Analysis Of Abe Kobos The Red Cocoon Essays - Oddworld,

Analysis Of Abe Kobo's The Red Cocoon Generally speaking, the purpose of most forms of artistic expression such as literary art, music, or art itself is a mode by which the author can express him/herself with. They use their respective skills and/or interests to convey feelings or thoughts on any given topic. Short fiction is by no means exempt from this. Many writers use their literary skills to express dreams, aspirations, opinions, or even political viewpoints. In order to make a dertermination of a probable origin for a story, research into the authors life and beliefs most likely will prove benefical. With this in mind, Abe Kobo's story ?The Red Cocoon? seems to be a prime example of an author expressing his political viewpoints and his personal conflicts with society through literature. Given this, researching his life and political stance might help to support or negate such an assumption. ?The Red Cocoon? begins with a man walking down a street discussing with himself the problem of not having a house to go home to. The narrator, who is also the main character, jumps abruptly from topic to topic throughout the story, but this reoccuring theme of the lack of a house seems to be a central idea. As the narrator comtemplates, he wonders if he has just forgotten his house and proceeds to knock on the door of a random house to find out if this is what has happened. After he has explained his plight to the woman who answers the door, he begins arguing with her over having proof that it is not his house. Shortly thereafter, the narrator begins to ponder wether or not things such as concrete pipes or park benches are his house. Deciding that they are on their way to belonging to someone or that they belong to everyone and not just one person, he begins to wonder if anything exsists that belongs to no one. At the end of the story, he finds that one of his legs begins to unwind into a silk thread and wrap him up in a cocoon. Abe Kobo's story is quite abstract and seems to have little meaning. In fact, that is just the opposite. After reading some information about Abe Kobo, the story seems to take on a new meaning. Abe Kobo is considered to be one of the leading authors during the post-WWII era of Japanese history. Many of his works use what was then radical artistic methods of literature (?Abe Kobo?). In his early childhood, Abe was living in Manchuria which was occupied by the Japanese at the time. Being born in Japan, altough Abe felt strong ties to the chinese, he was left feeling like an outsider and rejected by both societes. After the war, Abe became more and more antinationalist and was interested in marxism and communism. Soon, he even joined the Japanese Communist Party (?Abe Kobo?). He was quite involved in political issues at this time and many of his early writings preceding the early 60's deal with his issues about society says Clerk and Seigal in Modern Literatures of the Non-Western World (136). With this information about Abe Kobo, an interpretation of ?The Red Cocoon? emerges with heavy political and social tones. The narators central problem of attempting to find out why he does not have a house seems to point to not only Abe's feelings of isolation during his childhood, but also his socialist political viewpoints at the time. ?The Red Cocoon? was written in 1949, a period of Abe's life when he was a strong political activist (Clerk and Seigal, 136). Utopian marxist or communist views on society center around a flat heirarchial structure where no one is more powerful or of a higher class than any other. The property of the country is reffered to as property of everyone and ownership is somewhat denounced in the strictist forms of the political stance. Abe's character in ?The Red Cocoon? seems to be having problems with ownership of houses and other pieces of property. The question is asked, ?Even if it isn't mine, can't there be just one thing that doesn't belong to anyon e This question appears to have socialist undertones

