The Madding Crowd Essay Example for Free

The Madding Crowd Essay When Fanny is trying to get Troys attention she throws a snowball at his window but her throw misses the window and Hardy describes this as the throw was the idea of a man conjoined with the execution of a woman with such imbecility. This shows Hardys views on women and how they are looked down on by the male figures. When Troy and Fanny are talking, Troy seems to not willing to talk to fanny and is trying to get away, this may be because he is ashamed to be with her and he thinks the other soldiers and they may think that she is just a prostitute. Troy tries to put Fanny of marrying him when they are talking because when she asks when they will be getting married he says Oh, I see. Well you have to get proper clothes. Throughout this chapter you can tell that in the nineteenth century men are classed before women. Another part of Far for the Madding Crowd that I find of interest is in Chapter 16, this is where Fanny turns up at the wrong church to marry Troy. Troy feels very humiliated by this in front of many people including the priest, congregation and friends of theirs. Troy directs his angry towards Fanny, this shows that women have no control over the men because in nineteenth century men were the more superior people in a relationship. If poor Fanny did not confuse the two churches, All Souls and All Saints, then she would have become Troys wife. If she did become Troys wife this would have firstly, stopped her from being shunned from society for being pregnant outside of marriage and secondly would have stopped Troy marrying Bathsheba. I think that Troy over reacted to Fannys mistake and he should of forgiven her; if he did forgive her could have married her the next day which is what she asked for. Also if he had forgiven Fanny then he would not have had to live to regret how he treated poor Fanny. In Chapter 39, where Bathsheba and Troy are returning home from Casterbridge, they pass a small lonely figure on Turnpike Road. This person was Fanny Robin. Fanny had not been mention in the book for many chapters and no one had seen her for a period of time. When they saw poor Fanny they stopped and familiarized with each other. This caused problems between Bathsheba and Troy. Bathsheba then rides alone in the carriage while Troy walks. This could symbolize their futures. Troy has no consideration for womens feelings; you can tell this by when he is wasting away Bathshebas and his money on gambling. After this he shows that he has realized that he has faulted and he offers to help Fanny when she tells him that she has no money. Troy then gives some money to Fanny and then soon after promises her that he will help her in the future. This is normal in the nineteenth century for women to be relying on the man for their money and upbringing. Fannys journey to Casterbridge in Chapter 40 brings the reader to feel sorry for her and have sympathy for her. Hardy uses pathetic fallacy to show her suffering and the poor conditions she is in. Now there was not a rustle, not a breeze, not the faintest clash of twigs to keep her company. This shows that she is exhausted and lonely. When Fanny is alone during the late stages of her pregnancy, outside of marriage, she does not receive any help from humans, but receives it from a dog; the same dog that was chased away by the humans. This dog could represent Fanny because she may have felt like she had been chased away from society for being pregnant outside of marriage. Fanny does not want the help from anyone else but Troy. She took Troys word, which was that he would meet her in Casterbridge and he would help her. Another reason Fanny did not want the help from any other person than Troy was because she did not want anyone finding out about her being pregnant because she is not married to Troy; because of this Fanny decides to keep her identity hidden. Even though she has kept her identity hidden she has still been taken in by the ivy covered almshouse; they ask no questions and were willing to keep her secrets. The next chapter which takes my interest is Chapter 41. This chapter is about when Bathsheba is with Troy at Loggerheads. Troy asks Bathsheba for money to gamble with, she asks him not too but he still does. This shows that Troy will do as he pleases; this would have been normal for nineteenth century men to rule over their wives. Fanny threatens Troy and Bathshebas marriage by Bathsheba discovering the lock of Fannys hair that Troy owns. Towards the end of this chapter, Joseph Poorgrass, a carter who works on Bathshebas farm speaks to Bathsheba. I think that he knew about Fannys pregnancy and how she died. Bathsheba then started asking him questions on how she did die. In the nineteenth century it was very common for a mother to die during childbirth because they did not have the technology and hygiene we have today. Bathsheba knew that many women died giving birth and so she was anxious to know is this is how poor Fanny died. Joseph Poorgrass is unaware that people do not know about Fannys pregnancy and so on the coffin Poorgrass writes Child and F. Robin but soon after Oak runs out because he cares about Bathsheba and does not want her finding out that Fanny had left because she was pregnant and also Oak does not want her to feel upset about this. In the nineteenth century if a woman decided she did not want to marry a man then she was be socially disapproved and some may even pity her. If the woman decided not to marry then she would not be able to have children because it was wrong to do so. The husband had the access to the womans body when he wanted it, she could not say no. this was agreed in the wedding ceremony in the vows and by law. If