Abstract
This paper explains that, while many writers lure their readers with vivid and detailed descriptions of the characters, plot, and setting in their stories to draw the reader into the book, others use ambiguity to force the readers to question their own views. The author points out that, in "A Short Story," Bowering leaves the ending purposely ambiguous in order to get the reader to think more about the "whys" than the "whats" of the plot. The paper relates that, in "Young Goodman Brown," Hawthorne never tells the reader if the character's experience is dream or reality; and, in "A Sorrowful Woman," Gail Goodwin presents a story that is already in progress.

From the Paper
"In "A Short Story", George Bowering uses a very broken layout to emphasize the elements of his story. The story is broken into parts titled setting, characters, protagonist, symbolism, conflict, dialogue, flashback, foreshadowing, plot, and theme. Using the first eight sections, Bowering builds to a dramatic climax in the "plot" segment. Donna, the protagonist, alludes to an abusive experience between her stepfather (Art) and herself in the recent past. Donna is hurt by her mother's defense of Art, and we find out that she is returning home after a long absence. Donna visits her mother, and Bowering writes "When Art propelled the bedroom door open, Donna was pointing a loaded shotgun at his head" (546). Then, "Donna turned a smooth quick arc, & shot her mother's face off." "

Tags:protagonist, style, think, fiction, truth

Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that very few words in the English language are meant to be as intentionally ambiguous as terrorism. To some people it is simply a fighting tactic. To others it is associated with a type of person that is sneaky and underhanded. The writer points out that the term is associated with creating fear, but it also insinuates that the terrorist is immoral and illegitimate. The writer concludes that the United Nations is shortchanging the world by not having a concrete definition of the word terrorism. If they did, they would be able to identify countries that commit acts of terrorism and take the appropriate measures in response.

From the Paper
"The terrorist group, Al-Qaeda, have committed the most well known examples of terrorism. They engineered the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Their attacks are perceived as terrorism because they attacked the military and economic hubs of the United States. This attack was in response to the group's belief that Western civilization and culture were threatening their way of life.
"Their attacks had a profound impact on the psyche of the United States. It traumatized millions of Americans who either lived in one of the cities or had a connection to someone involved in the attacks. The terrorists instilled fear in Americans by making them realize just how vulnerable the country was. Airplane travel has gone from an ordinary experience to a hassle that is equal parts fear and inconvenience."

Tags:attack, terrorists, extremist, violent

Abstract
In this paper the author explores the incidents of birth where gender is unclear. He looks at how the sex of a child at birth moulds the child for future life from the color of the blanket he or she is given to the type of toys they play with. The paper cites examples of children born in South East Asia who are neither male or female that are disowned by general society and often turn to prostitution in later years if they are not accepted as performers. They are considered to be neither man nor woman and are often considered freaks. Finally the paper concludes that, with the advancement of modern medicine, there is hope that operations can be performed to give these people a true gender identity.

From the Paper
"Early in fetal development, males and females are indistinguishable. Male fetuses have primitive male and female sex organs; female fetuses have primitive male and female sex organs. It's the body's hormones that determine which organs develop further and which disappear. The hormones get their 'messages' from the sex chromosomes. So you can begin to understand how if a problem arises anywhere along these lines of 'communication', a baby could be born with ambiguous genitalia or organs of the opposite gender."

Tags:babies, genitals, deformities, testicles, embryos, chromasomes

From the Paper
"Playwright David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly is based on a true story. In 1964, a French diplomat stationed in China fell in love with a native Chinese opera singer, lived with her for twenty years, and believed he had fathered a child by her, and then discovered she was a man. One would expect Hwang's play to be a farce -- and yet it is not a farce at all. It is a deeply riveting study of not only the psychology of two individuals but of the way the West stereotypes the East and prefers its fantasies to the reality of a changing Orient."

