Comparison (Kite Runner and East of Eden) - 1871 Words

William Hall once said, â€Å"People have a lot in common with one another, whether they see that or not.† This fact was made evident through reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni and East of Eden by John Steinbeck, two novels about the lives of people thousands of miles apart but take on the similar challenges and try to lead decent and fulfilling lives. There were minute differences between the novels, but for the most part the books were very similar. Through analyzing themes, motifs and symbols within these novels, one cannot help but recognize the cords that unite humankind and defy all boundaries. The dynamics of father-son relationships are central to both novels. In The Kite Runner, Amir has a very complex relationship with his†¦show more content†¦In Hassan’s case, Amir sacrifices him for the blue kite and Baba’s love. In Sohrab’s case, his sacrifice is the exploitation of an innocent child and is eventually stopped by Amir. However, both sacrifices have life-changing consequences for the â€Å"lambs† and everyone involved. Physical characteristics are used within both novels as symbols. In The Kite Runner, Hassan’s cleft lip (which he was born with) is his most noticeable features during childhood and is used most to describe him. This deformity is used to symbolize Hassan’s status within society as a Hazara, one of the things that separates him and Amir, simply because he cannot afford to have cosmetic surgery. I believe he was born with this defect to show that the prejudice started against Hazaras at birth and could never be stopped despite all efforts (in this case Hassan’s cosmetic surgery). Social status, ethnicity and religion played a major part in the novel, which Amir admits himself, â€Å"In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shi’a, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing (Hosseni 32).† These dividing factors eventually begin to distance Amir and Hassan and the community’s views about Hazaras began to aff ect Amir’s thinking. He is unable to fully view Hassan as a friend (or brother) because of his race and superior social status. greatly contributed to his ability to allow Hassan to be taken advantage of – something he’d forever regret. In East of Eden,Show MoreRelatedLiterary Criticism : The Free Encyclopedia 7351 Words   |  30 PagesFarm, by Olive Schreiner (1883) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain (1884) Pharaoh, by BolesÅ‚aw Prus (1895) What Maisie Knew, by Henry James (1897)[23] 20th century[edit] The Confusions of Young Tà ¶rless, by Robert Musil (1906) Martin Eden, by Jack London (1909)[24] The Book of Khalid, by Ameen Rihani (1911)[25] Le Grand Meaulnes, by Alain-Fournier (1913) Sons and Lovers, by D. H. Lawrence (1913)[26] Of Human Bondage, by W. Somerset Maugham (1915) A Portrait of the Artist as a YoungRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesSUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL 24 Diagnostic Survey and Exercises 24 Personal Assessment of Management Skills (PAMS) 24 What Does It Take to Be an Effective Manager? 28 SSS Software In-Basket Exercise 30 SCORING KEY AND COMPARISON DATA 42 Personal Assessment of Management Skills 42 Scoring Key 42 Comparison Data 42 What Does It Take to Be an Effective Manager? 43 SSS Software In-Basket Exercise 43 PART I 1 PERSONAL SKILLS 44 45 DEVELOPING SELF-AWARENESS SKILL ASSESSMENT 46 Diagnostic Surveys for

