The lumber-room Essay Example for Free

The lumber-room Essay She starts of in the story looking at the world in a nice light and talking about fantasy creatures, also how nice her life will be when she grows up, gets a job has kids and a beautiful loving husband the usual 13 15 year old female dream. Then she meets Kerry Stevenson and decides from things other people have said that he is not a very nice person. Then she meets Mrs Rutter and decides she is a innocent sweet old lady, she is in fact not very nice and leaves a German pilot in the woods for two days to die a slow pain full death. The story follows a stereotypical approach to looking at old and young people, these stereotypes soon change as you find more about the characters, as the story goes on Mrs Rutter describes how she left a pilot to die as an act of revenge and Kerry turns out to be quite humane and kind lad. At the end of this story, she is walking home and decides that everything is not as it seems and that not every one is stereotypical. I prefer the lumber-room because of its happier out look on life a carefree childish approach to life, also the way Nicolas out smarts his aunt is amusing and made me laugh. The book formed strong pictures in my mind and was enjoyable and easy to read I believe that the darkness out there uses to much symbolism to convey its point, also the lumber-room is much easier to read less description, more action and lets get down to the facts. In the lumber room the only really long descriptive part, is the part where the hunts man is hunting the stag and is himself being followed by some wolves he doesnt take this at face value and makes the story behind the tapestry much more complex than it actually is. I feel he can identify with the hunts man, as he has also hunted his aunty in his own childish way. I think this is an excellent piece of descriptive writing and describes a young Childs imagination very well, he looks at the tapestry and sees past the plane facts and even comes back to comment on it later saying that he thinks the wolves will eat the stag while the hunts man runs from the wolves. In addition the plot is nowhere as near sinister or riveting, as the darkness out there. This story uses lots of light, dark contrasts to show that things are either a bad or good memories, when she walks down by packers end theres a shadow that falls on her and it gets colder, using metaphors to describe her feelings as a physical feeling rather than a emotional one. The darkness and light story left me feeling sad miserable proving grown ups to be fallible and weak, where as the lumbar room story made me feel alive, excited and amused wanting to read more of his antics.

Existentialist Views on Death Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Existentialist Views on Death What is Existentialism? Existentialism is a philosophy developed chiefly in the 20th century that attempts find meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. The central theme of existentialism is that an individual must assume all responsibilities for his or her acts of free will without any absolute knowledge of what is right or wrong. Existentialism analyzes this somewhat dismal situation mankind has been thrown into, and produces a model for how an individual should live his or her life. However, why should someone attempt to live a life of morals and meaning in a cold and indifferent world? An analysis of existentialist views on death may lead to an answer to this question. A Brief History of Existentialism Existentialism developed from the ideas of Rene Descartes and his contemporary Blaise Pascal. Pascal rejected the rationalist attempt of Descartes to explain God and humanity, seeing that a systematic philosophy presuming this knowledge was a form of pride. He instead described life, like later existentialist writers, in terms of paradoxes (Akram). Soren Kierkegaard, the first philosopher to refer to himself as existential, developed a philosophy in reaction to the absolute idealism of G. W. F. Hegel. Instead of claiming a rational understanding of the human situation, Kierkegaard stressed the ambiguity and absurdity of it. He asserted that the only way to survive in this situation is for an individual to lead a totally committed life, where this commitment could only be understood by the individual. A person must be prepared to defy social norms in order to serve the higher authority of a personally valid way of life. Being a Christian, Kierkegaard advocated that this commitment sh... ...s are lacking. One fears his or her inevitable finiteness for fear of being unable to transcend existence. These fears cause anxiety, which eventually leads to the reality that ultimate despair means necessary existence. This gives mankind courage to realize its finitude and mobilizes it into action. By fighting death, man will eventually find a satisfactory way to transcend it. Works Cited Akram, Tanweer. Existentialism. 18 January 1991. 6 March 2001. http://www.columbia.edu/~ta63/exist.htm. Green, Celia. The Human Evasion. 6 March 2001. http://www.deoxy.org/evasion/toc.htm. Kemerling, Garrth. Philosophy Pages. 1997-2001. 6 March 2001.http://www.philosophypages.com/. Koestenbaum, Peter. The Vitality of Death. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Company, 1971. Pratt, Alan. Nihilism. 1999. 6 March 2001. http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/n/nihilism.htm.

