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Character development recitatif
An essay on character development
Character development recitatif
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Element Summary Textual Poster Protagonist – Hank Morgan (The Yankee/The Boss) Hank Morgan, mainly referred to as The Yankee, is a practical and level-headed 19th century Connecticut factory owner and engineer who is transported to Arthurian England after he is hit on the head by a crowbar. He shows very little change over the course of the story, trying to change the primitive world around him rather than being himself changed by it. He displays great cleverness and ingenuity when faced with problems, and firmly believes in democracy and the equality and will of the people. When describing a supposedly holy well: “The “fountain” was an ordinary well, it had been dug in the ordinary way, and stoned up in the ordinary way. There was no miracle about it.” (223). Characteristics Of The Protagonist – • Ingenuity • Cleverness • …show more content…
American Values The Yankee is an resourceful and inventive American.
He uses quick thinking and scientific/mechanical knowledge to escape from a number of difficult and dangerous situations. He believes in the American ideals of ingenuity, industry, and democracy, even attempting to industrialize Arthurian England and transform it into a republican society similar to that of late 1800s America from when he came. He rails bitterly against the rigid class system where nobles and lords reign over the working people. He also fights against the institutions of knights, slavers, and the church, depicting them as being unnecessary, immoral, and regressive respectively. “And now here I was, in a country where a right to say how the country should be governed was restricted to six persons in each thousand of its population. For the nine hundred and ninety-four to express dissatisfaction with the regnant system and propose to change it, would have made the whole six shudder as one man, it would have been so disloyal, so dishonorable, such putrid black treason.”
(130). Primary Antagonist – The System While the enemy wizard Merlin certainly opposes Hank on numerous occasions, the greater and far more significant foe is the system itself. The reagent system is built upon an unjust class system where all power is held by those at the top – the nobility. ”So to speak, I was become a stockholder in a corporation where nine hundred and ninety-four of the members furnished all the money and did all the work, and the other six elected themselves a permanent board of direction and took all the dividends. It seemed to me that what the nine hundred and ninety-four dupes needed was a new deal.” Characteristics Of The Antagonist – • Widespread Institution • Variety Of Incarnations Perhaps the most difficult aspect of this system for Hank to overcome is how it manifested itself in the minds of the people, both rich and poor. Everyone believes in the justice of the system, from the king and nobles to the peasants and slaves. This mindset of superiority by birth contrasts sharply with Hank’s American values of equality and democracy. Hank also fights against the power of the Roman Catholic Church, and is a staunch supporter of freedom of religion, making that a key component of his ideal modernized kingdom. “We must have a religion—it goes without saying—but my idea is, to have it cut up into forty free sects, so that they will police each other, as had been the case in the United States in my time. Concentration of power in a political machine is bad; and and an Established Church is only a political machine; it was invented for that; it is nursed, cradled, preserved for that; it is an enemy to human liberty, and does no good which it could not better do in a split-up and scattered condition.” (176) Conflicts – • Modernization • Equality • Rights Although the story is divided into several parts and has many smaller adventures and challenges, the main conflict is that of Hank’s campaign to modernize Arthurian England, and to spread equality, civil rights, and political power throughout its citizens. These ideas prove to be as far ahead of their times as Hank, though he does achieve some of these goals. “Unsuspected by this dark land, I had the civilization of the nineteenth century booming under its very nose!” (97). Setting – Arthurian England The setting of 6th century Arthurian England reinforces the deeper themes of the novel and contrasts sharply with the blunt practicality of the 19th century mechanical engineer Hank Morgan, essentially making the entire plot based around the resulting ripples of this anachronism. The idea of time travel was very new and unexplored at the time of the novel’s publication, further strengthening the thematic implications of this unique choice in setting. “At the end of an hour we saw a far-away town sleeping in a valley by a winding river; and beyond it on a hill, a vast gray fortress, with towers and turrets, the first I had ever seen out of a picture. "Bridgeport?" said I, pointing. "Camelot," said he.” (20). Theme –
