First published in 1965, The Crying of Lot 49 is the second novel by American author Thomas Pynchon. The novel follows Oedipa Mass, a young Californian housewife, after she unexpectedly finds herself named the executrix of the estate of Californian real estate mogul, and ex-boyfriend, Pierce Inverarity. In reflecting on their history together, Oedipa recalls how her travels with Pierce helped her acknowledge, but not overcome, the poignant feeling that she was being held paralyzed and isolated from the world (and others) within a staid, middle-class existence by some invisible and nefarious external force. Moreover Oedipa struggles to understand why Pierce would name her the executor of his will considering her deep ignorance of finance, law, real estate, and who he was as a person (by virtue of her isolation). Despite these reservations, Oedipa accepts the dubious honor, traveling down into San Narciso, the Southern Californian city at the heart of Pierce’s extensive holdings. A series of improbable coincidences lead her to begin investigating a potential conspiracy centred on an underground communication network called The Tristero. As Oedipa delves deeper into the investigation she begins to question her own sanity. The mounting evidence affirming the Tristero’s existence, like the prevalent sightings of its emblem, a muted version of a post horn, is inextricably tied to Pierce’s estate holdings. Thus, Oedipa has to confront her growing sense paranoia that suggests the whole investigation is either a figment of her imagination, or (far worse) a manipulative ruse being imposed upon her by some unknown external entity (Pierce? The Tristero itself?). Pynchon uses Oedipa’s quest across San Narciso in search of the Tristero to artic... ... middle of paper ... ...easure of entropy is zero because the expected result can be predicted with absolute certainty. The coin always shows heads. Meanwhile, the measure of entropy for the toss of a coin manipulated to make heads more likely than tails, or vice versa, exceeds the entropy for a double-sided coin toss, since the new coin has two possible outcomes. However, the measure of entropy for a fair coin toss exceeds that of the manipulated coin toss, even though they share the same number of possible outcomes (heads, tails), because the equal likelihood that the results will turn up heads or tails for the fair coin adds an extra degree of uncertainty. Thus, in information theory, the measure of entropy increases as the number of possible outcomes increase, but decreases if the probabilities skew expectations in favor one possible outcome occurring over the others.
Sophia's war is about a young girl living in the revolutionary times. Her dad was a printer at a shop ran by a man named Mr. Gaine. Her mother is a very typical one for the time. She does not work or make any money for the family, so the father is the one who is keeping a roof over the family's head. Her brother, William, is a very patriotic person. He taught Sophia how to read, write and taught her all about america and his love for it. They live in New York. An area that at the time was being ran by red coats, or loyalists. Anyone rebellious figure living in that area, would have to hid. However William went off to fight for america and freedom. He was not seen for quite some time. One day her family is forced to leave because there was rumors of a fleet of red coats ransacking people home for any evidence of patriotism. Having gathered all of their belongings they fled the house in a bee line. After hiding overnight, Sophia's father told her mother and her that they needed to go back by themselves. That the red coats would not hurt a woman and child. One the way back home Sophia witnessed the hanging of Nathan Hale, a patriot who greatly inspired the american dream. This hanging greatly affected Sophia, and her beliefs in america.
“Good Country People,” is a classic example of the use of irony as a technique for imbuing a story with meaning. Irony works on many different levels through the piece. Examples of this range from O’ Connors use of clearly ironic dialogue to the dramatic irony that unfolds between Manley and Joy-Hulga. However the most obvious examples can be found in O’Connor’s characterization of these, “Good Country People.” The technique of irony is applied prominently to the character’s names and behaviors to present the contradictions between their expectations and their reality. O’Connor uses her characters to explore common notions regarding, “good” and “bad” people. Using their expectations for one another, O’Connor ultimately expose their literal and figurative, “deformities.” Like Joys wooded leg the Irony in, “Good Country People,” embodies that which is hollow and contrived in its characters.
Why can a plant not grow in the shade? When a population is kept in the dark, no progress is made. One example of a community kept in ignorance is from the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand, a place where there is total control by the government. This technology deprived world insinuates that science and technology can spur rebellion, division, and change, showing that technological progress develops from the freedom of oppression.
According to Ty Kiisel, writer for Forbes magazine, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” (Kiisel). In the book Ragged Dick by Horatio Alger, Alger portrays a young New York boot black in the 1860s. Dick rises to become the embodiment of the American Dream through, as Kiisel notes, who he knows. Ragged Dick builds many relationships with upper-class men, fellow boot blacks, and even builds connections within himself, all while keeping his morality in check. The relationships that Ragged Dick forms are what make him achieve the American Dream.
War and Grief in Faulkner’s Shall Not Perish and The Unvanquished. It is inevitable when dealing regularly with a subject as brutal as war, that death will occur. Death brings grief for the victim’s loved ones, which William Faulkner depicts accurately and fairly in many of his works, including the short story “Shall Not Perish” and The Unvanquished.
Society in the 1950 was dramatizing, this is the time were world war two was going, manufacturing conformity and the great depression, so there were some transitions that had been made in order to keep a substantial life. In the film The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, there are different subjects that take place, talking about the dramatic change in an individual that took place during the world war two and how it affected him and his family. In the book Packerd the Status Seeker gives you a variety on the different class behavior in America and the hidden barriers that affect you, and the people that surround you that also focus on changes in work, family, and consumer culture. Although it may seem that having a nuclear family, a decent paying job, and the experience of being a part of the army, you are still place in the lower class of society. Little did we know that postwar in the 1950’s would give you so many mix emotions some days were happy, anxious and some days were fearful and content.
