Nature and Society in The Dharma Bums and Goodbye, Columbus :: Dharma Bums Essays

Nature and Society in The Dharma Bums and Goodbye, Columbus      Ã‚  Ã‚   From its beginning, the literature of the 1960s valued man having a close relationship with nature. Jack Kerouac shows us the ideal form of this relationship in the story of Han Shan, the Chinese poet. At first, these concerns appear to have little relevance to Goodbye, Columbus by Philip Roth. However, by mentioning Gauguin, Roth gives us a view of man's ideal relationship to nature very similar to the one seen in the story of Han Shan. The stories of Han Shan and Gauguin offer an interesting commentary Neil and Brenda's relationship, as well as insight into its collapse.    From the beginning, 60s literature advocated that man have a close relationship with nature. This is easily seen in Kerouac's The Dharma Bums. In this book, he repeatedly invokes the names of older writers concerned with living a life in harmony with nature. By mentioning such writers as Muir, Thoreau, and Whitman, Kerouac makes a statement about man and nature. The behavior of the characters in the book is in keeping with this environmentalist message. The high points of the book are characterized by a nearness to nature. A good example of this is when Ray and Japhy climb the Matterhorn. The fact that Kerouac peoples his book with characters inspired by people important to the Sixties, such as Gary Snyder and Allen Ginsburg, helps tie these environmental concerns to the decade as a whole.    The most direct example of what Kerouac feels is the ideal relation between man and nature is the story of Han Shan. We are told that Shan is Japhy's hero because he "was a man of solitude who could take off by himself and live purely and true to himself"(Kerouac, The Dharma Bums, 22). By escaping society and living close to nature, he was able to live his life the way the was supposed to. If he had remained in a society in conflict with nature, he would have been twisted and distorted, unable to obtain his true shape. Both Ray and Japhy see reflections of Han Shan in each other.    At first glance, there seems to be little in common between these environmental concerns and Goodbye, Columbus. Nature and Society in The Dharma Bums and Goodbye, Columbus :: Dharma Bums Essays Nature and Society in The Dharma Bums and Goodbye, Columbus      Ã‚  Ã‚   From its beginning, the literature of the 1960s valued man having a close relationship with nature. Jack Kerouac shows us the ideal form of this relationship in the story of Han Shan, the Chinese poet. At first, these concerns appear to have little relevance to Goodbye, Columbus by Philip Roth. However, by mentioning Gauguin, Roth gives us a view of man's ideal relationship to nature very similar to the one seen in the story of Han Shan. The stories of Han Shan and Gauguin offer an interesting commentary Neil and Brenda's relationship, as well as insight into its collapse.    From the beginning, 60s literature advocated that man have a close relationship with nature. This is easily seen in Kerouac's The Dharma Bums. In this book, he repeatedly invokes the names of older writers concerned with living a life in harmony with nature. By mentioning such writers as Muir, Thoreau, and Whitman, Kerouac makes a statement about man and nature. The behavior of the characters in the book is in keeping with this environmentalist message. The high points of the book are characterized by a nearness to nature. A good example of this is when Ray and Japhy climb the Matterhorn. The fact that Kerouac peoples his book with characters inspired by people important to the Sixties, such as Gary Snyder and Allen Ginsburg, helps tie these environmental concerns to the decade as a whole.    The most direct example of what Kerouac feels is the ideal relation between man and nature is the story of Han Shan. We are told that Shan is Japhy's hero because he "was a man of solitude who could take off by himself and live purely and true to himself"(Kerouac, The Dharma Bums, 22). By escaping society and living close to nature, he was able to live his life the way the was supposed to. If he had remained in a society in conflict with nature, he would have been twisted and distorted, unable to obtain his true shape. Both Ray and Japhy see reflections of Han Shan in each other.    At first glance, there seems to be little in common between these environmental concerns and Goodbye, Columbus.

