In some ways, Sebastian seems to personify everything you'd imagine about the Faustian demon. He's handsome, charming, and sly, able to easily manipulate and lead people as he wishes. He's ruthless and quite clearly considers humans nothing more than something that exists for his amusement and meals. But at the same time... He's also a very odd demon. While he may be suave and charming, on the other hand, he's also a borderline neurotic perfectionist that takes the duties of a butler very seriously and loves cats enough to keep thirteen of them in a closet to save them from being outside. He may be a demon, but he's not exactly the cool, flawless being that he may seem to be on the surface.
But to give him credit, Sebastian is bound by a contract, and that contract is a big driving force for his activities. In Kuroshitsuji, if a human summons a demon, they're able to form a contract with the demon—the demon will serve the human to its full capacity and do anything the contractor wishes, but at a cost. The demon will eventually eat his human contractor's soul. In Sebastian's case, his contractor is a young nobleman named Ciel Phantomhive that made a contract both to save himself and out of a want for
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revenge against the people that killed his family. This revenge drives Ciel, and thus, it drives Sebastian in turn. But Ciel is a wise boy, so there are certain terms that bind Sebastian: 1. To protect and never betray Ciel. 2. To obey his orders no matter what. 3. To never lie. While most of these terms only apply to Ciel in terms of how they can influence Sebastian, they still carry a great influence otherwise, since some of the orders that Ciel has given have shaped Sebastian. For example, Sebastian's perfectionism, especially as it relates to his duties as a butler, comes from Ciel's rather harsh enforcement of term number two. While Sebastian does seem to innately just take some sort of pleasure in doing things over the top and making things as perfect as possible, Ciel only made it worse by insisting that Sebastian do things by hand. With Sebastian's abilities, he's able to simply create meals, tidy things up, or anything else that would be asked of him without so much as lifting a finger, but because Ciel insisted that he take the effort to do them by hand to make sure Sebastian's true nature wasn't so obvious, he must. Ciel may have high standards for what he expects from Sebastian, but some of this is just a part of Sebastian's character too. He does things to the best of his ability, and gets annoyed when things don't go exactly as planned, so he goes to great lengths still make sure they're as perfect as possible. But even beyond that, Sebastian also just tends to think of accomplishing things in unusual, often overly elaborate ways. Some examples include arson to find a missing person, elaborately faking his own death for the sake of incriminating someone, and creating about twenty different varieties of curry for the sake of winning a curry competition. He's quietly eccentric, in a way, since the ways he thinks to do things are just strange, and the amount of effort they require makes it seem even stranger that he would go through it all for the sake of one (apparently very good) meal. But that's also easily attributed to the idea that Sebastian is difficult to think of in terms of human ideals and morality. He is a demon, and therefore simply doesn't understand or isn't subject to some human emotions. Materialism is meaningless to him, and the only things he seems to care about (other than cats) are more in terms of the annoyance of replacing them if they get ruined rather than any actual value he places on them. The idea of friendship is foreign to him, and while others may regard him as a friend, it's not a sentiment that's returned. His "friendship" is something purely manipulative, just another proverbial chess piece that can be used to some end. Even crying baffles him, because it's just something foreign to a demon, and Sebastian comments that he's not able to feel the emotions that would have him shed tears in the first place. But even with his distant view of humanity, it's clearly convincing enough for people to like him and to not suspect that he's anything but a refined, charismatic butler. Despite not being human and not being subject to many of their emotions, he enjoys observing them and finds them entertaining, clearly enough to be able to imitate it. He's friendly and charming, and even appears to be generous at times, but that too is usually a manipulative gesture. He can be playful and enthusiastic, in every part seeming to be a butler that truly enjoys and takes pleasure in doing his work and doing it well. Yet everything is in terms of how it could be useful to him (or Ciel), so he's more than happy to play the part he's been given. To anyone that doesn't know that he's a demon, he's pleasant, if a bit distant. So for example, he's the sort of person you could befriend and trust, yet walk away realizing you know very little about Sebastian himself. To those that do, he's much more open with the fact that he only does things for the sake of some eventual goal and doesn't seem to like it when people imply otherwise. After all, he is a proud demon despite his servitude, so the idea of doing anything except for the sake of completing his contract is near-insulting. To understand how Sebastian views Ciel, it's important to note that his attachment is unusual. Sebastian is a demon, and they're generally not known for the amount of loyalty that Sebastian seems to show. However, this is because Sebastian's attachment only appears to be loyalty on the surface, when in reality, his motivations are actually quite selfish. To Sebastian, Ciel is a particularly succulent and rare meal, and little else. When one character, a Reaper, comments that Sebastian is literally starving himself, Sebastian simply retorts that he "tired of the behavior of messily sampling every dish available." He is a connoisseur of souls, since he's presumably lived long enough to afford to be picky, and Ciel represents something especially delectable. This is ultimately the motivation that drives Sebastian, presumably because for a demon that's so far removed from human desires, his only desire is a particularly satisfying meal.
