Farewell to Manzanar

When President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared a state of war between the United States and the Empire of Japan on December 8th, 1941, in retaliation to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor one day prior, infectious racial tensions and diplomatic concerns spread throughout the country. In the words and experience of author and artist Miné Okubo, the Japanese American community faced increasing judgment during this time and were witness to “growing suspicion and general public antagonism” in the wake of…

In my essay I will first sate the traits of an ideal knight and then discuss the characteristics of an ideal knight as represented in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight while comparing and contrasting them to the characteristics of ideal knights in traditional texts. Quoting examples from the text, I will then discuss, analyze and come to a conclusion if Sir Gawain has been represented as an ideal knight in the 14th century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. During the Middle Ages and in many…

The American male fantasy is one that is often portrayed by the heroes in the books and films we watch. They tend to be strong, moral and exciting characters that men look up to. Therefore, these texts carry a lot of weight in terms of the reflection of society and the male perspective on life. Using the novel The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler and the film High Noon directed by Fred Zinnemann, this paper will argue that there are certainly element within the texts that both support and counter…

The first document (9.2), called Journal, 1788-1789 was written by Mary Dewees is about the Dewees family travel to Kentucky. The journal starts off with Mary Dewees and her family saying farewell to their friends. Knowing that they wouldn’t see them again for a very long time or they might never will, because transportation during the 18th century was very difficult, which is shown throughout the journal. One of of the most important historical fact about the journal is the trials that Dewees…

The Big Sleep is an interesting novel by Raymond Chandler with many twists and turns throughout the entire plot, with an abrupt plot twist at the very end. The story is set in the in Los Angeles, California in the 1930s, from the point of view of Philip Marlowe, the protagonist. The basic plot of the entire story starts when a private detective, Philip Marlowe, gets hired by a wealthy man, General Sternwood, for a job, which involves the blackmailing of one of his two daughters, Vivian Regan.…

Throughout Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, it does not take long to notice that a certain code of conduct, or code of ethics, is very prevalent throughout the poem. The poem includes several key aspects of medieval life, especially how following the code of chivalry is a requirement for knights. The knightly code of chivalry explains the bravery of Sir Gawain that is portrayed throughout the poem. During the story, Gawain’s chivalry is continuously tested, but it is not just Gawain’s chivalry…

A Farewell to Arms is a novel by Ernest Hemingway which takes place in Italy during World War I. Readers learn of the character Frederic Henry and his lover, Catherine Barkley. Throughout the entire novel, Hemingway uses nature and weather in symbolic ways to gain the attention of readers. One of the greater symbols is the rain. Most people would agree that rain means life and that it does not have a negative symbolic use, but Hemingway uses rain as a symbol for death and despair. During the…

The Accordion’s Role in The Book Thief In the novel, The Book Thief, Hans Hubermann’s accordion plays a very important role. Hans received this accordion and learned to play the accordion from Erik Vandenburg, Max’s father. Hans and Erik quickly became good friends during their time serving in France during World War I. In Part four Chapter one, we learn that Erik was killed during the fighting in World War I. “When he tracked down the family of Erik Vandenburg in Stuttgart upon his return,…

Ernest Hemingway’s novel, A Farwell to Arms, exploits Catherine’s situation as a means to draw parallels to the unfortunate setting of the novel better known as the war. Throughout the novel, Hemingway takes a liking to the mounting relationship between Catherine and Frederic Henry, the protagonists of the novel. A Farwell to Arms shadows Henry’s journey to escape from the war as well as appease Catherine, who eventually transforms into the love he so desires. Desperate to preserve his…

Fight or Flight In In Our Time, Ernest Hemingway writes stories in which various characters experience and cope with loss. Set around World War I, the stories’ characters usually only appear once, except for one. Nick Adams appears multiple times throughout the collection, and seems to age as he does so. The first few stories describe his boyhood, and later ones, his transition to manhood. In depicting Nick’s mindset during his youth and young adulthood, Hemingway accurately illustrates the…