Abstract This paper explains that "The Convergence of the Twain" by ThomasHardy reflects mankind's over confidence in ship building. The author points out society's arrogance reflected in the luxury and extravagance that the Titanic symbolized in her wreckage. The paper relates that in the sinking of the Titanic, Hardy presents a metaphysical yet morally challenging idea of human achievement in sea faring history.
From the Paper "This literary critique will seek to understand stanzas within the poem "The Convergence of the Twain" by Thomas Hardy. By analyzing stanza III, stanza X and stanza XI of this poem, one can realize possibly stronger clarity in composition in relating the idea of vanity within the Titanic's tragic sinking. In essence, this poem will be critically To glass the opulent The sea worm crawls--grotesque, slimed, dumb, indifferent" (Hardy 7-9) In this stanza the object of mirrors to glass the opulent appears to suggest that vanity mirrors of many of the wealthy patrons on-board the Titanic now reflect indignation and repulsion of luxury items. However, when discussing mirrors, one can also get images of deep-sea ocean reflections or the glassy movement of the 'victorious waters' over the ship."
Abstract St. Thomas Aquinas contributed a great deal to the entirety of Christian Theology both during and after his life; particularly in his writings. St. Thomas, as he is referred to in short, was an astute Biblical scholar who was as devoted to the faith in human reason as he was in God. St. Thomas' tome, Summa Theological, is, literally, the summation of his understanding of theology. In this work Aquinas single-handedly justified and 'proved' the whole of the spiritual nature, the soul, God, and a Christian life. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the contributions of St. Thomas Aquinas to Christian theology and his impact upon Christianity itself.
Abstract This is a study on the use of Gospels of Thomas in a time where, if the gospels of Luke, John, Mark and Mathew were newly circulating at the same time, how the choice for Thomas' Gospel will be made. The argument presented will tell how the Gospel of Thomas was a better way than the Old Testament in bringing the message of God the common people. With the advent of Thomas as the 'twin' of Jesus and the creation of this gospel was a good change for the Church and is supported here.
Abstract This paper examines Dylan Thomas and his poetry by analyzing his work through spiritual glasses. It describes the influences of spirituality versus religion. It studies his work "18 Poems" which he wrote in 1934 and how it brought him immediate recognition. It excerpts his poems and analyzes them. It concludes that Dylan Thomas was a very spiritual person influenced mostly by Christian, Jewish and Catholic images.
From the Paper "Every poet is, in a sense, two people: the poet and the persona, or presence, that speaks through the poetry. With Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) both poet and persona tend to scintillate into the sublime and the ridiculous. With the aid of what Thomas called Comrade Bottle, they could unleash themselves into the depths of the subterranean and the grotesquely morbid. Some of Thomas? early verses were unintelligible, so in love with words was he; and critics have often disagreed on valid interpretations of Thomas? work (Ferris, 2000, p.95). As well, the disagreements carry over to valid interpretations of the poet's life. How much of his drunken, often tactless prattle was for the sake of the song, and how much was the poet's gift"and torture"of seeing so much and feeling so deeply that it was all he could do to fend off madness? In a 1933 South Wales Evening Post essay, he wrote: "the borderline of insanity is more difficult to trace than the majority of people, comparatively safe within the barriers of their own common-sensibility, can realise" (Bedford-St. Martin?s, N.D. 2). "
Abstract The paper analyzes Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas and his actions in twelve years as the only African American in the court, concentrating on the topic of affirmative action. The paper highlights Thomas' conservative bent.
From the Paper "Justice Clarence Thomas is the only black member of the United States Supreme Court. Thomas is one of the most conservative Justices in the current court. Based on a recent vote, it appears Justice Thomas is an opponent of affirmative action programs. In a case that was decided in June, Judge Thomas disagreed with the majority of the Supreme Court's decision to uphold a University of Michigan Law School program that seeks to boost minority enrollment through an affirmative action type program."