Compare/Contrast Emily Rose Roderick Usher Essay

Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† and William Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily† are two examples of Gothic literature. There are many characteristics of Gothic literature ghostly settings, glumness, and evil predominant over good. All of these traits exist in both stories. Gothic literature was more often than not set in an old building, house, or castle that depicted human decomposition, which formed a feeling of unknown and apprehension. William Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, and Edgar Allen Poe’s â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†, both use gothic elements of technique in relating the exterior in order to reflect the grimness these characters feel. The main characters of both stories, Emily, and Roderick both attribute similar characteristics since both stories are of similar Gothic literature. Although both main character deal with Gothic storyline and death there is a lot that the two do not have in common. The title â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† not only pertains to the collapse of the mansion but also to the lingering family members living within the building, and in this case mirrors the characteristics of Roderick. â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher,† starts off on a â€Å"†¦ dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year†¦. † The reader right off the bat is attentive of the grim sense of fester and death. Roderick’s childhood friend (the narrator) explains, â€Å"a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded spirit† as he came closer to the house. Many similarities link the character to the physical attributes of the gothic house throughout the story. On the other hand Emily, in â€Å"A Rose for Emily† had a â€Å"big, squarish frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies, set on what had once been our most select street. † Throughout her seventy-five years Miss Emily’s house went from a beauty to â€Å"an eyesore among eyesores. † She along with Roderick by the end of their lives were living in old, dark, decaying mansion with spider webs and dust everywhere. Although both of these characters have very similar environments they had different views when it came to death. Roderick’s character is accepting the death of his sister, repenting and not mad, while Emily is not regretful and not in her right mind. ? Lady Madeline, Roderick’s sister by incest, becomes very ill and dies leaving Roderick as the last of the family. Roderick puts her into a tomb in his house and he later comes to find out that she is not dead. On the contrary, Emily, finds out that Homer, her lover was either homosexual or â€Å"not the marrying type† she uses arsenic, rat poison, to kill him so she wasn’t being abandoned by him. Therefore Roderick lost his lover due to illness, so he thinks, and Emily murders hers so she doesn’t have to be alone. Both characters have a skewed perception on love and relationships, which makes them similar. Roderick has unnatural relationships with his family. Him and his twin sister and the only two left of the Usher family and he is in love with her. Roderick doesn’t have a relationship to society he has no friends. He also does not have much of a relationship with nature; nature ceases to exist around his home. Black water, and decaying tree trucks surround it. He also has an unnatural relationship with his own mind. His mind and body are at war with each other. He is very sensitive to light, he can’t take noise and he only can eat very bland food. When a human being has no support system at all they go crazy. Emily had very unnatural relationships. She was controlled by her father, and was not allowed to go out with anyone. She didn’t know what love was so she clung to her father and held on to what she knew. When her father passed she searched for love and found Homer, she wanted him there all the time. This relationship was very twisted because when she found out he did not want her she killed him and slept with his corpse every night so she didn’t feel abandoned. After she passed many people came to her funeral â€Å"the men through a sort of respectful affliction†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The difference between Roderick and Emily was she had known by people in her town but had not seen them or spoken to them â€Å"in at least ten years. † Even with some similarities, there are many differences between the Roderick and Emily. One case in point is their madness level. It is apparent that neither Roderick nor Emily is in their right minds but it also very apparent that Emily is absolutely delusional. Roderick is alone since his sister â€Å"died† and has no one, like I stated before when you have no support system whatsoever it is only a matter of time before you loose your mind. Roderick does grieve over his sisters â€Å"death† and takes care of her body respectfully by putting her inside of the tomb. When Roderick finds out his sister is still alive he ends up dying with