Question 5: “Texts construct characters who represent the best qualities in human nature, as well as those who represent the worst.” Discuss how at least ONE character is constructed in a text you have read or viewed. (Sem 2, 2016) Through the experience of the young character, Bobby, the short story Catapult by J. A McLeod is a good example in which characters in texts are constructed to represent the best and worst qualities in human nature. In this short story, Bobby is constructed to convey just how easily we are able to destroy our innocence and to represent some of the uglier qualities in human nature, like how we crave power, are greedy and how easily we are able to kill if given the power paired with a lapse in judgement. It shows how we would rather pin the blame on something innocent rather than accept our faults and also suggests that our lack of judgement could be our downfall. At the same …show more content…
In anger he strikes at the cat, also killing it on the spot. The idea that we do not learn from our mistakes and have no control over our worst emotions is evident here. It reveals how we make rash decisions that we regret in the future. He feels even more guilty and saddened by his actions. He turns to blame the cat for becoming his victim; if only the cat hadn’t preyed on the sparrow it would still be alive. This implies that we by nature do not want to accept our faults and take the blame and that we would rather blame someone else or something else for our misdeeds. If only the cat had not made his angry or upset, it would be alive. Bobby didn’t have control over his feelings and let his emotions get in the way of his decision making skills. Which led to him acting in a violent manner and ended up killing another innocent creature. Bobby does not want to accept that it was his fault and how his emotions got the best of him which resulted in his
Are humans natural born sinners? Are we content with our self-indulging human nature? Flannery O’Connor shows us through her stories that the worst quality in a human is selfishness. Through grotesque characters, O’Connor demonstrates the common theme of selfish human nature to display the ability it has to ruin/drive people crazy and that people only look to religion when they are desperate.
A character is a person in a story that plays a particular role. Stories require characters so that it forms conflicts, tensions and resolutions. Characters also carry certain traits to make the story interesting and unique. Each character might have different attributes. Others could have similar and different qualities. Those who read many novels might notice that characters from various books are similar to each other to an extent, but are not completely the same. The old English poem, Beowulf, and Shakespeare's Macbeth contain characters with similar characteristics. Beowulf and Macbeth share similar traits, but do not have the same objective. Comparing and contrasting determine the similarities and differences of things. Comparing and contrasting is an excellent tool to determine what is right and wrong. When choosing the best car to drive, comparing and contrasting helps in the choice of the best vehicle. Macbeth and Beowulf demonstrate that a warrior's motivations matter for both soldiers and the people.
All three texts portray leading characters who suffer due to flaws within their own personalities; however, it could be argued that the flaws these individuals fall victim to are directly a product of their environments rather than being innate within themselves. These texts were written between 1623 and 1989 and depict figures from all levels of the social hierarchy; from a King in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale to a servant in Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day and a socialite in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, showing that falling victim to a weakness within one’s own character is not an experience exclusive to one era or one class of people.
Through discovery our perception of human nature changes alongside the world we live in. this is shown in Micheal de Montaigne’s “of cannibals” and the Tempest written by William Shakespeare. Both show, when man is left alone in a natural state, humans grow to perfection, compared to the state of a civilized man whom is corrupt and alters human nature to an animalistic form. The tempest portrays human beings in a civilized state, whom the characters do inhuman acts for material gain and Micheal de Montaigne’s “ of Cannibals” represent man in a natural state whom when left untouched grows to an paragon society. Yet, which is better? a man in a natural state or a man in a civilized state.
...s, the reader can see that the men base their actions on what nature throws at them, proving that nature dominates man’s actions and man is completely vulnerable against nature.
People are not perfect. Each and every one of us has flaws that make us who we are. Authors show this in their writings through their characters. Every character in a piece of literature has a flaw, whether it is self-deprecation, arrogance, laziness, too judgmental, et cetera. Protagonists from the short stories “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe, and “Marigolds” by Eugenia W. Collier all share the common flaw of selfishness. This is shown through their interactions with other characters, their words/thoughts and or their intentions.
