Compare and contrast the characters of Mr. Birling and Sheila Birling in their attitudes to social issues. In the play “An Inspector Calls” by J.B. Priestly, Mr. Birling and Sheila Birling have contrasting attitudes to social issues. The author uses this difference to highlight the diversity between generations and their reactions to situations faced. Arthur Birling is the father to Sheila Birling and so is presented as the older, “old-fashioned” generation whereas Shelia is the younger generation, who is more aware of the responsibilities they have towards other people. (?) The play begins with Mr. Birling and his family celebrating the engagement of Sheila to Gerald. The atmosphere is happy and light-hearted. Before the Inspector arrives, Birling is happy with life and himself. He says, “It’s one of the happiest nights of my life”. This shows that he is quite selfish because he only thinks that it is one of the happiest nights of his life, not of Sheila and Gerald’s. He also shows that he can accept economic change in business but not social and personal change, as we see later in the play. He says, “There’ll be peace and prosperity and rapid progress everywhere – except of course in Russia, which will always be behindhand naturally.” Mr. Birling’s tone of voice at the beginning of this quotation is boastful which changes to scorn when he talks about Russia. His scornful attitude towards Russia emphasises Mr. Birling’s lack of attitude towards others. Sheila, too, is in a happy and playful mood at the beginning of the play. The stage directions say “half playful, half serious” which emphasises her good mood. Sheila doesn’t say much at the beginning as it is Mr. Birling doing most of the talking. Bot... ... middle of paper ... ... still affected by what has happened even though it may not be true. She doesn’t understand how her father can go back to normal. Mr. Birling emphasises the differences between the older and younger generations and refuses to accept social change. Sheila gets stronger throughout the play and she symbolises the new generation and society. Sheila accepts change and knows what they did was wrong. She understands that if it had happened, there would have been consequences. The message that J.B Priestly is putting across is that people have a responsibility towards others. The Inspector says, “We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other…if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.” The party at the beginning represents society but underneath the happiness, society is rotten.
“The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving and “The Devil and Daniel Webster” by Stephen Vincent Benet are short stories that both have their own unique events about how the characters made deals with the devil. They also have different actions for the turning point in the story. The Character of Tom Walker and Jabes Stone both have unique lives and personalities which I think would brings a great topic to compare and contrast about. Tom and Jabez have different settings but then comes together to create similar events and outcomes.
This is the concept of collective responsibility. Priestley says, 'things could really improve if only people were to become more socially responsible for the welfare of others'. We have to confront our mistakes and learn from them. The play starts off with the Birling family celebrating their daughter's engagement to Gerald Croft. The family included Mr Birling, Mrs Birling, Eric Birling, Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft.
Wells, both of whom references are made to in the opening pages of the play. A lot of the tension in the play is between Birling and the Inspector, both of who are powerful figures in the household and are both vying for dominance, creating a lot of tension. This is symbolic of the global struggle between capitalism and socialism, the Inspector represents Priestley's socialist views, and Birling, the antithesis of the Inspector represents capitalist views, which is made clear through his speech "the interests of Capital steadily increasing prosperity." When the Inspector is there, Birling is very fast to drop the blame on someone else, insisting "I can't accept any responsibility" which is a complete contrast of what the Inspector says, telling the family to "share the blame among yourselves when I have left" This constant conflict, which is often at the heart of the dramatic genre itself, makes sure there is tension whenever the two characters are talking to each other. This conflict is not the only one within the play.
Bruce Catton highlights many differences between two significant military officers, Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, from the American Civil War in his essay, “Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts.” Although Catton compares the two generals and illustrates the disparity between their personalities and backgrounds, he allows the reader to see what Grant and Lee had in common. The two men were army generals who were also “marvelous fighters” with “fighting qualities” that “were really very much alike” (Catton 370). According to Catton, Grant and Lee had “the great virtue of utter tenacity and fidelity” (370). These two military officers also possessed this “indomitable quality” that showed how they both refused to give up during trying times
He uses the downfall of Eva Smith and a chain of events to demonstrate this. This leads to a very convincing and well-devised play, which puts across JB Priestley’s views clearly and precisely. In Edwardian Britain there was a great difference in the roles of men and women in society and the outlook of what and was not accepted differed substantially. A prime example of this in the play is when Mr Birling says ‘Nothing to do with you, Sheila.
The ultimate goal in life is to find love. Both “Senior’s” by Alberto Rios and “Last Night” by Sharon Olds present a theme that sex is not love. Yet, “Senior’s” shows how a person’s view of sex and love changes with maturity, while “Last Night” tells that love does not come with sex.
