Nightfall and Other Stories Essays

  • Asimov's Green Patches

    1226 Words  | 3 Pages

    Saybrook's planet have the ability of transmitting their own characteristic green patches onto other organisms. Within this ability lies Asimov's true purpose for the story. Captain Weiss, the narrator of the story clearly states, "compared to life on Saybrook's planet, Earth's growth is one big cancer"(374) in such "every species, every individual [does] its best to thrive at the expense of every other species and individual" (381). Asimov explains that the chaos of human society leads not to unified

  • Free Will and Predestination in Asimov's Short Stories

    2101 Words  | 5 Pages

    In one of Asimov’s earliest and most-loved pieces, “Nightfall,” the theme of man inability to alter the future regardless of free will is quite clear. Asimov rejects the age-old adage that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Instead, he emanates a general tone that even those who do know history are doomed to repeat it, as evidenced by the events and people of Lagash. There is no doubt that the people of Lagash have free will, shown by their actions. The reactions

  • Destiny vs. Free Will in Isaac Asimov's Writings

    2285 Words  | 5 Pages

    genre filled with futuristic happenings based on reason and logic, to take a stand on this issue as well. Isaac Asimov shows through his short stories "Nightfall," "Reason," and "The Evitable Conflict," that an individual can not alter his race's destiny regardless of free will's existence. In one of Asimov’s earliest and most-loved pieces, “Nightfall,” the theme of man's inability to alter the future, even with the gift of free will, is quite clear. Asimov rejects the age-old adage that “those

  • Batman Movie And Book Comparison Essay

    934 Words  | 2 Pages

    about a man named Bruce Wayne which is batman of course. When he was little he saw his parents get killed right in front of him and ever since he has been fighting crime. That’s when the Joker, Harley Quinn, Bane and even more villains came into the story. In the book Batman killed the joker but he is speculating that he didn’t fully kill him. Commander Gordon was thinking this to because the joker was a huge threat to Gotham and it would be bad if the joker wasn’t dead. Why did I like the book? The

  • Typical Shabbat

    692 Words  | 2 Pages

    Typical Shabbat In an Orthodox household, a normal Shabbat begins at sunset on Friday evening and ends at nightfall the next day when 3 stars are visible in the night sky. Progressive Jews are not as strict about the starting time of Shabbat because they recognise that it may not always be possible to start it early in a Western country. Jewish families look forward to Shabbat, as it is a time for family to be together and to forget the concerns from the rest of the week. Many Jews describe

  • Analysis Of Before Night Falls

    1740 Words  | 4 Pages

    different: nightfall. As Arenas is a hiding fugitive, with access to trees and the sea a bigger risk than ever before, he finds another connection to nature. Arenas learns his only solace is in nightfall, when he can travel more freely and when he can meets his few confidants. Arenas’ connection to nature, not in the woods, or in the sea, but rather in nightfall is ultimately one of the most meaningful connections he makes to nature, and the connection he makes that titles the book. Nightfall comes to

  • Comparing Cold War And Philip K. Dick's 'Second Variety'

    1214 Words  | 3 Pages

    writing styles showed that. Philip K. Dick writes more about specific characters in his stories as opposed to Isaac Asimov. A man who mainly focuses on groups or societies as a whole. The short story “Second Variety” by Dick focuses on the two humans, Major Joseph Hendricks and Rudi. He also focuses on the different versions of the robots, or “claws”, referred to as Tasso, David and Klaus. In the short story “Nightfall” by Asimov, he focuses on a group of scientists who have their predictions about

  • Translation Of Beowulf

    605 Words  | 2 Pages

    English. With the guidelines of translation being similar, both are rooted in similar idea, but difference in the path of speech. With the original story of Beowulf being the base, any translator will have the same basic concept or idea when writing the new version. The moral and base of the original work cannot be changed or it is not the same story. With Heaney’s translation,

  • The Story of Black Aggie

    1597 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Story of Black Aggie Urban legends are the supernatural folklore of our modern society. From one generation to the next, they orally travel throughout the world, constantly changing from one region to the next. Although cultural variations exist, the core of all these urban legends remains the same, to unveil the universally known individual and societal fears. “The Graveyard Wager” is a timeless urban legend told again and again, and the one of which I will explore more in depth. A

  • Cupid Research Paper

    940 Words  | 2 Pages

    somebody,you want the rest of your life to starts as soon as possible;though Cupid shows that love doesn’t age and reminds us that true love hurts;faith is to believe what you don’t see,the reward of this faith is to see what you believe. This is the story about Cupid/Eros. The ancient Romans often illustrated Cupid as winged child or baby. Who carried a bow and quiver full of arrows.While the idea that Cupid was a child with wings appealed to many poets and artists.There were also different conceptions

