Atonement Novel by Ian McEwan

Examination of truth

Introduction

 In the novel, ‘Atonement', the main character, Briony Tallis feels guilt and seeks atonement for the wrong accusation toward Robbie and for separating two lovers. Briony is aware of his cousin's Lona's sexual assault but she does not recognize the criminal. However, she tells people that Robbie committed sexual assault and the false accusations affect the life of Robbie since he spends several years in prison.  In the novel, the three chapters reveal how Briony relies on fiction or imagination and abandons truth but at the end of the novel she desires to testify and tell the truth. The three parts reveal various themes such as right and wrong, guilt and innocence, and truth and fiction. However, the central theme is truth and fiction since the main character desires to free from the chaos of the world by revealing the truth.  Note that Briony's imaginative life destroys the life of Robbie as well as his relationship with Cecilia. Every time she thinks about her sister and realizes the danger of fiction.  Briony creates various fiction scenarios but later, she develops a sense of reality and needs atonement.

 The first scenario that reveals the search for truth or the need to reveal the truth is when he writes a play known as ‘The Trials of Arabella'. She writes the play and starts to rehearse with the family members and in the process, Briony feels that her cousins Jackson and Lola will destroy her play (Ellam, 59). Also, the other family members are not satisfied with the play performance and everyone in the house abandons her and does not perform. Everything goes sour and Briony decides to write a story for her brother since its easier to convey.  As she pauses to think what to do, she stares at her sister and her lover at a fountain scene.  Briony creates fiction and concludes that Robbie is commanding her sister to accept her marriage request by forcing her to uncover herself and enter in the fountain so that Robbie can save her (Ellam, 75).  Note that this is an active imagination and to worsen the matter, she does not recognize that she is in a fairy tale world but she believes that she is in a real-life world.

 Six decades later, Briony reflects in 1935 and remembers the past imaginative things she was constructing. She considers all the imaginative accounts and tries to figure out the reality of each event. For example, she says that "the truth had become as ghostly as invention" (Boxall, 77).  In her memory, she is remembering how she treated fiction and how the fiction destroyed the life of her sister and Robbie. She desires a just world and she learns that words or in other words fiction, can destroy the life of others. Also in the play, when the family members including her cousins abandon the play, this means that her imagination is abandoned. In other words, she believes that she has power over her family members and that she would control them in the play (Boxall, 78). Another important point to note is that in the play ‘The Trials of Arabella',   she wants to play the role of heroine. Before her brother arrives, she tells the family members that ‘rehearsals, for the play, start in five minutes'. Note that when telling her cousins to rehearsal, she does not treat them as cousins but she sees them as cast.  In other words, she does not see the people as real people but she treats them as characters and controls them.  Since she is a writer, she controls people and makes decisions alone and aims to transform the world (Boxall, 79). However, the cousins argue that Briony should not be the heroine since she is the writer of the play. According to Briony, even though the cousins persuades her not to be the heroine and give the position,  she believes that she can take another position and act like a heroine who is abandoned by her mother. This tells that Bryony wants to be a playwright and a heroine and this means that she cannot separate truth from fiction. In the entire story, Briony's life is full of imaginative scenarios and she cannot separate the truth from fiction (Boxall, 79). Focusing on ‘The Trial of Arabella', it is important to understand that Briony abandons the play and writes a short story instead. This shows that in deciding to write a story, she is controlled by her manipulative desires, and she believes that the story will be successful than the play.  Note that she wants to gain control through imaginative writing which restricts her from separating fiction from truth.

Briony, a thirteen-year-old girl, is inexperienced but despite the lack of knowledge about social life, she believes that power is an important element in that it enables someone governs individual and groups. In the entire novel, Briony seems to exert power and control over other people especially her family members. She believes that she is powerful for being a good artist, and she is powerful because other family members look up to her (Gale, 1). However, at the end of the novel, Briony narrates what she has experienced while working as a nurse in London.  At this time, she is coming out from an imaginative world to the real world where truth is important than imagination. Remember that she wrongly accused Robbie and separated two lovers and she is ready to ask for forgiveness and atone for her sins.  In the process of seeking atonement, Briony is referred to as "imagined or ghostly personal' who did not differentiate between truth and fiction (Gale, 1). However, she goes to her sister's house where she meets Cecilia and Robbie.  As Briony tells them that she wants to seek forgiveness, the two tells her that she should write a letter.  Instead, Briony feels that she should write ‘an atonement' as a form of confession and tell the truth.

Conclusion

‘Atonement' talks about a lover's separation brought by the protagonist Briony. The latter wrongly accused Robbie that she raped her cousin Lola but later, Briony recognizes the mistake she did.  The reader depicts the Briony's undesirable imagination and the imagination play a significant role at the end of the novel as it allows the main character to make moral decisions and express moral truth. It is important to understand that Briony is a fictional character who later seeks atonement for her behaviors. Throughout the novel, Briony is concerned with the atonement since when she was young she was involved in various fictions that affect people's life. The imaginative life made her become a false witness.  Some of the crimes she performed due to the inability to separate truth from fiction include false accusing Robbie which resulted in a long prison sentence and separating two lovers, Robbie and Cecilia. After recognizing her mistakes several decades later, she writes a novel ‘Atonement' for serious crimes.   

Work cited

Gale, Cengage L. Study Guide for Ian Mcewan's Atonement. Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, n.d.. Print.

Ellam, Julie. Ian Mcewan's Atonement. London: Continuum, 2009. Print.

Boxall, Peter. Twenty-first-century Fiction: A Critical Introduction. , 2013. Print.

 Racism in ‘One Friday Morning’ by Langston Hughes

The story of Nancy Lee is one that helps to show the elements of racism in the American society. Her story helps to shed light on the extent to which racial discrimination is openly practised on even innocent children who do not even understand what racism really is. Nancy Lee as she is described in the story is a young person who all her life has aspirations to become an artist and her dream was to major in art in college. Racism however crushed her dreams when she was denied an art award which would have been her ticket to making her dreams come true.

Nancy, though black has grown up in a society that has never made her feel different and she never at one point encountered any form of racism with her classmates. Hughes on page (8) indicates, ‘Nancy Lee sometimes forgot she was colored herself’, She had never looked at herself as someone that is different from the other students in her school because of her colour. Her dream is to achieve her goals of becoming artists in America, and she works so hard knowing that she would shine just everyone else.

Unfortunately, this does not happen for her because her skin colour works against her odds in the American society. Although she was talented, she was not awarded by the Art Club all because she was black. The art club was ready to give her the award before they knew that she was black which greatly helps show how racist the society is. The racist American society did not at one point consider how their actions would affect Nancy as a young person who was working hard to try and secure her future. The story of Nancy helps to show how egocentric policy makers are, though they people that are given the role of ensuring that everyone is treated equally; they help in encouraging discrimination on some people all because of their race.

At school, students were taught the importance of equality and fair treatment for all. The teachers treated all the students equally not at any one point making any of them feel inferior or superior to others because of their race. They understood the importance of teaching students as the future generation importance of equality for all. The students believed in equality and they treated one another with respect, ‘seldom did her high-school classmates think of her as colored’; they never judged one another on basis of skin colour (Hughes, 2). The story presents the students singing the national anthem with special respect for the flag which they believe symbolizes liberty and justice for all. This helps to show that the students believed and hoped that their society was just and fair to everyone, all because that is what they were made to believe while in school. The painting that was made of her African grandmother sitting on a park bench looking at the American flag on a beautiful sunny day is significant. It is a representation of the American society that she wanted, a place where everyone is treated equally without any form of discrimination. It was hence a very great disappointment for her when she was denied the award just because she was black, when her painting is all about equality

Nancy Lee felt betrayed by the policy makers and the entire American society that condoned discrimination based on race. Any person black or white can have a talent; this was supported by the fact that there were no restrictions on to who could join the art contest. The art society was biased in that it did not expect a coloured student to have an art talent, and actually win in the contest. This helps to illustrate the perception that the society had on black people as un-intelligent and incapable in excelling in anything. The letter clearly indicates that ‘there have never been any Negro students in the local art school, and the presence of one there might create difficulties for all concerned’ (Hughes, 8). Having Nancy who is black in the art school was perceived at as a threat in that it would change the already set white culture of the art society. A society where only the white people excel while the black people sit back and watch, the art club was ready to forego a talent all because the artists was black, which greatly help to illustrate the extent of racism in the society.

