This essay analyzes the relationship of a son with his mother who is suffering from dementia and the effect on his family. The essay portrays the issues faced by the writer who cared for his mother during her illness. ‘Deficits’ emphases on the experience of a famous writer and a formal party leader, Michael Ignatieff and his journey as he explains the effects of his mother’s sickness on the relationship and his family. ‘Deficits’ is taken from Scar Tissue, another piece of fictional work by ignatieff which focuses on relationship between a son and his mother suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, the disease his own mother suffered and died from. Michael ignatieff has used figurative speech in his story ‘Deficits’. Figurative speech is an expression that uses language in a non-literal way designed to explain a concept further. Figurative speech such as anaphora and metaphors are used by the writer to articulate his feelings and emotions to attract the readers. Focusing more on figurative speech used by ignatieff, the essay gives a brief description of the summary of the essay ‘Deficits’. Therefore, the essay analyzes the expressions used by the writer and its significance on the story.…
The Academy Award-winning director, John Ford, is considered one of the best filmmakers of all time. Ford achieved in fifty years of filmmaking a unique capacity in American culture in which he put throughout his films. The author Andrew Sinclair stated “he was a practical man who saw his job as showing the mass of the American people the truth of what he recreated about their past” (Sinclair 41). As a man, he concealed his true personality from the public, who built this whole legend of toughness around him to protect his softness as person. From his lack of emotional expression, his films are his way of expressing those feelings through emotionalism. Ford uses a strategy called docudrama. “A docudramas basis in truth actually launches the…
Sarah attempted to save her brother multiple times by escaping from the place where they were being held captive. This young Parisian soldier gave Rachel (Sarah’s companion) and Sarah the opportunity to escape and find a safe place to hide until the roundup was over. Sarah could not stop think about hiding or seeking shelter, she needed to find her brother Michel immediately. A grateful Parisian soldier telling these poor girls “Run now, quick both of you. If they see you . . . take off your stars. Try to find help” (De Rosnay 92). The author uses characterization through this Parisian soldier who expresses sorrow and grief once Sarah looks into his eyes. He cannot let everyone go, but in the bottom of his heart he wants everyone to be free, but he cannot. He has higher officials who command his orders, therefore he cannot disobey regulation or else he has to deal with harsh consequences. Once released from Vélodrome d’Hiver, Sarah ends up in a farm out in the forest, where she encounters Jules and Genevieve. This loving couple helps hide Sarah when some Parisian soldiers pass by. “Little Sirka! You were so brave down there!” is what the couple tells Sarah once the soldiers have left, but she corrects them exclaiming “[do not] call me Sirka anymore that’s my baby name” (De Rosnay 132). Jules and Genevieve direct characterization helps Sarah evolve into a grown women at just the age of eleven. Once Sarah has mentions she is not a child anymore, she pushed herself to become an adult forcefully. She has been through the separation of her father, mother, her companion Rachel, and her brother Michael, it seems too much to live like a child now. Sarah is ready to take her own responsibility of finding her brother no matter what it takes. With the help of Jules and Genevieve they go on the journey to find her Sarah’s brother. She decided to leave her childhood behind and start…
At a glance, both protagonists (Jack, from This Boy's Life, and Anne, from Limbo) appear to have very little in common. Jack, the only child of a single mother, is desperately attempting to develop his identity while he lives an unstable life in which he is constantly uprooted and moved form city to city as his mother searches for a way to support him. This perpetual motion is sharply contrasted by Anne who grows up in a small Catholic town in the Wisconsin country. There, she is given an identity in the form of her faith in God. However, both characters seek a new, or at least better, understanding of their identity. This is manifested differently within each memoir in that Jack's search is general while Anne's is focused on her faith and her identity with Christ. Although each character deals with their search differently, they both conclude that there are issues that they are unable to control and simply have to accept. This acceptance is portrayed by the protagonists' inability to control the outcomes of their lives.…
