Accepting change can be both hard and scary. With change comes discomfort, insecurity, and the possibility of negative results. Although younger generations have an easier time adjusting to and accepting the ever-changing world in ways such as technology, education, and what is to be considered ‘typical’, older generations seem to have a tougher time breaking from tradition and giving new things a try. Four authors discuss the difficulty some have of accepting change through poetry, song, and informative articles, and the impact it has on society or an individual. At first their writings may seem unrelated. However, although the formats, stories, and directions are different, there is one thing in which they become strongly unified; the particular pieces of literature all uniquely share a common theme that shows …show more content…
the conflict of emotions caused by fear to accept change and the unknown. Pioneering Female Bullfighter is an inspiring article written by Steve Chawkins, in honor of the life of Patricia McCormick (1929-2013). The news article focuses on the achievements reached by McCormick throughout her lifetime. She became interested in bullfighting at a very young age and finally decided to pursue it as a career at age 20. Although she was both skilled, and well-known she faced sexist discrimination in the industry, mainly from male competitors. Although she was given many privileges that other women bullfighters of her time were not, she “never was allowed to take the alterniva -- an initiation ceremony that would’ve signified parity with the top male bullfighters of her day” (Chawkins, paragraph 6). In addition to this, Patricia was not allowed to wear the attire that was traditionally worn by prestigious male bullfighters. McCormick faced harsh discrimination based solely on the fact that she was a woman. “While praising her valor, her discipline’s biggest names were sometimes bruisingly condescending towards her…(Chawkins, paragraph 19). A quote from a renowned competitor claimed that “She fights larger bulls than does any other woman… and she kills well, Her only defect is that she is a woman” (Chawkins, paragraph 20). It would seem very frustrating to be a part of a profession that treated someone differently based on their gender. To have the amount of respect and accolades that McCormick had attained, and still be shut down because males believed being a woman was a problem. This article ties into the overall idea that change can be scary. In the prime of her career, which took place in the 1950s/1960s, society had not yet accepted the fact the women should be treated equally to men. And although things have gotten better since then, women today are still fighting on for their equality for some of the more stubborn subjects, such as wages. Society fears change because it is something new and uncharted. No one knows how the results with end up, and they are perfectly okay with leaving things as they are. It is common to see that the ones refusing change are the ones that are already thriving in society as it is and do not want to see that get messed up. In a story similar to McCormick's, an obituary written in July 2012 about a woman named Sally Ride talks about discrimination that Rides faced in her field of study as well. Sally Ride, trailblazing U.S. astronaut, dies at 61 honors a woman that had been an aspiring engineer and astronaut and accomplished many endeavors in the course of her life time. She was best-known for being the first woman in space -- something that she herself had mixed feelings about. At a pre-flight NASA news conference she admitted that it was too bad that it was such a big deal, and that society is not further along. Throughout her career she dealt with sexism from every source. She “politely endured reporters’ asking whether spaceflight would affect her reproductive organs, whether she planned to have children, whether she would wear a bra or makeup in space, whether she cried on the job, how she would handle menstruation in space” (Denise Grady, paragraph 6). Instead of asking real questions pertaining to the trip and her first time being in space, she was asked very trivial things about her gender. If the roles were reversed and Sally had been a man, no gender-specific questions would be brought up in the discussion. Similar sexist discrimination was present in the Soviet Union. “The Soviets had already sent two women into space. One was welcomed aboard a space station by a male cosmonaut who told her the kitchen and an apron were ready for her” (Grady, paragraph 7). To achieve so much in life and to be able to fly into space and then met with such disrespect by colleagues is quite unbelievable. However, with her struggles came a lot of changes on views on women. After Rides was launched off for the 1983 mission, a magazine editor by the name of Gloria Steinem declared, “Millions of little girls are going to sit by their television sets and see they can be astronauts, heroes, explorers and scientists” (Paragraph 9). Rides paved the way for equal opportunity for women in all fields of study. In addition to her accomplishments with NASA, “She also developed a passion for trying to interest young people, especially girls, in science, math and technology. She wrote six science books for children,” (Grady, paragraph 14). Despite the awful discrimination women like Sally Rides went