| Papers [1-15] of 100 :: [Page 1 of 7] | | Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 —> | Search results on "TRAGIC AMERICAN DREAM": |
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Tragic American Dream, 2004.
A look at the tragedy of the American Dream in two movies,"Death of a Salesman? and ?Seize the Day".
1,300 words (approx. 5.2 pages), 0 sources, $ 43.95
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Abstract
This paper examines two films, ?Death of a Salesman? and ?Seize the Day?, which are set only about ten years apart and which deal with the American Dream. It discusses the concept of the American Dream; the protagonists in these two plays face materialism and have problems, difficulties, and humiliation in relationship between father and son(s). It explains that there are also outstanding characters in the two plays, with characteristics that make them failures. Moreover, the wives in both plays have significant roles in misleading their husbands to failure.
From the Paper
"The ?Death of a Salesman,? by Arthur Miller, is a story about how a father?s misleading and deficient thoughts can be influential to his sons, how terrible it is, and what kinds of background or situation make the sons failures. Willy Loman who has two sons, Biff and Happy, is an inapplicable salesman whose imagination is much greater than his sales ability. While everyone around Willy experiences success and wealth, Willy and his family are too far from success. Willy wants to be successful for the wealth and dignity, but his dream is never fulfilled and materialized at all. In this situation, Willy tries to receive satisfaction from his sons. For instance, he wants Biff to become a business success even though Biff wants to work outside on a cattle ranch. Biff has an internal struggle between pleasing his father and doing what he feels is right."
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The Unattainable American Dream, 2004.
A look at the definition of the American dream and its representation in "All My Sons" by Arthur Miller.
784 words (approx. 3.1 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 27.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at how the concept of the American dream as a fairy tale life with plenty of money is, in fact, a myth. Many families strive and work all their lives to fulfill their American dream, but when reality sets in, they end up failing, and their American dream turns into a nightmare: the American reality. In particular, it looks at how Arthur Miller symbolizes the American dream and how, most of the time, it ends up being just a dream and nonexistent, as illustrated in the tragic play, "All My Sons".
From the Paper
"We associate this time of the American dream with the years following WWII, which we see in the 1950?s world created through the movies (i.e. Pleasantville): successful children, perfect families, and a happy stay-at-home mother (Kismaric 53). In the end, everyone knows that the children are not always successful, there are family fights, and not every mother can be at home and happy. Many families strive and work all their lives to fulfill their American dream, but when reality sets in, they end up failing and their American dream turns into a nightmare: the American reality. It may even be propaganda put on by the government to improve society after the war (Kismaric 55), so that the people can relax and live comfortably knowing that while their country is fighting for their freedom, they can live a ?perfect? life."
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Dreams and Dreaming, 2004.
An overview of the process of dreaming and what dreams really mean.
2,253 words (approx. 9.0 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 69.95
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Abstract
This paper attempts to define what exactly a dream is, whether it is a story that evolves in the mind in a single flash of inspiration, moving from beginning to end in a few seconds, or whether there more to it than mere fantasy. It examines how many researchers, both past and present, have given numerous definitions for what dreams are and how they can be interpreted.
Outline
The Mechanics of Dreaming
The Sleep Cycle
Body Dynamics
The Healing Power of Dreams
Dream Deprivation
The Meaning of Dreams
From the Paper
"Thanks to these dream researchers, it is now known that there is a regular cycle of sleeping and dreaming during each period of sleep. For most people, a night of sleep begins with certain rituals; sleep then is supposed to come in an instant. Within the first few minutes, the temperature of the body falls, and brain waves begin their regular alpha rhythms, indicating a relaxed state. In Stage One, the muscles lose their tension, breathing becomes more even, and the heart rate slows. In Stage Two, random or nonsensical image may float through the mind, mimicking the dream state. In Stage Three, the body continues its process of slowing down; the muscles lose all tightness, breaths come slowly and rhythmically, the heart rate decreases and blood pressure falls. In Stage Four, the body and the mind are at their most restful periods and may last for many hours."
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"American Slavery, American Freedom", 2008.
A review of "American Slavery, American Freedom" by Edmund S. Morgan.
1,444 words (approx. 5.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 47.95
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Abstract
The paper describes how Edmund S. Morgan's "American Slavery, American Freedom" examines the political and social impact of slavery in colonial America. The paper explains how Morgan emphasizes the tragic contradiction between freedom and slavery, particularly in the colony of Virginia that produced patriot leaders such as Washington and Jefferson, but also had the most slave owners. The paper further explains Morgan's thesis that this contradiction was caused by prevailing beliefs that racial and gender inequality was a natural condition.
