The Plot - Coketown is a grimy, smelly industrial town in northern
England, its houses and skies blackened by smoke from factory chimneys.
One of its leading citizens is Thomas Gradgrind, future member of Parliament
and governor of the local school.
The Plot
Coketown is a grimy, smelly industrial town in northern England, its
houses and skies blackened by smoke from factory chimneys. One of its
leading citizens is Thomas Gradgrind, future member of Parliament and
governor of the local school. Gradgrind lives with his wife and five
children, including the eldest, Louisa, and Tom, Jr.
When we first see Gradgrind, he is observing a typical class in his
school, taught by Mr. M'Choakumchild. Gradgrind lectures the teacher
on the school's philosophy: "Facts" are important, nothing else but
facts. All else is "fancy"- sentiment, imagination. Cecilia Jupe
("Sissy"), the daughter of an acrobatic rider and clown with a
traveling troupe of performers, is asked to define a horse. She can't,
but Bitzer, an ambitious student, can. His answer is based entirely on
fact.
Gradgrind later spies Louisa and young Tom outside the horse-riding
(circus) tent, trying to catch a glimpse of the performers. Shocked at
their interest in such frivolity, Gradgrind seeks the advice of his
friend, Josiah Bounderby, a banker and factory owner. They conclude
that it must be Sissy Jupe's influence that is responsible. They try
to find her father, but discover that he's deserted Sissy to prevent
her from seeing him lose his talents. Gradgrind offers to take care of
Sissy by bringing her into his household, hoping that Louisa will see
what happens to someone who was raised on fancy, not fact. Sissy
accepts his invitation.
Bound...
... middle of paper ...
...rrest Tom, Sleary helps the young
culprit escape to a port where he can sail to safety. Sleary offers
the final parting words of wisdom: people need amusement as much as
they need work.
The characters go on to their respective futures. Mrs. Sparsit will
live unhappily with her relative, Lady Scadgers. Bounderby will die of
a fit. A repentant Tom will die before he has a chance to return home.
Gradgrind will grow old, alienated from those who once shared his
philosophy. Rachael will continue to live in town, occasionally
helping a drunken wretch of a woman who shows up from time to time.
Sissy will marry and have children, but there is no such reward in
store for Louisa. She must be content with helping those less
fortunate than she. Nothing changes for the workers of Coketown. They
continue to be exploited from every side, all of life still "a
muddle."
Finally becoming convinced that life is unfair for his people, Tom decides to leave the family, find the union men, and work with them.
matter is that Tom was only acting in self defense. After a man came after Tom
“My crimey here think the way to go is more drugs. But I know better. I think making money is okay, but not making it just by dealing. You gotta go legit, at least for a minute. You gotta go state fresh, all the way live, if you wanna do anything worthwhile out here. Everybody thinks they can make crazy dollars, but they confused. It aint like that. I’ve seen co-caine bust many a head – they get fucked up and be clocking out after they find out they cannot find the key to understanding that mystery skied. But you know what? But-but0but you know what? They don’t have a clue. Word.” (Williams, 1989)
Tom Shiflet’s sinful nature is highlighted by both the Christian symbols present in the story and in the changing weather that accompanies his immoral act. A quiet life with Lucynell was not meant to be for Tom Shiflet, much to the dismay of Mrs. Crater. While Tom’s actions are by no means justified, one cannot overlook the fact that both these women were forcing Tom to change into something he was not. Tom was never meant to live the quiet married life, he was a drifter, a backcountry traveler who stopped to admire the sunset, and left under a cloud.
Uncle Tom disallowed his recognition as an authoritative figure to become egocentric. Tom prayed with, "touching simplicity" and "childlike earnestness" (Stowe 35). As Tom's character develops, the reader can identify the sincere humility, loyalty, and submission of his heart. Despite the austere conditions of the time, Tom uses his social gifts to be a light to those he comes in contact with.
The white institution of Christianity has been forced upon Tom since childhood to make him believe in the Puritanical tenet that individual suffering in life, guarantees a good tidings in death. Tom has been taught to read the Bible and believes that God will be with him everywhere he goes, even after he has been sold and separated from Aunt Chloe and the rest of his family. “I’m in the Lord’s hands,” said Tom; “nothin’ can go no furder than he lets it;--and thar’s one thing I can thank him for. It’s me that’s sold and going down, and you nur the chil’en. Here you’re safe; ---what comes will come only on me; and the Lord, he’ll help me,--I know he will,” (Stowe 81)...
...ough this act was very courageous, it was also extremely dangerous and ended up getting him shot and killed. Perhaps Tom would rather die than live in jail as an innocent man. Nevertheless, Tom was a very courageous character.
In the first few chapters of the book, we can already see just how spoiled Tom becomes due to his indulgent lifestyle. While Chambers is being fed “mush and milk,” Tom is being spooned “delicacies” with no limits (Twain 17). This leads Tom to always getting what he wants and bullying those who don’t comply to his rules. Although I might have thought this pampered lifestyle would fashion Tom into a strong and credible young man, much like a prince grows into the leader of a kingdom, it ended up ruining him into a weak and almost sickly child, with a character to match. Because Tom was always being ushered his life on a silver platter without lifting a finger, he later develops into someone who is unable to look after himself and solve his own problems. Later on in the book, we can most clearly see the effect of Tom’s upbringing onto himself after Roxy admits to Tom his true herita...
...panic” as they slip “precipitously from his control”(125). He feels nothing constructive, but he feels panic, which is a typical reaction to being unable to cope with one's surroundings and situations. It is this moment which affords us most clearly a view of how Tom has been consumed by his ambitions.
The first seven chapters of Tobacco Road paint a picture of the life of impoverished families in the American South between the 1920s and 1940s. Specifically, the story focuses on a family, the Lesters, and their struggle to establish a means of survival. The narrative also highlights the life of a coal miner, Lov Bensey, who is married to the Lesters’ youngest daughter. There are couple of overlying themes found in the first seven chapters, including: desperation, a lack of self control, and distrust.
“I couldn’t forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy — they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made… I shook hands with him; it seemed silly not to, for I felt suddenly as though I were talking to a child” (187-188).
“The Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson was a mix between two stories that overall worked well together. The stories worked together to convey the true overall meaning of the theme good versus evil. Good and evil are seen everywhere throughout the novel, even in the most obvious of places such as the title. Good and evil, dark and light, they all stand for the same thing. White is normally found to be pure and good. By the author naming the book, The Devil in the White City, he is trying to tell the reader that the novel is about how even in truly pure places evil will follow. Although, good and evil is the main theme of this novel, I found that if you look deeply into the way he tells the story, he is also trying to tell his reader about other themes. These other themes that you can find all throughout the book are things such as pride and determination. These other themes were very prominent and played very well into the plot and the theme of the story.
...iately afterwards. He knows he has done wrong and has to serve his time. If anything these two characters are alike; both fighting, killing, for the people they love.
think he will escape his fate , when there isn’t and actual chance to survive.
destructive. Tom felt that he could do anything he wanted and get away with it.