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Importance of nature in american literature
Early american literature about nature
A discussion of the concept of the tragic hero
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Ahab as the Hero of Moby Dick
One might think it a difficult task to find a tragic hero hidden in the pages of Moby Dick. Yet, there is certainly potential for viewing Ahab as heroic despite unfavorable responses to him by the reader.
In the original formula coming from the Greeks, the tragic hero had to be a high-born individual of elevated status possessed of a fatal flaw which resulted in their downfall. With Othello Shakespeare redefined elevated status to include position alone rather than being linked to societal or birth status. In this way it was possible for Othello as the military leader to be the tragic hero despite being an outsider in the composition of the society. Melville follows this example in Moby-Dick. On board the Pequod, Ahab as the ship's captain assumes the role of king or dictator that gives him the elevated status to fit this traditional view of the hero (Millhauser 76). Melville himself wrote:
Men may seem detestable . . . ; men may have mean and meagre faces; but man, in the ideal, is so noble and so sparkling, such a grand and glowing creature, that over any ignominious blemish in him all his fellows should run to throw their costliest robes . . . . If, then, to meanest mariners, and renegades and castaways, I shall hereafter ascribe high qualities, though dark; weave round them tragic graces; . . . then against all mortal critics bear me out in it, thou just Spirit of Equality, which has spread one royal mantle of humanity over all my kind! . . . . Thou who, in all Thy mighty, earthly marchings, ever cullest Thy selectest champions from the kingly commons; bear me out in it, O God! (444-445)
Melville takes the traditional heroic view and reinterprets it from the American...
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... halters round their necks; but it is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realize the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life" (Melville 545). With these words, Ahab's fate is linked with a universal fate of mankind. Through this common denominator, Ahab's struggle becomes that of all men everywhere.
In Ahab, Melville developed an unlikely hero. He is not always appealing, but he does seek within his own realm of knowledge and experience to overcome what he perceives as a major evil force. Ultimately, Ahab gives his life in pursuit of a betterment for everyone.
Works Cited
Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick. 8 Classic American Novels. Ed. David Madden. San Diego: Harcourt, 1990.
Millhauser, Milton. "The Form of Moby-Dick." Critics on Melville. Ed. Thomas J. Rountree. Coral Gables: U of Miami P, 1972. 76-80.
Christopher McCandless is the ideal tragic hero because he had everything in the world but he gave it up to go on a two year trip into the wild and through his own actions he paid the ultimate price. McCandless had a goal to achieve in the wilderness but as Aristotle said “The tragic hero's powerful wish to achieve some goal inevitably encounters limits, usually those of human frailty.(Aristotle #2)”Although McCandless met his fate at the end of his journey the fact that he attempted this grand adventure makes him a hero rather than an imbecile.
Heroes in literature and history, more often than not, meet tragic ends, unless they were created by Walt Disney. These particular people are often seen as someone who is apart from the masses in morals and attempt to accomplish a higher calling for the common good. The problem with this type of hero is that they are destined for suffering.Two such characters exist in classic literature, Winston Smith of George Orwell’s 1984 and Hamlet of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.” Hamlet is the true classic tragic hero, though, because he is of noble birth, possesses high moral standards, completes the task he is given to better the world, and causes tragedy in both his life and the lives of others.
As teams take on their its own personality. Most of NFL teams relies rely on assessment of the number of games won compared to the number lost during a season or over a number of years. Teams also can be classified according to that personality, or at least according to the personality perceived by fans and the press. With the classification of good, average and bad. The Tennessee Titans will be used to show the good team the Minnesota Vikings will represent the average and the Dallas Cowboys will fill the role of bad.
Meyer, Michael. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 2189.
In conclusion, this essay analyzes the similarities and differences of the two stories written by Herman Melville, Billy Budd and Bartleby. The settings, characters, and endings in the two stories reveal very interesting comparisons and contrasts. The comparison and contrast also includes the interpretation of the symbolism that Melville used in his two stories. The characters, Billy and Bartleby, could even be considered autobiographical representatives of Herman Melville.
Before exploring Ishmael, Ahab, and Moby Dick and their Biblical counterparts, it is important to understand Melville's background. He grew up as a baptized Calvinist in the Dutch Reformed Church. His parents trained him to obey God at all times, even if God’s commands seem unjust and cruel. However, he quickly turned against his faith after his father died. During his travels, he witnessed diseases, catastrophes, and hatred throughou...
