Politeness

court in this time period while also demonstrating various appropriate ways to convey courtesy to women. Female elders are met with deep bows and salutes whereas younger ladies are kissed and approached more directly. Such divisions in methods of politeness as exhibited by Gawain identify key aspects of the courtly code’s nature of…

lesson on respect. This is evident because towards the end of the short story, Sally goes from being the likeable character who is accepting of John to being this hateful character. She says “Why does he have to come here, with his bird calls and his politeness? Why can't they all go someplace else besides here? There must be lots of other places they can go, out of all them bright stars up there behind the clouds.” This anger comes from her realizing how disrespectful humans can be and that she…

Keishera Aldonza Culture Partners: The Interview with the Albanian I first met Enea almost by accident. It was the night of the first fire alarm at Roberts Hall. The steam pipes had burst and the basement became overwhelmed with steam, forcing Enea upstairs and into my common area. He was alone and I felt particularly sociable that night. He introduced himself as Alec, which I learned later was his “Americanized” name, and I introduced myself and my friends. Our friendship stuck and he even…

In the context of ancient China, much can be learned about actions which were deemed virtuous, or proper, by exploring historical literature. Whether an individual was an emperor or a farmer, he or she was expected to conform to a set of behavioral rules that appears to have varied little. Indeed, it appears that those with higher positions of prestige were held to a higher standard than those of common laborers. This difference was possibly used as a method to ensure the stability of the…

A president by definition is an individual that is the elected head of a republican state. All countries in this modern era have presidents, prime ministers, or leaders. Unfortunately, not all of them are fit or qualified for acting as a representative of their given republic. Through differentiation, we can determine what a “good” president is qualified. To be a good president one must have intuitive decisiveness and be extremely disciplined because of the wide range of issues they have to…

(Title) People are often told to fall in love with a person’s true self. But what if that’s not the only way to fall in love? What if you could fall in love with someone portraying another person? According to Kurt Vonnegut, that might be a good way to do it. In the story “Who Am I This Time?” by Kurt Vonnegut the theme you could fall in love with the idea of a person is developed by voice and characterization. Kurt Vonnegut uses voice in many different ways to prove the theme. One being a…

different world than him, perhaps even a different reality. Furthermore, the mansion is blocked off from the outside world, suggesting that Dracula wishes to keep its true contents private, revealing the deceptive nature of his intentions. The faux politeness that Dracula exudes when greeting Harker, emphasized by the civil diction of “Welcome to my house! Enter freely. Go safely”, shrouds his true demeanor. Similarly, the “great door” that protects the entrance to Dracula’s mansion functions in…

As a child of immigrants that grew up in a very negatively charged society, it became clear for me at early years of my existence that adapting my behavior and communication can help to survive discriminations. I acted and talked in different ways depending on the people that surrounded me. However, that was in Russia where people are still afraid to show their true ethnicity or ideas because of the amount of racists that occupy the country. So, how can adapting our behavior and way of talking…

What is the relationship between Mrs. Freeman and Mrs. Hopewell? To what extent are their names significant? What does the name change from Joy to Hulga suggest about Mrs. Hopewell’s daughter? Mrs. Freeman, the domineering maid, and Mrs. Hopewell the house-owner have an interesting connection. While it could potentially be considered a rivalry for the attention of others (primarily the attention of Hulga). The overbearing nature of Mrs. Freeman is the major influence over the household and in a…

A world equivalent to hell: no friends, acquaintances, or inspiration. Nothing but the crumbling sanity of the brain, and the urge to backlash upon the world that deserted him into nothing but a struggling renegade. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, this problem is bestowed to sixteen-year old Holden Caulfield, who struggles with mental and social issues in New York after being kicked out of his school, Pencey Prep. Holden is suffering from something far more severe than a…