Hero or Villain?

Rikki Tikki Tavi tells the story of the brave mongoose. Rikki-tikki is introduced as a hero who fought in the “great war” (22). He was thrown into the flames while fighting King Cobras. “I am Nag…. Look and be scared”(24). Why wouldn’t this man be happy if, at last, he had accomplished his goal? He had saved the life of a person who was living in a house that he called home.

Rikki-tikki showed himself to be a valiant, patient and tactical mongoose. “Rikki stayed dead still.” until it was time for Nag. He tried to bite the thick neck beneath the hood but it was too much. A bite at the tail would make Nag even more savage. The head was it, he decided. “The head above the neck; I mustn’t let up once I get there.” So he chose the most effective spot to bite before he jumped. He didn’t care about cobras or Karait. Nor did he fear the prospect of fighting Nagaina. “His teeth were clenched and he threw himself down with the tail.” The animals of the garden loved Rikki, both for his character as well as the freedom he offered them.

Rikki tikki, too, was peaceful and selfless but also always prepared to fight. Rikki is willing to give up his life to maintain peace in a particular garden. This story shows that Rikki-tikki is willing to sacrifice himself to bring peace to a garden.

Rikki-tikki, the protagonist of all stories written by the author, is portrayed as a hero. The story ends with a sense of him being a hero. It is what I feel that matters, at least to me. Rikki-tikkitavi is right to feel proud in this situation. In the story he’s portrayed like a classical hero, someone who will do anything to defend what they care about. It’s obvious that he will win. As with all creatures, he’s not perfect.

Andrew Marvell writes in his poem, To His Mistress, that his lover is shy and must act now because she fears the end of time. Marvell describes his lover, who is shy, as “coy”. However, he fears that time will run out and they need to act now. Marvell uses imagery, metaphors, and diction to achieve his goal.

Marvell’s diction portrays time as an evil villain who chases after love and him, forcing them to seize every moment. Marvell’s use of “worms”, ashes, and dust to describe the outcome shows how serious the situation is. This connotation means that the lovers will be completely empty after death and will eventually rot on the ground. The lovers are therefore urged to make the most out of their time with each other as the clock is ticking. Marvell suggests that the lovers should enjoy their love while they can before time steals away their youth. The life they live is like dew. This connotation implies that time will soon take hold of the couple. Marvell’s words urge his lover to live life to the fullest with him because time is closing in on them.

Marvell shows that love and time are incompatible through his use of imagery. Marvell tells the girl that he’d love her for ten years prior to the Flood and until the Jews convert. This imagery shows that love is a true emotion. If Marvell were to have eternal life, he’d be with her for the rest of his time. The truth is that he’s not going to be able to keep his promise of love for her forever. Instead, he wants her now to accept the love – they don’t have much time. He shows it’s pointless to love her, because “her [Marvell’s] lust will be reduced to ashes, and [her] charming honor [will] become dust”. This imagery uses a contrast in that it compares the love of his life to death. The images show that the closer they get to death, the more time will pass. Death is inevitable and if they do not meet soon, it will be too late.

Marvell uses metaphors as well to illustrate that death is inevitable and will come for him, his love, and himself. Marvell’s “vegetable loves” would grow more slowly and vaster than empires. Marvell demonstrates that his love for his wife would grow slowly, but surely, if he had eternal love. However, this is not the case as “I always hear [Marvell’s] winged chariot hurrying towards me”. Marvell shows that he is right behind time by comparing the time to an eagle-winged chariot. Marvell knows that this “chariot”, when it approaches him and the love of his life, will catch them. They won’t be able to spend time together. Marvell uses metaphors that show time is quickly approaching him and love, preventing the two from spending forever together. Marvell uses metaphors to show that time is rushing towards him and his love, preventing them from having a forever together.

To His Mistress makes use of Marvell’s diction, imagery, metaphors, and other literary devices to highlight the urgency that the situation is in. To him, time is an enemy to love. And it will lead to his death. Marvell and his love must live in the moment and be together.

The Coming has one of the strongest lines, “This was The Coming.” This line is so powerful because it encapsulates the theme of Black’s novel: the memory and celebrations of African souls lost across the Atlantic Ocean. Black’s novel uses language in an unusually powerful manner. Black’s unique writing style and his constant use of imagery are the things that stand out most. The Coming is a powerful novel because of its language, which Black uses to great effect.

