Supernatural Elements In Beloved Novel - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1434 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/08/07 Category Literature Essay Level High school Topics: Beloved Essay Did you like this example? Toni Morrisons Beloved is a novel set in 1873 Cincinnati, at the end of the Civil War. Beloved tells the Story of Sethe, a former slave. Sethe lives at 124 with her children two sons, Howard and Buglar, a daughter, Denver, and the ghost of her deceased daughter, known as Beloved. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Supernatural Elements In Beloved Novel" essay for you Create order Soon after the ghost starts to haunts their house, her sons run away, never to look back again. A while back, when Sethe was a slave, she sent her children away to live with her mom, Baby Suggs. A little while later, Sethe left the plantation, known as Sweet Home, to join her children and her mother. When the schoolteacher found out that Sethe ran away, he went to a mission to find her and bring her back to Sweet Home. When he confronted her, she took her kids and ran in the shed. She was about to attempt the saddest thing imaginable. Kill her kids. Sethe believed that she would rather see her children dead, than for them to live in bondage, as she did, all of their lives. She only succeeded in killing one of her children, her youngest daughter. She was only a baby, less than 3 years of age, but the baby endured some serious distress. An aspect that in most prevalent in Beloved presence of a supernatural theme. All of the characters are haunted by their past. Beloved is seen as another type of supernatural being, an energy and emotional vampire. Beloved sucks the heart, mind, and soul out of Sethe. She is the one who was beaten so badly her back is permanently scarred. She is the one who lived and escaped slavery. She is the one who murdered her child rather than return it to slavery. So, she is the one whose past is so horrible that it is inescapable. How can a person escape the past when it is physically apart of them? Sethe has scars left from being whipped that she calls a tree. She describes it as A chokecherry tree. Trunk, branches, and even leaves. Tiny little chokecherry leaves. But, that was eighteen years ago. Could have cherries too now for all I know (16). It is apt that her past is represented on her backsomething that is behind her, something she cannot see but knows that is there. Also, it appeared eighteen years ago, but Sethe thinks that it may have grown cherries in those years. Therefore, she knows that the past has attached itself to her but the haunting of it has not stopped growing. Paul D. enters Sethes life and discover a haunting of Sethe almost immediately. He walks into 124 and notices the spirit of the murdered baby: It was sad. Walking through it, a wave of grief soaked him so thoroughly he wanted to cry (9). The haunting by Beloved in its spirit form is stopped by Paul D. He screams God damn it! Hush up! Leave the place alone! Get the Hell out! (18). Beloved is the manifestation of a murdered two-year old in a 20-year old body. Her mind and actions speak as a child not an adult. Beloved has a very complex personality. Sethes first thoughts were that Beloved could be an ordinary woman who was locked up by a white man and never let out of doors. She was very baby-like. Incomplete speech. Clingy neediness. Baby soft skin. Emotional instability. Unbeknownst to Sethe, Beloveds spirit is fits the age the baby if she was still alive. She also has the same name as the name engraved on the tombstone. She first appears to Sethe soaking wet, as though newly born, and Sethe has the sensation of her water breaking when she sees her. Along with this, Beloved has prior knowledge about a pair of Sethes earrings. Beloved hums a song that Sethe previously sang to her children, she has a long scar under her chin where her death-wound would have been, and milk breath. Another interpretation of Beloved is a belief that the ghost is Sethes dead mother. Beloved has a unique smile and way of speaking and, the same traits of Sethes mother. In Chapter 26, Sethe and Beloved switch places. Beloved starts to act like the parent and Sethe as the child. This is evidence of supernatural. Usually a supernatural being likes to take charge, commanding what they want. On another hand, Beloved seems like she may stand for all of the slaves who made the passage across the Atlantic. She seems as if she may give voice to all of those who have been oppressed by slavery. Beloved is seen as a supernatural figure. Beloved represents the past returned to haunt the present. The characters interactions with Beloved are very complex. Specifically, Sethes interaction with Beloved. When Sethe refuses to put up with Beloved unacceptable behavior, they become locked in a very unhealthy destructive relationship. Sethe is paralyzed by her past. She decides to devote all her time and attention to making Beloved understand why she killed her. Beloved allows Sethe to tell the stories about her own feelings of abandonment by her mother, about the hardship she endured at Sweet Home, and what her motivations were for murdering her daughter. By engaging with her past, Sethe begins to learn about herself and the of her ability to live in the present. Beloved also inspires the growth of other characters in the novel. Although Paul D has a lot of hatred for Beloved, she allows him to love again. Denver automatically falls in love with Beloved. She sees her as a big sibling, someone to look up to. Soon enough, Denver discovers Beloveds crazy, obsessive, and temperamental behavior and leaves 124, attempting to get help from the community.   