However, the author 's interpretations of Jefferson 's decisions and their connection to modern politics are intriguing, to say the least. In 1774, Jefferson penned A Summary View of the Rights of British America and, later, in 1775, drafted the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (Ellis 32-44). According to Ellis, the documents act as proof that Jefferson was insensitive to the constitutional complexities a Revolution held as his interpretation of otherwise important matters revolved around his “pattern of juvenile romanticism” (38). Evidently, the American colonies’ desire for independence from the mother country was a momentous decision that affected all thirteen colonies. However, in Ellis’ arguments, Thomas Jefferson’s writing at the time showed either his failure to acknowledge the severity of the situation or his disregard of the same. Accordingly, as written in the American Sphinx, Jefferson’s mannerisms in the first Continental Congress and Virginia evokes the picture of an adolescent instead of the thirty-year-old man he was at the time (Ellis 38). It is no wonder Ellis observes Thomas Jefferson as a founding father who was not only “wildly idealistic” but also possessed “extraordinary naivete” while advocating the notions of a Jeffersonian utopia that unrestrained
“… no ordinary man. He had a quick, inquiring mind and uncommon resolve. He was extremely hardworking, forthright, good-natured, and a born leader. His commitment to the Glorious Cause of America, as it was called, was total. And if his youth was obvious, the Gl...
The reasoning behind the Constitution of the United States is presented as 'based upon the philosophy of Hobbes and the religion of Calvin. It assumes the natural state of mankind in a state of war, and that the carnal mind is at enmity with God.' Throughout, the struggle between democracy and tyranny is discussed as the Founding Fathers who envisioned the Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787 believed not in total democracy, but instead saw common man as selfish and contemptuous, and therefore in need of a 'a good political constitution to control him.' Being a largely propertied body, with the exception of William Few, who was the only one who could honestly be said to represent the majority yeoman farmer class, the highly privileged classes were fearful of granting man his due rights, as the belief that 'man was an unregenerate rebel who has to be controlled' reverberated.
This paper is organized to support the argument he makes in the introductory paragraph, starting with insurrection and its causes, after which he destabilizes rebuttals against his statements. Jefferson debunks the
He did not perceive the founding fathers to be experimental in nature. Ellis introduces each member of “The Quartet” with high praises, calling attention upon Washington’s organizational abilities, Hamilton’s financial skills, Madison’s drafting abilities, and Jay’s diplomacy tactics. Ellis advocated that through the superior leadership of each member, the creation of the American republic was inevitable. He argues, “To say, then, that ratification represented a clear statement about the will of the American people in 1787-1788 would be grossly misleading. What ratification really represented was triumph of superior organization, more talented leadership, and a political process that had been designed from the start to define the options narrowly” (Ellis 174).
And so, as he inquires about the safety of America and its liberties he must take time to see how his role is crucial in americas potential downfall. In the paragraph of Query 18 Jefferson asks the question “can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God?” This rhetorical question shows how the effects of groupthink and how it negatively affected the masses and allowed individuals like Jeffersons to encourage the act of slavery yet, use the idea of America and its government as a scapegoat. Additionally, by admitting that “Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep forever:” Jefferson shows that he knows exactly what he is doing and that his actions have repercussions and that he has fell victim to Internalisation Conformity. Internalisation Conformity “when one adopts the ideas and actions of which it is composed - is intrinsically rewarding. He adopts the induced behavior because it is congruent [consistent] with his value system' (Kelman, 1958)” As readers read Query 18 they are able to see that although jefferson fears for the safety and the sanctity of his country he is unable to put a stop to slavery because of his enjoyment of being a master and his
Many speeches have shaped the nation we live in today. Patrick Henry’s “Speech in the Virginia Convention” and Benjamin Franklin’s “Speech in the Convention” are two of the most prominent speeches that have assisted in the forging of our new nation. The “Speech in the Virginia Convention” serves to encourage those that listened to take arms against the British and fight the injustice being done to them. The “Speech in the Convention” admits to the imperfections of the Constitution but supports its ultimate purpose. Both Patrick Henry and Benjamin Franklin believe leaders must do away with compromise and lead when it’s best for the people as a whole. However, Patrick discourages any future compromise, while Benjamin Franklin feels that future
“Common sense will tell us, that the power which hath endeavored to subdue us, is of all others, the most improper to defend us.” Such words scribed by the Revolutionary radical Thomas Paine epitomized the drive behind the American Revolution of the 18th century. For nearly two hundred years, the citizens of the American Colonies had been fastened securely to the wrist of the mother country, England. They had tolerated the tyrannous rule, but not without the simmer of rebellious thoughts. As England piled tax after tax onto their colonies, thoughts of revolution and revolt sprung up in the minds of the colonists and brewed there, waiting for a catalyst to drive them into action. The catalyst ignited on January 10th, 1776 when Thomas Paine published his fiery pamphlet ‘Common Sense’. The 48-page pamphlet presented before the colonists a vision for independence that had never been conceived before. It radically altered the course of the Revolution and would later find itself molding the foundation of America’s government indefinitely.
