A Separate Peace Essay Example for Free

A Separate Peace Essay In the book, A Separate Peace, the author, John Knowles, writes to us a novel about war, but happens to focus more on the war within the human heart. This novel tells a story of two boys’ co-dependency during World War Two, and explores the difficulties with understanding the self during adolescence. Identity is complicated enough as the narrator, Gene Forrester, enters adulthood in a time of war, but a difficult friendship with a fellow student and rival leads to a further confusion of identity. Early in the book, the boys’ relationship is charged by Gene’s jealousy and hate of Phineas’ leadership. However, after Phineas falls from the tree, Gene ejects his darker feelings from himself and turns their relationship in a new direction where co-dependency, instead of envy, drives it. The central relationship between Gene and Finny, involves a troublesome search to authorize identity outside of co-dependency. Gene Forrester is a boy with many conflicts that he must face throughout his high school year. The most significant of these troubles is, without a doubt, Gene’s struggle with his own identity. At first Gene is displeased with his personality, or lack thereof. He envies his best friend, Phineas’ (Finny’s), wit, charm, and leadership. Throughout the book, Gene repeatedly finds himself acting like his friend, a transformation occurring that Gene is unaware of. There are a number of significant transformations within this story. Phineas is transformed from an active athlete into a cripple after his accident and then sets out to transform Gene in his place. This change is the beginning process by which Gene’s identity begins to blur into Finny’s, a transformation symbolized by Gene’s putting on Finny’s clothes one evening soon after the accident. â€Å"I washed the traces off me and then put on a pair of chocolate brown slacks, a pair in which Phineas had been particularly critical of when he wasn’t wearing them, and a blue flannel shirt† (78). This is the first time in the book that we notice just how much Gene is codependent on Phineas, even when he is gone. From this point on, Gene and Phineas come to depend on each other for psychological support. Gene playing sports because Phineas cannot, â€Å"Listen, pal, if I can’t play sports, you’re going to play them for me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this allows Finny to train Gene to be the athlete that Finny himself cannot be. This training seems to be a path for Phineas simply to live vicariously through Gene. But Gene actively welcomes his attempt, for just as Finny acquires inner strength through Gene, Gene also finds happiness in losing the person he dislikes, himself, into the person he truly likes, Phineas. †¦and I lost part of myself to him then, and a soaring sense of freedom revealed that this must have been my purpose from the first: to become part of Phineas. † (77) In this way, the boys’ relationship becomes a perfect illustration of co-dependency, with each feeling off of and becoming fulfilled by, the other. This newfound co-dependency begins the evolution of the boys’ individual identities. Finny knows himself throughout the book, and is comfortable in his own skin, at least at first. After his fall, he becomes more withdrawn and tends to hide his true feelings. He seems to lose himself as the book progresses. The innocence and general good nature that defined him early on is lost in later chapters, as he continually deludes himself as to Gene’s true intentions. Gene, on the other hand, hides his true identity from Phineas and the others through most of the novel. Yet Gene truly reveals himself at several key points such as pushing Finny from the tree. The boys are living in their own secret illusions that World War Two is a mere conspiracy created by old men and continuing to believe that Gene, Finny through him, will go to the Olympics and that the world can’t change their dreams. The boys are refusing to develop their own goals and responsibilities without each other. Not even Finny’s death, though it separates them physically, can truly disentangle Gene’s identity from Phineas’. Gene feels as though Finny’s funeral is his own. In a way, the funeral is indeed Gene’s own. So much of Gene is intermixed with Phineas that it is difficult to imagine one boy existing without the other. The entire novel becomes Gene’s recollection of building his own identity, culminating in his return to Devon years later, where he is finally able to come to terms with what he’s done. During the time I was with him, Phineas created an atmosphere in which I continued now to live, a way of sizing up the world with erratic and entirely personal reservations, letting it’s rocklike facts sift through and be accepted only a little at a time, only as much as he could assimilate without a sense of chaos and loss† (194). It is perhaps only his understanding that Phineas alone has no enemy that allows the older Gene to reestablish a separate identity. One that is inferior to Phineas’.

