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Essay on individual character development
Building character essay
Essay on individual character development
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Novelist, Kurt Vonnegut, once said, “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” Jimmy Valentine was a safe cracker who had robbed countless banks. During a four year jail stay, Valentine was pardoned by the mayor and took a train down to a small Arkansas town named Elmore. There he changed his name to Ralph D. Spencer, opened a shoe store, and met his future fiance, Miss Annabel Adams, who happened to be the banker's daughter. During a vault inspection, lead by Mr. Adams, Annabel’s niece locked her sister into the vault while they were playing. Valentine cracked open the safe to rescue her, consequently revealing his true identity. Jimmy Valentine is a criminal, but he has demonstrated
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that he is a changed man by stating his intention of giving his burglary tools away, rescuing Agatha from the bank vault, and the author, O. Henry, intentionally included symbolism to convey certain points to the reader; therefore, Valentine was truly dedicated to living a moral life. Valentine had shown that he had chosen to live a moral life we he decided to give away his burglar’s tools. In order for Valentine to do his trade, he needed tools to help him break into safes. The tools were what allowed him to rob so frequently. Taking safe-cracking tools away from a cracksman is like taking away a farmer’s tractor. The job can not be done without these implements. Valentine’s tools were also very expensive and state of the art. “Over nine hundred dollars they had cost him to have made at ---, a place where they make such things for the profession.” (Henry pg. 2). Nine hundred dollars was a lot in the 1900’s, almost 7,100 dollars today. Valentine also had invented a few of the tools himself. The author says on page two, “invented by Jimmy himself, in which he took pride.” He proved he was truly changing by giving away the devices that he had taken such pride in. In relinquishing his tools, it showed that Valentine was committed with the idea of living a moral life. His tools were a representation of his old life and by giving them away Valentine symbolically gave his old life away as well. Jimmy Valentine had a good, moral heart heart which he showed by rescuing Agatha from the bank vault. When Valentine came to the aid of Agatha, he was doing if for Annabel. He did not want her to lose a loved one. Ironically Annabel did end up losing someone she loved, for she lost Jimmy. Valentine was sacrificial in metaphorically giving his life for Agatha’s. If Jimmy Valentine had been trying to pull off a con, he would have acted as though he was unable to rescue Agatha. If Valentine had not saved the life of Agatha, he would still have access to the Adam’s money. He was to be married to Miss Annabel in two weeks, and he would have been granted entry to her financial accounts. Valentine did not care about her money or the risk that he was taking. He was exposed for who he really was and had a chance of being put back into jail. If Valentine had been trying to con the Adam’s family, he would have thought the risks through and not jumped head first into this predicament. By not hesitating, Valentine proved he wanted to do the right thing. He did not care that he had just revealed his true self. “He set his suit-case on the table, and opened it out flat. From that time on he seemed to be unconscious of the presence of anyone else.” (Henry pg. 5) Valentine had one thing on his mind, saving Agatha. He was selfless and willing to lose his new life to save someone. Proving that he was not just a con artist, Valentine went the hard route. Cracking open a vault is a lot more work than standing back and pretending you are unable to open it. A con artist is all about tricks, manipulations, and taking the easiest route. Valentine did not have to consider his fiance’s feelings, sacrifice his new life, or do the hard work, but because he did, Agatha was saved. The author, O.
Henry, intentionally included symbolism to convey to the reader that Jimmy Valentine was a changed man. On page one it states. “Valentine, 9762, was chronicled on the books, “Pardoned by the Governor,” and Mr. James Valentine walked out into the sunshine.” Sunshine symbolizes new life and redemption. This quote shows that Valentine was walking into his new life when he left jail. Henry is also foreshadowing that Valentine will redeem himself. When Valentine was in prison he worked at a shoe shop and he also opened up his own shoe shop in Elmore, Arkansas. People who work on shoes fix ‘souls’. Valentine was “assiduously stitching uppers..” (Henry pg 1) before he was pardoned. Jimmy Valentine was diligently working at fixing his life during jail and after it. The author describes Valentines ‘changing of heart’ as “the phoenix that arose from Jimmy Valentine’s ashes-- ashes left by the flame of a sudden alternative attack of love.” (Henry pg. 3) A phoenix rising from ashes symbolizes something being reborn. The author is conveying to the reader that Valentine had became a changed man without meaning to. By incorporating symbolism into the story, O. Henry gives the reader room to inference and makes decisions about Valentine’s …show more content…
morality. Although there is sufficient evidence to show that Jimmy Valentine was a changed man, there is also evidence contradicting that.