through, they ultimately opened up opportunities for women and girls to get involved in fields and careers that were mainly dominated by men. They broke stereotypes about women that were put in place by men, which cause many to be taken aback by the changes. People were so focused on the fact that they were women that they forgot that first and foremost they are just human being and deserve equal chances to prove themselves. The third literature piece up for examination is Girlfriend In A Coma, a song written and performed by Morrissey and his band, The Smiths. This song can be mistaken for being depressing and disturbing however it is meant to be seen in a more light and humorous way. Morrissey sings: “There were times / When I could / Have ‘murdered’ her (but, you know, I would hate / Anything to happen to her” (Lines 5-9). Aside from this being a metaphor for a failing relationship it shows internal conflict coming from the speaker and how badly he is handling potential changes. He is scared to lose his girlfriend but knows the relationship is failing. He is scared to let go because he doesn’t want to lose her, but also knows the relationship is not healthy anymore. He is stuck between loving her and being attached and not wanting to see her anymore because they have drifted apart. The potential changes make him afraid because he will not know how to adjust to a new life without her. At the end he sings, “Do you really think / She’ll pull through? / Let me whisper my last goodbyes / I know -- IT’S SERIOUS” (Lines 21-24). His internal conflict continues as he decides whether to say goodbye for good or try to reestablish the relationship. He does not have enough faith in her to keep the relationship going so he decides to say goodbye, and accept the imminent changes. Fire and Ice is a well-known poem written by Robert Frost.
He begins the piece by stating two different options to choose from: “Some say the world will end in fire, / Some say in ice” (Lines 1-2). He then attributes love and desire to heat but says he has experienced the other side of cold which represents hate and destruction. “From what I’ve tasted of desire / I hold with those who favor fire. / But if it had to perish twice, / I think I know enough of hate / To say that for destruction ice is also great / And would suffice” (Lines 3-9). He’s indecisive in his decision-making, agreeing with both sides of the controversy. He knows that the world is to change (ending in fire or ice), but doesn’t know how or when. This is where his underlying fears become evident - he feels hopeless doom for the changes to come. The only way he can feel some control is if he thinks he knows how it will all end. Sometimes change is inevitable, however people still consciously worry about things they cannot control. By making the change and either/or situation, he feels more comfortable with accepting the change since there’s only one of two ways he could leave the
earth.
The Armenian genocide ruins Vahan Kenderian’s picture-perfect life. Vahan is the son of the richest Armenian in Turkey and before the war begins, he always has food in his belly and a roof over his head in the book Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagdasarian. Life is absolutely quintessential for Vahan, until the war starts in 1915, when he endures many deaths of his family, losses of his friends, and frightening experiences in a short amount of time. He is a prisoner of war early in the book and is starved for days. As he goes through life, he is very unlucky and experiences other deaths, not just the deaths of his family. Vahan ultimately becomes the man his family would want him to be.
To conclude, in the poem “Changes” by D. Ginette Clarke, the use of repetition, word choice, and punctuation revealed the persona in a well-thought out and respectable manner. Clarke was very clever in the way that she had used these elements to not only reveal the persona, but also to make the poem as amazing as it is. The persona started off as a curious man, then came off as serious, only to turn out to be a demanding and vehement person; but in the end, the persona’s special characteristics were clear. Therefore, the use of repetition, word choice, and punctuation revealed and represented the persona and his curious, eager, and desperate personality.
One of the significant aspects of “changing self” covered in Harwood’s poems is the process in which, a child’s innocent mind, like a blank page, is inked and tainted by some experience. Their hopes, dreams, beliefs, founded on their naive perspective of life, and the way the young restyle themselves consciously or subconsciously as they make new discoveries are all explored.
Hazel, M. "Change is crucial in a person’s life." N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2008. .
In Jeannette Wall’s book The Glass Castle, the narrator and author Jeanette has had various terrifying encounters with chaos and destruction. She was burned cooking hot dogs when she was young, frozen in the winter, and starved when her family was low on money. Each time, she has pulled through and survived. In The Glass Castle, fire is a symbol representing chaos, destruction and fear. Jeanette has fought many battles involving neglect, starvation, and poverty but she has always pulled through these destructive experiences just like when she was a child burned from the hot dogs.
