Matthew Sinrod Essays - U.S. Route 66, Monterey, California

Matthew Sinrod Dr. Doyle Eng 102 5/5/98 Themes in The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California February 27th 1902. He was the third of four children and the only son of John Ernst Steinbeck II, manager of a flour mill, and Olive Hamilton Steinbeck, a former teacher. Steinbeck said of his youth, (We were poor people with a hell of a lot of land which made us think we were rich people, even when we couldn't buy food and were patched.) Steinbeck used the area where he grew up as the setting for many of his stories. He attended Stanford University for a few years. He had to work to pay for his education, and sometimes took off one quarter to pay for the next. (He worked as a clerk in several stores, was a hand in a ranch, and even worked at the Spreckels Sugar Company where he gained knowledge of labor problems he would later write about in The Grapes of Wrath.) Other books by Steinbeck include Of Mice and Men, Tortilla Flat, and Cannery Row. He died in New York City on December 20th 1968. Sinrod 2 A constant theme in our story is the suffering of humans. As F.W. Watt says, (The primary impact of The Grapes of Wrath...is not to make us act, but to make us understand and share a human experience of suffering and resistance.) Steinbeck shows us that his characters, as well as all people must endure suffering as human beings. Humans suffer due to many factors. Religious suffering is one factor which is self imposed. (When we first see Casy he is explaining to Tom Joad how he left preaching, not merely because of the lusts that plagued him, but because religious faith as he knew it seemed to set up codes of behavior which denied human nature its proper and full expression) Religious suffering is perhaps epitomized in Jesus Christ, and Joseph Fontenrose believes the tragic character of Casey is believed to be the symbolic representation of Jesus Christ himself. (Jim Casy's initials are JC, and he retired to the wilderness to find spiritual truth and came forth to teach a new doctrine of love and good works...Casy sacrificed himself for others when he surrendered himself as the man who had struck a deputy Sinrod 3 at Hooverville...Tom told his mother, I'm talking like Casy, after saying that he would be present everywhere, though unseen...) However the character of Jim Casy goes beyond Christ. While pondering sin and virtue, Casy comes to the enlightening conclusion that people cannot be judged good or bad. (Maybe it's just the way folks is...There ain't no sin and there ain't no virtue. There's just stuff people do. It's all part of the same thing. And some things folks do is nice, and some ain't nice, but that's as far as any man got a right to say.) Viewing the morality of individuals as dynamic, as opposed to static, provides tremendous freedom for characters such as Tom Jode. He is capable of many different actions throughout the story, including intimidation, guile, support, love, and even murder. Steinbeck wants to show that even a murderer still loves his mother. The mother after all, is holding his family together. (In all the families in crisis, the children look to the women for answers to their immediate survival: What are we gonna do, Ma? Where are we going to go?) At one point in the story, Tom Jode considers leaving home rather than possibly Sinrod 4 endangering his family, however his mother reminds him that without his family, he has nothing. (There is no question that in this model the mother makes the most important contributions to the family stability.) Placing such importance on family values is not without reasons. Family is all the Jodes have to hold onto in the uncaring world in which they live. It is the only way they survive in the system which thrives on the exploitation of the poor. (The real power of Grapes of Wrath is the savage anger at the impersonal process that uproots men from the land and rapes it...) The best way for the Jodes to gain strength was through groups. Each time a fairly stable group or community was achieved, those in power attempted to destroy the group, effectively

Romeo and Juliet Research Paper Example