Other opinions might say that Valentine fell in love with Annabel’s money, not Annabel. This could not be the case because the first time Valentine saw Miss, Adams he “looked into her eyes, forgot what he was, and became another man.” (Henry pg. 2) Valentine forgot that he was a criminal and he became a different man, a better man. This was all before Valentine knew about Annabel’s relationship with the bank. When Valentine first came to Elmore he had bribed a boy to learn more about the town and the residents. It is thought that Valentine was conning the boy, but he could have just been asking for information. O. Henry does not include what Valentine was inquiring or why he wanted this information, he left it up to the reader to infer. Paying the boy was just a way to get the boy talking to him in the first place and to keep telling him information. Before Valentine opened the vault to save Agatha, he said to Annabel, “give me that rose you are wearing, will you?” (Henry pg. 5) A rose symbolizes love, so it is said that Valentine was asking Annabel to give his love back to him, However, a rose also symbolizes silence secrets and confidentiality. When Valentine took Annabel’s rose, he wasn’t taking his love away, but instead he was letting his secret out. By the author having Valentine take away Annabel’s rose, he used it as a symbol of
Valentine’s secret finally being told. However sufficient the evidence is to show that Jimmy Valentine had not truly changed, the evidence that proves he was a changed man is much more strong and logical. Because Jimmy Valentine intended on giving away his burglar tools, rescued Agatha from the bank vault, and showed his morality through O. Henry’s symbolism, Valentine demonstrated that he was truly dedicated to living a moral life. Jimmy Valentine had the opportunity to stay an immoral man or to start a life for himself. His choices lead him to grow into a good man with a good heart. Valentine did not need to pretend to be Ralph D. Spencer all that time because in a way they were always the same person inside.
They Lamartine family notices their cheerful Henry is not the same as before. "He sat in his chair gripping the armrests with all his might, as if the chair itself was moving at high speed and if he let go at all he would rocket forward and maybe crash right through the set." (444) It is disheartening to read about the Henry we know as carefree, life loving guy, who turns so damaged, and hurt by what the war has done to him. This example of Henry only shows the audience how war can completely ruin a person. "His face was totally white and hard. Then it broke, like stones break all of a sudden when water boils up inside them." (446) You sense a sign in reference to how run-downed Henry is, and how is brother only wants the best for him. Lyman wants the old Henry back, the brother he knew on that once adventures summer. Unfortunately this story is not a happy ending and Henry cannot snap out of it. Making any reader think twice before joining the
Throughout this short story the use of metaphors and symbolic imagery allows the reader to feel what Lyman, the narrator feels as the story unfolds. In the very first paragraph, where the characters are introduced we are given a horrific view of what is to come. The narrator tells us henry will meet
On Friday November 15, 2013, I attended a concert that I found very interesting. It took place at 7:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. The group performing was the Erie Chamber Orchestra but as a special the Slippery Rock University Concert Choir was also there.
The concert I attended was a Junior piano recital held at The Florida State University College of Music in the Dohnanyi Recital Hall. The pianist was Kaisar Anvar. The pieces performed were:
The first piece presented in this concert was Robert Strauss’ Metamorphosen, Study for 23 Solo Strings a piece was composed during the last months of World War II, from August 1944 to March 1945, dedicated it to Paul Sacher. It was first performed in January 1946 with ten violins, five violas, five cellos, and three double basses, this was immolated in the performance by the Atlanta Symphony orchestra on April 13th that I attended. It is widely believed that Strauss wrote the work as a statement of mourning for Germany's destruction during the war, in particular as an elegy for devastating bombing of Munich during the second World War.
Johnny Got His Gun is a striking literary work about a young man, Joe Bonham, and his internal struggles following a devastating war injury. He lost his arms, legs, and face. Dalton Trumbo, the author Johnny Got His Gun, allows the reader to know Bonham's thoughts, but nothing more. The reader follows Joe's progression toward and away from insanity, and between hope and despair. Trumbo shows this progression through the use of a plethora of literary techniques. Characterization is one of the most extensively used techniques. A great deal can be understood about Joe's feelings and thoughts by seeing how he interprets characters. The reader ponders many ideas when thinking about characterization used in this book: reality of characters, stereotyping of characters, and motivation of characters.
