Lemarcus Hudson Mr. Mohr English III 16 Sept. 2015 Who You Calling Prometheus? In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry uses an allusion to compare Walter Lee to the mythical Prometheus. This allusion was conveyed by George Murchison in the Act I, Scene II, when George and Beneatha went on a date. Walter’s reaction to George calling him Prometheus was not a good one. Walter was upset with George Murchison because he did not necessarily know what Prometheus means. If Walter would have known what George Murchison meant by calling him Prometheus, he would have reacted a totally different way than he did at the moment. When a person call another person Prometheus, it should have a positive connotation to it. The Greek name Prometheus means “forward thinking” or “foresight”; he is able to see the future. One can infer …show more content…
This allusion was conveyed by George Murchison in the Act I, Scene II, when George Murchison and Beneatha went on a date. Walter’s reaction to George Murchison calling him Prometheus was not a good one. Walter was very upset with George for calling him Prometheus. Him not knowing what “Prometheus” meant he reacted without hesitation. Walter will somehow live up to the hype of George's characterization. One can infer that Walter will live up to be “Prometheus” because of the immediate transformation from being this drinking individual to him being very supportive. Walter as a changing man will be proud that George Murchison meant well when he said, " Good Night..Prometheus." The reasons why George Murchison called Walter Prometheus are that Walter kept talking about the liquor store and their financial status during their conversation. Based on what the myth about Prometheus is described as, George Murchison was not insulting Walter, but he was more sarcastic instead. George Murchison calling Walter Prometheus is somewhat of a positive
Before he went on his endeavor to start a new society, Prometheus used to live in a society that worshipped collectivism and the mindset that being as your peers is crucial. Prometheus even quoted himself, "We strive to be like all of our brothers men, for all men must be alike." Although this was a value instilled in Prometheus since he began living in the Home of the Infants, he still felt the drive to be independent. Even though Prometheus had this drive of independence, he still refused to start his society and tried to allow his intelligence to be bound again. Prometheus offered his invention to the world council, who reacted poorly to his invention. One of the
...to Prometheus because he considers himself the man who brought light likewise Prometheus the man who stole fire from the gods to provide for the people in the city. He renames himself also because he feels like a new person after his discovery of freedom.
When Prometheus asks Zeus to give the mortals fire, he states that it is best to “let [the humans] shiver with cold…..[and] to let them be poor and ignorant so that [the gods] may thrive and be happy.” (Baldwin et al. par.7). Zeus is extremely selfish and wants to keep the fire for himself, which makes him look like a villain to the humans. This shows how Prometheus does not appeal to the audience as a villainous deceiver of Zeus. Anyone who is extremely selfish can never be a hero as they only think about themselves. In this story, Prometheus is repeatedly depicted as a hero when he showed the mortals “ how to build houses out of wood and stone….tame sheep and cattle…….plow and sow and reap….protect themselves from storms of winter….[etc.]” (Baldwin et al. par. 13). Prometheus works extremely hard to teach the humans many techniques essential for survival and also risked his life when trying to steal fire. All of this is what makes him a hero to the humans. Anyone who goes out of their way to assist others in any form can be defined as a
In Prometheus's society, being an individual is considered a "sin", but as events occur Prometheus begins to comprehend that being an individual is the way men are supposed to think. In the beginning of the book, he has a name like everyone else, and like everyone else he is living in a world that thrives off fear. Everyone is afraid to think, act, or be different from the rest, because as society has taught them being different and an individual is a "sin". As he began to grow up, he noticed that he was somewhat different from the rest of the people. He disliked many things such as the way society made people mate because he thought this was despicable and grotesque. The more he began to grow up he was becoming more of an individual and this scared him, he even began to see himself as an evil person. When he started to play around with science and began inventing things like the light bulb, this scared him but then he reasoned that maybe even though he was acting as an individual the council would let it go because it was such a remarkable invention.
However, despite Zeus’s supremacy over the secret to life, Prometheus proceeded to create mortal humans. In order to generate this species, Prometheus stole fire from Zeus as a sustainability precaution for the humans. As punishment, Zeus nailed and chained the Prometheus to a mountain where he would be forced to endure a bird pecking away his immortal liver each day. Since Prometheus could regenerate his liver nightly, the bird would continually devour his liver (Apollo Library 1.7.1). The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was originally titled The Modern Prometheus since both Prometheus and Victor Frankenstein attempted to bypass the higher power’s entire jurisdiction over life and death, and create people on their own. Both Prometheus and Frankenstein ended up in dire situations which proves that particular aspects of fate ought not to be meddled with, and people should not disregard their allocations. Not only did Prometheus and Frankenstein suffer the direct consequences of their actions, but they were also left to contemplate whether they were responsible for any damage that may be caused by their creations. While Prometheus was eventually rescued by Heracles, who slayed the bird that had plagued Prometheus, Zeus’s second punishment, Pandora-the first woman, would eternally remain on earth. If Prometheus had denied his insatiable cleverness, he would not have
Prometheus is an egoist in this novella, Anthem. He re-invents the electric light and manages to do it on his own. He goes and finds a tunnel, where he started experimenting with a frog. This led to him to reinventing the electric light. Discovering the frog in the tunnel shows what his individuality is like, inventing something new. He does not ask for help while doing this. This shows the type of person he is. His brilliance does not just extend to science alone. He knows he is going against the rules of society. He is superior to everybody else, and also shows no weaknesses. However, there is one exception, he tends to
Prometheus writes: “The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but only for those who will seek them.” (Chapter 3) Why does he think that the secrets of this earth are not for all men to see? If he thinks this, why does he decide to show his glass box to the World Council of Scholars? How do these issues relate to the theme of the novel?