Romeo and Juliet Research Paper Example Romeo and Juliet Paper Romeo and Juliet Paper Essay Topic: Romeo and Juliet There are so many factors to figure in to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet that its difficult to pinpoint just one. The entire play leads up to their deaths, suggesting that their deaths are the effect of a cause. Two or three causes really; the first being their age, their youth, their hormones if you will, and their inability to control themselves; secondly, the society in which they live; one that does not tolerate their actions. Being the most studied of Shakespeares plays, it is also the one that gets misinterpreted the most. Thats not to say that any specific interpretation is wrong, just inaccurate at times. The story of Romeo and Juliet is widely studied as some sort of romantic love story. And while thats not entirely false, the focus is not the love story. Rather, the love story emphasizes the message the play is sending; that young love is impetuous, foolish, and dangerous. People seem to forget that Juliet is around 14 years old in the play, and Romeo 16 or so. Most parents or adults would agree that those ages are far too young to be involved in such a serious relationship as the one portrayed in the play. So just keep that in mind, and think about the events that take place in the play. At the beginning of the play, Romeo is getting over his last infatuation, Rosaline, whom of course is described as being very beautiful, so why wouldnt Romeo be infatuated with her? What Romeos specific involvement with her is unclear in the play, but its enough to get him depressed, which shows that Romeo is led by his emotions, or even his hormones, and not his brain. This is again reinforced when he immediately becomes infatuated with Juliet just upon seeing her. Juliet is not much different in being led by her hormones. Here is a young teenage girl that has been sheltered by her family, and happens to see a cute boy at a party. Anyone who has been a teenager needs no explanation as to why Juliet is immediately attached to Romeo. Now this is where the distinction between a romantic and tragic love story, and what the play really is, becomes foggy to people. Probably the most inaccurate assumption about Romeo and Juliet is that courting and marriage at their age was a normal practice for Shakespeares time. Oh, how very wrong that is. For anyone whose been taught that in school, let me tell you now that that is a misconceived stereotype brought about by the play itself. In Shakespeares time, people were encouraged to wait until around their early Thirties, or at an age where they were financially secure, much like our society today. And there is the other factor responsible for their deaths; the society they happen to be living in. All of Shakespeares plays take place in 16th century England, no matter where the setting of the play is. That means that Romeo and Juliets society is the same as Shakespeares, and his audience would have found Romeo and Juliets romance just as disturbing as anyone today would think of two teenagers of the same age being so hot for each other. So in the end, when they are denied each other through a miscommunication, they kill themselves. Not the most intelligent of decisions. Instead of Romeo realizing that he will just be infatuated with the next beautiful girl that comes along, he kills himself. And instead of Juliet realizing what an idiot Romeo was and that there will be other cute boys, she does the same thing. The deaths of Romeo and Juliet are mostly theirs to blame, and theirs alone. The play Romeo and Juliet contains a great number of tragic events, all of which were influenced by different characters in the text. The leading characters Lady and Lord Capulet, the Nurse and Friar influenced the main characters suicides in some way. Romeo and Juliets death is the main tragedy in this play, and all characters directly influenced this. Lady and Lord Capulet were extremely distant in their daughters life, but this does not mean that they did not influence her. Neither of the parents showed their daughter any love Lord Capulet tells his wife once told his wife that they had a curse in having her [Juliet] (III. 5 line 167). Juliets primary caregiver, her nurse, boldly tells Capulet You are to blame, my lord, to rate her so III. 5 lines 168-169), questioning his upbringing or lack of it of the child. Though Lady and Lord Capulet had little time for their daughter they still had a plan for her life the arranged marriage to Paris. This marriage was not out of love for their daughter but for their own benefit, for Paris was related to royalty which would bring the family a greater social reputation. The Capulet parents forced their daughter into disobedience which morphed into love and eventually suicide by using her to achieve their own desires. The Capulet parents were the root of the tragedy As Juliets primary carer the Nurse had many opportunities to influence her decisions. The Nurse often acted as the messenger between Romeo and Juliet, saying to Romeo that her young lady bid me inquire you out (11. 