Free Essays on The Tell Tale Heart

Edgar Allan Poe is acknowledged today as one of the most brilliant and original writers in American literature. His skillfully wrought tales and poems convey with passionate intensity the mysterious, dreamlike, and often macabre forces that pervaded his sensibility. He is also considered the father of the modern detective story. The Tell Tale Heart is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator remains nameless and sexless in the story. H/she takes care of an old man with whom the relationship is unclear. At the beginning of the story, the narrator says that he loved the old man but he hates his eye and h/she believes that the eye is evil. H/she confesses that the one and only reason for killing the old man is his eye: â€Å"Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees – I made up my mind to take the life of the old man†. The narrator begins the story by trying to convince the reader that h/she is not insane. The fact that the old man’s eye is the only motivation to murder proves the narrator is mentally unstable. For seven nights precisely at midnight, the narrator enters the old man’s room to observe the eye. On the eighth night the narrator enters the room and the old man sat suddenly in his bed, crying out â€Å"who’s there?† the narrator stood still for over an hour, as did the old man who did not lie back down. Then h/she opened the lantern slightly and the ray was on the eye only. This made the narrator go furious and he moved to the old man who shrieked once, he/she dragged him off his bed and killed him. The old man’s body was chopped and buried under the planks of the floor. The police came because of a shriek reported by a neighbor. H/she invited them and they sat chatting, after a while the narrator started hearing the old man’s heart beating from under the flooring. The heart beat grew louder and louder, finally h/she confesses of killing the old man. At the beginning of the story t... Free Essays on The Tell Tale Heart Free Essays on The Tell Tale Heart Edgar Allan Poe is acknowledged today as one of the most brilliant and original writers in American literature. His skillfully wrought tales and poems convey with passionate intensity the mysterious, dreamlike, and often macabre forces that pervaded his sensibility. He is also considered the father of the modern detective story. The Tell Tale Heart is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator remains nameless and sexless in the story. H/she takes care of an old man with whom the relationship is unclear. At the beginning of the story, the narrator says that he loved the old man but he hates his eye and h/she believes that the eye is evil. H/she confesses that the one and only reason for killing the old man is his eye: â€Å"Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees – I made up my mind to take the life of the old man†. The narrator begins the story by trying to convince the reader that h/she is not insane. The fact that the old man’s eye is the only motivation to murder proves the narrator is mentally unstable. For seven nights precisely at midnight, the narrator enters the old man’s room to observe the eye. On the eighth night the narrator enters the room and the old man sat suddenly in his bed, crying out â€Å"who’s there?† the narrator stood still for over an hour, as did the old man who did not lie back down. Then h/she opened the lantern slightly and the ray was on the eye only. This made the narrator go furious and he moved to the old man who shrieked once, he/she dragged him off his bed and killed him. The old man’s body was chopped and buried under the planks of the floor. The police came because of a shriek reported by a neighbor. H/she invited them and they sat chatting, after a while the narrator started hearing the old man’s heart beating from under the flooring. The heart beat grew louder and louder, finally h/she confesses of killing the old man. At the beginning of the story t...

Summary of TWA Flight 800 Accident Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary of TWA Flight 800 Accident - Essay Example The plane exploded approximately 10 minutes after takeoff , and all 230 were killed, with the plane considered to be ‘destroyed’, breaking up into pieces and crashing into the Atlantic Ocean. The ‘why’ of the accident is harder to determine, as many conspiracy theories have come to life in the almost 15 years since the accident. The official cause listed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was one of â€Å"fuel tank failure†, stating that the center wing fuel tank exploded. Though no concrete cause was determined for the explosion, most speculate that it was a short circuit of the wiring outside the fuel tank, which then led to a chain reaction and breaking up of the airplane when the fuel ignited. After the TWA Flight 800 accident, measures were taken to prevent another accident from occurring like this one. The post-accident report of the NTSB focused on safety issues, stating that a contributing factor was the fact that there was a h eat source beneath the fuel tank with no way to cool that source, as well as no way to prevent the vapors that were given off by the fuel tank from igniting. In 1997, extensive tests were done to measure fuel output in conditions similar to Flight 800, as well as measure the temperature of the fuel and determine if it was flammable at those temperatures.

United States Health Care Reform and Accountable Care Organizations Research Paper