Miss O’Shay, Nancy’s teacher is equally disappointed with the Art Club and encourages Nancy not to give up with her dreams. She encouraged her to always fight for her dreams and uses her own story as a good example of how things will get better for Nancy. Miss O’Shay is in this story used as a racism abolitionist who helps to show that there is hope, that racism will end one day and people like Nancy will be able to achieve her American dream.

At the end of the story, Nancy even though disappointed and hurt by how things turned out for her felt encouraged. At the end of the story she was encouraged to fight against racism with the help people like Miss O’Shay, to ensure that it did not happen to other young girls like her (Hughes, 9). Having first-hand experience with racism helped her take up a new role of a revolutionist to try and make the American society a much better place, where everyone is treated equally regardless of their race.

This story by Hughes helps to shed light to many of the challenges and disappointments that people go through in life to help make them stronger and more responsible. This is a story that helps show discrimination at work and helps readers to come to terms with the fact that racial discrimination is a domineering issue in the society. Discrimination is something that happens all around the society, everyone has experienced it at one point in their life. What really matters is how one reacts to the discrimination and what they do about it. Nancy on her part did not let the discrimination define her; she did not just sit back and give up. She chose to fight back and ensure that what happened to her would never happen to anyone else. If the whole society came together and worked against any sort of discrimination without fear, the world would become a much better place. It would become one society where everyone fits because they know that their hard work is appreciated, irrespective of whether they are coloured or white.

References

Hughes, L. (2013, May 03). One Friday Morning. Retrieved from

https://www.whatsoproudlywehail.org/curriculum/the-american-calendar/one-friday-morning

Community story

Development of student’s literature depends on the community,  their family friends, towns people, values and the heritage that these people bring into their lives.  For learners to be fully active they must be fully capable of identifying the way literacy is a major part of all the activities that are being carried out in all settings (Stuczynski, Linik, Novick, Spraker, n.d). Telling stories of one self and community easily fits into the literacy curriculum.  The act of letting learners explore their communities through reading and writing which are part of literature gives them a sense of belonging.  Exploring real life projects helps students develop their oral and written skills.

Many projects that involve the community include interviewing the members of community. These people can be grandparents who attended the school before the student. These people will share information about the school during the time they were there.  A multi-cultural community presents learners and teachers with the opportunity to learn about the culture and languages around their school and in the community. When students conduct oral interviews in the community they benefit a lot from this. Oral interviews play a major role in influencing communities to be more education centered.  Oral histories is one of the oldest arts, it has been used for a long time by communities to pass down traditions, ethical conduct and morals (Stuczynski, Linik, Novick, Spraker, n.d). Oral interviews are providing a good opportunity for the learners to gain an understanding about their own culture and that of others.

Using oral interviews learners are able to learn the difference between stories on real events, myths and fables that are told as a means of entertainment and to deliver various life lessons.  The process of interviewing the community helps students to explore their own lives and express their feelings (Stuczynski, Linik, Novick, Spraker, n.d).

References

Stuczynski, A., Linik R, J., Novick, R., Spraker, J., (n.d). Community Stories. Retrieved from;             https://www.readingrockets.org/article/community-stories

The Best Gift

Having been raised up in Cuba, a poor country a pet is a luxury not everyone can afford. As a child who comes from a not well of family my parents were more focused on providing me and my brother with basic needs such as ensuring we had a roof over our heads every day, food was provided to us and we got the best education. Having watched children movies as I was growing up, I always desired to have a pet as the children in the movies did. Finally, one day when I was twelve my parents came home with a puppy and gifted it to me, it was no special occasion but they always saw my desire to own a pet and finally they wanted to fulfill that desire for me. I named the pet John after my favorite cartoon character, Johnny Bravo.

            This pet fulfilled my deepest desires of childhood. It got to the point where I wanted to take John with me to school and everywhere I went although that proved to be impossible. John became my greatest companion since he was always around me when I was away from school, the only place I could not go with him. When ever my mother took me to the park to play when she had time, we took John with us.  I made sure that I feed him in the morning before I left for school and fed him in the evening the exact same time, I took my supper. Most of the times he slept next to me on my bed but my mum always encouraged that I let him sleep on the beautiful, mat my she had gotten for him.

John was like a best friend to me and whenever my mum was mad at me I would lock myself in my room and cry and often when I opened the door to leave my room I would find John waiting for me on the door way, after opening the door he would snuggle close to my feet licking them which I believe was an expression of his love for me. I made sure that I took him for a walk around our neighborhood as often as possible to ensure that he would never get lost in the neighborhood in case he left our compound. Whenever me and my brother were playing football, we would make sure that John was part of the game.

John being a dog he was not be able to play Tv games with me therefore, I made sure that I set time aside to watch Tv with him over the weekends and he became a Johnny Bravo fan also. I took him with me on all the holidays that followed after his arrival despite my mother’s plea that I should leave him with our neighbors but I never agreed to leave him behind. He appears in mostly of our family photos. I remember one time he came home with a bruised limb and for a moment I thought he was going to dies but the vet assured me that it was a minor bruise and he will heal eventually and be able to walk on all four again. Up to today I believe that John symbolized how my parents loved me and to show me that they were willing to do their best for my happiness they got me the puppy I so much desired.

Character growth of Elizabeth and Darcy in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen

The story Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is outstanding in that it shows how pride and prejudice in the main characters changes as the novel progresses. The plot of the story follows how Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy the main characters overcome their pride and prejudice to find one another, but they first recognize their faults and change their characters. The story trails the growth of Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s bond observing how they change their characters for them to astound their own egotisms and have the ability to love one another.

Mr. Darcy for one is at the beginning of the story presented as a proud and vain man who wants everything to go his way. His pride is presented in the way that his family permits him to follow his doctrines ‘in pride and conceit’ (Austen, 310). Darcy is greatly prejudiced against the people from lower social status than his and this greatly contributes to his pride. As soon as Elizabeth meets Darcy, she concludes that he is an in despicable man who is much too unexpected and arrogant that could not be liked by any person.

Darcy was viewed as the fine figure of a man in the society and all the ladies perceived him to be the ideal gentleman much finer than Mr Bingley till his manners betrayed him and it turned the tide of his popularity (Austen, 58). His pride is seen in the way that he chooses not to interact with other ladies at the Meryton ball except for his friend’s sisters arguing that all the other ladies were not worthy enough to dance with him. He says ‘"There is not another woman in the room, whom it would not be a punishment for me to stand up with" (Austen, 8). It is this pride that results in Darcy’s alienation from the other people including Elizabeth who judge him as a proud man not worthy of marriage because he did not portray any other qualities apart from wealth.

His pride and prejudice is further strengthened by much more serious criticisms in the story, like the manner in which he treats Elizabeth at the Rosings Park. After she angrily confront him causing the break up between her sister Jane and Mr. Bingley, he shouted at Elizabeth  and accused her family as lacking propriety. Further accusations by Mr. Wickham who illustrates that Darcy had deprived him from a position that was promised to him by Darcy’s late father, made Darcy to seem like a really mean and selfish character (Austen, 46).

Darcy’s proud character is further worsened when it is discovered by Elizabeth that Darcy is the one that persuaded Mr. Bingley not to marry Jane Bennet, all because he felt that the family did not meet the high standards that he considered himself to hold. As the novel progresses however, Darcy character changes as he realizes the perception that people have of him in the society (Austen, 87). He becomes more and more acceptive of the Bennet family and he even becomes fond of Elizabeth whom he considers to be a clever, straightforward girl that he falls in love with and wants to marry. Darcy explains to Elizabeth the story behind Mr Wickham who is a slander and this helps to show that Darcy did not in any way harass him and he did everything that Mr. Wickham asked of him.

His good character is shown in the way that he did not seek revenge for the elopement with his fifteen year sister, Georgina. When it comes to the Jane and Bingley affair, Darcy was just looking out for his friend, even though he let his pride control his thinking and it shows that he is a loving and concerned friend. As the novel come to an end, the affectionate character of Darcy is brought out when he explains his side of the story to Elizabeth whom he has come to love despite the fact that she comes from a low social status family. This shows his changed proud character, which is further strengthened by his apology to Elizabeth on his behaviour and also his free use of money to help Wickham and Lydia (Austen, 107).