Heroes are not always credited for their honesty and righteousness. This is the view towards society that Robert Cormier exhibits in the novel ¡§I am the Cheese¡¨, where the individual is punished for standing up to himself. In this society, the non-valiant are rewarded for their ignorance and compliance, narrated through the characters of Grey and Whipper. Moreover, Robert Cormier portrays this society to be void of truth and justice. This is seen through exploring the innocence behind Adam¡¦s parents¡¦ suffering and death. Nevertheless, the author holds reserve for truth and justice when Adam tries to complete the puzzle of his past.
This paper will explore the three elements of innate evil within William Golding's, Lord of the Flies, the change from civilization to savagery, the beast, and the battle on the island. Golding represents evil through his character's, their actions, and symbolism. The island becomes the biggest representation of evil because it's where the entire novel takes place. The change from civilization to savagery is another representation of how easily people can change from good to evil under unusual circumstances. Golding also explores the evil within all humans though the beast, because it's their only chance for survival and survival instinct takes over. In doing so, this paper will prove that Lord of the Flies exemplifies the innate evil that exists within all humans.
In Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories, The Fall of the House of Usher and The Tell Tale Heart, both protagonists are stricken with hypersensitivity. And ultimately, the acute senses of Roderick Usher from FHU and of the narrator from TTH prevent them from recognizing their own culpability. One would expect that through their acute awareness, Roderick Usher and the narrator would acquire a greater recognition of their own faults. Yet, strangely, both characters are unable to recognize their own culpability in the deaths of those around them. Once readers analyze the distracted behaviors of both characters as well as the parallel language of Poe, they will realize that Usher and the narrator accuse their peers of their own flaws because they are truly unaware of their own weaknesses. It becomes clear that both character’s hypersensitivities cause them to be overly distracted by their surroundings; and they are therefore too distracted to recognize their own faults. Usher’s inability to perform basic human functions gives evidence to the magnitude with which his hypersensitivity disrupts his daily life. Similarly, the narrator in TTH’s obsession with the old man’s eye distracts him from thinking rationally. The narrator’s distracted state causes him to rationalize his crime, rather than recognizing his responsible for the murder. Ultimately, the hypersensitivity of both characters is a hindrance to their self-awareness, as it causes them to be in a perpetual state of distraction, and consequently both characters are unable to recognize responsibility for their own missteps.
When viewing the atrocities of today's world on television, the starving children, the wars, the injustices, one cannot help but think that evil is rampant in this day and age. However, people in society must be aware that evil is not an external force embodied in a society but resides within each person. Man has both good qualities and faults. He must come to control these faults in order to be a good person. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding deals with this same evil which exists in all of his characters. With his mastery of such literary tools as structure, syntax, diction and imagery, The author creates a cheerless, sardonic tone to convey his own views of the nature of man and man’s role within society.
The character analysis is easily divided into three parts. Each of these is discussed in detail on this handout. Examining the character from these three perspectives will help you write an exemplary essay.
The Road is a phenomenal example of how raw human nature shapes peoples’ decisions. It addresses the behaviors of people neither informed nor controlled by a social order. In the essence of The Road, people’s actions are highly dependent on the person’s basic needs. A lack of basic human needs often results in the more disturbing view of human nature. (Gilbert pg. 43) Betrayal, suicide, and cannibalism are all examples of behaviors that human nature can bring out of people.
Evil is a commonly used theme in literature; it is used to provide contrast between the protagonist and his/her trials. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Shakespeare’s Othello, and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”, the horror of evil is manifested into the plot, affecting the characters in the story. Evil is embodied into story because of those who neglect it, its concentration into one character, and its manipulative power.
of whether or not mankind is good or evil, illustrating the characters’ understandings of human
Lii, Thereaa. "Defining Characters by Their Chosen Environment." Defining Characters by Their Chosen Environment. Brown University, 23 Feb. 2008. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.