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the obstacles of reading habit
reading habits essay
The importance of reading
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The Importance of Reading
“Why do you read all the time?” A frequently asked question of my past and I still find it repeated even now as I have entered a higher class of the educated. Whenever posed with this blatant criticism of my preferred free time activity, I simply answer with “Why don’t you read all the time?” Of course I might sound like the biggest geek that ever walked the face of the earth, but the fact of the matter is that no matter what negative stereotype is attached to those who read, it has never stopped me from continuing to pursue my joy of literature. I am a firm believer in the power of a book and that the fact that the more well read you are the better chance you have of relating to entirely different groups of people.
Ever since I can remember, my father has encouraged me to read. I suppose that it is due to his poor background that he is so inspired by books. As a result, I was reading Shakespeare before most could even pronounce his name. Captured by the amazing usage of words in the old Elizabethan era, I was spurred to read more by past British writers and they remain to this day my preferred choice of books. This is not to say that I am not a fan of the more modern author on the contrary, I read all genres and believe that each have their own additions to the literary world.
However, none of them can compare to my all time favourite author, Jane Austen. First introduced to her when I was about twelve years old, I was instantly captured by her style of writing and her personal background. She is the most famous feminist writer of her time but was only truly celebrated after her death, to my own sentimental twelve-year-old heart that seemed so tragic and was automatically my reason to sympa...
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... read finding great pleasure in a book. After knowing what I know about what books have brought to my life I feel sorry for those who cannot simply enjoy a novel instead of watching a movie.
Even though I too have grown up in a society that is primarily film oriented and it has definitely been a part of shaping me, I am proud to say that I am more well rounded than that and have many levels and other things that have shaped who I am. My view on the world and its issues is broader and I have a better way of thinking of the world being better aware of the social differences within groups of people and the impoverished people that are scattered across our globe. I owe this all to my father who introduced me to literature and the greatness that it can hold for someone who is ready to accept it and step into the many lives and worlds created by ink and paper.
...sitive depiction of their sexual relationship. For Mina, however, renunciation of Dracula's evil must include the renunciation of her own physical needs and desires. The roles played by social mores and conceptions of gender and sexuality are, in the end, more than incidental. Indeed, the difference between Victorian England and 1990s America causes the subtle -- but significant -- valuation of the connections between good and evil and women and sexuality in two in many ways similar texts.
Bram Stoker and Sheridan Le Fanu’s texts, Dracula (1898) and “Carmilla” (1872), use gothic tropes in similar ways to captivate readers with horror and terror. This essay will illustrate how, in comparison, both texts include gothic tropes: the New Woman, sexuality and setting, in order to provoke emotions and reactions from the readers. To achieve this, this essay will focus on the women that challenge traditional gender roles and stereotypes, and deconstruct each text in regards to the very strong undertones of homosexuality; specifically between Carmilla and Laura, and Dracula and Harker. By discussing the harshness and darkness of the environments described, including ruined castles and isolated landscapes; this essay will also explore the
Sir Thomas More is a good moral man who believes in God and would never lie to anyone to get anything. Sir Thomas, in the play, would not be dishonest and take the oaths without believing them and this is seen when More states to Margaret, “ . . . When a man takes an oath Meg, he’s holding his own self in his own hands. Like water and if he opens his fingers then - he needn’t hope to find himself again. Some men aren’t capable of this, but I’d be loathed to think your father one of them.” (Bolt 83) More will not lie and take the oaths just to get himself out of trouble. Additionally, More will not be dishonest because he states, “Can I help my King by giving him lies when he asks for truth? Will you help England by populating her with liars?” (Bolt 93) Overall, More will not lie to get something he wants.