The French Revolution And The Radical Stage Of The Revolution

France was under extreme turmoil because of its structure and King Louis XVI, there were many growing tensions throughout France that needed to be dealt with before the revolution was to take over. The three estates in France were under a very unequal system where the majority vote and majority of wealth came from less than 10 percent of the country; many privileges were the given to them like minimal taxes and all authority. The other 90 percent of the country was living in extremely poor conditions and were spending 90 percent of their wages on bread. King Louis XVI continued to charge the third-estate excessive amounts of taxes to pay for his contribution to the American war. Moderates believed they could change these issues through minor reforms, but when that failed the radicals realized it would take a revolution to change the problems that persisted in France. Because strict government control during the Radical stage of the revolution (1792-1794) was placed in society, a dict ator of the Radical stage, Maximilien Robespierre was able to achieve more than the moderate stage (1789-1792). There were many great ideas in the moderate stage but they were pursued with the dedication of the leaders in the radical stage, while they were already achieving many of their own goals. The beginning of the liberal revolution in France strongly anticipated the idea that people should have the power, citizen’s should be equal, and a revolution was most definitely needed. TheShow MoreRelatedComplications Of The French Revolution1364 Words   |  6 PagesThe French Revolution (1789-1799) had significant, far reaching implications. In Britain it permeated every level of society. Not only did politicians change their allegiances, but moderate reformers were radicalised, and British society was completely divided into supporters and detractors of the Revolution. It also resulted in a drastic politicisation of Ireland, changing the nature of politics completely. The British government was threatened by the French Revolution because they saw what wasRead MoreEdmund Burke and Thomas Paine: A Comparative Analysis of Their Views on the French Revolution913 Words   |  4 PagesBurke and Thomas Paine differed strongly on their views of the French revolution and the wis dom of the proceedings of the French National Assembly in 1789-90. In his book Reflections on the Revolution in France the conservative Edmund Burke argued that the concept of universal human rights that applied internationally across all societies was a meaningless abstraction that was subversive of social order, while in The Rights of Man the radical democrat Thomas Paine insisted that all human beings had equalRead MoreAnalysis Of Crane Brinton s Anatomy Of A Revolution Essay1528 Words   |  7 Pagesin history. To fight for what we believe in is natural, but history has proven that while seeking an improved quality of life, a reform stage is implemented. Once it is found that the current system cannot help the cause, radical measures are taken to overthrow one structure in favor of a more effectively organized mode of leadership. Finally, the reactionary stage addresses any unexpected consequences by stepping back and evaluating what may have gotten out of hand and prioritizin g, because consequentialRead MoreCauses Of The French Revolution911 Words   |  4 PagesThe French Revolution was a major turning point in all of European history. The old regime was destroyed and a new order came to be. We will talk about the causes of the revolution, when it ended, and if it was violent, Napoleon, what happened after his defeat, and some other leaders, and movies I have seen about the Revolution and how they were correct, plus other things I want to learn. The immediate cause of the French Revolution in 1789 was the near collapse of the French budget. On theRead More The Radical Period of The French Revolution Essay1094 Words   |  5 PagesThe Radical Period of The French Revolution By the end of 1971, Europe was preparing to witness the end of a seemingly triumphant revolution in France. The country was restructuring its government in a forceful and bloodless manner, while the tyrant King Louis the XVI agreed to the demands of the masses (albeit without much choice). However, due to the fanatical aspirations of men such as Danton, Marat and Robespierre,it would be only a matter of months before the moderate stage ofRead MoreHonorà ©-Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de Mirabeau Knew the Monarchy had to Change1168 Words   |  5 Pageschance of surviving the Revolution. 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This essay will argue that the resentment of absolute government, financial difficulties, the famine, rise of philosophes and the ongoing feud between the estates are all the major causes of why there was a revolution in France. Firstly before going into the topic, the word

