Use of Polarization in Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Opposites attract. James Hilton uses this fact in Goodbye, Mr. Chips to create tension in the story; however, he makes greater use of this polarization to develop the character of Chips. Mr. Chips and Katherine Bridges may be viewed not only as opposites but also as arguments. Hilton uses thesis in the form of young Chips and antithesis in the form of Katherine Bridges to arrive at synthesis, the personality and character of the mature schoolmaster.
Hilton portrays young Chips as lacking in confidence. During an interview, Chips, a schoolteacher in his early twenties, admits to Wetherby, the head of Brookfield, that disciplining young boys was not one of his strong points at Melbury, his previous school. Wetherby counsels Chips that "youth and age often combine well" and offers Chips a second chance at Brookfield, an old established school (4). At Brookfield Chips assumes a scowl and a no nonsense attitude to cover his inward nervousness. During the next ten years, Chips realizes that his discipline "although good enough ...
Explain the two conflicting attitudes the narrator has toward Gatsby. What is the effect of this paradox?
When looking at Jay Gatsby, one sees many different personalities and ideals. There is the gracious host, the ruthless bootlegger, the hopeless romantic, and beneath it all, there is James Gatz of North Dakota. The many faces of Gatsby make a reader question whether they truly know Gatsby as a person. Many people question what exactly made Jay Gatsby so “great.” These different personas, when viewed separately, are quite unremarkable in their own ways.
Through this character, Fitzgerald conveys a skeptical and logical, yet romantic and hopeful tone. This is shown by Nick’s cynical, but tender personality. “‘You can’t repeat the past.’ ‘Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’” (110; Ch. 6).This quote shows Nick’s logical look on life and how he believes these hopeless romantic ways of Gatsby’s will not always work . “You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.” (154; Ch. 8). Contrary to the previous quote, this quote shows Nicks admiration for Gatsby. This quote also may suggest that Nick wishes for something better; he longs for a love like Gatsby’s.This possible romantic side of Nick is also shown by his relationship with Jordan, “.... I put my arm around Jordan’s golden shoulder and drew her toward me and asked her to dinner.”(79;Ch. 4). Nick’s assessment and criticism toward Jordan, Tom, and Daisy also show his skeptical and logical outlook on others around him.This tone shows Nick’s struggle between being like the emotionless and careless people around him (like Tom) or to be his own hopeful and romantic man (following
The line of attack we use in order to identify individuals around us is an intriguing thing. Our perception is forever shifting, forever building, and affected not only by the person’s actions, but by the actions of those around them. In Scott F. Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby Nick Caraway’s perception of Jay Gatsby is always changing. All the way through the novel, Nick’s perception of Gatsby changes from him perceived as a rich chap, to a man that lives in the past, to a man trying to achieve his aspirations but has failed.
In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare and the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the objective is to divulge the quintessence of humanity. Although the protagonists in both works of literature have drastically different journeys that lead to climactic endings, the use of plot is to demonstrate that the essence of mankind is ultimately a tragedy if great care is not taken. Both Hamlet and Jay Gatsby are unable to focus on the reality of the situation, and rather waste valuable time focusing on simply the appearance of things. However, Hamlet is a character completely consumed by despair and ultimately believes that life is futile. In contrast, Gatsby is a character who is rather obsessive of achieving the American Dream, and winning the love of Daisy, and is decisively far too anticipative.
Appearance can be defined as a superficial aspect; a semblance; or pretending something is the case in order to make a good impression. Reality on the other hand can be defined as the state of being actual or real; the state of the world as it really is rather than as you might want it to be. It is undeniably noticeable that throughout Shakespeare’s Hamlet many characters are playing roles: acting rather than being. This unquestionably reminds the reader of reality, where a person can play various roles. In reality, as well as in the play, it is not always easy to distinguish what is true from what only appears to be true. Throughout Hamlet, Shakespeare illuminates the theme of appearance versus reality by portraying principal characters. The principal characters put on an act to conceal their true motives and use it to carry out that motivation as well.
He uses the specific to represent the general. Archetypes are an excellent way to do so, because they are one-dimensional. This leaves room for connection between the audience and the characters. One of the most apparent archetypes are the parents. Both Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Webb are the bread winners, and the mothers stay at home and take care of the house. The mothers are so similar, they even have the same morning routine. Mrs. Gibbs and Mrs. Webb both begin the morning with saying, “Time to get up” (p. 12 & 13), to their children. The families both have two tens and two pre-teens. George is the typical teenage boy; he loves baseball. When Emily asks her mother, “am I pretty?” (p. 31), she is acting like the average teenage girl who cares about her looks. Wilder also added in some minor characters who are archetypal. The town gossip, Mrs. Soames, was talking to Mrs. Gibbs about Simon Stimson, the town drunk: “To have the organist of a church drink and drunk year after year.” (p. 39). Even though these characters don’t appear very often, they add a realisticness to the town. Grover’s Corners residents have so little detail, but have just enough for the audience to make
William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is known as the best tragedy play of all times. Each one of the characters has their own unique personality, but some of them are very alike. Hamlet, the main character, and Laertes, one of the other leading roles, are very much alike but at the same time slightly different. Their experiences collide and they both make some decisions, which change their lives forever. Hamlet and Laertes both display impulsive reactions when angered.
