In Our Time Reader Response
"In the early morning on the lake sitting in the stern of the boat with his father rowing, he felt quite sure that he would never die" (19).
The first four readings of In Our Time seem to be primarily focused on the life/death relationship that life presents. After reading the first story, I have to be perfectly honest in saying that I do not believe that I understood all of the underlining themes, but did start to focus more intently when the story describes the women on the pier with the dead babies. Automatically, this imagery made me think of the response passage from this set of reading. Denying oneself that death exists and that it, ultimately, a part of everyone's life seemed to be a common philosophic element that both of the stories possessed. Just as Nick reassured himself that the inevitable would never to him, the women on the pier with their six-day-dead (!) babies that "wouldn't give them up". I think that the connection to Hemingway's life in these elements possibly show or admit the Lost Generation's tendency to deny to themselves that they were susceptible to harm and death. An example of this is the character in Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road tended to lead a free and reckless lifestyle of drugs, partying, and freedom that seemed to have no limits or consequences.
Another example of the life/death relationship that seems to be exemplified in the first four pieces of Hemingway's novel is the conflicts that arise during Indian Camp. Rather than Nick expressing the sole fact that he believes he is not going to die, I believe that, because of his father, he misunderstood the concept of dying. I believe that the passage that stated, "he felt quite sure that he would never die" was essentially a reaction to the pregnant woman's husband's suicide. Because that was the topic that arose during the story, I believe that Nick interpreted the situation that "death" was equal to "suicide" and, in believing that he would never commit suicide, ultimately believes that he will, thus, never die. I also believe that there is significance in the way in which Nick's father spoke to him while performing the C-section on the woman. He said something along the lines of "you can watch this or not" meaning that, even I Nick didn't watch his father perform the surgery, it was still taking place and, thus, just a part or fact of life.
He is not a reliable author if he was born in South Carolina because his experience on the middle passage is not authentic. He cannot accurately describe the smells and situations because he did not experience it. If he was not taken from Africa, he cannot claim a firsthand account of the situation. He does not know any other life than his life in the colonies and by claiming to do so makes him an unreliable author. Although, his autobiography may be based on facts, he cannot claim they are his experiences because they are not; they are a retelling of experiences based off of what other people have told
A former Yale psychologist, Stanley Milgram, administered an experiment to test the obedience of "ordinary" people as explained in his article, "The Perils of Obedience". An unexpected outcome came from this experiment by watching the teacher administer shocks to the learner for not remembering sets of words. By executing greater shocks for every wrong answer created tremendous stress and a low comfort levels within the "teacher", the one being observed unknowingly, uncomfortable and feel the need to stop. However, with Milgram having the experimenter insisting that they must continue for the experiments purpose, many continued to shock the learner with much higher voltages.The participants were unaware of many objects of the experiment until
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A few days before he was killed, Lincoln had told his spouse about a dream he had, he saw a
Firstly, the experiment took place at Yale University, which creates an atmosphere of credibility and importance. Those participating were also lead to believe that their contribution went to a worthy cause – to advance knowledge and understanding of learning processes. They were also told that the victim (the learner), was taking part voluntarily meaning they had an obligation to fulfill even if it became unpleasant, (also applies to the teacher). Additionally, the volunteers were being paid which created a further sense of commitment to the investigation. Those who took part also had little knowledge about how psychological experiments ran, as Milgram’s study was most likely the first one they ever partook in. Therefore they had little knowledge about the rights and expectations of the situation, and felt more confined than if they had been through a similar experience prior. The participant was also under the impression that the roles of being the teacher or learner were assigned randomly, so there were no feelings of unfairness in the system. The partakers had also been assured that the shocks were “painful but not dangerous” and that the procedure was all part of a worthy long term cause (Holah). Lastly, the victim responded to all of the questions until the 300 Volt was reached, convincing the participant of their willingness and persistence to
Taylor did not trust that Davenport could carry out of successful case against the people who murdered Sergeant Waters. As a result, he put consistent pressure on Davenport to hand over the case or to follow his orders on it. However, Davenport informs him that the investigation is his and what he does and how he does it is his business (Fuller 85). Davenport refuses to allow Taylor’s intimidation methods affect the way he is handling the case. Just as he had to establish boundaries early on, Davenport continues to resist Taylor by asserting his autonomy. In addition, when Taylor accuses Davenport of being in contempt, Davenport tells him “I’m not your yessirin’ colored boy” (Fuller 85). The expectation placed on Davenport was that he would give in to Taylor’s actions and demands because of their racial dynamics between to two. Yet, until this scene, Davenport does not directly address Taylor about this expectation. In this moment, Davenport resists Taylor and his beliefs by asserting that he is not a Black man that will give in to the wants of a white man. Through asserting this, Davenport is able to reject Taylor’s expectations and solve his
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The philosophical residue of Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom The Bell Tolls reveals the impact of love, duty, and relationships on the main character’s ideas about death.