Tags: Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court, affirmative action, discrimination, University of Michigan, voting records, conservative, black, minority, admissions
Abstract This paper offers a personal opinion on the importance of Thomas Paine's revolutionary document in American history. The author discusses the main ideals and themes in Paine's work, "Common Sense". The paper compares the "Declaration of Independence" and "Common Sense" and states reasons why it is Thomas Paine's work that Americans should idealize and remember.
From the Paper "Thomas shed new light to the matter and made it a point to emphasize that America can and will survive on it own without any British intervention. He simply made a point that America does not need Great Britain and went on to say that "America would have flourished as much, probably much more, had no European Power had anything to do with her" (Thomas Paine). In "Common Sense", Thomas Paine portrays the British to be greedy for power and control and he clarifies that Britain's intervention is not for the benefit of the American people but rather because she wants control and would've done the same to Turkey for the same motive "viz., the sake of trade and dominion" (Thomas Paine)."
Tags: America, Declaration, Independence, Thomas, Jefferson, history
Abstract Sir Thomas Malory lived an interesting life as an extortionist, rapist, etc. He wrote "Le Morte d'Arthur" while spending his time in prison from which he escaped. This paper recognizes the correlation between his writing and his lifestyle.
From the Paper "It is no accident that Sir Thomas Malory wrote about the life he lived. As a noble knight and landowner, he was more than fascinated with his own lifestyle. Overwhelmed by the events that occurred in his own era, Malory was not shy of trouble, and/or bravery. The story of King Arthur, Le Morte d"Arthur, was inspired from the very moments that unified his life. He grew up in a time period of castles, knights, feudalism and chivalry, which in turn makes for a brilliant tale of valiance and romance, all of which are included in the story. It is from this vast sea of expeditions and events in which Malory encountered and explored, that he conceived his story Le Morte d"Arthur."
Tags: arthur, king, knights, malory, morte, round, table, thomas
Examines the life of Sir/Saint Thomas More and analyzes the influences on his life, including an examination of the concept of Utopia, his relationship with King Henry VIII, his eventual death, and his martyrdom.
Abstract Thomas More is a figure greatly revered both by historians and the religious world. This paper examines these things in light of his contributions to Christianity and the development of the Catholic Church during its most volatile period. It affirms More's convictions as "the king's good servant, but God's first".
From the Paper "History will remember Sir Thomas More as many things. He was a major renaissance figure and author and a successful businessman, diplomat and royal secretary. He was a close friend of King Henry VIII and a valued and trusted advisor. He was devoutly religious and fiercely loyal to the Catholic Church, at a time when the church was under great scrutiny. He was also a family man, with four children of his own and several, which he adopted. He was a man in transition, part modern, part medieval. In fact, much of his life was characterized by these conflicts. Most importantly, however, Thomas More was a Christian, martyred in 1535 and canonized Saint Thomas More by Pope Pius in 1935, more than 40 years later. He has been placed in the same boat as the great passive revolutionaries, like Jesus and Gandhi. At the unveiling of a statue dedicated to More, placed on the banks of the Thames in London, in 1969, the Cardinal Archbishop of Canterbury said: "He believed that the Christian Church is a divine society wider than states and nations, and that duty to king yields place to duty to God." This belief in the church and God characterized More's life and motivated all his actions. However the time in which he lived and its humanistic tradition also influenced More to some degree and his career and works demonstrate how that influenced changed over time, as he deserts humanism to fully defend his church latter in life."
Tags: christianity, henry, reformation, religon, spirituality, thomas, viii
Abstract This paper describes the influence of photography on the portraits, landscapes, and pastorals created by American Realist artist Thomas Eakins. The paper describes the specific influences of photography on Eakins and photography as a source of his inspiration.
From the Paper "According to art critic and biographer Sylvan Schendler has suggested that with respect to the work of American Realist artist Thomas Eakins photography was an important source of .."
Abstract This paper analyzes Thomas Hobbes's "Leviathan" and examines its meaning, the influences of other writers on Hobbes and its effect on modern thinking. The paper also contends that Hobbes was a radical philosophical revolutionary.