her in his arms from pure shock. †¦then with a low moaning cry, fell heavily inward upon the person of her brother, and in a violent and now final death-agonies, bore him to the floor a corpse, and a victim to the terrors he had anticipated. † Emily on the other hand lives in a state of denial. She doesn’t pay bills or taxes, she doesn’t realize that colonel is dead, she refuses to number her house, her house is very old and doesn’t fit in the town, and she still has china paintings. She murders her â€Å"lover† and continues to sleep with his corpse and see’s nothing wrong with anything she is doing. She is down right insane. She was not seen as a monster because she had never seen love and she was just trying to hold on to what she perceived as love. Both of these characters were in extreme psychological states but in the â€Å"Fall of the House of Usher† Roderick states, â€Å"I have no abhorrence of dangers, except in its absolute effect—in terror. † By this he tries to explain himself as a frightened and misconstrued man, not a crazed lunatic. This confirms the conclusion of repentance. Emily shows no shame by keeping the man she murdered and continuously sleeping with his corpse. She believes she has done no wrong and that he was wrong for wanting to leave her. Roderick nonetheless feels saddened when he believes that his sister passed away and when he finds out that she was still alive he feels shocked, guilty, and shameful. His sister was all he had and he did not want her to leave him just like Emily did not want Homer to leave her but Roderick was not a murderer unlike Emily. Wrapping up, there are many comparisons between Roderick and Emily, as well as many, discrepancies between the two characters. They both had no sense of time, they both were in extreme psychological states, they both had skewed ideas of love, they both had very unnatural relationships, and they both lived in old Gothic mansions. The underlying meaning of both of these stories had to do with death and both of these characters ending up dying at the end of the story. In conclusion there were more similarities than differences but when you read more into the stories the characters were very different in many ways.

Essay on Salvation Through Human Suffering in Crime and...

Salvation Through Human Suffering in Crime and Punishment â€Å"All men must suffer, and salvation can not be obtained unless this suffering is present† (Boland, p.4). All of the characters in the novel experience some sort of internal or external suffering. The main character, Raskolnikov, must grow and realize this in order to overcome his conflicts and reach the salvation of peace within. Dostoevsky’s concentration and focus is on why suffering must exist and how this suffering can be conquered. This is found to be true because in the six sections of the novel, only one is focused on the crime, and the remaining five are concentrated on Raskolnikov’s journey to overcome his suffering. This is the beginning of the punishment. By†¦show more content†¦Rodya believed that if he were extraordinary, he could commit any crime and walk away from it indifferent. One might find that Rodya’s ideas are somehow correlated to the beliefs of Soren Kierkegaard . Kierkegaard believed that truth is both power and suffering. â€Å"The existential man ‘believes’ that life has no meaning, no substance, and no path for happiness. He is the man who knows and accepts that all things good and evil exist, including suffering. This is why the existential man is indifferent toward the benefits and consequences of life (Hong, p. 67). What Rodya didn’t realize was that, â€Å"no matter what – man suffers† (Kierkegaard, p. 190). Rodya thought, because he was an extraordinary man, that he could avoid the truth which would also mean avoiding suffering. It is not until he confesses and is in Siberia serving his sentence that he finds some redemption from his suffering. There can be comparisons to the suffering of Svidrigailov and the suffering of life is suicide. Raskolnikov did not avoid suffering, he was able to conquer it. Before his crime he asked the question, â€Å"Will this crime serve a noble purpose†, (p. 75) he also asks â€Å"do I dare commit this murder and therefore prove myself to be a man by proving that my will is strong?† (p. 76) It is after this that he commits the crime that the suffering begins. Unlike Svidrigailov, Rodya overcomes his pain through salvation with the help of Sonia. Rodya suffers because he is notShow MoreRelated Guilt, Suffering, Confession and Redemption in Crime and Punishment2977 Words   |  12 PagesGuilt, Suffering, Confession and Redemption in Crime and Punishment  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   You keep lying! screamed Raskolnikov, no longer able to restrain himself. Youre lying, you damned clown! And he flung himself on Porfiry, who retired to the doorway, but without a trace of panic. I understand everything, everything! He approached Porfiry. Youre lying and taunting me so Ill give myself away- You cant give yourself away any more than you have