The auteur theory states that a director is the author of a film just like an author writes a book. Each director has their signature directing techniques which represent their authorship. John Ford, the famous Western director, had many aspects of his films which illustrated his authorship. The film Stagecoach shows Ford’s authorship at its finest, since this film still stands as one of his greatest works. In Stagecoach, Ford uses signature directing techniques in order to properly represent himself as the “author” of the film. One of his most signature devices as a director is focusing on how a group of characters survives in the rugged terrain of the West. Critics have stated that Ford shows his authorship is by contrasting the characters with both the setting of the film, and with each other.…
Louise’s entire character is powerfully ironic in that she is the furthest thing from a mother. Mothers are expected to be of caring and affectionate nature. However, Louise neglects Isabelle-Marie and treats her like an outsider since she is physically unattractive. Louise only favors her son Patrice because he reflects her outer beauty and she feels the necessity to sustain it by only nurturing him. Since Isabelle-Marie is physically unappealing, Louise does not love or treat her in the same fashion as Patrice. Isabelle Marie finally gains the courage to express how Louise has mistreated her. She exclaims, “[m]other, ever since I was a child you adored Patrice because he was beautiful and hated me, the ugly one. Patrice always Patrice! You never realized that your son was stupid, that he was an idiot…nothing but a beautiful body” (104). Isabelle-Marie’s tone is filled with contempt and jealousy while she spills out all the emotions that she had been bottling up for years. Louise always favoring Patrice due to his beautiful face even if he was just an “idiot” exasperates Isabelle-Marie. Moreover, Isabelle-Marie’s ill thoughts towards her own daughter and disfiguring her brother’s face can be seen as the result of her mother’s intolerance and lack of love towards her. Louise’s superficiality and favoritism towards Patrice transforms Isabelle-Marie to turn into a self-loathing and destructive character. Hence, Louise can be held responsible for creating this dysfunctional family. Rather than loving her children unconditionally as a mother should, she loves them based upon their looks. Therefore, ironically, even though Louise is their real mother, she fits the archetypal character of an evil stepmother due to her discriminate, mean and evil behavior.…
A Streetcar Named Desire written by Tennessee Williams is a play about a southern lady named Blanche from Mississippi visiting her sister Stella, who is married to Stanley and currently living in Elysian Fields, New Orleans. Blanche arrives in Elysian Fields, and throughout her entire stay with Stella and Stanley, there is tension and conflict occurring in Stella’s house. Even though Blanche and Stella were brought up in the South under wealthy conditions, the conflict is mainly caused by Blanche’s dislike of Stanley because, as a blue-collar worker, Stanley's status is lower than the DuBois’. In another aspect, Stanley’s conflict is caused by him being suspicious of Blanche since her arrival. Blanche explains to Stella that…
In the early 1900’s Henry Ford developed the idea of “a wagon that will run without a horse”.1 This idea and Ford’s success changed America and its people forever. The development of the automobile played a tremendous role in the economy, labor unions and society. Generally, when most people think of Henry Ford they reflect upon his wealth and contributions to the transportation industry as an infinitely positive phenomenon. It is thought that aside from just allowing consumers to purchase and use his inventions, he provided thousands of people with jobs and the promise of prosperity. The tale of Henry Ford’s legendary business and remarkably effective assembly line is unparalleled in American History. But when it comes to Henry Ford it is impossible to think in terms of black of white. He may have made an awesome amount of money distributing a product loved by almost everyone, but at what cost? Upton Sinclair addresses this question in The Flivver King. The Flivver King tells the story of Henry Ford and his massive business from the perspective of his workers. Contrary to popular belief, the relationship between Mr. Ford and his workers became much more frustrating and upsetting as his business progressed. World War 1 and the Great Depression damagingly effect Ford and his workers. Upton Sinclair’s story of the Shutt family depicts the changes that occurred between Henry Ford and his workers and how his growing wealth and the nations declining economy had a negative impact on his approach as a boss and business man. Abner Shutt is a loyal character and a hard worker for Henry Ford. But as the reader follows experiences he and his family encounters while working with the Ford Motor Company it is easy to realize that Henry Ford’s story of success had more tribulations than most people would have expected.…
Meursault’s reactions are rarely what the reader envisions as appropriate. People feel disconnected-- disheartened and confused-- when Meursault claims his Maman’s death “doesn’t mean anything” (3). The level of indifference he feels and the actions he performs: making excuses to his boss, having lunch at Celeste’s, going to swim and a movie with Marie, all have the readers questioning Meursault’s character. This displeased feeling continues through the first half of the novel with Meursault’s uncaring and robotic behaviors of watching “families out for a walk… the local boys [going] by… the shopkeepers and the cats” (21-22). One then starts to wonder. One…