United States Health Care Reform and Accountable Care Organizations - Research Paper Example The U.S. health sector is very inefficient in terms of cost levels and in order to bring this down this paper discusses the implementation of Affordable Care Organizations and whether or whether not they will be able to remedy this situation. If indeed, ACOs benefit the health sector over the years as predicted by studies the U.S health sector will be able to lower costs and increase the quality of their health care. The United States Health Sector has gone through many reforms over the years and has recently been subjected to the Affordable Care Act which calls for Accountable Care Organizations within the sector to increase its efficiency of functioning. With the ACA up and running, the health sector seems to have a much better chance of improvement, however this wasn’t always so. Body President Harry Truman initiated the idea of a socialized healthcare program in the United States in the period 1945-48 but was put down by the American Medical Association (AMA). However, Medicare was finally made operational in 1965 under President Johnson’s socialist regime. (Oliver, Lee and Lipton, 2004). From the end of the 1960s to the end of the 1990s prescription drug coverage was never an independent factor that fell under the responsibility if Medicare. It was only until the end of the Clinton regime that this issue came to light. Towards the end of 2003, President Bush added the coverage of prescription drugs under Medicare which was one of many other changes to the organization. The implementation of these changes will increase tax burden on the population by roughly in the bracket of $400-550 billion in the future. The population had a 60/40 negative/positive stance about the new reforms respectively. (Oliver, Lee and Lipton, 2004). There was a gigantic increase in the price of medical drugs around this time and Medicare’s expenditure which used to amount to $700 million in 1992 was costing Medicare around $6.5 billion in 2001. Obviously, their costing system was hugely defected. (Oliver, Lee and Lipton, 2004). The explosive increase in the price of prescription drugs also allowed greater power to pharmaceutical companies who realized that on this scale the stakes were larger and politics came into play; since the drugs were too costly the federal government would have to sponsor their coverage. (Oliver, Lee and Lipton, 2004). Another issue that has remaine d persistent where American healthcare is discussed is that of the racial partiality with respect to adequate healthcare provision. In 1993, it was estimated that the life expectancy of African Americans was roughly 7 years less than that of white Americans. This difference was attributed to mortality rates and the differences in income distribution. But the truth according to research was that black Americans were not allowed as much health care as their white counterparts. (Bhopal, 1998). There are also language barriers to effective health care provision in the United States. A research paper describing this situation tells of a situation of this boy called Raul who spoke little English, his mother who spoke no English and was describing his condition to a doctor and the doctor who spoke very little Spanish. His mother was telling the doctor that her son had been dizzy the day before; the doctor took it to mean that Raul had been looking a little yellow. When confirmed from Raul, the doctor was told that his mother was saying that Raul had been

Tuberculosis Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tuberculosis Disease - Essay Example In the same vein, elderly people are seen as vulnerable victims due to failing immune system (Landau, 1995). According to research, in their early years, carriers already had the bacterium in them but the development is slow and manifesting lately in their older years. The nature of the disease can take years to become active, so an older person may have acquired the disease earlier in their life, but the bacterium can be active in the latter years (Landau, 1995). Pathophysiology. TB is a disease caused by germs that could be transmitted from person to person via airborne droplets that is infected with the Mycobacterium. The bacteria when inhaled travels directly to the alveoli through respiration (Landau, 1995). Inhaling the droplets via airborne from the person infected with TB by other person standing close to the carrier will surely make the person the new TB bacteria carrier. The belief that TB is transmittable by contact with a person's clothing, bed linens, or dishes and cooking utensils was voided of by recently-conducted research, stating that the bacteria can be acquired via direct contact (Landau, 1995). Signs and Symptoms. The most common symptom of the pulmonary tuberculosis is the persistent cough. ... In the United States the statistics data of TB declined. Since 1993, the number of cases of the TB patients reached to the lowest point according to the study conducted by University of Wisconsin in 2003 due to the recent medicinal discovery (Todar, 2005). Impact on community. Studies showed that ten to fifteen million Americans are carriers of inactive tubercle bacilli in their bodies, until it gradually develops in their later years. In the conventional setting of everyday human interactive, the possibility to transmit the bacteria from one person to another is very high (Landau, 1995). Less than ten percent of people who acquired the tubercle bacillus through inhaling the agent, however, become ill. The rest of the percentage shows no development of symptoms. In this case, it is said that the disease is inactive even when bacilli are stored in cells (Landau, 1995). When one person in the family is a carrier of tubercle bacilli or Mycobacterium tuberculosis, it is more likely that the whole family is inflicted with inactive bacterium. Upon social interaction in the community, the family could also transmit to other people the disease nesting upon them (Hyde, 1994). History shows evidence that this disease can affect society, as the break down of TB during 1700's to 1800's that caused the "white plague" among many countries. This suggests that it could wipe out even the whole community if prevention and awareness are not readily made available (Hyde, 1994). Prevention and risk factors. Awareness and education about TB is one of the most effective prevention measures of this disease. Sanitation in dwelling places including the air to breathe and taking up appropriate medicinal