Critical analysis of Song of Solomon Essay

‘Song of Solomon’, Toni Morrison’s third Novel was published in 1977 and it ascertained her as a key American author given that, after its publication, it turned out to be a bestseller and drew honor from critics as well as readers. The narrative has been particularly admired for the exquisiteness of its language as well as its foundation of international themes in the distinctiveness of the experience of the African-American, not to forget its utilization of folklore. (Morrison 34) The narrative is based on an African-American fairy tale concerning slaves who are able to fly back to Africa once they decide. The author fictionalizes this fairy tale through the traits of Solomon who is the great-grandfather of the story’s central character, Milkman Dead. Through Milkman’s discovery of Solomon’s story and his capability to fly, he learns to be proud of his ancestry as well as valuing his connections to community and family unit. The book won the National Book critics Circle Award for fiction in the year 1977 and is currently extensively taught and emerged once more on best-seller lists after Oprah Winfrey chose it so that it could be included in her book club. The book has being loved by readers for a period of more than two decades and it is still deemed one of Toni Morrison’s most excellent books. What touched me most after reading Toni Morrison’s book are the biblical references: (Morrison 51& 52) The author keeps making biblical references from both the Old Testament as well as the New Testament which are quite useful in bringing out the overall themes, characters as well as in building up the plot of the novel. To start with, the author gives her book the title ‘Song of Solomon’ which is a reference taken from the Old Testament’s ‘Song of Solomon’ or rather Song of Songs, or Canticles which is basically on love and relationships and is interpreted in some customs as a figurative demonstration of the relationship of Israel and God as wife and husband where the principal characters of the song are a man and a woman and the rhyme offers progress commencing courtship to consummation. In Morrison’s narrative, Solomon, Milkman dead’s great-grandfather finds out the tale of Solomon and his capability to fly which makes him to be delighted of his heritage and to value links to family and community. (Furman & Morrison 142) Song of Solomon commences with Robert Smith’s flight from the roof of Mercy hospital. Smith emerges on the top of the hospital with two handcrafted arms on his backside and jumps from the top of the hospital to the shock and amazement of many. Because of him making an attempt to fly, Ruth Foster dead is able to give birth inside the hospice instead of on its stepladder given that during this moment in time, Negro women are not permitted to deliver in the hospital because of segregation which makes Macon Dead turn out to be the first Negro infant to be delivered in Mercy Hospital. (Furman & Morrison 198) Morrison makes biblical inferences in naming his characters which helps in bringing out their personalities. Corinthian’s Dead, Milkman and Lena’s father is called Macon Dead and is the proprietor of apartments and houses. Dead thinks owning property enables one to own oneself, as well as others too. Together with Pilate, Macon grew up in Lincoln’s Heaven, a farm in Pennsylvania. At the age of sixteen, he watches his father murdered by whites who desire the family’s land. Macon and Pilate are sheltered by Circle, a maid and midwife who houses them in vacant quarters of the Butler house. They then escape from the Butler place and hide in a cave for the night where they meet a white man whom Macon kills. (Furman & Morrison 231) Macon â€Å"Milkman† dead III’s mother breastfeeds him for far too long until he is so tall and his feet are â€Å"touching the floor† which makes him swiftly gain the reputation for being a â€Å"mummy’s boy† which is a direct contrast to Guitar, his best friend. Milkman has two sisters, â€Å"Magdalene named Lena† and â€Å"First Corinthians†. The daughters of the family unit are given names by placing a pin inside the bible while the males are called after their father. Macon Dead’s name was the outcome of an administrative fault when Milkman’s grandfather had to list following the end of slavery. (Morrison 121) Pilate, Macon Dead Jr. ’s sister, is identified as fostering an Earth Mother type of personality. Given that he was born lacking a navel, she is rather a mystic character and it is mightily implied that she is Divine i. e. she is a female Christ and that her name is ironical. Macon has not had a word to his sister for years and did not feel greatly of her. She, just like Macon, has had to fend for herself starting from an early age, although she has to deal with her history in a