Abstract This paper is a write-up of chemistry experiments exploring Boyle's Law. The paper looks at changes in pressure accompanying changes in volume of the gases propane and butane. Graphs are plotted of the results to see if the gases obey Boyle's Law of the volume being inversely proportional to the pressure when the temperature remains constant.
Abstract This paper analyzes the book "The Astronomer's Wife" by Kay Boyle. The paper describes the Astronomer who symbolizes the intellect, and the Plumber who symbolizes the physical. Using short quotes from the story throughout the paper, this point is proved. The paper also interprets the relationship of Mrs. Ames with the two men and states an opinion as to whether or not she would be happy with the Plumber for a long period of time.
From the Paper "The stars twinkle gaily as they dance eastward across the sky. The roots of the noble oak creep ever downward, sucking up precious nutrients from the damp earth. The moon looks solemnly upon the darkened sky, changing faces to suit her mood. The grass speaks in whispers to those who would tread upon it, and listens to the night-things crawling below. This is what Mrs. Ames has to choose from in Kay Boyle's "The Astronomer's Wife": the heavens or the earth. More truly, perhaps, she has to choose between mind and spirit or body and emotions. She is a young woman, "but this she had forgotten"(149). She takes refuge in day-to-day activities, attempting to overcompensate for her "dreamer" (148) of a husband."
This paper discusses director Danny Boyle's 2003 movie, ?28 Days Later?, an insightful reflection of societal fears of bioterrorism, terrorism, and catastrophic warfare.
Abstract This paper explains that, through his effective use of story structure, characterization, cinematography, and theme, Boyle creates the fictional post-apocalyptic world of ?28 Days Later?, which is characterized by brutality brought on by man's unthinking arrogance, playing out some of society's worst fears about warfare and terrorism. The author points out that the fear of "playing God" and the repercussions, which appear in the film, have been seen in literature and movies that trace back to Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein" and to similar movies, such as ?12 Monkeys?. The paper relates that the juxtaposition of the post-apocalyptic emptiness of London, with many viewer's recollections or projections of the familiarly busy bustle of London streets, provides one of the most shocking visual reminders of the impact of terrorism and catastrophic warfare.
From the Paper "In recent years, the world has been rocked by the growth of fears over a diverse set of growing threats to global political and economic stability and world health. The tragedy of September 11th brought the world into a new era of fear over terrorist acts. Since then, public uneasiness has only been heightened by the train bombings in Madrid, the Bali bombings, and continued governmental appeals for constant vigilance against terrorism. The fear of bioterrorism has also grown in recent years, with the release of sarin nerve gas on a Tokyo subway, and the presence of anthrax in the US mail. Adding to this climate of fear was President Bush's assertion that Iraq possessed of weapons of mass destruction (including biological weapons), an assertion that provided a justification for the Bush administration's entry into Iraq. Today, societal fears of catastrophic warfare that took root during the Cold War era continue to escalate, as tensions in the Middle East deepen."
Tags: plot, cinematography, characters, documentary, video
Abstract This paper discusses marriage and suppression in the two short stories "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and "Astronomer's Wife" by Kay Boyle. It also looks at the different reactions of the female characters to their marriage.
From the Paper "One of the basic building blocks of society is the nuclear family where one plus one equals three. Contrasting political and social view points, aside if the two sexes did not occasionally ...|
Tags: Kay Boyle, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Yellow Wallpaper, Astronomer's Wife, marriage, suppression
Abstract This paper reviews the book "Carnal Knowledge", by T.C. Boyle in which he uses the main character's voice, to tell the story. The paper provides a good character description and explains how readers feel they are voyeurs of Jim's thoughts.
From the Paper "Jim doesn't seem to be such a complex character at first sight. He comes across as being a weak man, gullible and apathetic; we feel as if all Jim really cares about is romance (or his idea of what romance is: obsession); it seems to be on his mind all the time. Jim is so unaware of who he is, and so taken with Alena, that he pretends to be interested in animal rights just so that he can be close to her. Alena is so beautiful that Jim has a hard time thinking about anything else when she is around. One day, Alf, Alena's dog, urinates on Jim; he gets so angry, narrating, "a sudden rage seized me" (p.252), yet once Alena shows up, Jim's anger vanishes because she, and her beauty, leaves Jim feeling nothing but amorous feelings."
