Consider Pip from Great Expectations and Ralph from Lord of the Flies Essay

Which character do you think gives the most realistic portrayal of childhood? Both of these novels contain depictions of childhood. An important fact to keep aware of is that in Dickens’ portrayal of childhood, there are adults present to mould Pip through his encounters with them, whereas Golding leaves his characters free from any guiding adult hand. Pip’s sister being on â€Å"the rampage† when she felt Joe or Pip had done the slightest thing wrong, is different to Ralph’s experience of childhood on the island as the closest thing he has to an adult guide is Piggy, who whilst undoubtedly more intelligent than the other boys, lacks the respect and authority an adult commands. Pip and Ralph are alike however in their longing for a lack of adults, â€Å"but then the delight of a realized ambition overcame him. In the middle of the scar he stood on his head and grinned at the reversed fat boy. ‘No grown ups!’ † Is what Golding tells us of Ralph, and similarly Dickens’s Pip calls them all â€Å"toadies and humbugs†. Although these views both seem to concur that a lack of adults is definitely a good thing, they do differ somewhat, I do not believe Ralph would go so far as to call all adults â€Å"toadies and humbugs† and this is certainly to do with their different backgrounds. Ralph is a Home Counties lad with a father high up in the navy who knows that the queen has â€Å"a drawer full of maps†, whereas Pip is the adopted son of a blacksmith and although Ralph’s lifestyle may not necessarily have been glamorous, it was much more homely and welcoming than the one Pip enjoys. The two novels are also set over a greatly differing time span. Lord of the Flies lasts perhaps several weeks at the most, whereas Pip’s childhood lasts several years in Great Expectations. Obviously this will play a part in how realistic their childhoods seem as we see no more than the blinking of an eye of Ralph’s, but have a much more in depth viewing of Pip’s. Adults mould Pip throughout his childhood, and the most important adults involved in this are Pumblechook, Mr Wopsle and Pip’s sister. All of these have a tendency to look down on Pip, and it is for that reason that Joe is not included in the list, as he and Pip treat each other like equals. Ralph on the other hand has no guiding force behind him throughout all the time the reader knows him. Whereas Ralph is a very expressive child, he stands on his head and laughs and looks â€Å"golden†, Pip is not, in the early stages of the book, free from the tyranny of his sister. So there is a crucial difference between the two novels in that Ralph and his companions are free to be children without adult ideals being laid upon them, whereas Pip is expected to be a child the way society expects him to be, â€Å"be grateful boy to them which bought you up by hand† being a good example of this. A key aspect of childhood is Fear, fear of the dark, fear of the unknown and fear of adults to name but a few. Both authors work this aspect of childhood into their novels somehow. Dickens does this with Magwitch’s young man â€Å"a boy may lock his door, may be warm in bed, may tuck himself up, may draw the clothes over his head, may think himself comfortable and safe, but that young man will softly creep and creep his way to him and tear him open.† All this to scare Pip into getting him some â€Å"wittles† and it works, from the language in that quote, it is obviously apparent that Dickens had a very good idea of childhood and it’s workings, on of the few things universal to children is that they do think bed to be the ultimate haven. Pip is scared by Magwitch into stealing from his sister, who he is already afraid of, and this is significant in that it shows Dickens had a very good grasp of what childhood was about, and is thus likely to have a very good portrait of childhood in his novel. Possibly even more significant than this is that Pip steals a file from Joe his trusted friend, and this also shows more understanding on Dickens’ part about children, they do not discriminate between close friends and others to the extent older people do. And so we see the counter part to this in Lord of the Flies, when alone and with no adults on the desert island the children feel the need for a fire and steal Piggy’s glasses to light it. Piggy is Ralph’s main ally on the island, and certainly Ralph is Piggy’s only friend, so the situation is much akin to the one in Great Expectations but we do not see the same level of remorse from Ralph. Instead of Pip’s fearful â€Å"I held tight to the leg of the table under the cloth, with both hands, and awaited my fate† in anticipation of any retribution that may be dealt out, all that Golding says of the boys remorse at leaving Piggy blind and helpless is for Ralph to hand them back when done with them, and it is here that it seems as though Golding has a better understanding of children, he appreciates that their consciences are not yet fully developed as they are unable to grasp the implications of what they have done. The fear that grows apparent on the island however is not the same kind of fear as Pip experiences. One of the little-uns complains of â€Å"a beastie†, nonsense is the response he gets from Ralph, and yet â€Å"The vivid horror of this, so possible and nakedly terrifying held them all silent†. And it is here where the crux of the argument begins to form for Dickens’ having the better portrayal of childhood. The Beastie is in fact symbolic of the horror humans will create on the island, and the rest of Golding’s novel is also mostly symbolic, whereas Great Expectations isn’t. The natural reaction for Ralph and company to have is to try and ward of the beastie somehow, and thus the fire begins to become more than simply a rescue beacon. The relationships between characters is also a major part in the views we are offered of childhood. Golding uses the views of others to reveal aspects of the main characters, and so influence how we feel about them, Piggy’s view of Ralph and the others â€Å"Like a crowd of kids -† is supposed to make the reader feel that Piggy is far more mature, and that in turn Ralph is excessively immature, and childlike. Dicken’s however uses Pip’s perspective throughout the novel, and the language he uses differs greatly at the start as compared to the finish for the purposes of showing the transition between child and adult. For example â€Å"I religiously entertained that they had been born on their backs with their hands in their trouser pockets† is clearly not the impression an adult would get from having dead brothers or sisters, and most likely not the way they would describe them. However at the end of the book the language use has progressed to statements such as â€Å"Oh, Joe, you break my heart! Look angry at me, Joe! Strike me, Joe! Tell me of my ingratitude. Don’t be so good to me.