Tags:butterflies, madame

Abstract
This paper discusses the theory of symbolism and connections between this theory and Vladimir Nabokov's novel "Lolita", including the development of the symbolism movement in different European countries. The paper looks into events from Nabokov's life and how they are reflected in "Lolita", especially in the biography of its protagonist Humbert Humbert. The paper concludes by presenting
specific examples of symbols, ambiguities and intertextual references in this book, by focusing on Humbert and Lolita's journeys, on main and secondary characters of the novel and on the language used by the narrator.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Symbolism
The Notion Of Symbolism
Major Characteristics Of Symbolism
Symbolism In Arts
Symbolism In Russia And Britain
Vladimir Nabokov And Humbert Humbert- Parallel Biographies?
Early Life Of Vladimir Nabokov
Nabokov And Humbert As Exiles
Publication Of Lolita As A Turning Point In Nabokov's Life
Evidence Of Symbolism, Ambiguities And Intertextuality In Lolita
Journeys
Characters
Language
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The similarity between Humbert and Raskolnikov shows two faces of justice. They both have ulterior purpose of such behavior, which is not seen by the society. They are judged by people who see only their deeds, not their reasons. They seem not to pay attention on the milieu of the men, the circumstances in which they grew up and society that shaped them. All in all, they are victims of the epoch they are living in and the hypocritical people from their surroundings who did the same but the world was not aware of their deeds."

Tags:concept, premises, humbert, journeys, nymphets

Abstract
The writer of this article notes that to keep track of the many different "personality types" introduced by Simone De Beauvoir in her book, 'The Ethics of Ambiguity', is no small task. In chapter two, she introduces many of the personality types, and they do not at first paint a favorable picture of a person who has an opportunity to evolve from childhood to adulthood without a greater probability of becoming asocial as opposed to socially indoctrinated in a positive way. The writer points out that this somewhat dismal perspective is really explained - perhaps unwittingly - by De Beauvoir herself, as she explains in detail the plight of women as a continuation of childlike behavior-play at being an adult, because women are, like slaves, like the Mohammedan woman. These are, however, issues that De Beauvoir claims is in fact the ethics of ambiguity. This paper explores the different personalities and characteristics that De Beauvoir discusses in chapter two of her book.

Outline:
Mankind Begins in a State of Unhappiness

From the Paper
"De Beauvoir further asserts that the dominating features of man's individual personality begin forming in childhood. Again, this is not an idea that would draw disagreement and argument. However, De Beauvoir discusses the reaction of a child, as though that child were a blank slate, to the world around him or her. However, De Beauvoir is asserting that these experiences are not experiences which tend to be deflected by a child's growth as much as the reflected in a child's growth. She paints mankind as beginning his existence in an unfortunate way, rather than a celebratory way, and assuming that the birth of a child is less than celebrated. The suggestion is that mankind is an unfortunate being, subjected to the circumstances of having been born at all. The choices man makes throughout his life - focusing on those that are poor choices - arise out of his childhood. "

Tags:adulthood, personality, mankind

Abstract
This paper looks at how F. Scott Fitzgerald presents themes of moral ambiguity and personal integrity in "The Great Gatsby" by placing the characters in situations where they must make choices regarding how to act and what to do.

From the Paper
"Nick is the narrator of the story, and has the advantage of having moved back to the Midwest and of telling the story two years after the events took place. This allows him to take in the whole picture and to see how events and people have interrelated. Nick is Daisy's cousin and went to school with her husband Tom, so even though he is not wealthy, he is accepted by Tom and Daisy. Even so, he is a bit of an outsider in the story, which enhances his ability to see the actions of others more clearly than if he had allowed himself to become close to all of them."

Tags:compass, compromised, nick, gatz, midwest, narrator, friend, idealist, jay, daisy, tom

Abstract
This paper relates that, in Ursula K. Le Guin's science fiction novel "The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia", the protagonist Shevek, a scientist from the desert planet Anarres, travels to the neighboring planet Urras, an earth-like planet of capitalism, war and economic inequity. Chapter-by-chapter the author summarizes and analyzes this notable literary work. The paper concludes that, although, Shevek went to Urras to forge a relationship between it and his own planet, he ends up finding that a much larger universe lies open to him and his people.