...ferent from their peers has isolated Bernard, Helmholtz, and John, it has also deepened their individuality. This scenario, at a lesser level, often plays out in modern day. People possess a natural desire to fit in and often are willing to forego individuality in order to do so. Though one may gain a facade of happiness as a result of fitting in, being truthful to oneself and expressing one’s free will allows for honest expression of individuality, a concept much greater than such a facade. A society without unique individuals is a society without humanity, and, as demonstrated through these characters’ experience, does not function. Ultimately, people must realize that individuality, knowledge, and raw emotion is more important to society than superficial happiness.
According to Elizabethan society, the center of Olivia’s dilemma with her marriage was ensuring her wealth, not marrying a man she loved (Joseph 170). Social class increases division among individuals in society. This play “ is not the story of a Juliet's or an Orlando's love .., but of the very realistic struggles and intrigues over the betrothal of a rich Countess, whose selection of a mate determines the future” (170). Readers looking past these boundaries created by class and gender, can find striking similarities in emotions characters have for each other. The personal struggles the characters face in this play demonstrate the obstacles that individuals faced because of their gender or place in the social hierarchy.
Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke were two of the most popular jazz artists of their times. These two men had the similarity of loving jazz music, however there were also many differences between the two. These two men had different lives growing up, Louis Armstrong grew up in a wealthy family, there was not struggle for him growing up while on the other hand Bix Beiderbecke grew up in a poor family and he had many struggles growing up in the streets of New Orleans. Then there were their musical styles, these men were known for their distinct musical styles. Louis Armstrong seemed to focus on hot jazz while Bix Beiderbecke focused more on a cool, reflective type of jazz. They seem to focus on two different things and this can be the reason
Angelina Grimke and Sojourner Truth were both prominent American civil rights activists of the 19th century who focused on the abolition of slavery and women’s rights issues, respectively. While both of these women challenged the societal beliefs of the United States at the time regarding these civil rights issues, the rhetorical strategies used by each of these women to not only illustrate their respective arguments but also to raise social awareness of these issues was approached in very different fashions. Angelina Grimke promoted the use of white middle-class women’s positions in the household to try to influence the decision makers, or men, around them. On the other hand, Sojourner Truth, a former slave turned women’s rights activist,
Margaret is an intelligent, articulate, and ambitious woman who desires to rise up in social status by marrying a man of higher social rank. She attends to those above her, in hopes of elevating her status as she becomes closer to the upper-class. As a minor character, she plays a small yet crucial role in advancing Don John’s plot to slander Hero and spoil her wedding. As a lower-class character, Margaret serves as a foil to the rich girls, particularly Hero, who embodies every attitude and mindset Margaret does not. But she also offers an alternative perspective on the upper-class characters in the play. Because Margaret is victimized because of her social ambitions, punished for wanting to rise above her ...
The captivity narrative is one of the first styles of literature that was ever birthed from the “new world.” This specific style of literature perfectly catered to what kind of information the folks in England were hungry for. It was real life accounts of an individual’s experience in a mysterious land that England wanted to read about. Scholars have debated whether some captivity narratives have been fabricated to adhere to what the public demanded however the majority of the narratives share the same exact traits as one another whether they are deemed trustworthy or not. The accounts of John Smith and Mary Rowlandson differ in degrees of authenticity, but both hold traits that are parallel with one another.
These two plays show dramatically the struggle for authoritative power over the characters lives, families, and societies pressures. The overall tragedy that befalls them as they are swept up in these conflicts distinctly portrays the thematic plot of their common misconception for power and control over their lives.
Hansel and Gretel is the tale of two children who get lost in the forest, and stumble upon a house made of sweets, where a witch resides. They are tricked into staying with the witch, before she shows her true colors, and tries to eat Hansel. In the end Gretel outsmarts the witch, and cooks her in and oven and frees her brother. A simple story, with a simple resolution. What happens when take that simple story and add in a ton of violence, gore, swearing, and guns? You get Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, a film that takes the concept and turns it into a funny action movie.
Personal writing can take several forms, descriptive and narrative being two examples. The two essays, "I Want a Wife" by Judy Brady and "Sister Flowers" by Maya Angelou are prime examples of such writing. Both stories were able to capture my attention and entertain me throughout their entirety. Choosing a preference is always going to be subjective; it is all a matter of how you like to take in information. In fact, personal choice is what inclines you towards a certain title as opposed to another. Some may like to envision their own details, while some rather the images chronicled for them. In fact, the crystal clear details given in a descriptive essay as compared to a narrative, set the two far apart. Although narrative essays can give details without as much wording, the vivid pictures painted by a descriptive essay such as "Sister Flowers" is a superior read since the details make the story come alive.