The Coming starts with the words, “We didn’t realize we wouldn’t return”. Black opens the novel with the phrase “We hadn’t known we wouldn’t come back” (1). Black introduces that everyone in his novel is called we since he’s an African-American and believes this is a story that will resonate with many other African-Americans. He spends about twenty pages establishing an authentic African image that many readers do not know. Black writes, “We used to be warriors, hunters, poets, jalis, farmers, soothsayers and farmers…We loved.” We were at home. We loved our land, and it loved our ….We were aware of our weaknesses and strengths. But we were home” (Black 3). Black lists the tribes from which African-Americans are descended. Some are well-known to the public, while others may not be. This section is especially interesting as it provides a lot of new information on the lives and cultures of Africans prior to their enslavement. Black gave a voice to an old story that was thought by the public to be well-known. This idea reminds me of an article written by Jacqueline Royster titled “When you first hear a voice that is not yours.” Royster describes the importance to tell our own stories and not let an authoritative voice dictate what they are.

It seems that Black’s work is linked to another statement made in Royster’s article where she says, “It is time to speak for ourselves, in our own interests, in the interest of our work, and in the interest of our students” (Royster 11,). Royster states in one of her articles that, “It was time for us to speak our truth, in the interests of our work and students, it’s our right to do so.” Black achieves this through his use of language in The Coming. He uses immersive imagery to convey a story, which has been diluted by others to be less horrific or serious. Black, for example, uses a metanarrative to describe how the enslavers were afraid that the African slaves would plot another rebellion. In response, “They bound one of my sisters with thick cords. Then they lowered the body and lifted it. The lower half of her body was missing when they lifted her up again. It was taken by a sea monster” (58,59). In literature, long sentences with five senses are used to create intense imagery. The reader is then able to visualize a particular scene. Black, however, avoids this, instead using shorter sentences to convey his message and create the same scene as its complex counterpart. Black uses language as a way to expose his audience to what actually happened in the Middle Passage. This work is driven by Black’s imagery, and his attempt to involve his audience. Black’s unique structure and use of repetition are what make his work stand out.

Black mimics the technique of Sonia Sanchez by adding details and repeating phrases. Black says in The Coming: “We sang a dark tune that put us all into a deep trance.” This is when Black has the Africans on board the slaveship. We hummed the whole night. We hummed until the moment we realized that our child or children were home..We…We…Hummed” (71). Black continues his repetition of images to bring out the truths and realities that are affecting the community. Black also uses this text’s strange structure to draw attention. One can easily assume that novels follow a uniform process, such as rising action, climaxes, falling actions, etc. The text must make sense. Black goes against the concept of using words alone to communicate his ideas, which was the original purpose for writing or sharing the text. The reader is unaware of the events that are about to unfold and how long they will last without these “necessary components”. This can be unsettling. Black may have wanted to create this feeling in order to convey to readers the harshness of slavery in Africa. No one was there to save the slaves and bring them back to their western coast. Black has taken out all the logistical planning of placing and planning a novel. However, he manages to do this in such a way as not to appear disorganized. The presence or absence of structure is crucial to understanding the impact this story has on the African American community.

The Coming stands out because Daniel Black stripped away all the standard logistics of a novel to just use his words. This means that the language used in this novel plays a much bigger role than before. Black’s powerful language and its organization throughout the novel are easily recognized by the reader. This is not something that can be said about other historical fiction books.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, in his short story “Avery Old Man with Enormouswings”, shows how we as a culture persecute the different people because we do not want to take the time to get to know them and to understand their humanity. Pelayo, Elisenda and no one else in town showed any kind of support or sympathy for the old man. The village is a place where humanity is almost non-existent. In the past, society has exiled those who were different. Minorities are treated as less than in our society. The way these groups are treated is similar to the way Elisenda treated the old man. Elisenda is not able to reflect on how savage she was until the elderly man flew away.

Elisenda exploitation of an old man for selfish gain shows how people are not able to see their terrible treatment of other until they’re left alone and forced to think about themselves. Pelayo’s and Elisenda’s treatment of the old gentleman was clear. He was forced to “force himself into his nest and endure hellish heat”. He is trapped in the same way as cattle, and forced to live in an animal coup. They make him stay in a place that is meant for animals, but the locals never offer to help. The old man’s wings were being eaten away by parasites, and the hens pecked him. He was thought to be dead. Elisenda decided to charge an extra fee to see him in order to generate some additional income. No money from that was used to help him in any way. The money was spent on a mansion for Elisenda, Pelayo and Elisenda to upgrade her wardrobe. No money was spent to improve the house of the old man. Elisenda squeezed every last penny out of Pelayo.

