Abstract A look at the personality of Clyde Griffith, showing how he is an embodiment of naturalism constantly at odds with his environment. The paper shows how his perception is thwarted by his blind reliance on instinct rather than reason. Clyde represents the futility of the American Dream, his instincts lead him on a fruitless quest for more and until his last days, he remained a stock example of greed.
From the Paper "Two particular places where this type of perception manifests itself are in Sondra's kitchen and on the boat with Roberta right before Clyde kills her. In both cases he arrives at the respective locations through his relentless pursuit for the one thing he never obtains, happiness. His relationships with both Sondra and Roberta are both demonstrative of the same blind adherence to the lesson society has taught him: material success and material possessions are everything. Having already weak morals he instantly agreed. Clyde saw both of these women as vehicles for his own pleasure. The descriptions of the aforementioned situations provide much insight into Clyde's character."
Tags: 20th, century, contemporary, literature, greed, blind, materialism
A discussion on transposing the environment of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" to the atmosphere and setting to the 1930s depression-era of "Bonnie and Clyde."
Abstract The paper compares the era of "Romeo and Juliet" with the times of "Bonnie and Clyde". The paper, by comparing the two works, speaks of the bloody environment in the times of Romeo and Juliet and the desperate economic circumstances during the 'Bonnie and Clyde' era in American history. The paper continues with a discussion on the similarities between these two time periods, noting the similar themes of "romantic outlaws", "passionate lovers", an emphasis on youth, and the anger at society. The paper concludes that the tales of both lovers show how, in a society that seems to have no future, desperate young people seeking validation and autonomy, resort to desperate measures.
From the Paper "Although Shakespearean love may be beautiful, especially love forged out of passion and the laws of a society that denies the freedoms of the young, it is not the society of Renaissance Italy that is beautiful and romantic. The fact that love can exist even in an atmosphere that a modern audience can identify as hopeless, crime-ridden, and decadent like Depression-era America will underline the most important aspect of Shakespeare's play, elements that might remain hidden in a production set in the Renaissance. Adult society and the laws of the land are corrupt in "Romeo and Juliet," likewise America ignores the suffering and despair of Americans living in the dustbowl during the Depression. Bonnie and Clyde rob banks, but during that era before banking reform many Americans lost their money in the stock market, or in bank runs, thus showing a lack of regard for the laws was something that was endemic to society and government, not just the outlaws."
Abstract The paper discusses that, although the films "Bonnie and Clyde", and "Scarface" are set in the same basic time period, the 1930s, the films were made more than thirty years apart and reflect different sensibilities in keeping with the time of production. The paper notes that at the same time they also reflect certain similar ideas about the nature of crime and violence, its origin, and the societal elements that contribute to both. The paper further notes that although both films are violent, "Bonnie and Clyde" is more overtly so, and also more able to show the results of violence in a more realistic way, unlike the characters in "Scarface" who are more likely to be shot and expire with hardly a mark on them.
From the Paper "Tony Camonte in the course of the film is squeezed more and more until he ends up in a small apartment, fighting off the police with only his sister on his side. The tone for the 1932 film is set by the huge sign across the way from Tony's apartment, a sign that glows with the message "The World Is Yours," an advertisement for a travel company. The sign seems to be a promise to Tony, but in the end, it becomes a taunt as he is killed in sight of the sign, suggesting something he cannot have, or had and lost. Tony Camonte is finished when his sister dies, and he never fires another shot."
From the Paper "The female characters of novelist Clyde Edgerton demonstrate a variety of points of view for women in the South today. The male and female characters alike in these novels exemplify different social and political attitudes, and the novelist presents these points of view with a satirical edge that shows how foolish both sides in an argument can be. At the same time, he manages to do this without losing the humanity of his characters, and women such as Raney, though racist in her altitudes at first, remains a real person rather than a caricature even as the author is implicitly criticizing her beliefs. These characters express themselves in dialogue that is realistic and that reveals the underlying human being behind the words being spoken. Edgerton does not create these characters so much as he presents them, allowing them to speak for themselves ... "
Abstract This paper analyzes numerous films of the 1960s which focused on specific social issues, such as the sexual revolution, women's rights and feminism, the military/industrial complex, domestic violence and the breakdown of societal mores and ethics. The five important films referred to are all considered as quintessential examples of 1960s cinema--"The Apartment", "Dr. Strangelove", "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", "Bonnie and Clyde" and "Cool Hand Luke".
From the Paper "In the 1960 comedy/drama "The Apartment", starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston and Edie Adams, director Billy Wilder focuses on the main character, C.C. Baxter (Lemmon), an ambitious and somewhat gullible young insurance clerk who tries to advance his social standing by lending his apartment key to several high-ranking executives who are prone to cheating on their wives. But when Baxter meets and falls madly in love with Fran Kubelik (MacLaine), the apartment building's elevator operator, it suddenly dawns on him that Fran is the same woman that his boss (MacMurray), a so-called happily married man, has been taking to his apartment for numerous sexual romps."
