Master Harold and the boys - Inclusion in the Curriculum Essay
In his masterpiece "Master Harold" and the boys, Athol Fugard has
journeyed deep into sensitive issues including racism and growing up,
without sacrificing the high technical standard that often
distinguishes great theatre. The poignant and enlightening journey
that is Fugard's piece undoubtedly deserves inclusion in any English
curriculum, with the work's characterization, themes, conflicts and
motifs all earning this distinction.
With only three characters sharing dialogue and one of these playing a
minor role, detailed characterization is a highlight of "Master
Harold and the boys. The major protagonist, Hally, is a white
seventeen-year-old intended to be an autobiographical depiction of a
younger Fugard. Hally is an intelligent and thoughtful young man,
whose cheerfulness is dulled in the book with the news that his father
may be returning to his home from hospital. Essentially, Hally is
ashamed of his alcoholic, crippled and untrustworthy father, and
dislikes having him at home. In a conversation to his mother, he
states "I'm sick and tired of emptying stinking chamberpots full of
phlegm and piss" (48) revealing this discontent. Thus, whenever he is
mentioned, Hally becomes autocratic and aggravated towards the other
men - he unreasonably expects the "boys" to seamlessly move between
scapegoat and friend. Nonetheless, when we reach the climax of the
novel, Hally says with great pain "I love him, Sam" (58). Thus Hally
is divided in his heartfelt emotions of both love and anger.
The other major characters in "Master Harold" and the boys are Sam and
Willie - the 'boys'. These two black men are servants of Hally's
mother, and work at the tearoom in which the play is set. Sam is a
competent, intelligent and intuitive man, and it seems that in any
other society, he would be a valued and successful citizen considering
his abilities. From Sam's intellectual and emotional aptitude, Fugard
clearly depicts to readers the injustice of the South African
Apartheid system of racist segregation during which the play is set.
Willie, on the other hand, is portrayed as a character that would be
an outcast regardless of the societal values that surround him. Little
is heard from him during the novel. Thus, Fugard has depicted to us
the three echelons of Apartheid society...
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...ve something truly special. Nonetheless, their friendship is
broken by the Apartheid system, represented by the final motif - the
bench. The "Whites Only" bench is symbolic of the theme of white
supremacy and segregation, which splits relationships and friends
apart. Sam realizes this and comments to Hally: "You know what that
bench means now, and you can leave it any time you choose." (60) This
is Fugard's underlying message - that if we look past racist ideals
and walk away from them, we can "fly another kite" (59) and establish
a society where equality and harmony are paramount.
"Master Harold" and the boys is a masterfully composed, poignant piece
of drama, and undoubtedly deserves inclusion in English studies. With
technical aptitude in characterization and motifs, and moving,
sensitive issues explored in its themes and conflicts, this work will
undoubtedly encourage students to question racial prejudice and
segregation in modern society. Just as Fugard intended, it will
educate young minds that to be just and fair in regard to racism in
society, "All you've got to do is stand up and walk away from it."
(60). That is perhaps the most important lesson of all.
The Great Depression of the 1930’s caused widespread poverty, but the popular culture of the time did not reflect this. People wanted to escape from this harsh time so movies, dancing and sports became very popular. Radios broadcasted boxing matches and boxers became stars. The heavyweight champion James J. Braddock aka “Cinderella Man,” gained popularity. James Braddock gained fame by winning many fights and proving everyone wrong when they said he was too old and couldn’t win.
The play consisted of five characters: Marty, James, Schultz, Theresa, and Lauren. Marty and James are a couple; they knew each other through a wedding, Theresa is a former actress who ran away from the competitive New York, Schultz is an awkward carpenter who just got divorced, and Lauren is a sixteen year old girl who dreamed of becoming an actress. Marty who is the teacher started the class, but the students participated in the class’s activities
his young upbringing in the Ku Klux Klan. Sam's background as a Klansman is told
We are born into this world with the realization that life is hard and that life is like a box of chocolates and it is hard to take it at face value. The majority of our time is spent trying to answer an endless stream of questions only to find the answers to be a complex path of even more questions. This film tells the story of Harold, a twenty year old lost in life and haunted by answerless questions. Harold is infatuated with death until he meets a good role model in Maude, an eighty year old woman that is obsessed with life and its avails. However, Maude does not answer all of Harold’s questions but she leads him to realize that there is a light at the end of everyone’s tunnel if you pursue it to utmost extremes by being whatever you want to be. Nevertheless, they are a highly unlikely match but they obviously help each other in many ways in the film.
...e on her part. Throughout the story, the Mother is portrayed as the dominant figure, which resembled the amount of say that the father and children had on matters. Together, the Father, James, and David strived to maintain equality by helping with the chickens and taking care of Scott; however, despite the effort that they had put in, the Mother refused to be persuaded that Scott was of any value and therefore she felt that selling him would be most beneficial. The Mother’s persona is unsympathetic as she lacks respect and a heart towards her family members. Since the Mother never showed equality, her character had unraveled into the creation of a negative atmosphere in which her family is now cemented in. For the Father, David and James, it is only now the memories of Scott that will hold their bond together.
