The Glass Menagerie Essay Example

The Glass Menagerie Paper ‘The Glass Menagerie’ by Tennessee Williams incorporates a numerous amount of themes throughout the play. As it is known to somewhat reflect on the playwright’s own life, some of these themes are notably profound and evocative, allowing the audience to maintain an ample grasp on the messages put forward by Williams. Primarily, the idea of memory is established in Scene One. The play inaugurates with lengthy description as to the setting and stagecraft, followed by the entrance of the narrator, Tom Wingfield, who soon states that ‘the play is memory’ and makes it clear that we are viewing events through the lens of his memories, intensifying emotions and extracting significances in the way that memories do. When the scene progresses, we as an audience also have an insight to recollections within recollections, such as those of Amanda as she recounts her days as a girl and her inept attempts to relive this time of her life. This complex theme is an imaginative device which Williams uses effectively to express truth, and one of the methods he uses to establish this is through the stagecraft. To begin with, the lighting is key in the portrayal of memory, because it displays the interior as ‘dim and poetic’. This not only helps us to distinguish the contrast between the past and the present, but reflects how the memories which the character of Tom will be showing us are coated with unhappiness and pain, and creates the effect of a thoughtful, slightly morose mood. We will write a custom essay sample on The Glass Menagerie specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Glass Menagerie specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Glass Menagerie specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Furthermore, Williams’ precise and detailed descriptions of the stage setting, such as ‘murky canyons of tangled clotheslines, garbage cans, and the sinister latticework of neighboring fire escapes’ allow him to achieve a dreamlike atmosphere, as opposed to straightforward realism. Tom himself tells us that the play is ‘sentimental’ and ‘not realistic’ and Williams draws attention to the ruse of the theatre by introducing lowered and raised gauze scrims during the play and shifting walls, whilst representing the mysterious attribute that memory brings. When he asks us to peer through the gauze, Williams reminds us that we are being taken back in time and made to observe things from a particular point of view. The theme of memory is also depicted through the use of music in Scene One. Just before Tom begins to explain how it is ‘a memory play’, the stage directions indicate for music to be played, and this aids the emphasis on this theme by again showing the difference between the past and present. It is clear that the playwright is trying to connect music with the theme as Tom even tells us, ‘In memory everything seems to happen to music’. In relation to the setting, lighting and music, the screen device is used a significant amount. The legends which appear recurrently on screen, such as ‘Ou sont les neiges d’antan? ’ draw attention to the way in which memory works by directly forcing the audience to think about how circumstances in the play are so different now to how they used to be in the characters’ lives, and create a wistful effect. Additionally, another theme established in Scene One is that of dreams and illusions. The characters in ‘The Glass Menagerie’ are constrained by their fantasies of financial security, solidarity and escape. The ever conventional Amanda Wingfield harbours ambitions of reaching a time when neither her children nor herself need be concerned about their circumstances economically, and in order to obtain this dream, she believes she must find her daughter a suitor. On the other hand, Tom and Laura are not such worldly characters, and whilst the latter wishes only to be permitted to coast through life without any demands, the former, although also having no desire to connect with others, has a slightly clearer vision of an aim in life, and values seclusion as a way of being able to continue with his creative work as a poet. As a playwright, Tennessee Williams portrays this theme through many different techniques. Firstly, the setting is used by showing the family home as ‘dim’ with ‘old-fashioned’ features; a place from which the characters would evidently love to escape, Tom in particular. Therein hangs ‘a blown-up photograph’ of Amanda’s ex-husband and Tom and Laura’s father, which is a constant reminder to Amanda of the life she once had and emphasizes not only the dreams she has of finding Laura a ‘gentleman caller’ and attaining financial security, but also how she would possibly like to return to the days when she was young and had considerable male interest. A further theme established by Williams in Scene One which links in with dreams and illusions is entrapment. In spite of the near impossibility of each character’s dreams being accomplished, Williams is adamant that entrapment must be resisted despite the suffering it entails, and this is primarily introduced through the character portrayal of Tom. As the audience, we learn that the only way to evade everlasting entrapment is through acting without pity. If Tom is to one day become his own man, he is forced to step away from his mother’s constant persistence and pursue freedom. He does not have a real desire to behave harshly towards his family, as when Amanda begins to tell the story of ‘one Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain’ yet again, he begins grumblings of ‘I know what’s coming! ’ and ‘Again? ’ but does submit, however as the scene progresses he incorporates more frequents digs, such as ‘Isn’t this the first you’ve mentioned that still survives? ’ to show a disregard of the men Amanda is so proud of when she describes the fates of them all. He knows that this life is in no way one that he wishes to be a part of forever, and the only method he knows to escape is by behaving with no pity. Tennessee Williams also establishes the theme of entrapment through stagecraft, as the fire escape on which Tom stands at the beginning of the scene is a visually prominent part of the set which symbolizes the incarceration which Tom feels, and the prospect of release. By using stage directions, Williams characteristically fills the fire escape with symbolic weight, stating that the buildings are burning with the ‘slow and implacable fires of human desperation’, and by positioning Tom there to address the audience it underlines how he stands alone between the world outside and the confinement of the apartment and highlights the anguished choice he makes to leave his family further on in the play. This creates an emotional effect on the audience, who feels a sense of compassion towards him for the duties he has had to take on in the past in place of the father who so carelessly abandoned him and his family. In addition, the theme of endurance is established in Scene One. We start to see the Wingfields struggle against emotional and physical confinement, such as the previously mentioned difficulties Tom faces in wishing to leave the house, and also how Laura doesn’t feel the same way as her mother in regards to ‘gentleman callers’ due to her disability and lack of self-confidence. However, Williams does not provide the characters with solutions to these troubles but instead indicates that they possess positive characteristics which encourages them to carry on. For example, Scene One shows Amanda constantly wittering on with pride about how ‘one Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain’ she received ‘seventeen! ’ gentleman callers, to the slight irritation of Tom, who, accustomed to this, has predicted it, but Laura is aware of how the family need to stick together and respond to each other needs, and advises Tom to ‘let her tell it’. Therefore, through the portrayal of each character, Williams shows that endurance is an important theme in ‘The Glass Menagerie’, to the effect that we as an audience appreciate each of them individually for their qualities as well as the times when they err. Thus, we can see that Scene One of ‘The Glass Menagerie’ by Tennessee Williams encompasses a number of themes in a variety of different ways, all to meaningful and dramatic effects. We learn that some of these methods include character portrayal, setting and stagecraft, but all are equally significant and allow us to grasp the key messages portrayed by the playwright.

