his humanity, to tame â€Å"the brute within† in the face of contending passions.     Ã‚  Characters in such works usually belong to the lower middle class or the lower classes.  Ã‚     (Campbell). Jack London’s The Law of Life depicts the indifference of nature to the impending death of an old man.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abandoned in the snow by his tribe,   nearly blind and lame, old Koskoosh lies beside a fire with only a handful of twigs to keep himself from freezing.   He is aware of his imminent end, but calmly accepts the fact that â€Å"all men must die†.  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the few remaining hours of his life, he reflects on the never ending cycle of life and death, on how even the most vigorous animal would fall prey to old age and its predators.  Ã‚   In all this, he concluded that â€Å"nature did not care.  Ã‚   To life, she set one task, gave one law.   To perpetuate was the task of life, its law was death.† Koskoosh recalled how the Great Famine ravaged his tribe, against which they were all helpless.  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Here, London brings into focus an indifferent nature, heedless of the wailings of the villagers until nearly all of them starved to death.  Ã‚   Koskoosh also remembered how the times of plenty awakened the blood lust in his people until they revived ancient quarrels and waged war on their enemies.  Ã‚   In this case, the â€Å"brute within†, another frequent theme of the naturalistic work, is awakened and unleashed. Occupying the old man’s thoughts in his final moments was his memory of a moose that fought off wolves until it was overpowered and fell on the bloody snow.  Ã‚  Ã‚   That recollection foreshadowed his own death: wolves were closing in on him as his fire dwindled.  Ã‚  Ã‚   But unlike the moose which fought to the very end, Koskoosh gave up when he realized the futility of it.   â€Å"What did it matter after all?† he asked.   â€Å"Was it not the law of life?† An indifferent, hostile nature pervades The Open Boat by Stephen Crane.   Four men, one of them injured, sat on a dingy after their ship went down.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An angry surf separated them from the safety of the beach; they could not take the boat to shore lest she capsize.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Desperate and afraid, sleepless and hungry, the correspondent ponders the indifference of nature to their plight.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The men spend the night at the sea, alternately rowing and keeping the boat afloat. The appearance of vacationers on the beach waving gaily to the men in the boat thus giving them hopes of immediate rescue is probably Crane’s way of emphasizing the nonchalance of nature in the face of human suffering, made more bitter by the realization that no rescue was forthcoming after all.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The cook’s â€Å"house of refuge†, deserted and lifeless, seemed to mock the men:   â€Å"There was the shore of the populous land, and it was bitter and bitter to them that from it came no sign.† (4). Crane focuses on the inner despair of the men as they wait and toil at the oars, aware that their tiny dingy might be swamped at the next wave, drowning them, or that they might be taken out to sea when the on-shore wind died.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the face of this uncertainty, Crane voices out, through the correspondent, the pathetic rebellion of the ordinary mortal who could not believe, and yet could not overcome, the indifference of nature to his plight: Was I brought here merely to have my nose dragged away as I was about to nibble the sacred cheese of life? It is preposterous. If this old ninny-woman, Fate, cannot do better than this, she should be deprived of the management of men`s fortunes.   .   . If she has decided to drown me, why did she not do it   in the beginning and save me all this trouble? . . . But, no, she cannot mean   to drown me. She dare not drown me. She cannot drown me. Not after all this work. . . Just you drown me, now, and then hear what I call you! (4). The correspondent in The Open Boat saw the â€Å"abominable injustice† of being drowned after so much hardship.  Ã‚   The idea of fairness and justice is deeply ingrained in him that he finds it would be â€Å"a crime most unnatural† .  Ã‚  Ã‚   He imagined nature’s indifference similar to his own and that of his school-fellows who during childhood were taught a poem about a soldier of the Legion who lay dying in Algiers: he did not care about him but now, faced with his own death, he felt sorry for the soldier of the Legion who lay dying in Algiers   (6). The tall wind-tower is also an apt symbol of nature’s indifference.  Ã‚   â€Å"This tower was a giant, standing with its back to the plight of the ants.  Ã‚   It represented . . . the serenity of nature amid the struggles of the individual. . . She did not seem cruel to him, nor beneficent, nor treacherous, nor wise.  Ã‚   But she was indifferent, flatly indifferent.† (7). The characters in The Open Boat are just â€Å"ordinary† persons but in their mortal peril each of them performed heroically in their battle against the sea: the wounded captain, vigilantly keeping watch, clinging with one hand to the keel of the dingy after it had swamped; Billie the oiler, masterfully steering the craft, dying before he reached the safety of the beach; the cook and the correspondent, fighting desperately against the churning surf. Like Koskoosh, the correspondent in The Open Boat considered death a proper release from one’s pains, the former from his futile struggle with the wolves, and the latter from his struggle with the waves.  