Change is what keeps life interesting, for better or for worse. Without change, life would be static and, for most, boring. Louise Erdrich, the author of the short stories “Red Convertible” and “The Shawl” uses change as prominent topic to progress her stories.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman tells a tale of a cranky old man who has nothing to live for. He gripes at the daily visits of the neighbor’s cat, and swears away any gestures of kindness or happiness. This story strays away from the other stories previously mentioned, because through the novel, Ove realizes that his life does not have to be so sad and lonely if only he allows for change in his life. This is unlike other stories due to the common nature of humans to resist major changes in life because they are so used to one set of ideas. Further into the novel, the reader will experience the change that Ove notices in his life after changing his views and the way he sees the world he lives in. This evidence is proof that change can in fact, be a very good thing not only for one person, but for communities, societies, and the
Change is depicted an as aspect of life which can propel us down unexpected paths, this can either be resisted or embraced by individuals. Peter Skrzynecki portrays these notions throughout his poems ‘Kornelia’ and ‘Migrant hostel’. The poems are supported by the stylistic devices used throughout his poems to further emphasise the meaning behind, often used are personification, symbolism and similes. The two texts chosen Joni Mitchell ‘Big yellow taxi’ Martin Luther king ‘I have a dream’ further contrast the notions of change that Peter speaks of in his poems, proclaiming change will modify the permanency in one’s livelihood, Change Is often unwanted but is necessary and to fully comprehend change one has to embrace it. These composers have
In many lives, change is constantly happening. The economics, cultural values, and social ideals are different today from many years ago. For example, men many years ago rely on literature, libraries, and endless hours of searching for sources in order to make speeches and write stories, and they also had different modes of transportations such as trains. On the other hand, in today’s society, it is easier to find sources and to do research because of the advanced technology, and it is also unchallenging to travel due to the innovations of cars and airplanes. With this being said, it is idealistic that change has a positive impact on society due to the advancement of technology and new methods of transportations, and those changes attribute
For many, change is a cause for ignorance. Most of us fear the idea of change. When one is faced to deal with c...
When I was younger the world was such an innocent, delightful place. People were kind, and always willing to help. As I have grown I have found that my views of the world and the people in it have changed; I don 't find it to be as innocent or delightful. I have slowly become to notice the wicked around me. Nathaniel Hawthorne 's "Young Goodman Brown" and Washington Irving 's "Rip Van Winkle" both convey changes in their views of the people and world around them.
Our narrator goes on to talk about his strange view of the "hoary grass" through a small sheet of ice. As he is looking through this piece of "glass", it begins to melt, thus symbolizing how his view of the world is about to end. Although completely aware of his waning time, he is comforted by knowing "What form [his] dreaming was about to take.
This analysis of my reading is centred upon my own life experience, values, attitudes and beliefs. These elements effected my interpretation and understanding of the themes presented in Changeling. The way I have construed this text clearly supports Barthes’ theory of the Death of the Author and correlates with Beach’s perspectives. Every individual who reads a text is influenced in their interpretation by their textual, social, experiential, psychological and cultural experiences and therefore each reading is entirely individual; this is my reading and defence.
“Everything is subject to change. Our lives, the communities and societies we live in and the organizations we work for are all affected by waves of change. Some are gradual, others traumatic; some are of our own making, many are beyond our control” (Williams). Due to human nature and natural instincts, the word change tends to bring fear and anxiety in our minds. Although people might argue that change is necessary for the development of society, an analysis of change affecting rules, lifestyles, and emotions in The Giraffe, by Mauro Senesi, and my personal experiences depict the hardships people must go through in order to accept change.
Change is an inevitable fact of life. Every day new ideas, technologies, and simple changes of circumstance catalyze major repercussions on society and the lives of individuals. With a world that is ever changing the ability to see and adapt to changes is critical in life. Spencer Johnson’s book, Who Moved My Cheese?, explores the concept of constant and inevitable change and humans reactions to that change. Johnson, nicknamed “the king of parables,” is the author numerous number one bestsellers including, The One Minute Manager, and other short books for self improvement. Who Moved My Cheese? Is a simple yet incredibly effective parable that gives simple truths on how to deal with change in life.