† This is a statement the younger Pip would have been incapable of making, ti shows the complex differences in language that Dickens appreciates children use as compared to adults. In Great Expectations Pip is not treated as an adult, he is treated as a particularly worthless child, and as such he forms negative opinions of the adult world he will have to grow into, â€Å"that ass Pumblechook† being just one example of the way Pip views this world, however Dickens also understands that children’s attitudes change very quickly, as does Golding, and so when Pip obtains â€Å"Great Expectations† and Pumblechook starts acting up to him, then he decides that maybe â€Å"Pumblechook was a practical, sensible, good hearted fellow†. This is also shown in Lord of the Flies because although by the end Ralph and Jack are literally at each others throats, when making the fire at the start Ralph finds a log that looks too heavy, but gets the reply of â€Å"Not for the two of us!† And so Golding shows the reader a glimmer of hope that the two may get along well, but they don’t, and this demonstrates the inconsistency of children. Ralph has responsibility for the other boys on the island, and this causes him in many aspects to grow up. Instead of being completely child like and swimming, diving and running about, he gets worked up because the shelters haven’t been made and the other are incapable of concentrating â€Å"And they keep running off. You remember the meeting? How everyone was going to work hard until the shelters were finished?† This is not a very childlike statement, children get frustrated because they don’t get their own way, Ralph is not saying â€Å"I’m the leader and they don’t obey me† but instead worrying that the community is beginning to tear apart, a concern more voiced on tabloid letter pages than children’s conversations. Pip however has no such responsibility, admittedly while he does some chores set him by his sister, or his lessons under Mr Wopsle’s great aunt â€Å"that preposterous female†, he is nowhere near as empowered as Ralph who has been voted to care for a few dozen boys. And so this also affects the childhood of the two we see, while Ralph had the easiest growing up previous to the novel (with his parents) as opposed to Pip’s dead parents and harsh sister, he is given a far more demanding role to play. And the way he deals with it is not very childlike; in fact it comes to eventually represent the way a tired adult may feel, worn down, beginning to despair and wondering why on earth he’s taken the responsibility at all. And this is another key point to consider, Golding’s children are literary metaphors for mankind, whereas Pip, although he teaches the reader about aspects of the human character, is not supposed to be representative of the whole human race, and so more likely to represent childhood better. Yet another fact to remember is that Golding and Dickens were writing in very different times. Dickens was writing in what was the height of Victorian England and was teaching about society in those days. Whereas Golding was writing after the World Wars and so was trying to tell a more global message. So his Ralph is, although a child, not necessarily entirely representative of one. Pip however is forced to be a child by the constraining presence of his sister, Pumblechook and eventually the bond apprenticing him to Joe, all things that represent Victorian society, and yet things that still apply today even if in a different form, such as parental control and discipline and mandatory education. Childhood on Golding’s island is also not really something enjoyed particularly by Ralph and his peers, instead it is the little’uns who are the children, Ralph and the other bigger boys find themselves in the positions of adults simply because they are the biggest ones on the island. Perhaps because they are not completely mature at the time this does not help them deal with the events that happen on the island. There is possibly a case for saying that Pip too, is no ordinary child and has to grow up very fast in his attempts to impress Estella and grows up even more rapidly once he has his expectations laid upon him. However this is most likely a part of his childhood akin to the beginning of school and as this has been a part of life for every child in the last hundred years and more, this is not something that can be argued as not being a part of childhood. And most certainly at the start of the novel Pip is a child plain and simple, with no more worries than his si sters â€Å"rampages. Another aspect of childhood to consider is trust and loyalty. Children are usually trusting unless something happens to make them otherwise. In Lord of the Flies, loyalty is shown by the twin’s and Piggy’s dedication to Ralph and their faith in him to get them through. Ralph however displays a special kind of loyalty, a loyalty to the good side of human nature and a deep trust in fair play. Pip’s trust however is in Joe and his own learning, but the trust is very temporary with Joe, it is more of a mutual agreement to be equals. And Pip is more than happy to trade his oldest friend for some money and a life in London. Here again we see that Dickens understands children are rarely consistent, whereas Golding is trying to use children as a metaphor for something much bigger. To conclude I believe that Pip is by far the better portrayal of childhood. Childhood does not generally involve the lack of adult presence to so huge an extent as it does in Lord of the Flies, however the battles of child against adult and adult society such as are seen in Great Expectations do occur almost universally. I think that some qualities the reader sees in Ralph, such as the headstands, do display the kind of innocent glee a child might express, but other than that Ralph and is peers are all examples of the human race and so representative of those who rule the world, adults, and not of children who merely inhabit it. Golding’s book is a political message of it’s time, whereas Dickens was writing a novel, but his was free from the idealism that contaminates Golding’s work. Dickens’ novel still had a point, but this point was made about the way in which his society worked and in particular his belief that money is a great corrupter. Therefore I believe that Dickens’ Pip is the most realistic portrayal of childhood as he behaves like a child, his expressions and attitudes are all those common to children. Dickens’ also displays a deep understanding of how children work, and this comes across in Pip’s actions. Golding’s children however are only just recognisable as children, they could easily be replaced with full grown adults and still the story would work just as well.