Over the course of cinematic history, many filmmakers have attempted to recreate the chilling, unprecedented world of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Arguably very few have succeeded, for the majority of directors tend to avoid the pervasive sexuality inherent in the novel. It is a difficult task to achieve, considering the blatant imagery surrounding sex and vampirism, such as the reproduction following a vampiric encounter and the phallocentric nature of the violence committed both by and against these creatures: penetration is involved in their hunting, and one must impale them with a stake in order to destroy them. Readers are thereby forced to admit that Dracula is, in fact, a highly eroticized piece of literature, though whether or not Stoker himself was aware of this suggestiveness, we cannot be sure. The most successful effort at capturing that sexual energy on film has been Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 movie, Bram Stoker's Dracula. In fact, it has often been proposed that Coppola’s version is too carnally focused in comparison to the original work, which leads a viewer to wonder about the purpose in this overt sexualization. It can be concluded that adding copious amounts of eroticism to the film is directly related to Coppola’s strive to depict Count Dracula as more human rather than monster, and sexuality in his film serves as a balance so that the lines between good and evil are blurred. Evidence for this deduction is found in three scenes in particular: Jonathan’s seduction by Dracula’s vampiric wives, Lucy’s demonic transformation, and Mina and Van Helsing’s relationship during the climax of the story.
My parents have always stressed the importance of reading. Throughout my whole life, they have motivated me to read and they have encouraged me to find books that I find interesting to read. Because of their encouragement, I am an avid reader today. When I was a child, just starting to enjoy reading I liked to read books that were fiction. Some of my favorite books to read as a child are series that I still love today and I think I still have every book in each series stored in my attic. They are The Boxcar Children, Junie B. Jones, and The Magic Tree House.
Gothic stories often provide differentiated frameworks for the appearance of many characters within the stories. We find a multitude of characters ranging from the hunter, to the prey, from damsel in distress to women appearing as sexualized monsters. Bram Stroker’s Dracula, John William Polidori’s Vampyre and J. Sheridan LeFanu’s Carmilla provide a keen insight on the culture, norms, societal values and the writing of early gothic literature. It is imperative to note that in the Victorian era, sexuality as a gender role was assigned to men and the placement of women as vampires in the gothic stories either challenge or reaffirm these expectations of sexuality of the women. Stephen D. Arata in his article, “The Occidental tourist: Dracula
In 1897 Bram Stoker published a book titled Dracula, meaning “dragon” in Romanian. The book astonished many, and to this day continues to. Though having endured over a century of thought the book still shows an intriguing look on female sexuality in the time period of which it was written. The book follows a group of people involved in the wraths of Count Dracula. Throughout the book marriage and relationships are encountered, and are the binding cause in the book, essentially provoking many of the problems encountered. Dracula reveals society’s belief of the two sides of women, the societal “axiom” of behavior in men and women, as well as the obligations to obtain marital status and find security in it.
The Victorian era was a very conservative time when Western society was entirely patriarchal and gender roles where extremely strict. Dracula challenges this normative society by operating under the fear of “the queer” or unnatural. Bram Stoker’s queer, alien characters pervert gender roles in horrific ways and are punished with dire consequences. There are two main sources of these gender role perversions: the Count and every female character. It is striking that the two sources of the horror-creating “queer” are a blood-sucking undead monster, and women. By thus placing women who defy gender norms in a similar category with a monstrous antagonist, Dracula supports the return to traditional gender roles through the extermination
In Dracula, Bram Stoker explores the fantastic image of a sexually dominant woman within a patriarchal society. The battle between good and evil within the novel very much hinges upon feminine sexuality: Lucy and Nina are embodiments of the Victorian virtues, which Dracula threatens to corrupt,
The late nineteenth century Irish novelist, Bram Stoker is most famous for creating Dracula, one of the most popular and well-known vampire stories ever written. Dracula is a gothic, “horror novel about a vampire named Count Dracula who is looking to move from his native country of Transylvania to England” (Shmoop Editorial Team). Unbeknownst of Dracula’s plans, Jonathan Harker, a young English lawyer, traveled to Castle Dracula to help the count with his plans and talk to him about all his options. At first Jonathan was surprised by the Count’s knowledge, politeness, and overall hospitality. However, the longer Jonathan remained in the castle the more uneasy and suspicious he became as he began to realize just how strange and different Dracula was. As the story unfolded, Jonathan realized he is not just a guest, but a prisoner as well. The horror in the novel not only focuses on the “vampiric nature” (Soyokaze), but also on the fear and threat of female sexual expression and aggression in such a conservative Victorian society.
In Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, Stoker’s use of inverted gender roles allows readers to grasp the sense of obscureness throughout, eventually leading to the reader’s realization that these characters are rather similar to the “monster” which they call Dracula. Despite being in the Victorian era, Stoker’s use of sexuality in the novel contributes to the reasoning of obscureness going against the Victorian morals and values. Throughout the novel the stereotypical roles of the Victorian man and woman are inverted to draw attention to the similarities between Dracula and the characters. Vague to a majority of readers, Bram Stoker uses Dracula as a negative connotation on society being that the values of the Victorian culture are inverted amongst the sexes of characters, thus pointing out the similarities of the characters and the so called “monster” which they call Dracula.
If one were to look at my varied reading habits, they would be struck by the diversity and over all unusualness of my mind’s library. I hardly remember the plot of the first book I read, but it was called Lonesome Dove. It wasn’t the actual first book I read, but I don’t really count the McGregor Readers from kindergarten. I read it in first grade because of my Grandmother’s fascination in the T.V. mini-series that was playing during the time. I wanted to be able to talk to her about it so I went to the public library that weekend and picked up a copy. Well, I actually didn’t pick it up, it was too heavy. It took me over two and a half months to read, but with the help of a dictionary and my grandma, I finally read it from cover to cover. I can’t really say that I understood it, because I don’t recall what it was about. But I do remember that it was quite an ordeal. Since then I have read many books. I enjoy fiction the best, especially those that are based on society, but have a small twist that leads to an interesting story. Some of the stories that I remember best from that early time in my life are Tales from Wayside Elementary School, Hatchet, The Godfather, and The Giver. I think that Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, is the only book that I’ve read more than once. I liked the situation that Brian was put into, lost in the wilderness, with nothing more to fend for himself with than his mind and a trusty hatchet. The adversity he faces and his undying drive are what fascinated me most. Since that time my reading habits have grown into a different style. I have usually only read what was assigned to me during the school year because that was all I had time to do, but I have always strived to put forth extra effort. For example: last year for English 3 AP we had to read an excerpt from Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography. Although that we only had to read a small bit, I checked the entire book from the college library and read it all. Although the way that Franklin rambled on and on about his “Franklin Planner” was somewhat boring, the way he describe his life was pure poetry.
Conclusively, while Bram Stokers novel Dracula is seen as a gothic and horror story, I argue that it is a novel that seeks to address female sexuality directly. Seen through numerous passages, Stoker confronts and battles the views between sexuality during the Victorian era though his genius of characterization of characters present within the novel. As it seems highly intentional to me, I respect the way in which he criticizes and critiques upon female sexuality by bringing into light new ideas regarding female desires. When contrasting his text upon today’s culture, the differences to how one perceived the vampire has changed significantly.
When More died it sent a message to the public that the Kin was wrong in what he was doing. As More died in front of a lot of people, it certainly showed to the public that it was honorable and he put his point across in the clear way. “….but because I would not bend to the marriage” (pg. 78) More is simply stating that he wouldn’t agree with the King for the clear intention of staying alive.
People have to be determined and focused in order to complete a whole book. Everyone has, at some point of their life tried to read a book and some have even given up after battling to read through the first page. On the other hand, watching movies is easy and can save a lot of time. Usually a movie takes about two hours, while reading a book could take more than a week or even months for some readers. Individuals think perusing books and watching movies are the same, so they will watch the movie for their time 's sake. Also, watching movies provide superior picture about the story since it is visual and is within a short timeframe so, the audience can remember the story easier. To add more, you can complete a movie in one sitting while to complete a book, you have to work hard and give a lot time for it. Furthermore, you can do anything while watching movies. For instance, you can do your assignment while watching movies or cook food and watch movies. On the other hand, while reading a book, you need to be fully focused on it else you don’t understand what’s happening in the story. Besides, movies continue renewing each week, whereas for a book to be composed and distributed takes a lot of time (Lee, wordpress.com). Before movies were made, most of the population read books to engage and improve themselves. Since movies came out, people are pulled in by the delightful and bright representation in the motion