Film Review For Rushmore Film Studies Essay

Film Review For Rushmore Film Studies Essay Wes Andersons Rushmore is an appealing and skillful movie. It has that quality that tells you there is something very special about this film, rather than it being just another teen movie that we see every day. The genius of this film, and the true reason for Rushmores originality, is that it manages to entertain us even without us having to actually getting it completely. The film is about Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a 15 year-old student who attends Rushmore and has all the ambition in the world but no concentration. He is a member of every club in school but he is failing most of his classes apart from drama. He loves to put on elaborate productions of classic films. Max lies to everyone by telling them that his father (Seymour Cassel) is a brain surgeon but in reality, he is a barber. Max is simply blown away by Mr. Blumes (Bill Murray) speech at Rushmore and introduces himself. Mr. Blume decides to mentor Max out of pity and loneliness. Shortly after they become friends, they both fall in love for a beautiful new first-grade teacher at Rushmore named Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). Their friendship quickly turns to a war as they try to win her over. Max refuses to believe that his age has anything to do with Miss Cross refusing to love him. This leads to immense consequences as Mr. Blumes family life disintegrates and Max loses his best fri end. There are many devices that Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson use in Rushmore to advance the understanding of the film. First, instances of literary devices used are characterization and plot. They do an amazing job in making sure that every single character in the film grows over the course of the film. Moreover, it is incredibly interesting to see that every character in the film has a Rushmore. thus, every character has something that they want in the film and ultimately wants and by the end, each one of them gets it. For example, Blumes Rushmore was Miss Cross. Max is embarrassment that he goes to Rushmore with a scholarship and that his father is a barber as covers it by telling everyone that his father is a neurosurgeon. These two characters are performed amazingly by both actors, which really make us comprehend them. The plot of the film was truly amazing and original. The heart of the movie, for me, was not only how charming or quirky Max is but also how Maxs fascinations are fuel ed just as much by sadness as by selfishness. When he tells Miss Cross that Harvard is his safety school if he does not get into Oxford, this is not only to impress her but this is really the high standard he holds himself to. This is due to his mother who died of cancer, because she was the one who encouraged him to write plays and helped him get into Rushmore,. We can appreciate this film from the beginning from Maxs planned battle of distraction from genuine pain. We follow along in the film as the colors are washed out as soon as Max is expelled from Rushmore, and we do not see them return until the end when Mr. Blume gets a haircut. Everything gets darker and duller in the film after Max is expelled from Rushmore. Wes Anderson has done an amazing job with the plot. It is like nothing we see in theatres today. It has something different and original about it that really makes the story interesting and funny. The setting is always very unique and intriguing. The main two places t hat the film takes place in is Rushmore and Grover Cleveland High School. There are big differences between these two schools and it is clearly shown during the film. At Grover Cleveland High School, we see the rusted sign that hangs on a chain-link fence, which shows the conditions inside where students are subjected to search for weapons and drugs. The school is practically a prison. Compared to at Rushmore, we can see the clear difference between the two schools. Rushmore has a perfect sign that is hung on an iron fence with an amazingly cared for landscape. The two contrasting settings clearly show what Max has lost when he was expelled from Rushmore. A problem that I noticed in the continuity of the film was at a certain moment, Max uses a ladder to enter Miss Cross house and he leaves without going down the stairs, by walking out of the front door. This to me was a very big mistake that should have been fixed. It didnt take anything from the film, but it was something that I noticed. In addition, I really liked how there was a timeline in the film, showing sequences and narrations. The progression by months and how it was introduced with movie curtains, related back to Max loving to direct plays and was a great addition to this terrific film. The film shows the audience the story not tell it to us. Rushmore is Maxs life; he simply cannot live without it. He has dedicated lots of time and energy in that school because he enjoys it. The audience gets to see and experience Maxs delusional view of the world from the beginning when we see him dream about completing a very difficult math problem in class. Anderson and Wilson decided to convey Maxs delusional view of the world visually. The viewer can immediately identify with Max to see where his character is coming from because he is actually shown by how Max perceives the world. Another instance is when Max is put on academic probation and needs to improve his marks or he will be expelled from Rushmore. The principal explains that Max has too many extracurricular activities and not enough studying. Anderson and Wilson brilliantly show the viewer all of Maxs extracurricular activities instead of just simply having the principal say them. If the principal would have just listed the activities, they wouldnt have truly grasps Maxs role and dedication to Rushmore but by showing the audience every activity, we can understand the amount of devotion he has for this school. Maxs really cares and loves Rushmore. This film has an amazing script. Anderson and Wilson took every opportunity to show us visually the story. As a result, every single line of dialogue in this film has a purpose, which makes the film crisp and never drag. In the end, the viewer is left with an amazing story that is wonderfully created through visuals and writing. The dialogue in the film is very monotone, except for at the dinner table. I found it quite natural and normal. It seems as when Max speaks to his peers, he speaks above his peers with a sense of superiority in his voice. In addition, when Maxs speaks to his father, it is very quiet and ashamed. The dialogue changes when he talks to Ms. Cross and especially when it becomes super awkward which shows that he likes her. Just to brief ly mention lightning, it was much brighter at Rushmore and inside it. It was very colourful and happy inside the school because it represents that he really loves it at Rushmore. In comparison to outside where it is a bit darker showing how he is unhappy. Last, some cinematic devices used are music, sound and camera angle. The music in this film is very key. One of the best part of music in the film is the part when Maxs is feeling his first rejection from Miss Cross and the song I Am Waiting by the Rolling Stones plays. Max is experiencing his first pain and this song could be representing Max and how he is waiting to become the person he is supposed to be. There is also the part when Murrays face changes into one that shows his desire for true vengeance against Max. This is when the song A Quick One While Hes Away by The Who plays. This music goes perfectly with the scene and wanting revenge. There are many sounds that are put and used in the perfect times. When Max shows Ms. Cross the book, there is a dancing ballerina box sort of sound on. The sounds are often of bells and charms showing the innocent, young and juvenile of this film. Also, it seems to become quiet and quite silent during awkward moments in the film. For example, d uring many conversations with Ms. Cross, such as the one in the library or times in her classroom. The music and sound are very innocent, playful and somewhat cheesy and awkward to fit in with the story. It goes very well with this coming of age film. The camera angle does not seem to change that much in the film. Anderson uses anamorphic wide-angle lenses and there is hardly anything but wide-angle lenses in the film. Most of it is wide-angle lenses to be able to show his(Maxs) world/school and not have it be a straight horizontal line. I did find that it was a bit overboard and that it was at some points annoying because of the exaggerated wide-angle lenses. It felt like I was removed from the character at certain points. Wes Andersons story displays the importance of being able to do things yourself. With Maxs wild and bizarre imagination, we can see Max being an awful lot like Wes Anderson as a kid. This movie was clearly created based on personal experiences, which is shown throughout the film since he was inside the head of the character the entire film. There is no way for someone to be able to think of this without experiencing this first hand. This film truly tries to blurs the line between childhood and adulthood. In order for Max to grow up, he needs to first accept that his father is not a brain surgeon, he cannot have a romantic relationship with a woman far older than him and he will never be able to return to Rushmore. Maxs maturity throughout the film is shown in different ways. He begins by stopping the war between Mr. Blume and himself and actually starts to help him out rather than destroy him. He also starts to write stories of his own, instead of basing them from famous films. The f ilm shows that there might not be a line between kids and adults and that sometimes the kids are more mature than the adults are, as we say with the actions of Mr. Blume. Ultimately, Rushmore is an unusual and wacky movie but still an appealing and out of the ordinary film. It talks about many important themes and is acted by brilliantly talented actors. The three main characters together are amazing and their affection and frustration with each other is so intense throughout the film. This story is absolutely funny while still examining love, anger and imagination like we have never seen. Max is so geeky and weird that the audience cannot help but feel for him. Everything from the writing to the music in this film is done marvellously. You definitely should go and watch this film. You wont regret it.

