'The characters of Imogen, Ashley and Jim counter the despair created by war'. Discuss.
This idea of a countenance between the peaceful world of the sanctuary and the the chaotic world of war is one adapted by many, and with good reason. Through his novel, Malouf seeks to convey to the reader various themes. This is cleverly done in a number of ways, just one of which is this juxtaposition of the relationship between Imogen, Ashley and Jim and how it represents a peaceful world, and the 'despair created by war', its destructive nature and the effect it has on the world.
The bond between Imogen, Ashley and Jim is founded on their passionate interest and love of the birds, and the individual gifts that each brings to that interest: Jim's special knowledge, Imogen's photography and Ashley's sense of the land and nature. The relationship between the three reflects the calm, balanced and tranquil order of the natural world. Their appreciation of the 'primitive power' of the bush represents a harmony, it goes 'beyond mere convention or the law'. Malouf, in creating such a powerful representation of the natural world, has prepared us well for the impact of war.
The relationship established between Imogen, Ashley and Jim in the first half of the novel is skilfully juxtaposed with the trauma and upheaval of war in the second half. It is indeed a stark contrast to the tranquility of the sanctuary. The 'catastrophe' and 'madness' of the war hearlds Jim's 'fall from innocence'. This provides a dramatic contrast in mood, setting and action from the harmonious peace of the sanctuary section. The 'natural cycle of things' that Jim has been so in tune to has disappeared with the disturbance and destructive nature of war.
Throughout the latter half of the novel, during which Jim is caught like a fly in the web of war, the layers of discontent are evident - disharmony is a constant theme. This is made far more apparent through the way in which Malouf uses Jim as a reference to the old world, when everything was ordered and followed a pattern. Jim was there because of the unnatural act of war, but as 'a kind of private reassurance for himself alone', there is 'the presence of the birds'. This allows him 'to find his way back at times to a natural cycle of things that the birds still followed undisturbed'.
...h, and then four years later, his same devotion to principle focused on mending the torn Union. It is here that Connolly and Burrows identify the key irony of the Lost Cause as they exclaim, " The Vindication of the Confederacy rested heavily upon its supreme hero, and in the process, Robert E. Lee was robbed of much of his southernism"(95).
Annemarie is a normal young girl, ten years old, she has normal difficulties and duties like any other girl. but these difficulties aren’t normal ones, she’s faced with the difficulties of war. this war has made Annemarie into a very smart girl, she spends most of her time thinking about how to be safe at all times “Annemarie admitted to herself,snuggling there in the quiet dark, that she was glad to be an ordinary person who would never be called upon for courage.
For Finny and Gene, the summer session at Devon was a time of blissful happiness and a time where they allowed themselves to become utterly overtaken by their own illusions. The summer session was the complete embodiment of peace and freedom, and Gene saw Devon as a haven of peace. To them, the war was light years away and was almost like a dream than an actual event. At Devon, it was hard for them to imagine that war could even exist. Finny and Gene forged the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session and acted out in the most wild and boisterous ways. Missing dinner or being absent from school for days to go to the beach did not even earn them a reprimand. “I think we reminded them of what peace was like, we boys of sixteen....We were careless and wild, and I suppose we could be thought of as a sign of the life the war was being fought to prese...
The author illustrated his theme by placing certain words strategically in the novel to convince the reader that there was still peace. For instance Knowles uses the word Eden to give the audience a false picturesque landscape that resembled the watery shores.
The Author throughout the story expresses a few main themes because he has been through war and had a negative experience with it. He tried to show you the negative aspects of it, and that there is no point of it. Throughout the book, by using expressions of the characters, he points about the gruesome psychological effects of war. Paul is very similar to the author since he too loathes the very existence of war, and sees no point of it. He even asks why there is war, and no one was able to give a proper answer to him. Because both of these people have experienced war, they unwillingly who it horrors compared whereas other who have never experienced was, glorify the moment.