When Denver left 124, this started her social integration and of her search for independence and self-possession. By the end of the book, Beloved vanishes, but she is never truly gone. Her story, surprisingly, gives the community hope for a brighter future. She gives a chance to engage with the memories they have suppressed.   Beloveds character is seen as a ghost and of the use of the supernatural in symbolic, not only Sethes past coming back haunting her, but also slavery in general haunting an entire community.   Sethe is stuck, she cant move on from the trauma of murdering her daughter and her memories at Sweet Home. Beloved is the embodiment of Sethes past. Beloved will not be put to rest and move on to peace, and Sethe will not move on from her time warp to living in the present. The use of the supernatural adds on to the concept of slavery because tells us that the past of slavery in American history is haunting, the same way ghosts are immortal. The trauma caused by slavery is something that will not die, it might be dealt with, but it will never be forgotten. Beloveds ghostly presence shown in Morrisons novel, is to demonstrate to the reader that we can always be haunted by good and or bad decisions we make. Even though Sethe is being haunted, she is not the only one with problems. Beloved is dealing with her own issues. She cannot rest until she is at peace with herself. The ghost of Beloved connects with Sethes experiences. Sethe cannot get over her past fears until she faces them. The memory of Beloved would not go away and neither would the ghost. This is a prime example of how you cannot your past no matter how hard you try.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Beloveds spirit represents how the memories of slavery as a whole never fade. 124 was spiteful. Full of a babys venom. The women in the house knew it and so did the children. For years each put up with the spite in his own way, but by 1873 Sethe and her daughter Denver were its only victims. The grandmother, Baby Suggs, was dead, and the sons, Howard and Buglar, had run away by the time they were thirteen years old as soon as merely looking in a mirror shattered it (that was the signal for Buglar); as soon as two tiny hand prints appeared in the cake (that was it for Howard). Neither boy waited to see more; another kettleful of chickpeas smoking in a heap on the floor; soda crackers crumbled and strewn in a line next to the doorsill. (1.1) This excerpt from the novel tells just how powerful this supernatural being is and the massive amount of control that it had over everyone who stayed in 124. Supernatural is not something that we can always see or explain, but we can feel it.

The Cult Of Masculinity - 999 Words

â€Å"The cult of masculinity.† When it comes to the big screen, women are treated like second-class citizens. Women were portrayed as helpless creatures, waiting in the castle for their Prince Charming whereas men were dauntless, swooping the Princess of her feet and saving the day. This gender gap came to an end when The Hunger Games (2012) was released in theaters. The brave Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) did what no â€Å"real† man or Prince could ever do – stand up for someone else – even when it meant risking her own life. The Hunger Games was not only one of the top grossing movies of the year, but it was also one of the very few movies where a woman was able to display her stability and willingness to fight. The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Gravity are some of the few movies that show a women’s potential than to sit in a castle. They all show three common characteristics for the roles of women: courage, personality, and recognition. â €Å"May the odd be ever in your favor.† Those were some of the last words Katniss had heard before her sister’s name was called out for the seventy-fourth Hunger Games. Without thinking about anyone else, Katniss bravely accepted her sister’s spot in the games; a suicide mission. Katniss Everdeen: fearless, bold, and intrepid. While a Disney Princess would yell for her Prince, Katniss would launch arrows at her enemies. The only thing that would train along through her mind so for her to get back home to her family. If she wanted to win theShow MoreRelatedEssay about Cult of Masculinity in In the Country of Men1160 Words   |  5 PagesIn the Country of Men The Cult of masculinity In the book In the Country of Men, Hisham Matar, the author discusses his childhood experience in the 1970s during the revolution in Libya. The time when men overpowered and completely dominated women. The title itself describes Libya as a country that belongs to men where women are used like tools. We see that Suleiman wants to become a man as soon as possible through the story but on the other hand, the story also talks about a female beingRead More Hegemonic Masculinity in American Society Essay1497 Words   |  6 Pages Masculinity is described as possession of attributes considered typical of a man. Hegemonic masculinity is a form of masculine character with cultural idealism and emphasis that connects masculinity to competitiveness, toughness, and women subordination. Masculinity hegemonic is the enforcement of male dominion over a