Deception Is An Important Theme English Literature Essay

Deception Is An Important Theme English Literature Essay Sometimes deception can be unintended when the characters dont mean to lie, as in the play by Anton Chekhov, however in Henrik Ibsens play, the deceiver lies intentionally to protect the one she loves. The initial act of deception is shown when Nora deceives her husband and borrows money from Krogstad to save Torvalds life. She then continues lying to him intending to repay back the loan. Nora thinks it her duty to lie in order to protect her husband however this makes her vulnerable as a heroine to Krogstad who now blackmails her. This is an example of a dramatic irony since the readers and most of the characters except for Torvald, know what Nora has really done. Unlike her, Ranevsky, the main heroine of the Cherry Orchard doesnt deceive others but herself. Self- deception is a process of denying logical arguments and clear evidence. Here the themes of changing times and inability to accept change are explored. Madame Ranevsky wants to seek refuge in her childhood past from the despair of her present life, to remember the past and forget the present by refusing to face the reality. After spending five years abroad, she comes back to her beloved home. However she starts crying at the sight of [Her] nursery, [her] dear, beautiful nursery! she feels like a little girl. The nursery is a misnomer and it introduces a very nostalgic atmosphere, which brings up terrible memories of the death of Madames son, which she can not handle. She left Russia for Paris, to forget the memories of her husbands and sons deaths in the first place. When the time comes to auction the cherry orchard, Madam Ranevsky does not want to understand the seriousness of the situation. She does not believe that she can lose the orchard because of the luxury she used to live in, allowing herself everything and now she can not and does not want to accept the fact that she has to change that. The heroine realizes that she has lead a wrong lifestyle, she sinned and overspent, however she does not do anything to change that. She believes that everything will resolve itself. In a similar way, Nora believes that her act of deception was done for the greater good, since she was motivated by her husbands illness and had to save him and so she does not try to avoid any more lies and falsifications. As a matter of fact, she keeps deceiving Torvald, on small things such as eating macaroons and tiptoeing to listen at his door, because she feels the need to conceal the truth from her husband to save their marriage and this is the main source of the plot movement. Torvald in return deceives Nora by making her believe he loves her, he even says Do you know Nora, often I wish some terrible danger would threaten you, so that I could offer my life and my blood, everything for your sake. In reality he prioritizes his reputation before her and just regards her as his property. He only fantasizes about how perfect their life is, which is another example of self-deception. Its clear that their entire relationship is built upon lies and deception. Nora encourages her children to lie to Torvald when she says Dont talk to anyone about the strange gentleman. You hear? Not even to Daddy. By doing that she sacrifices her childrens innocence. Like Torvald, Madam Ranevsky tends to build a fence around herself by ignoring her emotions to create a happy world for herself. When she comes back home, she is restless, she says I cant sit still! I cant do it! [Jumping up and walking about in great agitation.] This happiness is more than I can bear. Laugh at me! I am a fool! My darling old cupboard! [Caressing a table.] My dear little table! . This makes her character ridiculous and from her kissing the bookcases and her reaction over her acquaintances deaths, we understand that she cannot handle anything real. As mentioned before, France was a place of refuge for Madame Ranevsky when she needed to escape and now that one of the most difficult stages of her life is over she does not seem to appreciate Paris. Once she is back to Russia she tries to forget