An Inconvenient Truth: People Who Questioned Al Gore’s Motive Essay

Many people questioned Al Gore’s motives for making the documentary An Inconvenient Truth. They wondered whether he created it because he truly cared about the effects global warming would have on the earth or if he just wanted to make himself seem like a better presidential candidate than his opponents. Throughout the documentary Gore presented many facts and statistics that supported his concern, which created the logos for his argument. He also treated the documentary as more of a lecture or presentation for his audience which gave him the credibility that he needed to create the ethos throughout the film. Finally, he used his own personal experiences to appeal to the audience’s feelings and emotions, creating the pathos. In An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore wants to reach a large audience, particularly nonscientists, to stress the urgency in responding to global warming. Gore uses multiple examples of logos throughout his documentary when sharing statistics and facts that he came upon. One way he presented these facts was with graphs that showed the increase in temperature over the years due to the carbon dioxide levels in the air. The graphs showed a dramatic increase in the levels from previous years which were frightening to see. Knowing the actual levels and how fast they changed made the audience see how dangerous this problem could become if we keep ignoring the issue of global warming. Another way that Gore portrayed logos was through photos of the earth and how it has changed over the years due to global warming. The photos gave a visual example to the audience of how extreme the effects are.

Argue and Persuade Essay

I can see why some people may think that there is no benefit to be gained by analysing the poem Half-Past Two, as some may find it tedious and would rather enjoy the poem as it is. Yet, I firmly believe analysing a story/poem definitely does assist our understanding of a certain story/poem. In the poem Half-Past Two there is no doubt in my mind that without discussing the poem with others you can not understand or appreciate it fully. As with all poems there are so many concealed or secret meanings with in it, by discussing the poem these can be revealed so everyone knows the whole meaning of the poem. By understanding a poem/story you will also enjoy it more as you won’t have to try and figure out the plot of the story. After reading a poem you can then analyse it then read it again with a better understanding, therefore relish its full significance. If you were reading a story or a poem, which you do not understand it would become more of a choir to read, rather than a pleasure. By studying the poem Half-Past Two you can see the good use of puns, personification, repetition and other literary devices and begin to cherish the real effort and skill put in by the writer. You can also learn new ways that you could possibly improve your own standard of writing. You may acquire improved methods of adding literary devices into your work, you can also expand your vocabulary by reading professional poets/writers work. When analysing the poem Half-Past Two you are given a good insight on how a young boy’s world might work, when not being able to read time. You can understand his feelings when he is left alone, without a clue what to do, but only left to stare at the clock and fall in to a timeless land. You can see that by not knowing time a child my have his own regime which he sticks too, yet when put out of it would find it hard to get back into it as he may have lost track of his own time. My opinion has been obviously displayed in this essay, I think that without fully understanding a poem/story (mainly poems as they usually have the writers own personal feelings embedded into the poem they have wrote) you can not enjoy it to its full potential. I’m sure everyone has watched a film they did not understand and therefore did not enjoy it fully. Yet after watching it a second time (a form of analysis) you will understand the plot sufficiently and will prefer it on the second viewing. This is what my argument is based on, without understanding you do not have the full enjoyment from anything, be it a film, a poem or a story.