War in itself can affect many people in many different ways, wives take on twice the responsibility, and mothers mourn the loss of their child’s innocence. At the time of this novel there had been no research on what happens when you return from war. Kurt Vonnegut in Slaughterhouse-Five touches on how it is to deal with this mental illness before it was diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder. The author uses science fiction’s raw intensity to alter Billy Pilgrim’s imagination after he returns from the war. As he is a victim of this undiagnosed mental illness, he uses science fiction’s effect on him as a coping mechanism. Through the experiences of Billy Pilgrim, Kurt Vonnegut explores the powerful impact science fiction had on a vulnerable
Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing written by; Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle, Eighth Edition, published April, 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin’s, is a textbook about writing and critical thinking. In the first chapter of Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing, “Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths”, the Authors begin by setting a relatable scene of what it’s like for a college student. How a new found independence can be overwhelming, especially with regards to critical thinking, showing that what we have learned, needs to be re-evaluated and that an open mind in essential. "What Is Critical Thinking" In this section of the chapter the editors explain what it means to be a critical thinker. They explain that critical thinking is not just studying dates and facts, but rather taking those facts and examining them. The editors then proceed by explaining how having an open mind, and taking others' perspectives into account when formulating our own opinions on what the author is trying to say to us is important. A critical thinker takes all aspects into account and reflects on personal experience as well. The editors also point out that different cultural experiences bring different opinions. They suggest that we need to become active learners, continuously questioning the meaning behind everything, testing not only the theories of others but also our own experiences and analyzing the text rather than going for the obvious. They show that thinking outside the box is the epitome of critical thinking. Basically, we need to step outside our comfort zones and what we have always been taught. The editors also suggest that we need to re-evaluate our per...
The poem “America” by Tony Hoagland reflects on how peoples’ minds are clouded by small-scale items, money, and the unimportance of those items. Metaphors and imagery are utilized to emphasize the unimportance of materialistic items in America. How America is being flooded with unnecessary goods. The poem uses examples of people to create an example and connection to the overall meaning.
Poems are forms of communication that give an applicable view of the past, present and future events. Reading the poem titled “America”, written by Richard Blanco brought me memories from my childhood in my parent’s house and also what is happening now in my house as a parent. The poem explains how one person doesn’t have all the knowledge about something. It also, describes the daily life struggles I experienced during my childhood, when my parent 's and I moved from our hometown to live in another town becuase of their work and it brings to light the conflict of cultures I and my children are going through since we moved to United State of America .
In the novel, Anthem, written by Ayn Rand takes place when mankind has entered another dark age. A man named Equality 7-2521 lives in a society where he struggles to live equal within the brotherhood. In the world he lives in people are told they exist only for the sake of serving society, and have no other purpose. Therefore, each individual is assigned a vocation as a permanent life career which determines who they socialize and live with. However, Equality being very different from his brothers, believes in individualism and rejects the collectivism society around him. The concept of individualism vs collectivism is portrayed in the story because individuality is unknown to the people where no one is unique or excellent in any way. The people
In John Cheever's story The Swimmer, Neddy Merrill is a successful man. His success is measured by the prestigious neighborhood he lives in with tennis, golf and swimming pools. Neddy has made it socially and financially. He is never without an invitation to social events, which always include drinking. He is at the top of his game. While attending the party at the Westerhazy's house with his wife, he has the desire to swim home. He sees the line of swimming pools that stretch eight miles to his home, he calls them the “Lucinda River” (297) . He is a confident man and thought "of himself as a legendary figure" (250-251). He dives in and when he gets out on the other side, he informs his wife he is swimming home. Cheever uses each pool that Neddy visits to show the passage of time in Neddy's life, and reveals how his alcoholism, infidelity and continual denial of his actions led to the destruction of his American dream.
The America Dream is defined in general as a dream of a land that is better richer for everyone based on accomplishment and opportunity. This dream is usually sought after by people who have been deprived of their social and human values. People who have not been able to achieve this dream based on restrictions of their situations that plague their lives. These situations can be different for everyone, race, sex, handicap, etc. My question is this goal obtainable? To me there is one thing that powers this dream a desire to be of higher class, socially and financially. The one thing that drives this monster concept of the American dream has always been around since the beginning of time. In “The Lost Beautifulness” by Anzia Yezierska and “The Gilded Six-Bits” by Zora Neale Hurston this power is the source of main conflict in these stories. Money it all comes down to money, no matter what you think the American dream is the true definition is money. Money plays the biggest role in society no matter where you are, you either have it or you don’t. People come to America because it is the richest country in the world. In my comparison of these stories you will see what money does to cause conflict with Hanneh Hayyeh and Joe. The American dream can be categorized into many definitions, but behind them all one thing stands MONEY.
Capitalism, according to John Galt, is "mutual trade to mutual advantage," (Rand Atlas Shrugged 989) or as Adam Smith put it: "[trade] by mutual consent and to mutual advantage." In true capitalism, the economy is strictly separated from the state, just as there is a separation between church and state in the USA. This basic tenet of capitalism describes the only economic system that can be morally justifiable. Communism, fascism, socialism, dictatorships and "regulated capitalism" are all systems that breach upon an individual's basic rights, while capitalism respects and recognizes a man's right to control the product of his mind. In her philosophical treatise Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand uses fictional characters and events to dramatize the only economy that is consistent with man's rights and virtues.
Kurt Vonnegut is not a typical author. Vonnegut is not afraid to talk about subjects that most find socially unacceptable to talk about. Throughout the novel, he speaks his opinion on how he has lost all hope in humanity. How the human race is ignorant and has ruined the earth. Vonnegut states on page one-hundred, “Some people are born deaf, some are born blind or whatever, and this book is about congenitally defective human beings of a sort that is making this whole country and many other parts of the planet go completely haywire nowadays.” In A Man Without A Country by Kurt Vonnegut, he tackles subjects that most find to hard to talk about. He covers topics such as religion, the environment, and the government.