Hartleys novel Essay Example for Free

Hartleys novel Essay Although appearing to have a cynical view of love in the poem Larkin does in fact not doubt love, but the expectations that we have of it. In the words of Andrew Swarbrick, Larkin expresses not feelings of bitterness or pessimism but of pathos, of a tender sympathy for the widow who recalls dreams knowing they are best forgotten. Though sometimes pleasurable reminiscing can reveal hopes that were unfulfilled, dreams never lived out, good times we can never experience again. Therefore what we perceive to be pessimism in Larkin is, in this instance, simply realism, an understanding of the illusions contained in the world, making him less deceived as a result. He once remarked, Poetry is an affair of sanity, of seeing things as they really are it was for him a way of being honest, not overestimating the value of things. Nonetheless, in the final poem of The Whitsun Weddings, An Arundel Tomb, Larkin hints at his belief in love. Despite not having a successful love life himself he still implies that he has faith in its existence, the ultimate word of the anthology being the abstract noun, love. This line is a testament to its endurance and strength, What will survive of us is love. John Saunders likens these lines containing the prove/love rhyme to Shakespeares attempt to define true love in Sonnet 73, Larkins concluding line echoing the rhyming couplet, If this be error, and upon me proved I never wrote, nor no man ever loved. An Arundel Tomb concentrates on the historical aspect of the past. The persona in the poem, which is in fact Larkin, examines the concept of artifacts, how something set in stone can withstand the test of time regardless of whether it actually existed in the first place. Visiting a Sussex churchyard Larkin sees an example of love that both moves and intrigues him, had it not been for the incongruity of two linked hands displayed on the tomb he would have walked by. It is a gesture small yet touching but the cynic in Larkin questions its validity presuming it to be a case of a sculptors sweet commissioned grace rather than a symbol of a long and devoted marriage. Together in death the couples faces blurred but the husband is still holding her hand. Over time their features have been weathered but their effigy remains as a reminder of their lives, a monument to their love. Archaic language is used to complement the subject matter of the poem, capturing a bygone time so unlike todays unarmorial age. Further manipulation of syntax is evident with the effective juxtaposition of the adjectives sharp and tender, conveying simply but perfectly Larkins confused and mixed reaction to the union of the stone hands. There is debate over Larkins true feelings towards the real meaning of the faithfulness in effigy. Whether or not he again intended the pun with the use of the verb lie just as lovers were lying together in bed is unclear. As Brother Anthony (An Sonjae) points out in his paper Without Metaphysics there is a huge diversity in the interpretations of Larkins intended meaning in his work, it is up to the reader to determine their own response which is good for the reader, but a challenge too. Does the poet believe that love survives not only in stone? Or as Andrew Swarbrick quite rightly points out does he almost believe it as the penultimate line suggests? Our almost-instinct almost true therefore cancels out the optimism of the following statement. Here we witness Larkin lowering his defenses, allowing himself to hope for the best, to want love to be that much mentioned brilliance but he cannot do so completely for fear of it being an illusion. Although hinting at what he truly believes it is as though he will not allow himself to trust it in case he is mistaken. Yet whether love survives or not it lives on in Arundel where only an attitude remains. This is also true of Larkins poetry, and in fact to the whole genre. Whereas fictional characters and places from novels are lost, forgotten, poetry allows thoughts to survive as art long after the death of the artist. Larkin wrote of this inspiring philosophy in 1955, contained in a statement to D. J. Enright he explained, I write poems to preserve things I have seen/thought/felt I think the impulse to preserve lies at the bottom of all art. Yet as mentioned previously the meaning of Larkins literature is not always clear, just like he could only assume the significance of the joined hands we can only guess at the thoughts of Philip Larkin which are contained and live on in his verse. The poem Dockery and Son relates the events and emotions that occur when Philip Larkin revisits his old college, steps back into the past only to be disappointed with what he finds there. An outsider there, he no longer belongs and finds himself a stranger in his own past, as well as physically being unable to enter his past residence the door of where (he) used to live is also locked metaphorically. However, the most disturbing thing for Larkin is the news that one of his peers now has at son at Oxford: Dockery unlike Larkin with no son, no wife, no house or land is a success story. The door to fatherhood is therefore also locked for Larkin. By starting with dialogue the poem is made more authentic as it adds an injection of reality to the verse. It also alerts Larkin to the fact that he is no longer part of that world, of public school boys and ranks, he, unlike Dockery, has no reason to revisit that part of his life. He feels ignored. As in The Whitsun Weddings Larkin philosophizes whilst on a train which is not only a vehicle in the normal sense of the noun but a vehicle for his thoughts and also a metaphor for direction, moving forward in life. The simplistic repetition in the third stanza How much How little conveys Larkins disappointment in himself as he contemplates his own achievements in comparison with those of Dockery. Whereas Leo Colston benefited from his nostalgic visit to the past it has been a negative experience for Larkin who should never have returned. Both Larkin and Hartley present philosophies on the past in two contrasting but equally effective genres, which themselves give insight into the pasts of the authors. The past is, as both pieces of literature show, inevitably significant to us all. How we are affected by it however, either negatively or positively, is to some extent in our own hands. Even a god cannot change the past (Agathon 445 BC) yet we can move on, learn from our experiences and in the future be less deceived. L. P. Hartleys novel is a message to us all that we should not dwell on what has come before, but concentrate on living the present, Leo recognized that he should not be sitting alone before it was too late. In reality the past does not fully exist; in the words of Larkin it is a love song that can never sound the same, a locked door which we can never be reopened, only an attitude that lives on in our minds. We may try to capture moments and emotions in stone, or in verse yet the only place where they truly exist is in our memory. We have the ability to dictate the significance the past holds for us. And so whilst we cannot change our pasts, we have the ability to change our future; Shakespeare declared that Whats past is prologue yet we can determine what is contained in the epilogue.