Manhattan Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Manhattan Project - Essay Example In the quest for an atomic-powered weapon, the secrets of nuclear physics and chemistry were exposed. Following the theoretical assessment of producing a controllable nuclear chain reactor, physical engineering was employed to construct the specific mechanics required. Communication contributed as much to the success of the Manhattan Project as did scientific discovery. Although the creation of the first atomic weapon was clearly a technological triumph, the question of morality and responsibility to ethics will forever plague the topic. Regardless of whether America was morally justified in deploying atomic weaponry on Japan, though, the Manhattan Project will always be an excellent example of collaboration and communication in scientific and engineering fields. The Atomic Age, a period of incessant discovery and revelation of atomic and subatomic wonders - an age that revolutionized the physical world - began on a vacant playing field beneath the University of Chicago stadium on December 2, 1942. In the late afternoon of this momentous day, Fermi and Leo Szilard created the first controlled nuclear reactor, a model later reconstructed into five different reactor prototypes.[3] From the first controllable chain reaction to the dropping of atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, the fields of physics, chemistry, and mathematics - the core disciplines of modern engineering - raced mercilessly ahead to godly enlightenment: the power of life and annihilation. The first atomic bomb, a weapon harnessing the devastating power of nuclear fission, was developed as an end to World War II and all war thereafter. Comprehension of the bomb and its historical development is attained by breaking the subject into three related components: chemistry, nuclear physics, and the practical engineering that realized the theoretical dream. The Chemistry Aspect Fission is an elementary chemical interaction between subatomic particles. Nuclear fission is defined as the splitting of an atom by nucleus bombardment. Atoms consist of three subatomic particles: negatively charged electrons, positively charged protons, and neutrons, which have no electrical charge. Atomic nuclei are dense cores of atoms composed of neutrons and protons, and are thus positively charged. Chemical reactions, from basic acid-base titrations to nuclear fission, involve the collision of atomic particles. Fission begins with the high-energy collision of neutrons with the nucleus of another atom. Protons cannot partake in nuclear bombardment because of the electrostatic repulsion between positively-charged protons and nuclei. For fission to proceed, a neutron fired at the atom must fuse with the nucleus, producing a less-stable isotope. The "heavy" atom, chemically volatile, will split into two stable atoms, discharge neutrons, and generate energy (in the form of Gamma radiation). The neutrons released are free to collide

Sexual harassment in working place Research Paper

Sexual harassment in working place - Research Paper Example Behavior of a perpetrator is still unwelcome even if it is intended in good spirit. Regardless of the behavior of the perpetrator, it is the feeling of the victim about the behavior that becomes relevant. The victim does not have to express her/his displeasure to the perpetrator. It is sufficient if the victim does not reciprocate by returning the behavior, not laughing at the jokes or show resentment, turn away or begin avoiding the offender. It is the body language of the victim that matters. Even if there is no expression, behavior is unwelcome to satisfy the test. Thus, the 'A' element is entirely subjective on the part of the complainant. Though the complainant may appear to be very sensitive, one should not substitute one’s judgment for the victim’s judgment. It should be only examined whether the victim genuinely felt the perpetrator’s behavior as unwelcome. The complainant might have encountered similar behavior from others but singled out a particular pe rson s behavior as unacceptable or unwelcome. In legal sense, it is certainly perfect to disapprove of certain conduct of certain people. A woman ‘s complaint can be valid if she finds a new colleague’s dirty joke offensive though she might have told the same joke to another colleague she knows for a long time. In quid pro quo complaints, the complainant might have made the behavior welcome and later claim that such relationship was not resisted in order not to lose her/his job. Employers must take care to keep a confidential note of the time and date and admissions of the two opposite sexes’ relationship with each other so that it can be handy if either party turns hostile later. The management is liable for its supervisor’s sexual harassment of a subordinate even if the management has condoned the supervisor’s sexual harassment and has a written policy to that effect. In California, an employer can avoid liability if the complainant could have avo ided such situations without undue risk, expense or humiliation. Under federal law, employers may claim affirmative defense in case of supervisors engaging in sexual harassment without favoring the victim. It is an absolute defense available to employers under federal law but there should be available the elements of avoidable consequence doctrine. They are 1) the employer has already taken steps to prevent and correct sexual harassment at workplace. 2) the employee without reason failed to make use of the preventive and corrective measures. 3) The measures would have prevented the harm had the complainant made reasonable use of them (Whittenbury). USA Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 1964 prohibits sexual discrimination that includes sexual harassment among other forms of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy and national origin at workplace or work-related matters. All private establishments, state and local governments and educational institutions employi ng fifteen or more individuals for twenty or more weeks per year come under the purview of this Act. The others include private and public employment agencies, labor organizations, joint labor-management committees, U.S. companies outside the U.S. employing U.S. citizens (Bell). Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a federal law. In California, there is a state level act namely Fair Employment and Housing Act that primarily prohibits sexual harassmen