different manner. Reba is her one and only daughter. She also has one granddaughter by the name Hagar who is very much in love with Milkman, and is not able to deal with rejection. Milkman’s erstwhile best friend, Guitar, attempts to murder him after he mistakenly believes Milkman of deceiving him out of concealed gold. Toni Morrison’s narrative comes to an end on a touching and uncertain note after Milkman finally discovers to fly after deciding to confront Guitar. (Furman & Morrison 265) In conclusion, it can be said that Toni Morrison makes use of biblical references in his narrative from time to time. This is depicted from the numerous biblical references taken from both the Old Testament and the New Testament which help in building up the overall plot of the narrative, building up the character’s personalities as well as in bringing out the overall themes of the narrative. Eminently, Toni Morrison makes various biblical references through some of the characters names. For instance, Ruth, Dead, First Corinthians, Pilate, Heaven, Guitar, Magdalene named Lena, Lincoln’s Heaven, maid, bible, divine, Christ, mid wife among others. In addition, the author makes use of other biblical references like ‘Mercy’ i. e. Mercy hospital, the ability to fly by bearing wings like the Angels key references. Works Cited Furman, Jan & Morrison, Toni. Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon: a casebook. Oxford University Press US, 2003. ISBN: 0195146352, 9780195146356 276 pages Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. Vintage International, 2004. ISBN: 140003342X, 9781400033423. 337 pages

Essay on Nazi Book Burning - 858 Words

Nearly a century before World War II, German Jewish poet Heinrich Heine wrote, â€Å"Where they burn books, they will also ultimately burn people (â€Å"Holocaust History†). These chilling words not only forecasted the events to come, but also went up in flames in Germany during the Nazi book burning. Throughout Germany on May 10, 1933, thousands of people came out to witness these horrid events. These public displays of censorship were monstrous in nature. Book burning is defined as â€Å"the ritual destruction by fire of books or other written materials. Usually carried out in a public context, the burning of books represents an element of censorship and usually proceeds from a cultural, religious, or political opposition to the materials in†¦show more content†¦In this war, [World War II] we know, books are weapons† (Von Merveldt). He was trying to lift the American spirits in spite of the horrific events in Europe . In Germany, the mood was much more cheerful, as they were accompanied by singing of â€Å"Nazi songs and anthems† (The History Place). The leader of propaganda and book burning for the Nazi party, Joseph Goebbels, proclaimed â€Å"The flames not only illuminate the end of the old era, they also light up the new.† (Foxman) Unlike the rest of the world, the Nazi party viewed the book burning as a positive event and as a beginning, not an end. Not only did the Nazis try to censor literature, they also tried to eliminate foreign ideas by limiting types of art and communication. The Nazis â€Å"judged most of modern art degenerate† and tried to expel it from the country (Foxman). They also tried to limit all communication, which was limited already to â€Å"books, newspapers, periodicals, radio, and the moving pictures† because of the time period (Foxman). Any communication had to be deemed German before it could be permitted. So many movies were banned that films were almost nonexisten t except for Nazi propaganda. The Nazi’s attempt was to limit all communication from other countries, so that only their ideas would be accepted, which is the same rationale as the book burnings. The book burnings and the censorship in Germany relate directly to Ayn Rand’s works. In oneShow MoreRelatedNazi Book Burning Of 19331089 Words   |  5 PagesVishnu Dasaka Mr.Stevens Modern Classics Period 3 22 October 2015 Nazi Book Burning of 1933 The Jewish poet Heinrich Heine once said, Where books are burned, human beings are destined to be burned too. Did you know that the Chinese government uses â€Å"The Great Firewall† of China to monitor and prohibit any dissent against the Chinese government?