her life there because her lover cheated on her and she is broke. Although later on she escapes from Paris to Russia. When she receives two telegrams from there she immediately tears them up without reading, and says They are from Paris. Ive done with Paris. However when she comes back to Russia, we see that she still hasnt forgotten her past in Paris, her unfaithful lover and the death of her child. Later on in the play, when she talks to Gayef she suddenly exclaims Look! Theres mamma walking in the orchardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in a white frock. There she is! One of the things about Madame Ranevsky hallucinating shows how disconnected she is from reality. Also, the composition and bearing of the hallucination reveal the nature of her disconnect ion. She seeks refuge in her past, her innocent childhood, and for her, the orchard is a symbol of her past- the fact that she fantasizes her mother in the orchard shows how disconnected she is from reality, confirming what she seeks. In a Dolls House, hope for freedom and independence motivates Nora to keep on lying and deceiving since we always tend to crave whatever we cant get. However she isnt the only character who lies and goes behind the back of her loved ones. Dr. Rank who is a family friend hides his true feelings for Nora from both Torvald and his wife. The only reason Nora actually finds out about how he truly feels, is when she tries to seek his help and she manages to see beneath the surface to his heart. This is how she finds out that he is secretly in love with her. On the other hand Dr. Rank seems to be very considerate and the only reason he deceives both his friends is because he tries to be a faithful friend to Torvald. He is trying really hard to be loyal but at the same time he can not stay away from Nora. Also he manages to expose Noras emotional immaturity and unwillingness to violate social conventions. Thus we cant be sure of whether his deception is intentional or not. Torvald, although it seems like he was the one deceived by both his wife and his friend, can be considered the one most guilty of the crime. Throughout the whole play, we see how he has deceived Nora into believing that their marriage is perfect, whilst in reality it was just his fantasy. The most important thing for him was to be able to keep up a proper appearance of moderation and appropriateness because the society he was brought up in is very judgmental and prejudicial. Like Ibsen, Chekhov presents a character who is also very concerned with looks and appearances. Lopakhin, an ex-peasant who is now a wealthy neighbor talks to the maid-servant, Dunyasha. Although he revels in his own economic situation, at the same time, he chides Dunyasha, by saying You are too refined, Dunyasha, thats what it is. You dress yourself like a young lady, and look at your hair! You ought not to do it, you ought to remember your place. He says that she is still of a low social standing. He is chiding her and telling her not to act like a lady, reminding her she is only the maid. This scene causes tension since there is this dichotomy as he is not quite comfortable with the new changes since he himself came from a peasant background. He almost contradicts what he is saying, which is another apparent example of self-deception. In conclusion, we see that deception is an important theme since its the main cause for characters to lose sense of reality and its also a catalyst of the climax. In the end of A Dolls House, Nora finally becomes more aware of how blind she was and walks out on her family to seek freedom and independence. Torvald on the other hand even at the end of the play, is still devoted to a mirage, an image of something that was never really there. At the end of The Cherry Orchard, Madame Ranevsky loses all her possessions together with the orchard and goes back to Paris, leaving behind everything that she thought she believed in. From this we learn, that deception is often triggered by the acceptance or disapproval of other people in society, since we tend to care too much about what everybody else thinks and thus try to blend in.