The Jungle Book Report essays

The Jungle Book Report essays The Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair is a harsh book that shows the reality of life. It tells how an immigrant goes through harsh times and death, which brings on depression, jail and a life of crime. In time, the life of crime and depression are fought off by two socialist speakers, which make him realize he can do more with his life. Newly arrived immigrants to Chicago Jurgis Radkus and Ona Lukoszaite along with Jurgis father and Elzbietas six children use the little money left by Onas deceased father to marry Jurgis and Ona. They then buy part of a filthy apartment and are married. All of the family able to work found work easily. Jurgis learns how badly treated workers are and how unsanitary the conditions to work will be. This lead to the death of his father. Jurgis sprains his ankle and is out of work for a long while. When he regained his health his search for work failed because he was lacking the strength he needed. Lack of money lead to starvation and unsanitary conditions cause the death of Elzbietas two crippled sons. Jurgis then has to take a low paying job at a fertilizer plant. To escape these harsh conditions Jurgis took to drinking. Ona now is unreliable and gone for long periods of time, due to this Jurgis confronts her to find out she has had forced adultery by Connor a foreman at his work. Jurgis attacks him and is thrown in to jail for assault. On his release he learns the family has lost their house. Ona goes into unexpected labor and her and the newborn pass away. Jurgis finds work to try to support his first son but is soon laid off. His new work at the steal mill raise the familys spirits until the drowning of Jurgis first son in the rising rivers. Jurgis meets a new friend in a saloon and receives a one hundred-dollar bill, which he tries to break. This leads to a fight and he is in jail once again. The breaking of his arm then s ...