(Mark Jacob and Stephan Benzkofer) These kind of actions are called acts of censorship and most of themRead MoreBook Burning in Nazi Germany1237 Words   |  5 PagesBook burning is the ceremonial destruction of books or any other written works by fire. And it is done in public. Also it is a representation of censorship. The drive behind such acts can either be political, cultural, or religious resistance to the material in question. The purpose of the Nazi book burning was to destroy all ideologies that were considered to be un-German. In 1933, university students were on a mission to cleanse Germany of Jewish intellectual ideas (Fishburn, 2007). They believeRead MoreThe Sà ¤uberung Baptism: The Reasoning Behind Nazi Book Burning943 Words   |  4 PagesThe removal of free intellectualism and the integration of the â€Å"Pure German Spirit† way of thinking were achieved though the burning of all text deemed â€Å"un-German†. But what makes a text un-German? Simply anything that questioned, threatened, or was simply different then what the Fà ¼hrer and the Reich believed in. The burning of thousands of books was caused by the Action against the Un-German Spirit, by the will of the German student association. The horrid event took place during the WartburgRead MoreUse Of Literary Devices Used By Ray Bradbury1856 Words   |  8 Pagesnovel elucidation of how the society in the books has been burnt to ashes just like the mythical phoenix, leading to a possibility of an ultimate regeneration of a brand new, vital, civilization with the augmented knowledge, through the existence of books Montag and the others have. A nuanced argument statement can also lend a hand to authenticate the thesis statement. Several may argue that burning books should continue until every single banned book has been burnt, interpreting it as a more relishingRead MoreRay Bradbury s Fahrenheit 4512451 Words   |  10 Pagesand government with banning and burning of books, and suppressing society’s minds from history. Their logical thought was that it would keep society from thinking too much, which in turn would prevent bad thoughts, and to keep them â€Å"happy all the time†. The book tells a story of Guy Montag, the protagonist, and his life as a book burner. He was an â€Å"instrument† of the government, a firefighter that was used to suppress information from people by burning all books. The characters live in a worldRead MoreThe Night Of The Broken Glass By Markus Zusak1337 Words   |  6 PagesJoseph Goebbels made a speech that initiated a crowd of violent Nazi activists who would burn down over 1,000 synagogues, and destroy over 7,000 businesses, thus creating Kristallnacht, ‘the night of the broken glass’. Following this act, was the beginning of the Holocaust. 6 months later, on May 10, 1933, members of the Nazi German Student Association, as well as other university students, burned close to 25,00 volumes of â€Å"un-German† books to promote their nationwide campaign: â€Å"Actions against the un-GermanRead MoreThe Book Thief By Markus Zusak1549 Words   |  7 Pages The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is classified as a historical fiction novel because it tells a story that takes place during a tragic period in human history. This book reminds readers of the unspeakable acts that occurred during World War II under the Nazi Regime in Germany. The book focuses on the life of a nine year old girl, Liesel Meminger, living in Germany during this period of history. Markus Zusak was significantly influenced by his parent’s stories of their personal experiences of whatRead MoreThe Power of Secrets in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Essay702 Words   |  3 Pages â€Å"‘Book burning’ refers to the ritual destruction by fire of books or other written materials. Usually carried out in a public context, the burning of books represents an element of censorship and usually proceeds from a cultural, religious, or political opposition to the materials in question.† (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) The night of May 10, 1933, German students from some of the best universities in the world, gathered in Berlin to burn books with un-German ideas. The students,Read MoreGrowing Up During the Holocaust: A Look at the Other Side of World War II1461 Words   |  6 PagesThere are lots of books about the Holocaust, and what it was like to be in a concentration camp as a Jew, or what it was like being an SS officer during that time, but barely any focus on what is was like to grow up in the Holocaust as a civilian onlooker to the war. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak he tells the story of Liesel Meminger who travels to a foster home in Munich Germany, and experiences what it’s like to live in a war. She deals with rations, knowledge limited to the learnings of whatRead MoreThe Book Thief By Markus Zusak1231 Words   |  5 PagesIn The Book Thief, Markus Zusak shows different contexts with the same similar message. Zusak is revealing to the reader that words can be very powerful . The societal statement â€Å"power is knowledge† can be linked to the book by how knowledge creates power.The setting of Nazi Germany within the book burnings event, the basement with Max, and Liesel defending herself by her choice of words are all relevant to this societal statement since it demonstrates the idea of knowledge in numerous ways, and how