“Give me liberty or give me death!” This statement from Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention,” delivered to the House of Burgesses, has been quoted by many, becoming almost cliché. However, the declaration is truly understood by a select few. The unjust Stamp Act passed by the British crown in 1765, brought fame and notoriety to Henry as he spoke out against the unjust taxation without representation. Ten years later on the eve of revolution, Henry calls upon the Colonial government of which he is part, to act for the betterment of the people.
...gining a State at least which can afford to be just to all men, and to treat the individual with respect as a neighbor; which even would not think it inconsistent with its own repose if a few were to live aloof from it, not meddling with it, nor embraced by it, who fulfilled all the duties of neighbors and fellow-men.” This shows that he has hope for what could be in the future. It may not happen soon, but it is possible. Another statement from the text; “A State which bore this kind of fruit, and suffered it to drop off as fast as it ripened, would prepare the way for a still more perfect and glorious State, which also I have imagined, but not yet anywhere seen.” This means that for a better state and government there must be a failed and flawed one for a better one to come along. Our civil disobedience is not only a right, but a duty, in opposing injustice.
When reflecting and writing on Eiseley’s essay and the “magical element”, I balk. I think to myself, “What magic?”, and then put pen to page. I dubiously choose a kiddie pool to draw inspiration from, and unexpectedly, inspiration flows into me. As I sit here in this little 10x30 foot backyard, the sky is filled with the flowing gaseous form of water, dark patches of moist earth speckle the yard, the plants soak up their scattered watering, and the leaves of bushes and trees imbue the space with a sense of dampness from their foliage. As my senses tune into the moisture that surrounds me, I fill Braedon’s artificial pond with water. I stare at the shimmering surface, contemplating Eiseley’s narrative, and the little bit of life’s wellspring caught in Brae’s pool. I see why Eiseley thought the most abundant compound on the earth’s surface is mystical.
"Let it not be forgotten, the extent of the republic exposes us to the greatest let it be forever kept in mind that of calamities- disunion.
Joseph J. Ellis’s main points throughout the book is not only to describe the historical perspective and success of the founding fathers but also the personal emotions, joys, regrets, familiar tragedies and ultimately the final judgments they make about each other and the Revolution. “I wanted to write a modest-sized account in American history without tripping over the dead bodies of my many scholarly predecessors, hoped to render human and accessible that generation of political leaders customarily deified and capitalized as Founding Fathers”(ix).
Character Study : Harry Hobson Harold Brighouse Although a prolific and popular playwright and novelist during his lifetime, the reputation of Harold Brighouse today rests almost entirely on his play Hobson’s Choice. Born in Eccles near Salford on 26 July 1882, his mother was a teacher and his father was in the cotton business. Despite gaining a scholarship to Manchester Grammar School, Harold was not a keen student; at seventeen he left school to start work in the textile industry.
...oncerns over which groups would provide leadership for the masses, and how those masses were to be represented. Men like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin, who had provided great leadership for this fledgling nation, were leaving the fate of America in new hands. The pessimists voiced their opinions, but there was a great feeling off optimism as the Industrial Revolution began to harbor its effects throughout the United States and the world.