already, Rodion Romanovich, old man. Why,Read MoreOld Norse Literary Traditions : Causes And Consequences Of Gothic Literature1547 Words   |  7 Pagesprotagonist suffering punishment for failing â€Å"to observe the heroic code†, references to the supernatural including â€Å"soothsayers, ghosts, incantations, gory imagery, and the eagerness of a bloody death†, and using the human body as a medium to explore â€Å"social issues such as aristocratic privilege, as well as traditional institutions such as the church† through â€Å"pain, discipline, and control of the body†(Monnet). Addition ally, â€Å"writers of the literary Gothic showed Catholic oppression of human nature asRead MoreThe Role of Marmelodov in Fyodor Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment978 Words   |  4 PagesDostoevskys novel, Crime and Punishment, Marmeladov is a minor character whose story is told in only a few short chapters of the first two books, and yet, Marmeladov plays an important role in the novel. Both Marmeladov and Raskolnikov are desperate men trying to function in a bleak world. Both men feel alienated in a world which has no meaning. Despite his miserable existence, Marmeladov hopes to find salvation through his anguish. Marmeladov reflects the themes of guilt and suffering that RaskolnikovRead More Death and Freedom in Sorrows of a Young Werther and Crime and Punishment881 Words   |  4 PagesDeath and Freedom in Sorrows of a Young Werther and Crime and Punishment The relationship between death and freedom is a common thread throughout Sorrows of a Young Werther by Goethe and Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky. The relationship illustrated in both works is that one cannot achieve true freedom until they are dead. Until death, Werther and Raskolnikov will always feel the restrictions that society places upon them. Werther feels restricted due to the unrequited love of Lotte and RaskolnikovRead MoreMarxist Theory on Crime and Punishment Essays742 Words   |  3 PagesK1 Danielle  K Marxist  Theory  and  Crime  and  Punishment Throughout  human  history  countless  philosophers  have  risen  with  what  they  thought  to  be  the best  form  of  government  for  society  as  a  whole.  Ã‚  Karl  Marx  may  be  the  most  influential  philosopher  in Russian  history.  Ã‚  According  to  The  Free  Dictionary,  Marxism  is  the  concept  that  Ã¢â‚¬Å"class  struggle  plays  a central  role  in  understanding  societys  allegedly  inevitable  development  from  bourgeois  oppression  under capitalism  to  a  socialist  and  ultimately  classless  society†Read MoreChristianity And Its Impact On Religion1744 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many civilizations, cultures, and nations, which are founded upon a religious conviction. Even though they are very different, I believe they all have the same goals; enlightenment, salvatio n, sanctification, self-realization, or my personal goal, liberation. In addition, there is no culture or society that exists without a religious motivation and tradition, even though science always tries to prove that religion is based upon faulty beliefs, religion will always overcome science, faultyRead MoreDantes Voyage Through Hell1490 Words   |  6 PagesThe Inferno was written by Dante Alighieri around 1314 and depicts the poet’s imaginary journey through Hell. Dante spent his life traveling from court to court both lecturing and writing down his experiences. His Divine Comedy – the three-part epic poem consisting of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso (Hell, Purgatory and Heaven)– is generally regarded as one of the greatest poetic feats ever accomplished. All three parts are incredible literary feats with symbolism so complex and beautiful thatRead More Finding Morality and Unity with God in Dantes Inferno Essay1405 Words   |  6 Pagesand horror of h uman life. Dante immediately links his own personal experience to that of all of humanity, as he proclaims, â€Å"Midway along the journey of our life / I woke to find myself in a dark wood, / for I had wandered off from the straight path† (I.1-3). The dark wood is the sinful life on earth, and the straight path is that of the virtuous life that leads to God. Dante’s everyman, pilgrim character represents all of humanity, and endures much adversity and temptation through squalid conditionsRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1337 Words   |  6 Pagesand evil in every person. Whether a person tries to push away the evil and be as good as they can be or let the evil consume their well- being. The nature of good and evil can be seen on a day to day basis in the way people act towards others, the crimes they have committed or the lies they do or do not tell. In the book, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there is a recurring theme of the nature of good and e vil; this can be seen in the characters Hester Prynne, Reverend Dimmesdale and RogerRead More No Exit - Hell Essay842 Words   |  4 Pagesthroats of men and children alike; The images of suffering, flame pits and blood, the smell of burning flesh, the shrieking of those who have fallen from grace. For centuries man has sought out ways to cleanse his soul, to repent for his sins and possibly secure his passage into paradise, all evoked by the fear of eternal damnation and pain. The early 20th century philosopher and existentialist writer Jean-Paul Sartre saw life as an endless realm of suffering and a complete void of nothingness. His pessimistic

