Abstract This paper explains that one of the most useful aspects of modern poetry as a literary medium is that poetry has the unique ability to take the words of a cliche and use the intense language of the poetic medium to force readers to reconsider that cliche in a new light. The author points out that the cliche in Robert Frost's poem "Mending Wall" is "Good Fences make Good Neighbors" and Wilfred Owens' "Dulce et Decorum est" (It is sweet and right to die for your country) depicts a man being gassed during the First World War. The paper relates that Owens' poem takes the form an observation, not a stilted conversation as in "Mending Wall"; in "Dulce et Decorum est" the man dies before the poet's eyes and rather than argue with the man as in Frost's poem.
From the Paper "The poet uses this specificity of language for similar reasons as to Frost-to set the scene and to verify the poet's knowledge and right to question the cliche at the heart of the poem, but Owens seems even more careful to show that he is a solider, than Frost is to show that he is a farmer and a property owner. Owens does not use metaphors like Frost does, about imagining the stranger as like a savage of old, or dwell on common and natural details. Owens' specific place names and technical references are all unexplained, and are often details and names only a soldier would know and notice, in contrast to apples and pine as in Frost, which not only a farmer would be acquainted with."
Abstract This paper looks at the two forms of meaning found within cliches that deal with aspects of the body or the human being, where addressing components of the phrase and the origins of the phrase will demonstrate the etymology of a given cliche. This process is applied to selected phrases that have passed into common use, and where the true origins of the phrase are no longer viewed in connection with the phrase itself. Three commonly used phrases - the battle of the bulge, dead wood, and devil's advocate -are used to express the truth found within the cliche itself and within its historical origins.
This paper defines and investigates the concept of 'classic' with regards to history and the way in which history repeats itself over and over again, despite our knowledge of its existence.
Abstract The following paper defines "classic" as of enduring interest, quality or style; traditional or typical; a traditional or typical event. This applies when considering historical events and writing that can be compared and contrasted to what has happened since and currently. The writer makes reference to a well-known cliche that people are doomed to repeat history they do not understand. This is based on the fact that in the human condition, certain situations are recurring themes. The latter is the focus of this paper. The writer contends that an understanding of the past is integral to improving and furthering society of the future. Simply, we can review events, literature and opinions of the past, compare them with what has happened recently or what is happening now, say "This is like that", and learn from those who have gone before. This paper makes reference to both blacks and women who have experienced exclusion and discounting of their sociological positions based solely on either their color or gender, regardless of the "rationality" of their arguments, which carries on until today. Thus the well-known cliche that people are doomed to repeat history is well-supported in this writer's argument.
From the Paper "In readings of the oppressors and the oppressed, a recurring theme can be noted: it is integral that the "oppressed" be seen as something "other", or outside the same rights and protections that are afforded to those in power. Those in power attempt to make a rationale for denying oppressed people equal rights by assumption or argument that they are less than "people". If we take this concept and apply it to the United States prior to the Civil War, we can see that there were two large groups of people who were seen as "the other": slaves and women.The founding documents of the United States were phrased in terms that were very familiar to the people of the time; there was no doubt that the "equality" promised was to be equality amongst white, male landowners. Although the revolution in the United States was groundbreaking and socially shocking for its time ? something like colonists revolting against their mother country because of the lack of representation and denial of personal and property rights had never been done before ? it also contained a perpetuation of certain social rights and economic benefits assumed to be only due to white males in the world at the time."
Abstract This paper explains the developmental history of our ever-changing English language. It includes French, British, Spanish and Italian influences on English. The paper discusses differences between written and spoken language and how slang, jargon, euphemisms, cliches and idioms can make English a difficult language to learn. The paper cites several examples of well-known cliches and jargon and explains their origins.