As for Elizabeth, she is presented as a prejudiced person; she constantly shares her capacity for irony through her conversations with the people around her which greatly help to show her judgemental character. She judged Darcy immediately after she met him, even before he talked to him just because of a comment that he made and his outward behaviour towards other people. She is quick to judge Darcy when she is told stories about him by Mr. Wickham without considering even for a moment that the stories could be made up (Austen, 53).

An appealing character of Elizabeth is her independent streak and this is presented when she stands firms about her decision not to marry Mr. Collins (Austen, 67). This shows that she is capable of judging things for herself and actually make her own decisions. Her emotional side is reflected with her great affection for her sisters especially when Jane was sick and she walked three miles to check on her (Austen, 14). Her main fault is that of prejudice and she can be defined as the prejudice of the novel’s title. Her main prejudice targets are Darcy and Wickham; she dislikes Darcy right from the beginning without any specific reason with only an offensive comment as her defence (Austen, 8). She is later on presented in the novel as taking pleasure in provoking him which is one of the reasons that she turned down his proposal. This is also why she readily believes the accusations made against him by Mr. Wickham even though she had doubts about the truth of the accusations.

Her change in character is seen after she reads the letters by Darcy explaining his side of the story (Austen, 150). She realizes how prejudiced she has been and actually realized that she was guilty of the same pride that she so gracefully accused Darcy of. The letters helped Elizabeth to realize that she had considered herself to be superior to others and her believe that she can never be wrong. This was the moment that she realized her faults and this helped her change her character. She then from this point begins to look at things much more clearly and even admits her faults to Jane (Austen, 236). Elizabeth confronts Wickham about the truth and changes her attitude towards Darcy, which makes her the heroine of the story. Elizabeth at the end of the novel becomes a mature adult that is neither controlled by pride nor prejudice.

 Her views on love and marriage change; she at the beginning despises courtship and does not have interests in marriage, she viewed charlottes engagement as incompetent. But at the end of the novel, her views on marriage and relationships completely change. She comes to learn that financial as well as social considerations are important in marriage and hence her acceptance of Darcy’s proposal (Austen, 278). Her acceptance to marry Darcy helps her overcome her own family prejudice against Darcy which shows a truly independent adult.

These two characters, Elizabeth and Darcy are forced to overcome their faults in order to become better people in the society and in the end find happiness. Pride is something that Darcy was brought up and almost trained to which is what led him to behave wrongly on the three occasions. At the end of the novel Darcy is able to conquer his pride by admitting to his wrong doing and he is grateful for Elizabeth for humbling him. Elizabeth on her side, is brought up in a family of low social status which could be the reason she was so judgmental on the wealthy families like that of Darcy without taking the chance to truly learn about them. She is at the end of the novel able to conquer her prejudice as well as pride by admitting to her faults. The two characters can be defined as the true model union in the novel. Darcy is good for Elizabeth, his pride helps her learn of her prejudiced character and he helps control her uncontrolled emotions with his controlled rationality.

Works cited

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice Thrift Study Edition. Dover Publications, 2012. Internet

            resource.

What You Pawn I Shall Retrieve

            Sherman’s story “What You Pawn I Shall Retrieve,” tells the story of a homeless Indian Boy named Jackson. Sherman narrates how the boy goes on a journey to get money in order to purchase a powwow regalia that was stolen from his grandmother. Throughout the story, the character of this boy who happens to be the main protagonist is defined by the relationship he has with other characters.  Through this story, Sherman tells of a common story of poverty and substance abuse in native America through the encounters of Jackson. Jackson is mostly defined by his kindness which happens to be his ultimate flaw in his attempts to raise the money he needed. His kindness becomes his greatest asset when he sets out to retrieve back his grandmother's powwow regalia from a pawnbroker at a cost of five dollars which was far less than the amount that was demanded.

            Jackson resides in Seattle, Washington where he traveled twenty-three years ago in order to attend college before dropping out of school. He has worked numerous blue-collar jobs, had multiple marriages, and many children. In the story, he eludes himself from having a mental disorder. Briefly, in the story, he introduces himself when he states that Indians make great storytellers and as a result, they are good liars (Gale, np). The need to retrieve his grandmother's powwow regalia begins when he and his friends pass a pawn shop and through the window, he identifies the powwow regalia as that of his grandmother.  It had been stolen years before but he was confident that it was the powwow regalia he saw from his grandmothers’ pictures and the stories she told him about it. To truly show that it belongs to his grandmother he told the pawnbroker that he will see a yellow bead inside which was true but despite the sympathies of the pawnshop owner he explains that he cannot just give it away since he has acquired it at one thousand dollars. Instead, he tells him that he will sell it to him at a one-dollar discounted price (Gale, np). As the character of Jackson continues to develop in the story, Sherman gives him positive characteristics that often result in additional obstacles.

            Along the way of retrieving his grandmother's powwow regalia, he is met with roadblocks. Sherman Alexie is totally successful in his attempts of making Jackson a humanitarian through the use of stereotypes while on the other hand showing his progression towards retrieving his grandmother's powwow regalia. Any time he makes progress he is knocked down back to the same position where he started. The compassion he has for his friends is one of the reasons his attempts to raise money fails. His attempts to raise and fall frustrate the readers as they go through the story (Gale, np). By bringing out his character as a humanitarian Sherman highlights the good in him.  He takes care of his friends before he can take care of himself or accomplish what he sets out to do. Despite his dedication and will to get back his grandmother’s powwow regalia, he ends up spending every dollar that he earns on saving his friends. This does not define him as a careless person but a compassionate person he prefers to spend his money on his friends since he regards them as family. At one time he wins one hundred dollars from a scratch ticket he gives 20 dollars to Mary and remarks that when one wins, they are supposed to share it with family (Gale, np).

            The fact that Jackson finds himself in the same position he started at the end of the story can be said to be frustrating and tragic. At one time he decided to sell newspapers when someone gives them to him for free.  He sells only five of them and gives up. He goes to McDonald's and buys himself burgers but at the end, he throws up. In the course of 24 hours, he had only thirty dollars left which he used to buy himself and three Indians breakfast. These Indians did not appreciate his efforts since they disappeared right after breakfast. If Jackson had tried harder maybe he would have come up with the money he needed (Gale, np). Throughout the story, Sherman displays Jackson as endearing, compassionate, and a giving human being. He idolizes his grandmother but his efforts to retrieve the thing that remained him of the woman who helped to sculpt him into the person he was were always hitting a dead end.

Part of the reason he finds himself at the same position he began at in the beginning of the story is because of his alcoholism. Despite his intelligence, the decisions he made that resulted to his position at the end of the story might also have been influenced by alcohol. Even when trying to acquire the powwow regalia the first thing he does when he makes the decision of retrieving it is purchasing liquor with the little money he had at that time (Gale, np). Alcohol might have influenced his spendthrift ways and thus his inability to raise the money he needed.

The fact that Jackson is able to get his grandmother's powwow regalia is humbling. Over and over again Jackson has found himself starting over again and again. He repeatedly is forced to start from nowhere again with abandonment and neglect in his so-called mission. At the end of his mission when he was hitting dead rock again the owner of the pawn shop generously gave him 20 dollars to restart his mission again and then gives him the powwow regalia without demanding any payment because of Jackson's merit but because of his truthfulness, hopefulness and boldness (Gale, np). Jackson is bold enough to stand in front of the man offering him his remain five dollars with full confidence his hopes to regain the last thing that reminded him of his grandmother and the one thing that connected him to his ancestry. His boldness and hope that did not flatter challenged the pawnbroker and won him over despite the fact that Jackson did not want any pity nor handout (Gale, np). The fact that Jackson got his grandmothers powwow regalia back despite his inability to pay shows that his generosity and kindness was appreciated at the end.  The story is heartfelt. The final thoughts of Jackson shows that the deeds and accomplishments of a man are more than the amount of money that is in their pockets and money does not in any extent measure generosity only ones willingness to act and help matters which refers to all the good deeds that he did in the past which in one way contributed to him not raising the money that was needed by the pawnbroker.

