Abstract The preservation of historic sites and of vintage architecture has become a major focus for many in the contemporary period. Different theorists have addressed this issue as they have also sought to motivate the movement for the preservation of the worthy and the important. This paper examines how two such theorists with somewhat different approaches to the subject are WilliamSumnerAppleton and NormanMorrisonIsham, both of whom left writings on the subject as well as took action in furtherance of their goals and their idea of the need for preservation.
From the Paper "William Sumner Appleton lived at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries in the Boston area, where at the time, preservation was maturing from a string of spontaneous efforts to an institutionalized movement. As this took place, both the aims of preservation aims and its methods were transformed, a process in which Appleton played a key role. In the nineteenth century, Boston did not have an organization dedicated to preservation as such. The Bostonian Society was meant to be such an organization, but the group seemed to be satisfied by the single project of looking after the Old State House. The Trustees of Reservations was also nominally interested in historic structures, but in practice the group refused to accept any such structures for years because they had no means of maintaining them. "
Abstract This paper explores the concept of nationalism in England in 1066, English unity, social make-up and the ferocity of their opposition to the invaders. It looks at how the Normans attempted to justify their conquest of England and, in particular, why. It examines how the "rightful claimant to the throne" needed to put such an emphasis on the justification of the conquest. It looks at how William of Normandy held a strong claim to the English throne and how the Norman use of propaganda and their emphasis on the "will of God" suggests there was a seed of doubt somewhere in the Norman establishment concerning legitimacy.
From the Paper "To understand the Norman efforts to justify the conquest it is important to understand the nature of Anglo-Saxon England. How was Duke William of Normandy received? Did he face opposition because he was a foreigner or was it purely political? Anne Williams? provides an insight into English society much earlier than 1066, suggesting that the "emergence of Englishness" began as early as the 7th century . However, such an expression gives little more than a hint as to how developed and patriotic a society England was in the 11th century. The existence of patriotism in England is hard to identify in this period. Overseas invasions were not uncommon and it was only twenty-four years earlier that the Danish dynasty of Cnut had ruled."
Abstract Writers are often influenced by their predecessors, and Toni Morrison is no different. The type of work first immortalized by William Faulkner is clearly evident in her novels, and she not only uses some of the same techniques, but takes them to new levels. This paper shows that both Faulkner and Morrison write in a complex dialect and stylized manner that can be difficult to decipher on a superficial level. Both writers cover similar subject matter in their novels: complex familial relationships, including incest. The paper also shows that Faulkner and Morrison both frequently address issues of race and identity in post-slavery America.
From the Paper "Black characters populate the novels of both Faulkner and Morrison, and they speak in the natural rhythms of their dialect. In Go Down, Moses, the use of dialect is apparent when a black man speaks: ??Ha,? Tomey's Turl said. "And nem you mind that neither. I got protection now. All I needs to do is to keep Old Buck from ketching me unto I gets the word"? (Moses 12). This use of dialect is also seen in Morrison's novels, including The Bluest Eye: ?"Dillinger wouldn"t have come near you lessen he was going hunting in Africa and shoot you for a hippo?? (Bluest 54). For both novelists, the use of dialect helps create the reality of being black."
Abstract This essay argues that Faulkner and Morrison both deal with similar subject matter and are indebted to modernism, albeit in differing ways. The paper concludes that Morrison cannot be considered a modern-day Faulkner but rather a writer in her own right who happens to share a similar literary heritage.
Abstract When it first burst onto the literary scene in 1970, Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" became an immediate sensation that brought to light the quiet desperation of many African-Americans living in the twentieth-century United States. With that in mind, this paper examines the issues of beauty, sexuality and male perversion that inform Morrison's text. In so doing, the paper examines the curious relationship between sex and beauty in the novel as well what it means for the tragic character of Pecola. Additionally, the paper looks at what racially-charged models of beauty mean for young African-American women and how the ugly idea that beauty could only be beautiful if it was/is white impacts Pecola's life in ways that are ultimately devastating.
Abstract This paper discusses Tony Morrison's book "Bluest Eye". This paper is an analysis of the different kinds of suffering and considers what each character identifies as his or her own particular pain. The paper clarifies the role played by Picolla in the pain or healing of each character.
Tags: LITERATURE / AMERICAN LITERATURE, bluest eye morrison
Abstract This paper discusses the threads of image, Beloved's character, slave life, elements of the past and the culmination of African American identity, which all point to the past life that Sethe has lived and now seeks to make peace with in novel "Beloved" by Toni Morrison. The author points out that, eventually, Sethe receives helps from her neighbors to remove Beloved from her life. The paper relates that Sethe is not an evil woman but reflects the circumstances and injustice that slavery forced upon her.
From the Paper "This literary analysis reveals the differing aspects of African American life within Beloved by Toni Morrison. The idioms of image, Beloved's character, slave life, elements of the past, and the culmination of African American identity within the racist South of United States. By realizing the different attributes of life for the African American in Morrison's novel, one can realize the terrible past that has haunted African Americans due to their lives as slaves in the 19th century. When Sethe has murdered her oldest daughter when slave owners seek to take her four children away, one can learn of the painful past that African Americans possess. Sethe cannot be seen as a wrongful or immoral woman, due to the horrors she has seen while being a slave."