The treatment of the elderly man by the town shows how cruel people are to those who are different. The old guy was tortured as well. In addition to his being on display, he also had his feathers pulled out and was brandished with a heated iron. This is a shocking and inhumane way to treat an elderly man. The reader initially thinks that the town is full of vile individuals, but after a bit more investigation it becomes clear that the town is no different from any other. This shows that we are all programmed to use others for our own benefit.

Elisenda & Pelayo don’t communicate well with the man. Elisenda, when the old woman first appears in her yard, calls on a neighbour “who knows everything about life and deaths” to pass judgement. Elisenda is not interested in talking to the old man, nor does she want to get to be familiar with him. The neighbor declares the man an angel. She says he’s a bad person and should be killed, because he fell from heaven for a reason. She has not met or spoken to the old gentleman, but she renders a verdict on him. Elisenda accepts her judgment. Elisenda is quick to judge and doesn’t take into account the feelings of an old man.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s story “A very old man with enormous wings” is an example where people exploit and abuse others. Elisenda takes advantage of the old man in order to benefit herself financially and socially. Elisenda is only seen to have remorse after she exploits the elderly man for her own monetary and societal gain. Elisenda’s actions are horrific, and we hope she has learned her lesson.

Irl Solon’s class on history is described as a highlight in the book. Solomon, the teacher at an urban school who has been there for 30 years, said that he had originally planned to go to law college, but realized that it wasn’t his thing after only a short time. He decided instead to become a school teacher. He had four pregnant girls or women who have recently given birth in his class. The girls in his class were either pregnant or had just given birth. The author explained to the girls that their ghetto diploma would not be valued in America.

Jennifer, a Rye student, stated that her parents were originally from Bronx. She claimed that schools in Bronx/East St. Louis are “hell”, she said, and this was one reason why her family had moved to Rye. Jennifer believes it is up to the residents of that area themselves to make a difference in their lives and education. Jennifer agrees everyone should get the same education. However she doesn’t think that text or government money can make a significant difference in the lives and educations of the residents of Bronx/East St. Louis. She believes that it is not her parents’ responsibility to pay for text messages in order to support poor areas.

East St. Louis had a large black population and was an area of extreme poverty. The city didn’t spend enough money on anything. They could not even afford toilet paper. There were piles of trash everywhere, including the sidewalk and street. East St. Louis Area School did not have the proper funding and support to run the school. They faced many issues, including a lack of supplies, staff shortages and sewage in the school. The school was a horrible place for children. As a result, parents are willing to give the school a generous amount of money. The schools in this area were able provide students with the educational supplies they needed and a relaxed, good environment.

I think that the educational system has changed in the last 20 years. The old belief was that students with lower income had a lesser chance to have a good educational experience. Students can now get an education even if they don’t make much money. Now, schools can offer students financial aid, books and transportation.

Edward Estlin Cummings is a modernist writer who uses the pen name E. E. Cummings to create a range of poetic structures. In “Buffalo Bill’s”, he uses a number of different poetic forms to highlight the deeper meanings in the words. Cummings plays around with punctuation to create a humorous and disorganized tone. Cummings uses his unique style of poetry to express his views about love, pain, commercialized American culture, and more. Modernist literature often features reflections on war’s brutality, alienation, instability and stream-of-consciousness narration. Cummings, a modernist experimentalist, is known for his insightful poems that often deal with themes such as cruelty and loneliness. These themes stem from Cummings’ experience in French prison camps during World War I.

Susan Cheever is a close friend of the Cummings and describes E. E. Cummings’ distinct Modernism in three parts. “The first part was the use of sounds rather than meanings to link words with the reader’s emotions. The second part was to remove all the unnecessary elements to focus on the form and structure of the work. The third aspect of modernism involved embracing adversity. 9). Cummings’ poetry is used to bring his audience closer to themselves and to social issues. This, according to a journalist, helps them to better understand their own selves and the world around them. Cummings has a personal style of writing that he combines with Modernist themes in his most famous work.