The Individual’s Characteristic Reactions To Social Stimuli

According to Gordon Allport, an American psychologist, personality was â€Å"the individual's characteristic reactions to social stimuli, and the quality of his adaptation to the social features of his environment.† Throughout different literature, the fact remained true as shown in the pieces of works like Sinclair Ross’s â€Å"The Painted Door†, and the novel The Secret Lives of Sgt. John by Lois Simmie. In both of these literary works, a character’s personality showed that it was directly affected by their disposition and temperament towards the society they’re with, or their peers and the community around them. A character’s personality is based on his/her perspective of things around them.In Sinclair Ross’s short story, â€Å"The Painted Door†, Ann showed loneliness and isolation throughout the whole flow of the story as attested by the line, â€Å"All famers’ wives have to stay alone. I mustn’t give in this way. I mustn’t brood. A few hours now and they’ll be here,† (Ross, pg.3). Although they had their moments like, â€Å"once she had danced with Steven six or seven times in the evening, and they had talked about it as many months† (pg.4), she felt disconnected because she felt left behind. â€Å"Year after year their lives went on the same little groove.†Living in a farmland where the neighbours are distant, to whom could she tell how she felt inside than those she’d share a house with? Ann was reluctant to tell her husband what was really going on inside her head and eventually caved in to her isolation. Her dreams for something lively, cost her something that was dear to her, her husband.In any event, an individual’s personality was always apparent to those who were around them. In Lois Simmie’s novel, The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson, Elizabeth Craig described Mary Wilson as â€Å"†¦bright and cheery and brave,† (Simmie, pg. 7). She later wrote to Commissioner Perry about her sister saying, â€Å"She was always brave and would’ve laughed at what would made me weep†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (pg. 171).However, amidst Mary Wilson’s brave and strong-willed disposition, she remained mostly oblivious about her husband, John Wilson, what he does and how acts during some circumstances as stated in page 8. After searching for her husband in a different country, being left behind and treated as a stranger by John, she ought to see the good in him as she always does during their marriage. Later, failing to do so, she became a  victim of her husband’s manipulation and infidelity. She still remained inconceivably blind from these acts and kept on going for her children.Concurrently, John Wilson was portrayed a â€Å"liar† (pg.9) who usually lied about things if it was in his favour. A concise description of his personality was an excerpt from James Hutchison’s letter to Commis sioner Perry. â€Å"†¦I found him out to be a liar, a rogue, and a soulless scoundrel† (pg. 171). This description of him was further gratified in many different events. One of these events was when Conrad Read found the service revolver that went missing in John’s possession, even though John claimed that one of the officers had it.During a few incidences with car salesperson, he also portrayed his roguishness and untrustworthiness when the salesperson asked him for the payments for the two cars that Wilson bought. The salesperson later found out that he was off by $600 from his dealings with John Wilson. He enacted one of the most gruesome things possible when he killed his first wife, Mary Wilson, just to marry another woman at the same day! Later, as every act he displayed throughout his effort to have a new and better life backfired, he saw no hope; and foolishly imperiled himself.Therefore, as every person goes through with their own lives, there would be co untless challenges that will change their personality, temperament and perspective. Through social, psycho-emotional, or even environmental disturbances, an individual’s personality could provide hints as to what they were going through or experienced. Their disposition to their current situation was exactly parallel to their personality. And in accordance to the rule, their personality is based on they perceive around them, and by how they react to circumstances.Further notes:Your teacher might require you to do a different topic. The topic for this essay is, â€Å"Does the environment affect an individuals personality?† And they might also require a different number of books or quotes to back up your thesis statement.