Ã‚  Ã‚   He thought that â€Å"when one gets properly wearied, drowning must really be a comfortable arrangement, a cessation of hostilities accompanied by a large degree of relief, and he was glad of it . . .† (7). A Deal in Wheat by Frank Norris tells about the plight of Sam Lewiston and his wife and thousands of other wheat farmers who were driven to bankruptcy due to the trickery of wheat dealers who gambled with the prices of grain, oblivious of the untold suffering caused by their machinations.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sam and his wife and the people who lined up at night at the bread line belonged to the lower classes of society: â€Å"workmen, long since out of work, forced into idleness by long-continued ‘hard times,’ by ill luck, by sickness.† The â€Å"interminable line of dark figures, close-pressed, soundless; a crowd, yet absolutely still . . .waiting in the vast deserted night-ridden street; waiting without a word .. . . under the slow-moving mists of rain†,   is as naturalistic as Crane’s and London’s stories set in a hostile sea and an abandoned camp in the snow: There was something ominous and gravely impressive in this interminable  line of dark figures, close-pressed, soundless; a crowd, yet absolutely  still; a close-packed, silent file, waiting, waiting in the vast  deserted night-ridden street; waiting without a word, without a  movement, there under the night and under the slow-moving mists of rain. From this line of hungry men there arose â€Å"a shudder of despair, an unformed, inarticulate sense of calamity† caused by the abrupt notice that the bread line was being discontinued owing to the increase in the price of grain.  Ã‚   This particular scene imparts to the reader Sam Lewiston’s and the crowd’s pathetic plight, their helplessness against the market forces that conspired to bring about their ruin.   Ã‚  The â€Å"white-aproned undercook† who posted the notice and disappeared within the bakery symbolizes an indifferent nature, perhaps an indifferent society, not caring whether or not the hundreds of people that have silently, patiently stood outside in the cold would go to bed hungry that night and for nights to come. These three stories represent the naturalistic genre: The Law of Life by Jack London showing the endless cycle of life and death as viewed in the last reflections of an old man, who resigns to accept his own violent death from hungry wolves; The Open Boat by Stephen Crane depicting the struggles of four men in a dingy to reach the safety of land; and A Deal in Wheat by Frank Norris, which brings into focus the grim silent suffering of people at a bread line.  Ã‚  Ã‚   In all these works the writers attempt to portray the lives of common persons as they grapple with the forces of nature and endure calamity caused by the manipulation of other human beings.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through these works, the writers drive home to our consciousness a world of harsh and cold reality: of ordinary human beings forced to contend with an uncaring, indifferent nature, yet bringing to the fore something heroic and extra-ordinary within them. WORKS CITED Campbell, Donna M. â€Å"Naturalism in American Literature.† Literary Movements.      2 February 2007.   Accessed 2 March 2007. wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/natural.htm. Crane, Stephen.   â€Å"The Open Boat†. 2 March 2007. classicauthors.net/Crane/openboat.html London, Jack.   â€Å"The Law of Life†.   2 March 2007. London.sonoma.edu/Writings/ChildrenFrost/life.html Norris, Frank. â€Å"A Deal in Wheat†.   5 March 2007. Gutenberg.org/dirs/etext06/8diwt10.txt   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Naturalism†.   20 February 2007.  Ã‚   Accessed 2 March 2007. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalism_%28literature%29 How to cite Naturalism, Essay examples Naturalism Free Essays Naturalism is a type of literature that â€Å"exposed the dark harshness of life . . . We will write a custom essay sample on Naturalism or any similar topic only for you Order Now were often very pessimistic and . . . blunt .† (Wikipedia).  Ã‚   Naturalistic writers do not moralize about the nature of human beings in their works, but view them with cold impartiality.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To them, nature is an indifferent force that adopts a hands-off policy vis-à  -vis human beings and the calamities that befall them.   Naturalistic works often depict an individual’s struggle to survive against the forces of nature.   At times, the conflict may be that of man against himself as he strives to maintain his humanity, to tame â€Å"the brute within† in the face of contending passions.     Ã‚  Characters in such works usually belong to the lower middle class or the lower classes.  Ã‚     (Campbell). Jack London’s The Law of Life depicts the indifference of nature to the impending death of an old man.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abandoned in the snow by his tribe,   nearly blind and lame, old Koskoosh lies beside a fire with only a handful of twigs to keep himself from freezing.   He is aware of his imminent end, but calmly accepts the fact that â€Å"all men must die†.  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the few remaining hours of his life, he reflects on the never ending cycle of life and death, on how even the most vigorous animal would fall prey to old age and its predators.  Ã‚   In all this, he concluded that â€Å"nature did not care.  Ã‚   To life, she set one task, gave one law.   To perpetuate was the task of life, its law was death.† Koskoosh recalled how the Great Famine ravaged his tribe, against which they were all helpless.  