Absinthe

Vincent Van Gogh was one of the most auspicious artists of the 19th century. His paintings are still marveled at by people across the globe. Some of his words, however, were just as brilliant as his art. Van Gogh once said, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together”. This summer, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Freakonomics and Dead Poets’ Society helped me to grow as a reader, writer and thinker by encouraging me that, while greatness takes time a preparation through small milestone, it is worth the effort. Summer reading is an important activity because it challenges young readers’ brain over the summer and prevents the brain from forgetting previously learned information. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, by Mark Twain, tells the story of a young man, Hank, who gets hit on the head with a crowbar and suddenly finds himself among King Arthur and the knights of the round table. Hank sees how far the country is behind technologically, and how stupid the citizens are, so he attempts to take over authority from King Arthur. He does so with subtle actions, slowly changing routines, or instituting new practices that only he is knowledgeable about, so he controls them. Hank uses this lack of knowledge to his advantage, saying “But don’t you know, there are some things that can beat smartness and foresight? Awkwardness and stupidity can” (Twain 242). For example, in the Valley of Holiness, the sacred fountain is said to be under a…

Absinthe owes much of its allure to the preparation of the drink. It takes a steady hand and a cool demeanor to pour the perfect glass, but don’t let that intimidate you. Armed with the proper tools and ingredients, you too can enjoy “The Green Lady” just as they did in the cafes of old Paris. What you’ll need: A bottle of your favorite absinthe, of course. If you don’t yet have a favorite, take a chance on one of many of the authentic or newer brands available. The Pontarlier glass – named…

The Absinthe Drinkers is an impressionist piece by J.F. Raffaelli in 1881. Raffaelli chose to create this using oil on canvas. I think this was a great choice because with the use of harsh brush strokes and lighting the impressionist style really became apparent. Raffaelli really stood out as an artist because of how he executed his contemporary art. Nothing was idealized or made to seem better than it was; he chose topics that were relevant to the times and depicted them in a relatable way.…

I outstretch my discolored wings, letting the cold night air sift through my feathers. The silk cloak my Father leant me isn’t doing much to keep me warm. My mind is filled from the words me and him had exchanged earlier. They still haunt me. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I begin to relive all that has happened. “Absinthe! Absinthe, are you listening to me?” Father calls out from behind the kitchen counter. I pretend not to listen and continue reading my book on the plain living room…

were at war with Algeria, the troops stationed there used absinthe as a deterrent of bacteria; when the troops came home in 1847 they still had a penchant for absinthe. Mixed with some sugar-water to make it sweeter, the French populace began imbibing themselves with absinthe, starting the rise in absinthe popularity. A pest pandemic plagued Europe and all of France for 25 years beginning in 1870, aphids by the name ‘Grape Phylloxera’ destroyed hundreds of grapevines, this made the…

Jig mentions it by saying, “everything tastes of licorice. Especially all the things you’ve waited so long for, like absinthe” (Hemingway 553). Absinthe intoxicates someone much like the man intoxicates Jig. He alters her views, emotions, and decisions. She is chained to him much like an alcoholic is drawn to a drink. Author of “The Bittersweet Taste of Absinthe in Hemingway’s ‘Hills like White Elephants’” states that: “The addictive quality of the drink most certainly is meant to emphasize…

Hemingway’s character Jeb comments, “Everything tastes like licorice. Especially all the things you’ve waited so long for, like absinthe.” (27) The man, was a young, stylish, wealthy American as most were on the Ille de France, the stylish ocean liner that made her maiden voyage in mid-1927, about the same time Hemingway wrote this story. (Othfors 1) At this time, the drink was banned in the United States and much of Europe but was referenced often in French literature; seen. The journey…

After reading the short story, I found it weird that the girl was drinking beer considering she was pregnant. Today that is something is frowned upon. Why would she do that to her baby? Hemmingway presents the story in a roundabout way because he wants the reading to think about why the man calls abortion a “simple operation” and wants the girl to kill the baby. It was illegal to bring up abortion in the 19th century. Hemingway had to speak around the subject of abortion and not come out and…

sterility, and mirrors the choice the girl faces between having the baby or having the abortion. The girl seems torn between the two landscapes, not only commenting on the beauty of the hills, but also physically walking to the end of the platform and looking around at the emptiness around the station. The story uses analogies to compare many things, most prominently the hills, which Jig compares to white elephants. The hills represent many things, one of which is a pregnant woman's…

an Anis at the bar” (p 298) instead. While there he watches the people there and notices that “they [are] all waiting reasonably for the train” (p 298). This is the one true view of the American’s perspective that Hemingway privies the reader to. It is as if the American sees Jig’s inner turmoil as frivolous and unnecessary, as he has no problem with the life they live. The anis del toro that they have while they are waiting on the train is more than just a new drink. Anis drinks come from the…