E. E. Cummings used the American cowboy William “Buffalo Bill’s”, a popular American figure, to express his dislike of false heroes who are tied to materialism. The first two sentences of the narrator begin with “Buffalo Bill defunct”, immediately casting the cowboy (lines 1-2). The word defunct is a separate line that sets the tone by deadpanning death with a word more appropriate for a machine. Cummings then describes the cowboy as a handsome man who rides a silver horse and dies (lines 4, 8). The narrator continues to discuss his death, asking “How do like your blueeyed Mister Death?” in line 10. Before revealing his demise, the narrator describes both his talent and attractiveness to show that flashy heroes should not be trusted. Buffalo Bill can’t be protected when the market doesn’t need him. Buffalo Bill was a famous Wild West showman who made a lot of money imitating Western Dreams. He died and carried his legacy along with him. Cummings changes the reader’s focus from Buffalo Bill being a celebrity who could shoot “onetwothreefourpigeonsjustlikethat”, to “blueeyed boys” by stringing the words together. Cummings leaves a question mark in line 10, leaving it open to interpretation. Did Buffalo Bill die heroically or will his legacy be based on his involvement with the capitalistic industry? Buffalo Bill’s death will disillusion those who might have used Buffalo Bill to distract their audience from all the bad things in society.

E. E. Cummings was a prisoner in France and he saw the greed and pride that lead America to go to war. “nextto of course god america i”, a poem he wrote in 1926, explains this. Cummings uses modernist elements to combine patriotic songs in a medley. The medley is humorous and attractive, which makes the reader think about the costs associated with war. Cummings is frustrated at Americans’ patriotism, which they express through song but don’t do anything to fight for. Cummings, in line 6, describes the talk as “deafanddumb”, which reflects the lack of awareness of the brutality that war brings to citizens. The narrator mocks America’s unrelenting worship and his disapproval at the praise of a country that you don’t want to fight for. Cummings shows his frustration through humor by saying “by gorry jingo gee by gosh gum” (lines 7-8). The narrator shifts tone in lines nine and eleven by asking, “What could be more beautiful?” than “heroic happily dead soldiers” that went to war with “lions at the roaring of slaughter”.

The narrator asks “Did [they] stop to think… the voice of freedom would be muted?” (line 13) as the men are dying. Cummings’ audience is asked to reflect upon the soldiers that gave up their right to free speech in order to fight. Patriotism might have had a negative influence on their decision. The poem concludes with line 14 where the narrator is drinking a water glass, as a way to wash his words away and focus on his action. Cummings is ironic in his use of sarcasm. He points out the voiceless patriots and their brainwashed patriots drown out the unpopular opinion. E. E. Cummings surveyed life from a unique point of view: he grew up in a wealthy household, went to Harvard and was an American citizen. However, he also served in the military and lived abroad in Paris. Cummings can better connect with his audience by assuming the role of a poor pauper and living at the same social level as a prince. Cummings, for example, uses the Modernist technique to write poems in a flow of consciousness. This creates a casual atmosphere that connects with his readers. Cummings, who was a war prisoner in World War I, uses this experience to express a dissatisfaction that many Americans feel with war.

E. E. Cummings describes the Modernist period using his own experiences in a way that is timeless and readers can relate to. Cummings was caught up in the Modernist literature of the time, which was inspired by the death and destruction caused by the two world wars. Cummings used an unusual poetic style to reflect his worldview. He described it as always moving, without rhyme or purpose, and imitating real life (Norton 635) Cummings’ satirical, strange and humorous poems continue to delight his audience as they reveal Cummings’ frustrations over capitalism and the war. Cummings’s work is a great example for modern poets who want to use humor to bring light to the destructive times in American culture.

The Rise Of Priscilla Priscilla Priscilla

Richard Peck’s tale “Priscilla & Wimps”, based on President Lincoln’s wise words, can be compared to “Priscilla & Wimps”. The story depicts a school that is overrun with adolescent bullies. It also shows two characters, Monk Klutter (the main character) and Priscilla Rosaberry, who are both powerful. Priscilla is a more powerful figure. It is because of her calmness, her physical abilities and her ability to regulate her power.

Priscilla has a calm personality. She is in complete control and displays power. The narrator says that Priscilla is “very cool, like only a true big girl can be.” And she also seems to not notice Monk’s Kobras. This shows that Priscilla considers Klutter’s Kobras a subordinate class. This is supported by the fact that she remained calm during the final battle. Priscilla was not enraged by Monk’s attack on Melvin. Rather, she brushed Monk aside. Monk may be annoying to Priscilla but it is not a major problem. Monk is a powerful manipulator of school children, but some people may think so. This does not make him look like a tyrant, but rather a man desperate to gain power.

Priscilla has superior physical abilities to Monk. Priscilla, who was referred to as “the biggest student at our institution of learning”, had a certain intimidation that allowed her to defeat the Kobras. She also uses her strength to overthrow Monk. Priscilla used her techniques to stop Monk from attacking Melvin. This shows Priscilla’s mental and technical strength.