From the Paper "In most languages there is a distinction between that which is written and that which is spoken, a difference between literature and colloquial speech. In written literature we can see the broad outlines of history, but the language of literature has historically been that of the ruling class. The spoken language, the common everyday speech, reveals the intimate, familiar lives of the people, even when reading and writing were limited to the upper classes. In his 1888 book, The Queen's English: A Manual of Idiom and Usage, Dean Henry Alford described the difference between written and spoken English at that time:
We must distinguish between the English which we speak, and that which we write. Many expressions are not only tolerated but required in conversation, which are not usually put on paper. Thus . . . everyone says 'can't', . . . 'won't' [and] 'isn't', . . . but we seldom see these contractions in books, except where a conversation is related. (Alford 57)"
Abstract The author states "Good Country People" by Flannery O?Connor is a story that illustrates how deceptive appearances can be. The author continues the story line exemplifies that errors are made when people hide behind their own clich?d perceptions instead of thinking clearly about situations. The author feels that the plot makes the ending effective and leaves the reader with their eyes open wide, much like Hulga, the main character.
From the Paper "The story opens with the theme of hiding behind one's own perceptions by introducing the character of Mrs. Freeman. The story begins, not be telling the reader who Mrs. Freeman is, but by describing her two expressions, ?forward and reverse.? Mrs. Freeman is introduced as the character that makes up her mind about something, never reconsiders that opinion and never accepts that she may have been wrong. Opening in this way, establishes the theme of the story, because of the focus on how people appear. It also establishes the theme of how people think and especially, how people can make up their mind about something and then refuse to consider any other option. Finally, by telling the reader how Mrs. Freeman acts, but not whom she is, offers a test for the reader's own perceptions. The reader is forced to take the information given about her appearance and try to determine who she is. The reader then is not only reading about the subject of the story but also is taking part in the subject."
Abstract This paper explains that Elizabeth Gaskell's short story "The Old Nurse's Story" from the Victorian period seems to challenge some of the predominate social norms of its era regarding gender roles; however, it does more to reinforce such roles than it does to dispute them. The author points out that the man is portrayed as a strong, silent type, one of the most archetypal cliches of the modern era. The paper relates that the woman in this book focuses on one of the oldest stereotypes regarding women., the maternal instinct, and the female characters are described by their physical attributes and emotional fragility.
From the Paper "In a similar fashion, the gender roles of women are also dealt with quite extensively in "The Old Nurse's Story." There is, for instance, the fact that there is almost a fixation on the description of women's physical attributes throughout the course of the narrative. Of course, good fiction is always concerned with the depiction of details to heighten the sense of scene and character. This particular work, however, seems unusually hung up on using terms such as "such a beauty." That repetitive cycle of describing women as either beautiful, or not, seems to be a furtherance of the stereotype that one of the primary goals for a woman of the age was to be physically attractive."
Abstract The paper contends that the film, "The Fight Club", is a mediocre movie at best, that is rife with cliches and a plot device that is too obvious. The paper goes on to show how indexical signs are too common and argues against the film's attempt to slap generalized labels on an entire generation. The paper posits that its ending was less satisfying than that found in the novel on which it is based, and it seems a homage to the youth driven market to which it panders.
From the Paper "The 1999 film, The Fight Club, seems replete with indexical signs, not all of which are particularly good, appealing or even relevant. The film tries so hard to prove it is hip, post modern and relevant that it is, at times, like a very ugly pup, wagging its tail and trying desperately to ingratiate itself. It is a mediocre movie at best, rife with cliches and a plot device which can be seen from a mile away. It did poorly at the box office until the X-generation had someone explain them that it was socially relevant and was the defining epic of their generation. At that point they adopted it and rescued it from oblivion. It is a film worth watching but not worth worshipping as a cult classic or worth discussion 8 years after the fact."
Abstract One of the key aspects to being a good manager is being a good decision maker and a good facilitator of decision making between others. However, although this statement may seem to be a cliche, like so many cliches about demonstrating strong leadership and business acumen, it bears a certain level of scrutiny when put into real world terms. This paper asks what happens when one must negotiate and mediate in the real world. It shows that, in these cases, there are two dominant paradigms every business manager must take into consideration, namely, what is economically feasible and good business sense, and what is ethically coherent with the company's philosophy and American law. This paper applies two available decision making models that satisfy both of these aspects, the rational actor decision-making model and the organizational processes decision-making model.