Look Homeward Angel :: essays papers

Look Homeward Angel A culturally enriching experience is an experience that is related to the arts and an intellectual activity, which makes you become a better person or makes you feel you have become a better person. Also, a culturally enriching experience is when you allow yourself to become more educated on a certain topic and it improves yourself. I feel the theatre, through plays, gives people a culturally enriching experience. By sitting in the audience and becoming involved in the play we are able to place ourselves in the shoes of the characters on the stage. We relate our own lives to theirs. Through this and the fact that when we go to see a play we are broadening are horizons allows us to have a culturally enriching experience. The play, Look Homeward, Angel, relates to my meaning of a culturally enriching experience. In the play there is this family who goes through many problems, an alcoholic father, a crazy mother, and a dieing son. With these problems audience members are able to relate to the pain and suffering that this family is experiencing. It is not that you can relate exactly to their problems, but the audience member knows what it feels to have family struggles. As I sat there watching the play, I became very emotional because I was able to relate myself to the youngest son because I, too, am the youngest in my family and know what it feels like to always be the one joked on or have a mother who takes up all her strength to finally let you go and become an adult. This play also shows people how the times where during that period and how money was a major struggle. The play, for two hours, makes you feel apart of this family and awakens your mind with knew knowledge, allowing for an experienc e that is culturally enriching. When it comes to recommending Look Homeward, Angel I definitely recommend it to men and women of all ages.