Abstract This paper introduces and discusses T.C. Boyle's "The Tortilla Curtain", a novel on the struggles of two couples as they try to achieve the American Dream; one already handed the chance on a silver platter and the other daring the impossible by crossing illegally into America. The paper shows that while Boyle shows off the endless possibilities of the cliched American Dream, his novel impresses on his readers only the futility of attempting to live it, rather than the success that countless of immigrants and Americans have found while fulfilling their dreams and destinies. The paper explores Boyle's use of imagery, including the image of the coyote which is present throughout the book.
From the Paper "There is a lot of emphasis on materialism in the idea of the American Dream, and the Mossbachers seem to be the epitome of both. Contrastingly, the Rincons are desperate to achieve this materialism, which forms the basis of their American Dream. Where there should be a stronger urge for freedom, the Rincons seek fortune in America.
Through materialism, Boyle shows another feature of the American Dream ? greed. Though it is not obvious, the people in Southern California may be driven by their desire for more as a reason to keep illegal immigrants out, knowing that they too are driven by a strong desire."
Abstract This paper looks at the style of writing and the tale of infanticide in this work of Boyle's. The paper discusses the innocuous sounding title followed by an extremely gruesome tale regaled in the first person. It analyzes the boy's actions and his self-belief that he is committing this act out of love rather than fear or resentment.
From the paper:
"The story of "The Love of My Life" by T. Coraghessan Boyle, the author sets up a series of expectations by the reader that he subsequently and systematically subverts over the course of the narrative. Both the subject and plot of what transpires in flashback and the piecemeal, postmodern first-person narrative style enable the author to achieve this desired effect. This effect is also achieved as well by the grotesque and destabilizing language unconsciously used by the narrative 'I.' (117-133)
"When a reader learns that the title of a short story is ?The Love of My Life,? certain associations are immediately created in his or her mind. Such a title is not ambiguous, like a story with a one-word name."
Abstract T. Coraghessan Boyle's novel, "The Tortilla Curtain", offers readers a close-up, graphically realistic view of the hardships that confront Mexican immigrants trying to find the American Dream, juxtaposed with the "good life" of an affluent family living behind stylish walls. This review of "The Tortilla Curtain" compares and contrasts the main characters in the novel, Delaney Mossbacker and his wife Kyra and Candido Rincon and his wife America, in order to come to a greater understanding of the social issues facing Mexican immigration. The report also incorporates the views of writers, critics, and scholars to understand the bigger picture of Chicano labor history and the deeper meaning behind Boyle's literary effort.
From the Paper "To Candido (49) that very canyon, with its ?little clearing by the stream,? its "leaves" and "rocks" all seemed ?unchanging, eternal, as dead as a photograph.? And, living there in the canyon, Candido saw it as ?a jail cell and he was a prisoner, incarcerated in his thoughts.? In fact, Boyle continues, at least prisoners had an opportunity to read something, listen to a radio, a place to sit and "take a contemplative crap" ? while for Candido, his prison was unchanging, and all he did was doze, wake up, and sleep again. There were no license plates to make, or rocks to break. Just a sun that was always "in the same place in the sky" (50)."
Abstract The paper describes "Tortilla Curtain" by T. Coraghessan Boyle, as a late 20th century novel that embodies many of the cultural conflicts occurring in 21st century America today between Caucasians and Hispanics. The paper then relates that these conflicts are embodied in the experience of two couples in the novel, Delaney Mossbacher and Kyra Menaker-Mossbacher, and Candido and America Rincon. The paper also relates that Boyle's novel conveys the hypocrisies of a nation that defines 'American' in a narrow way and claims to hate illegal immigration even while it depends upon the labor of Hispanic individuals, especially in the affluent yet economically and culturally divided California local where the novel is set.
From the Paper "The novel suggests that cultural interaction is impossible to avoid. The novel exposes liberal as well as conservative hypocrisies, particularly in the way that it shows that Delaney's supposed concern and compassion for the environment does not always translate into compassion for humanity, when he accidentally hits Candido with his car in Part I of the novel. By depicting the lives of two very different couples, living in close proximity to one another, Boyle's novel shows the great gulfs of prosperity that exist side-by side in America."
A paper which compares the issue of communication in ?American Son,? by Brian Ascalon Roley, ?Tortilla Curtain,? by T. Coraghessan Boyle, and ?Day of the Locust,? by Nathanael West.
