Unsympathetic a character Essay Example

Unsympathetic a character Essay Example Unsympathetic a character Paper Unsympathetic a character Paper Each character is punished in an appropriate way. Birling fears for his familys reputation at the inquest; Sheila feels shame for her selfishness; Gerald has his affair revealed in front of Sheila; Mrs Birling has her illusions about the respectability of her family shattered by Eric; and Eric is revealed before his indulgent parents as a spoilt and inadequate young man. But notice how in each case the punishment is a consequence of their own behaviour; the Inspector himself does not bring punishment from outside. Perhaps this is why they are given a second chance at the end of the play that their experience should have been a warning to them, and that next time, it is the apocalyptic future predicted by the inspectors final speech that lies in store for them and for us. As he deals with Birling he tells him that Eva Smith used to work for Birling and company, Birling hardly remembering the name has to be reminded by a photograph. I think that Mr. Birling was a difficult member of the family to get the real truth out of. Now look here Inspector Birling does not believe he has a responsibility to society, only to his family: a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own. He is not upset, unlike Eric, at hearing the details of the girls death, which shows him to be a little heartless. He is suspiciously defensive when he thinks the Inspector is accusing him of causing it, and like Mrs Birling is relieved when he thinks the finger is no longer pointing at him. This is hypocritical because, as the Inspector says, the girls [still] dead, though. It is known that Birling sacked the girl because she was rude and wanted a pay rise. He thought (as an upper class citizen) this was very rude coming from a slave girl. Next the Inspector moves on to Mr. Birlings daughter, Sheila. Her involvement with the death was similar to her fathers. One day, whilst shopping in a very expensive dress shop, Eva Smith laughed at her trying on one particular dress. Sheila, of course, was very mad and ordered at once that this girl was fired, and so it was. Once she realises what she has done, she quotes so Im really responsible? She blames herself for the death and regrets every move she did, but the Inspector says that wont help, Eva is dead. From the start Sheila has come across as a young, pretty and sensitive girl. She had a lack of understanding of the outside world, so the death came across as a shock. Like Birling, she readily admits to having met the girl. But her father admits this because he is unable to see that he has done anything wrong; Sheila, on the other hand, admits this because she is genuinely ashamed and is trying to tell the truth. Of all the characters, hers is the only confession that does her credit Mrs Birling is first obstructive then defiant, and Gerald and Eric both confess at a point when they know they have been already found out. She is guilty of the sins of pride and envy she complained about the girl because she thought she was laughing at her, and because she was a very pretty girl too I couldnt be sorry for her. Although she asks how could I know what would happen afterwards, she does not try to escape from the blame. Priestly uses her as an example of someone who is vain and thoughtless, but not heartless: she is genuine when she says if I could help her now I would. But he intends the audience to learn the lesson that good intentions are no good if they come too late; Sheilas predicament is a warning to us. Enough was said for what Sheila had to do with the death, so the Inspector quickly moved on to Gerald. Gerald thinks he wont have any involvement with the death, but we now find out that Eva changed her name to Daisy Renton, this sparks of Gerald. He realises that he had become a close friend with her last summer. Everything is told and eventually we find out that he had an affair with her. He is naive in imagining that his involvement with the girl was all over and done with last summer, but generally comes to recognise that his actions have had lasting consequences. He finally responds with the same My God! as her death sinks in, that Eric used straight away, and from this point on, Priestly shows us Gerald in a different, more sympathetic light He shows sympathy for the girls situation, and his willingness at the County Hotel to hear her story shows he thought of her as an individual, unlike Birling or Mrs Birling. He feeds her, listens to her, and gives her money, without asking for anything in return. It is ambiguous whether she ended up as his mistress out of obligation or out of love, however; it is certain, though, that as the Inspector says he at least had some affection for her and made her happy for a time. Gerald is admirably honest in admitting the girls feelings were stronger than his and is now troubled by his behaviour and asks to be on his own. However, Mrs. Birling will not accept the fact that she also helped kill Eva Smith. We are told that she works for the Brumley Womens Organisation, and Eva smith asked for help from her. She asked for money to support her baby, because she told Mrs. Birling that she refused the stolen money that the man (who got her pregnant) offered her. Mrs. Birling took this as likely story and wouldnt accept it. She dominates those around her she calls Sheila a child and tells off the Inspector for being a trifle impertinent. Her lack of understanding of how other people live is shown in her snobbish comments about girls of that class, and in her