Climate Change And Global Warming - 1562 Words

For the past decades Climate change/ global warming has gained the attention of scientist because of the studies and experiments show how climate change can have catastrophically impacts in our planet and that we are starting to see today. Global climate change is a phenomenon caused by greenhouse gases trapped in the atmosphere which produce enormous effects on the earth’s organisms, nature and all habitats. By burning fossil fuels and by cutting forests known as deforestation humans contribute to global warming. Burning fossil fuels causes more greenhouse gases to build up in the atmosphere. Fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas are high in carbon and, when burned, produce major amounts of carbon dioxide. A single gallon of†¦show more content†¦If humans are the major contribution to global warming what can we as humans do about it and reduce the gases that pollute our air? Now is time for humans to take action to make a difference in the planet by reducing the ways that we as human interfere in climate change and for us to start new sources of energy that would have less negative impact (ucsusa.org) There are human finger prints on carbon overload. When humans burn coal, oil, and fossil fuels to generate electricity or drive our cars, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, where it traps heat. There is direct evidence of human contribution to atmospheric CO2. Carbon dioxide is the main heat-trapping gas largely responsible for most of the average warming over the past decade and since humans are the ones who used carbon dioxide for the everyday life, humans are the main contribution to it. Caused most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the past decades arming and that natural changes alone cannot explain the temperature changes that we have seen for the past decades in the entire planet. (ucsusa.org) The effects of climate change are seeing throughout the entire planet and humans are the organisms that are affected the most. Glaciers are composed of ice which is one of nature most abundant substances and can form in the atmosphere as snow. The huge massive glaciers and frozen water that are in the earth’s poles are melting because of the global

Analysis Of The Book The Souls Of Black Folk - 1026 Words

Between 1890 and 1906, Black people were rejected from the area of politics, as southern states amended their constitutions to deny Black American citizens their voting rights that had been ratified by the Fifteenth Amendment. The beliefs of racial uplift, was an idea that placed responsibility on educated Black people for the well-being of the majority of their race. This was a reaction to the assault on African American civil and political rights, also known as â€Å"the Negro problem (Washington 8).† During this era, there were opportunities for Black people to become leaders of Black communities everywhere. African American leaders combated stereotypes by highlighting class differences among Blacks that believed in the stereotypes themselves. In 1903, W. E. B. Du Bois published the book, The Souls of Black Folk. He criticized the old attitude of adjustment and submission that had been expressed by Booker T. Washington in the Atlanta Compromise Address (Hill 734). Wa shington addressed that Southern Black people should work and submit to White political rule, while Southern White people guaranteed Black people the reception of basic educational and economic opportunities. Du Bois believed that full civil rights and increased political representation, would uplift the Black community during this time. African Americans needed the opportunities for advanced education to develop this sore of leadership, titled the â€Å"Talented Tenth†, an African-American intellectual eliteShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book The Soul Of Black Folks 1430 Words   |  6 PagesThe three writers grew up in different places. In the Essay, â€Å"The Soul of Black Folks† , Du Bois illustrates the soul of a black young boy who saw his life in two different worlds. The world of a black person and the world of a white person; the life of being black and the problems in the hill of New England where he grew up and faced racial discrimination. Du Bois was a sociologist, writer, educator and a controversial leader of the negro thought. Alice Walker wrote about how creative and artisticRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Three Of The Souls Of Black Folk 1192 Words   |  5 PagesIn Chapter three of The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B Du Bois discusses Booker T. Washington and some of