Abstract John Cheever's work is peppered with themes of alienation from the self and from society. Cash Bentley, the protagonist in Cheever's short story "O Youth and Beauty", is a middle-aged executive who is bent on recapturing his collegiate youth and vigor and accompanying prowess, by hurdling the furniture in his living room. In the act of leaping, Bentley is transported back in time, in his head only. In fact, as he is leaping, Bentley falls and breaks his leg. But, that symbolic injury does not stop him. Instead, he continues to engage in his fantasy, desperately trying to be young and beautiful again and finds his end, tragically and ironically, as his wife accidentally shoots and kills him with a starter pistol. This story, like many of Cheever's other works such as "The Swimmer", runs on the theme of a fear of getting old. The characters in these stories grew up and developed their sense of professionalism in the atomic age when men could not be anything but masters of the world. Cash Bentley is a man detached from his age and from himself.
This paper looks at the short stories "Love and Money" by Phyllis Bentley, and "An English Official Rose" by Paul Theroux, comparing the authors' concepts of love.
Abstract The paper describes the ways in which the views of love of Bentley and Theroux differ as a result of the emphasis on the presence of material and money. Through comparing and contrasting the characterizations, plots and themes of two stories, the writer attempts to understand the theme of love.
From the Paper ""Love and Money" is set in a wealthy backdrop in 1919. According to the author's specific details provided in the story, Walter Egmont is therefore classified as a round character in this story. We are told: "He was a large, handsome easy-going young man in his late twenties. He was rich, and well-born as Annotsfield" . Another round character is Lavinia Crabtree. Futhermore, the author provides much details of her. Lavinia was shrewd, and pretty enough in a way though a poky little thing . From their meeting of each other in the Annotsfield's ball until Lavinia dies in the end, they do some actions in order to expose the story and bring the crisis and climax. These two characters act an important role in this story. On the other story, "An English Unofficial Rose", there are two rounds: Sophie Graveney and the narrator, who is called Mr. X. They develop the whole story and show the motivation and the theme of this story. In this fiction, the author puts many descriptions on Sophie and the narrator. Sophie's attraction to Mr. X is due to her casual way of clothing, even though the early eighty is majorly based on punks? fashion. Narrator comes from America. He works in London embassy and is semi-wealthy."
Abstract The author's ability to craft a magical piece is demonstrated through out the book. The misleading representations of the narrator's gender reveal many important aspects of the relationship between Mrs. Bentley and Philip. One may interpret As For Me and My House as Philip being the 'house' of Mrs. Bentley. This fact is not necessarily a negative but shows how the perspective and control within the relationship dynamic.
Abstract The following paper is a critical analysis of Sam Mendes' 'American Beauty', a cinematic portrayal of suburbanite squalor. The writer gives a brief breakdown of the plot, comments on the acting and characters and examines the themes in this movie. The writer asserts that the movie is not aimed at children, rather it is a movie in which many notions about what goes on behind picket fences in suburbia are dispelled.
From the Paper "A recent article about American Beauty contained this quote:"It is a rainy afternoon. In an average-sized town in middle-class suburbia, a man tries to come to grips with his drug-addicted son, strange neighbors, and catatonic wife. Sound familiar? If you think so, you may have been reminded of the movie American Beauty" (Wilmington)."
Abstract This paper examines the film, "American Beauty", directed by Sam Mendes. It looks at one of the Oedipal structures in the film and considers why this particular relationship holds such fascination to the viewers. The relationship studied is that of the Fitts family. The father, a career Marine, rules the family with a strict hand, but he is unable to control the fact that his discipline has turned his wife into a nearly catatonic figure and his son into an extremely successful drug dealer and voyeur. The paper shows that by the film's end, the son has rebelled against the father and managed to destroy him, in a remarkable completion of the Oedipus myth, as reinterpreted by Freud.
From the Paper "The classic aspects of the situation are part of their attraction for audience members. The struggle between father and son is one that always favors the triumph of the younger, newer generation; this triumph remains dramatically satisfying. The scene in which Ricky finally (and literally) rises above his father, vanquishes him, and strikes out on his own, is tremendously rich as a cinematic set piece because it adheres to the outlines of the myth so effectively. The entire relationship is fascinating also because of the power of two exquisitely fine actors in the role of father and son. Cooper endows Colonel Fitts with a taut militarism that is both hateful and comprehensible at the same time. When he appears in one of his last scenes, broken, tortured, and soaking wet, he is heartbreakingly wonderful to watch. Though the events that have led him to this moment make the character deserving of every second of torment, he is also deeply sympathetic because of his flaws."
