Analysis of Auden's The Age of Anxiety
In Auden's lengthy poem, "The Age of Anxiety", he follows the
actions and thoughts of four characters who happen to meet in a bar during
a war. Their interactions with one another lead them on an imaginary quest
in their minds in which they attempt, without success, to discover
themselves. The themes and ideas that Auden's "The Age of Anxiety" conveys
reflect his belief that man's quest for self-actualization is in vain.
W. H. Auden was born in York, England, in 1907, the third and
youngest son of Constance and George Auden (Magill 72). His poetry in the
1930's reflected the world of his era, a world of depression, Fascism, and
war. His works adopt a prose of a "clinical diagrostician [sic]
anatomizing society" and interpret social and spiritual acts as failures of
communication (Magill 74). They also put forth a diagnosis of the
industrial English society among economic and moral decay in the 1930's
(Magill 72). Conflicts common in his works are those between war and peace,
corruption of modern society, and the "dichotomy between the rich and the
poor" (Barrows 317).
"The Age of Anxiety" is, in general, a quest poem. Unlike the
ideal quest, however, this quest accomplishes nothing. The characters
search for the meaning of self and, in essence, the meaning of life, but
because their search is triggered by intoxication due to alchohol, the
quest is doomed from the start. Throughout the quest, the characters
believe themselves to be in a form of Purgatory when they are allegorically
in Hell. They fail to realize this due to "the modern human condition
which denies possibility but refuses to call it impossible" (Nelson 117).
In "The Age of Anxiety", there are four characters of significance.
Quant, the first to be introduced, addresses himself in a mirror, an action
typical to a drunken man. He is an aging homosexual widower who finds
refuge in the mirror because it offers him the easiest way of facing
himself (Nelson 117-118).
Malin, the most dominant character overall, is a medical
intelligence officer on leave from the Canadian Air Force. His background
labels him as the "would-be doctor and leader" in the world of "The Age of
Anxiety". His name is reminiscent, in relation to the war, of a malingerer,
and the composition of his personality hints at the evil within him (Nelson
118).
Rosetta, the most human of the characters, is a department store
buyer, and comes closer to self-actualization than any of the other
characters in the poem. Emble is a young sailor and would-be prince whose
In the short story “Bulldog” by Greg Bottoms, two adolescents are harassing a ferocious bulldog that one of them used to own. The narrator documents his friend, Mark, ranting about his familial issues, his hatred for his parents, and then taking his anger out on the bulldog. In these scenes, Bottoms uses various sensory details including auditory, visual, and tactile to create a strong overarching mood of anxiety that reaches the audience.
Shirley Jackson creates a peaceful mood by writing “…clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green” (Jackson 657). Although Jackson portrays a peaceful and joyful sense nearly throughout whole the story, what actually occurs is the opposite. What makes this story ironic is “…that the story takes place in tranquil and peaceful setting because what actually occurs is brutal and violent” (Timko 2). The way “The Lottery” is written, it “ seems like a festive event but is not” (Mclure, 1276). This also shows customs and traditions because the villager are so used to the lottery that “…the villagers regard the lottery as just another everyday matter to be dealt with…” (Timko 2). Another example of irony is when Mr. Summers said, “ All right folks…Let’s Finish quickly” (Jackson 5). This is ironic because it the villagers are about to kill someone and they are taking an easy approach to it. The same people who are about to stone Tessie Hutchinson to death are the people she was joking around with earlier. The people of the village can get it over with the stoning easily because they are used to it, as it is part of their tradition. The reader can see “The former, the ironic nature of the entire ceremony itself, with its fatal results…” (Timko 2). Shows the village takes the lottery easily even though it such a cruel ritual. The use of irony throughout the story helps show us how accustom the villagers are to the lottery
...e gap in attitudes between pre-medicalized and modern time periods. The trends of technological advancement and human understanding project a completely medicalized future in which medical authorities cement their place above an intently obedient society.