unwillingness to believe the girls reasons for refusing to take the stolen money or marry the foolish young man responsible for her pregnancy. Her lack of understanding even extends to her own family and friends as she has been quite unaware of her own sons heavy drinking or of Alderman Meggartys womanising. She pronounces Geralds behaviour towards the girl disgusting, even though as the Inspector says he was the only one to make her happy. She remains untouched by the Inspectors questioning, and refuses to see how her actions could have been responsible for the girls death, even though the audience can clearly see that her refusal to help the girl could easily have led to her suicide. It is only when she realises that Eric was the childs father that she shows any signs of weakening, but the speed with which she recovers after the Inspectors departure emphasises how cold and unsympathetic a character she is. And last of all, the Inspector picks on Eric. He also had a relationship with her, but this was a result or Eric being drunk and forcing her to make love to him. In other words, rape. Unlike Gerald, Priestly describes Eric in the opening stage directions as not quite at ease. He has been expensively educated, and yet he is a disappointment to Birling: he and Gerald joke behind Geralds back, and his father patronises him. He is kept out of the information about his fathers possible knighthood, and when he really needed help he felt his father was not the kind of father a chap could go to when hes in trouble. His drinking is an open secret within the family (though Mrs Birling chooses not to admit it to herself), and suggests that he lacks self-discipline. This is borne out by the behaviour that is revealed in the course of the play: he forced himself into the girls lodgings despite her protests, drunk and in that state when a chap easily turns nasty, has made her pregnant, and has stolen money from his father. But he also has an honesty that others lack. He is the only one to respond spontaneously to details of the girls death, and when he is forced to admit how he behaved towards her he has a strong sense of guilt because the consequences of what he did are so serious. We also believe him when he tells Birling that he would have let the girl stay at the factory but Eric throughout the play is shown to be naive, even if his heart is often in the right place. (Stealing Birlings money, even though a crime in law, might be another example of this. ) He does not have the realistic outlook necessary to make a success of his life. He is also shown to be immature, regarding the girl as a good sport, although she treated him as a child. Like every character accused by the Inspector, he is shown to be a hypocrite the fat old tarts round the town disgust him, yet by this stage in her life, the girl is also a prostitute, though it is not clear whether Eric realises this. He appears to have learnt very little from his privileged education, yet he has been impressed by the Inspector. At the end, like Sheila, he refuses to pretend things are like they were before, and is frightened by the fact that the older generation appear not to have learnt anything. He wants his parents to admit their mistakes as freely as he has admitted his. Though he is not a particularly pleasant character, we may feel that he is sincerely ashamed of his behaviour and is capable of changing for the better. Eva smith, a young woman who died on her way to the Infirmary, was involved in many things in her life. She had something to do with every character, and maybe even the Inspector but we can not be too sure. She had a life of ups and downs and I think one of her highest points was when she met Gerald and that little relationship. I think this may have helped her along in life a bit because just before than she was sacked from her second job, it was her only hope, but being sacked pushed her towards the only option Prostitution. The Inspector says that she had kept a sort of diary, which helped him piece together the last two years of her life: However, in Act III we begin to wonder whether Eva ever really existed. Gerald says, Weve no proof it was the same photograph and therefore no proof it was the same girl. Birling adds, There wasnt the slightest proof that this Daisy Renton really was Eva Smith. Yet the final phone call, announcing that a police inspector is shortly to arrive at the Birlings house to investigate the suicide of a young girl, makes us realise that maybe Eva Smith did exist after all. I think she could represent the devil as she causes trouble in everyones life, its almost as though she meant to do everything she did do. However, Think about Evas name. Eva is similar to Eve, the first woman created by God in the Bible. Smith is the most common English surname. So, Eva Smith could represent every woman of her class. Geralds final service in the play is to reveal that Goole was not a real Inspector. He also carefully proves that Goole may not have shown everyone the same photograph, and it is he who takes the initiative in phoning the Infirmary to check whether a girl has actually died. His reaction is not triumphant (which is Birlings), but he is described as smiling, and he says that everythings all right now. The Whodunnit genre contributes towards the effect of the play but creating a great sense of mystery, urging the reader to read to find out who did it. The policeman in a whodunnit has a big role to play as he uncovers untold secrets; he is like the chairman of a debate. This is used in the play because is not sided towards one person, but uncovers all of their guilt.