Abstract The paper discusses the four most important women in the novel, "Winesburg, Ohio"" Alice Hindman, Elizabeth Willard, Kate Swift and Louise Bentley. Their success as women is evaluated and their relationships to the important men in their lives is also analyzed. How the book portrays women is thoroughly described. The paper's focus lies in the repression of women that is flagrantly obvious throughout the novel. The paper also analyzes how this repression affects each individual woman.
From the Paper "The women of Sherwood Anderson's novel Winesburg, Ohio are successfully portrayed as inferior and dependent failures through the author's use of overpowering and insensitive male characters. The narrator's tone suggests the women of Winesburg to be emotionally dependent upon the actions, or inactions, of their male counterparts. Louise Bentley's husband obscures his wife's identity through his failure to recognize that she does not fit neatly into his preconceived notion of what the responsibilities and qualities of a wife are. Alice Hindman's life is absolutely defined by the absence of her one-time lover Ned Currie - she is unable to sustain normal relationships because she remains inescapably dependent on Ned. Elizabeth Willard is denied any love at all. Her relationship with her son is formal and unfulfilling while her husband despises her and wishes that she did not exist at all. Finally, the character of Kate Swift encompasses the idea of repression of the female gender. Curtis Hartman's obsession with her places her on a pedestal - she has become an object rather than an actual person."
This paper discusses the article "Factors Related to Nonadherence to Low Sodium Diet Recommendations in Heart Failure Patients," by B. Bentley, M.J. de Jong, D.K. Moser and A.R. Peden.
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that the paper "Factors Related to Nonadherence to Low Sodium Diet Recommendations in Heart Failure Patients" attempts to explore the experience of heart failure patients in adhering to a low sodium diet. The writer notes that heart failure is a global healthcare problem that affects millions of people worldwide. Further, the writer points out that the management of heart failure includes a regimen of pharmacologic medications as well as an observation of non-pharmacologic interventions. The writer discusses the article and notes that physicians and nurse practitioners advise their patients to include a regular exercise regimen and a low-sodium diet into their daily lives. Despite the healthcare professionals' advice, patients with heart failure fail to adhere to a low sodium diet. The writer notes that this paper attempts to discover the reasons why patients fail to do so.
From the Paper "This phenomenological approach aims to obtain an intuitive grasp of the phenomenon by analyzing, synthesizing, and describing its occurrences. A qualitative research design was used because it was believed to obtain straight and unembellished answers regarding a specific event. This study selected its 20 participants through convenience sampling. The inclusion criteria were the following: First, he must be diagnosed with heart failure due to left ventricular dysfunction with ejection fraction of less than 50%. Second, the patient must be advised to follow a low sodium diet. Third, he must not have any cognitive impairment that may limit him to complete the interview. Fourth, he must not be living in an extended care facility. Lastly, he must be on stable medical therapy without any major recent adjustments. Each participant must speak in English and received care at a health failure clinic in an academic medical center. Informed consent was obtained in each of the participant prior to the initiation of the experiment."
Abstract The paper examines Sinclair Ross' "As For Me and My House" and Alice Munro's "Who Do You Think You Are?", which both involve women who show different strategies of empowerment in societies where women are seen as having little power. The paper illustrates how Mrs. Bentley from "As for me and My House" and Rose, from "Who Do You Think You Are?", play against traditional female roles at the sacrifice of being themselves.
From the Paper "The central voice in As For Me and My House is Mrs. Bentley; her first name is never given, as her marital status as Mrs. Bentley is her defining mark given that her relationship with her husband and the charade that is their outward life shape her world. Mrs. Bentley is married to a Protestant minister, or at last claims to be. In fact, she and her husband are contemptuous of religion and only pretend to be a minister and his wife as a way of life, a life that has also been one of numerous moves from town to town as they are found out and have to leave again and again. They are confident people more interested in living in different places and in silently laughing at the values of the people among whom they live."