4 lines 159-160) showing that her allegiance to the Capulet family did not lie with the parents but the child. As an adult the Nurse had the ability to stop the events at any time. Instead of allowing them to act as adult, and even at times encouraging them to do this, she should have stopped the events from progressing. Only after Romeo is banished does she seem to find a sense of guilt for her actions, telling Juliet, I think it best you married with the County [referring to Paris](III. 5, line 119). The Nurse cannot be blamed for all the tragic events, for she merely added to the problems the Capulet parents caused, but as Juliets mother figure she is certainly culpable. The Friar was a spiritual father and friend to both Romeo and Juliet, something which he took far too lightly. Though he was a priest, the text implies that he had great trouble distinguishing between helping and harming. When the Friar is first introduced, he casually comments on the good uses that comes from nature and how they can be straind from that fair use Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse (II. 3 lines 19-20). As a priest, one would hope that the Friar would not abuse nature yet he does so. As an escape route for Juliet, the Friar offers her (most unwisely) a poison for her to drink. The text goes on to explain that Juliet, though doubtful, takes the Friars poison because he had been tried a holy man (IV. 3 line 29). It must be said, however, that while Friar Laurence influenced the characters actions, he cannot be held solely responsible. Romeo and Juliet viewed him as perfect, and although he was a priest he could never live up to this description. Still, Friar Laurences misuse of power paved the path for the teenagers decisions. Romeo and Juliet must take most of the blame for the tragedy. While it can be argued that their actions were simply the product of those around them lack of discipline, foolish encouragement and advice from adults the text suggests another possible interpretation. It is true that these factors added to the tragedy, but it was ultimately Romeo and Juliets actions that lead to their own deaths. After Romeo heard of Juliets death he was not told to kill himself, in this matter he given no council yet he did so. Likewise, when Juliet awoke in the tomb to find her dead lover, she was not instructed to kill herself. Rather, the Friar, who was with her, warned her by saying, Stay not to question Come, go, good Juliet (V. 3, lines 158-160). Nevertheless Juliet stayed in the tomb and committed suicide. The decisions made in the text were always in control of the teenagers, and though they were influenced by others they were never dictated. Romeo and Juliets actions led to their tragic deaths, and for that death they must take most of the blame. The text suggests that Lady and Lord Capulet, the Nurse and Friar all contributed to the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet, but it can not be ignored that Romeo and Juliet made their own decisions. For this reason I hold them responsible for their tragic deaths There is plenty of blame to go around for both Romeos and Juliets death. While both young people ultimately took that last plunge into the abyss, the question is whether they had any choice in the matter. Certainly, Shakespeares most famous play is a warning against haste, rash decision-making, and over-heated passion. Still, there were so many variables involved in their untimely death, most specifically fate, that the young lovers had no real chance at all. Did they even have a choice? Based on the actions and reactions of Juliets family, Romeos friends, and timing itself, the answer is no. The Prologue not only foretells the storys events, it gives the audience all of the information needed to make this decision. If fate is written in the stars, we know their fate is star-crossed, tangled, confused. We know thefamily feud is going to be a determining factor, from forth the fatal loins of these two foes/ a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life. The Montague-Capulet feud is toxic, and a punishment on the next generation, a Biblical concept. Also, every act and almost every scene in each act is replete with references to the stars. As Juliet lies waiting for her new husband on their wedding night, she says she would like to cut him out in little stars. Romeo, smitten by Julietsbeauty, compares her eyes to the stars. Stars, stars, stars, fate, fate, fate. Yes, Romeo drank the poison and Juliet besmirched her perfect bosom, but if their friends and adults had acted in measure, Romeos and Juliets hot-headed passion might have been tempered and cooled until Fortunas wheel turned in their direction. Wasnt it Friar Lawrence who married the two against his better judgment? He noted that these violent delights have violent ends. He knew better, and yet he married them in the thin hope that their love would end the families feuding. What if Friar Lawrence had simply required a day or a week to counsel the two? In our world today, most ministers require premarital counseling before a marriage (in the Catholic church it is four months). It was Friar Lawrences plan to conceal Juliet from Paris via the sleeping potion. Note, Friar Lawrence did not try to assist Juliet in meeting Romeo in Mantua which seems far less drastic. And what about those letters Friar Lawrence tried to send to Romeo. Some might argue fate prevented the letters