The concept of genre in studying Die Hard. (1988) Assignment

The concept of genre in studying Die Hard. (1988) - Assignment Example 67). In order for a successful Action film, the expectations of the readers ought to be fulfilled to enable the listeners to be fascinated and interested. Action is the most appropriate genre that I have chosen with respect to the Die Hard film of 1988. The entire movie is an action genre movie. Genres in respect to film are diverse forms of recognizable classifications of films recurrent with similar acknowledgeable patterns, syntax and filming conventions that include: backgrounds and props, substance and subject matter, themes, period, mood, motifs, structures, plot, circumstances, central narrative events, recurring icons, characterizations and stars. Numerous films are viewed as hybrids because they include multiple film genres. With regards to definitions, genre itself is a French word meaning type or kind. It can, therefore, be said the kind of a movie is principally the type or category a movie falls into for instance Comedy, action, western, thriller, horror and numerous others (Wright, 2004 p. 35). Genres are also sub-classified according to unique qualities for example horror genre, sub-classes are the supernatural, gothic, ghost films, occult, monster movies, slashers, psychological horror, body horror, gore movies, splatter and many others (Dixon, 2000 p. 101). Some film professionals develop new genres and sub-genres to explain amalgamation of films such as action comedies. Universally, nonetheless, many films created in a given type, for instance, film noir follow the fundamental construction and plot shapes of that particular kind. Genres assist the audience in movie choice as well as indicate for whom a given film was created and what they should anticipate seeing for instance in an action film such as the Die hard, the audience expect to see hard work that involve, use of heavy artillery, use of choppers, massive destruction of vehicles,

The Price Wristle-Blowers Pay for Secrets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Price Wristle-Blowers Pay for Secrets - Essay Example For example, according to the article â€Å"Whistle-Blower Awarded $104 Million by I.R.S†, written by David Kocieniewski, Bradley C. Birkenfeld, who used to be a banker at UBS, was caught helping a rich Californian developer to avoid paying income taxes in the US. After being arrested, he informed that he would disclose important information about the Swiss banking system which would help the US government retrieve lost taxes that amounted to billions of dollars. Many wealthy Americans had used their Swiss banks to avoid paying income tax in their country. Now the valuable information provided by the banker allowed the US government to get back a large sum of unpaid taxes from the Swiss banks. In return for this, the banker was given an award of $104 million, the highest amount ever paid to a whistle-blower. This whole idea of a person benefiting from a crime he committed is pretty ironical. A person involved in activities such as tax fraud is arrested, and when he complies with the authorities’ demands and reveals some vital information, he is rewarded. This means that, in effect, the person is actually being paid for the crime he has committed. The irony of the situation seems amusing. If a person accused of committing several crimes asks for freedom and some monetary reward in exchange for valuable information, he or she will get it. This will allow him or her to return to his previous life and no lesson will be learnt. Moreover, it has become a norm in the society that people demand some kind of reward before they can do something helpful. Many people realize that giving out valuable information is a great and easy way to make money, so they demand a reward before revealing any secrets even if the secrets can actually benefit their own country. The fact that many people want to be paid before doing the right thing is alarming, as it shows that the society is well down the downward path. In today’s

Dippin Dots Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Dippin Dots - Research Paper Example In 1991, they established their dealer network. 1994 marked the year of their first international account, which was in Japan. In 1995, they opened a new production facility that was 32,000 feet in Paducah. The facility expanded by 20,000 feet in 1997 and the company earned a spot on Inc. Magazine's 500 list of fastest growing companies. In 2000, the first franchise opened and the company went to court against imitators. In 2001, Dippin' Dots came in third behind Baskin Robbins and Dairy Queen as far as number of franchises. In 2002, Dippin' Dots was ranked 112th on the Franchise 500 list, 69th on the list of Fastest Growing franchise companies, and number one on the New Franchise Company lists of Entrepreneur's Magazine. Dippin' Dots also becomes available at San Francisco Bay area McDonald's restaurants during the same year. The awards and high rankings continue through 2005. In 2006, the company was restructured and Tom Leonard became president of the company. According to Improvement Network (2008), "A PESTEL Analysis can be particularly useful for groups who have become too inward-looking. They may be in danger of forgetting the power and effect of external pressures for change because they are focused on internal pressures. You can use this technique for a large or a small group activity. PESTEL stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technical, Environment and Legislative. It is a strategic planning technique that provides a useful framework for analyzing the environmental pressures on a team or an organization." Political There are political concerns that companies like Dippin' Dots need to take into consideration when operating their companies. Two of the most important are regulators and politicians (Improvement Network, 2008). Economic There are also economic considerations for Dippin' Dots. These include world trends, trends in the countries and states in which the company operates, and industry trends (Improvement Network, 2008). Social There are social considerations Dippin' Dots must pay attention to. These include cultural change, the expectations of consumers, changing demographics, and changes in the structures and habits of families (Improvement Network, 2008). Technology Technological considerations for the company are pretty self-explanatory. The ice cream treat is based on technology that was before its time, so it must maintain that expertise and quality. The company also needs to look for new innovations in order to keep growing. Environmental There are also a number of environmental implications for the company to consider. These include cost implications, public opinion, and sites and locations (Improvement Network, 2008). Legal Legal considerations for the company vary according to the state, territory, or country the company is operating in. They must follow United States legislation and directives, for instance (Improvement Network, 2008). SWOT Analysis Strengths The company's biggest strength is that it has a completely unique product that its founder created on his own. The product is also very popular among consumers. Weaknesses The company's biggest weakness is that its product has to be stored at extremely cold temperatures. This makes it difficult to transport. It also makes it impossible to carry in supermarkets or sell for take-home consumption. Opportunities There is not a lot of room in