Consider McMurphy and Mr. Keating, both characters are very similar in a multitude of ways. Neither of them is in charge as they are both under their respective antagonist, either being Nurse Ratched or Principle Nolan. However throughout the progression of each plot, they both teach and inspire either the patients or the students to become individuals. McMurphy gave the patients the ability to seize back the power from Nurse Ratched through showing them the way how, and teaching the patients that they are their own person and have their own rights. Mr. Keating teaches the students how to be outside the box, as shown when in class he strays from the regular methods of teaching and shows the students a truly out-of-the-box concept about life, “Carpe Diem.” Towards the final moments of the plot, both characters achieve a full commitment to their cause that eventuates in self-sacrifice. McMurphy is lobotomized and Mr. Keating is fired from Welton Academy. However similarly in both plots, after both characters sacrifices themselves they pass on what they have learned and allowed others to beat their struggle for independence. Chief leaves the institution and the students stand up against Principle Nolan with what they believe in. Weir and Kesey use these characters to inspire and support those who struggle for independence and use their characterization as a technique to do so.
Fitzgerald uses the foreshadowing of the dead end relationship of Gatsby and Daisy to further represent the corruption of Gatsby’s American Dream. Fitzgerald uses irony in “The Great Gatsby” to convey information to the reader which also allows the reader to depict an opinion about certain characters and links the writer and reader in a privileged view of the characters and events. In the character of Jordan Baker, Fitzgerald frequently deploys and ironic tone in the characterization of his minor but significant character. Though she is a minor character, Jordan plays a significant role in conveying the behaviors and values of an East Egg resident – she hates ‘careless people’ but she is a ‘rotten driver’, the irony is that Jordan is hypocritical and is depicted as a careless, dishonest and arrogant character who moves her golf ball from a ‘bad lie in the semi-final’ but claims to be disgusted with those who are much like her. Though Jordan lives the glamorous, independent life she contributes to the theme of the decline of morality leading to the corruption of the American
Procrastination is many people’s weakness. It is the action of delaying or postponing something. The definition seems simple but it is not easy to overcome. Procrastination makes easy things hard, hard things harder. Sometimes we will even give up and never put into practice. The real tragedy of Hamlet was caused by Hamlet’s procrastination. Many people’s lives were destroyed by Hamlet’s delayed vengeance including him.
Prince Hamlet is depressed. Having been summoned home to Denmark from school in Germany to attend his father’s funeral, he is shocked to find his mother Gertrude already remarried. The Queen has wed Hamlet’s Uncle Claudius, the dead king’s brother. To Hamlet, the marriage is “foul incest.” Worse still, Claudius has had himself crowned King despite the fact that Hamlet was his father’s heir to the throne. Hamlet suspects foul play.
Comedy and tragedy are two totally opposing genres but both have been very successful during the Elizabethan period. Several plays were written to help people to be instructed in a general way and to purge their emotions through the laughing in comedy or the crying in the tragedy. Among the writers of tragic plays, there was Shakespeare with one of his most famous play The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Regarding comedy, John Lyly takes the myth of Endymion in his courtly comedy Endymion, the Man in the Moon. Starting from these two plays this essay will look at the boundaries that allow defining and distinguishing between tragedy and comedy as well as their importance at the time. Tragedy and comedy stand out mainly by the fact that one of these genres makes people cry and the other makes them laugh. The boundary between the two is not always easy to distinguish, since a play can be considered as a comedy without being funny, simply because it has a happy ending. The issue here is to contrast these two genres to better draw the border between them.
Many writers make the use of stereotypes in their novels to add texture/ dimension/ familiarity to their work. Discuss/ describe a minor character in the novel. What does he/ she bring to the novel (humor, drama, contrast, controversy...)? A minor character would be Mildred; she brings hate to the novel. She also causes change to Guy; she causes him to have hate towards others and to get every thing you want. Another minor character bringing change to the novel would be the seventeen-year-old girl named, Clarisse McClellan. She causes change to Guy buy changing the way he thought and help him open his eyes. Is this stereotype DYNAMIC (one-dimensional but changing) or STATIC (one-dimensional and unchanging)? This stereotype is DYNAMIC. Which character do you empathize with the most? Explain. If I had to pick a character that empathizes the most with me, it would have to Guy Montage. Because throughout his life he believes that what he is doing with the books is right, but he finds out that it isn't, and he has to change everything that he believes, and live a new life from what he is living now. I had a similar change and it changed my life, the way I believed on certain topics. Which character do you dislike the most? Why? The character I dislike the most would have to be Mildred Montage, because she is so selfish and has to get whatever she wants. If you were handed a $250,000,000 budget and the services of Steven Spielberg as director, who would you cast as the main characters in your film version of the book?