Works Cited

Gale, Cengage L. A Study Guide for Sherman Alexie's ""what You Pawn I Will Redeem, "" Excerpted from Gale's Acclaimed Literary Themes for Students. Farmington Hills: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016. Print.

#LikeAGirlcampaign

Always#LikeAGirl campaign set out to champion the girls who are the future of the brand. The campaign was launched in 2014. The journey to puberty is no picnic and every girl need to be educated. At puberty a girl’s confidence plummets due to many factors. The campaign focused of giving the phrase “like a girl” a new positive meaning that would not be associated with inferiority or weakness. The campaign was able to command a vast audience on online platforms. The campaign was executed at various stages. The center piece of this campaign is a video that was launched on the brands YouTube official channel. This video affects the emotions of its viewers and sheds light on the effect the phrase has on the confidence of young girls.  Emotional appeal, logical appeal and ethical appeal have been used in the campaign. The campaign also impacted the attitudes of its audience.

The campaign gave Always a chance to build a fresh and a more meaningful understanding of confidence that would resonate with the coming generation which would be the users of their products. This campaign not only gave confidence to girls at their lowest time but also gave the brand a good course that was for the greater good. Alwaysalso felt the urge to build a campaign that was going to leverage the brand’s legacy of supporting girls as they transitioned from girls to young women (Always, n.d). The campaign was responsible for shedding light on what young women experience during this transition.

This campaign was worldwide, it had the sole purpose of driving an emotional connection between the users of the brand and the brand. The campaign was also an illustration of the loyalty and obligation that Always had towards their customers. The strategy was to remove the negativity that is associated with the phrase “like a girl” and impact a new positive meaning that would raise the confidence of the same girls that felt insulted by this phrase. The idea of the campaign was initiated by an investigation of how confidence girls are when young and how that changes as they approach puberty. The center piece of the campaign was a video clip that showed how different people interpret the phrase that is considered an insult (Always, n.d).

            Documentarian Lauren Greenfield helped Always to make the video that futured women of different ages interpreting the phrase. This shed some light on the fact both old women and girls at puberty interpret this phrase to mean weakness. Once the video was created it was launched to start a worldwide campaign that would focus on spreading the powerful message and empower women and girls all over that the phrase can be used to mean something positive. The video was able to gain millions of views which was indication that they had reached its targeted audience (Always, n.d).

The second step was to introduce the Hashtag, in order to remove the negativity in the phrase and to do so Always introduced the #LikeAGirl as a rally slogan that demanded change. The Hashtag was an inspiration to many who in return joined the course (Always, n.d). The third stage of execution of the campaign was, Video launch used the medias ability to create and call for attention. The was launched on the brand’s Youtube channel, but before it was launched it was given to bloggers who commanded social media attention to help create buzz before its official launch, through these bloggers the news of the video went viral before the official launch and everyone had a clue of what to expect (Always, n.d). The fourth stage of launching this campaign was strategic media outreach. Following the successful launch of the campaign, online and broadcast media that capitalized on female empowerment were contacted (Always, n.d). Always ensured that the media continued to buzz about the video for a long time.

            The fifth stage was engaging celebrities in the campaign, celebrities such as Bella Thorne, and Vanessa Hudgens were chosen because they commanded a huge audience on social media, they were engaged in posting tweets about the campaign, these tweets encouraged other celebrities to post about the campaign(Always, n.d). Posts from these celebrities continued to make the campaign viral. The sixth stage was involving Real-time news desk to engage in talks surrounding the tweets and posts of the campaign. The final strategic stage of execution was launching a global campaign, it was launched following the success of the campaign in North America, the campaign was then expanded to 20 markets (Always, n.d).

            Following the overwhelming and successful launch of the campaign of something that had started with a mere video rapidly grew to become one of the most talked about topics on social media worldwide. The campaign had surpassed everyone’s expectations. The media was responsible for changing the conversation in social media for a long time. The video was among the most viral videos that year. The campaign having achieved the goals of the program, it was able to achieve an emotional connection with the target audience. According to a brand research conducted after this campaign; 81% of women between the age of 16-24 supported Always for reclaiming the “like a girl” word and giving it a positive meaning (Always, n.d). Goals that were surpassed by the video included; the video was shared by more than a million people and 35000 comments, the program achieved 4.5 billion in the globe, the program garnered more than 290 million social impressions and 133 thousand social mentions (Yi Wu, 2017). The campaign trended on Facebook and increased the Twitter followers of Always by 195. 3%.

            The Always brand did this campaign with a reason. Over the years always had confidence at its core, this campaign would only magnify the confidence, their confidence was found in this statement,“we won’t let you down” (RCL Blog, 2014). This trust remained important but they had to do something to help with the confidence since this trust was not enough to maintain the relevance among young women. The video opens with a young girl who is asked to run, this girl displays little confidence looking at the way she was running, when a more older woman is asked to run she runs the same with little confidence when young girls are asked to run they so energetically with a certain display of confidence in them . Young women and girls are the buyers of Always products;therefore, their message was to them. By using young women in their video, they are making it relate more to the target audience (RCL Blog, 2014). Apart from bring a positive meaning that instills confidence into young women, Always is marketing its products to mothers who will buy their products in order to maker their daughters happy, self- confident and earn them respect. Always is send a message to society that they need to empower young women and girls.

            This campaign was launched at a time it was highly needed. It is an age where the minds of girls and boys alike are policed by opinions of others, it was important to take a stand and campaign that girls can do some great to.  The campaign was a calculated measure by the brand because they took advantage of social media to send a positive message to females, who are the consumers of their brand and this was of way making sure they are more visible than their competitors (RCL Blog, 2014).

“Boys are better than boys” is one of the most common ideologies. Women have been considered weak compared to men in various ways such as, performance in school, athletics and levels of intelligence. Always challenges these ideologies by giving a real picture of what girls are capable of doing on their own, Always is leading women on a self-discovery road that shows them that they have untapped potentials that they are afraid to realize due to the social constructed weakness that society thinks girls should have. The question, when does like a girl become an insult is meant to the emotions of the of the audience, this question helps them seek the emotions of the audience forcing them to realize the harmful impact that phrase has on the female gender. Always seeks to have an effect on the emotions which will in return influence the thinking of the audience (RCL Blog, 2014). Using this question gave the campaign an emotional appeal since the question sought to have an impact on the feelings of the audience.

Emotional appeal can be seen from the beginning to the end of these video. In the video it is stated that when a girl reaches puberty stage her confidence drops. This statement relates with the negative comments that girls receive and the connection of being inferior to the other gender in all scenarios. This video invokes the emotions of females the moment they see it. When parents whether mothers or fathers see the video, they do not want their daughters to experience the pain of being told that they are inferior compared to the boys, when everyone see the video they learn of the grave mistake they have committed, by thinking of the females closest to them, it can be a sister, a mother or a colleague and how they have impacted their lives negatively and affected their confidence. Always gains control of the emotions of the viewers thus giving the campaign an emotional appeal (RCL Blog, 2014). In an emotional moment Always brand encourages girls to ignore what people say and keep striving to do their best in everything since people will tear them down for doing what is right.

As a brand that has majored in producing sanitary towels for women for a long time, they command authority in this area and their credibility cannot be disputed.This gives them an ethical appeal. Throughout the whole campaign Always demonstrates their deep knowledge on issues affecting young women, and proves that apart from selling their products to these women they also care about their wellbeing. Earlier in the ad everyone does what they are asked to do, which reinforces the credibility (RCL Blog, 2014). This video relates an important message and by reaching a vast audience, this video plays invokes the emotions of everyone. Always chose a time a relevant time to launch this campaign to make a relatable universal statement, timing contributed to the success of this campaign.

The campaign was aimed at persuading people to give the phrase ‘like a girl’ a new positive meaning. The technique of persuasion is defined as a way which communicators use to convince other people to change their attitudes or behaviors regarding something. This technique has been known to use symbols which may be verbal or non-verbal. In their campaign Always used logical appeal “logos” to convince people to change the attitude they have about these phrases.  The use of logos is aimed at convincing individual to change their attitudes, and also showed that many people did not understand the impact their words had young women who had thought that being a woman is something to be proud of and then they learn that it is something to be ashamed of (RCL Blog, 2014). By using the technique of persuasion Always is shaping a certain response to take another course.