Abstract This paper introduces discusses, and compares communication, miscommunication, and dysfunctional communication in ?American Son,? by Brian Ascalon Roley, ?Tortilla Curtain,? by T. Coraghessan Boyle, and ?Day of the Locust,? by Nathanael West. The paper touches on the issue of cultural differences as a cause of miscommunication.
From the Paper "While all the stories have different themes, they all share a common thread, and this thread is the lack of communication of the characters, along with a tendency to miscommunicate who they really are. Each story deals with its own miscommunication, in that the characters in effect lie about who they are, they miscommunicate about who they are to observers. Tomas appears to be Mexican, and does not deny it. Mossbacher appears to be a "do-gooder" left-wing nature freak, but in reality, he is a racist snob who buys off a Mexican because he can. In "Day of the Locust" everyone is someone they are not, they all pretend to be important, prominent people when they are not."
Tags: Mexican, gangsters, Tomas, Gabe, Mossbachers, Candido, America
Abstract Examines the character of Delaney in T. Coraghesson Boyle's novel. Argues that the character is a stereotypical racist who is intolerant of the differences between himself and Mexicans and Mexican Americans who interfere with his Southern California Yuppie lifestyle. Features of his intolerance. Depicts Delaney as a man whose intolerance overrides his conscience.
From the Paper "The character of Delaney, in T. Coraghessan Boyle's novel Tortilla Curtain, is a stereotypical racist intolerant of the differences between himself and the Mexicans or Mexican-Americans who interfere with his wealthy, yuppie lifestyle in Southern California. They interfere, first, by simply existing, because their existence, to Delaney, brings with it many undesirable qualities and habits:
There wasn't a trail in the Santa Monica Mountains that didn't have its crushed beer cans, its carpet of glass, its candy wrappers and cigarette butts, and it was people like this Mexican or whatever he was who were responsible, thoughtless people, stupid people, people who wanted to turn the whole world into a garbage dump, a little Tijuana . . . (Boyle 11)."
Abstract This paper examines why "Trainspotting", the popular 1996 Scottish film by Danny Boyle about heroin addicts in Edinburgh, has been so successful all over the world.
Abstract This paper discusses T. Coraghessan Boyle's book, "Greasy Lake". The paper describes the power of the setting of the book, examining how it allows the narrator to reveal his innermost self to the reader, and allows him to have realizations about himself. The paper illustrates one unforgettable night in the narrator's young adulthood, examining how, through his description of setting, he reveals a lot about himself. The paper claims that the dirt lots, mud, weeds, and animals of "Greasy Lake" are more influential than meets the eye and that the locale subtly serves as its own character in the story.
From the Paper "Setting is a major factor in any story. Its significance goes beyond the detailing of a story's time and place. Just as a character, it has the power to make things happen. In T. Coraghessan Boyle's, Greasy Lake, the power of the setting allows its narrator to reveal his innermost self to the reader and allows him to have realizations about himself. As he describes one unforgettable night in his young adulthood, the narrator, through his description of setting, reveals much more about himself. The dirt lots, mud, weeds and animals of Greasy Lake are more influential than meets the eye, and the locale subtly serves as its own character in this story."
This paper reviews and analyzes the various similarities relating to Latin-American immigration in both Julia Alvarez's "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents" and T. Coraghessan Boyle's "The Tortilla Curtain."
Abstract The writer of this paper details the plot as well as the main characters of each novel while focusing on the numerous similarities in both works of writing. This paper examines the manner in which both authors focus on the real-life problems encountered by Latin immigrants in the U.S. This paper delves into the numerous difficulties which awaited the immigrants upon their arrival to America including issues with gender, culture and class backgrounds. The writer contends and explains why the Garcia girls in Alvarez's novel did not assimilate completely in the U.S., even though they lost their native accents they continue to remain stuck between the two cultures unable to fully adapt to either one. This paper also delves into the topic of illegal immigration and the ensuing problems facing the characters in Boyle's novel.
From the Paper "The Garcia girls come to the United States because of political reasons. They are forced to leave the Dominican Republic because their father got in trouble with the Dominican secret police for protesting the nation's ruling military dictatorship. In contrast, the immigrants of The Tortilla Curtain immigrate illegally, rather than with the help of the CIA like the Garcia girls. The immigrants from Mexico of The Tortilla Curtain do so to better their way of life, economically, rater than for political reasons, when they flee their nation to make their way to Southern California via Mexico. The Garcia girls come from a privileged background. They had enjoyed many, if not more of the toys and luxuries of their American counterparts. True, they still have trouble fitting in, when they come to America."