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Here, London brings into focus an indifferent nature, heedless of the wailings of the villagers until nearly all of them starved to death.  Ã‚   Koskoosh also remembered how the times of plenty awakened the blood lust in his people until they revived ancient quarrels and waged war on their enemies.  Ã‚   In this case, the â€Å"brute within†, another frequent theme of the naturalistic work, is awakened and unleashed. Occupying the old man’s thoughts in his final moments was his memory of a moose that fought off wolves until it was overpowered and fell on the bloody snow.  Ã‚  Ã‚   That recollection foreshadowed his own death: wolves were closing in on him as his fire dwindled.  Ã‚  Ã‚   But unlike the moose which fought to the very end, Koskoosh gave up when he realized the futility of it.   â€Å"What did it matter after all?† he asked.   â€Å"Was it not the law of life?† An indifferent, hostile nature pervades The Open Boat by Stephen Crane.   Four men, one of them injured, sat on a dingy after their ship went down.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An angry surf separated them from the safety of the beach; they could not take the boat to shore lest she capsize. Desperate and afraid, sleepless and hungry, the correspondent ponders the indifference of nature to their plight.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The men spend the night at the sea, alternately rowing and keeping the boat afloat. The appearance of vacationers on the beach waving gaily to the men in the boat thus giving them hopes of immediate rescue is probably Crane’s way of emphasizing the nonchalance of nature in the face of human suffering, made more bitter by the realization that no rescue was forthcoming after all.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The cook’s â€Å"house of refuge†, deserted and lifeless, seemed to mock the men:   â€Å"There was the shore of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the populous land, and it was bitter and bitter to them that from it came no sign.† (4). Crane focuses on the inner despair of the men as they wait and toil at the oars, aware that their tiny dingy might be swamped at the next wave, drowning them, or that they might be taken out to sea when the on-shore wind died.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the face of this uncertainty, Crane voices out, through the correspondent, the pathetic rebellion of the ordinary mortal who could not believe, and yet could not overcome, the indifference of nature to his plight: Was I brought here merely to have my nose dragged away as I was about to    nibble the sacred cheese of life? It is preposterous. If this old ninny-woman, Fate, cannot do better than this, she should be deprived of the management   of men`s fortunes.   .   . If she has decided to drown me, why did she not do it    in the beginning and save me all this trouble? . . . But, no, she cannot mean   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to drown me. She dare not drown me. She cannot drown me. Not after all    this work. . . Just you drown me, now, and then hear what I call you! (4). The correspondent in The Open Boat saw the â€Å"abominable injustice† of being drowned after so much hardship.  Ã‚   The idea of fairness and justice is deeply ingrained in him that he finds it would be â€Å"a crime most unnatural† .  Ã‚  Ã‚   He imagined nature’s indifference similar to his own and that of his school-fellows who during childhood were taught a poem about a soldier of the Legion who lay dying in Algiers: he did not care about him but now, faced with his own death, he felt sorry for the soldier of the Legion who lay dying in Algiers   (6).   The tall wind-tower is also an apt symbol of nature’s indifference.  Ã‚   â€Å"This tower was a giant, standing with its back to the plight of the ants.  Ã‚   It represented . . . the serenity of nature amid the struggles of the individual. . . She did not seem cruel to him, nor beneficent, nor treacherous, nor wise.  Ã‚   But she was indifferent, flatly indifferent.† (7). The characters in The Open Boat are just â€Å"ordinary† persons but in their mortal peril each of them performed heroically in their battle against the sea: the wounded captain, vigilantly keeping watch, clinging with one hand to the keel of the dingy after it had swamped; Billie the oiler, masterfully steering the craft, dying before he reached the safety of the beach; the cook and the correspondent, fighting desperately against the churning surf. Like Koskoosh, the correspondent in The Open Boat considered death a proper release from one’s pains, the former from his futile struggle with the wolves, and the latter from his struggle with the waves.  Ã‚  Ã‚   He thought that â€Å"when one gets properly wearied, drowning must really be a comfortable arrangement, a cessation of hostilities accompanied by a large degree of relief, and he was glad of it . . .† (7). A Deal in Wheat by Frank Norris tells about the plight of Sam Lewiston and his wife and thousands of other wheat farmers who were driven to bankruptcy due to the trickery of wheat dealers who gambled with the prices of grain, oblivious of the untold suffering caused by their machinations.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sam and his wife and the people who lined up at night at the bread line belonged to the lower classes of society: â€Å"workmen, long since out of work, forced into idleness by long-continued ‘hard times,’ by ill luck, by sickness.