A Modest Proposal Essay Example for Free

A Modest Proposal Essay Jonathan Swift starts off â€Å"A Modest Proposal† by giving the reader a bit of background information on Ireland’s current conditions at the time of publication. By doing so, Swift grasps the reader’s emotion and pulls them into the story. Then, when Swift makes a dramatic switch to his suggestion of cannibalism to stimulate the economy, he is able to fully grab the reader’s attention. Swift’s proposal is extreme and entirely unethical, but isn’t meant to be taken literally. His radical proposal of having babies to feed to the public and stimulate the economy, is his proposal to the public, but is not the heart of the essay. This radical proposal that takes on an alternate message is what classifies the piece as satire. Adding to the satire, Swift refers to women as breeders that can boost the despairing economy by having children that can be killed at one year old and be fed to the people of Ireland. It’s apparent that this extremist proposal is mockery of the Irish government and the cure-all proposals the politicians conjure, and getting the reader to think about these key political issues is the sole purpose of â€Å"A Modest Proposal. † In my opinion, Swift’s essay had a strong impact, and I’m sure had an even stronger impact in the era in which it was written. His use of hyperboles, metaphors, irony, and sarcasm greatly influenced the message. Because of his literary techniques he was able to draw the reader in to his essay and really get his message across. Word choice was another very effective technique used by Swift. By referring to women as breeders, he not only denounced them, but he was able to add to the ludicrous tone he was aiming to achieve. Every good piece of writing establishes in some ways ethos, pathos, and logos. Swift appeals to ethos in his argument by comparing venison to teenagers, an example of a truly outrageous and unethical idea. Another unethical idea Swift presents is that of the island of Formosa, in which the population eats many of the young women in their society. Pathos is established in the first paragraph when it pulls at the reader’s sympathy for the homeless and poor and again during his discussion of abortion. Swift uses logos in his essay when giving statistics numerous times throughout the essay. Of course his points were extremely radical, and any remotely developed civilization would be utterly disgusted at the thought of annibalism of new born babies, but his main focus wasn’t to propose a solution to Ireland’s impoverished conditions. His main purpose was to shock the readers into thinking of proposals that might actually have potential and criticizing ones that were already out there. He more or less was using extremism to mobilize the Irish people into thinking and developing concepts that could solve their current issues rather than do nothing and wait for someone else to come along and repair everything. In my opinion, Swift achieved his goal in his writing.

Crime and Punishment - Raskolnikovs Extraordinary Man Theory :: Dostoevsky Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment -   Raskolnikov's Extraordinary Man Theory  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the novel, Crime and Punishment, the principle character, Raskolnikov, has unknowingly published a collection of his thoughts on crime and punishment via an article entitled "On Crime." Porfiry, who is trying to link Raskolnikov to a murder, has uncovered this article, read it, and tells Raskolnikov that he is very interested in learning about his ideas. Porfiry brings Raskolnikov into this conversation primarily to find out more about Raskolnikov's possible involvement in the crime. Raskolnikov decides to take him up on the challenge of discussing his theory, and embarks into a large discussion of his philosophy of man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Raskolnikov holds that by a law of nature men have been "somewhat arbitrarily" divided into two groups--ordinary and extraordinary. Raskolnikov believe that the duty and vocation of the first group is to be servile, the material out of which the world and society is to be formed. The first group are the people of the present, the now. The second group, those who are extraordinary, are a step above the normal, ordinary curs. They have the ability to overstep normal bounds and transgress the rights of those who are simply ordinary. They are the prime movers--they have a right to transcend normal societal strictures to accomplish those things they have determined are valid in their conscience. Extraordinary men are the prime movers. He cites such extraordinary men as Newton, Mahomet, and Napoleon. He tells us that Newton had the right to kill hundreds of men if need be in order to bring to the world knowledge of his findings. Napoleon and oth er leaders created a new word. They overturned ancient laws and created new ones. They had the right to uphold their new ideal, even if it meant killing innocent men defending the ancient law. "The first class of people preserve and people the world, the second move the world and lead it to its goal." Despite these tremendous differences in his