his accomplishments for African Americans and also criticizes some of his lack of understanding in his propaganda that he could have done more in his position to progress African Americans status instead of trying to be accepted by the white community. Washington has been criticized by Du Bois because of his â€Å"submission† to the white view on African Americans and their rights Du Bois calling himRead MoreComparative Analysis Of African Americ Annotated Bibliography878 Words   |  4 PagesComparative Analysis of African American: An Annotated Bibliography Angelou, Maya. â€Å"Africa†. The Norton Introduction to Literature 11th ed. New York: 2013 print Norton Mays, Kelly Wheatley, Phillis. â€Å"On Being Brought from Africa to America† The Norton Introduction to Literature. 11th ed. Ed. Spencer Richardson-Jones. New York: Norton, 2013 The main point of this poem is Maya Angelou talking about her homeland, Africa. The narrator starts to describe the land of Africa by using Angelou’s bodyRead MoreHow Race Relationships Throughout The Southern Area Of The United States1153 Words   |  5 PagesIn this essay the question as to how race relationships in the southern area of the United States can be understood as social facts and further this essay will illuminate if being of black skin colour in the southern area of the United States can be regarded as pathological in respect to Durkheim’s sociological views. Firstly one needs to define the two concepts at hand, namely (a) social facts by Durkheim and secondly, (b) pathological by Durkheim. In regards to (a) social facts, Durkheim refersRead MoreThe Souls Of Black Folk And Three Negro Classics1158 Words   |  5 PagesThe Souls of Black Folk and Three Negro Classics are stories of the new class of taught African Americans that perform duties. Du Bois said â€Å"I taught school in the hills of Tennessee where the broad dark vale of the Mississippi begins to roll and crumple to greet the Alleghenies† (253). That they found themselves able to ace this world but hold relationship for the untaught masses gave an illustration to other instructed African Americans of how to handle the issue of the covering that separatedRead More. E. B. Dubois, of the Dawn of Freedom: a Synopsis and Critical Discussion838 Words   |  4 PagesThe Souls of Black Folk, gave a critical discuss of the early, twentieth century through the eyes of the Negro. Although many have limited this work to Dubois argument of, The Talented Tenth, it should be noted that Dubois work encompasses much more than that. The purpose of the essay is to summarize and give a critical eye to W. E. B. Dubois Of the Dawn of Freedom. In the first line of this work Dubois, states the now famous and words that would be reiterated by most Black intellectualsRead MoreEssay on WEB Du Bois: Racial Co-existence703 Words   |  3 Pagesthis straight? DuBois understands part of the problem. Blacks and whites have become intertwined in a vicious cycle. Slavery itself did not create, but enhanced negative attitudes towards blacks. In quite the same way, the institution of slavery greatly enhanced the way blacks felt about whites. White landowners were responsible for disenfranchising a great number of blacks- almost taking away their souls and individuality. In this analysis, there appears a distinct parallel between the plightRead MoreMetaphors from Slavery to Post Emancipation: An Exploration of The Loophole of Retreat and The Veil1613 Words   |  7 PagesOne of the obstacles that African American writers had to face during the eighteen and nineteen hundreds was effectively communicating with white audiences. The white audience ranged from supporters of abolition and black rights to past or present slaveholders. Authors had to reach southern and northern audiences and have an appearance of humbleness to attract some and action to attract others. One of the methods that was used to make their writings attractive across audiences was metaphor. ThisRead MoreWeb Du Bois and Double Consciousness Essay936 Words   |  4 PagesSOC101 Lestine Shedrick October 18, 2011 W.E.B. Du Bois (1968-1963) was a huge contributor to sociology through the eyes and experience of an African-American scholar (Vissing, 2011). Du Bois was an author, activist and student of Black sociology. In his 1897 article, Strivings of the Negro People†, Du Bois introduced the term â€Å"double-consciousness†, a concept I believe to be just as relevant in today’s African-American communities. Double consciousness refers to what Du Bois consideredRead MoreGeorge Simmel s The Stranger 992 Words   |  4 Pages George Simmel’s, ‘The Stranger’ and W.E.B. Du Bois’, ‘Souls of Black Folk’ pose very parallel arguments in understanding the role of a ‘stranger’ in society. In Simmel’s work, he examines the trajectory of the stranger through an abstract lens. He establishes a conceptual framework for the ‘stranger’ within society while Du Bois presents a more tangible illustration thr ough the experiences of African Americans in the United States. Although each approach is discrete from the other, the theories