From the Paper "In other words, quite often decision making in the work force cannot presume that all conflicts have a rational basis, or that all mediate decisions made thusly can simply regard the quantitative and qualitative data that may be at the roots of a particular conflict. Decisions may ideally come from identifying relevant criteria, cause and effect beliefs, and different evaluations of proposed alternatives. However, if even from a purely rational basis conflict may result in all three areas, when conflicts in the workplace assume because of long-standing tensions, human resource management becomes even more difficult in achieving decisions that are mutually amicable for all parties."
Abstract This extensive paper compares "Northanger Abbey" by Jane Austen, "Louisa" by Elizabeth Herley, "The Mysteries of Udolpho" by Ann Radcliffe and "Silly Novels" by Lady Novelists by George Elliot. It analyzes their attitudes to women placing it in a historical context.
From the paper:
Jane Austen is often thought of as a writer whose works provide a refreshing and bracing antidote to the common literary themes of overheated romance and destiny. Her novels often revolve around the plot of two or three women who are unlucky, then lucky at love?but with an ironic twist that fundamentally deflates commonly accepted mores and notions of deeply held romantic cliches such as love at first sight. (In Austen's most famous novel, Pride and Prejudice, the main romantic hero and heroine, Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy hate rather than love one another at first sight.)"
Abstract A look at the way the characters in "The Bluest Eye" and "The Black Notebooks" perceive beauty. These perceptions are compared to each other and to the cliched phrase of "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder". "The Bluest Eye" tells the story of a young black girl growing up in the 1930's and how, even though she is pretty, does not consider herself beautiful because of racial laws lowering her self image. "The Black Notebooks" tells of a boy, Junior, who is obsessed by his skin color and the way people perceive him. Both novels deal with the way a child is perceived by others and how this influences their opinions of themselves.
From the Paper "Beauty, we have all been told practically since we were born, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye ? and to a lesser extent Toi Derricotte's The Black Notebooks ? provide us with a very new way of understanding this very clich"d clich". For while we are theoretically enabled to search for beauty wherever we might find it in the world, we are in fact limited by our own eyes, by the ways in which we can see. Morrison asks us to take this adage seriously: The eyes that we physically see the world through determine what of beauty is available to us. For Derricote, her understanding of the role of the eye of the beholder is somewhat more metaphorical. But for both authors, the relationship between vision and the ability to see clearly is central to their understanding of race."
Abstract The paper argues against the cliche that contemporary music is without lasting significance. It shows that contemporary music is made up of a multitude of facets, including jazz, country-western and rock and roll. The paper discusses what constitutes good contemporary music, from its style to the source from which it springs. The paper also explores how one judges the cultural strength of a particular style of contemporary music. Finally, the paper looks at the inventive side of contemporary music, such as the use of instruments and lyrics.
From the Paper "A good example of contemporary music that served our culture well were the anthems and songs sung on 9/11/2001. A few songs were chosen again and again at ceremonies, gatherings, commemorations and fundraisers, and these songs had an even greater impact than the American flags that were waved in so many towns, in so many homes across the country. Although we have a national anthem, and a beautiful one, simpler songs often won the day. "God Bless America" could not be more homespun in its words and simple melody. Like a poem of the people, it inspires and reverberates through the cultural fabric. Another song that was almost always performed was ?America the Beautiful.? The melody is simple and memorable, the words evoke the majesty and myth that is America"her spacious skies, her amber waves of grain"and the song inspires emotions that very few Americans can resist."
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 describes Jim as a typical token black character. This token character is dense, good-natured, and foolish and always has a cliched response to a situation. The paper gives examples of this and suggests that Twain does not respect this character and what he represents.
From the Paper "There has been a myriad of discussion regarding the role of African-American's in popular films as token characters. The token black character is the dense, good-natured, foolish character that always has a clich?d response to a situation. Often times these characters are the subjects of ridiculous pranks, degraded for the shear amusement of the other characters. In Huckleberry Finn Jim plays the role of the token black character. He is made fun of by children. The elaborate escape plan concocted by Tom is the classic example of how the black token character is used for the enjoyment of others. In this scenario a grown black man is reduced to playing silly, dangerous games for the sole purpose of Tom's notion of what is proper behavior, as dictated to him by the many adventure stories he's read. Throughout the novel Jim is not respected, he is pitied, mocked and manipulated. The barrage of antics that Tom sets up as a necessity for Jim to complete at the end of the novel serves as the definitive proof of the overall racism of the novel.