the woman did decide to stay single and not marry then it would be hard to get a job because usually only men would work while the women would stay at home and the man would be the one that pays for anything that is a necessity. Many people of the nineteenth century think that it is a sin to God to disobey the laws, and in this case the law was sex outside of marriage. In Chapter 43 you saw many different views on Fanny all because she was single and pregnant. Chapter 43 also reveals that Troy did have true feelings for Fanny once he finds out that she has died; when he sees her dead body he realizes that he did love her. Bathsheba is with him when he reveals his love for Fanny and she is very hurt by this. Troy tells Bathsheba that she means nothing to him because of his love for Fanny. Although Troy is very hurt because of his loss of Fanny he does not realize that he is upsetting Bathsheba and he accuses her of dumping him. He wanted to believe because if it wasnt for Bathshebas flirting Troy would have married poor Fanny and she would not have been an outcast of society because she would have then been pregnant in a marriage. Another main character in Far from the Madding Crowd would be Bathsheba Everdene. Bathsheba takes my interest in womens experiences in the nineteenth century; this is because she is so different to all other women that lived in that period of time. Bathsheba owns and runs a farm; this was usually the mans job because women were not meant to be as independent as some may say Bathsheba was. You can tell that Bathsheba comes across as a very independent woman from an early stage in the book. In Chapter 3, Gabriel Oak was watching how Bathsheba rode her horse and Hardy wrote hardly expected of a woman she rode in the manner demanded by the saddle this means that she was not ridding the horse in a lady-like fashion, which was side saddling, but she rode the horse with one leg either side of the horse. Oak was very impressed by the way she rode the horse. While riding the horse it says that she drops backwards flat upon the ponys back, her head over its tail, her feet against its shoulders and her eyes to the sky Towards the end of the chapter Bathsheba yet again amazes Gabriel Oak by rescuing him from his smoke filled hut. He wakes up on her lap; usually it would be the other way round and the man would have saved the woman. The young girl with remarkably pleasant lips and white teeth was beside him. More than this astonishingly more his head was upon her lap, his face and neck were disagreeably wet, and her fingers were unbuttoning his collar. This sort of quote was unusual for the nineteenth century because in novels they would never discuss anything sexual as they thought it was a very wrong. After Bathsheba saves Oak she says that it was foolish of him to leave his hut while there was a fire in it. No woman would usually say this to a man in the nineteenth century because the man was always in charge and so he would not have liked to be told what was right and what was wrong.

The Merchant of Venice Should be Studied in High Schools Essay

Since middle school, I have believed that all of Shakespeare’s works, similar to A Mid Summer Night’s Dream, were plays that one would read to hear a happy, entertaining story; but, it was not until this year, after reading The Merchant of Venice, that I recognized the darker, more sinister, side of Shakespeare’s plays. The Merchant of Venice supports the Jewish, anti-Semitic stereotype as the wicked character of Shylock is developed. Many individuals fear that it is improper to teach and discuss The Merchant of Venice in high school classrooms because of the negative way it presents Jews; however, I believe that it is important to read this controversial play in high schools because it enables students to learn anti-Semitic history and because reading Shakespeare’s works, due to their complexity, expands the literary mind of those who read it. It is so important for people to recognize how Jews were portrayed during Shakespeare’s life so that historic events such as the holocaust do not repeat themselves. Teachers who plan on presenting their students with The Merchant of Venice should also present them with articles explaining how Jews received their negative stereotype and explain to them that Jews are not as evil as Shylock. The play can still be useful as a high school reading experience only if taught correctly, in a manner that avoids Jews being insulted and non-Jews getting a completely flawed idea about Jews. Although comedic during the 16th century, The Merchant of Venice can no longer be viewed as a comedy in the 21st century due to the diversity of people and general acceptance of their cultures throughout the United States. Without proper instruction from teachers, non-Jewish students may begin to express h... ...ent in their society. In reading Shakespeare, minds of readers are expanded due to his use of Early Modern English and extensive vocabulary. Shakespeare’s works also provide readers with great entertainment whose portrayal of the human condition transcends the generations. The Merchant of Venice contains many witty lines and sub-plots. â€Å"Prejudice feeds on ignorance† (Leggatt 215). If teachers do not teach their students the origin of such stereotypes, then they are developing ignorant students who will forever believe that Jews are incarnations of the devil. Considering the Jewish Stereotype that is supported and developed in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, the play is, indeed, still useful as a high school reading experience because, due to its sensitive topics, assists in eliminating innocence and creates a more discerning eye for world issues in students.