Cave Paintings essays

Cave Paintings essays One of the earliest known arts is often called Cave Art. This art has been found in many different locations such as: Europe, Australia, Africa, China, as well as many other places. This kind of art usually depicted animals, but also included humans, weapons, and symbols. Many of these paintings were found very deep inside of the caves where the artists would have needed a lamp of some sort to complete their work. This led scholars to believe that the paintings, done inside the caves, may have had a social or religious purpose to these early people. In the early paintings they seemed to be in only black. As they progressed in their paintings they learned how to make many of the different types of colors. Most often they used reds, blacks, yellows, maroon, and violet. By using these colors they made the paintings seem more real, and they may have believed by making them look more realistic it would bring them better luck, health, and maybe happiness. To make the paints they typically used mineral pigments such as; ochre, manganese, oxides, or charcoal, and ground them into animal fat. They also had paint brushes. They would use coarse animal hair and tie them to a stick of some sort and paint with them. Many believe that the hunters or gatherers did a majority of the paintings in the cave. It was thought that the drawings would bring you a better chance of achieving what you were after. So the hunters would often draw things like, bison, cattle and hinds, thinking it were better luck for the hunt ahead. The painting of these animals were said to have had a ritual significance related to hunting, even though human figures were often rare. They would draw these animals quite elaborately while when they did draw humans they would often be less elaborate. They had very realistic details in all of their drawings. One of the more famous caves is Lascaux in France. The cave was discovered in September of 1940 by Fernand Win...

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy - Assignment Example Though most of these relationships are positive and peaceful ones, there are some relations that are not so good. This is especially apparent with US relations with many Arab countries in the Middle East. This relationship culminated with the twin tower attacks on 9th September 2011 by Arabic terrorists, and the US response to the attacks by invading Afghanistan, and later on Iraq, in order to quash any terrorist groups intent on attacking the USA. One country whose diplomatic ties have seen developments since the cold war ended with the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 is Germany. During the cold war, the Berlin Wall separated east and West Germany, and by extension separating Eastern and Western Europe. Therefore, Germany was in the midst of all the chaos that marked the cold war decades. The two separate parties had completely different ideologies, and this difference split Europe between those two camps, hence a physical separation in form of a wall was built to separate them. Aft er the fall of the Berlin war, most countries changed their political ideologies to those of Western Europe. Germany, which had been split into two, had difficulties settling into being one large country with Western Europe ideologies, especially concerning democratic rule. The reason for this was due to the fact that the elements that advocated for socialist and communist rule were still resisting the inevitable change that was prevailing in the country. However, in the end, the western ideologies and democracy prevailed (Stiftung, 2003). Germany’s cold relations date back to the Second World War when the two countries were indifferent camps. USA allied with Britain and other countries to end the Nazi rule in Germany and brought the Second World War to an end. After the fall of the Berlin wall, the USA was a very significant force in ensuring that peace was brokered between the two former camps of eastern and western Germany. Furthermore, the US retained a large number of it s military personnel in Germany after the end of the cold war to protect its trade, educational and other institutional interests in the country. This was, however, a friendly agreement between the two countries. When the USA invaded Afghanistan after the September 2001 attacks, Germany sent troops to back up the NATO forces in bringing down the middle eastern country, which was seen as protecting the terrorist attacks mastermind Osama bin Laden and other terrorists operating under the A Qaeda emblem. However, the relations between USA and Germany turned sour when the then German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder refused to back the USA in invading Iraq, opting for more diplomatic and peaceful solutions to the problem. This problem was neutralized when the US-backed Angela Merkel became chancellor. Recently, the relations between the USA and Germany have had tensions again after a series of secret documents from the US embassy in Germany were leaked to the public by Wiki leaks. In these documents, information passed between the US embassy in Berlin and the USA painted a bad picture of the leadership in Germany, especially of the current chancellor, labelling her names. Furthermore, the leaked information criticized nearly the whole German cabinet and leadership, with very few pro-American members left untainted (Norton, et al., 2011).