society. Masculine ideology dates back to the time of agrarian and the industrial revolution in Europe when survival compelled men to leave the ir homesteads to work in industriesRead MoreThe Mexican Culture And Hegemonic Masculinity Essay1572 Words   |  7 PagesIn the United States of America and across the world, do not accept homosexuality. It is considered a sin. It is rejected among many cultures. In the Mexican culture, hegemonic masculinity: the way a man uses control and power over others, presents a series of roles, attitudes and traits that men need to follow to be considered a man in society. Some of these traits are physical strength, goal oriented, having control and being the breadwinner of the family. When a man in the Mexican culture showsRead MoreAnne Bradstreet Critical Analysis1585 Words   |  7 Pagesrejection, which includes the general audience disliking the work and critics bashing it. The combination of this author’s fear alongside the power of the cult of true womanhood created great insecurities in female writers during the 19th century, specifically Sedgwick since Hope Leslie was pub lished during this time. Barbara Welter’s, â€Å"The Cult of True Womanhood: 1820- 1860† defines womanhood in the 1800’s as â€Å"...piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity... Without them, no matter whether thereRead MoreGeek Masculinity And Its Effects On Society836 Words   |  4 Pagesgain status by exalting their masculinity where they can have access to power, status, and prestige. As a result, subcultures glorify traits associated with males such as toughness, delinquency and bravery all the while demeaning traits associated with femininity. This phenomenon is known as the cult of masculinity, which puts females into a â€Å"structured secondariness†. There is a male privilege among subculturists because of this cult of masculinity. Nerd masculinity in online gaming encompasses bothRead MoreThird Sex: Third Generation920 Words   |  4 Pagesavailable. The feminine male, the masculine female and the hermaphrodite --- all were considered important members of the society and had their distinctive roles in the society. E.g. they often became priests and healers. At some point of time Masculinity in men started to be valued much more --- perhaps because the society needed more warriors. This may have resulted in femininity in males being devalued. This was the stage when boys had to now go through a manhood test, testing their physicalRead MoreThe Heroes Of Greek And Roman Mythology1533 Words   |  7 Pagescharacteristics of violent masculinity and bravery, the ideology of a patriarchal society in which all the men were elite than the women. According to Kampmen in Gender Theory in Roman Art, â€Å"Roman society evolved in such a way as to enable elite men to establish and maintain power over everyone else, † such men included heroes like Hercules, Achilles, and Pentheus (1996, p.152). They represented the elite males who had stable physical attributes that emphasized their masculinity and heroism. Heroes likeRead MoreAnne Bradstreet Critical Analysis1533 Words   |  7 PagesEvery author fears rejection, which is a product of harsh criticism and no accolades. The combination of this author’s fear alongside the power of the cult of true womanhood created great insecurities in female writers during the 19th cen tury. An example of this is Sedgwick’s Hope Leslie since it was published during this time. Barbara Welter’s, The Cult of True Womanhood: 1820- 1860 defines womanhood in the 1800’s as â€Å"...piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity... Without them, no matter whetherRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution And The Cult Of True Womanhood1666 Words   |  7 PagesThe Industrial Revolution and the â€Å"Cult of True Womanhood† The Industrial Revolution was a period of industrial and urban growth in America during the 18th and 19th centuries. This period marked a transition from an agrarian based system, to one focused exclusively on economics and commodity production. Industrialization introduced innovative technology and the formation of factories would ultimately change how goods and materials were made. During the American Revolution, women were responsibleRead MoreMasculinity in Movies: Full Metal Jacket Essay753 Words   |  4 PagesMasculinity in Movies: Full Metal Jacket Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 film which portrays the early careers of U.S. Marine Corps recruits preparing for the Vietnam War. Throughout the movie, one recognizes concepts covered in the TV and film analysis film class; specifically the issue of masculinity. The first part of this movie is an accurate representation of recruit training, enforcing the well known mantra â€Å"tear down then build up.† Present in this leadership style widely

Personal Cultural Diversity Essay Free Essays