Table of Contents:
Plot Summary
Chapter 1 Summary
Chapter 1 Analysis
Chapter 2 Summary
Chapter 2 Analysis
Chapter 3 Summary
Chapter 3 Analysis
Chapter 4 Summary
Chapter 4 Analysis
Chapter 5 Summary
Chapter 5 Analysis
Chapter 6 Summary
Chapter 6 Analysis
Chapter 7 Summary
Chapter 7 Analysis
Chapter 8 Summary
Chapter 8 Analysis
Chapter 9 Summary
Chapter 9 Analysis
Chapter 10 Summary
Chapter 10 Analysis
Chapter 11 Summary
Chapter 11 Analysis
Chapter 12 Summary
Chapter 12 Analysis
Chapter 13 Summary
Chapter 13 Analysis

From the Paper
"Takver is pregnant with their first child. Shevek completes the manuscript for his Principles of Simultaneity and learns that Sabul won't approve it for publication. Takver convinces him to let Sabul put his name on it just for the sake of getting it published, and, not surprisingly, Sabul agrees. That spring, Takver gives birth to Sadik, their daughter. By summer a serious drought has set in; rations become stricter as food shortages increase, and many people are assigned to emergency labor postings, such as on farms, to keep enough food coming in."

Tags:revolutionaries problems, communication barriers, wall isolation

Abstract
This paper reviews three modernist short stories and looks at how ambiguous work is a significant mode of modernist art. The three stories this paper reviews are "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway and "The Use of Force" by William Carlos Williams.

From the Paper
"Eudora Welty wrote her short story "A Worn Path" in 1941. It centers on "an old Negro woman" (795), as she makes her way slowly across the rural countryside toward the neighboring town of Natchez. It is a simple story, and told in a straightforward, matter-of-fact style. This simplicity however, is merely a veneer spread over innumerable underlying ambiguities. The canvas Welty paints at the outset is one of a stark frozen rural landscape. The only color that interrupts this cold early morning picture, is the bright red rag tied about the head of the main character: Phoenix Jackson. What is this old woman doing hobbling back and forth along a rural path in the middle of winter, in the early morning? This is a central question that essentially remains unanswered in any complete way.
Welty allows us to understand that there has been identical earlier journeys made by the old lady, as when Phoenix says to herself: "Seem like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far [...] something always take hold of me on this hill - pleads I should stay" (795). This is the first of many passages that are conversations with herself. The author gives only the character's inner thoughts about things, thus leaving us deprived of any comfort in an objective reality. Phoenix is not a dependable witness by any means. She sees things symbolically, or historically or biblically, but rarely as things really are. Just as she has troubles finding her way through this landscape, so the reader also has trouble finding the truth or meaning of the narrative. "

Tags:authentic, perception, reality, language

Abstract
This paper investigates the issues of ambivalence and ambiguity in Mary Shelley?s "Frankenstein". The author claims that Shelley herself had some trouble making personal convictions on issues such as ambition and nature. It also contains information on current criticism circulating about this work.

From the Paper
?Many shudder at the mere mention of the words ambiguity and ambivalence. It seems almost against human nature to be satisfied with it. We are constantly searching for the answer, whether it is the quest of the answer to what it is that brings about life or a longing to find the answer to the reason man was placed on this earth. However, it is debatable whether or not this aspect of humanity is commendable or condemnable. According to Frankenstein, Mary Shelley believes that there is some comfort to be sought in ambivalence and in ambiguity. Rather than being so pretentious as to believe that we can find the answer to everything, she addresses both sides to the questions brought up in the themes of the book. She finds two answers to each question she addresses. Victor should both be condemned for taking his Promethean desires too far, and congratulated for trying to move forward in the field of science. Walton should both move forward towards his goals of discovery and exploration, and abandon his dreams in order to protect human life. Nature should both be left alone, and cultivated by human hands.?

Tags:british, english, literature, romanticism