Dealing with disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Dealing with disaster - Essay Example The cavalry he referred to includes many rescue personnel and organisations. Many individuals, groups, and agencies get involved in disaster response and recovery operations. It is important for disaster response planners to understand these teams in order to assign them roles and responsibilities that they can fulfill effectively during a disaster. The United Kingdom is less susceptible to large-scale disasters than many other countries. However, the UK is not entirely immune from the effects of all hazards. According to the national risk assessment, UK is considered to be most at risk from the spread of pandemic diseases, the effects of severe weather and flooding (Caron, Kelly, and Telesetsky 2013: 81). As a result, the UK government has established its domestic disaster response framework at all levels in the central government and local authorities. Different organisations including the civil society organisations and other institutions such as the British Red Cross Society get involved in disaster response, and their roles and responsibilities are outlined in this framework. This framework is highly devolved, and it may be difficult to establish what qualifies to be a well-defined role or responsibility and what does not. However, Caron, Kelly, and Telesetsky (2013) proposed that the emergency response framework should pr ovide greater clarity and understanding for all response teams. The rate at which disasters occur has risen from about 200 disasters in the 1980s to about 400 disasters per year (United Nations 2008: 1). 0ver 90 percent of these disasters are climate-related, and it is projected that this trend will continue as the weather related hazard events will continue to be more volatile and more frequent. The vulnerability is growing, and countries have become more prone to disasters. This vulnerability has increased due to

The Major Difference Between Fittings and Fixture in Land Law Coursework - 3

The Major Difference Between Fittings and Fixture in Land Law - Coursework Example These tests highlight not only the importance of distinguishing between fixtures and fittings but the major differences between the two. Although the distinctions are not always clear, a common trend can be identified: the significance of the item in terms whether or not it has become so attached to the land, that it should not be regarded as anything other than a part of the land. This paper examines the major differences between fixtures and fittings by reference to case law. The early case of Holland v Hodgson is a good place to start as it established two test for distinguishing between fixtures and fittings. In this case, the question was whether or not looms that had been installed at a factory could be regarded as part and parcel of the factory. Blackburn J stated that in order to determine whether or not an item was a fixture or a fitting it was necessary to consider the extent of the annexation and its purpose. In this regard, an item that was annexed to the land by virtue o f its own weight would not be considered a fixture unless there was an intention that the item would form part and parcel of the land.5 What can be gleaned from this ruling is that it is first necessary to look at the item and to determine whether or not it is actually fixed to the property and not merely supported by its own weight. If it is fixed, it is a fixture and will likely be considered part and parcel of the land. However, if the item is merely supported by its own weight, then the question will remain whether or not the item was intended to be a part of the land. Buckland J offered some guidance by referencing the case of a stone wall. For instance, if stones were merely plied upon the land there is an assumption that those stones were not intended to form a part of the land.

Genius and Intellectual Mentality in America Essay

Genius and Intellectual Mentality in America - Essay Example The program The Big Bang Theory is a social experiment that is not only entertaining, but reveals a great deal about a sub-culture that has emerged that is child-like in their social habits, but have intellects that exceed the average. The Big Bang Theory revolves around four males and one female. The four males all work at the same university as research scientists and two of them live in an apartment as roommates. The third male lives with his mother and the fourth male lives in an apartment by himself. A more detailed character analysis will be within this essay, just as it will be important for clear definitions to be created for the words nerd and geek, which is the foundation of the identities of the four male characters. It is in the conflict between the social status of the men to the young woman that provides the opportunity for humor and social exploration. Definitions According to Anderegg, the definitions of a nerd or a geek are often interchangeable, but the specific def initions are actually quite different. A nerd is defined by someone who tends to be focused on academics and as a result is socially awkward. A geek is defined by someone who is more focused on sub-cultures that are not as socially accepted, but are still part of pop culture. Anderegg states that â€Å"nerds and geeks possess arcane knowledge that few other people possess† (n.p.). The types of knowledge that they have often mean extensions of popular culture products, which can mean computer and electronics. This also includes playing games such as World of Warcraft, collecting action figures, reading and becoming absorbed in alternative universes through books, comic books, and graphic novels, as well as being fans of cult favorite programs such as Star Trek, Stargate, and Battlestar Galactica. One of the reasons that nerds and geeks are attracted to alternative universes is that they are not completely comfortable in the social structures of the real world. In learning abou t and inserting themselves in the fantasies of new universes, the possibilities of being a welcomed member or an imagined hero allows for the social awkwardness to be minimized (Pustz 250). In learning about those who engage in online gaming, it is possible to see that the social problems of not having the appearance of a sexually attractive body falls away with the opportunity to build an avatar that allows the individual to express their identity in a safe space, where it is arguably easier to become the more authentic self. In creating and ‘living’ a life in a fantasy world, the social problems that have impeded them from expressing themselves is melted away and they can sink or swim according to who they are on the inside (Waggoner 10). Character Analyses The lead character who exhibits the most realistic characteristics and against whom the caricatures of the other three males are balanced is Leonard. Leonard is played by Johnny Galecki who previously was on the Am erican program Rosanne, which also was a reflection of contemporary culture (IMDB). He has a realistic appearance which is not overly good looking, nor unattractive. Through the prop of a pair of glasses that dangle near the end of his nose, only to be repeatedly pushed up again, he is transformed