Attitude can be defined as a learned, global, typical emotional evaluation of a person or issues that affect a certain action. The process of evaluating attitudes involve beliefs, feelings and intentions. Attitudes are responsible for influencing actions and how new information is interpreted. The # LikeAGirl campaign was responsible for influencing attitudes, the attitude placed on the phrase of the campaign brought about the thoughts of how girls are inferior compared to boys (RCL Blog, 2014). The campaign was aimed to impact a new attitude when mentioned, the phrase was to invoke self confidence when mentioned. In regards to interpretation, the statement was to be interpreted in a new way after the campaign, a way that did not affect the emotions of girls (Always, n.d). Some attitudes are stronger, weaker, conscious or subconscious. This campaign aimed at impacting a stronger and conscious attitude in its audience.

As stated above the process of evaluating attitude involves looking at the beliefs of people since attitudes spring from the beliefs of people. Before the campaign the belief that “like a girl” statement would only mean inferiority and weakness was a belief that was held by many.  This belief had to be turned around in order to change the old attitude surrounding this phrase. Giving this phrase a new meaning by changing the held belief gave people a new belief (RCL Blog, 2014). Emotions are key to changing attitudes, when the girls at puberty are asked to run, they run in a way that evokes the emotions of the audience, the way these old girls run show how their confidence is low thus evoking sympathy from the people who are responsible for killing her confidence (Always, n.d). When emotions are evoked new attitudes are formed. This campaign evokes a lot of emotion and changes the attitudes of many just like it was intended.

Strong attitudes are characterized by knowledge, importance placed on the issue in question and certainty. Before the launch of this campaign Always had gathered enough information and knowledge on the damage the phase has on the confidence of girls and young women. Always brand was certain that this campaign was going to change the lives of young girls and women who held the future of the brand. Always placed a lot of importance on this campaign. (RCL Blog, 2014). This showed that as a brand they have a strong attitude about it. Strong attitudes also persist over time, always persisted about their campaign for a very long time before the launch of the video and after the launch of the video. Strong attitudes also shape behaviors, this campaign shaped the behavior of society towards girls and young women. The campaign had a strong attitude which was necessary if it was to change the attitudes of its audience.

Ego involvement is among the three core concepts, the concept of ego involvement can be associated with this campaign since the campaign touched on self-concept or the core values of its audience. It is had to change the attitudes of people whose egos are involved. These people are known to have larger latitude rejection than latitude of acceptance. Involving the core values of people in the campaign was important since it was these core values that it aimed to change no matter the rejection it faced (Always, n.d).

Reasoned Action model defined the relationship that exists between the beliefs, attitude, norms, intentions and behaviors of a person. This model states that intentions are determined by the attitude of the person. This attitude is determined by the beliefs a person holds, beliefs is a subjective probability that what the person is doing will produce the desired results. Always used the strategy based on the theory of planned behavior in their campaign, their aim was to educate on the negative impact of the phrase which they fully achieved through reasoned action model. Through this model they were able to predict the behavior of their audience, as stated earlier Always had expectations which show they had already predicted the behavior of their audience (Always, n.d).  On social judgment theory, the success of a person is measured using the attitude the persuader has about the issue. Always had a video that proved that the confidence of girls is affected if they failed to persuade people with strong attitude they used the technique of pointing out that if they are not affected by the phrase they have a friend or a sister who is affected. The video not only acted as evidence it was used to show them that others were impacted by the phrases.  Always reminds its audience on the value of fairness when they try to prove that young women and girls are affected by this phrase (Always, n.d). This is social judgment techniques it uses to persuade its audience.

The elaboration likelihood model is can be referred to as a dual process theory that describes changes of attitudes. This model has two persuasive techniques used and their outcome of change. These two routes of persuasion are; central route where the persuasion will result to a thoughtful consideration of the true merits to the information being passed. The central route requires high levels of elaboration of the message being passed. The other route is the peripheral route, using this route the results of the attitude result from an individual’s association with the positive or negative message being passed down. Always used the central route of the likelihood model to impact the attitudes of its audience by campaigning with a video that serves as evidence, this video elaborates a lot concerning the message Always is passing (Always, n.d). The audience of this message therefore will consider the true merits of this information then change their attitudes.

Conclusion

The aim of this campaign was to give the Phrase “like a girl” a more powerful meaning that would generate confidence in girls and young women. The campaign was a global one, its. Its mission was to change the negativity that came with the phrase, like a girl and impact a positive meaning that would not be associated with weakness or inferiority. with the help of Lauren Greenfield always was able to produce an ad video which was the center piece of the campaign. This campaign was executed using various stages. It was a huge success resulted to change of social media conversations.  This campaign was launched at it was highly needed on the brands You tube channel. The campaign used an emotional appeal to command the emotions of the viewers. Logical and ethical appeals were also used in the campaign. the campaign had huge impacts on the attitude of its audience. By using persuasion Always was shaping a new response for the phrase from the society. This campaign was a necessary course of action taken by the brand to empower girls and young women who were the future of the brand.

References

Always. (n.d). Always #LikeAGirl: Turning an Insult into a confidence movement. Retrieved      from; https://instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/Always-LikeAGirl-Turning-an-Insult-            into-a-Confidence-Movement.pdf

RCL Blog. (2014). Rhetorical Analysis of Always’ “Like a Girl” Advertisement. Retrieved from.

Yi Wu, S. (2017). Why “Always #Like A Girl” is so successful? Retrieved from;             https://medium.com/@yw2467/why-always-likeagirl-is-so-successful-643a6e6fe834

                                                                        Introduction

            The feminine beauty is one of the socially constructed notions that is perceived to have the ability of improving their physical attractiveness. The reason for that is because this trait regarded as being one of the most important asset a woman can possess taking into consideration the manner in which other women strives to achieve as well as maintain their status. According to the modern research, feminine beauty is ultimately rooted in the existing heteronormative beliefs which in return end up influencing the manner in which women sexual orientations evolves (Kim, 2012). The feminine beauty ideal ultimately takes into account the female body that is of course based on the cultural background of a person.  On the other hand, the pressure that women do receive is what is regarded to make them to have several psychosocial effects, for instance, eating disorders, depressions, as well as low self-esteem. These traits are perceived to be ultimately emanating from the adolescent age as a person continues to age (Craig, 2002).

            According to the modern research, women have been portrayed as being one of the factors that have the potential of improving the effect that social media have to the modern technological society. For example, flat stomach, perfect body, blonde hair, big boobs, and so on are some of the factors that have been noted to have the potential of improving female image. Regardless of the fact that they all have the same impact to the general outlook of a person, the general perception of the society towards the manner in which female have to portray themselves is what impacts their dressing code (Wykes & Gunter, 2005). Since what female learns as they grow is what ultimately matters, the appearance of a person is important when it comes to the need of understanding the manner in which she perceived by his or her age groups. 

            On the same note, this implies that the appearance of a person is what have the potential of enabling women to feel contented with the manner in which she appeals to the community. This is to imply that in most occasions the image of a woman or role models is something that is being photo shopped for the purpose of educating other women the importance of having or maintain the modern appreciated body shapes. This then means that image society is one of the doctrines that community holds when it comes to the need of maintaining ideal human body despite being unrealistic approach. As a result of that, it is evident that such a demand for ideal or perfect body is something that have ended up damaging the modern society (Brzuzy & Lind, 2008). Such damages arises from the need of making women to fell more and more pressured when it comes to the need of looking perfect. On the other hand, what has been realized is the fact that in case they do not have the ability of maintaining their body shape, they have the likelihood of feeling less valued to the community. This means that it is this notion that has the potential of damaging the modern society through training the brains of men to uphold the fact that it is the responsibility of women to look perfect and in case that won’t be the case, they will be less valued (Kim, 2012).

                 The implications of the female physical appearances on social media

            Despite of the above considerations, the truth is that women have been perceived to be strongly stereotyped. For instance, some of the stereotype that women end up embracing ultimately takes into consideration the manner in which black female appears in social media platforms like movies and television shows.  Ideally, the modern research indicates that it possible to see the same stereotypes being displayed or played over and over again on social media platforms. The misrepresentation of women in the modern society is also something that can be perceived to have the ability of increasing the need of women to try and change their physical appearances (Straight, 2005). The reason for that is because it have been noted that the majority of women do end up acting as if women were born to embrace what men desires.  Although a small percentage of women are the ones that have been perceived to have the same doctrines, the role that they play in in enhancing their spotlight in movies and television shows is something that is extremely limited. Despite that, it is important to understand the fact that a lot of time that is wasted by women to improve their body or physical appearance is ultimately aimed at embracing the desires of strong powerful men (Chrisler & McCreary, 2010).