From the Paper
"American Slavery, American Freedom was written by historian Edmund S. Morgan and published in 2003 by W. W. Norton. The author's examination of slavery in America emphasizes the tragic contradiction between freedom and slavery, and focuses on Virginia, which produced leaders of the American Revolution who were dedicated to freedom and equality, but which also had the most slave owners. In his book, Morgan analyzes this paradox as he strives to understand and explain why such a contradiction existed."
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Dreams and Dream Research, 2006.
This paper looks at the sleep cycle and studies dreaming.
2,261 words (approx. 9.0 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 70.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses what exactly a dream is. The writer ask whether it is a story that evolves in the mind in a single flash of inspiration, moving from beginning to end in a few seconds, or if is there more to it than mere fantasy. The writer discusses the sleep cycle and the act of dreaming and notes that many researchers, both past and present, have given numerous definitions for what dreams are and how they can be interpreted.
Outline:
The Mechanics of Dreaming
The Sleep Cycle
Body Dynamics
The Healing Power of Dreams
Dream Deprivation
The Meaning of Dreams
From the Paper
"A 2000 study at the University of Michigan found that the human body's dreaming condition is much like the fight or flight response in waking life, which gears the body up to confront a threatening situation. Yet the brain simultaneously signals the spinal cord to hold the body completely rigid. Science is still attempting to exactly determine what
physical function dreaming has for humans, but since the 1950's, researchers have made remarkable advances in the study of sleep and dreams.
"The cycles of sleep are a fairly new discovery, but in the years since researchers finally cracked the code of sleep, much has been learned about how the human body reacts when one dreams."
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To Dream or Not To Dream, 2001.
A paper discussing the "American Dream," and how it has been denied to certain people throughout history.
1,111 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 3 sources, $ 38.95
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Abstract
A paper discussing the "American Dream," and how it has been denied to certain people throughout history. The author relies on literary quotes to make the case that, in various points in American history, racism, poverty, and many other factors have conspired to deny the American Dream to groups of people.
From the Paper
"In the world today and throughout the past three centuries, millions of people have turned to America as the ?land of promise? where happiness is guaranteed and dreams are realized. The ?American dream? differs somewhat for all people but is built around the principles of being financially successful and having the opportunity to meet one?s goals in life. As this ideal has become more prevalent throughout the world, it has also become more elusive and difficult to obtain. This dream and guarantee that America supposedly offers is too often smothered by societal structure and philosophies, which impose limitations upon and create barriers against those seeking a better life; consequently, millions are left hopeless with their burning passion for life nearly extinguished."
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Arthur Miller?s ?All My Sons?, 2004.
This paper discusses the concept of the American Dream as portrayed by the characters in Arthur Miller?s play, ?All My Sons? (1947).
1,555 words (approx. 6.2 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Arthur Miller, in his tragic play, ?All My Sons?, symbolizes through the lifestyle of the Keller family and their friends his view of the American Dream. The author points out that the concept of the American Dream is associated with the years following WWII, in which, through the movies such as ?Pleasantville?, the world created successful children, perfect families, and a happy stay-at-home mother, which, in the end, just as for the characters in this play, was impossible. The paper relates that writer Miller is the character Jim Bayliss, who, even though he has moral values, lives his life in sync with everyone else.
From the Paper
"Once the truth comes out and everyone begins to argue (Miller 58-59), the only way that Joe feels he can free Chris and the others from guilt and pain, so that they can live and continue their attempt to become successful, is to kill himself. Throughout his life, he never learned that true success is measured in who we become rather than what materialistic item we have. If he learned how to love and respect himself and his family, he could have achieved the happiness he never found. His intentions were good, but his dream for the American dream was wrong, and suicide (Miller 69) was his way of fixing the burdens he caused. Joe?s longing to become socially accepted eclipsed his ability to distinguish right from wrong, and that is what leads him to his dishonest and selfish choices. Joe Keller believed that he had to sacrifice everything, to give his family the kind of life Americans can only dream."
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"Death of a Salesman" and "The Glass Menagerie", 2006.
A discussion on the failure of the American dream , as described in "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller and "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams.
