Abstract
The paper discusses how the central metamorphosis of John Nolan in Steinbeck's "In Dubious Battle" revolves around a politically absolutist and violent point of view that he develops within the labor strike. The paper explains that although Nolan began as a lowly union member, his family history had helped to influence him to become involved in militant revolt and violence as a course of action against the landowners.

Tags:steinbeck, battle, labor

Abstract
The paper examines how John Steinbeck's novel, "In Dubious Battle", describes a migrant worker labor strike that portrays the turbulence of the depression era labor struggles in California. The paper outlines how Steinbeck explores the differing motivations of the strike leaders, and the prevalent use of violence throughout the struggle.

From the Paper
"John Steinbeck's novel, In Dubious Battle, provides its readers a window into the turbulence of the depression era labor struggles in California, when homeless men were arrested for vagrancy, workers were supervised by armed guards, and violence and beatings were prevalent. The conflict in the novel is sparked when migrant workers in California's apple country are informed of a 25 percent reduction in their per-basket wages. Their generalized discontent is nurtured into a full-fledged strike against the regional landowners through the manipulations of veteran labor activist Mac McLeod and rookie activist Jim Nolan. The group assumes a life of its own, evolving rapidly from an organized strike into loosely controlled mob violence, and ultimately Jim Nolan is destroyed in the struggle after emerging as a leader."

Tags:violence, mob, strike, labor, workers

Abstract
This paper examines the absolutist political ideology of the labor leader, Jim Nolan, in John Steinbeck's novel, "In Dubious Battle". The paper looks at how at the beginning of the strike, Nolan portrays a leader that rests on stern and unyielding principles to overtake and destroy the tyranny of labor domination by landowners. The paper then points out that this unyielding and uncompromising political view, however, results in the failure of the strike and the death of Nolan. The paper then suggests that Jim Nolan represents a metamorphism of an absolutist political ideology that is unrealistic and eventually ends with the failure of the strike within Steinbeck's novel.

From the Paper
"The first stage of Jim Nolan's desire to overthrow the cruel and greedy landowners that force him and other to work for brutally low wages is based of his hatred of tyrannical authority. The novel describes the way that Nolan and others had to live in poverty and destitution, which then acts as a catalyst for Nolan's absolutist desire to overthrow the landowners. Steinbeck (1992) relates the foundation for a labor rights when Nolan is questioned about his motives for joining the Union league Club."

Tags:poverty, greed, labor, rights, strike

Abstract
This paper introduces and analyzes the book "In Dubious Battle" by John Steinbeck. Specifically, it focuses on how characters represent the various ideas held by capital and labor in the 1930's. "In Dubious Battle" is the story of poor field workers fighting a lost cause against prosperous owners. The paper shows that rather than a story of reform and revolt, "In Dubious Battle" is really a struggle between good and evil and the self-destructive behavior that lives in all mankind.

From the Paper
"Clearly, Mac represents evil in the novel, while Jim represents good and decency. In the end, Mac shows his true self when he uses Jim's death to further his cause, just as he has used so many others throughout the novel. He "picked Jim up and slung him over his shoulder, like a sack; and the dripping head hung down behind" (Steinbeck 250). Some critics liken Mac to Satan or the serpent in the Garden of Eden, "As he displays Jim's faceless body, Mac is again like the serpent in the Garden" (Werlock 62). Whomever he represented in Steinbeck's mind, Mac is clearly evil, and therefore what he works for is evil, just as it is in the eyes of the growers. Mac dehumanizes the people around him, just as he dehumanized Jim's death. He is an inhumane man working for what many believe is a humane cause, and so he is a juxtaposition and a fraud, if he ever really takes the time to look at himself."

Tags:Jim, Nolan, Communist, Party, Central, Valley

Abstract
The paper discusses biographical details of John Steinbeck's life of two of his novels; "In Dubious Battle" and "The Grapes Of Wrath." The paper explains Steinbeck as the foremost writer of the Depression and it describes his concern with the struggles of laborers. The paper discusses the theme of novels.

From the Paper
"John Steinbeck is considered the foremost novelist of the Great Depression and his own life contains insights into the development of his sympathy for the dispossessed, the downtrodden and the migrant workers as evidenced in two of his early novels, "In Dubious Battle" and "The Grapes of Wrath." These novels reflect his concern with the struggles of common laborers of which he had firsthand knowledge through his observations and work as a laborer, a seaman surveyor and migratory worker among other jobs."