In Marry Shelly’s book Frankenstein, she tells the story of a man named Victor Frankenstein. The character of Frankenstein contains traits that parallel Prometheus from Greek mythology. Through his actions and emotions Victor Frankenstein becomes the modern Prometheus by producing ill-fated actions that carry tragic consequences just as Prometheus’ did.
To find out what Prometheus’ “sin” was, it is necessary to know more about the main character and the society around him.
Hesiod, a Greek Poet, describes Prometheus as a trickster because he outwitted Zeus by offering him a false sacrifice that included a choice between bones and meat. This angered Zeus so much that he decided he would not give the power of fire to the “Melian race of mortal men who live on the earth” (Hesiod, Card 545). According to Hesiod, Prometheus was able to outwit Zeus by stealing fire from Mount Olympus in a “hollow fennel stalk.” Hesiod’s telling of the myth doesn’t explain why Prometheus stole the fire but after analyzing later retellings it is evident that he did so to help the human race in their development as a civilization. Zeus made sure that both Prometheus and mankind would suffer for Prometheus’ decision to go against Zeus. For example, Zeus said, “You stole the fire and tricked me, happily, you, plague on all mankind and on yourself. They’ll pay for fire: I’ll give another gift to men, an evil thing for their delight” (Hesiod, Card 545). The “gift” that Zeus is referring to is Pandora, the first woman on Earth. Pandora unknowingly released famine, disease, and plague into the world when her curiosity got the better of her and she opened the box that Zeus gave her. Zeus also made sure to punish Prometheus directly by bounding him to a rock “with inextricable bonds and cruel chains” where an eagle would eat his immortal liver every day creating an eternal and
Prometheus, a Greek god, is the son of Iapetus and Themis. He was a guardian and protector of humanity, and he is greatly known for his superior intelligence. He stole fire from the Greek god Zeus and gave it to the mortals. This mistake caused the heroine Prometheus to suffer greatly. Zeus punished him for his offense and bound Prometheus to a rock, and each day an eagle came and ate out his liver. Prometheus is both credited with and blamed for playing a gigantic role in the early makings of human kind. Prometheus stole the fire from Zeus in order to help the mortals because he had befriended them and took pity upon them. At that time, the humans were in desperate need of help and Prometheus wanted to see them reach their full potential instead of dying off. Prometheus stole the fire and showed the humans how to use it because he was a very compassionate man and wanted to help. Prometheus is seen as a gentle titan whereas Zeus is seen as a dark god. Prometheus was acting on what the future held because he had the gift of foresight. He knew that humans would need help in order to survive, and he was the titan that brought help in the form of fire. Prometheus represented a man “playing God,” as did Victor Frankenstein. Both u...
A Raisin in the Sun The creativity of Hansberry played a crucial role in the development of African-American drama since the Second World War. A Raisin in the Sun was the first play by an African-American author to be set on Broadway and was honored by the circle of New York theater critics. Drama of A Raisin in the Sun (1959) brought Hansberry to the Society of New York Critics Award as the best play of the year. A Raisin in the Sun shows the life of an ordinary African-American family who dreams of happiness and their desire to achieve their dream.
“Do you know what the definition of insane is? Yes. It’s the inability to relate to another human being. It’s the inability to love” (Richard Yates). Everyone has a different perspective on life and therefore all have different opinions on what a human is. Is it the qualities someone possesses? Is being a human about what is inside or outside? ”Humans are self-aware social mammals generally possessing the ability to reason, speak, and use complex tools.” (Santi Tafarella). Frankenstein is also known as A Modern Prometheus. Prometheus was the creator of mankind in Greek Mythology, which relates to Victors character in Frankenstein. Between Victor and the monster, the creature has more human qualities; considering he has a desire to be accepted
Though American citizens are recognized as adults at the age of eighteen, human brains take much longer to fully develop. The play A Raisin in the Sun takes place in the apartment of the Youngers, an African American family struggling with financial issues during the 1950’s. Walter’s father has recently passed away, and Mama receives a life insurance check for his death. Walter and Mama share their cramped apartment with Walter’s sister Beneatha, his wife, Ruth, and their son, Travis. Walter works as a chauffeur and Ruth does domestic chores for rich, white families. They do not have many opportunities for better jobs or higher quality education, but Beneatha attends college classes in hopes of becoming a doctor. Walter’s job as a chauffeur
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is subtitled "The Modern Prometheus", and rightfully so. Prometheus, the Titan of Greek mythology that created man and gave them fire, is a fitting symbol for Victor Frankenstein, the man who created a "monster" and gave him life. The most obvious aspect of the similarity between Frankenstein and the Prometheus myth is the underlying theme - both stories deal with ill-fated actions with tragic consequences. The classic Prometheus stories, as told by Aeschylus, Percy Bysshe Shelley and summarized by Edith Hamilton, contain symbolic and thematic elements that closely parallel Mary Shelley's "modern Prometheus."