Indeed, in the series, we see Sebastian simply give away money and other goods, since he has no need for them, and yet he's willing to be grievously injured for the sake of protecting Ciel's life, though it's also be demonstrated a few times that Ciel's life is his priority, and his overall safety isn't as much of a concern, such as when Sebastian leaves Ciel to deal with many poisonous snakes (since he knew they wouldn't kill him, just hurt him) or even beginning to eat him to shock him out of a dramatic personality change, joking later that he was "only 90% serious" about eating
him. He's certainly an unusual, eccentric demon, but Sebastian is a demon nontheless. He's manipulative and downright cruel, and certainly extremely dangerous, should he feel the need to be. Yet luckily, this is something that very rarely gets shown at all. Sebastian prefers to let others do his work or ruin themselves when he has the opportunity, and only turns to brute force when absolutely necessary or when ordered. He doesn't take pleasure in acting like a beast, but rather, by watching other people destroy themselves through his careful planning and machinations. Still, when necessary, Sebastian is not only brutal, he's also ruthless, and can decimate huge numbers of people without much trouble, and can be pettily cruel to those that do earn his ire. So, really, it's a good thing that Sebastian's brutish nature is hard to pull out, since he's a dangerous demon. Yet for the sake of one, excellent meal, Sebastian largely plays the part of a human well as a charmingly eccentric butler who is absolutely devoted to his young master. So to put it quite simply, Sebastian is one hell of a butler.
The main character in Behind The Bedroom Wall was Korinna. At first Korinna was a pure anti Jew. She was anti semitic because the people in her youth group brainwashed her to think that Jews caused all the problems in Germany. When Korena found out her parents were hiding Jews, at first she was horrified. But she on grew to love the Jews. This happened because Korinna’s kitten crawled behind the bedroom wall to the Jewish family, the Krugmann's, Korinna didn't like that the kitten was with the Jews so she grabbed the kitten and acted hurtful toward the Jews. Later that day she realized she was wrong and gave back the kitten and said sorry. Another way that Korinna changed is that Korinna now felt sorry for Rachel (the
In the Lilies of the Field by William E. Barrett, Homer and Mother Maria both display straightforward, hardworking, and stubborn character traits. Firstly, Homer and Mother Maria both display a straightforward personality by being brutally honest about their opinions. For example, when Mother Maria asks Homer to build a chapel, Homer speaks his mind by telling her he does not want to build it. Mother Maria shows her straightforward behavior during Homer’s stay at the convent. One morning, when Homer sleeps in late, Mother to becomes extremely upset and is not afraid to show how she feels about him. Secondly, both Homer and Mother Maria display a hardworking spirit. Homer is a hardworking man because after finally agreeing to build the chapel,
Quests do not need to be started by the most likely people, as long as they put all that they have into it they can still succeed. In the book Into The Beautiful North, Nayeli is inspired by the movie “The Magnificent Seven” to bring back men from the United States to liberate Tres Camarones. She wants to bring back the men and her father who had left for jobs, to defend their village from the banditos. There are many circumstance in which Nayeli has to face before she can even get to “Los Yunaites”. She will need assistance from what is most unlikely source. She will face trials that she was never prepared for. Before all of this she has to be called to save her village from outsiders. Nayeli’s perseverance after many trials and her desire