theory, and the obvious superiority that the extraordinary people are afforded, Raskolnikov maintains that both classes have an equal right to exist. This is interesting, and anyone who sees tremendous problems with this theory must realize this very important point--both classes of men and women are necessary to understand the true meaning of Raskolnikov's theory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Without the extraordinary branch of men, without their ability and moral obligation to overstep the bounds of society at certain times, the history of the world would never have progressed to the state that we find ourselves now. Crime and Punishment - Raskolnikov's Extraordinary Man Theory :: Dostoevsky Crime and Punishment Crime and Punishment -   Raskolnikov's Extraordinary Man Theory  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the novel, Crime and Punishment, the principle character, Raskolnikov, has unknowingly published a collection of his thoughts on crime and punishment via an article entitled "On Crime." Porfiry, who is trying to link Raskolnikov to a murder, has uncovered this article, read it, and tells Raskolnikov that he is very interested in learning about his ideas. Porfiry brings Raskolnikov into this conversation primarily to find out more about Raskolnikov's possible involvement in the crime. Raskolnikov decides to take him up on the challenge of discussing his theory, and embarks into a large discussion of his philosophy of man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Raskolnikov holds that by a law of nature men have been "somewhat arbitrarily" divided into two groups--ordinary and extraordinary. Raskolnikov believe that the duty and vocation of the first group is to be servile, the material out of which the world and society is to be formed. The first group are the people of the present, the now. The second group, those who are extraordinary, are a step above the normal, ordinary curs. They have the ability to overstep normal bounds and transgress the rights of those who are simply ordinary. They are the prime movers--they have a right to transcend normal societal strictures to accomplish those things they have determined are valid in their conscience. Extraordinary men are the prime movers. He cites such extraordinary men as Newton, Mahomet, and Napoleon. He tells us that Newton had the right to kill hundreds of men if need be in order to bring to the world knowledge of his findings. Napoleon and oth er leaders created a new word. They overturned ancient laws and created new ones. They had the right to uphold their new ideal, even if it meant killing innocent men defending the ancient law. "The first class of people preserve and people the world, the second move the world and lead it to its goal." Despite these tremendous differences in his theory, and the obvious superiority that the extraordinary people are afforded, Raskolnikov maintains that both classes have an equal right to exist. This is interesting, and anyone who sees tremendous problems with this theory must realize this very important point--both classes of men and women are necessary to understand the true meaning of Raskolnikov's theory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Without the extraordinary branch of men, without their ability and moral obligation to overstep the bounds of society at certain times, the history of the world would never have progressed to the state that we find ourselves now.

Lord of the Flies Literary Analysis

Lord of the Flies, a novel by William Golding, reflects upon the very core of human beings. Golding described human beings as innately evil. He also showed readers that all it takes to bring humans’ true nature out is by being in an unknown environment that is free of laws. Being surrounded by mysterious creatures in an unknown land, the stranded boys are left for dead. In the small world without adults, the boys slowly corrupt in to follow their instinct to satisfy their immediate desires.By being in a microcosm of society with no rules or restriction, the boys begin to seek absolute power. By setting the novel in an island without adults, Golding shows how civilization can quickly deteriorate into savagery. The theme of peace and democracy is thoroughly described in the story when the boys camped out near the beach. At the beginning of the book, it was evident that the boys had an instinct to live peacefully and by the rules in order to avoid chaos. Though some boys created trouble for others, they all obeyed the orders of the leader.The boys voted for a leader democratically in order to prevent a person from having too much power and by this process, we could see that the boys wanted to be fair in who gets to be the leader. To the boys, the beach symbolizes a second home that can keep them safe from the intimidating island. It was a place where they can catch sight of a ship without interruption and it gave them a higher chance of being rescued. The beach also represents safety and a place where rules protect the boys. All the boys have a sense of civilization in them at the beach and avoid making â€Å"wrong† actions.Even the troublemaker Jack said that they’ve