Edgar Allan Poe has a unique writing style that uses several different elements of literary structure. He uses intrigue vocabulary, repetition, and imagery to better capture the reader’s attention and place them in the story. Edgar Allan Poe’s style is dark, and his is mysterious style of writing appeals to emotion and drama. What might be Poe’s greatest fictitious stories are gothic tend to have the same recurring theme of either death, lost love, or both. His choice of word draws the reader in to engage them to understand the author’s message more clearly. Authors who have a vague short lexicon tend to not engage the reader as much.
Of the many intriguing varieties of literary methods used to write most short stories, the author of The Lottery, Shirley Jackson, uses symbolism, allegory and plot to make this story stand out. Of the many literary methods of writing, Jackson used symbolism and allegory to her advantage. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary classifies symbolism as “the particular idea or quality that is expressed by a symbol” and Allegory as “a story in which the characters and events are symbols that stand for ideas about human life or for a political or historical situation”. Jackson also organizes her story with a striking, broad message, which takes the reader by surprise. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary also lists Plot as “a series of events that form the story in a novel, movie, etc.” The combination of these methods assists the reader with the understanding of the story, the meaning, and the significance. Shirley Jackson uses symbolism, allegory, and plot to illustrate a theme of true human nature in The Lottery.
The first reward is my desire to work with young people. I want to interact with young people and help them learn and develop. Teaching is a satisfying profession. A national survey suggests that teachers as a group are satisfied with the profession and their level of satisfaction has increased in the last 25 years (Introduction to Teaching, 2007, pg. 5). Being able to help in shaping our young people gives one a great feeling.
Edgar Allan Poe?s ?The Raven? is a dark reflection on lost love, death, and loss of hope. The poem examines the emotions of a young man who has lost his lover to death and who tries unsuccessfully to distract himself from his sadness through books. Books, however, prove to be of little help, as his night becomes a nightmare and his solitude is shattered by a single visitor, the raven. Through this poem, Poe uses symbolism, imagery and tone, as well as a variety of poetic elements to enforce his theme of sadness and death of the one he loves.
Anxiety It’s sleeplessness, night after night, Because of one thing you said wrong today, Or last month, That is still bothering you, And not letting you rest.
Shirley Jackson begins “The Lottery” by using specific details to develop the setting and mood of her story. “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green” (Jackson 134). This quote is just one example of the specific details she uses within her story. These details, however, give readers a false mind set of the plot; this story is not as appealing and desirable as the first sentence leads it to be. These specific details not only help develop the story but also give hints of foreshadowing, which helps build the suspense to the story. Mr. Summers, the mediator of the process, calls each head of each household in the village forward
Shirley Jackson’s third-person point of view in “the Lottery” creates dramatic irony through a sequence of events that leads to a horrifying conclusion. Jackson creates a scenario where common people enjoy doing businesses at their hometown; this leads to her description of the lottery in order for readers to see the transition from a happy setting to a scary conclusion. In summary, Jackson’s point of view gives readers opportunity to discover the major character’s conclusion through setting, characters, and irony.’
Fixed costs are those costs that do not vary (independent) with quantity of output produced. It is the costs that remain constant in total when the level of activity changes for a specified time period. Fixed costs are costs which cannot be recovered by reducing or ceasing output. Even they produce nothing or shut down, they still have to pay this obligation. (Gwartney, J. D. 2009)
You may have been told before, from your doctor, that you don’t have or deal with any disorders. Your doctor may be right, but some disorders can develop over time from life-changing events or activities. In one’s daily life, they can deal with several events or activities that may cause them to feel stressed. This stress continues to grow, making things difficult for one to be active. If this sounds like something you deal with, it’s possible you’re dealing with an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is a mental situation multiple people around the world deal with. It’s common in the United States. According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, about 13.3 percent of the U.S. population suffers from an anxiety disorder every year. Anxiety
Anxiety: “Now I am wearing this smile I do not believe in! Inside, I feel like screaming!”
Hippocrates, often called the “father of medicine” was one of the earliest contributors to modern science. He was called the father of medicine because through his medical school, he separated medical knowledge and practice from myth and superstition basing them instead of fact, observation, and clinical ...
Fixed costs, which are not usually associated with production- these are costs that are at a set price and will not change if income is high or low e.g. Rent and insurance.