Rebuttal of Bell Hooks’ Article, Straightening My Hair :: Rebuttal

Rebuttal of Bell Hooks’ Article, Straightening My Hair The article Straightening My Hair by Bell Hooks makes her argument of finding the reason of why African American women straighten their hair. She first states that Black Americans straighten their hair because it is the stage of transformation; it closes the door of innocence and opens the door to adulthood. Slowly, she starts changing her views. She comes up with the statement that African Americans do not straighten their hair for reasonable reasons, but to imitate the characteristics of white women. She informs that black people repeat this process because they have low self-acceptance of their roots and background, and that they have lost beauty in themselves. My argument against this statement is that it is erroneous to claim that the straightening of African American hair is misinterpreted as their acceptance into the white community; straightening of hair is the symbolism of impending womanhood, closing the door of innocence, and sharing a time to meditate by relaxing your sou l. â€Å"Hair pressing was a ritual of black women’s culture† (Hooks 534). She stated this earlier in the article and changed her views moving into the depths of the article. With her claiming this quote, it has already set the tone that black women express their maturity and symbolism of growing into adulthood by straightening their hair. Then all of a sudden she changes her views. This change does not show the credibility of the author. The audience view that her facts are not accurate and people begins to doubt in her claim. She set the theme of the article of expressing that straightening of black people hair is the denial of self acceptance in having the confidence of their individual features. She states â€Å"Heterosexual black women talked about the extent to which black men respond more favorably to women with straight or straighten hair† (Hooks 538). She explains how they try to please other people in trying to make themselves more beautiful to others they want to attract. This is a personal opinion. She makes a broad generalization that all black men are attracted to women that have straight hair. This statistic is not efficient because there are different men that are attracted to different styles. The majority of people do not change themselves because they want to appeal to others, but to make themselves feel better about their personal beauty. She states, â€Å"Individual preferences (whether rooted in self hate or not) cannot negate the reality that our collective obsession with straightening black hair reflects the psychology of oppression and the impact of racist colonization† (Hooks 540).