â€Å"got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English, and the English are best at everything. So we’ve got to do the right things. † (Page 59-60) This line from Jack shows that everyone wanted to be â€Å"civilized† and developed. They didn’t want to be â€Å"savages† since they had an instinct to act righteously and because they didn’t want to degrade themselves as to being savages. However, as the scenery changes, we can see that the boys are slowly becoming blind for power.A conflict of instincts can be seen when the boys confront in the mountain. Up until now, the boys were living peacefully near the beach. However, as time flowed pass, the boys began to crave to satisfy their other needs. Some began to neglect their duties and went off to play. This sign of neglecting shows the readers that the boys are starting to satisfy their own â€Å"desires†. Jack and the other hunters showed signs of corruption when they abandoned their â€Å"fire† duty. Although they were given such an important task, they weren’t able to work to Ralph’s expectations.After a ship has passed by the island, Ralph and Jack conflicted once more. During this confrontatio n, Jack accidentally destroyed half of Piggy’s glasses. The breaking of Piggy’s glasses symbolizes many things. First of all, it symbolizes that many of the boys are having a conflict between their instinct to live peacefully and their instinct to satisfy their immediate need. Secondly, it represented the turning point of the novel. And finally, the breaking of Piggy’s glasses symbolizes a break in the boys’ teamwork. After this event, a split between Ralph and Jack was evident.Near the last scenes of the novel, the readers can see that savagery took over civilization. When the hunters turned against Ralph and the little’uns and formed their own group in â€Å"Castle Rock†, it showed the readers just how much the hunters have corrupted. Unlike civilized people, the hunters began to paint their faces with blood and began to worship idols in order to celebrate their catch. Another significant change in the hunters is that the hunters wouldnâ⠂¬â„¢t hesitate to torture boys that were once friends and family.At the end of the novel, a huge boulder crushed Piggy. This symbolizes many things. First of all, it shows the readers the change in the hunters. At the beginning of the novel, Roger was a boy that wouldn’t throw a rock straight at a person. However, as the novel progresses, Roger became ruthless and was willing to hurl a boulder at Piggy. Furthermore, Piggy’s death symbolizes the death of an intellect. It shows us that savagery has taken over civilization and that rules will no longer influence the boys anymore.As the novel processes and the scenery changes, the readers can witness a significant change in the boys’ actions and thoughts. The boys’ actions in the beach and their actions in Castle Rock were significantly different. Unlike their â€Å"civilized† self, the unknown environment slowly turned these boys’ mental self and physical self. They became more interested in s atisfying their desires than to do the â€Å"right† thing. By placing the boys in an island with no adult influence, William Golding shows how the environment changes human beings into savages. Lord of the Flies Literary Analysis Lord of the Flies, a novel by William Golding, reflects upon the very core of human beings. Golding described human beings as innately evil. He also showed readers that all it takes to bring humans’ true nature out is by being in an unknown environment that is free of laws. Being surrounded by mysterious creatures in an unknown land, the stranded boys are left for dead. In the small world without adults, the boys slowly corrupt in to follow their instinct to satisfy their immediate desires.By being in a microcosm of society with no rules or restriction, the boys begin to seek absolute power. By setting the novel in an island without adults, Golding shows how civilization can quickly deteriorate into savagery. The theme of peace and democracy is thoroughly described in the story when the boys camped out near the beach. At the beginning of the book, it was evident that the boys had an instinct to live peacefully and by the rules in order to avoid chaos. Though some boys created trouble for others, they all obeyed the orders of the leader.The boys voted for a leader democratically in order to prevent a person from having too much power and by this process, we could see that the boys wanted to be fair in who gets to be the leader. To the boys, the beach symbolizes a second home that can keep them safe from the intimidating island. It was a place where they can catch sight of a ship without interruption and it gave them a higher chance of being rescued. The beach also represents safety and a place where rules protect the boys. All the boys have a sense of civilization in them at the beach and avoid making â€Å"wrong† actions.Even the troublemaker Jack said that they’ve â€Å"got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English, and the English are best at everything. So we’ve got to do the right things. † (Page 59-60) This line from Jack shows that everyone wanted to be â€Å"civilized† and developed. They didn’t