Critical Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Critical Summary - Essay Example Experiencing the pleasure associated with the sexual activity results in satisfaction of the human sexual desire. The reductionist account of sex is based on the premise of sexual desires being satisfied through sexual activity. The intetionalist account of sex has been developed from the knowledge of interpersonal intetionalist which results in people engaging in sexual activity. As a theory opposing the reductionist account, this account is a result of the physical pleasure which occurs through contact with another person’s body. This commonly causes physical arousal, which is a normal occurrence when individuals have the intention of engaging in physical activity (Morgan, 2003). The intetionalist account commonly focuses on cases where pleasures are derived for the nature and appearances of the sexual partners. The existence of different perceptions regarding sexual pleasure remains the fundamental causes of the differences in sexual accounts. The intetionalist accounts to sex as mainly based on the assumption that individuals are driven by a desire to achieve physical satisfaction from sexual pleasure. The Aristotelian understanding of the human mind has been utilised in seeking to understand the different accounts of sex. According to this understanding human desire are the causes of human actions, hence satisfaction of certain desires encourages individuals to engage in sexual activity. There is an existing marginal connection between the two accounts described within the article. The theory developed by Aristotle seeks to explain the moral psychology behind sexual activities by humans. The psychological element becomes the platform upon which the mental and physical elements meet, consequently presenting the connection between the two accounts, where intetionalist is mental while the reductionist is physical. The individuality and independence of individuals, however, results in the existence of a discrepancy in the experience

Porter's Management Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Porter's Management Theory - Essay Example The book, which has been published in nineteen languages and re-printed approaching sixty times, changed the way business leaders' minds worked. Further, it remains a guide of choice for strategic managers on a global scale. Apart from being rich in lessons about why and how industries, regions, and nations succeed or fail, this book is of great value as the first serious attempt to develop a really original grand theory of national economic development processes since the early years of Postwar development economics, and one of the most original ways of thinking about development policy in years. This brings us to a discussion on the technicalities of the model proposed by Porter. Porter's Five Forces model provides suggested points under each main heading. When taken into consideration individually, each of these gives rise to the development of a broad and sophisticated analysis of competitive position. This may further be used during the creation of a strategy, plans, or even where making investment decisions about a business or organization is concerned. These five competitive forces determine industry profitability and attractiveness apart from being responsible for shaping the prices that firms can charge, the costs they have to bear, and the required investments to engage in industry level competition. We are concerned with the fact that Porter's essentially ahistorical approach cannot provide a full account of either a nation's competitive advantage and corporate strategies or the growth and development of industrial clusters. For this, let us first understand competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is the response of afirm to the pressing need to organize and perform discrete activities. While these needs may not be perpetually spelt out, it is the responsibility of the planners and executers of policies to foresee such situations when catering for growth and development of the firm n various levels. So does this mean that we are dealing with changes and issues only on an individual level and not a national level The basic explanation for this comes from the fact that any change on an individual level is effected by changes on a national level. Yet, Porter's theory cannot accommodate strategies and competitiveness at such levels due to various constraints. The first of these emerges from the fact that people run businesses and economies - and everyone has his or her own unique style. These cannot be covered at length when talking which factors and resources will be utilized in which combination. Thus Porter's theory does not provide an accurate account of the diversity and dynamism in the corporate and commercial environment that businesses and firms thrive in. Secondly, there are various activities to take into consideration. The activities performed when competing in a particular industry can be grouped into categories, as these activities can be divided broadly into primary activities and support activities. It has been noted that primary activities are those involved in the ongoing production, marketing, delivery, and servicing of the product.