How Strength Helped Me free essay sample

I laid awake, crumpled under the alien covers in the freshly cleaned guest bed. I clutched my grandmother’s old bunny, fingering her long and lopsided ears. Her little blue dress was faded and her skin was beginning to yellow. I rolled out of the bed, sliding my feet on to the cool floor. The clock was nowhere to be found. I slipped my suitcase out from under my bed and began to rummage through the hurriedly packed items, searching for my phone. Suddenly, my fingers caught hold of the smooth edge as I tugged it free from beneath a balled up sweatshirt. I clicked a random button and the screen lit up, temporarily blinding me in the darkness. It was 10:58. I had two minutes. I had two minutes until my phone would blow up with texts and calls. I had two minutes until my life would change forever. I attempted to fold myself back into the bed, forgetting about its low structure, and flopped down the extra foot on top of the bunched up pillows and blankets. We will write a custom essay sample on How Strength Helped Me or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I then proceeded to curl up, wanting sleep to wash over me and take me away in its lulling currents. Glancing about the foreign room, I found that it held a chair and a closet containing shelves stacked high into the darkness. There was also a gaping, circular hole punched into the ceiling. Looking at my phone again, it was 10:59. Beads of sweat decorated my face as I realized that it would happen at any moment. Would he notice the missing paintings? The empty beds and long gone family members? I sat up with a start as anxiety filled my lungs, desperately wanting to find out his reaction. I slowly calmed my rising panic attack and took long, deep breaths. 11:00. An eerie silence fell upon me as I endured the drawn out and painful wait. I wanted nothing more than to dissolve into the sheets beneath me and exit the world that had been so cruel for so long. My thoughts were disrupted by a frantic buzzing. I squeezed my eyes shut, building a wall around my tears. I slammed my hand down over my phone, temporarily quieting the obnoxious buzz. I quickly peeked at the screen, taken by curiosity and terror. Dad: Where are you? Dad: Where are you? Dad: Come home. Dad: I miss you. Dad: I love you. I allowed a solitary tear to slip down my cheek. I love you too, Dad, I thought. But I’m not allowed to tell you. This was the first night among the six months I spent in separation from my dad after my mother decided we needed to leave. It was miserable racing away from the house on the night of my dad’s arrival from Haiti, driving to friend’s house in search of a place to stay. Our new status became â€Å"homeless†. We gave up our home for a marriage that was cracking and breaking, seemingly beyond repair. As my brother left to live with my dad and segregation became evident, my mother, sister, and I struggled in the absence of his presence. I was breaking inside, but I knew I could never reveal it. If I showed that I was weak, they would become weak, as well. I stayed strong for my sister and mother. My little sister often times awoke in the dead of the night with nightmares. I laid by her side, feeling more comforted by her than her by me. I assumed the role of a second mom as my mother went back to work for the first time in twenty years, pretending to be overjoyed when really I was fighting depression in the long hours I spent alone waiting for her to come home. When I visited the boys in our old home, I ignored the ache in my chest as we talked and fantasized about what life would be like back together as a family. We dreamed about a vacation home with horse stables, and an indoor pool, a pool sized jacuzzi, and a treehouse larger than the main house itself. This, of course, was not going to happen, but it lightened the mood. As my mother questioned her choices, she became fragile and confused by all of the strife arising. I came to her as I heard her crying silently on the steps, letting a few small sobs escape, sitting in the pitch black hallway. I comforted her by letting her know it was all going to work out, when really I wore a heavy jacket of grief and had lost hope for our family. The pain some days was so unbearable that even my reassuring smile was obviously fake. Slowly, gradually, my parents began to talk. They then decided to date and picked a single night each week to eat dinner, while I was left at home to deal with the little monsters that were my siblings. Sure, Friday’s were rough (and not the way I wanted to spend my nights), but it was helping our family to fix its flaws. The long months of separation finally paid off. Our family came together stronger than ever before through hard work and dedication, and if it weren’t for our strength, we may have never gotten to be where we are now. I am overjoyed with the outcome of the situation, and embraced my parents’ remarriage ceremony with a smile. If I continue today with the strength I had then, I know I will be able to find a thread of light in a pool of darkness.