Tribulation

Quipped by singer Judy Collins, “Suffering is the price of being alive.” In the novel The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, Wang Lung, along with his family, goes through life in 1930s China, experiencing tribulation and prosperity. The Good Earth sends a universal message about a life full of struggle, in hopes to thrive and be successful. The book, wasting no time with frivolous love stories or fairytale endings, focuses mainly on the hardships of Wang Lung. A poor farmer, he depends heavily on his…

Similarly, Mitchell’s own perspective echoes Plath’s concerns and sufferings. In conjunction with the poet, Mitchell critiques “old friends” who “are acting strange,” and she regrets that much of life has become “just another show” in her song Both Sides Now. Throughout the balled, Mitchell describes once beloved aspects of life, clouds or love and the fairytale images they evoke. However, as she has grown older, Mitchell explains how these once beloved treasures have become sullied by newfound…

Every story written reflects upon another aspect of the human condition. In Voltaire’s Candide, the reader is taken on a journey with an innocent boy who has the hardships and brutalities of the world revealed to him over the course of the book. Along the way, the main character, Candide, encounters an old woman who has lived a full life in that she has lived at both ends of the wealth spectrum. As they become better acquainted with one another, she recounts her life story to Candide and Miss…

Mark Mathabane’s autobiography, Kaffir Boy, reveals the struggles of the blacks of apartheid in South Africa. In the author’s description of the horrific scenes in South Africa, he introduces many characters who impact his life both positively and negatively. One of the key positive characters is Mama, Mathabane’s mother. She exemplifies to the reader that although she is supportive and tough, she is not keen in revolutionizing South Africa to end apartheid. Throughout the plot, Mark’s…

The central plot focuses on an individual’s struggle of trying to recuperate her husband to health. Along her journey, she encountered bumps and potholes. Nevertheless, with the help of her community, she was able to overcome such tribulations. This was exemplified when “…all of the water animals began to dive down and bring up soil.” They all came together in unison to help their fellow peer who was in desperate need of help. In addition, “The Sky Tree” was a symbolic meaning of life…

As a book filled with laments of the Babylonians’ destruction of Jerusalem, Lamentations describes what seems to be an eye-witness account to the suffering of the people who had once called the city their home. Jeremiah, who is traditionally thought to be the author of these laments, demonstrates a level of emotion that readers of the Hebrew Bible have yet to encounter in any of the previous books. There are several poetic elements that are present within the chapters of Lamentations, but the…

“Most American families had nice homes, most American families had a car or two, most American families had nice clothes…. There was an implicit promise that this was the way it was always going to be. “ ( https://goo.gl/8zqQWB ). In The United States, there are infinite opportunities, so many that people often find that they lose themselves on the so called ‘ Path of Success ‘. Subsequently, People everywhere, not just Americans have always hoped for a better life. Whether it be a more…

a geisha is a female Japanese entertainer. Moreover, a geisha works in teahouses, dances, play musical instruments and participates in other forms of entertainment to occupy her clients (Marshall et al., 2005). This film depicts the trials and tribulations of a little girl named Chiyo, who arguably develops into the most famous geisha of her generation, Nitta Sayuri. The film begins by Chiyo observing her father act out what seemed to be a healing remedy on her mother, who later dies in the…

“There are no ‘ifs’ in God’s world, and no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety – let us pray that we always know it.” – Cornelia ten Boom. The story, “The Hiding Place,” takes place in World War II. The two main characters, Betsie and Corrie ten Boom, face many horrific ordeals throughout the story. The question of God’s allowing such situations comes to the forefront of many readers’ minds, the purpose God had in store for them contains a…

I found “I have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. to be the most compelling class speech because we are all people and don’t deserve to be judged by the color of our skin. To start my essay, King uses very powerful vocabulary to express his feelings in a more powerful way. My first quote, “still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation.” (King 3) He uses tone, to show that he and the other African Americans are still in a way hurt, by the actions of the white men and women. “This is…