He has maintained who he is and allowed it to become apparent through his actions. Samady challenges people that do not acknowledge that he is more than his appearance to “ look at his effect on the world” (13). He was the father that cared for his children, respected his wife, and put the needs of his family before his own. Samady is proud of her father for his selflessness and for possessing this important characteristic even after the war. He was the man that was able to retain so much of himself when loss was inevitable. He might have given up on his chances of becoming an engineering; however, he refused to lose sight of what it took to take care of his
The origins of the Cold War came about when United States President Harry Truman issued his Truman Doctrine. This doctrine stated that the United States would support “free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.” This would end up being the foundation of the U. S. involvement in the Cold War. The main idea of the doctrine was to support nations in the resistance of communism. Truman felt that if one nation fell to communism then this would lead to a “domino effect” resulting in many other nations in the region falling to communism. The greatest fear was that the Soviet Union would spread communism throughout the world thus the reason for the policy of containment. Truman felt it necessary to also provide economic aid to nations that surrounded the Soviet Union. The idea being that they would create a ring of Allies that would contain the threat of the Soviet influence of communism. Economic support would be given and if necessary military support as well. The basis for this economic aid was presented in the Marshall Plan. This plan called for $16 billion in economic aid to be used in the reconstruction of Europe.
Russia is a different country than most are used to which has made a history for itself. Russia played a huge part in World War II as well as established many scientific minds and creation. The first mission (unmanned) to outer space was conducted by Russia (Soviet Union). Their government is similar to democracy, but contains a president, a prime minister, a judicial branch, and a Russian Federation Assembly (State Duma and the Federation Council). Power is split between the Prime Minister (Dmitry Medvedev) and the President (Vladimir Putin); however, the president has deciding power (Darlington, 2014).
Every time the family comes to a confrontation someone retreats to the past and reflects on life as it was back then, not dealing with life as it is for them today. Tom, assuming the macho role of the man of the house, babies and shelters Laura from the outside world. His mother reminds him that he is to feel a responsibility for his sister. He carries this burden throughout the play. His mother knows if it were not for his sisters needs he would have been long gone. Laura must pickup on some of this, she is so sensitive she must sense Toms feeling of being trapped. Tom dreams of going away to learn of the world, Laura is aware of this and she is frightened of what may become of them if he were to leave.
The United States and Russia have been battling off pernicious factions menacing the stability of their democracies over the years. Russia has come a long way over the past century, enduring a number of different phases that have completely desecrated any power Russia may have had paralleled to the rest of the world. The United States, however, has been evolving into a prosperous world power that has led to new respect from many other nations. Both Russia and the United States have struggled in the past at maintaining a significant amount of cultural commitment to preservation of specific aspects of their respective democracies. Having a relatively new democracy, Russian citizens have different perceptions and expectations of government from those of United States citizens. With new liberties and freedoms, Russians are struggling to grasp the concept of capitalism and participation in government. In order to preserve strong features of democracy, such as the right to vote or freedom of speech, a country's constituents must respect and positively view their government. They must have faith in that the government is working for their best interests. Physically, the United States and Russia have been impacted greatly by their geography. Historically, the backgrounds of Russia and the United States are of stark contrast. Traditionally, Russians have a difficult time believing in the stability of their government as it has changed a number of times. Geography has had a profound influence on the Russian psyche. Russia is a land that lies open to invasion and the elements, for it possesses no major natural barriers. In the southeast, there are great plains that allow easy entrance to any would-be conquero...
The movement for inclusion in education has advanced since the years of special schools for children with disabilities. Although there have been significant changes to the laws protecting the rights of children with disabilities there remains an underlying debate as to whether these children should be in main stream classes. Most states and territories in Australia practice inclusive education, however this remains a contentious topic with differing attitudes. It is evident whilst many challenges remain, schools should implement and deliver quality programs that reflect best practice policies. Positive teacher attitudes, promoting diversity, modelling inclusion in the classroom and developing a sense of community by working in partnerships
Russia was ruled by the Tsars and followed a monarchy until 1917. The last Tsar of Russia was Nicholas II who had a turning point in the relationship with his people after the 1905 Russian Revolution. This revolution was “sparked off by a peaceful protest held on January 22nd” (Trueman, 2016). Russian people, after being humiliated by the defeat of Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), wanted the transformation of their government from an autocracy into a constitutional monarchy (Britannica, n.d.). Followed by the industrial revolution that Nicholas II had brought, few other unwanted events occurred in Russia before the Revolution of 1905.
Inclusion classes are very important to the school system. Inclusion classes allow children with disabilities to get their education to the fullest extent. While children with disabilities are in inclusion classes they can also be placed in standard classes to get them introduced to other kids. While no one really knows the true definition of inclusion, the definition is very clear. Inclusion classes help the school system by integrating regular students with disabled students. Both regular students and disabled students benefit from being integrated into standard classes. Inclusion classes are for disabled children that provide the best education possible in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and they help the school system by allowing some of the disabled children to be in standard classes to be integrated with other students and teachers.
My mother often told my sisters and me stories of her childhood move from Virginia to North Carolina. She’d describe the heartbreak of being ripped away from her home, family, and best friends. Although it was painful in the moment, in hindsight she can honestly say that the move was one of the best things that even happened to her. Here she met the love of her life and gave birth to her three girls. The change of environment impacted her life forever. In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens writes of a boy named Pip as he grows and changes as he transitions from his home in the marsh to the hustle and bustle of London. In his novel he proves that our surroundings have a life-changing impact upon us.