            With regard to the above considerations, it should be acknowledged that body image is one of the multidimensional construct that has the ability of improving the perception of women as well as the attitudes concerning the shape and size of their body. The reason for that is because it is this perception that have been noted to have the ability of upholding both the perceptual human components. This is to imply that it is the same parameters that are used for the purpose of illuminating the manner in which a person, especially women, perceives their physical appearances.   As stated above, the same physical appearance will have to take into account their body size, performance, weight, shape, physical characteristics, movement, as well as evaluation components. As a result of that, it becomes possible for female to understand the manner in which these attributes affects their societal appearances as well as the manner in which such feelings end influencing their behaviors (Straight, 2005).

            Taking the affects that the above attributes has to a person, research indicates that dissatisfaction is also another factor that is always experienced whenever a person end up perceiving that her body image falls short of the community ideal. Such an ideal obviously will have to take into account things like female shape and/or size despite of their objective shape or size.  This is to imply that physical dissatisfaction for female is something that is ultimately influenced by the manner in which a person interprets their societal ideals as well as  how women perceives themselves in social media platforms. As a result of that, in the process of embracing the beauty of women in social media, physical dissatisfaction and beauty perceptions are inextricably linked (Conway, 2013). The reason for that is because the modern research indicates that physical dissatisfaction is one of the risk factors that increases female unhealthy behaviors, for instance, chronic dieting and eating disorders. Consequently, a delineation of the source of female body dissatisfaction is one of the important factors that can enable them embrace their natural beauty. The same scenario will have the potential of reducing some of the modern theories regarding the importance of maintaining ideal physical shape with regard to the need of instilling practical and clinical implications (Chrisler & McCreary, 2010).

From the above considerations, the above traits are regarded as being one of the most important asset a woman can possess taking into consideration the manner in which other women strives to achieve as well as maintain their status. Regardless of the fact that these physical traits have the same impact to the general outlook of a person, the general perception of the society towards the manner in which female have to portray themselves is what impacts the social media appearances (Augie, 2011). In addition to that, the community needs to understand the fact that such damages arises from women to fell more and more pressured by the community to look more appealing to men. On the other hand, what can be acknowledged is the fact that in case they do not have the aptitude of maintaining their physical appearance, they have the likelihood of feeling less valued to the community.

            As stated above, the misrepresentation of women in the modern society is one of the factors that have been realized to have the ability of increasing the propensity of women to appear more appealing in various social media platforms. The reason for that is because the majority of women to try and change their physical appearances so as to gain more attention (Augie, 2011). Although a small percentage of women are the ones that have been perceived to have ideal physical appearance doctrines, the role that they play in enhancing their spotlight in movies and television shows is something that is extremely limited. This is to imply, it is important to understand the fact that a lot of time is that is wasted by women to improve their body or physical appearance is ultimately aimed at embracing not only the desires of strong powerful men but also the impact they have on social media (Brzuzy & Lind, 2008).

In order to be in the position of improving their social media appearances, the impact the physical appearance of a woman induces on any social media content being aired is the one that will continue marketing her. Regardless of the amount of revenues that they end up generating from such platforms, what they fail to understand is the fact that their desires is what will end up limiting their physical dissatisfaction. What this means is the fact that it will be impossible for female to understand the manner in which they end influencing their behaviors (Wykes & Gunter, 2005).

Recommendations

It is important for the community to understand the fact that the general exposure to idealized female bodies in various social media platforms ultimately have a significant on the manner in which female look. As a result of that, it is important for the community to lay an emphasis on the fact that not all individual have the ability of responding to the manner in which individuals perceives the outlook of a person (Craig, 2002). According to research, the existing individual differences is the one that can have the potential of moderating the impacts of the continued exposure to female idealized images. This is to imply that the psychological motives of a person to view female with thin bodies on social media platforms is the one that has the ability of determining the manner in which the community perceives beauty (Kim, 2012).

Conclusion

According to the above research, social comparison mainly takes into account the tendency of people to compare themselves with others. As a result of that, it has been proven that the same scenario have the potential of moderating the impacts that ideal female body exposure has on various social media platforms. This means that the effect that thin ideal advertisements regarding body and mood dissatisfaction for women is something that is ultimately mediated by societal female physical comparisons. It is evident that the majority of women who engage in comparing themselves with their pears end up experiencing more negative body and mood dissatisfaction in the process of exposing themselves to various social media adverts. This is to imply that social comparison amongst women, whether psychological state or trait, is one of the reliable moderator of the idealized female media exposure.

Furthermore, the above analysis suggests that women who end up feeling dissatisfied with their physical appearance have the likelihood of seeking medical attention that can improve their body shape and size. Although, there is no varied reason as to why women desire to improve their physical appearances, there still exists diverse complexity regarding the relationship that people have on beauty. It is, therefore, important for people to take into consideration role played by social media and the manner in which it impacts the beauty as well as the notions of ideal female physical forms. The reason for that is because online media engagement is one of the means that enhances socialization which in return impacts the manner in which a person, especially women, perceives their beauty.

References

Augie, F. (2011). The Media Gaze: Representations of Diversities in Canada. UBC Press

Brzuzy, S., & Lind, A. (2008). Battleground: Women, gender, and sexuality. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.

Chrisler, J. C., & McCreary, D. R. (2010). Handbook of gender research in psychology: Volume 2. New York: Springer.

Conway, C. (2013). Body image and the media. Minneapolis, MN: Core Library.

Craig, M. L. (2002). Ain't I a beauty queen?: Black women, beauty, and the politics of race. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Kim, Y. (2012). Women and the media in Asia: The precarious self. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

Straight, B. A. (2005). The two finger diet: How the media has duped women into hating themselves. New York: iUniverse, Inc.

Wykes, M., & Gunter, B. (2005). The media and body image: If looks could kill. London: SAGE.

A place on the corner

Anderson describes people in groups. These groups are the regulars, the wine heads and the hoodlums. He has various reasons why he describes people in terms of groups.  He groups people as regulars since they place judgment on others according to their instincts and according to what they think is right and wrong, and according to what they think is decent. This term “regulars” they reserve for those who they think are like them in every aspect. In order to fit in this group, one must be able to meet their standards of conducts which is very important to them. To meet these standards of conduct one must work (Anderson, p 55). Those who are referred as wine heads are put in this group because gaining this status is easy, this status is accorded to those who have been denied association with the regulars and the hoodlums from time to time and are continuously reminded of their biographies (Anderson, p 93).  The last group Anderson used it to define people who were of ripe age, the age of men in this group was 33-70, some of the people are put in this group because they have lived in the area for a very long time, also because they are always waiting for something exiting to take place. Lastly, these people are put in the hoodlum group because they are always waiting for a wine head to come their way wanting to be one of them (Anderson, p 129).

Anderson is involved in an ethnography. Ethnography is described as the study of people’s habits, culture and their difference from other groups. By grouping these people Anderson is conducting an ethnography since he groups these people in order to figure out their habits and what sets apart each group from the other. He is also involved in participant observation since he is grouping them based on his observation of these men. This act of grouping these men is also a systematic study of culture, the fact that he was carrying out an ethnography proves that he was systematically assessing culture (Anderson, pp 55,93,129).

Work cited

Anderson, E. A place on the corner. 2003. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Bravery in Beowulf

From time to time, the definition of a hero has evolved greatly. However, there have been some characteristics that have been retained and used to describe a hero across all cultures and durations. For a character to be termed as an epic hero, there must be defined heroic characteristics. Beowulf is a heroic poetry with the protagonist Beowulf who is a legendary Geatish hero. A hero is someone who fights for others courageously without fear of being killed in the process. Beowulf defended the king of Danes, Hrothgar, against the monster Grendel, known as the descendant of biblical Cain, who had killed many palace's warriors. Beowulf also exterminated Grendel's mother who had come to the king's hall to avenge her son's death by cutting off her head. He was made the king of Geat and ruled for 50 years. The people of Geat saw him as their hero since he died defending them from the fire breathing dragon which wanted to destroy the kingdom. This paper will analyze the courageous actions that Beowulf performed throughout the poem.

