The history of Christianity has always involved turbulence. Not only were there divisions among the members of the religion into different sects according to their own beliefs and ideas, but also, there were struggles between Christianity and the pagan, in which the two opposing sides tried to weaken the other and yield greater influence. These divisions and fierce competitions can be observed in Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, in which several clashes between systems are shown: a conflict between Christianity and paganism and one between the two different orders – the Benedictine and Franciscan. Moreover, the significance of the society’s mood is also evident: through the application of the concept of discourse, the impact of the societal norms and standards, particularly in the limited setting of a monastery, is depicted.
Summary
The Name of the Rose, written by Umberto Eco, deals with a series of mysterious murders that take place in 1327, in a Benedictine monastery in Northern Italy. The protagonist, William of Baskerville, along with his novice Adso of Melk, tries to solve this mystery. The former possesses an exceptional ability in logical reasoning and with his talent, he is able to collect defining and critical evidences that ultimately enables him to resolve the horrifying enigma.
The story unfolds as William of Baskerville, who is a Franciscan monk, arrives at a Benedictine monastery after he had been requested to visit the monastery for a disputation. William’s keenness and shrewdness are demonstrated when he succeeds in correctly guessing the name and the different characteristics of the abbot’s horse. The people in the monastery are surprised and appalled at his ability, and the abbot, deeply impressed with Wil...
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...e in judging whether a thought or a behavior is proper or not, conveys the general mood of the society of the 13th century. By blending these two aspects in the novel, Eco successfully managed to present their significance to the readers.
Works Cited
Eco, Umberto. The Name of the Rose. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1983.
Park, KS. "The Name of the Rose." The Name of the Rose: Title and Last Line. 2003. 23 Nov. 2013. .
Wikipedia contributors. "Fraticelli." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 14 Jul. 2013. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 24 Nov. 2013.
Wikipedia contributors. "The Name of the Rose." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
17 Nov. 2013. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 21 Nov. 2013.
Rodriguez makes a point of stating that there are tensions between the “brother religions”, religions that should be unified but instead are “united and divided by the masculine sense of faith”, still this same pattern is shown within the church (146). Rodriguez acknowledges the fact that the church is being divided each day due
Francis of Assisi is one of the most influential personalities in the entire world. In the book ‘Francis of Assisi: Performing the Gospel Life,’ Cunningham recounts the life of this humble monk who lived in the medieval times, and shaped the Christian life, which spread in Western culture throughout the rest of history. I believe Cunningham accurately accounts for the life of Francis of Assisi, and in doing so; he provides a trajectory of the Christian faith from its early and historical proponents through its fusion with western culture, and its subsequent spread throughout the world.
The novel is nurtured with a very soft but sophisticated diction. The essay itself portrays the author’s style of sarcasm and explains his points in a very clear manner. In addition, the author has used vocabulary that is very easy to understand and manages to relate the readers with his simplistic words. The author is able to convey a strong and provoc...
Religion served the same function in the Middle Ages and Renaissance as it does today. However, religion was embraced more during the Middle Ages by desperate individuals frantically searching for calm and stability in their lives. Religion provided hope for these bleak individuals who lovingly and unquestioningly embraced religion and the church’s teachings. The church controlled every aspect of these people’s lives and had a grip on their minds. “The church had a grip on men’s minds which it is difficult for us to imagine: the strength of the grip was basically Medieval” (Rowdon 159).
The contemporary Church is so often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. It is so often the arch-supporter of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the Church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the Church's silent and often vocal sanction of things as they are.”
Alice Walker’s “Roselily”, when first read considered why she decided to use third person. Especially when the story is in such a private line of thought, but then after my second time reading the story I decided that Roselily would not be a strong enough woman to speak about the social injustices that have happened to her. One key part of the story is her new life she will be facing after she is married in Chicago, while comparing it with her old life she is leaving in Mississippi. In Chicago she will no longer have a job, but instead be a homemaker where she will be responsible for the children and home. Also, in Chicago she will become a Muslim because it is what her new husband will want her to be, but back in Mississippi she was of the Christian faith. One of the more positive outcomes of her marriage is that she will go from extreme poverty, to not having to worry about money on a day to day basis.
Faulkner, William. “A Rose for Emily.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 12th ed. New York: Pearson, 2013. 549-51. Print.
This fairy-tale like story not only entertains the readers, it also educates them about the distinctions of the social class system in this era. The author of this poem successfully introduces his audience to a royal king and queen, a prestigious bishop, and a brave and honorable knight. Furthermore, the writer cleverly uses these characters to enlighten his readers to the inner workings of this “pyramid of power” and demonstrates how this social class system effects social interactions in the fourteenth century. While the author of this poem is unknown, there is no questioning the quality of this wonderful work of literature and the value it possess in regard to understanding the social class distinctions of the fourteenth century.
McGlynn, Paul. "The Chronology of `A Rose for Emily.'" Studies in Short Fiction, 6 (1969): 461-62.
The Story of Christianity is a very informative summation; a continuation of Volume 1 which covered the beginning of the church up to the Protestant Reformation, while Vol. 2 dealt with the Protestant Reformation up to more modern time period. This author delivers a more comprehensive and deeper look into the development of Christianity, which includes particular events which had transpired throughout the world; particularly how Christianity has expanded into Central and South America. Gonzalez opens up this book with the “Call for Reformation,” where he shares with his readers the need for reform; the papacy had started to decline and was corrupt, in addition to the Great Schism, which had further weakened the papacy (p.8). The author explains how the church was not the only issue but that the church’s teachings were off track as well, seeing that the people had deviated from...
“The Hound of the Baskervilles” demonstrated the differences between the upper class and the lower class and even between those people who were in the same class as each others at the end of the 19th century in England. Beside those differences, there were also some similarities between the two classes. In this essay, I will analyse how they are alike and different in some main aspects such as the belief in the curse, the relationship to the law, their mysterious actions, and especially the subjugation between people in the same class.
Faulkner, William. "A Rose For Emily". Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 10 (2007): 29-34.
...xternal factors that influence society. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Aeschylus’ The Oresteia, such factors and their drastic influences on Hamlet and Orestes were examined, as they struggled to develop their own sense of morality in situations with tragic consequences. Although the higher morality triumphed over the lower morality in the end, such conclusions cannot be completely objectified. Mankind is perpetually seeking moral approbation from themselves and from others, and therefore the morality of today is constantly changing as time progresses. Therefore, what may have been morally apropos in the past, cannot be generalized to fit society’s morals of today, and society’s morals of the future. Thus, as society advances towards the future, the moral questions and struggles Orestes and Hamlet faced might very well be a conflict society must inevitably contend to.
“A Rose for Emily” is a story about Emily Grierson who kills her Yankee boyfriend Homer Barron and lives with his body in her bedroom for over forty years.
Quietism was spread by Miguel De Molino words and teachings in the seventeenth century Spain. The audience of this book is those who are looking for a connection with God and to understand what it means to have a releationship with God. This book allows historians to better understand the controversies within Catholicism during the seventeenth century. Historians need to be wary of the biases attracted to this book because there is many different viewpoints coming from the 22st century and on how female were viewed in the Middle