Knowledge Is Power: How To Buy A Computer :: essays research papers

Knowledge is Power: How To Buy A Computer Buying a personal computer can be as difficult as buying a car. No matter how much one investigates, how many dealers a person visits, and how much bargaining a person has done on the price, he still may not be really certain that he has gotten a good deal. There are good reasons for this uncertainty. Computers change at much faster rate than any other kind of product. A two-year-old car will always get a person where he wants to go, but a two-year-old computer may be completely inadequate for his needs. Also, the average person is not technically savvy enough to make an informed decision on the best processor to buy, the right size for a hard drive, or how much memory he or she really needs. Just because buying a computer can be confusing does not mean one should throw up his hands and put himself at the mercy of some salesman who may not know much more than he does. If one would follow a few basic guidelines, he could be assured of making a wise purchase decision. A computer has only one purpose; to run programs. Some programs require more computing power than others. In order to figure out how powerful a computer the consumer needs, therefore, a person must first determine which programs he wants to run. For many buyers, this creates a problem. They cannot buy a computer until they know what they want to do with it, but they cannot really know all of the uses there are for a computer until they own one. This problem is not as tough as it seems, however. The consumer should go to his local computer store, and look at the software that's available. Most programs explain their minimum hardware requirements right on the box. After looking at a few packages, it should be pretty clear to the consumer that any mid-range system will run 99% of the available software. A person should only need a top-of-the-line system for professional applications such as graphic design, video production, or engineering. Software tends to lag behind hardware, because it's written to reach the widest possible audience. A program that only works on the fastest Pentium Pro system has very limited sales potential, so most programs written in 1985 work just fine on a fast '486, or an entry-level Pentium system. More importantly, very few programs are optimized to take advantage of a Pentium's power. That means that even if the consumer pays a large premium for the fastest

Promoting Cognitive Development Essay

The best thing my family said about me when I was young was how smart I appeared to be. I had been a participant in the elementary school science fair; it always takes place in the spring time of the school year in May- It is a traditional school event. I was only in third grade, I had to be creative and come up with a science project for the science fair. My teacher suggested that all of the students go to the library and research some science books to pick a project. I remember not having a lot of self-esteem, so I did not think I could accomplish the task. I found a short story in a book about a plant without a root, so I decided to grow a plant without a root in an egg shell, my mother helped me put the project together and she was very encouraging and helpful for my self-esteem. My science project was a success and I won first prize. This was one of the best days in my life and my family was so proud of me, they all told me I was very smart and to keep up the good work. They were especially proud because I found the book and made the decision on my own do the project that made me a winner. According to Vygotsky, education should focus on activities that involve interaction with others. Both child–adult and child–child interactions can provide the potential for cognitive growth† (Feldman, page 301). Children develop a sense of competence roughly around age 6 to 12, in their elementary school years; theorists Erik Erikson believes these years are the industry-versus-inferiority stage; these years are very important for children to understand concepts and challenges that are prepared for them by their peers, parents and school. My mother was the person that made me feel so great about myself, as she often did. She put my plant without a root science project on display in our home for all to see, and she just bragged to everyone that came to the house and she was calling people on the phone telling whoever called the house; she was would brag and tell them how smart I was and how proud she was of my winning first place in the school science fair. I had and still have the strangest nickname, my mother named me Toby Margo Barr. But my nickname is Trisha. The story behind having two real names is because my godmother wanted to name me Patricia. My mother decided that Trisha could be my nickname, she really liked Toby and she promised to name me after a Jewish woman that she knew way before I was conceived. She said the woman looked the spitting image of Elizabeth Taylor. I actually very much disliked the name Toby and wished my real name was Patricia; everyone thought Toby was my nick name anyway because it sounds more like a nickname. My family members never told me what I would end up doing or becoming, they valued the fact that I just had to work. My mother wanted me to have an office job, because I took up office practice in high school. I wanted to work in an office setting, but it was hard to accomplish in the small town I grew up and lived in. It was predominately white and there was a lot of prejudices in the town back them. My family would have described me as a good kid; I was mannerly and respectful to others, very disciplined as well when I was a child and adolescent. I remember being afraid a lot and having low self-esteem. I did not like being a dark-skinned person especially in an all white town and school- it also seemed if you were light-skinned life was a little better, I was bullied and teased by both blacks and whites. I started to rebel as a teenager and did what teens do when they are insecure, like smoking pot and cigarettes. This is when my parents would say I gave them grief. My family was concerned I would get in trouble and end up dealing with the law. Elementary-school-age children begin to follow the same sort of reasoning when they seek to understand how able they are. When they were younger, they tended to consider their abilities in terms of some hypothetical standard, making a judgment that they are good or bad in an absolute sense. Children begin to use social comparison processes, comparing themselves to others; Vygotsky‘s approach has been particularly influential in the development of several classroom practices based on the proposition that children should actively participate in their educational experiences. In this approach, classrooms are seen as places where children should have the opportunity to experiment and try out new activities.