Abstract The paper shows that the mission of Toni Morrison is to see that black people have been able to restore the power of their speech on their tongue. She wants to see it restored through literature, which for centuries have represented emotions and experiences of the people who have suppressed the speech of black people. The paper shows that while other forms of art have lost their power, literature still holds promises of reversing the trend, enabling black people to revive their passion for language.
Abstract This paper analyzes the poems "The Young Housewife" and "This Is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams, which reflect domestic desire and the problems of intimacy that lie hidden within American suburbia. The author points out that Williams shows an abstracted form of simile, allusion and symbolism to reflect the frustrations of couples trying to live with each other in divided homes. The paper contends that, by actively revealing his own lack of sexual fulfillment, Williams is able to convey these messages in these simply written, yet cryptic poems.
From the Paper "This poetical analysis explores the theme of domestic desire within the two poems: "The Young Housewife" and "This Is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams. By revealing William's poetry related to domestic desire through simile, allusions and symbolism, one can learn why these two poems reflect isolation and the romantic problems within 20th century American suburbia. In understanding William's poems through the theme of domestic desire, one can assume unfulfilled sexual and romantic energies that reside within his verse. The poem "The Young Housewife" reflects the barriers and sexuality of the suburbs in the way that Williams present both the woman and the doctor in the poem."
Abstract A study of William Styron, a recovering alcoholic who slid into a deep and complicated depression. The author tries to diagnose Styron who meets the criteria for a major depressive episode. For the bulk of Styron's battle with depression, he was on medication, Halcion. With a situation as serious as William Styron's he will have to spend a long time working on the causes of his depression that may still be buried.
From the Paper "William Styron's condition began to take over his life by late 1985. He states that it was present for several months, but it did not become apparent how serious it was until this time. It was in 1985 when he first thought that he might die due to his condition (Styron 1990). By December of 1985, Styron was thinking about suicide, but even before that, he could not function socially or in his career. He could not sleep, was disinterested in sex, had slowed speech, had a depressed mood for most or all of the day, was fatigued from lack of sleep, and could not concentrate on regular tasks (American Psychological Association, 1994; Styron 1990). His wife was concerned and encouraged him to seek help, but his friends tried not to bring it up too often (Styron 1990). At this time, and with this type of person ? upper class, "socialite" ? it was not "good manners" for friends to bring up personal problems. (Styron 1990). "
Tags: darkness, depression, dsm, iv, psychology, Styron, visible, William, manners, personal
Abstract "There can be little question that William Byrd was one of America earliest writers and in later generations one of its most controversial. The following paper examines the secret diary of William Byrd of Westover as it was written in the period 1709-12. Specifically, the paper examines the text in light of his own situation during these years--he was still a relatively young man at the time--as well as what factors might have prompted him to write as he did. Beyond that, the paper briefly catalogues the major themes of Byrd's diary, the literary style employed and a key issue raised by the diary entries. In the end, it is fair to conclude that Byrd's writings are a window into the attitudes informing the actions of eighteenth century country gentlemen.
Abstract In this paper, the writer considers William Blake's novel "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" as a reaction to the Enlightenment. William Blake saw the Enlightenment as favoring the rational over the imaginative and explicitly reacts to this thought process in "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell." The paper discusses how Blake contrasts science, poetry, rationality, and imagination to show the limitations and problems that privileging the rational has had by exploring the imaginative in a diabolic way.
From the Paper "Blake dismisses the advantage that has been placed upon good over evil by taking on a diabolical voice and condemns the Church, as it has condemned men, by explaining that "All bibles or sacred codes have been the causes of the following Errors:..."6 (Plate 4), then affirming that "the following Contraries to these are true:..."6 (Plate 4). Blake uses this rejection of the bible to point out the misleading notions that the Church has caused, then blatantly writes "Those, who restrain desire, do so because theirs is weak enough to be/ restrained; and the restrainer or reason usurps its place and governs the unwilling."6 (Plate 5) Here, Blake points out the insufficiencies that "conventional moral[ity]"6 (1377) holds while restraining those who do not wish to follow, as a prediction of the breaking away from Church or State governance."
Abstract This paper focuses on William Wordsworth's poem ?Animal Tranquility and Decay.? It explores the relationships between man's mind, his body, and his natural environment. The title refers to the "tranquility" that Wordsworth seems to perceive in nature and the "decay" that a human being undergoes during his life. The paper concentrates on the various insinuations made by Wordsworth about tranquility and decay. Definitions are raised and examined, as well as related to everyday life. Also, symbolism is examined in the poem, as well. Phrases and stanzas from the poems are analyzed in search of an overall theme.
Tags: animal, decay, poem, poetry, tranquility, william, wordsworth, age
Abstract An explication of the role of God and the human spirit in salvation as expressed in the poetry of William Blake, with comparison to similar attempts by other poets.
Abstract This eleven-page undergraduate academic paper discusses Tennessee Williams and how his personal life parallels and reflects the lives of the fictional characters in his play "The Glass Menagerie".