Jane Eyre †Through A Critical Lens Essay

Historical research has always been an issue of trial and error. Through analyzing novels such as Jane Eyre, historicists can learn about that part of our past by looking at the prevalent themes in the novels, such as social and gender inequalities. By analyzing the historical context of Charlotte Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s novel, Jane Eyre, as well as the readers’ present-day biases, Jane’s story of love and personal evolution transforms into a revolutionary cry against religion, gender and social inequalities. The time when novels are released is an extremely important piece of information that any new historicist has to look at. Jane Eyre was published in London, England in 1847. When it was published in 1847, Jane Eyre was a bestseller. Many critics believed that the novel was well written but they were curious amongst them regarding the author. The book was originally printed with Currer Bell as the editor and no other information was disclosed concerning the author. The gender of the author was debated for a while until it was released that the author was a woman. Soon, the reviews of the novel became increasingly negative because the public could not believe that a woman could have â€Å"written such a passionate novel and seemed so knowing sexually† (Brooklyn CUNY Jane Eyre). I found two reviews of Jane Eyre, one from 1847 and one from 1848. The reviewer for the Atlas in 1847 claimed: â€Å"This is not merely a work of great promise; it is one of absolute performance. It is one of the most powerful domestic romances which have been published for many years. It has little or nothing of the old conventional stamp upon it †¦ but it is full of youthful vigour, of freshness and originality, of nervous diction and concentrated interest. The incidents are sometimes melo-dramatic, and, it might be added, improbable; but these incidents, though striking, are subordinate to the main purpose of the piece, which is a tale of passion, not of intensity which is most sublime. It is a book to make the pulses gallop and the heart beat, and to fill the eyes with tears.† (Brooklyn CUNY Jane Eyre) The reviewer for the Rambler in 1848 claimed: â€Å"Jane Eyre is, indeed, one of the coarsest books which we ever perused. It is not that the professed sentiments of the writer are absolutely wrong or forbidding, or that the odd sort of religious notions which she puts forth are much worse than is usual in popular tales. It is rather that there is a tendency to relapse into that class of ideas, expressions, and circumstances, which is most connected with the grosser and more animal portion of our nature; and that the detestable morality of the most prominent character in the story is accompanied with every sort of palliation short of unblushing justification† (Brooklyn CUNY Jane Eyre) One can see that the views completely changed as time passed. In 1847, people gave good reviews and supported the novel because they thought it was a good novel with great themes which showed the world for what it was. But in 1848, after the public was told that the author was the female, they greatly criticized Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ for her revolutionary thoughts. This shows us that the world was extremely prejudiced back in the mid 19th century, as the women were not treated as fairly as men. Religion plays quite an important role for Jane as it shapes her and makes her do things that she might not like but, regardless, has to end up doing to keep her faith. Jane is first introduced to Mr. Brocklehurst’s strange view of Christianity which involves extreme sacrifice and hypocrisy. She is then exposed to Helen’s more optimistic view of Christianity in which her faith relies on God’s goodness and the power of love. When Jane is a woman, she meets St. John and sees that his faith is a mixture of Mr. Brocklehurst’s and Helen’s, as his beliefs revolve around sacrifice and dedication towards God’s will. As stated above, Jane is shaped by religion as she is forced to leave Mr. Rochester because she knew that for her to marry him, he would have to divorce Bertha, which was against their religion in that time. She is forced to leave him for her own good because she knows that her love cannot break the bonds of religion that hold her down. By looking at the theme of religion that is prevalent in this novel, one can find out many things about that society by reading a book which was written in that time. Hence, we can understand that back then divorcing other people was a sin as it was not accepted by the church and was condemned by the greater mass of the mid to late 19th century. Much of Jane’s childhood emphasizes her status as a member of the lower class in society. When she takes a deeper look at her relationship with Mr. Rochester, she realizes that it’s more of a server vs. master relationship. Rochester tells Jane the truth that they cannot be together but he doesn’t care and he flaunts the social norms when he states, â€Å"Come, we will sit there in peace to-night, though we should never more be destined to sit there together.† (Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 23). Jane retorts back, â€Å"And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you†¦and we stood at God’s feet, equal-as we are!† with fiery emotions that show her beliefs that ‘some beauty’ and, but mainly, ‘much wealth’ has kept them apart even though they are equals (Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 23). When speaking of being bejeweled by Mr. Rochester, Jane responds, â€Å"And then you won’t know me, sir; and I shall not be your Jane Eyre any longer, but an ape in a harlequin’s jacket, a jay in borrowed plumes† (Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 24). Jane shows her reluctance to relinquish her identity, and settle for nothing else than Rochester’s marriage to Jane Eyre, not some ornamented prize or object. Later on, when Jane decides to marry him, she makes it very clear that she wants to marry his equal in personality not fortune. Jane reveals her true revolutionary side when she decides to only marry Mr. Rochester if he marries ‘the’ Jane Eyre that he knows rather than the Jane Eyre that he will create. Therefore, we see that Jane tries her best to show that she is equal to Rochester even though they are not, socially. Throughout the novel, Jane has a quest to become an independent woman. In almost any relationship, she is always the one being controlled. Jane shows her thoughts on women being put down by men when she says, â€Å"Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do†¦It is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings†¦ It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than costume has pronounced necessary for their sex.† (Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, 93). Here, Jane proves that she thinks women should be equal to men because they do the same amount of work that men do and it is wrong for men to look at women in a negative way. She proves her point at the end of the novel, when she goes back to Rochester but the roles are reversed as he is the one in need of dire help rather than vice versa. Earlier on in the novel, Jane writes â€Å"Not that I humbled myself by a slavish notion of inferiority: on the contrary, I just said – You have nothing to do with the master of Thornfield further than to receive the salary he gives you for teaching his protà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½gà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e,† showing her refusal to be subjugated, after she had just noted how she missed Mr. Rochester’s presence (Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, 317). This, subliminally, shows that she needs Mr. Rochester in her life for her to succeed. Even though Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ believes that she doesn’t need a man in her life to succeed, she unwillingly accepts that she does because that’s what society has told her. At the end of the novel, Jane finally allows herself to take Rochester in her arms after they are both finally free of the issues that kept them apart. She tells Rochester, â€Å"I love you better now, when I can really be useful to you, than I did in your state of proud independence, when you disdained every part but that of the giver and protector.† (Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 505). Throughout Jane Eyre, Jane is introduced to many problems and this helps us learn of the problems that were prevalent at that time. Varying from gender inequalities to social and economic inequality, we learn about mid 19th century England society and the rules that they abide by. By reading almost any novel through a new historicist lens, we can learn a lot about their society. Works Cited Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre with Connections. Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston Harcourt Brace and Company, 1991. Melani, Lilia. â€Å"Charlotte Bronte â€Å"Jane Eyre†.† Brooklyn CUNY. 29 March 2005. Brooklyn CUNY Department of English. 8 Nov 2008 .