Not All Criminals Are Bad (Great Expectations)

In the novel Great Expectations written by Charles Dickens he tackles various social problems that plagued London in the Victorian era, some of which were Poverty, Hunger, Child Labour and Crime, which Dickens himself endured. Crime as a main source of London’s social problems ran rampant, streets became unsafe as criminal activity spiked and new criminals were being imprisoned every day. In these times criminals were considered to be the lowest people in terms of social class and so were often deemed as dangerous, Disgraceful and generally bad in every sense. Charles Dickens believed that there are exceptions to all criminals being bad, in the sense that you cannot determine a person’s character just because he commits a crime but rather by his motives for doing it. Dickens expresses his theory in Great Expectations through Characters such as Abel Magwitch who is a criminal who seeks redemption and Compeyson who is a criminal who wishes to do nothing more than to swindle people. A criminal by definition is someone who breaks the laws set by society (government), therefore although these characters are not stated or known as criminals in the novel Pip, Herbert, and Wemmick by definition can also be considered as criminals for helping Magwitch, this proves that Dickens also believed that anyone can be a criminal not just people of low social class even the innocent but, Dickens did not fail to expose that criminals can be bad and that even though some criminals do not chose to live the life they do there are those who like the life of crime , which he shows through Compeyson. You can read also King v Cogdon The character Compeyson represents Charles Dickens ideal image of a criminal and in fact Compeyson is the stereotypical criminal with the exception thathe is not a lowly criminal but that of a gentleman: â€Å"He set up fur a gentleman, this Compeyson, and he’d been to a public boarding school and had learning. He was a smooth one to talk and was a dab at the ways of gentlefolks. He was good looking too† (Pg. 343). Although Compeyson is a gentleman he chooses a life of crime, his motives for committing crimes is simply for the fun of swindling people he is portrayed as a cold hearted and disloyal man in which Dickens wished to fully convey as his view of a bad person. Compeyson is much smarter than the average criminal for example Magwitch and uses his wit to manipulate his partners. In the novel it was said that Compeyson had a former partner by the name of Arthur who helped Compeyson form an elaborate plan to steal money from his own sister in law namely Miss Havisham and leave her at the alter on the day of their wedding day. After which his partner Arthur unable to bear the guilt of what he had done killed himself and Compeyson shows no remorse even saying that it’s a good riddance (Pg. 345). This shows how low Compeyson is in terms of him as a person, not caring for his own partner and shows no guilt for using him as nothing more than a tool for committing the crime. It is also revealed that Compeyson had a wife that he kicked mostly, here Charles Dickens further develops Compeyson’s bad image by adding minor details that he abuses his wife giving readers a foul image of him and a general dislike for his character. Compeyson also has history with the more redeemable criminal Abel Magwitch and it becomes evident that Magwitch was used by Compeyson just like Arthur was. In the novel Magwitch tells Pip of how he met Compeyson, Magwitch meets him a couple years back before ever meeting Pip and they quickly become accomplices, after getting committed for felony on the charge of putting stolen notes in circulation and other charges, Magwitch and Compeyson were both sent to trial, Compeyson deserted Magwitch and made it seem like Magwitch did all the dirty work and he was helpless under him. The fact that unlike Magwitch, Compeyson is a gentleman and younger works in his favour and he is given a lighter sentence, exactly 7 years to Magwitch’s 14 year sentence: â€Å"when we was put in the dock†¦ain’t it me as the judge perceives to bea old offender of wiolent passion, likely to come to worse? † (Pg. 346-347). Charles Dickens again gives more information on Compeyson’s past involving Magwitch to show what a dark and sinister person he really is , he sold out yet another accomplice proving that he is indeed bad person because instead of him to try to help Magwitch he looks out for himself and ensures his verdict is lighter, Here Dickens uses bad characteristics as his evidence that he is bad . Later in the novel when Pip is aware of him, Compeyson becomes the main antagonist as he tries to foil Pip’s plans of helping Magwitch; the antagonist is usually a bad person in any play, novel or film so Dickens supports his view of Compeyson being a bad person by subjecting him into this role and not only does Dickens support that Compeyson is a bad criminal by him being dangerous, cold and untrustworthy he also shows the difference in character between him and Magwitch because Compeyson was afforded a great opportunity in life him being a gentleman and yet he wasted his life being a criminal when he could have become so much more in life unlike Magwitch who was not granted the same opportunities. The character Abel Magwitch in the novel represents Charles Dickens exception to the belief that all criminals are bad people. Magwitch is first introduced in the novel through the eyes of Pip the main character: â€Å"A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. A man who had been soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briars; who limped, and shivered, and glared and growled; and whose teeth chattered in his head as he seized me by the chin† (Pg. ). Here Dickens uses powerful adjectives to describe Magwitch