Body Worlds and the Cycle of Life Essay

The Body Worlds exhibit was an amazing tour of more than 200 incredible plastinates; real human specimens that have been preserved. Dr. von Hagen’s is the man behind his incredible invention called plastination; embalming and anatomical dissection, connective tissue removal, body fat and water removal, forced impregnation with a polymer solution then placed in a vacuum chamber removing the acetone bringing it down to a cellular level, and then lastly the specimen hardens and is then positioned as desired. This phenomenal exhibit has given many people the opportunity to see the entire internal structure of the human body. The written explanations next to each display were very informative; giving a better understanding on how the choices we make throughout our life can truly affect us as we continue our journey through the aging process. According to Dr. von Hagen, it takes approximately 1,500 hours (1-2 years) of dedication for each sculpture, along with 350 others helping him throughout the process. All 20 of the bodies that have been donated remain anonymous; no details about them or their cause of death were shared out of respect for each of the donors. This exhibit was an amazing journey showing us how the human body changes through time; from conception and as one age’s. The exhibit starts with the zygote; a single cell formed from the father’s sperm, the mother’s egg, and the human genome; the blueprints of all living human beings. Human embryos and fetuses were on display showing each stage of cell division from conception through pre-natal development. The minute were born, our physical efficiency increases reaching its peak in our mid-twenties, then slowly starts to decline throughout the rest of our lives. There were normal clean lungs of a non-smoker on display next to black lungs of a smoker, which were half the size compared to the clean lung. The written explanation stated that each year you smoke about a cup size full of tar accumulates inside of your lungs. There were sectional displays of the thoracic cavity showing the gas exchange that occurs within the alveoli of our lungs. There were healthy hearts on display along with hearts that had pacemakers. There was a healthy liver next to a liver that has been damaged by excessive amounts of alcohol; showing visual cirrhosis. There were several displays of the human brain. One of the displays showed a brain at optimal health compared to a brain that has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. I found it interesting that the human brain stops growing when you are 15 years old and individuals under 30 years of age take in twice as much oxygen compared to individuals 80 years of age or older. There was a 540lb sculpture, displaying the dangerous effects of obesity compared to a healthy 140lb individual. There were also sectional displays showing us a view of the abdominal wall and how every organ is affected by this extra unnecessary fat. You are what you eat! Sugar, in the form of simple, refined carbohydrates, is considered one of the body’s major â€Å"agers†. Excess sugar in the diet alters the structure of the protein molecule, preventing it from functioning properly and leading to the stiffening of the body’s tissues. High blood pressure can shorten one’s life expectancy by 10 to 20 years, and 9 out of 10 people are at risk of developing hypertension after age 50. We all need energy to function properly, but as we age our body doesn’t require as much energy like it did when we were younger. Our bones are flexible at a young age and adolescents. In adulthood, our body increases in strength and stamina, but loses its flexibility. The Artist’s Gaze was a display on sight and vision at birth and later in life. It was focused on the artist’s Claude Monet who suffered from cataracts, and Edgar Degas who suffered from retinal eye disease. A condition called Presbyopia; a progressively diminished ability to focus on near objects, is a normal part of aging and develops when the lens of the eye gradually loses it elasticity. An infant can see things close up with no problem, while a 30 year old would have to hold to object about 6 inches away. At birth, you have about 300 bones, as you grow older, small joints join together resulting in approximately 206 bones. At the age of 52 woman generally experience menopause; end of life’s fertile phase. As men age their testosterone levels decline, but unlike woman, they can reproduce throughout their later years. I learned that the world’s oldest people live in Okinawa, Japan and Ovadda, Sardinia. They shared some of their lifestyle practices, which I think we could all benefit from if we were to take their healthy habits and make them our own. Near the end of the exhibit, I really enjoyed reading one of the posters that stated, â€Å"Age is an issue of mind over matter, if you don’t mind it doesn’t matter†. Body World’s and The Cycle of Life was an incredible experience and has defiantly changed my way of thinking when it comes to the meaning of life and death. It has also given me a better understanding of our bodies and a completely different perspective on how important it is to appreciate life and take better care of myself!

Confucianism Religion, Religions, Ideologies, And...

Over the course of history many beliefs, religions, ideologies and philosophies have risen and declined thorough out humanity. These religions have their origins, a set of beliefs, a follower-ship, religious or important texts, a spread of the religion, views on women, dietary habits, holidays and like any thing else it has critiques. These are all important aspect when talking about a religion. Religions describe societies and set moral standard of those people who choose to follow said religion. These religions are a good historical insight into the minds of the ancient people whom crafted these religions and follow them. There is many misconceptions of any religion which can create a bias against learning about the religion. By doing†¦show more content†¦As China expanded as well as trade the religion was naturally talked about with rulers and people alike converting. Territories close to China adopted Confucianism mainly through interaction like trade and local rivalries . The spread of Confucianism much less rapid in modern times but however a large people converted in the Nineteen thirties into the late Nineteen forties as Imperial Japan invaded islands on the pacific and mainland countries as well. With their conquest they heard about Confucian ideology and would bring these ideologies back home to mainland Japan, where some Japanese converted to Confucianism. Confucianism originated in Ancient China. It was devised by Confucius (A.K.A Kongzi) an ancient Chinese Philosopher born in 551 BC. His father was a military officer and died when Confucius was just 3 years old and was raised primarily by his Mother. He was married at 19 and had a kid, his second one was believed to have died in labor. He would collect the history of ancient china and write it down in what is called the Analects, which is where much of our knowledge of ancient china comes from. His teachings were based on the belief that humans behave ethically and had a seed of virtue. 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