† The â€Å"interminable line of dark figures, close-pressed, soundless; a crowd, yet absolutely still . . .waiting in the vast deserted night-ridden street; waiting without a word .. . . under the slow-moving mists of rain†,   is as naturalistic as Crane’s and London’s stories set in a hostile sea and an abandoned camp in the snow: There was something ominous and gravely impressive in this interminable line of dark figures, close-pressed, soundless; a crowd, yet absolutely still; a close-packed, silent file, waiting, waiting in the vast deserted night-ridden street; waiting without a word, without a movement, there under the night and under the slow-moving mists of rain. From this line of hungry men there arose â€Å"a shudder of despair, an unformed, inarticulate sense of calamity† caused by the abrupt notice that the bread line was being discontinued owing to the increase in the price of grain.  Ã‚   This particular scene imparts to the reader Sam Lewiston’s and the crowd’s pathetic plight, their helplessness against the market forces that conspired to bring about their ruin.   Ã‚  The â€Å"white-aproned undercook† who posted the notice and disappeared within the bakery symbolizes an indifferent nature, perhaps an indifferent society, not caring whether or not the hundreds of people that have silently, patiently stood outside in the cold would go to bed hungry that night and for nights to come. These three stories represent the naturalistic genre: The Law of Life by Jack London showing the endless cycle of life and death as viewed in the last reflections of an old man, who resigns to accept his own violent death from hungry wolves; The Open Boat by Stephen Crane depicting the struggles of four men in a dingy to reach the safety of land; and A Deal in Wheat by Frank Norris, which brings into focus the grim silent suffering of people at a bread line. In all these works the writers attempt to portray the lives of common persons as they grapple with the forces of nature and endure calamity caused by the manipulation of other human beings.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through these works, the writers drive home to our consciousness a world of harsh and cold reality: of ordinary human beings forced to contend with an uncaring, indifferent nature, yet bringing to the fore something heroic and extra-ordinary within them. WORKS CITED Campbell, Donna M. â€Å"Naturalism in American Literature.† Literary Movements.   2 February 2007.   Accessed 2 March 2007. wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/natural.htm. Crane, Stephen.   â€Å"The Open Boat†. 2 March 2007.   classicauthors.net/Crane/openboat.html   London, Jack.   â€Å"The Law of Life†.   2 March 2007.   London.sonoma.edu/Writings/ChildrenFrost/life.html Norris, Frank. â€Å"A Deal in Wheat†.   5 March 2007. Gutenberg.org/dirs/etext06/8diwt10.txt â€Å"Naturalism†.   20 February 2007.  Ã‚   Accessed 2 March 2007. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalism_%28literature%29 How to cite Naturalism, Essay examples

Risk and challenge free essay sample

Risk and challenge is important for a child and young person’s development. A child needs to be challenged in order to develop and promote in their development. A child or young person will need to learn from their mistakes. Making mistakes will help the child or young person learn the difference between what’s safe and what isn’t and what they should and shouldn’t do. As practitioners, our main concern is to keep children safe from harm however we need to encourage them to experience risk and challenges. If we try to remove all risks from children’s lives we could be risking restricting their learning experiences. Depending on a child’s age, will depend on their needs and abilities. For example, a baby will have different needs compared to a child who is in pre-school. A baby will not have limited ability, they won’t be able to walk, run etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Risk and challenge or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page in the early stages. Until they learn to do this then there risk and challenge is limited. A child who is slightly older will have different needs and abilities. It is important not to over protect children and young people when making risk and challenge as this is a stepping stone in their development a certain level of risky experiences will help them to develop confidence. Children need to learn how to control risk themselves; by learning what is a safe boundary are with the help of adult, and showing the children how to recognise the risk and dangers in the safest way possible. 3. 2) it is important that children and young people are given opportunities to make their own decisions and choices. children need independence to give themselves a satisfied and pleased emotion when they have done something without being told to by an adult or done something to their best ability after being asked. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international human rights treaty that grants all children and young people complete set of rights. it is important that children have a environment to provide challenging tasks according to their different interests and ability levels. 3. 3) I have supported a child to assess their own safety and manage risks in my setting by supervising outside play after it had been raining. the slide/climbing frame had become wet and therefore hazards where formed. I assessed the situation and informed the children they could not play on it until I had dried it.  after drying it I informed the children that it may still be a bit wet so they was to be careful when climbing it and to hold onto the rails when climbing the stairs. In age appropriate language, I asked the child open-ended questions, to find out why they may hurt themselves. Doing this, both me and the child can work together to gain a better understanding of why they were to be cautious and what they can do to make it safer as well as the child learning from their mistakes and actions and the consequences that will have effect.