The Supernatural in the Voice Essay Example for Free

The Supernatural in the Voice Essay Thomas Hardy is a poet well known for his pessimism and dark and gloomy undertone in his poems. He does not believe in God or heaven, but instead in the supernatural or spiritual force. This is strongly evident in the poem The Voice. The woman that call(s) to (him) is his wife Emma, whose death is the source of his pain. The persona never refers to Emma by name, instead he calls her the woman, she or as a ghost in After a Journey and even as a shadow in The Shadow on the Stone. The persona no longer calls Emma by name as he no longer recognises what form she has taken now that she has passed away and where (she) will be next theres no knowing. As Hardy does not accept the theory of heaven, he firmly believes that Emma is alive around him in the form of spiritual energy. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but only converted to other forms. He believes that Emmas soul has been converted to another form, one that is very much alive, or at least in his mind. Hardy cannot deal with his great loss, and so he recreates Emma in his subconscious. Emmas ghost does not haunt him; it is he that makes the decision to see her. Let me view you then, he says. As Emma lives in the supernatural world, the persona has to move from the rational to the irrational world in order to view her. He imagines her calling to him; can it be (her) that (he) hear(s)? The repetition of call to me is a device used to signify how her voice echoes in his subconscious. Emma tells him that she is not as (she was) and that she has changed from the one who was all to (him). He then decides to conjure up an image of her when they were courting, a time when she was young and vibrant with life. Every detail is cemented in his mind, even to the original air-blue gown. Air-blue is a translucent, even transparent colour, one that ghost or spectre would appear as. In the third stanza, the assonance in the words wistlessness and listlessness create a soft, mysterious and flowing sound to signify the sound the breeze is making, hence having an onomatopoeic effect. Also, the breeze is personified, but it is more the persona that is listless than the breeze itself. The word dissolved adds to the image of Emmas soul being simply disintegrated in the wind. The wet mead sets the perfect atmosphere for an illusion; mysterious, foggy and spooky. The broken rhythm, as well as the alliteration of the line, Thus I; faltering forward enhances the physical image of the persona stumbling and struggling along. The effect of the vision on the persona is physically and mentally draining and leaves him weak. This relates to the poem The Going, where enjambment of the word I is used to show how the persona is on the edge of desperation. The leaves around (him) falling indicate that it is autumn, but rather creates the mental image that it is the persona falling. In the poem the Shadow on the Stone, the persona states that summer brought (them) sweets, but autumn wrought division between him and Emma. Autumn is clearly a season of despair and sadness for the persona. Onomatopoeia is used in wind oozing, the oo sound representing the wind and creating a ghostly and eerie effect. The thorn from norward represents the pain and anguish the persona is experiencing, and the wind carries it to him. And still he hears the voice of the woman calling. Throughout the poem, there runs an echo of a supernatural force. The poem resonates with sadness and melancholy, and with the voice of a beloved woman long dead. The irrational world is the only realm where the persona can be rational and sane. The personas love for the woman is so strong; he is willing to sacrifice his sanity in order to meet her. The poem has an extraordinary impact on the reader, and is proof that loves knows no boundaries and is not limited only to the physical world.