as most people would view a criminal to suggest that his appearance was just as he was which is low. The impression of Magwitch at this point would be a bad person purely base on dickens description of him, I believe that Dickens does this purposely not only to relate how Pip felt but to later prove that not everything is what it appears to be. Magwitch at this point of the novel has just escaped from prison and threatens Pip into retrieving food and file to remove his shackles, here Magwitch is given a negative image by corrupting Pip, an innocent child to steal for him contrasting Dickens belief but readers are also given a hint of compassion through Pip who instantly sees redeeming qualities within the criminal Magwitch who although he sees as terrifying but also as a starving, shaken man who is in need of help. Already Dickens has established that Magwitch is not all bad and that there is more to his story which must be revealed before making any final judgements which is proven when he meets Pip again who is no longer a poor boy living in the Marshes but a Gentleman through acquired expectations from a secret benefactor. Later on in the novel Magwitch seeks out Pip, who now lives in London and the shocking truth is exposed as Magwitch tells pip that he in fact is his secret benefactor (310-315). Magwitch then explains himself saying that he was so moved by what Pip had done for him when he was a child that he felt that he had to repay him by doing everything in his power to make him a gentleman which was Pip’s lifelong dream. Magwitch also tells pip how he went to Australia where he worked in sheep ranching and earned a huge fortune in which he gave to him. Dickens completely turns Magwitch’s image around by showing that he is very loyal and generous, that he is not cold hearted like how a criminal would normally be viewed as. His devotion to Pip’s success proves that Magwitch is not a bad person, it shows that he somewhat cares for Pip and the fact that he had a chance to become rich elevating his own status but instead chose to give all his fortune to Pip shows that he is very selfless. Charles Dickens gives Magwitch redeeming qualities to prove that the man behind the criminal is not bad but indeed good at heart. If the fact that Magwitch was a criminal was removed Magwitch can be seen as a loyal, honest and hardworking Person whose heart is filled with admiration towards a young man namely Pip and wishes to do nothing more but to see him become a gentleman all characteristics of a good person but, one question arises which has not been answered, since Magwitch can become so virtuous why is he even a criminal in the first place, this explanation of why Magwitch is a criminal further explains what dickens meant that there is an exception to the statement all criminals are bad people. Magwitch explains to Pip the reason behind his hatred for his former accomplice Compeyson and basically how he became a criminal. In this he tells Pip the story of how he met Compeyson and the story of Arthur and Compeyson. Magwitch’s background story is that of poverty, he was an orphan just as Pip was and he had to steal as a means of surviving. Magwitch’s story gives readers and understanding of why he got into the life of crime and although stealing cannot be excused as a crime, Dickens represents Magwitch’s case as a justifiable reason for being who he is in terms of being a criminal. Magwitch was not given the same opportunities as his partner Compeyson and so basically grew up into a life of crime, with him being an orphan he had no other means of living, he had to fend for himself, but although he was already at this great disadvantage he also tells Pip that he tried to work sometimes but it wasn’t enough which unfortunately turned him into a criminal when he met Compeyson: â€Å"I’ve no notion where I was born†¦tramping, begging, thieving†¦gone last night† (Pg. 342-343). This suggests that maybe if Magwitch was given a better chance to be successful in life like Compeyson was that he would not be a criminal ultimately supporting that it was out of his hands and that he had no other choice, His motives unlike Compeyson, was purely to survive. It is evident in the novel that Charles Dickens has a soft spot for Magwitch through his history with Compeyson in which he got a heavier sentence just because he looked more of a criminal than Compeyson. Dickens does this to show sympathy for Magwitch but also a satire towards the justice system. Magwitch’s relationship with Pip grows towards the end of the novel as Pip realises that Magwitch sincerely cares for him and that he has not been very accepting of him. Dickens uses Pip’s realization to bring across the point that Magwitch is indeed a good person and that him being a criminal does not define who he is, even a person such as Pip who looked down on Magwitch as being low and nothing more than a criminal even being ashamed when he found out that he was his secret benefactor has been enlightened and now accepts him. Charles Dickens contrast of both characters was his major evidence in proving what he believed, both characters were similar in the sense that they were both criminals but their personalities were completely different, showing that being a criminal has nothing to do with him being good or bad but rather his reason for committing crimes is what actually determines whether he can be judged as a bad person or not. Charles Dickens in proving this also suggested that anyone can become a criminal from Magwitch’s life story and to further prove this the man Character in the novel Pip is surrounded by a life of crime. As a small boy Pip has his first encounter with crime through Magwitch and it is evidently seen that the Marshes has some tainted atmosphere filled with crime through Convicts always breaking out, the hulks (prisoner ship) sailing by and cannons firing to alert residence of a breakout, so it can therefore be said that Pip’s life even before meeting Magwitch had some element of crime in it. When Pip receives his great expectations and moves to London to meet Jaggers (criminal lawyer), he finds out that Jaggers office is beside New gate prison and realises that crime has always been present in his life. Dickens incorporates this element of crime in this new setting not only to relate his experience with the Debtors prison in his own life and foreshadow future encounters with crime but I believe it can be connected to Magwitch in the sense that Magwitch lived in poverty something that he could not control meaning he did not choose to be poor which drove him to become a criminal and Pip now is surrounded by all this crime, he could be easily be influenced in the future to become a riminal also and although one might say that you decide your own future and if you turn out to become a criminal it is your own fault but Dickens gives evidence through Magwitch’s story that sometimes our future can be influenced by factors surrounding us that we have no power over. Pip’s involvement in crime worsens when Magwitch told him that he was his benefactor, he is torn apart with guilt and shame but is further concerned by the fact that Magwitch has yet again escaped from prison and ne eds Pip’s help to prevent him from being caught. By law anyone who assists a criminal is also considered a criminal by association, Pip knows this but feels guilty that Magwitch who although at this point he was still ashamed of had done so much for him and so he felt obliged to returned the favour. Here it is proven that Pip has been influenced to become a criminal and has no power over this situation, Pip eventually decides to help Magwitch knowing that he could also be sent to jail. Dickens shows that even though Pip wants commit a crime it is for a justifiable reason just as Magwitch did stealing turnips to eat as a child. Pip receives help from Wemmick (Jagger’s clerk) and Herbert (Matthew Pocket’s son) with hiding Magwitch from the police and planning to smuggle him out of London. They also could be considered as criminals by helping Pip but their motives for helping Pip is purely good, Pip is their friend who they care for and so they would do anything to help him by doing this Dickens has proven that anyone can become a criminal under the circumstance meaning even good people can become criminals for good reasons. In the world today there are many different types of people, when we say that all criminals are bad it is not true which dickens himself believed, an example of what he meant by an exception is in the case of an 80 year old woman who has nothing left, no one to take care of her, if she has no other means of surviving but to steal does that make her a bad person? What about the man whose father is dying of an illness and he needs money for the operation but he lives in poverty so he robs a bank to pay for the operation, is he also bad for wanting to save his father’s life? Although there is no excuse for committing a crime just as Magwitch realized that the life he lived was inexcusable (), it does not mean that he should be labelled as being a bad person. Therefore with all the evidence that has been given it can be concluded that if people who commit crimes based on good intentions are considered criminals not all criminals are bad, but the question now becomes , who decides which intentions are good?.

How to Decline an Offer of Admission to Graduate School

If you were accepted to a school that you no longer wish to attend, youll have to consider writing a graduate school rejection letter. Perhaps it was not your first choice, or you found a better fit. Theres nothing wrong in declining the offer—it happens all the time. Just make sure to take action and be prompt in your response. Tips on Declining a Grad School Offer Here are a few things to keep in mind: Respond soon: Once you know the school is out, do not delay. Once you give up your spot, it may open up for someone else who really wants to attend that college or university. Plus, it looks bad not to respond at all—especially because the admissions committee devoted their time to evaluating your credentials.Keep it short:  You dont owe the university or college an explanation; just politely and briefly decline the offer (see the template below for wording ideas).Thank them: You may want to thank the admissions committee for their time. You never know when you may encounter one of the members during your career, so keep it nice.Dont disclose more than you need to:  You are not responsible for telling the school which college or university you will be attending. They may ask, but likely not.  Check it off:  You may not need to write a letter at all—some universities and colleges let you check a box declining their offer or do it with a few clicks online. Thanks, But No Thanks After you are done carefully considering all of your options and youre ready to decline the offer, how exactly do you word it? Responding with a short grad school rejection letter will do. This can be an email or a printed letter. Try something along the lines of the following. Dear Dr. Smith (or Admissions Committee): I am writing in response to your offer of admission to the Clinical Psychology program at Graduate University. I appreciate your interest in me, but I regret to inform you that I will not be accepting your offer of admission. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Rebecca R. Student Remember to be polite. Academia is a very small world. You likely will encounter faculty and students from that program sometime during your career. If your message declining the offer of admission is rude, you may be remembered for the wrong reasons.