1,385 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 0 sources, $ 46.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the lives of the main families in the plays "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller and "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams. It describes the way in which the Loman family experienced tragedy because they hoped and depended too much on the belief that subsistence to the American dream would, inherently, be the catalyst that will propel them towards economic prosperity and success. It then contrasts this to the Wingfield family who experienced tragedy because they thrived in the culture of hopelessness, believing that the world in itself was too cruel and their life was an already tragic one.
From the Paper
"The Wingfield family of "Glass," meanwhile, suffered not from the hopefulness, but from the sheer lack of it. The pervasiveness of hopelessness in the family affected the lives and attitudes of Amanda and Tom. Like the Loman sons Biff and Happy, Tom failed to realize that hard work was the best recourse to take in alleviating his family's hardships and sufferings, taking them out of the tragic lives they led. From Tom's end, in fact, he showed no conscious effort to redeem himself from the fact that will always be poor and underprivileged, in the midst of the affluent lives of other people in the society they lived in."
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Willy Loman Tragic Hero, 2005.
Examines whether the protagonist from Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" should be considered a tragic hero.
1,764 words (approx. 7.1 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 56.95
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Abstract
When one reads "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller, the first question that comes to mind is: Why should we care about Willy Loman? This paper questions whether Loman continues the tradition of a classic tragic hero and whether this was Arthur Miller's intention. As Loman is meant to be a uniquely American protagonist, who simply failed to achieve the "American Dream," this "dream" is also examined.
From the Paper
"Arthur Miller, however, views the character of Willy Loman differently. He asserts that that "the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were (Miller)." Though Willy had never achieved a high position or sense of identity in his life, Miller claims that in tragedy the importance is not on the fall from a high position, but "the underlying struggle is that of the individual attempting to gain his "rightful" position in his society." He claims that it is still a fall, not from an actual position of power, but from a potential one, and therefore the "common man" goes through the same feelings and thoughts that a king would."
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Understanding Descartes?s Dream Argument, 2005.
Examines Descartes's dream theory within the context of the idea that computers might think, dream, and be deceived by dreams.
1,956 words (approx. 7.8 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 62.95
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Abstract
The ?dream argument? may have been a truly-lived expression of doubtfulness during Descartes's era. This paper notes why Descartes and his contemporaries may have been truly puzzled, given the state of scientific understanding at that time. Today, one cannot even get to the point in which proving or refuting Descartes?s dream argument would make any sense. One cannot simply lift the dream argument out of those circumstances and transplant it to our times. The paper shows that what may be appropriate is to look at computer technology today and ask whether computers can think, dream, and be deceived by their dreams.
From the Paper
"One can first begin with the question of whether computers can really play chess. Over thirty years ago it would have been very apparent that chess game software (and the corresponding hardware) had a challenging time competing with someone who was a decent chess player. When the question was asked over thirty years ago, it was possible to answer the question in the negative by way of showing the essential differences between how a human makes a move in chess versus how a computer performs the same operation."
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Tragic Heroes, 2007.
This paper discusses Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" and "The Death of a Salesman."
894 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 31.95
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Abstract
The paper explains that Arthur Miller wrote "The Crucible" to establish a parallel between the unjust Salem witch trials and the Second Red Scare when Communists were believed to have quietly infiltrated American life and security. The paper discusses how Miller, like his character John Proctor, kept his silence and refused to testify to the Committee in protecting his business and personal friends and was thus blacklisted by the American government. The paper also examines "The Death of a Salesman" where Miller centers on the attainment of the American dream in the main characters, Willy Loman and his son, Biff. The paper discusses how Willy, unlike John Proctor, does not attain the status of a tragic hero because he does not come to a full self-realization.
From the Paper
"John Proctor, as Arthur Miller's tragic hero in "The Crucible," is essentially an honest and upright and honest man with just one weakness, a secret affair with Abigail Williams, which he at first hides in order to protect his public reputation as an honorable man and husband to Elizabeth (Miller 1953, Wikipedia 2006). The witchcraft hysteria occurs at this time when the spurned Abigail expresses her jealousy and vengeance by implicating Elizabeth as a witch to the court. John presents Mary Warren to the judge as a witness in an attempt at saving his wife but without exposing his adultery, but the attempt fails and John finds himself trapped in the turmoil when Mary accuses him of being a wizard himself."
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Lucid Dreaming, 2002.
A comprehensive examination of the dream state, an overview of lucid dreaming, and its relevance for psychologists and other clinicians today.
