Abstract This paper discusses how T. S. Eliot's works speak both frequently and eloquently of both personal and global despair. It is not until later in his writing career, however, when he has matured as a person and as a writer before hope becomes an aspect of that element of despair. The paper further discusses how this sense of hope comes with the return to some degree of personal comfort on Eliot's part.
From the Paper "T.S. Eliot's works offer a compelling vision of the nature of despair. This despair is evident on a personal level, as in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," and on a global level, as in "The Wasteland." Yet his Quartets, particularly "East Coker" and "Little Gidding" speak of hope that can arise from the question of "what might have been" and the overwhelming presence of despair. It is interesting to note that as the decades progress, Eliot's works move from an internal examination of despair, to the confusion and horror that accompanied a post-World War I world, and, finally, to the hope that began to develop in the despair that was World War II. Is this change simply the work of a maturing author? Or has Eliot's point of view been shaped by a changing worldview?"
Covers the theme of despair in Dostoyevski's "Notes from the Underground" and seeks to understand its relevance in the meaning of existentialism throughout the tale.
1,650 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 4 sources, 2002, $ 62.95
Abstract By analyzing the theme of despair in Dostoyevski's "Notes from the Underground", we can see how despair plays a part in the meaning of existentialism in the story and dictates the central axis of feeling about the philosophy in the book.
Abstract This paper describes and analyzes the psychology and circumstances of the German Jews during and before the Holocaust as explained by Marion Kaplan in her book "Between Dignity and Despair".
Abstract This paper on Kierkegaard's "The Sickness Unto Death", focuses primarily upon distinguishing various types of despair ranging along the continuum of consciousness of despair. Unconscious despair in particular is explored in depth.
Tags: Kierkegaard, despair, selfhood, consciousness, God
A comparison of wintry images of negativity and despair in three poems: ""Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost, ""Absent place--An April Day" by Emily Dickinson, and "Blow, blow thou Winter Wind" by William Shakespeare.
Abstract This paper analyzes the poetic images of winter in the works of Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and William Shakespeare. The paper explains that by understanding the often barren and silent image of winter in the poems by these authors, one can understand how they are written within the atmosphere of negativity and despair. The paper looks at how focusing on the specific symbolic and metaphoric use of winter as a negative and despairing environment, these authors create powerful images that are physical and mental in their descriptions of various human behaviors and life events. The paper further demonstrates that the overall scope of winter does not provide an overall positive image of coldness and despair, but illuminates the various problems that human beings must endure at different points in their lives.
From the Paper "This manner of behavior shows that Frost is yet again, seeking to portray a lone traveler that is unsure of his destination and is found wandering on another person's property. The man driving his horses clearly sees the grim silence of winter and the 'downy flakes', which represent his own sense of isolation and poor navigation off the main road. Also, this negativity is part of Frost's image of winter as a despairing haven for travelers that lose their way in life. This also occurs in a previous stanza that dictates the solace of the wintry wood as a poetic image of despair."
Abstract This paper discusses the issues of the so called 'golden years' and Erikson's last stage of life referred to as integrity vs. despair. According to this paper, some people look at retirement age as the golden years where they can enjoy life without having to work or worry about children, while other seniors view life with despair. It is important to think ahead and plan for the golden years and this can include traveling around the world, taking care of one's health, and even getting involved in the community such as tutoring.
Abstract The paper discusses how in "A Farewell to Arms," Ernest Hemingway chronicles the life of Frederic Henry, an American serving as an ambulance driver in the Italian Army during World War I. The paper examines how Hemingway contrasts the death and despair of war with the loving relationship between Henry and an English nurse. The paper explains that this relationship, although an escape from the despondency of battle, actually culminates in more pain and misery, thus highlighting how despair is inevitable in war.
From the Paper "In his partially autobiographical novel, A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway chronicles the life of Frederic Henry, an American serving as an ambulance driver in the Italian Army during World War I. Hemingway conveys the idea of insensibility shared by Henry and the other soldiers and army personnel as they take pleasure in unscrupulous living and overt excess. Symbolic in nature, their unrestrained behavior discloses the sense of hopelessness felt among the soldiers as they realize the futility of war. Amid the tumultuous events taking place on the battlefield, Hemingway contrasts the death and despair with the loving relationship between Henry and an English nurse, Catherine Barkley. This relationship appears to be an escape from the despondency so prevalent on the frontlines of battle. However, Henry and Catherine's relationship culminates in more pain and misery as Hemingway weaves a tale that illuminates the insensate horror and devastation born out of war."
