Pygmalion and Educating Rita: Language and Identity This essay is based on the reading of two literary plays, George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion and Willy Russell’s Educating Rita. Language and identity are two expressions that need to be explained. English is the official language in several countries; Chinese is the language spoken by Chinese people and Danish is how Danes speak. But languages could also be described as different ways of talking due to social background, education, profession
Colonial Language in Shakespeare's The Tempest and Aime Cesaire's A Tempest Language and literature are the most subtle and seductive tools of domination. They gradually shape thoughts and attitudes on an almost subconscious level. Perhaps Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak states this condition most succinctly in her essay "The Burden of English" when she writes, "Literature buys your assent in an almost clandestine way...for good or ill, as medicine or poison, perhaps always a bit of both"(137). By
Function of Language in Baby of the Family and Black Girl Lost African American literature is a genre that has, in recent years, grown almost exponentially. African American novels such as Tina McElroy Ansa's Baby of the Family and Donald Goines' Black Girl Lost are increasingly becoming more popular with the public. Baby of the Family is a wonderfully written "coming of age novel" ("Reviews 2") about a young girl named Lena McPherson as she grows up and must learn to deal with her extraordinary
species to arise. Language has also evolved and changed over the years to fit different means of society. I argue that nowadays modern English is vague and not really used effectively by not only individuals but also politicians. Language nowadays lacks meaning and imagery and instead consist of words and phrases that are attached together. In “Politics and Language” by George Orwell, he also argues that the language utilized by political parties is vague and incompetent language is used to remain
The aim of this essay is to explore language acquisition and compare and contrast different theories of language acquisition and language development. Language in its most basic form is used to communicate our needs and wants. It encompasses a range of modes of delivery including signing, spoken and written words, posture, eye contact, facial expressions and gestures. So how do we learn ‘language’? Are we born with the skills for communication, or is it something that we have to learn or have taught
Since the beginning of civilization, language has been used as a powerful weapon and tool to not only control and manipulate others but also to provide a sense of security among members of a society; the perceived importance of language is clearly evident among character’s interchanges in both the novel The Word Exchange and the movie Arrival, in which words are used both in conflict resolution and in manipulation. The Word Exchange is written from two different perspectives, one that belongs to
Comparing the Use of Language in Titus Andronicus and Hamlet As characters of high birth and important political positions, Titus and Hamlet are necessarily observed closely by those around them for their reaction to the tragic events that have taken in place in their lives; and it is primarily the unique language with which they express their grief and anger that disconcerts both their enemies and their friends, and keeps them under an exacting scrutiny for the duration of their eponymous plays
Comparing Wordsworth's Ode to Duty and Elegiac Stanzas A past attitude is reverted to and revised in Wordsworth's "Ode to Duty" and "Elegiac Stanzas." Employing geographic metaphors, both celestial and earth-bound, the poems climb over rocky Wordsworthian terrain that details his reconciliation between past and present and implications of the future. Though vastly different stylistically‹"Ode to Duty" utilizes an antiquated verse form and language, while "Elegiac Stanzas" is written in Wordsworth's
Browning uses repetition, flowery language, and strategic role play to expose her regard for man’s perception of love. The narrator repeatedly pleads the phrase “Love me,” followed by his conditions, which are painted with adored language such as “with thine azure eyes, Made for earnest grantings.” For the narrator, the purpose of the poem is to request love; more specifically, it’s a demand for love, but Browning equips the narrator with a begging tone and flattering language, lightening his demand...
any correlation between the two, whereas the latter, voicing man’s dependence on G-d, optimistically surmises the crossover a restoration of our natural haven. Frost utilizes "West-Running Brook" as a catalyst towards an insightful philosophy comparing human existence to a west-running brook. The westward direction of the brook informs the reader of the poem’s focus on death due to the inherent archetypal associations between death and the sunset, which occurs in the west. "Running" and a stylistically
Comparing Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World In Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Huxley’s Brave New World, the authoritative figures strive for freedom, peace, and stability for all, to develop a utopian society. The Utopian society strives for a perfect state of well-being for all persons in the community, and over-emphasizes this factor, where no person is exposed to the reality of the world. As each novel progresses we see that neither society possesses family values nor attempts
Comparing Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and Invisible Man The Black Revolution has occurred for quite some time and in many different ways, the most prominent being in literature. Two primary examples of the struggle and yearn for change among African Americans include Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, the autobiography of Frederick Douglass and Invisible Man, a novel written by Ralph Ellison. Although both have the same foundation, the difficult
ordinary and simple. William Bradford wrote in what is considered the 'plain style.' This form of writing was used by many Puritan authors and was thought to be direct and to the point. The plain style consisted of simple sentences and everyday used language. It never had figures of speech and especially not any imagery. A good example of this style is found in the passage from Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation, "They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses against
Comparing Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl What provokes a person to write about his or her life? What motivates us to read it? Moreover, do men and women tell their life story in the same way? The answers may vary depending on the person who answers the questions. However, one may suggest a reader elects to read an autobiography because there is an interest. This interest allows the reader to draw from the narrator's
Comparing Beowulf and A Knight's Tale In the stories of Beowulf and A Knight's Tale, there are many different themes. One of the major themes is the religion that runs through both of them, yet both stories have a very different view of religion. In Beowulf, it seems as if God has chosen where our life will end and where it will begin, everything happens by the will of God in a fair and just way. In The Knight's Tale, we see Greek gods playing with the characters and when they "play" with
Crime in Beloved, Crime and Punishment, and Utopia To begin with an omniscient and philosophical frame of reference, crime is only defined as crime by the society defining it. When a mass of human beings coagulate to¬ gether and form a civilized society, they are bound to make rules and laws to follow and bide by; for laws are one of the cornerstones of a civilized society. If there were no laws, society would be uncivilized and in a chaotic state of anarchy. These laws are decided
Similarities in Conrad's The Secret Sharer and Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad's books, The Secret Sharer and Heart of Darkness, both deal with each of our "dark selves". These books also have similarities which are overwhelming. In describing the true inner self of humans, Conrad used many symbols which have become apparent in many of his novels. Conrad uses the same or very similar objects in many of his works. Joseph Conrad wrote Heart of Darkness in 1899 to recount his voyages
The Great Gatsby and Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock So often, it seems, life can seem like a "patient etherized on the table" (Eliot, 3). Be it the apparent futility of existence as a whole, or the insecurity of those single moments of doubt; life is often fleeting. I believe life is best described as a fickle beast, always elusive; always turning down some new and unexpected road. This fleeting life is what both Jay Gatsby of The Great Gatsby and Alfred J. Prufrock of "Love Song of Alfred J
Comparing Themes in Cat’s Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five Throughout his career, Kurt Vonnegut has used writing as a tool to convey penetrating messages and ominous warnings about our society. He skillfully combines vivid imagery with a distinctly satirical and anecdotal style to explore complex issues such as religion and war. Two of his most well known, and most gripping, novels that embody this subtle talent are Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse-Five. Both books represent Vonnegut’s genius for
Culture in Everyday Use, A & P, and Blue Winds Dancing Alice Walker, John Updike, and Tom Whitecloud write stories in which culture plays an important role in many aspects of the conflict. In each story, a particular ethnic, occupational, social, gender, or age group's culture may be observed through characters' actions, thoughts, and speech. The decisions the characters make to resolve these conflicts in Everyday Use, A & P, and Blue Winds Dancing are affected by the characters cultural experiences