The House of the Spirits

The House of the Spirits How is humour used to unravel the natures of the main characters and why is it used for the main theme of social injustice in Isabel Allendes The House of the Spirits and Ferdinand Oyonos Houseboy? Humour is defined as writings and other material created to make people laugh[1]. It has been used to grasp the attention of the readers, with its main purpose being to entertain. In both The House of the Spirits and Houseboy, humour has been used from the very beginnings of the novel to really acquire the concentration of the readers and keep them captivated.   Besides than adding vibrancy to the characters, humour might also serve to highlight key underlying themes in the literary work. The focus of this essay will be on how the writers have utilised humour to reveal the nature of the main characters, either by describing their characters actions in an amusing way or how their risibility provides indirect insights into how they perceive the world around them. It shall also address why writers incorporate this literary technique with main theme of social injustice in their works. In both the texts above, the writers have used humour from the very beginning whilst introducing their main characters; this usage engrosses the reader to develop interest in the character. The House of the Spirits begins with a dramatic opening in a church deliverance. Perhaps, why Allende chose to start the novel setting in a church could be to emphasize the importance of religion to the people of that particular region , but the bathos comes by an abrupt statement   by Clara: the voice of little Clara was heard in all its purity psst! Father Restrapo! If that story about hell is a lie, were all fucked, arent we The reader surely didnt expect to hear such a statement from a 10 year old girl. This shows us that Clara is very bold and forthright about her views as she is able to question what she is being taught in the church about hell. Many people simply believe everything they are taught through religion but certainly not Clara.  Ã‚   The language itself is very amusing besides the context. psst! the use of this onomatopoeia shows the disrespect for the Father as it undermines his status by   mocking him during a sermon. The highly inappropriate use of the word fucked in front of the public shocks everyone. This radical, carefree nature of hers is what brings about the humour in this piece thus it serves to be a very pertinent introduction to Clara and sets the platform for the reader to expect more unusual doings throughout the novel. Like Allende, Oyono introduces Toundi with humour. Toundi narrates of how he is proud to read and write and wants to copy the whites man custom of keeping a diary. This tells us that young Toundi is naive and filled with desire of learning a lot about the white men .The joy he gets by being literate tells us that this character is filled with promise in the future and determination. He is also revealed to be mischievous child as he had been making fun of father Gilbert but he is nonetheless the main character which undergoes metamorphosis over the course of the story. Thus humour has been successfully used to reveal the character traits, make them more colourful, interesting, lively and keep the reader engaged actively. Claras character in The House of the Spirits has been revealed further in the novel as the story progresses in various occasions, the humour usually comes out when she does something unusual and also to note is the fact that her strangeness was an attribute of her character: she is a telekinetic; is rarely attentive; she can predict futures, read dreams, and, lives a very introvert life but still she amalgamates the family together, and is extremely caring for others. The humorous bits of kinesthetic abilities, being rarely attentive (which itself is ironic as discussed later) are the key to understanding Claras character. When Esteban is shouting at Clara.Clara let him scream his head off and bang on the furniture until he was exhausted. Then inattentive as ever, she asked him if he knew how to wiggle his ears. Clara is being scolded by her husband and all she is concerned is whether he can wiggle his ears. This shows us Claras absent mindedness and care-free nature. It also serves to show us how Clara prohibits anyone from forcing her by offering resistance by being inattentive. She will never directly express her disgust but rather suppress it in a subtle manner. This shows us that her character is refined in the sense she does not have a strong body language or rebellious nature but still is very firm by not allowing herself to be oppressed even by her husband.. Again humour has been used to reveal her character trait. On the other hand, Toundi further reveals his character further when he first came to meet Father Gilbert. The Father would use to come to the village and toss little lumps of sugar like throwing corn to chicken. The use of little lumps of sugar, though is humorous, it also indicates how easily native Cameroonian people were converted to Christians in the hope of a better life, but later most of them would remain in poverty or be killed. Here humour has been juxtaposed with social injustice but to imply it in a more subtle way so as not to make the reader very sad with emotions. Toundi continues to describe how he too would fight for these lumps of sugar- and this tells us that Toundi is a boisterous kid who did not shy away from what he didnt like- but unlike Clara in The House of the Spirits ,he is willing to fight for it. It also reinforces the point made earlier about what allure white men especially Father Gilbert held for Toundi.