The concert I attended was the Jazz Showcase in Rudder Theatre on Monday June21, 2004 at 7:30 p.m.
On November 16th, 2013, I attended a concert choir, fall choral concert. This event took place on the Wheaton College Campus, in the Edman Chapel at 7:30 pm. The chapel was well-lit, with long pews for the audience to be seated. The concert began with the audience looking up into a balcony, where the ensemble stood in neat rows. They watched the conductor, who stood on a stage in front of the audience, waiting for their cue.
On Monday, October 3, 2016 I was privileged to attend the fabulous performance by the Pittsburg State University Jazz Band at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts in Pittsburg Kansas. It was a beautiful evening filled with fantastic music. The concert featured many well-rehearsed songs, talented solos, and enjoyable evening for everyone who attended.
Throughout the life of Emily Grierson, she remains locked up, never experiencing love from anyone but her father. She lives a life of loneliness, left only to dream of the love missing from her life. The rose from the title symbolizes this absent love. It symbolizes the roses and flowers that Emily never received, the lovers that overlooked her.
On Wednesday, May 23rd, I attended the College Choir concert in the Reamer Campus Center. The choir performed a variety of songs, ranging from pieces in Latin to traditional American folksongs. Two of the pieces featured solos, and one even featured percussion instruments. Mrs. Elinore Farnum provided piano accompaniment for each of the songs, and performed beautifully. I was extremely impressed by the talented choir members and their ability to sing such a varied range of songs.
The time period in which O. Henry's finest works created, occurred in the late 1800's to the early 1900's where he dazzled readers with his unorthodox, romantic style. A short story titled "A Retrieved Reformation" written by O. Henry, who sold it to George Tyler who later turned the work into a Broadway show. "Alias Jimmy Valentine"as it came to be called dazzled America, England, France, and Spain for over a decade. In the short stories "The Social Triangle" and "A Retrieved Reformation", O. Henry uses the literary devices of symbolism, plot twists, and characterization.
For this concert report I chose to go to a performance of student composers held at the Kimball Recital Hall. I chose this one because I wanted to see some of the talent that my peers have in the music realm, and also it was one of the only concerts I have been able to attend because I usually work at night. It was impressive to hear pieces composed by students. I cannot imagine creating something as complex as a musical composition, much less actually performing it, so this aspect of the concert was particularly awe-inspiring. There was a large attendance, and I think that much of the audience consisted of friends of the composers and/or performers. I went with three friends, who I convinced by telling it would be interesting to see student composers.
Music: the art of organized noise. The blend of pitch and rhythm combined in different mediums and enjoyed by our ears. A very interpretive art, music isn’t very clearly constricted or defined by one definition. With so many varieties of music, it’s difficult to say what aspect is really the most important. Some people think music’s history and the appreciation of music are the most important aspects to take into consideration. Some think complex in rhythms and melodies make the best music. Some people devote their whole lives to studying one genre of music in order to fully understand how that genre works. While all of these aspects of music are important, none of them can truly be compared with each other on a fair playing field. Music of different genres, eras, and geographic backgrounds were written for different purposes, different people, and different settings. Still, there is still one overarching theme that applies to all forms of music new or old: the way the composer presents his or her creation. The performance and presentation of a work of music is like the icing on the top of a cake. The cake may be the best you’ve ever tasted, but if the icing on the outside doesn’t look appealing or doesn’t taste good, chances are you’ll take a different piece of cake with better looking frosting next time. The performance of music is what appeals most to people. With live performance, an artist must “sell” his or her creation. They must put smile on their face and convey to the audience that this is their music and through the music explain why it’s awesome. They must persevere through whatever the stage, the audience, and their surroundings give them and put on a good show. In today’s popular music though, this aspect of showma...
When people try to describe O. Henry’s writing style, they always use the term “smile with tears,” which implies his twisted way of thoughts and endings about every story. These stories usually end in a humorous but also cruel kind of way. It’s absolutely useful to elevate the artistic thought in writing a thoughtful story.