from reaching Romeo; some would say Friar Lawrence should have hand delivered such news of import. Clearly, Friar Lawrenceshands are bloody. The Nurse is the good friars female counterpart. She helped to arrange the marriage when clearly it was inappropriate, especially for their time. Yet, when Juliets father threatened to throw Juliet into the streets, something akin to a death sentence, the good Nurse did not back up her charge. Nurse would rather see Juliet enter into a bigamous relationship than stand up to Capulet. Banishment was neither within Romeos will nor power to prevent, but Friar Lawrence and the Nurse conspired to ensure the lovers consummated their marriage, again putting Juliet in a no-win situation when Romeo left for Mantua. In turning her back on Juliet, the Nurse left the child bride to cope on her own. By virtue of her age and station, Juliet is a drama queen and acts as such. Ultimately though, the two might have survived if Fate had not turned such an ugly hand. Romeo tried to resolve the conflict with Tybalt, Tybalt, I have more cause to love thee but Mercutio stepped in the way. In a blood feud, would a young man of that day let such a blow ride without revenge? No. Romeo was blinded with rage when he killed Tybalt, but it wasnt what he wanted, and he seemed almost possessed at this point in the play. Call it temporary insanity. Neither did Romeo wish to die, but life without Juliet was no life at all. If only those letters had reached Romeo! How ironic considering Balthasar was able to enter Mantau, despite the quarantine, and give his friend the wrong information. Also, had the apothecary acted by conscience instead of by greed, Romeo would not have had the means to so quickly kill himself (Thy drugs are quick. ) Finally, Romeo was unable to read his lovers face and discern life. He noted but did not understand when he said, Deaths pale flag has not advanced here. He saw her red lips, her rosy cheeks and still believed she was dead. But then again, why would he think otherwise? How many live people are lying around in tombs? Lets be reasonable. We know the end. Juliet awakened (surrounded by death in a tomb) just a few seconds too late to save Romeo. If she had lived, what would her future be? Not even Paris survived. The body count was staggering, just as in a tragedy. It is tragic, except when viewed through the lens of Fate. The lovers were preordained to love one another eternally, and eternally they do live and love forever in Shakespeares pages and in the heavens. Their conception was the bitter medicine that cured embedded hatred that threatened Veronas citizens. Romeo and Juliet define passion and romance and love, and these are things that no one can prevent, not even the lovers themselves.

The Production Choices to Achieve Trend Growth Assignment

The Production Choices to Achieve Trend Growth - Assignment Example The production possibility represents alternative combinations of different commodities which can be produced by the economy with the total available resources. In other words, the production possibility curve is the locus of all those points that represent different product combinations that an economy can attain by employing its total available resources to the fullest. For simplicity, let us assume that only two commodities (x and y) are being produced using the total available resources in an economy. In the following diagram, we plot units of x on the horizontal axis and units of y on the vertical axis. The curve AF represents the production possibility curve of the economy. If all the resources are devoted to the production of x then the country can get OF amount of x and no amount of y. On the other hand, if the total resources are devoted to producing y then the country can OF amount of y and no amount of x. since the resources are assumed to be fixed in quantity and since th ey are assumed to be fully employed with utmost efficiency, if though production of one commodity is increasing then that of the other will definitely decrease. For this reason, this curve is assumed to be downward sloping.   The coordinates of any point of AF curve shows the different product mix that is available to the economy to produce with the given amount of resources. Sot he country can produce at any point of the curve and achieve trend growth. If the supply of resources increase or a technological improvement takes place then the production possibility curve or production possibility frontier (PPF) will shift to the right from AF to A’F’. Any point on the curve (e.g. Point's’) implies full and efficient employment of the resources, that is, the maximum amount of output that an economy can produce in the most effective manner using the given amount of resources. Any point inside the curve (e.g. Point ‘g’) implies that production in the economy is taking place without using all the resources to the optimum level.     Ã‚