Research Paper -- essays papers

Research Paper Inclusion is a type of teaching that is being researched by many school districts across the country. It is the act of combining special education students in a regular classroom environment. Inclusion is a very controversial topic when it comes to the education of children, both regular and special education students. There are many beliefs in the welfare of all students and their ability to learn and function together. This belief has put a damper on school districts adopting the program of full inclusion. People feel that this will cause problems in the classroom for both general education and special education students. They feel that it will be a distraction for all students and that it will harm both their education and their emotional development. The articles that follow show that inclusion is extremely beneficial for all students and that the popular belief and the stereo-types given for full inclusion are not entirely right. The first article, â€Å"Full Inclusion, Dream or Reality,† (1995) focused on the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Act which has had a major impact on the educational rights of all children, specifically children with disabilities. This act ensures that all children have equal rights to education, where these children can expand their knowledge and become educated with the least restriction. Special Education students will be able to be in a classroom with students their age regardless of their skill level or type of disability. This full inclusive setting will allow students to develop socially as well. The students are now able to associate with many different groups of people then if they were segregated in their classroom. These social interactions will p... ...ver, or many people might turn to full inclusion as more research comes out. Bibliography Biklen, D. (2000 November). Constructing inclusion: lessons from critical, disability narratives. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 4 (4). Retrieved 20 April2003 from www.ebsco.com Cavallaro, C & Haney, M. (2002 April). Early Childhood and Inclusion. The ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education. Retrieves 21 April 2003 from http://ericec.org/faq/ec-inclu.html Gibb, G., & Young, J. (1997 July/August). A team-based junior high inclusion program. Remedial and Special Education, 18 (4), 243. Retrieved 20 April 2003 from www.ebsco.com. Morse, T., & Santos, K. (1995 October). Full inclusion: dream or reality? Journal for a Just and Caring Education, 1 (4) 449. Retrieved 20 April 2003 from www.ebsco.com

Nothing but Useless Essay

I am not a video game addict but many of my acquaintances are. I am not a video game fan simply because I am not good as others at playing with the same enthusiasm and commitment. My acquaintances like playing video games because it helps them relax and feel as if they were kids again. Their children also play video games developed specifically for their age group. Video games develop reaction, problem-solving abilities, attention, and concentration. None of my acquaintances has ever committed a violent act. Video game exists in its virtual space, which does not make claims on real life. Video games get the brunt of the criticism. Our government is anti-video game. Yet, market forces can be the only regulatory mechanisms of violence in video games. Only two or three of the top best-selling video games are violent. Video games have no violent impact on a video gamer. Younger players may be vulnerable to the violent game content when the play video games that are not suitable for their age. Although first person shooter violence is common to video games, it is not likely to promote aggressive behavioral models. Kids play with toy soldiers but nobody thinks that this teaches them violence. Video games cannot be considered violent in relation to age, gender, socio-cultural belonging, and educational level. The reaction to the game’s content depends on the individual’s personal traits. Girls do not react with greater arousal to violent content than boys. At least, no research has found any significant difference. It is unlikely that performing violent actions during the play may cause aggression in kids. Although Grand Theft Auto 3 was banned in Australia because of its graphic violence, it does not mean that it could have influenced the increase in crime rates. The problem is that minors often have uncontrolled access to adult games with violent content. Boys aged 7-12 like â€Å"action adventure†. They develop â€Å"killing instinct† only in virtual games but also in the games they play outdoors. Nevertheless, children’s exposure to violent content targeted at mature video gamers should be restricted by their parents and caregivers. I am defending video gaming on behalf of long-time gamers whose hobby has not turned them into psycho-terminators. Video gamers live in their own world of established video game rules, and they wish they could play safely without being disturbed. We’re in the habit of regulating our most innocent activities.