Ahab is dedicated towards regaining control of his life by conquering the whale. His obsession with Moby Dick is what fuels his desire to spend months and months at sea. Ahab is so involved that he tries to get into the mind of the whale. He becomes obsessed with the whale’s every move. Similarly, the narrator is highly analytical of Bartleby’s behavior. He feels the need to know exactly what it is that makes Bartleby ‘tick’. Eventually the narrator is mentally defeated by Bartleby and is forced to change the location of his offices in order to avoid him. Ahab on the other hand is constantly chasing his antagonist and does whatever he can to get closer to Moby Dick.
A tragic hero is a protagonist with a fatal flaw which eventually leads to a character's downfall. The tragic hero is often introduced as happy, powerful and privileged, and ends up dying or suffering immensely due to their own faulty action. John Proctor’s, the protagonist in the play, flaw that lead to his “downfall” was his inability to accept his fate and his pride in which he holds in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. John Proctor had displayed the four characteristics of a tragic hero goodness, superiority, a tragic flaw, and has an eventual realization
Located in the dark, cold pages of Moby Dick lies evil, an evil by the name of mankind. Mankind snarls its teeth into the face of nature and fellow-man by character development and a thick plot. By diving into the characters and the author, the motives of these individuals is shown clearly through the murky water.
Student discipline is affected by classroom management. The way in which a teacher manages his/her classroom delineates the type of instruction that will take place in the classroom. A classroom in which the teacher takes total responsibility for guiding students’ actions comprises a different learning environment than one in which students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own actions (Evertson, 2003). Many schools are reluctant to hold students accountable for their own actions. The education establishment warns teachers that they will be placing themselves in a questionable role if they emphasize rules, punish bad behavior, and reward good conduct (Bennett, et. al., 1999). Teachers need to create a learning environment in which students are encouraged to do their best and therefore, motivated to work to their highest potential. Teachers need to also set expectations and maintain the learning environment they have developed. Even in effectively managed classrooms, however, problems may occur.
According to C.M. Charles, the author of "Building Classroom Discipline," the definition of discipline is, "what teachers do to help students behave acceptably in school (1999,p3)." Discipline is associated to misbehavior, wherever misbehavior is found, and discipline is needed. The main goals of discipline are to prevent, suppress and redirect misbehavior. Students can also be cruel and disruptive, which can deny the purpose of learning in the classroom. Another goal of discipline is to help students control their own behavior in and outside the classroom (Charles, 1999). My own definition of discipline is using any means necessary to keep a classroom organized, productive and accessible for learning. Discipline is necessary in a classroom, to give students an opportunity to learn to there fullest. Without discipline, the classroom would be a place where teachers could not perform their job but a place for them to baby-sit misbehaved children.
There are several different models of classroom management, but there appears to be no collective agreement as to which one is the best. Because every student is different, students’ behavior should be addressed according to their specific need. Disruptive behaviors tend to be a result of a few causes. These causes tend to be either because the student is seeking attention trying to avoid failure, are angry, want to gain control of a situation, have too much unused energy, are feeling bored, or are uninformed. In studying the different methods that have been researched, I have settled on two that I would like to focus this paper, Discipline with dignity and Discipline through same side win-win strategies.
Every teacher must have a set of classroom routines and procedures to maintain order in the classroom. When entering the classroom, students will enter in a quiet manner. They will sit at their assigned desk and have all material ready to begin on required work. Once the bell rings and the door is closed, students will be seated and working. Tardiness is unacceptable and if the student receives more than three unexcused tardies per nine weeks, a referral will be given to the office and a phone call will be made the parent or guardian. Also, students should not be more than three minutes late to class. This will result in an automatic referral to the office.
Classroom management is a necessary component to every classroom. It includes creating a set of rules and clear expectations that all students follow. This helps unify the classroom for both the teacher and students allowing for a smooth, effective, and educational environment. When the students are aware of what is expected, they are motivated in order to attain the goals dispensed by the teacher. Some students are naturally motivated and want nothing more than to surpass goals for the sake of triumph and pleasing the teacher. Other students need extrinsic motivation in order for them to become engaged in