Abstract This paper will discuss a summary of the book "The Psychology of Counseling" by Clyde Narramore. By examining this book, we can see how he uses an integration theory as a foundation for the book, while learning how the integration of religious themes can be used in the Freudian schools of psychological counseling.
Abstract This paper explores the motivating forces behind Clyde Griffith's decidedly antisocial actions in Theodore Dreiser's novel, "An American Tragedy". The paper shows that Griffith's poor religious upbringing, his lack of a formal education, and his observation that money buys happiness, ultimately lead to his downfall.
From the Paper "Sin is most often exponential in nature"one hardly embarks on a lifetime of crime with a murder or rape; rather, a series of inconsequential slips that so often lead to one's downfall. The same is true in the case of Clyde Griffiths. By attempts at justification and rationalization of his first crime""What difference did it make if he stayed out late" Wasn"t he a man now, making more money than anyone else in the family" Couldn?t he begin to do as he pleased (56)???his road to sin and death became wider and more appealing."
Abstract This paper examines the story of "Raney" by Clyde Edgerton and the story of "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte, another tale of marriage and romance. It looks at how both chronicle what transpires when two opposite individuals are attracted to one another and attempt to connect through the institutions of marriage. It explores how Jane and Rochester are emotionally compatible, but social opposites. She is poor and he is rich, she is naive and he is worldly, and how, in comparison, Raney is innocent, unschooled, and comes from a different milieu than the academic, Charles. It also shows how both tales illustrate the narrative arch of a courtship and a marriage of an innocent woman to a more sophisticated man and how both novels highlight the conflict of female independence and dependence with the institution of marriage, one from a male perspective and the other from a female perspective.
From the Paper "Firstly, to compare contrast the main protagonists in terms of characterization, Raney, in Edgerton's novel of the same name, is an innocent, Southern Baptist. Her husband Charles, who is considerably more liberal and sophisticated than his 'little woman.' In Charlotte Bronte's novel, the reader learns that Jane Eyre was reared in a religious school. Initially, upon meeting the new governess for his little ward Adelle, Mr. Rochester speculates that all the girls must have worshipped the leader of this institution. But Jane, defiantly for a new employee and despite her sexual and worldly innocence in the face of Rochester's dominance, answers her future husband with a resounding no, that Mr. Brocklehurst cut off his student's hair and was capricious about their health."
Abstract This paper explains that in his book, "Three Billion New Capitalists", Prestowitz relates how India transformed its image from a backwater economy into Asia's service-sector "tiger", just as China has become Asia's manufacturing giant. The author points out that Prestowitz attributes the origin of service outsourcing to Ross Perot, who had the idea of offering specialized IT services and to Mark Shepherd, who extended the locus of outsourcing to East Asia. The paper describes that the Indian government policies are supporting its information technology, biotech, medical tourism, hardware, financial analysis and pharmaceutical industries, which in turn, are fueling the aggressive Indian economy.
From the Paper "When IBM refused to share trade secrets with the domestic Indian electronics industry at the request of Prime Minister Desai, Indian techies delved into the budding world of Unix, propelling India into the future of software development and systems management. Software was heralded as having major export potential and the next few decades witnessed a blossoming of Indian software development firms including Bombay-based Infosys, founded by Narayana Murthy and Nandan M. Nilekani. India's success in IT and in the service sector can at least in part be attributed to its human resources pool."
Abstract The paper relates that because globalization affects everyone, Clyde Prestowitz' book, "Three Billion New Capitalists: The Great Shift of Wealth and Power to the East", becomes relevant for all modern readers. The paper examines the heart of Prestowitz's focus; the United States and its economic policies. The paper shows how the economic policies guiding emerging economic superpowers like China are more forward-thinking than the outmoded ones that prevail in the United States. The paper discusses Prestowitz's ideas that a revision of American economic philosophy, spending more on education, health care and sound infrastructure, is vital in order to "ride the third wave" of globalization.
From the Paper "Clyde Prestowitz could have easily titled his 2006 book Three Billion New Capitalists Can't Be Wrong. The author does not judge the ethics of globalization itself, for Prestowitz is a realist who understands that globalization began in the 15th century and has only recently entered what the author calls a "third wave." Three billion new capitalists can't be wrong because the economic policies guiding emerging economic superpowers like China are more forward-thinking than the outmoded ones that prevail in the United States. Part history lesson, part appeal for changes to American foreign and domestic economic policy, Three Billion New Capitalists: The Great Shift of Wealth And Power to the East is a must-read for anyone remotely interested in the implications of globalization. Because globalization is affecting every citizen of the world, Prestowitz' book becomes relevant for all modern readers and could even become required material in public schools."