want to be â€Å"savages† since they had an instinct to act righteously and because they didn’t want to degrade themselves as to being savages. However, as the scenery changes, we can see that the boys are slowly becoming blind for power.A conflict of instincts can be seen when the boys confront in the mountain. Up until now, the boys were living peacefully near the beach. However, as time flowed pass, the boys began to crave to satisfy their other needs. Some began to neglect their duties and went off to play. This sign of neglecting shows the readers that the boys are starting to satisfy their own â€Å"desires†. Jack and the other hunters showed signs of corruption when they abandoned their â€Å"fire† duty. Although they were given such an important task, they weren’t able to work to Ralph’s expectations.After a ship has passed by the island, Ralph and Jack conflicted once more. During this confrontatio n, Jack accidentally destroyed half of Piggy’s glasses. The breaking of Piggy’s glasses symbolizes many things. First of all, it symbolizes that many of the boys are having a conflict between their instinct to live peacefully and their instinct to satisfy their immediate need. Secondly, it represented the turning point of the novel. And finally, the breaking of Piggy’s glasses symbolizes a break in the boys’ teamwork. After this event, a split between Ralph and Jack was evident.Near the last scenes of the novel, the readers can see that savagery took over civilization. When the hunters turned against Ralph and the little’uns and formed their own group in â€Å"Castle Rock†, it showed the readers just how much the hunters have corrupted. Unlike civilized people, the hunters began to paint their faces with blood and began to worship idols in order to celebrate their catch. Another significant change in the hunters is that the hunters wouldnâ⠂¬â„¢t hesitate to torture boys that were once friends and family.At the end of the novel, a huge boulder crushed Piggy. This symbolizes many things. First of all, it shows the readers the change in the hunters. At the beginning of the novel, Roger was a boy that wouldn’t throw a rock straight at a person. However, as the novel progresses, Roger became ruthless and was willing to hurl a boulder at Piggy. Furthermore, Piggy’s death symbolizes the death of an intellect. It shows us that savagery has taken over civilization and that rules will no longer influence the boys anymore.As the novel processes and the scenery changes, the readers can witness a significant change in the boys’ actions and thoughts. The boys’ actions in the beach and their actions in Castle Rock were significantly different. Unlike their â€Å"civilized† self, the unknown environment slowly turned these boys’ mental self and physical self. They became more interested in s atisfying their desires than to do the â€Å"right† thing. By placing the boys in an island with no adult influence, William Golding shows how the environment changes human beings into savages.

Gender Representation Of The Media - 1147 Words

Gender representation in the media has sparked a lot of arguments amongst many scholars regarding the way females are depicted (Broude Garrard, 1995: Thornham, 2007). Over the last few years many female emancipation campaigns targeted at correcting the current representation of females in the media have emerged (Carson, Dittmar Welsch, 1994: Miller, 2003). But is the media really representing women as sexual objects? This is a question that lingers in the minds of many people whenever this argument is brought up. Various scholars have delved into this issue and come up with various perceptions about this issue. However, none of the studies however takes an argumentative perspective to clear up the air about whether females are represented as sexual objects. This research paper is therefore prompt to cover this that seems to be a gap in research. First, shocking revelations are evident after a thorough scrutiny of a number of advertisements in the media and the content in music vide os. Women are not portrayed as respectable people but rather inactive and overly submissive. The focal point in promoting the advertised product seems to be leaning majorly on the female sexuality. Men on the other hand are overly active, in control and highly authoritative. It is from these differences that it could be argued that ladies are depicted as sexual objects (Miller, 2003). Secondly, special emphasis in this advertisements and images floating all over the media is placed on theShow MoreRelatedThe Representation Of Gender And Media978 Words   |  4 PagesNowadays the representation of gender in media has become very common. It is all about the representation of phenomenally rapid change: change’s in gender relation transformations in media technologies, regulatory frameworks, content ownership and theoretical revolutions in the approaches used to make sense of gender representations. Gender and media aims to freeze the frame, press the pause button, or hit the ref resh key to construct that how media shows social stereotypes. There are many advertisementsRead MoreMedia Representation Of Gender And Gender3046 Words   |  13 Pagesreview key issues in one