In The Big Field, author Mike Lupica explores the theme, "Success uses motivation as fuel." Lupica portrays this theme through the main character, Hutch. Throughout the entire book, Hutch, a young boy that has just recently joined a highly talented baseball team, displays moments that exemplify this main theme. Hutch and his team have a chance to play in the stadium of the Miami Marlins, a Major League Baseball team, as long as they can keep winning games and advancing through a challenging tournament; however, Hutch's favorite position on the field, shortstop, the position located between 2nd and 3rd base, has already been filled on the team. Unfortunately, Hutch gets a demotion from shortstop, to second base, the position located between 1st base and 2nd base. Although Hutch was disappointed and melancholy about the switch in position, he was even more upset about the downgrading of leadership, since the
AP English Literature and Composition MAJOR WORKS DATA SHEET Title: A Raisin In the Sun Author: Lorraine Hansberry Date of Publication: 1951 Genre: Realistic Drama Biographical Information about the Author Lorraine Hansberry was born in Chicago on May 19, 1930. She grew up as the youngest in her family. Her mother was a teacher and her father was a real estate broker.
Most outcasts of history had a particular, exclusive life; full of struggles against the society ever since birth and grew up with a heart made out of steel from the harsh criticism they have endured. They differ from the community within their beginning to their end, and many of their stories end up becoming legends and gaps of the past that nobody will be able to reincarnate. China’s first and last female emperor, Wu Zetian, was one of these exclusives. Ever since birth, her history of tactics to the people around her; in order to ascend the throne, juxtaposed towards society’s attitudes of women at the time; through her breakdown of gender stereotypes and quick knowledge, and offered a new perspective to the world of just how cruel and beautiful women can be. She successfully destructed all accumulated views of women in the Tang Dynasty, and created her future in the way she wanted it – on top of every man in her country. She was an outcast – somebody who juxtaposed against the demands of her. She was history.
Grace is a very sweet and sensitive girl. She made some mistakes herself, but because of her foster parents she got through the tough parts. In Far From the Tree written by Robin Benway, she created a character that had a child in highschool and Her little girl was adopted and has a better life than what Grace could have offered her. Once Grace got told she had a sister named Maya she bursted into joy. Her heart was beating out of her chest when she was emailing Maya to meet up. When Maya replied with an answer Grace was ecstatic, but at the same time she did not know what to think. The moment when she saw the answer was ¨yes¨ she ran downstairs to tell her parents. Her whole life was now different because she had a relief that she had someone
The novel Suttree is centered on Cornelius “Buddy” Suttree, a college educated man who has decided to forsake his former life and live in a houseboat on the Tennessee River outside of Knoxville, Tennessee in a fairly destitute area known as McAnally Flats in 1951. He leaves his wife and child, a son, giving up the comfortable life to live as a river rat of sorts. He seems to be searching for something, unbeknownst to him or the reader. Possibly the meaning of life, but more than likely it’s a way to deal with death that seems to follow Suttree around throughout the novel. He’s not one for social norms, coming off as being an anarchist. He runs from his responsibilities, rebels against authority, and refuses to be bound by social convention. His everyday life is a hodge podge of drunken adventures, be it brawls or waking up in the morning in the local lockup hungover and confused. He associates with the
“The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy of each other’s life” -Richard Bach. Far from the Tree by Robin Benway explores the meaning of family, and the impact that loved ones have on identity. The novel tells the story of three siblings who have three very different lives reunite after spending all of their lives separately. Grace, Maya and Joaquin grow dependant on one another, and unknowingly give and take values from each other that help them solve their own issues slowing being brought to light. With the help of his parents and siblings, Joaquin reveals a critical capacity for change as he leaves his old self behind and moves on to a better future with a loving family.