Tags: education, healthcare, infrastructure, currency, technology, India, China
Abstract This paper discusses how the idea of the "American dream" has been evident across the nation for decades and how the positive side of the American dream involves the hard work, perseverance, and dedication people put into reaching their goal. The paper then looks at how, in contrast to this positive side of the American dream, one of the main themes in Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy", deals with the dark side of this dream. More specifically, the paper looks at how Dreiser outlines the dark and destructive pursuit of the American dream through the journey of his main character Clyde Griffiths.
From the Paper "As a child, Clyde does not grow up in prosperity. His parents find all comfort in God and never seek to better their fundamentalist lifestyle. As a result, Clyde and his siblings are deprived of a quality education and develop no practical life skills. Clyde "... appeared indeed to resent and even to suffer from the position in which he found himself. Plainly pagan life rather than religious life interested him, although as yet he was not fully aware of this" (3). He yearns for success when seeking a new job. "I'm working now down at Mr. Klinkle's store at 7th and Brooklyn, but it isn't anything like this one and I'd like to get something better if I could" (27). When given the opportunity to work at the Green-Davidson hotel as a bell-hop, he is for the first time entranced by luxury."
An examination of the director's use of emotional range in the gangster films, "The Godfather," directed by Frances Ford Coppola, "Goodfellas," directed by Martin Scorsese and "Bonnie and Clyde," directed by Arthur Penn.
Abstract This paper examines three gangster films in detail from the perspective of the director's use of evoking an emotional range in the viewer that causes the characters to be as powerful dead as they are alive. It specifically examines "The Godfather," directed by Frances Ford Coppola, "Goodfellas," directed by Martin Scorsese and "Bonnie and Clyde," directed by Arthur Penn.
From the Paper "In each of these films, the directors have been able to kill off main characters, and create character personas that were in death equally as large as they were in life in the minds of the audiences. These are very successful films because of all the elements of filmmaking that were successfully pulled together; casting, directing, editing, scripting and wardrobe. Each of the three films are formulas for successful gangster films, which is a genre that is difficult to fail with because it is one with which Americans are endlessly fascinated with. However, add to that fascination the elements of success in filmmaking formula, and it is a box office smash."
Abstract This paper explains that Theodore Dreiser's novel, "An American Tragedy," describes the life and eventual downfall of a young and ambitious Clyde Griffiths, as well as events in Dreiser's own life. The author points out that, throughout the novel, the reader learns of Clyde's unusual childhood, as well as the other events leading up to his misdeeds. The paper summarizes that Dreiser depicts a crime motivated by the pursuit of the American dream, which, in the end, reveals itself to be only an illusion.
From the Paper "Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, Theodore Dreiser grew up poor in an extremely religious family, causing his fascination with the wealthy in his town. His adolescence was very similar to that of Clyde Griffiths, the novel's main character. Dreiser's father was "a fervent Catholic" who, like Asa and Elvira Griffiths, "never stopped preaching rectitude and self-control to his children, but his guidance was of little practical help." Escaping his rigid conservative family life, Dreiser moved to Chicago eventually landing his first job as a reporter for the Chicago Globe. He continued working as a reporter for varying newspapers, and published his first novel Sister Carrie."
Tags: ambitious, character, childhood, murder, society
From the Paper " The gangster genre in film encompasses a number of different forms, and the range can be seen in a comparison of Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde and Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless, two films which make use of conventions of the gangster film while extending those conventions into very different territory. The gangster genre in American film is primarily an urban phenomenon, while Bonnie and Clyde has a rural setting in keeping with a specific criminal history from the 1930s. Breathless draws its inspiration from American crime films of the 1940s and uses the conventions found there to express a different view of the urban criminal landscape and of the way a film should be structured. In some respects, the Penn film is more conventional in structure, but it as well reshapes the genre in service of a more mythic expression of American freedom and rebellion."
Examines the authenticity and strength of women in novels about Southern society. ("Raney", "Walking Across Egypt", "Killer Diller", "Floatplane Notebooks").
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 13 sources, 1999, $ 39.95
From the Paper "The female characters of novelist Clyde Edgerton represent a variety of points of view for women in the South today. The characters in these novels are examples of different social and political attitudes, and Edgerton often points up what he sees as the self-centered and foolish nature of these views. Edgerton makes his characters real, in terms of both their dialogue and their behavior. These women are strong and make themselves known in what is more commonly seen as a man's world.
Edgerton's ability to write women characters has been praised by critics and readers, and Edgerton himself has noted his view of why this is so:
I've been very satisfied to know that women who read the book believe that the voice sounds ..."