Abstract The author states that despite critics? sometimes negative reviews, Hemingway was a major American writer, a winner of the Noble prize who could claim literary greatness. He continues that many of Hemingway's works are classics of American literature. The selected reviews refer to some of these classics. The author writes that Hemingway's ability to capture the essence of the despair and desolation of his generation is his major achievement.
From the Paper "Although critics have offered praise and blame for Hemingway's writing, raved about successes, and panned failures, the consensus must be that he is a major American writer who can claim literary greatness. In 1925, when he was not yet twenty-six, his first short story collection, In Our Time, was reviewed in The New York Times. An anonymous critic described his prose as "lean, pleasing, with tough resilience," "fibrous," "athletic," "fresh," "hard," and "clean," as if an athlete, not a book, was being reviewed. Hemingway's style was so different, that new ways had to found to describe it. Hemingway's 1961 New York Times obituary echoed the early review, describing his "lean and sinewy prose," and his "laconic, understated dialogue"."
Abstract The paper explores the meaning of madness in this short story through the analysis of setting, plot, and character development. Examples from the text are given. A discussion of Poe's use of the house to represent the madness and despair of the family is presented.
From the Paper "To understand the ultimate meaning of madness is this dark tale, we must first look at the story itself, and the protagonists who inspire such madness. The opening lines of "Usher" immediately prepare us for the setting of the story. Throughout the tale, Poe consistently reminds the reader that the House of Usher is dank, dark, and depressing. "During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens" (Poe). This dreary setting is the perfect backdrop for the two remaining members of the Usher family, Roderick, and his twin sister Madeline.
The narrator of the story receives a letter from his boyhood friend, Roderick, who begs him to come for a visit. ?The writer spoke of acute bodily illness ? of a pitiable mental idiosyncrasy which oppressed him,? (Poe) and it is no wonder. The narrator says when he first sees the house, ?I had so worked upon my imagination as really to believe that around about the whole mansion and domain there hung an atmosphere peculiar to themselves and their immediate vicinity ? an atmosphere which had no affinity with the air of heaven, but which had reeked up from the decayed trees, and the gray wall, and the silent tarn, in the form of an inelastic vapor or gas ? dull, sluggish, faintly discernible, and leadenhued? (Poe). He feels the house is staring at him, and immediately we understand that this is no ordinary house, and no ordinary family that lives in it. From the very beginning of the story, the madness is apparent in the house, and in the residents. It is frightening, and yet seems very appropriate in this dark and dreary setting, full of sickly inhabitants."
Abstract The writer of this paper examines the unique writing style of Emily Dickinson by quoting many excerpts from her poetry. Poems analyzed include "Success is Counted Sweetest", "The Difference Between Despair" and "I Never Lost as Much but Twice." The writer shows how Dickinson writes about true emotions and harsh realities.
From the Paper "Emily Dickinson, one of America's greatest poets, is known for the musical simplicity and taut, unrelieved expression of emotional truth in poems that are stark, austere, compact and often small"even though her body of work is immense. Many of her poems probe the source of spiritual despair"and find within it a restorative, if stubborn, faith. In the poem, "I Never lost as much but twice" she stands before God and addresses Him as an individual who has lost everything, and ?stood a beggar/Before the door of God!? And yet, apparently, it was God who brought her both happiness and sorrow, fulfillment and loss: his "Angels"twice descending/Reimbursed my store?, and yet she is lost again. With a certain ironic and rebellious humor that is one of Dickinson's stylistic hallmarks, she addresses God as both ?Burglar! Banker!? He is the source of her wealth and her bankruptcy. Now she comes to Him asking for spiritual renewal and replenishment for, ?I am poor once more!?"
Tags: poem, emotion, reality, success, sweetest, despair, lost
Abstract This paper looks at the work of the poet Giacomo Leopardi. The author discusses his themes of despair and how illusion, which encompasses every part of human existence is not only one of the subtexts of Leopardi's life, but is also the mere context of his thought process and hopeless look on life. It is shown how his devotees always understood the direct truth of his perspective on humanity and life itself.