A Good Man Is Hard To Find Essay -- essays research papers fc

Flannery O'Connor's short story collection A Good Man is Hard to Find has many elements of a southern gothic work. Images of ancient castles with sliding panels create suspicious themes and settings that lead the readers into the dark and gloomy world of the southern United States. With all of the violence, horror, and dismal surroundings presented in O'Connor's stories there is too a moral message given. Later gothic work did not always explain horror like this, holding little moral value to contrast their grotesque images (notes, November 1). O'Connor's stories do include a strong moral element, frequently in the form of religious explanations. The characters within A Good Man is Hard to Find are usually ignorant and self-satisfying people, who come across "the grotesque" and are shocked into self-realization, no longer self-satisfied. These grotesque elements are usually the divine in disguise forcing the characters into introspection. In a letter Flannery O'Connor wrote she stated: "You have found Christ when you are concerned with other people's suffering and not your own." In this quotation we can see the moral message O'Connor was attempting to convey in her stories, and through further analysis of the work this fact can be more clearly illustrated. In the first story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, O'Connor's moral message is clearly presented. The grandmother protagonist in the story is very self-serving. She demands constant attention (although rarely getting it) and stubborn in the fact that her wishes must be carried out. She only wants to go to Tennessee to see old connections (O'Connor, pg. 1). The grandmother cannot move away from past and is at the same time confused by accuracy of past events. On the trip a road stop seems very suggestive of a hellish place: barbecue fires, Red Sammy, etc (O'Connor, pg. 6). The grandmother's lack of character judging is pointed out in this scene. She believes that Red Sammy is a good man because he relates to her old fashioned values (she thinks). Sammy is surprised at this and exclaims, "Yes'm, I suppose so," his unsureness makes the reader question Sammy's character. What is more telling is what the waitress says while bringing the food: "It isn't a soul in this green world of God's that you can trust†¦ I don't co... ...ot helping the needy, greed, dishonesty)? By finally accepting the priests company after becoming bed ridden we can infer that Mrs. McIntyre has indeed been changed by what the displaced person has taught her and is more willing to accept her past deeds and be forgiven for them. As we can see O'Connor's moral message of religion leading people's concerns away from self-suffering is quite prevalent in most of the stories in A Good Man is Hard to Find. By analyzing stories such as A Good Man is Hard to Find, The Displaced Person, The Artificial Nigger, and Good Country People we can see the representation of religion hidden behind grotesque elements that force the characters towards introspection and change. These interpretations can be taken further as a possible comment of American culture showing sometimes a horrible apocalyptic vision. O'Connor's moral lessons seem to be telling us that by finding Christ we may overcome these grotesque elements and become stronger people who, through the grace of God, care more for the people around us than our selfish wants. Bibliography 1. O'Connor, Flannery. A Good Man is Hard to Find. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace and Co., 1976