Upon becoming adults, our perceptions of people and relationships differ and change. As a child, we are impressionable, innocent and under the care of our parents, we see people on a shallow level. The poem shows the reader this with its structure; the focus often jumps from the past to the present. The change in relationship with the poets mother is also apparent, she goes from being a mere observer, drawing in the environment around her and mimicking her mother, to being like her, both physically and mentally.…
There are many famous United States presidents in the history books, and then there is president Gerald R. Ford. Gerald R. Ford was an unexpected president who experienced great events during his presidency, such as a war, and massacre.…
Denial, and acceptance, these words are intertwined with innocence, and the loss of said innocence. In order for one to mature one has to accept the truth and make necessary adjustments. The people who deny the truth don’t experience the “fall from innocence” and may be blind to the things going on around them. If the innocent chooses to accept the truth the characters “evolves” and falls from innocence. If a character chooses to deny the truth it will take a toll on the character mentally, or physically. In A Separate Peace, John Knowles uses the archetype of the Fall from Innocence in order to illustrate Leper’s philosophy, “Everything has to evolve or else it perishes.” He demonstrates this theme through the characters of Leper, Finny, and Gene.…
After the relationship between Addie and the rest of her family has been established, the next problem lies in Darl's relationship to the Bundren family, and especially their attitudes toward him. Darl is always elusive, complicated, thought-provoking, poetic in stream-of-consciousness observations, and especially observant of details. It is through Darl's eyes and observations that the reader gets a full perspective of the other characters.…
However, as the story progresses, there is a final realization that “[the narrator] may never understand why some of us are cheated in life. I only know…that I am not the one who was.” (Fein, 59-60) This realization is quite a turning point in the story, and as it occurs in the last sentence of the story, it signifies that to substantiate one’s statement, in this case, the narrator’s statement of “Cheated in Life”, requires being in the role of the person, and as the frustration from the narrator’s recollection of the childhood memories builds, there is still an underlying sense of ignorance from the narrator’s displeasure due to the mother's’ illness. But when the narrator re-examines the apparent displeasure the narrator had whilst being a child, the realization of the emotions and disposition that a motherly figure possesses coincides with the recollection of childhood memories, and this sparks the truly rational conscious understanding of the ignorance the narrator had with her childhood…
In my opinion, I feel as though the boy is lonely, living in such a remote and desolate place, with only his father to spend his time with. For example Ondaatje says, “He was born into a region which did not appear on a map until 1910, though his family had worked there for twenty hears and the land had been homesteaded since 1816. In the school atlas the place is pale green and nameless. The river slips out of an unnamed lake…” (10-11). Patrick’s characteristics makes him seem sad or withdrawn from society, for he spends his time gazing out the window searching for bugs. Ondaatje exclaims, “He walks back into the bright kitchen and moves from window to window to search out the moths pinioned against the screens, clinging to the brightness… Bugs, plant hoppers, grasshoppers, rust-dark moths…throughout the summer he records their visits and sketches the repeaters “ (9). I feel bad for Patrick, that his only companions are the bugs flying around his house, in search for light. Although Patrick does have his father, his dad doesn’t pay him any attention, unless they are working together. Ondaatje says, “Hazen Lewis was an abashed man, withdrawn from the world around him, uninterested in the habits of civilization outside his own focus. He would step up to his horse and assume it, as if it were a train, as if flesh and blood did not exist” (15). It would be rough to grow up in that kind of unloving environment. It would be difficult to feel you had to earn your love. For Patrick’s father, only praises him when they are successful at work. For example, Ondaatje says, “They begin to run back home, looking behind them to see if the cow is following. The boy gasps, ‘If she goes into the ice again I’m not doing a thing’ ‘Neither am I’ yells his father, laughing” (16). The only part in the story when the boys Father demonstrates warmth and kindness towards his son, is when they save the cow from drowning. The fathers introverted attitude, makes me…