Commentary †Staring At The Sun by The Offspring Free Essays

Maybe life is like a ride on a freeway Dodging bullets while you’re trying to find your way Everyone’s around, but no one does a damn thing It brings me down, but I won’t let them If I seem bleak Well you’d be correct And if I don’t speak It’s cause I can’t disconnect But I won’t be burned by the reflection Of the fire in your eyes As you’re staring at the sun When I ran I didn’t feel like I ran away When I escaped I didn’t feel like I got away There’s more to living than only surviving Maybe I’m not there, but I’m still trying Though you hear me I don’t think that you relate. My will is something That you can’t confiscate So forgive me, but I won’t be frustrated By destruction in your eyes As you’re staring at the sun Commentary (Staring At The Sun) The Offspring are commonly known to be a punk-rock band but they have taken up so many different styles in their albums that many would agree that they sing something unique which cannot be fitted fully in a specific genre of music. But the core of almost every album has been fast songs with really meaningful lyrics (and not just something that rhymes which can be often heard in punk-rock). We will write a custom essay sample on Commentary – Staring At The Sun by The Offspring or any similar topic only for you Order Now Their album, Americana not only sold over 10,000,000 copies worldwide but also presented the band in a new light and served as a development of Californian punk-rock. In Americana, the band sings about different events that happen in the life of ordinary American families and teenagers. Staring At The Sun is one of my favorite songs not only because of the music but also because of powerful lyrics which combines well with the rhythm. Generally, the song is about trying to figure out your identity and how you fit in the world. It is especially evident for teenagers that are growing up and trying to fit in everything they do. The song also tells us of people who want to fit in so desperately that they compromise their interests and transform their character in order to fit in. The lyrics remind me of a narrative poem. The first line sets the mood of the song and suggests that the persona is in deep thoughts about life. Simile â€Å"life is like a ride on a freeway† reflects the subject of persona’s thoughts. Freeway† suggests freedom in choosing your way of living or your place in the society. â€Å"Ride† links to the idea of searching for something in this society. The second line completes the idea raised in the first line that life is searching for your place, trying to fit in the world. â€Å"Dodging bullets† suggests rage which could mean difficulties that can be encountered when trying to â€Å"find yourself† and that irrespective of anger or grudge that you ma y have you should continue to seek for your place in society. The next two lines link to the idea that it is important for anybody to be who he/she is and do not care what anyone else thinks. This is suggested by the third line that although â€Å"everyone’s around†, there is really no help from them in selecting the path of your life (â€Å"no one does a damn thing†). The next line extends the idea slightly suggesting that being yourself while all the rest turn against you is very hard but you should not quit the path you have selected. The end of the third line and the beginning of the fourth are loaded with â€Å"heavy† words. This becomes even more evident as the singer stresses these words when singing the song. Repetition of â€Å"d† and â€Å"g† in the words â€Å"damn†, â€Å"thing†, â€Å"brings†, â€Å"down† emphasizes the fact that there is no help from the people surrounding you and that they essentially try to stop you from selecting your path (â€Å"bring†, â€Å"down†). But this is then contradicted by â€Å"I won’t let them†. The second stanza emphasizes persona’s unwillingness to conform to everyone else. This is suggested by the first four lines. The last three lines of the stanza are very significant. In these lines persona is trying to say that if someone is going to destroy himself, he is not going to drag the persona down with him. This is suggested by â€Å"I won’t be burned by the reflection of the fire in your eyes†. The words â€Å"burned† and â€Å"fire† are significant here as they emphasize burning, dying out, destruction of character and identity of somebody who is trying to fit in something unnatural for himself. â€Å"Staring at the sun† is a metaphor or analogy for people that are being self-destructive or compromising themselves. The persona says that he is not a part of this and appeals to people to stick to their own paths that they have selected and not compromise themselves. The â€Å"burning† of these lines suggests persona’s fury about this situation. The third stanza is about persona in the actual search for his path of life. The first two lines of the stanza suggest that you may be uncertain or doubt the path you have selected when all the people around you are trying to stop you. Echoing of running away (â€Å"ran† and â€Å"ran away†) and escaping (â€Å"escaped† and â€Å"got away†) in the same lines emphasizes your tireless search for the true path, that you may not know what to do or where to go but you should keep seeking for it. This idea is also confirmed by the last two lines of the stanza that you should live in the way you want and not to conform to somebody else’s style of living (â€Å"there’s more to living than only surviving†) just because you have to, if it is unnatural for you. The last line of the stanza confirms the idea that although you realize you have not found your path yet you should continue seeking for it. It is also significant that the idea of searching, emphasized by the first two lines (â€Å"ran†, â€Å"ran away†, â€Å"escaped† and â€Å"got away†) also links it to the idea that your mind could be confused by other people’s opinions. The last stanza again emphasizes the fact that the persona is not going to be dragged down by self-destructive people who compromise themselves. In the first two lines persona is suggesting that although these self-destructive people may understand him they cannot take any action towards changing it as their identity and character are already tied in with the thought that they have to compromise themselves. The third and fourth lines of the stanza signify the fact that persona will not be a part of that by admitting that â€Å"my will† will be guiding him in search for his path and that it cannot be manipulated or â€Å"confiscated† unlike the minds of people who compromise themselves. This is also confirmed by stressing â€Å"my will† which emphasizes strength and endurance. The last three lines of the stanza repeat the end of the second one and thus emphasize the persona’s thoughts that it is important for anybody to be who they really want to and not to try conforming to or to fitting in somebody else’s style. How to cite Commentary – Staring At The Sun by The Offspring, Papers