“Every war is everyone’s war”... war will bring out the worst in even the strongest and kindest people. The book tells about how ones greed for something can destroy everything for both people and animals leaving them broken beyond repair, leaving them only with questions… Will they ever see their family again? Will they ever experience what it’s like to
First, looking at high calorie, high fat content, and hidden sugar meals, have you ever took into consideration how fast food meals are prepared or for that matter what is the difference in how you would cook your own meals at home. Fast food restaurants, their meals are high calorie dense foods with added ingredients we would not knowingly truly put into our bodies. For instance, “fast foods from most major chains contain unacceptably high levels of industrially produced trans-fatty acids” (Stender S). The International Journal of Obesity did chemical analyses of 74 samples of fast food menus in 35 countries from 2005-2006, not all fast foods are created equal their findings revealed that “fat content of 41-65g at McDonalds and 42-74g at KFC” (Stender S). Preparing meals at home could cut the fat and sugar content in half. Sugar
Even when Jim is in this awful war-stricken place, one thing that he can still find comfort in, and which reminds him of his peaceful home is the birds, which are everywhere, still living their lives unaffected by mans war. This shows how nature is unaltered by mans cruel antics against other man, and how life and nature must, and will go on through all circumstances.
Throughout their lives, people must deal with the horrific and violent side of humanity. The side of humanity is shown through the act of war. This is shown in Erich Remarque’s novel, “All Quiet on the Western Front”. War is by far the most horrible thing that the human race has to go through. The participants in the war suffer irreversible damage by the atrocities they witness and the things they go through.
As the boys witness death and mutilation all around them, any preconceived notion about the indoctrination, "the enemy" and the "rights and wrongs" of the conflict disappear, leaving them angry and perplexed. The story is not about heroism but about toil and futility and the divide between the idea of war and the real life and its values. The selected passages are full of violence and death and loss and a kind of perpetual suffering and terror that most of us have never and hopefully will never experience. Both authors ability to place the reader right there on the front line with the main character so vividly, not just in terms of what he physically experienced and witnessed All the complicated, intense and often completely numbed emotions that came along...
“Today, more than 95% of all chronic disease is caused by food choice, toxic food ingredients, nutritional deficiencies and lack of physical exercise” Mike Adams (1967- present). People tend to believe our obesity epidemic is due to our high-calorie fast food restaurants. They are quick to blame others for their own mistakes and their willingness to change their eating habits. Fast food restaurants are not to blame for our obesity problem in our society but as a consumer, we are making that ultimate choice. We need to stop and think about what we are putting in our bodies and what they are doing to us. Yes, it’s true, it’s easier to find a McDonalds than a fruit or vegetable stand, but why not choose the salad with half the dressing at McDonalds
We make personal choices about what and where to eat. The government is not going to eliminate the unhealthy food because we think it is the cause of obesity. Ultimately, we must decide to either stay away from unhealthy food or eat them in moderation. Despite all the efforts of education, media and guidance it doesn’t prevent us from grabbing that cheeseburger with fries on the way to work. In his essay “What You Eat Is Your Business,” Radley Balko argues that society should take full responsi...
Before it can be gone into detail about how fast food companies are to blame for people over eating their food, it first must be proven that fast food is indeed the main problem causing today's obesity in America. It is known to many people how the number of fast food restaurants in America has increased tremendously over the past several decades, but it is difficult to calculate by how much due to the lack of historic statistics. Also, it is difficult whether or not to categorize certain restaurants as fast food. Although, a good way to get a feel on the growth of the fast food industry is to take a look at McDonald's, which has been America's most popular fast food chain for decades. In 1968 McDonald's open its 1,000th American restaurant. This number has increased to 13,800 restaurants in 2011 (McDonald’s 1), which really shows how much more fast food people are consuming compared to the past. Consider th...
In concluding this paper, there are many horrifying facts about fast food. I bet no one expected all of the damage these foods could actually cause. The sad thing is most people don’t know these facts, and don’t care to know they’d rather live in denial and enjoy their “delicious food” than help their bodies and feed them the proper, necessary foods.
It has become common today to dismiss the topic of obesity due to the fast food diets. In discussions about obesity, one controversial issue has been the effect fast food restaurants have on health. Many people today do not want to realize how badly fast food affects the human body. They also do not want to accept the fact that obesity has become such a major problem in today’s world. “Today, one in three adults is considered clinically obese, along with one in five kids, and 24 million Americans are afflicted by type 2 diabetes, often caused by poor diet”(Moss 477). On the other hand, companies president 's argue that it’s not their fault that people are becoming obese and developing other health issues due to their products. These companies