Tags:Steinbeck, Novels, Biography, Theme, Dubious, Battle, Grapes, Wrath, Depression

Abstract
This paper examines the historical background and the events of the Battle of Platea. It shows how the Greeks were able to defeat the mighty Persian Empire through superior battle tactics. The Persian style of warfare consisted of generally unorganized troops under the leadership of leaders who had shown particular bravery in battle. The Greek army was less than a tenth of the size of the Persian army, but had more advanced weaponry and were well trained.

From the Paper
"A note must be made as to the numbers of troops for this battle. Herodotus is the primary source for the documentation of this battle. He wrote about the battle after the fact. His works did not give accurate accounts of numbers. According to McGoodwin (2002), the numbers of the Greeks numbered 110,000 and the numbers of the Persians, 750,000. There are many discrepancies in secondary sources as to the number of actual troops on both sides. All of the numbers do however, reflect that the Greeks were heavily outnumbered by the Persians. The lower numbers would seem to be more consistent with other battles of the time."

Tags:battle, tactics, army, athens, xerxes, mardonius, phalanx

Abstract
This paper explains the effects, circumstances, causes and happenings of the Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Battle of the Ardennes. It also suggests what went wrong for the Germans and what mistakes Hitler made. Military tactics of both sides are analyzed - Germans and Allies.

From the Paper
"The Battle of the Bulge, which lasted from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945, was the largest battle of World War II in which the United States participated (Toland). Over a million men fought for their lives, countries and families. Although many a soldier dreamed of the day they could return to their families, many of them did not make it home. At the conclusion of the battle there were 81,000 American casualties including 23,554 captured and 19,000 killed. The British suffered 1,400 casualties, with only 200 killed. Also, the greatest number of all, there were 100,000 German soldiers killed, wounded or captured (Cole)."

Tags:allies, ardennes, army, battle, belgium, casualties, germans, hitler, ii, offensive, red, russian, war, world, wwii

Abstract
The Battle of Antietam, both directly and indirectly, was the most decisive battle of the U.S. Civil War. This paper examines military and political consequences of this battle and how these effected the remainder of the war and the political future of the country.

From the Paper
"The battle of Antietam was a pivotal point in the American Civil War. A victory by either the Union or the Confederacy would have severe and long-lasting implications for both sides. The battle of Antietam in September of 1862 resulted in a significant military success for the Union army, the failure of Britain and France to recognize the Confederacy as an independent nation, and Lincoln s issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, making Antietam the most decisive battle of the Civil War."

Tags:antietam, battle, civil, confederacy, emancipation, lee, lincoln, proclamation, robert, us, war

Abstract
This paper is an examination of the third battle of the Aisne. It details this excellent demonstration of the strengths of the German army during World War I as well as demonstrates why these particular strengths were not sufficient to win the war. It describes this German offensive that began on May 27, 1918. The author believes that the German success in this battle came about as the result of the finely honed German infantry tactics combined with a furiously concentrated artillery bombardment, operating under a sky dominated by the 'Jagdgeschwader' of the VII German army. But he feels that in the end, this battle did not help the Germans win the war in any way, in fact, it actually backfired at them.

From the Paper
"The Third Battle of the Aisne is most certainly not one of the best known battles of World War I. Perhaps this is merely because of that oldest of all war adages, which is that the victors get to write the histories, and that in the aftermath of the war late German victories were brushed aside. Perhaps it is not that often cited simply because, while every battle in a war is important, this one was not a turning point. And yet the battle does deserve to be examined as an excellent demonstration of the strengths of the German army during the Great War as well as a demonstration of why, in the end, these particular strengths would not be sufficient to win the war."

Tags:Great, War, World, I, Aisne, River, Battle, Germans, French, Belgian, Canadian, American, Allies

Abstract
This paper presents a comparison and contrast of Odysseus and Ulysses. It shows that on the one hand Ovid's "Ulysses" reveals striking similarities to Homer's "Odysseus" in that he is a hero who frequently engages in what we would today consider morally dubious actions; but whose defining characteristics are intellect and cunning rather than strength or success in battle.

From the Paper
"A comparison and contrast of the representation of the character of Odysseus in Homer's epic The Odyssey and Ulysses from Ovid's Metamorphoses is complicated by two key issues. The first complication is that while they are essentially the same character in the mythic narrative of ancient Greece, Homer's representation is - as best we know - the original version of the character. Ovid's Ulysses is a Roman recreation of the original, shaped by the language and culture of classical Rome, many centuries after Homer. The second key complication is the fact that Odysseus is the protagonist of a immense poetic epic by Homer, whereas the Ulysses of Ovid is merely a minor character in the Metamorphoses."

Tags:homer, ovid, odyssey