The concept of globalization, which is the increasing integration and interdependence of different countries from one another in terms of economic, communication, and technological aspects, leads one to address the concept of cultural diversity or multiculturalism. Cultural diversity in the health-care system touches lives of many Americans in one way or another. No matter what our own cultural background is, when we go receive medical care, we may encounter a care giver who comes from a different cultural background than ours(Naylor 1997,291). We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Cultural Diversity Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now . In the concept of cultural diversity, it can be recognized that two terms are equally important. The first concept is culture, which refers to the total way of life of individuals, and the unique characteristic that separates the human from the rest of the world of living things. It is said to be the primary means of human adaptation and the basis for the majority of human thought and behavior. As such, human beings create, learn, and use culture to respond to the problems of their natural and social-cultural environments, to control them, and even to change them (Naylor 1997, 3). The other important term in the concept of cultural diversity is the concept of diversity, which refers to variety. Putting the two concepts together, cultural diversity refers to the presence of a variety of cultures in a particular group or area. In this sense, the difference of one’s culture with another is being recognized, thus, emphasizing one’s individual unique characteristics in relation to one’s ethnic or racial origin. However, the concept of cultural diversity does not only refer to one’s difference and uniqueness in terms of cultural difference. This is because this concept also refers to personal cultural diversity, which refers to individual differences in terms of family background, values, personal experiences, prejudices and judgments, and socioeconomic class. In addressing personal cultural diversity, the cultural or family background of an individual must be evaluated and examined. In terms of cultural or family background, personal cultural diversity can be seen in terms of differences in the place of birth of an individual, the culture and values of his or her town or city, the unique values that one has been able to acquire, and the negative and positive experiences that one was able to have. In this sense, personal cultural diversity can be seen through the influences of personal xperiences that have been acquired and accumulated by the individual through his or her lifetime. Another factor to consider is the individual’s religious background or influences, as this would determine the values and practice of morality of the individual. This would also define one’s behavior and personality in comparison to other individuals. In addition, the religious influence of an individual, along with his or her personal experiences determines his or her judgments and prejudices regarding a certain issue. Another important factor is one’s social-economic class background, which refers to one’s income levels and lifestyle backgrounds. One’s level of income and lifestyle entitles one to develop different views and perceptions regarding different issues or topics. To sum up the points, it can be perceived that in order to understand the concept of personal cultural diversity, the different aspects of one’s lifestyle must be examined and determined in order to point out individual differences in a particular group or society. This is because each individual has different genetic make-up, thus, making one unique in terms of developing approaches in addressing the different problems in the environment. Work Cited: Naylor, Larry L. Cultural Diversity in the United States. Westport, CT: Bergin Garvey, 1997. Naylor, Larry L. Cultural Diversity in the United States. Westport, CT: Bergin Garvey, 1997 How to cite Personal Cultural Diversity Essay, Essays

About Paintings James McNeill Whistler Essay Example For Students

About Paintings James McNeill Whistler Essay These artifacts were made for the sake of art which rejects the idea that the success of an art object can be measured by its accuracy, as a representation or the effectiveness with which it tells a story or suggests a moral. It actually really implies that an art object is best understood as a creation to be valued only for the success with which it organizes color and line into a formally satisfying and therefore beautiful whole. These artifacts communicate the reality of nature and village scenes. Whistler also created nudes, and portraits. In his landscapes he tried to make his paintings like a musician plays a keyboard where all elements are available, but the musician, or painter must choose which one to use. In his nocturnes he describes how at night a warehouse can look like palaces, and the whole city hangs in the heavens with the covering of the fog. In his domestic scenes he tries to re-create the flatness off picture plane. In his portraits he was a great aster and often compared to Velasquez. In Whistlers late nudes there was a sketchiness and Freer was one of the first collectors to realize their importance and beauty. Whistler worked with a variety of mediums. One of them was oil, in which he used his entire career, Many of them were his nocturnes and portraits and were the most celebrated. Another was pastels where he began using it in the sasss, but not seriously until 1879 when he created about ninety Venetian scenes, Also, e used watercolors which he learned at West point in 1876-77 and painted Sir Henry Thompson porcelain collection. He also made artifacts of drawings, lithographs, etchings, and droppings. Finally, this exhibition was great and wish it had all fisheries paintings. He has created so many throughout his career that he could hue his own museum with just his work. Really like his portraits and nudes. His sceneries are also good and like the way that he uses color and brush strokes.