Beowulf depicts his courageous nature in different ways. First, bravery leads Beowulf to willingly offer to help king Hrothgar. According to DeGregorio (332), Beowulf was willing to assist the king, unknowing of what he was up against. When he got to Danes, he did not ask the king for any money. Beowulf only requested the king to allow him and his men to battle the monster. He is more concerned with protecting the king's name and keeping his people safe. Going on foreign land to exterminate a dangerous monster, and not demanding for any payment in return is a great act of bravery.

Second, when Beowulf reaches Danes, and they get off the ship, he depicts his bravery when he takes lead and tells the guards that protect the land from raiders who they were and where they had come from. Beowulf wanted to proceed to Herot, a place which they had heard a lot about. When inside Herot, Beowulf further portray his bravery when he explains to Hrothgar of his triumph as a young boy, and his intentions to join Hrothgar in the fight against Grendel and restore peace in Herot. He states, "Now I mean to be a match for Grendel, settle the outcome in single combat." (DeGregorio 311). Further, Beowulf goes ahead to say that he does not fear death, because at last, he will die whether he likes it or not. Through Beowulf's assurance, the king is confident that their worst fear for the last 12 years will come to an end.

Third, Beowulf had enough confidence in his abilities to exterminate a monster that had tormented the community for all those years. Beowulf's kind heart strived to achieve glory by protecting the people of Danes. Beowulf went on a war against Grendel on his own with his fate as the only helper. Beowulf fought Grendel without any weapon because he was sure that Grendel would not be using any weapons. He managed to tear the hand of Grendel. "And bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped, muscle and bone split and broke.  The battle was over, Beowulf had been granted new glory," (Farrell 36). Beowulf's fearless and courageous nature gave the people of Anglo-Saxon community when he defeated the unshakable monster, Grendel. The victory of Beowulf in the fight increased his popularity and glory, thus motivating people to get over their fears in life. Thus, the king of Dane ordered for the placement of Beowulf’s glory in Herot hall to show the victory of a mighty hero. " No Dane doubted the victory, for the proof, hanging high from the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monster's arm, claw, and shoulder and all,"( Bloomfield 22). The giant Grendel revealed the terror the citizens of Anglo-Saxon's had towards God since the monster was compared to a heavenly creator.  Grendel represented the inhumane actions occurring in the Anglo-Saxon societies of raiding and terminating innocent people. The narrator, a Christian aimed at focusing on Grendel’s punishment from God through his defeat by the hero, Beowulf. The people of Danes view Beowulf as God's representative thus fulfilling the saying, good wins over the evil.

 Beowulf’s second and extremely dangerous rival was Grendel's Mother, a monster who dwelled under water.  Grendel's Mother was more evil and she was furious with the death of her son. She wanted to avenge her son, thus posing a difficult challenge for Beowulf.  Beowulf had a difficult time since he followed Grendel’s mother in her own territory, a place he was unfamiliar with.  The monster’s underground dwelling lowered Beowulf's chances of winning since Grendel's Mother was well conversant with the twists of her cave making it easier for her to win. The woman hurled insults at Beowulf, though he remained unshaken.  "She welcomed him in her claws, clutched at him savagely but could not harm him, tried to work her fingers through the tight ring-woven mail on his breast, but tore and scratched in vain," (Fisher 180). Beowulf's tremendous power and strength show that he is connected to Thor since he does not sustain any injuries from Grendel mother's vigorous attacks. It is evident that Beowulf is connected to the great mythological God Thor because the hero kills the woman with a very heavy sword, which could not be handled by a normal human being. ," Then he saw hanging on the wall, a heavy sword, hammered by giants, strong and blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons but so massive that no ordinary man could lift its carved and decorated length," (Bloomfield 28).  The conquest of Grendel's mother revealed that good deeds will always win over bad things. Beowulf represents good while Grendel represents bad. Additionally, God gives divine justice to the courageous people in the society. Also, when light emerges in the swamp, Beowulf is assured that God is with him and will give him strength. The hope Beowulf had made him win against Grendel's mother who was stronger than him. This win symbolizes the wonders of God to Christians and His willingness to help those who believe in the almighty.

            Beowulf's final fight was with the most dangerous dragon, which was feared in the area. Since Beowulf was an old man, he expected the dragon to defeat him due to its strength. However, his urge to emerge victoriously and his courageous soul remained determined to engage the dragon. The dragon had tormented his people for a long time, and he wanted to protect his people. Beowulf had a failure fate which was not predicted in his last two fights. Beowulf knows that the dragon is destined to destroy him, yet he goes ahead to fight the fire breathing dragon because the desire he has is stronger than his fears. This action teaches the people of Anglo-Saxons to not fear death, but fight for themselves and their people. "And for the first time in his life that famous prince fought with fate against him, with glory denied him," (Farrell 46).  The Christian story teller insists that people should learn to overcome their fears because the end is always glorifying. The dragon is a symbol of death itself in the Anglo-Saxon community, which requires the courage to overcome.  Beowulf's sword breaks upon contact with the dragon," And struck at the dragon's scaly hide. The ancient blade broke," (Fisher, 174). The sword breakage foretells Beowulf's death, but the sword also makes Beowulf victorious for the very last time. Beowulf's death is worthy and of great honor since he dies fighting. He leaves a memorable mark and legacy to be remembered by the Anglo-Saxons community. This gives the people courage and overcomes the fear of death, just like Beowulf did.

Further, Beowulf combines courage with intelligence in his operations. Beowulf knows that Grendel will attack Hrothgar and his warriors in the hall of Herot, therefore, on the night he plans to kill Grendel, he sleeps on the hall together with his warriors because he knows Grendel will attack. According to Bloomfield (34), Beowulf presents Grendel's hand to the people of Danes so that Grendel's mother will get the news and want to avenge her son thus attacking the kingdom. When the mother attacks the kingdom, she kills Hrethgor's most loyal servant. Beowulf follows her to her lair under the lake despite the risks involved. Therefore, it is evident that for a brave person to succeed in their missions, they must be creative to avoid making mistakes which may lead to their failure.

 Beowulf is a true legend in the Anglo-Saxon communities. The hero possesses all the qualities of a true hero from the start of the epic poem throughout to the end. Beowulf's bravery character motivates individuals to get over their fears and fight for their freedom. The major examples that show Beowulf's bravery are the three fights. Every monster symbolizes a specific fear that the people of Anglo-Saxon's have experienced over the years, that Beowulf fought and emerged victorious till the day of his death.  Even though Beowulf boasted about his achievements and how he was more talented than others, he had heroic traits which made him as a loving and sensitive person. Throughout the three battles, the author emphasized on the fact that good always wins over evil. Beowulf left behind the arm of the monster and the people put a great treasure in his tomb, as a reminder of the importance of bravery. The physical artifacts were a reminder of the peace and stability brought about by Beowulf at a time when the region experienced violence and threats. This reminds the people that if they unite together and follow a strong hero with loyalty, their children will evade the fear that they once faced in Anglo-Saxons. Those who never had enough bravery to help Beowulf would forever be ashamed, but Beowulf's legacy will never be forgotten.

Works Cited

Bloomfield, Morton Wilfred. The Interpretation of narrative: theory and practice. Vol. 1.

            Harvard University Press, 1970.

DeGregorio, Scott. "Theorizing Irony in Beowulf: The Case of Hrothgar." Exemplaria 11.2

            (1999): 309-343

Farrell, Robert T. Beowulf, Swedes, and Geats. Vol. 18. No. 3. Viking Society for Northern

            Research, University College, London, 1972.

Fisher, Peter F. "The trials of the epic hero in Beowulf." Publications of the Modern Language

            Association of America (1958): 171-183.