From the Paper "Leviathan: My analysis of Thomas Hobbes' "Leviathan" began with a study of the authorship of the book. The copyright page listed Thomas Hobbes as the author and gave his birth and death dates as and respectively. The page stated that the book contained selected variants from the Latin edition of Thomas Hobbes. It appears to be an authentic edition of the book with Hobbes as the author. Hobbes's audience for Leviathan is a matter of some controversy."
Abstract This paper examines the impact of Saint Thomas Aquinas on modern society and points out how it is important to note that his articulation of his natural law doctrine has been very influential for more than seven centuries. The paper explains that this influence has extended beyond philosophy and religion, because Aquinas conceived of natural law within a much larger context of human actions and their place in the order of creation.
From the Paper "As Braybrooke (2003) notes, Aquinas' conception of natural law has had a major impact on human society, primarily because his natural law doctrine "articulates a 'philosophical' ethics within a 'theological' understanding of God and the universe without compromising the integrity of either the philosophical or the theological enterprises.""
Abstract This paper examines the pitfalls in Thomas More's "Utopia." The paper is written from the perspective of the modern reader, who can critique More's society based on what is considered acceptable in our times. The paper's author argues against several issues in More's work, one being slavery and the other being the lack of free choice. The paper gives various examples of what the author considers to show the impracticality and lack of fairness can easily be gleaned from More's work.
From the Paper "In Thomas More's Utopia it is clear that the main sense of the work revolves around fairness, especially in the organization of the people of the country of Utopia. In More's country all the people are equal, according to the laws, language, location of cities and their responsibilities for the maintenance of the whole. Each individual was expected to be a part of the industry associated with maintaining the city where they lived, to the degree that each individual was responsible for moving to the agricultural area and working the land for a period of time, to be replaced by others from the city in a rotation similar to elected representatives and senators."
Abstract The novels of ThomasHardy have created intense critical debate and discussion in recent years, especially in terms of post-structuralist and feminist readings and interpretations of the texts. A central focus of this critical and theoretical literary discourse is the apparent ambivalence and ambiguity that many scholars perceive in the works with regard to his attitude towards women and their place in society. This apparent ambiguity in Hardy's presentation of women forms the underlying and central trajectory of thought in this paper and an attempt is made to relate these critical views to the two main texts under discussion; as well as presenting an overall view of the feminist stance as it pertains to the interpretation of the selected texts. A further and equally important dimension of this study is the exploration of the view that Hardy's perception towards women was influenced by the conservative society and times in which he lived. This paper also explores to what extent the writer questioned and opposed the patriarchal views that were dominant in Victorian society at the time. The central core of the present analysis of Hardy's novels is therefore focused on feminist interpretations and critiques of the works in question. More specifically, the feminist critique is involved with the post structuralist and postmodern deconstruction of western society and the interrogation of the constructs and master narratives that inform or create various social attitudes and perceptions of gender. This is an aspect that is developed in the theory section of the present study and is expanded on further in the analysis of the novels. A central fulcrum around which the discussion in this paper revolves is the apparent ambiguities and contradictions in Hardy's works, when seen from a feminist perspective. This paper also attempts to reconcile these two seemingly opposing views of the works to some extent. Another central element in this analysis of Hardy's novels is the focus on the politics of sex and the cultural and social norms and values that played an important part in the view of women and gender discrimination in Victorian society. There is little doubt that Victorian society had a very narrow view of the potential and individuality of women. There are many feminist views, concepts and theoretical constructs that are also incorporated into the analysis of the texts. For example, the importance of the theory that society "politicizes" the female body and the way that the female body is objectified and becomes an "object of desire" rather then a living person. However, throughout this analysis a balance is maintained between the theoretical views and analytical tools that are used by feminist critics and an analysis of the text itself. In other words, the theoretical views are measured against the actual text.