Reasons For Attending College For College - 910 Words

Why schools? There are many of reasons to attending college. For me, my motivation for attending college is to get A in all my classes and to get higher GBA. I think this will improve my skills and it will maybe help me in my job. There is a wisdom some of wises say it. The wisdom is the creativity does not come unless if there is an experience and the knowledge. Experience comes from stations and the life battles. Knowledge comes from schools, colleges and universities. It comes from education. My motivation is to be creativity man ,and to be successful man. To be honest, my motivation comes from both, internal and external. For internal, I feel there is something inside inside my self moving to scussful way. Also, there is something inside my brain told me that I should to thinking right wa. I should to think about creativity. On anther hand, for external offcourse my parents courge mr on good things I did it. And they are punishing me on bad things. My are so important for me. Th ey are leading me to do right things. When I am loss, directly ask them to gave many of value advices. â€Å" A great majority of our nine million postsecondary students who are ‘ in college’ are there beceuse it has become the thing to do or because college is a pleasant place to be; because it is the only way they can get parents or taxpayers to support them without working at a job they do not like it† (Bird 44). So, my parents made me relax about this point. They gave me what I want. MyShow MoreRelatedReasons for Attending College807 Words   |  4 Pagesthe answer, â€Å"College.† Now with that said, ask them, â€Å"Why will you be attending college?† Some may answer because they want to extend their education further or so they are able to achieve a higher paying occupation. Others may respond with â€Å"Because my parents did, so I am.† In Souls Without Longing, Robert C. Bartlett argues that attending college is part of the â€Å"Am erican Dream;† whereas in Degrees Widen the Gap, Stuart Tannock implies that a majority of the students attend college because theyRead MoreThe Reasons For Attending College879 Words   |  4 Pages Classify reasons for attending college Attending college can be a prodigious next step for someone freshly graduated from high school. There is a plethora of majors, clubs, and organizations for a student to take advantage of that will make college life full of unique opportunities. If a person attends college, their chances of earning a larger income, enjoying more success, and securing their future financial stability is increased greatly. Going to college not only leaves someone with better opportunitiesRead MoreReasons For Attending College For All Kinds Of Reasons Essay929 Words   |  4 PagesMilliner EES21QH ­ 02 09 ­26 ­2016 People go to college for all kinds of reasons . The college experience is one of the many factors in life that affects a person. Obtaining a college degree and having the ability to live on your own are why many people go to college. On the other hand, people feel as though everybody doesn t need college and it is a waste. One reason that college is important in people s eyes is it opens doors to the passage of a career. College provides the education that jobs want toRead MoreReasons For Attending College Is Not An Easy One893 Words   |  4 Pages The decision to attend college is not an easy one. If you are willing to choose this route, then it won’t be an easy path. In the end, it will be worth it to hear your name when you walk across the field to get your diploma. This path will better your life in the long run depending on whether or not you achieve greatness in college. You can’t start searching for a college unless you take the â€Å"SAT’ or the â€Å"ACT† because every college in America has to have those scores no matter what. To being theRead MoreReasons For Attending College Are Financial : Supporting A Family, No Money For Tuition1008 Words   |  5 Pagesis important to succeed in life, only 48% of these same young adults intend to get a college degree themselves (Pew Hispanic 2009). The most salient reasons for not attending college are financial: supporting a family, no money for tuition. This holds true even more for foreign-born Latino/as than for native-born. Foreign-born Latino/as make up 35% of those 16-25 years old, and nearly two-thirds (68%) of these are supporting not only themselves but are sending remittances to family in their nativeRead MoreGoing Back to College820 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ My Reasons for Attending College College is many things to many people. For some it is a time for fun and socialization. For others, it is a time for personal and professional development. In my case, (a husband, a father, and a proud member of the U.S. Navy) college represented an opportunity for both personal and professional development. The purpose of this narrative essay is to examine my decision to earn a college degree, specifically examining my three main reasons (higher earning potentialRead MoreWhat Do They Do When They Graduate?903 Words   |  4 Pagesdecide to go to college what do they want to major in? As well as what college do they want to go to? Many even have to decide on junior college verse a university and how can they benefit from either one. Many students think about going to a junior college just to start off their college career. As well as getting their basic courses out the way, while saving money. And other never think they would ever go to a junior college because of the myths. There are myths about junior college such as theyRead MoreEssay on Benefits of Attending College1135 Words   |  5 Pagesimportance of attending college Time after time you hear about going to college; whether at work, family, friends, and even when you are in high school you might have been repeatedly told of how it can benefit you in the long run in regards to your future. They say a good education can take you far in life. Students in high school may still question the importance of a college education. In the world of today people find themselves asking, â€Å"Why is it important to go to college?† An importantRead MoreShould College Degree Be A College? Essay1733 Words   |  7 Pagestoday’s society are prompted by all teachers to go to college, and this idea is being reinforced more than ever. Although there are a select few people that do not belong in college, this idea has never been more true. Jobs that require a college degree are becoming more abundant, and these jobs need to be filled. The only way these jobs can be filled is if the number of college graduates increases at the same pace as jobs that re quire a college degree are. Many issues over time have arisen on thisRead MoreBenefits Of Borrowing Money While At The Same Time Should You Borrow993 Words   |  4 Pageseducation whether the funds come from family or student loans its always an issue of is there enough money for expenses while attending college. There are benefits of borrowing money while at the same time should you borrow. Students use loans for various reasons, but for some loans are just a financial burden. This article is researched on twelve students from a community college. All the students had taken out loans for school purposes as well as personal purposes, but in all reality for school purposes