The effects of race in Othello

            Othello is a tragedy play by William Shakespeare that is believed to have been written in 1603. The story revolves around two protagonists Othello who is a Moorish general in the Venetian army, and Lago an officer who ranked below him in the army. The impact of race is a major issue in this play. Othello’s skin is non- white and often it is portrayed as African or Arabian depending on the production. In the play Othello is only referred by his name only 17 times and on 58 occasions he has been referred to as “The Moor”, whose definition fits a Muslim who descends from Northwest Africa…Thesis statement: Othello’s ability to develop as an individual has been affected by the internal insecurities brought about by a conflict that tear him between two cultures, his ability to develop has also been affected by societal standards placed on him due to his physical characteristics.

 Individuals discriminate due to various reasons: alarm, jealousy, the yearning for supremacy, or simply the need to disconnect themselves from other people. Therefore, they can utilize an individual’s skin color to express their loathing. Othello is happily married and the position he holds in the Venetian army bequests him respect and admiration despite of his African background. At the start of the story, the writer makes it clear that Othello has not come into contact with discrimination (Shakespeare, 2001). However, as the story unfolds and tags the reader along Othello’s journey, racism becomes a key issue in the entire story. Lago openly reveals to Othello the existence of racism and advices Othello to take action against racists. Through Lago’s influence of Othello and other people, his racism assertions come to life and in the end, people judge Othello’s erratic character through his color. Hence, when Othello believes in the existence of racism, he generates it.

 Othello background

Othello is an African leader, born into the royal family. He even boasts of his royal heritage. Othello left his African homeland and his royal lifestyle of assured extravagance to dwell amongst Europeans and free himself from the duties that came with his prince rank. At his newfound household, his only responsibilities were to individuals he himself selected to serve: The régime of the day and his life partner, Desdemona (Shakespeare, 2001). Even in his post as a general, Othello had liberty as he could do whatever he wants even it meant quitting. Therefore, he enjoys everything that comes with his position. His skin color did not prevent him from getting the most out of his life while living among Europeans.

Race

The heartbreaking sequence of events sparked by Othello eloping with Desdemona. The fact that the couple obliged to elope brands the relationship illegitimate in the eyes of Venice. However, from their own viewpoint, there is nothing wrong with the relationship and the author portrays them as proud and entitled to their own lifestyles. Undeterred by the peoples’ opinions and the general condemnation they experience, Othello and his wife act as if it is a right to fall in love with anyone (Shakespeare, 2001). Othello’s marriage with the upper class white woman somehow influences how people view him and his actions. Othello and his wife behave as if they are at liberty to do as they wish at a time when discrimination and sexual inequality are within the fabric of the society. In other words, Othello’s actions triggered resentment toward him and his wife. Making it worse, his skin color played a role in fair treated he received.

 Due to their actions, the couple finds hatred unleashed upon them, in the form of Lago, the poisonous fury of a community whose fundamentals shook due to their marriage. For instance, Bravantio warns that the couples’ actions would not go unpunished (Daileader, 2005). Brabantio immediately perceives the marriage as a dishonor to his name and vows to revenge against Othello. It is vital to note that Brabantio is Desdemona’s father. In addition, Brabantio argues that Africans are inferior people and whites should treat them with contempt. These sentiments seem to point out Othello’s marriage to Desdemona even though he was from an inferior race. Shakespeare makes it obvious that the racism Othello encounters is as a result of his new marriage and the world in which they live in.

Lago and the rest of the people utter subtle racism statements without a single indicator of distress or reproach, which indicated the acceptance of racism and prejudice within the community. In some instances, people describe Othello’s features with unkind and uncouth words. For example, some European describes him as ‘the person with thick lips’. In his public conflict with Othello, Roderigo realizes it is unthinkable for Europeans ladies to get into romantic relationships with dark hideous men (Daileader, 2005). Furthermore, Roderigo claims that females who get into intimate relationships with black men are either bewitched or crazy. These utterances may not directly affect Othello but they manifest racism and prejudice, which later influences the life of Othello.

William Shakespeare’s Othello reveals racism from a unique angle. Throughout the entire story or play, racism comes out in certain perspectives. The author wrote the play between 1600 and 1605. During this period, ethnic minorities was an insignificant aspect of a person’s identity and the society often overlooked (Daileader, 2005). This explains the reason Othello had a high rank in the Venice army and earned the respect of his colleagues and other leaders. Nevertheless, when Othello enters into a union with Desdemona, the beautiful youthful lady, the daughter of Venice’s leader, Brabantio, everything changes and racism manifests. Lago develops jealousy when Othello selects Cassio as his personal assistant. In response to Othello’s actions, Lago plots against Othello and racism is one of the ways of accomplishing his wishes. More so, through Lago’s actions, one thing becomes clear, not all races are equal in Venice and some of the people are pretentious in their actions. More so, Brabantio would prefer his daughter remain unmarried than to give her to a black man. Brabantio goes further and claims his daughter’s marriage is illegal. The duke of Venice obviously swallows Brabantio’s bait and believes the lie. Nevertheless, the Duke has to leave Venice due to official duty elsewhere and fails to take action against the marriage. Secondly, Desdemona convinces the council that she wedded Othello because of love and he did not bewitch her.

 During the Elizabethan period, people believed that the mistakes of a person reflected on his or her physical appearance. Nevertheless, the Duke speaks with Brabantio and assures him of his daughter’s safety in the hands of Othello (Nicholson, 2010). In other words, the Duke indirectly claims that Othello is not like other Moors and assures Brabantio of her daughter’s security.

 The illustration of discrimination in Othello occurs from the beginning to the end of the play. Nevertheless, Lago’s firm decision to destroy Othello is dependent on many other factors and not necessarily color (Nicholson, 2010). Hence, the Lago sees Othello as a rival who overshadowed him the moment he stepped into Venice and took the rank of an army general. Hence, his color only facilitated his pursuit for revenge. Another fact is that racism does not play a part in the tragic end of the story. In fact, Shakespeare portrays Othello as a good man who people manipulated into committing an atrocious crime.

 Via the well thought, cautious and multifaceted development of Othello, it is progressively obvious that he is not a savage, as people perceive him to be. More so, Othello’s character contrasts all the unkind and racist descriptions people heap on him at the beginning of the story. Instead, Othello is a jovial human being and his first words convey the profundity of his character, intellect, and refinement. He motivates his accuser to retain peace and avoid violence. Therefore, Othello is a good man despite of misperceptions about him; he is a goodhearted person with good intentions. In the story, the subtle messages indicate that he no need for proof that he is a good man (Tierney, 2011). Therefore, it is up to the reader to pick a side: Lago side or Othello’s side due to the contrasting perceptions painted by his enemies. In the entire book, there exist few instances of Othello creating enmity with other people or even recognizing differences he has with other people. In fact, he is a very humble and sincere person does not harbor hatred in his heart for. His positive character lays a foundation in the first session of the book. He accepts his racial variance yet his skin color does not make him inferior. In fact, he takes note of his uniqueness as a way of establishing peace and taking offering help to other members of the community. In addition, he is friendly and appeals to both friends and lovers. Racism and negative comments about him does not deter him from accomplishing success and expanding his territories. In other words people around him admire him greatly and ready to interact with him.

 One thing is apparent and obvious in the story that is Othello’s ability to fit into a Whiteman’s community without any qualms (Tierney, 2011). Despite Iago and Roderigo’s negative comments toward him, he does not waiver from his courageous character neither does he fight back directly which reveals his will to do good and the reader has no option but to give an outright appreciate for such an excellent character.

In summary, Othello is one of the first black main character in literature works. William Shakespeare does a good job in developing this hero. Othello ascends into a position of power and influence in the Venice army. With power comes envy and jealousy. His status makes him a marked man as a foreigner hence exposure to racism especially from his father in law who believes Othello tricked his daughter into an interracial marriage. With race comes gender and sexuality. Just like any other male character, men assume that women are promiscuous hence accusation of infidelity hence showing the reason Othello easily believes him. In the end, Othello strangles his wife due to promiscuity.

References

Daileader, C. R. (2005). Racism, Misogyny, and the Othello Myth: Inter-racial Couples from Shakespeare to Spike Lee. Cambridge University Press.

Nicholson, C. (2010). Othello and the Geography of Persuasion. English Literary Renaissance, 40(1), 56-87.

Shakespeare, W. (2001). Othello (Vol. 6). Classic Books Company.

Tierney, R. (2011). Othello in Tokyo: Performing Race and Empire in 1903 Japan. Shakespeare Quarterly, 62(4), 514-540.