Outline:
1. Introduction
1.2. Thomashardy and Victorian society: a brief background.
2. Feminist theory and Hardy 2.1. Modern theoretical trajectories and feminism
2.1. 1. A note on post - structuralism and postmodernism
2.2. Feminist theory and literary criticism
2.3. The Social and cultural context
2. 4. The Male Gaze
3. Tess of the d'Urbervilles
3.1. The problem of Hardy as a feminist novel
3.2. Overview
3.3. Tess and traditional feminist interpretations
3.4. Tess of the D'Urbervilles and sexual politics
3.5. Sexual construction
3.6. The development of Tess and the fight against the 'male gaze'
4. Jude the Obscure
4.1. Introduction and overview
4.2. Brief summary of the novel
4.3. The male world divided from nature
4.4. Arabella
4.5. Sue
5. Conclusion and Assessment
6. Bibliography
From the Paper "The most imperative aspect that Mitchell notes is that feminist interpretations are extremely important in an understanding of these works due to the fact that female characters and issues surrounding sexuality and gender form such an important part of almost all of Hardy's novels and cannot be ignored in terms of modern analysis. This may seem like a rather obvious point but in many of Hardy's works the focus is on the female characters as a reflection of and comment on society and the cultural milieu of the novels.
"Sexuality and its ramifications in terms of characters like Tess in Tess of the D'Urbervilles is also an important aspect of contemporary feminist critique that applies to the novels. This is an aspect that is especially important in an analysis of the novels.
"One of the most important early feminist critics of the work of Thomas Hardy is Mary Jacobus (1975). Her work has been focused on the psychological dimensions and representations of Sue Bridehead and the nature of her emancipation, in Jude the Obscure. (Harvey 183)."
Abstract This paper summarizes the plot of "Tess of D'ubervilles" as well as analyzing its main characters. It also examines the life and works of the writer ThomasHardy. It describes the writer's influences and how they have affected his writing. The paper studies ThomasHardy's societal and literary significance at that time and up until today. It also studies several critical reviews made regarding ThomasHardy's works.
From the Paper "John Durbeyfield thinks he's found the solution to his family's poverty, when it is disclosed upon him by Parson Tringham that the Durbeyfields are some faraway relatives of the D'Urbervilles. However, it's no refuge but just the beginning of the destruction of our heroin Tess Durbeyfield. John Durbeyfield makes ambitious plans to restore his relations with the Urbervilles by sending his daughter Tess to live with them. Tess would not have agreed to this if the Durbyfield's poverty would not have been further emphasized by the wreckage of their carriage and only source of income. The antagonist, a typical, feudal, womanizer of a villain, is broached during Tess's stay at the Urbervilles. He immediately tries to seduce Tess, and uses all his feline charms on Tess without much success. Tess feels rather humiliated when she learns that Stoke-D'Urbervilles (head of the family), has no knowledge of Tess's kinship to them. Meanwhile Alec persistently pursues Tess. Finally, the lusty playboy succeeds in his act when he deflowers Tess at an incident that seems as if it was minutely crafted. Tess condemns herself for her weakness and tells Alec that she will never be able to love him. Several weeks after the incident Tess returns to her village, pregnant. However, her child dies even before he is baptized and Tess even finds it difficult to get a Christian funeral on just her personal account of the birth."
Abstract This paper examines Hardy's unique style by analyzing some of his poetry. The writer claims that eventhough Hardy wrote many novels, short stories and poems, the best way to analyze his unique style is through his poetry. By looking at specific lines from various poems, Hardy's writing is analyzed. In ?In Tenebris,? Hardy's tone is examined; the poem ?Afterwards,? is shown as a classic example of his humor; while "The Oxen" is chosen for his significant ability of word choice.
From the Paper "Thomas Hardy was a successful writer of novels, short stories and poetry. While each of these areas could be used to analyze his writing style, the area of choice is his poetry. This is based on two reasons. Firstly, poetry is an area of writing that comes closest to representing the writer's style because of its personal nature. Secondly, it is known that Hardy had to revise many of his short stories to make them acceptable for publication. The short stories then, do not only represent Hardy's own style, they also represents what publications wanted to see. Hardy's poetry is thought to be the best example of Hardy's own individual style, and for this reason the poetry will be considered as a means of investigating his style."
Tags: tenebris, oxen, afterwards, tone, humor, word, choice