  • Everyday Use By Alice Walker Analysis

    764 Words  | 2 Pages

    Use” In the story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker there are many significant themes that are used. Each theme used in the story is supported by great imagery as well. This story features conflict between the main characters Dee and Mama. The story shortly references each situation from the past and present. Throughout the story Mama and Dee have many conflicts with each other. Each conflict describes a situation that helps explain the relationship that Mama and Dee have with each other. The first

  • Occurrence At Owl Creek

    551 Words  | 2 Pages

    The short story that stood out to me the most was “ An Occurrence at Owl Creek”. It was about a man who was a plantation worker that was familiar with a bridge and did not want it destroyed by Civil War members. The man did everything to prevent it from being torn down so the members of the union captured Farquhar. He was caught in a vortex that eventually flings him on the sand. He was asleep while the Civil War members were kidnapping him. While he was asleep he was having a dream that he had escaped

  • Similarities Between Apartheid And Mrs. Plum

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    segregation of race meaning black people and other racial groups did not have the same rights as whites did. Two short stories were written in the apartheid era, Mrs. Plum by Mphahlete and Closed for Business by Ossendryver. These short stories have many similarities but also several differences. Mrs. Plum written by Mphahlete in 1967 is narrated in first person by a young South African black women named Karabo. Karabo experiences racism throughout the story. It is made clear the author disagrees with

  • Examples Of Greed In The Pardoner's Tale

    537 Words  | 2 Pages

    entitled the bearer to the forgiveness of his sins. In the story, the Pardoner has long blonde hair and wears a “newe jet”, or style, and a smooth, hairless face. He is not the type of person to trust. He carries a jar of pig bones, and he can trick poor people into giving them a two month’s salary (Shmoop Editorial Team).

  • Analysis Of The Swimmer

    604 Words  | 2 Pages

    J. Butler’s short story “The Swimmer” from 2011. Butler writes about a woman who wants to swim in the river but she is too afraid to do that. She looks everyday at the river and one day she overcome her fear and swims in the river. This helps her to change. The short story is told by a third person omniscient narrator. We have access to the main character’s thoughts and feelings. The short story takes place in the real world and mostly in the river. It is midsummer in the story and it is very hot

  • The Accuracy of the Animated Film "Ice Age"

    526 Words  | 2 Pages

    A critique of "ICE AGE" In the 20th Century Fox production, ICE AGE, we are introduced to a variety of prehistoric animals trying to avoid the coming ice age by moving to warmer climates. This is a classic buddy story revolving around non-fiction animals of the ice age period. This rag tag group consists of a woolly mammoth, sabre tooth cat, a sloth and a sabre tooth squirrel. They join forces to reunite a human baby with his tribe. Of course, the sabre tooth squirrel isn't so much of the group

  • Ambrose Bierce's An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

    817 Words  | 2 Pages

    religious town in Ohio. While living in Ohio he found a new passion for serving others. Ambrose Bierce was one of the many men who fought in battle during the Civil War. After a long period of time in the war Bierce was injured, and had to resign from the military. After the war Bierce needed to express his experience somehow. Bierce decided to write numerous short stories that explained his life in battle. While reading these stories most readers can’t help but visualize themselves in the setting. In fact

  • John Connors - Short Story

    1035 Words  | 3 Pages

    John Connors - Short Story It was an calm day, and John Connors found himself resting at the side of a large oak tree, admiring the beauty of the woods that surrounded him. The sunless sky covered the woods over the treetops which created a canopy over his head. The crimson and auburn foliage was a magnificent sight as this was the season when the leaves had no more strength left to hold

  • How Does Jem Mature In To Kill A Mockingbird

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    renowned book To Kill a Mockingbird is highly praised for the lessons it teaches, it’s persuasive humor, and how it tells a story of growth. It is set in the small town of Maycomb Alabama in the 1930’s and tells the story of scout finch. Although the novel is mainly about Scout as she matures through childhood innocence, he brother, Jem, is still a driving factor in the story. Harper Lee uses the characterization of Jem to illustrate the difficulty of growing up in the way he struggles to make decisions

  • Young Goodman Brown And Paradise Lost Comparison

    898 Words  | 2 Pages

    Have you ever wondered what sets the suitable writers apart from the exceptional ones? One of the most valued tools used in writing is the ability to build their story using imagery and characterization to construct a scene for the reader. This allows them to feel as if they themselves are directly plotted into the story and can relate to the characters on a personal level. Imagery and characterization contribute to the development in “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Paradise Lost