of the following areas of media representation: ethnicity, gender, sexuality or any one select area of your choice Introduction This essay will critically discuss key issues of the media representation of gender. Firstly media representation and gender will be defined and conceptualised, then theories of media representation regarding gender will be discussed in depth and evaluated. The key issues of media representation of gender will be discussed critically from the viewpointsRead MoreGender Representation Of The Media1549 Words   |  7 PagesMedia Benchmark- How is gender represented in the media? Women A representation is when a media text such as a newspaper, magazine or film represent ideas or events to us in a distorted view. A representation is not the true picture; it is re-presented after a specific event has occurred. The representation will be opinion based and it will invite the audience to identify with them. All of the representations have a mode of address too depending on their target audience depends on how they representRead MoreThe Gender Representation Of Media Essay2172 Words   |  9 PagesGender Representation in Media Media (advertising, television and other forms in which consumers obtain content) is a forum that has such an immense power, a power that the common lay man just doesn’t realize. Advertising for example is perceived 95% subconsciously without us or our brains realizing. Due to this, media has a major part in affecting and changing our lives as we are constantly fed on the â€Å"normal† way to live or â€Å"how it should be done.† Suddenly something that we definitely didn’t needRead MoreEffect Of Gender And Gender Representation On Media1735 Words   |  7 PagesThe effect of gender and gender representation in media has been widely researched in various academic disciplines, including anthropology and communication studies. Similar gender role expectations are not just restricted to Western culture either. A study on gender representation in East Asian advertising by Michael Prieler is a demonstration of the influence of gendered communication. The resea rch examines the male and female representation in the advertising of East Asian countries like HongRead MoreMedia Representation of Gender Roles1954 Words   |  8 PagesHistorically, social and feminist scholars have focused on media representations of gender roles and how they affect the lived experiences of women (Green, 2013; Soulliere, 2006). Gender is widely considered to be a cultural rather than strictly biological creation, and it is often constructed and represented through popular culture media such as advertisements, magazines, and television (Soulliere, 2006). While women have made great strides in expanding the culturally acceptable definition of femininityRead MoreAn Investigation Into the Media Representation of Gender in Sport1303 Words   |  6 PagesAn investigation into the media representation of gender in sport. There have been many studies and investigations into the different types and intensity of the media coverage in sport involving both sexes. This investigation will look at previous studies and reports carried out by researchers to discover why different genders receive different media attention in sport, and to see whether this has an adverse effect on other issues such as participation. It is a clear fact that menRead MoreInfluence Of The Advertising Media On Gender And Representation Of Stereotypes1173 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract The advertising media often stereotypes gender roles either for added effects or for humor. Repeated use of these role-plays reinforces the public’s perception about how men and women should behave. This also shapes the expectations that society has towards them. The manipulation of these stereotypes by the media is an unconscious byproduct of the thinking of most men and women about what roles each gender should play. Deterministic theories emphasize that men and women evolve differentlyRead MoreWhat are the Effects of Representation and Self-regulation in the Media in Respect to Gender and Sexuality?2429 Words   |  10 PagesIntroduction Media in its numerous forms is an endemic part of modern life. We are continually exposed to media texts and their representations of gender and sexuality. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in how these representations affect our perceptions of gender and sexuality. Initially I will define what is meant by representation and self-regulation in a media context. Secondly, I will examine debates around these issues including self-identity role models, privacy publicRead MoreMedia Representation Of The Media1149 Words   |  5 Pagesperson in the world has some access to media. Whether it is through electronics like social media or the internet, or through printed media, it shapes a person’s view on many aspects of society. Media represents a vast array of societal issues. â€Å"Media representation is a way in which the media portrays groups, communities, experiences, ideas or topics from a particular ideological or vale perspective† (Beach). One of the bigger issues media portrays is gender. In today’s culture the issue of the difference