From the Paper "Leopardi excelled at using several varieties of styles when creating his poetry, including ancient Greek, satire, and 19th century contemporary. (Vivante 1) He tended to write his poetry in the Romantic traditional style of the day often with obvious tones of pessimism but yet clarity of vision.
These styles of writing go hand-in-hand with Leopardi's major themes. His consistent focus of despair, death and failing love are an essential part of his approach to writing, but also to the philosophy and workings of his mind. These themes were part of Leopardi's vision of the world around him. He was a man facing, what he thought to be, an absurd world that would never truly care about him and his needs."
Abstract This essay looks at Kierkegaard's ideas on becoming a Christian looking at his ideas of subjectivity, inwardness, objectivity, faith, God, paradox and despair. Keirkegaard contrasts what he terms 'religiousness A' and 'religiousness B' and attempts to show what genuine faith is.
From the Paper "Kierkegaard's thought about the twin themes of becoming a Christian and living as a Christian. It is a process that will lead to real personhood, a journey to becoming a genuine self. Believing that there is an absolute qualitative distinction between God and Humankind, God's answer, the incarnation becomes an absolute paradox. This paradox engenders the possibility of offence within a person at the paradox and this cannot be overcome by the marshalling of evidence but only by a leap of faith. This state of faith or existence is called Religiousness B. In Kierkegaard's thought there are three stages of existence: the aesthetic (which in simple terms is living for pleasure), the ethical (a moral lifestyle) and the religious. The Religious can be subdivided into Religiousness A and Religiousness B. In this essay the emphasis will be on the latter stages by looking at certain key Kierkegaardian motifs, examining the themes of subjectivity or inwardness, Religiousness A in contrast to Religiousness B, faith and offence, paradox and despair. Religiousness B will not be dwelt on as this more pertains to existence as a Christian rather than the journey toward being one."
Abstract This paper scrutinizes the phenomenon of political correctness through the lens of three classic novels that deal with this topic. The novels, which each confront utopianism, are George Orwell's "1984", Ray Bradbury's "The Affluence of Despair" and Robert Bly's "Little Book on the Human Shadow". This paper demonstrates how these novels were conceived by the authors as spiritual warnings against what they considered destructive social trends. Through a review and critique of these stories, the author attempts to support his thesis that like the societies depicted in these novels, American society today is also endangered by utopianism. In America, asserts the author of this paper, it is the feminists, gays and other supporters of the liberal agenda who are most dangerous to true liberty.
From the Paper "Orwell rightly noticed that in totalitarian country the government would try to deprive people of the sense of personal uniqueness, by making them to feel being just a particle of huge social machine. Since there is no way that people can be effectively deprived of their emotions and physical drives, Communist society will try to redirect them in such way that these emotions would be "harmlessly" released. The best way to do it is when person is encouraged to become emotional only within certain boundaries. An individual can be happy as long as it a "social happiness" and he/she is also allowed to feel hate, but only towards Party's enemies: "All over Oceania this morning there were irrepressible spontaneous demonstrations when workers marched out of factories and offices and paraded through the streets with banners voicing their gratitude to Big Brother for the new, happy life which his wise leadership has bestowed upon us." (Orwell, p. 15)."
Abstract The paper examines three short stories by Ernest Hemingway; "Soldier Home," "Way You l Never Be" and "In Another Country" and discusses the general theme which unifies them. The paper then proceeds to outline how four critics view the central thesis of this paper. The paper explains that they mainly see that nihilism and despair bind together all three stories and how the authentic Hemingway exists in these writings. The paper discusses whether they agree in the main, or disagree with the above thesis.
From the Paper "Perhaps no other American writer - certainly not in the twentieth century - produced more insightful and provocative work about the ravages of war than Ernest Hemingway. The following paper will advance the thesis that Hemingway, while he may have sought to project a hyper-macho image, was really deeply insecure, introspective and profoundly suspicious of the macho posturings of warfare. To put it another way, while Hemingway's personal life seemed to valorize machismo and "manly" pursuits, his writings (which are deeply influenced by personal experience) cleave to a different view. Chiefly, his writings depict the most brutally masculine pursuit of all - warfare - in a resoundingly negative way and reveal also his own inward contempt for the masculine, martial conventions and paradigms of his time."