Priscilla is able to control her power, and therefore has a much greater power than Monk. Her calmness is a notable feature. It is this characteristic that gives her control and power. She doesn’t abuse her powers to commit atrocious and “organized crimes”. She still uses it despite these details. She was able to use her power to fight Monk’s Kobras and defend Melvin. Priscilla’s use of her power was to defend a friend. Monk may have a group of bullies who increase his power, but some might disagree. Priscilla doesn’t need a group to maintain her power. It’s very likely that Priscilla could dominate the Kobras.

Priscilla roseberry is a much more powerful character than Monk Klutter. The calmness of her character, athletic skills, and the way she uses power are all evidence that this is true. After analyzing the situation, it is clear that power will not matter. The value of an individual depends on the actions that are taken in relation to their power.

Amy Tan’s essay “Mother Tongue”, claims that we speak different languages when we speak to each other. Our intelligence is measured by how we speak. Tan uses language as an important part of her fictional work. Tan draws on her experiences to help her understand the “englishes”. Tan, a Chinese-born child, had to learn two languages. She used educational English that she had learned in the classroom and spoke it with her family. Tan’s Chinese Mother speaks of her “broken English”, and how it is used to show respect in Chinese culture. Tan also mentions that her mother does not speak English well. Tan’s mother is unable to speak English well, so they have developed a language of their own. Tan learned that conversing in a language other than her mother’s was difficult for her. Tan would often say something she didn’t mean or only speak to her mum. Tan’s mom has to be very careful when she is around people. She cannot always say things correctly.

Her mother is often treated unfairly by different people because she brings diversity to the spoken language. People would pretend to not understand her words and disregard what she had to say because of the diversity she brought to the conversation. Tan’s mother made her speak to different people when she was younger so that problems or issues could be dealt with more clearly. Tan, when addressing her mother, believes that the language spoken within families, especially migrant households, has a big impact on children’s future lives. Tan says Asian students may be good in math and sciences, but aren’t so great at English. Tan explains that it is due to culture. Tan explains that in Chinese society, kids are always encouraged to excel at math and scientific subjects but not English. Tan explains that she had a limited English as a child because of her parents’ culture. Tan claims that math was easier for her than English because there is only one correct answer in math. The multiple options in English were logical and Tan’s poor English was a result. Tan mentioned that she enjoyed being examined, and that her boss had told her to stop writing. This criticism encouraged her to continue writing and to change her major. She was happy with the path she chose and felt that her poor language and writing skills didn’t match up to what people expected of her. Her mother influenced her to start writing stories aimed at people with “limited” or broken English.

My parents were migrant workers, and my English was also “broken”. At times I’ve had to speak for them. It’s unjust to judge someone by their speech. My father makes mistakes when he tries to speak English. My father is not made to look dumb or uneducated by this. Maine can see how intelligent he is when he does business with major corporations. The fact that you aren’t fluent in a particular language doesn’t mean you’re stupid. Maine is more patient after she makes a mistake when reading “Mother Tongue”. I used to build false assumptions before reading “Mother Tongue”. I make the assumption that you aren’t well-educated if you speak proper English. I’ve noticed that families speak in their own language to be able to communicate more easily. I believe it is essential to speak a foreign language. This is especially true if your family has migrated. A second language can help families understand things faster.

After reading “Mother Tongue”, i have learned how to respect those who are unable to speak a foreign language. When others express their feelings, I should be extra respectful. It is also important that I do not criticize those who are unable to speak fluently in a certain language. Maine is also inspired to support other who don’t understand Yankee culture or can’t speak English. I’m aware of how it feels, as I was once new to this nation and that I feel it like to be new to U. S. This article made it clear that some new immigrants in the U. S. were treated horribly because they spoke English. Americans tend to think that those who do not know English are uneducated. This causes a lot of racism and prejudice, which makes Americans seem untrustworthy to other cultures and nations. In “Mother Tongue”, it was explained that the U.S. continues to grow and change. We should continue to learn more about alternative cultures. It’s easy for U.S. if they learn about alternative cultures.

Reading “Mother Tongue”, I am glad to say, opens my mind to many new things. It helps remind me of a problem I had when I was younger. It was my duty to speak for them so they could see things from a better perspective. Maine was able to see that I needed to be more open to helping someone with difficulty adjusting to Yankee cultural norms or a language. Amy Tan mentions this when she talks about being “limited” in English or having “broken” English. This caused her a lot of problems and I realized I needed to be more open to helping someone else with the same issues.