Extensive demographic and cultural shifts have taken place over the past few decades that have made late adolescence and early twenties into a new transitional developmental period known as emerging adulthood for young individuals across industrialized societies. Arnett (2000) argues that emerging adulthood is a “distinct period of the life course” that is “characterized by change and exploration of possible life directions” (469). Additionally, a critical area of identity exploration during emerging adulthood is love and romantic relationships. Arnett contends that “demographic changes in the timing of marriage and parenthood in recent decades has led to prolonged periods of adolescence and delayed adulthood transitions” (470). By postponing
“I don't want to survive. I want to live.” This fairly popular quote can also serve as a summary of Gabriel Conroy’s character in James Joyce’s short story “The Dead." As we read, we see the toll that monotony has taken on Gabriel and, by the end, he sees it as well. This realization is coupled with another, much darker, realization: the inevitability of death. We see signs of these ideas sprinkled throughout the story, from the predictability of the guests to Gabriel’s constant anxiety when talking to the other guests and his long for an escape. These occurrences come to a head when, upon reaching their hotel, Gabriel’s wife Gretta tells him of the boy who didn’t want to live without her, and who died to see her. This story leaves Gabriel with a sudden understanding of love, life, and death, that changes his way of thinking about everyone, including himself.
All human beings go through rough times in their life, whether it is a simple choice or a life-changing decision, it is inevitable. There will also always be people who support and uplift you, while others debase and degrade you for their own selfish motives. The later parts of these impactful types of scenarios mixed together and shoved into the middle of a relationship do not benefit anyone, though it can cause major issues and tear them apart. This idea that Ernest Hemingway expresses, focusing on a significant point-of-view and rhetorical application, expresses the theme throughout his story. Although, the short story has complex and easy to misinterpret dialogue, the characters and setting assist to complete the moral
The appearance and fear of death is a topic one often avoids. We avoid this topic because it is not known what happens when we die. We don’t want to think about those we love living without us. We also don’t want to miss out on sharing the lives of those important to us. One only lives once, so we need to make our life the best it can be. Faulkner describes the fear and appearance of death because it’s a topic one can relate to. Death is inevitable caused by nature that one cannot
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Ernest Hemingway captures the essence and origins of nihilistic thought in “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place”, written in a time of religious and moral confusion shortly after The Great War. The ideas expressed in this short story represent the post World War 1 thinking of Hemingway, and the notoriously nihilistic Lost Generation in Paris, which was greatly influenced by the many traumas of war. Learning from his unnerving experiences in battle, Hemingway enforces the idea that all humans will inevitably fade into eternal nothingness and everything valued by humans is worthless. He develops this idea by creating a brilliant mockery of two coveted religious documents, revealing authority figures as typical, despicable, human beings, and reducing life into the most raw, simplistic, and frightening reality imaginable. He states that all humans will naturally die alone and literally be “in despair” about “nothing” (494), and that people will either seek a “calm and pleasant cafe” (496), or a self-inflicted death simply to escape despair. Undoubtedly, Hemingway destroys any existence of a higher meaning because, in reality “[life is] all a nothing, and a man [is] nothing too” (496). By viewing the actions of three different generations, Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” elaborates on the idea that life is not continual enlightenment and growth, but gradual despair, and an inevitable death into “nada” (497).
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