Creative Writing Is Not A Stranger - 831 Words

Creative writing is not a stranger to the classroom. It’s more like a third cousin you see at family reunions. Unfortunately, creative writing is not seen as a beneficial skill students need to learn. Instead, it is used for elective classes or to fulfill a small section of a language arts standard. Creative writing provides more than entertainment, it provides â€Å"skills, which [students] have acquired in their pursuit of a fictional character, will serve them equally well in their pursuit of subjects for expository, persuasive, and analytic essays† (Anderson, 47). This genre of writing requires creativity, curiosity, and technical skills. Creative writing is detrimental to the progression of students’ writing ability. Teaching creative writing is not as simple as letting students explore their imaginations, Peterson (2014) and Crumey (2012) both suggest prior knowledge plays a significant role in the creative writing process. It has been widely said a writer should, â€Å"write what they know.† This sentiment is often shared as a nugget of wisdom to aspiring writers or those struggling from writer’s block. Peterson (2014) says, â€Å"young writers should ‘be passionate about what [they] do. Passion drives the best storytelling† (500). Crumey’s (2012) argument is that to become a better writer, you need to be well read and you need to write. He emphasizes this with a quote by Stephen King: â€Å"You’ve got to read a lot and write a lot† (114). Crumey (2012) explains the difference betweenShow MoreRelatedStatement of Purpose for Reporters and Creative Writers 938 Words   |  4 PagesReporters and creative writers both further the freedoms of people. They give people the chance to read and learn about the world we live in. Reporters and creative writers must be fantastic writers and decent editors. Workers in both of these professions will be editing and revising their own pieces of work. I love writing and being creative in my writing style and spend hours at a time just writing, so these qualities are appealing to me. Though both include literary work, both differ the mostRead MoreAnalysis Of Highsmith Moved Into The Yaddo Artist s Retreat1367 Words   |  6 Pages In 1948, Highsmith moved into the Yaddo artist s retreat, a community which aims to to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment† (Yaddo). During her time here, she lived generally disconnected from the outside world and completely immersed herself in her writing. When not working on her novel, she was journaling. Murder, she wrote, â€Å"‘is a kind of making love, a kind of possessing.’ She described it as feelingRead MoreThe Importance Of Personal Writing700 Words   |  3 PagesWriting personal essays has always been hard for me because I’m a generally closed off person and it’s difficult for me to open myself up to a bunch of strangers. I was more comfortable with writing about facts and research because that wouldn’t force me to go into specific details about important life changing events that I experienced. This wasn’t the case with English 2 91. I went into this class not really understanding what creative non-fiction was, but I wasn’t nervous about that because I assumedRead Moreleft brain vs right brain1430 Words   |  6 PagesThis difference causes these two groups to have different learning styles. A left-brain dominant tends to be better at spelling and math. This is because this person can see all of the pieces. A right- brain dominant person tends be better at writing, biology, and other hands on subjects. A left-brain dominant person can understand lectures. A right-brain dominant person does better at hand on activities. It is important for him to discover and use the learning style that helps them to succeedRead MoreThe Human Martian, By Robert A. Heinlein1658 Words   |  7 Pagesutopian society in the novel Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein. Heinlein served in the Navy and was a socialist politician before beginning his writing career. His second wife had a large influence on h is political views and was the one who convinced him to run for the state assembly. After his loss, he became an author. Stranger in a Strange Land is Heinlein’s most popular book, however, his views on socialism and liberalism were not clear in his writings. Later written books and interviewsRead MoreDeath in Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe984 Words   |  4 Pagesmidnight a stranger appeared among the guest masked as â€Å"the red death† walked through every hall passing in very close proximity to all the unexpecting guests, as Prince Prospero laid eyes upon the unwelcomed stranger the prince became very angry in comparison to his invited guests whom became frozen with fear, the prince commanded that his â€Å"friends† to caught the hooded stranger but no one moved in fear of this uninvited person who looked like the red death, so they did not prevent the stranger fromRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe : His Life Influenced His Work1093 Words   |  5 Pag esand misfortune. Throughout his lifetime, Poe would never gain fame. It was only after his death that the true genius of Edgar Allan Poe was discovered. Poe frequently used his life occurrences—as terrible as they were—to influence his writings. It is through his writings that one can delve into the mind of Edgar Allan Poe and discover how his life truly was. Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents were Elizabeth Arnold Poe, a British-born actress, and DavidRead MoreKirk? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat1143 Words   |  5 Pagesalso. Manman the name Josephine used to call her mother (35) has been imprisoned for the accusations of being a witch by her neighbours. â€Å"Lougarou, witch, criminal!† (39), the people shouted as Manman was being taken away by two policemen, and the strangers threw rocks and sticks, and hurt her with their fists. The reason for this is because when Manman and her daughter were new to the city they had stay with a friend, Manman friend had a sick child who was suffering from colic. Manman would look afterRead MoreA New Concept Of Indonesian Domestic Worker1082 Words   |  5 PagesIndonesian Migrants’ Writing: Crossing Borders and Proposing a New Concept of Indonesian Domestic Worker Introduction Within these past few years, Indonesian domestic workers (hereafter IDWs) have caught people’s attention with the publication of their novels, short stories, and poetries. The emergence of Sastra Buruh Migran (migrant workers’ literature), a genre which refers to the creative writing of IDWs who work in countries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore (Retnaningdyah 23), apparentlyRead MoreLoving Un Truth, and Fain in Verse My Love to Show1407 Words   |  6 PagesLoving un truth,and fain in verse My love to Show Philip Sidney Analysis 1: Like other creative persons of the period, Sidney also came under the influence of sonneteering. Thus a series of sonnets addressed to a single lady, expressing and reflecting on the developing relationship between the poet and his love grew up. Though the story does not have to be literal autobiography and questions of ‘sincerity’ are hardly answered, Sidney’s love for Stella, on the artistic level, has been traced to