4,494 words (approx. 18.0 pages), 7 sources, APA, $ 117.95
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Abstract
Lucid dreaming is a paradoxical mental state in which dreamers become aware that they are dreaming and, in some cases, deliberately take control of the dream action. This paper provides an overview of why humans sleep and dream, an examination of what lucid dreams are, and their relevance to psychologists and other clinicians today. A discussion of the potential adverse consequences identified by some critics is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
Outline
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Why Do Humans Sleep and Dream Anyway?
What Are Lucid Dreams? Cheap Thrills or Divine Insight?
Learning How to Dream Lucidly
Relevance of Lucid Dreaming to Psychology
"Completely Risk-Free" or Not?
Improving Accessibility to Lucid Dreaming
Conclusion
From the Paper
"Because everyone dreams, it would seem easy enough to classify the experience as being "ordinary," and yet the dream experience itself can seem to be anything but "ordinary." Researchers have been investigating why animals sleep and have attempted to determine the biological role of dreams. Lucid dreaming means dreaming while knowing that you are dreaming. This consciousness allows people to guide their dreams and explore a potentially infinite number of possibilities. A staunch lucid dream advocate and researcher, Dr. Stephen LaBerge, even maintains that lucid dreaming may help people heal faster and enjoy other benefits, including aiding personal-development, enhancing self-confidence, overcoming nightmares, improving mental (and perhaps, physical) health, facilitating creative problem solving as well as providing "thrilling entertainment." In all fairness, it should be pointed out that LaBerge is also hawking DreamLights and other devices designed to help people learn how to dream lucidly at as much as $1,000 a pop -- and he has sold a lot of them."
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Theories of Dreaming, 2000.
This paper examines the various theories put forth in scientific journals surrounding dreaming. Special attention is paid to the dreams of children and the role of REM sleep with respect to dreaming.
3,400 words (approx. 13.6 pages), 10 sources, APA, $ 96.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses a wide range of theories involving dreaming, including the dreams of children, adolescents, and women. It also examines the differences in dream content with respect to age and gender, a behavioural perspective of dreaming, the rhetorical theory of dreaming, the causes and effects of post-traumatic nightmares, and a theory of dreaming as an experience of consciousness.
From the Paper
"In children, the REM stage goes from about fifty percent of total sleep in infants, to twenty five percent in two and three year olds, and down to around eighteen percent in older Dreaming 3 children and adolescents. Jean Piaget described three stages in children?s understanding of their own dreams. In Piaget?s theory, the first stage occurs around the age of five or six. These children are only able to interpret their dreams as something external to themselves and as being insignificant. Stage two, which begins around the age of seven or eight, has the children viewing their dreams as coming from the inside but they still view them as things happening around them, in their bedroom as they sleep. Stage three begins around the age of eight or nine and during this stage, children experience their dreams as a reflection of their innermost thoughts and feelings."
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Dreams, 1987.
Clinical significance from Freudian & non-Freudian perspectives. Examines wish fulfillment, individual interpretations, human v. animal dreams, recurring dreams and group therapeutic approach.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 14 sources, $ 55.95
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From the Paper
" The purpose of this research is to examine the literature related to dream states as revelatory of unconscious activities. To this end, the paper provides a review of Freudian notions of dream analysis and interpretation; challenges to these notions are then examined. These challenges include the writings of people such as Carl Jung and R. D. Cartwright. There is also a brief discussion of the relatedness of dreams to physical states such as brain activity states and bodily illness.
The first theorist to formulate a comprehensive and scientific theory of dreaming was Sigmund Freud (Mattoon, 1978). He was also the first to integrate dream theory into a theory or personality. Freud initially hypothesized the dream to be a (...)"
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Dreams, 1992.
Examines dream interpretation, Freud's wrong theory and two types of dreaming, discussing the differences between male/female dreaming, effects of stress, dream meanings and nightmares.
2,025 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 5 sources, $ 71.95
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From the Paper
"Ancient man looked upon dreams as divine prophecies. Alexander the Great was just about ready to give up on his siege of the stubborn city of Tyre. One night, he dreamed of a dancing satyr. Aristander, the dream interpreter traveling with the army, told Alexander his dream foretold the conquest of Tyre. Aristander figured out the dream by splitting the word "Satyros" into the two words "Sa Turos".-Greek for "Thine is Tyre.". Alexander, fortified by the interpretation, attacked and conquered the city.
Dream interpretation continued to be practiced and highly esteemed throughout history. But somewhere along the way, this became disreputable, an undertaking for the superstitious. By the time of Freud, dream interpretation hit an all.time low. At the beginning of this century Freud tried to revive the old idea, but ..."
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