Identifying ethical theories Essay

Ethical behavior is that behavior which is morally right and also that behavior which people accept as good behavior, traditionally philosophers came up with theories that help define and determine morally right behavior some of the traditional ethical theories include the virtue theory, the Kantian theory, the Deontological theory and the Utilitarianism theory, this theories depict morally right behavior and this paper discusses each theory regarding its relevance to the real world and also how these theories can be used to solve problems. Ethical theories The Virtue Theory This theory focuses on the defined rules and laws that govern behavior, this theory lay emphasis on the processes of learning these rules and through this an individual will develop good behavior, individuals will learn through moral education which is acquired when an individuals still young. This theory is one of the oldest normative theories and can be dated back to the work of Plato who emphasized the four virtues which include courage, temperance, wisdom and justice, Plato also identified other important virtues that include generosity, good temper self respect and sincerity, this theory further emphasis on discouraging bad behavior such as injustice, insensitivity, cowardice and vanity. The virtue theory analysis human behavior guidance regarding proper behavior, it accounts for moral good behavior for example people will learn from religious teachings the guidance of good behavior, the Christians learn from the Bible that one should not kill, one should not steal, you should not steal and many other teachings, this teachings are learnt when one is still young as stated by the virtue theory. This theory may be used to solve problems in the workplace in that it gives guidelines to what can be termed as good behavior and bad behavior, for example when one is faced with a situation which requires that you give false statement in the workplace, then this guidelines from the virtue theory depict that you should not lie or give false statements because lies are shortlived while the truth will last for ever. Kantian theory  This theory was developed by Kant Immanuel, this theory states that if an action is inconsistent with a persons status which is to be free and rational then the action is morally wrong, also he stated that an action that further the status of an individual in terms of his or her status of being free and rational then the action is morally right. Therefore according to the Kantian ethical theory an action that promotes an individuals freedom and rationality is morally right and that which tends to deteriorate or undermine his freedom and rationality is morally wrong. This theory however does not demonstrate what guides moral behavior in our lives today, to some extent this theory guides moral behavior while to large extend it does have a basis of guiding behavior, for example individuals are rational and have the freedom in order to be morally right, a person will act according to his needs and be rational in all that his does which may result to immoral behavior. This theory however can be used to solve problems in workplaces or in the individual level when faced with certain situations, the individual for example may be faced by a situation whereby he is has financial problems an at the same time he is entrusted with an organizations money, for him to be rational he has to be rational and this theory depicts that he must be rational and also have freedom, therefore the individual will embezzle this funds according to this theory while in the real world this is morally wrong. Deontological theory This theory depict that individuals have a duty to refrain from actions that this duty will be determined by the nature of the action itself, therefore individuals should perform their duties regardless of the consequences, individuals have a duty to refrain from bad behavior and the bad behavior will be determined by the nature of the action. This theory depict real life situations whereby individuals will refrain from bad behavior as a duty they should undertake, when a person is faced with a situation in which he has an option whether to commit a morally wrong action and a morally write action then it is important that the individual realize that his duty is to refrain from bad behavior. This theory can be applied to a situation in life where a person is faced with the option of doing wrong or right, according to this theory the individual has the duty to refrain from such bad behavior, and the individual should refrain from bad behavior regardless of the consequences of his actions. Utilitarianism theory: The Utilitarianism theory was developed by Bentham Jeremy, this theory states that the morally right actions are those that produce most happiness, therefore morally right actions are those actions maximize happiness and at the same time minimize pain, therefore individuals should always choose those actions that maximize their happiness and at the same time reduce pain in the cause of their action. This theory is consistent with real life situations whereby this theory can be used to solve problem faced by individuals or in the workplace, it states that we must be rational in the actions we undertake, we maximize benefits and at the same time minimize the costs of actions, the benefits give us happiness while costs give us pain, therefore the individual when faced by certain problems whereby he requires to choose which action to undertake then he must analyze the benefits and the costs or consequences of such situations. In the real world we have rules that govern behavior, when one breach these rules there are sanctions associated with this bad behavior, this sanctions therefore can be viewed as the pain according to this theory, the benefits are the positive sanctions such as rewards given as a result of good behavior or morally right behavior. This theory therefore is relevant in explaining the situation in the real world regarding morally right behavior. Conclusion:  All the above philosophical theories regarding ethical behavior are relevant in the real world and they can be used to solve situations which individuals face in their day to day life, morally right behavior is that behavior which maximizes happiness and minimizes cost according to the Utilitarianism theory, this view is also supported by the Kantian theory which states that morally right behavior is that which promotes rationality and freedom. We also have a duty to refrain from morally wrong behavior as stated by the Deontological theory. All this theory are relevant in real life, they explain what shapes behavior and what controls the individual.