The way Twain developed the character of Jim in the earlier scenes shows the progression of Jim's character as source of entertainment. The relationship between Huck and Jim at times bordered on genuine friendship. Huck's decision regarding turning Jim over to his owner wavered several times, leading the reader to believe that he was having a crisis of consciousness. Yet Huck repeatedly agreed to Tom's elaborate, scheme. For every ridiculous plan that Tom imagined, Huck was able to agree and be satisfied with the demeaning nature of what that plan entailed. Jim also succumbed to the childhood fantasy adventure that Tom proposed. Julius Lester's critique "Morality and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" states that Jim's character is ?"childlike"in attitude and character?? (343). Lester's argument is based on his belief that Twain didn?t take slavery seriously, whereas I believe that Twain did not take slavery seriously because he did not take black people seriously."
Abstract In the history of literature there have been many a Christ-like martyr, appearing flawless in order to save the damned human race. The paper shows that Harriet Beecher Stowe goes beyond this clich? in "Uncle Tom's Cabin", creating an image of an angelic female child who embodies within her the supernatural strength needed to overcome the forces of sin. The paper shows that in the novel, slavery is doomed through Eva's lasting effect on the reader's emotional response to slavery. Little Eva's fervent examples of compassion convey her power to reform the people whose lives she touches, while her sacrificial death leaves slavery in demand of urgent justification. The paper shows that lacking a valid excuse, the powerful metaphor of the scene of her death holds the readers responsible for letting her legacy of good will be instrumental to our own sense of righteousness, thus preventing outrages such as slavery from ever again being created.
From the Paper "Despite the inadequateness of the world we live in, Stowe offers a strong plea not to judge all mothers by the example of Marie, and not to give up the all-American ideals of freedom on the basis of one defect occurrence such as slavery. We see the hope for a better future come to life in the character of Eva, a daughter born out of necessity for redemption. Eva's name Evangeline reveals her function in the novel, as it is ?based on the root evangel, which means "gospel" and is derived from the Greek euangelion, "good news"? (Donovan 76). Indeed, Eva acts as an apostle of good fortune to all she comes in contact with, the most important event being her influential urging that St. Clare buy Tom, thus saving Tom from the auction. This will be counter balanced in the novel by Marie's cold determination to ignore her late daughter and husband's passionate resolutions to free Tom, because the "despicable"selfish "belle"? cannot be troubled by such trivialities while suffering from her own sense of loss (Donovan 81)."
Abstract David Hume was an undeniably brilliant philosopher who, at times, suffered in his writing the inability to adequately express his actual philosophy and thoughts. One of his most stunning arguments was, in actuality, a refutation of the Skeptics, a movement started in great part by Descartes, who attempted to convince Aristotelian philosophers that our experiences with the world are based solely upon our senses and, as such, our senses and thus our perception of the world and reality can be deceived. Therefore, the skeptic encourages us to question the validity of trusting only our senses for our knowledge of the world. While Descartes' and the other Skeptics' arguments were and continue to be the stuff of philosophical cliche (the "prove you exist" argument) the truth is that, as David Hume points out, there is no real point in pondering whether or not we actually exist. The fact of this futility is proven in the very real problem in that if we assume that the universe is the individual creation of just the "I", then the very same person is also taking on the role of God, which, according to Hume and others like him, is an impossibility. The ultimate end of the Skeptics argument, if you follow it to its logical conclusion, is that it is possible that all of us are the creation of some one person's imagination and that, as such, our existence is subject to the whims of one person's perception of reality and the self. Hume's argument, that such skeptical investigations of reality and the actuality of the self is pointless, is one which has a great deal of validity. But, there are counter arguments to his counter-argument, and in the interests of a full academic exploration of his philosophy, it is necessary to explore some of those arguments. It is the purpose of this paper, then, to examine three problems found in Hume's argument and to demonstrate that the exploration of reality from a skeptical point of view is nothing more than an exercise of thought, one that can ultimately only lead lead to psychological diagnoses of breaks in sanity rather than a treatise on our actual reality.