Essay about Jane Austens Emma - Rebel or Conformist

Emma - Rebel or Conformist? Near the town of Highbury, a village located in the eighteenth century English countryside, sits the estate of Hartfield where Emma Woodhouse resides with her health conscious father who finds fault with all of lifes necessities. When Emmas governess and close comrade, Miss Taylor, marries Mr. Weston, an affluent neighbor, and moves to his nearby estate, sociable Emma is forced to find herself a new companion. Harriet Smith, a naive teen who lives at Mrs. Goddards boarding school, though of a lower class due to her illegitimacy, seems desperately in need of Emmas management and counsel. Sure that she was the cause of the perfect match between Miss Taylor and Mr. Weston, Emma is determined to find†¦show more content†¦Elton , who professes his love for Emma. Much taken aback by this confession, she rebukes him for not caring about Harriet and denies his feelings. They continue the ride in silence and soon after, Mr. Elton leaves for a stay in Bath and Emma is forced to tell H arriet the heart breaking news. Jane Fairfax, a girl of Emmas age, comes to stay with Mrs. and Miss Bates and brings along the news that Mr. Elton has hastily engaged himself to a women he met while traveling. Another guest, Frank Churchill, Mr. Westons son by a first marriage, comes to Highbury, bringing with him mystery as well as assumed love for Emma. Mr. Churchill, to the dismay of Mr. Knightely, who finds great fault with the young man, pays close attention and flirts extensively with Emma, while at the same time indulging her story about Jane and a secret love affair. Frank is called away to tend a sick aunt, and Emma realizes she does not really love him. Her confusion about her feelings quickly subsides, though, when Mr. Elton and his new, snobbish wife arrive and Emma finds herself comforting Harriet. By the time Frank Churchill comes back to finish his stay with the Westons, Emma determines she has no feelings for him and a friendship is cultivated. Frank rescues Harriet from a band of gypsies and Emma begins to think that Harriets new secret crush is Mr. Churchill. Emma is eager to help this new affair along and redeem herself for HarrietsShow MoreRelatedFeminism, By Jane Austen1314 Words   |  6 Pagesnovel, Emma, Austen presents a view of feminism that, at this point in time is quite outstanding for her to do. Men were the dominant gender and in England women remained submissive to the men at all times. Women had specific roles in the household and in society. When the girls are young, they are expected to obey their fathers until they are grown and passed off to a husband so they are financially supported at all times during their life. Emma is a story about the everyday life of Emma WoodhouseRead MoreJane Austen’s Novels and the Contemporary Social and Literary Co nventions.12979 Words   |  52 Pages2.3 The Gothic Romance. 13 3. Jane Austen and Her Novels in relation to the Contemporary Literature. 15 3.1. Austen’s Criticism about the Contemporary Fiction. 15 3.2. Jane Austen as a Conservative Writer and as a Social Critic. 16 3.3. Austen’s writing in her own perception. 17 4. Pride and Prejudice. 20 4.1. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy – the Reversed Ideals. 20 22 5. Emma 23 5.1. Emma the heroine. 23 5.2. Men of sense and silly wives 26 5.3. Emma as the unusual learning. 28 Conclusions