The play “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry has many interesting characters. In my opinion, the most fascinating character is Ruth because of her many emotions and captivating personality. She goes through extreme emotions in the play such as happiness, sadness, anger, stress, and confusion. Ruth is very independent, firm, kind, witty, and loving.
: Kenny S: Client is upbeat and a positive presence within the group, which seems to be the norm with Kenny. Uniquely, he comes prepared, is eager to “do the work”, additionally, he is not afraid to hold other group members accountable when appropriate. For this assignment, Kenny attributed the role of Toto (best friend) to be his wife, and explained further how he owes her an amends for his years of philandering. The Lion (courage) is represented by his sponsor, Greg, while his oldest sister, Karen, is his Tin Man (heart). Kenny spoke highly of his former counselor, Kevin, saying his was a good advisor and therefore, plays the Scarecrow (brain) role in Kenny’s production. The one who always blocked Kenny’s way and tried to bring him down, is his deceased father, who plays the Wicked Witch. Whereas, Aunt Dianne plays the Wizard of Oz for Kenny because he feels that she has all the answers. His “annoying dog”, Rusty, plays the Flying Monkey (pest) in Kenny’s scenario, while his Aunt Annetta plays Glenda, the Good Witch (who always wants your best interest at heart, and tries to guide you). Lastly, Gary M, the CMA at the “Y”, is Kenny’s Auntie Em because he is strict and no nonsense, but wants what is right-signifying home.
Having attained all that he desires from the knowledge of man, Marlowe’s character Faustus turns to the only remaining school of thought that he feels he must master which is the art of necromancy. In his pursuits, he manages to summon the devil Mephistopheles, arch demon of hell, and strikes a deal to trade his immortal soul with Lucifer in exchange for being granted an infinite amount of power and knowledge that extends even beyond the limits of human understanding. However in the process of negotiating the terms of his pact, it becomes clear that Faust is in a constant state of uncertainty in terms of whether he should repent and forsake the arrangement or simply go through with it. This underlying theme of internal struggle is introduced very early and reappears in later acts with the appearance of established binaries that suggest a theme of division not only among the character of John Faustus, but within the written text as a whole. This suggests that Faustus is meant to serve as a symbol for the divided nature of man and the consequences of failing to negotiate the struggles that are a result of the divided self.
III. Faustus is portrayed as a very individual character. He changes and is shaped by the events that happen all around him. Everything he does affects his future outcome. For example his decision to give up his studies of medicine were very un-stereotypical of a character that is studying to be a doctor to do. Even more so is his decision to take upon the necromantics of the devil. He says, “Then read no more; thou hast attain'd that end: A greater subject fitteth Faustus' wit.” (1.11) He believes that he has learned enough information about all the great things of the world and there is nothing left to study that will intrigue him as much as magic will. His curious personality affects the play because his decisions determine the plot. For example the Seven Deadly Sins entice him so he becomes convinced not to repent his sin. This characterizes him as gullible, curious and adventurous. He becomes obsessed with his magic and he absolutely loves having the powers to do anything he pleases. An example of this is when he conjures up Helen. He knows he can do whatever he wants without reservation so he chooses to conjure the woman who launched a thousand ships. This shows that not only is he gullible, curious and obsessed but also Faustus only wishes for the best in whatever he does; the best that will please him.
I can go as far as saying that Faustus lusts to be God, similarly to Lucifer, considering everything he has asked for. Lucifer was envious of God before he fell from grace, and with Faustus emulating Lucifer so closely, he also matches this unnecessary envy through his actions. He is too charmed with being a God in which he says “A sound magician is a mighty God.” The fact that Faustus wants to be an equal with God has him in complete denial of God 's power. But just as how Lucifer was damned for the same desires, Faustus was destined to follow the same fate. Despite Lucifer’s damnation, it is also as if he has succeeded in someone serving him as a God, seeing that Faustus has gave himself up to
It is fair to say that Faustus represents the quintessential renaissance man - it is his thirst for knowledge that drives him into his pact with Mephastophilis, indeed it is the Evil Angel that best summarises this: