The Shipping News :: essays research papers

The Shipping News â€Å"I’m tired of going somewhere. I want to be there!† These words spoken by Bunny Quoyle, riding along with her family on their way to the old homestead in Killick Claw, New Foundland seems an exclamation to a deeper desire to settle what has been an unsettled and unhappy life. The quote could also define the transition that Quolyle, Bunny’s father, experiences. Quoyle is nowhere it seems, until he finally arrives somewhere meaningful. The transformation is a lot about getting over the loss of his wife, Petal, but also much about getting over himself as a loser and getting to a place of contentedness and confidence. Quoyle’s life rides on waves – some small that are body-surfing-like, others that are huge and tumultuous that crash onshore with Tsunami-like devastation. Eventually, he manages to find a place suitable and sustaining. Quoyle began life feeling, believing that he had been born into the wrong family; that somehow he ended up with the wrong parents. He stumbled into adulthood, feeling invisible until someone noticed. His lack of esteem and confidence is evidenced by his always trying to hide his chin with his hand; the hand always goes to the chin, his monstrous chin, when he feels threatened. His love for Petal is partly based on the fact that he caught her attention – once, quite by accident – and that they had a meaningless sexual relationship that resulted in two children. He is the sort of character you feel sorry for from the start, feel badly that he’ll never become anybody, never make something of himself, yet you want to cheer for him all along the way. As we get to know Quoyle, we realize that although he has a negative self image, is always self conscious and has no confidence in his abilities, he has a huge heart and a huge capacity to love, and he especially has a huge consciousness to do what is right for his family. Quoyle is a man growing into himself. His first opportunity to grow comes by an invitation from his aunt to move to New Foundland, to settle in his family’s ancestral home and to find his roots. â€Å"You can be anything you want with a fresh start,† says his aunt in convincing him to go. And off they all go – the aunt, Quoyle, Bunny and Sunshine – and all their self-possessed demons.

How does Priestley present ideas about Mrs. Birling in ‘An Inspector Calls’? Essay

Mrs. Birling shows a complete lack of self-awareness from the beginning of the play and also exposes her wishes to be detached from anyone with a lower social status. Mrs. Birling says during the dinner â€Å"(reproachfully) Arthur you are not supposed to say such things† the way that she criticises her husband from what comes across as a rare pleasant remark from Mr Birling shows how she doesn’t which to praise or associate her self with anyone below her in the social hierarchy. This reflects Priestley’s point that the beneficiaries of Capitalism have little respect or have even the slightest sense of empathy for those below them in society. The way she also â€Å"reproachfully† condemns her husband is also very peculiar, it is almost as if she is unaware by the tension created by her remark on what is a very important family occasion. This may also be a sign of subtext that Mrs. Birling also might be dissatisfied with the social gap between her and husband. This could perhaps be a subtler view of Priestley’s about the lack of cohesiveness between classes in society. Relationship with Sheila Despite her daughter being a grown woman who is in the process of marrying, Mrs Birling is of the view that Sheila is incapable of speaking for herself. When Sheila â€Å"(half serious, half playful)† criticises Gerald for â€Å"not coming near me last summer† Mrs Birling doesn’t pick up on the â€Å"playful† nature of her daughter’s remarks and instead tries to pacify the tension, which is ironic as it was created by herself in the first place, she decides to lecture her daughter and demean her importance and how she should use to being second rate for her future husband â€Å"men with important work to do†¦spend nearly all their time and energy on their business. You’ll have to get use to that, just as I had† and Sheila replies â€Å"I don’t believe I will† this also shows how Sheila clearly has a capacity to change which we experience later in the novel. This also represents Priestley’s view that men who go after an endless pursuit of wealth not only has a negative effect on society as a whole but also those most closest to them. Welfare State Mrs Birling is used as a contrast of the future welfare state; in 1912 rich people would decide on their own prejudices on who deserves welfare and who doesn’t. So Priestley’s attack is also how the rich keep even the most basic human rights away from the poor. When describing hearing Eva Smiths case she says â€Å"She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position† Mrs Birling’s reference to a â€Å"girl in here position† highlights her class prejudice and how just because she was of a lower class wasn’t considered to be genuine or believable. It might be a coincidence that she is called ‘Sybil’ but there is a clear use of sibilance by Priestley â€Å"feelings†¦scruples†¦simply†¦absurd† this highlights the sinister sound of Mrs Birling, designed to show her evil intent. Irony Priestley also highlights the hypocrisy of Mrs Birling, when she is referring to Eva Smiths case. Mrs Birling describes â€Å"the elaborate fine feelings and scruples which were simply absurd† shows a strong sense of irony. Mrs Birling refers to Eva’s feeling of elaborate, and then she attempts to use the most advances vocabulary she can â€Å"ridiculous airs†¦scruples†¦absurd† to disguise her snobbery and prejudice. Her clear discrimination of the lower class is displayed when she tells the inspector â€Å"As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!† The demeaning labelling of her as a â€Å"girl† rather than a woman shows how superior she feels. She also feels morally superior suggesting that a lower class girl â€Å"would ever refuse money† trying to suggest that the poor are always after money, this again is heavily ironic. As after all Eva Smith only wanted a couple more shillings a week while the main attraction of the marriage of Sheila and Gerald is the alliance between the 2 firms, allowing â€Å"lower costs, higher prices† showing Priestley’s view that it is the rich that crave money not the poor. Blame As the play progresses Mrs Birling’s characteristics become more clear, despite it being quite clear to Sheila who the father of Eva’s daughter is Mrs Birling seems oblivious to the reality of what is occurring. Rather than facing the reality Mrs Birling decides to attack, the father who is unknown at this stage â€Å"I blame the young man†¦he didn’t belong to her class and was some drunken young idler† the way that Mrs Birling not only critices the young man for being drunk and leaving a young girl with an unborn baby but also because â€Å"he didn’t belong to her class† this shows how Mrs Birling’s marginalization of the working class community is exactly the opposite of the sought of society Priestley would want to create. Even after it is apparent to Sheila who the father is; Mrs Birling blindness is so apparent as she continues to unknowingly castigate her own son â€Å"certainly, he ought to be dealt with severely-â€Å" and Sheila replies â€Å" mother – stop – stop† shows how Sheila is the opposite of her mother and is picking up events at a rapid rate. Sheila comment of â€Å"don’t you see† is a metaphor, not only does it suggest Mrs Birling doesn’t understand but also referencing to Mrs Birling blindness and lack of thoughts. Mrs Birling’s further throwaway remark â€Å"you’re behaving like a hysterical child tonight† again is another example of her completely misreading of the situation as in fact Sheila is quite intelligent in her evaluation that the father of the son must be Eric. Conclusion Overall, it is quite clear that Mrs Birling (much like her husband) is a perfect example of the ills capitalism and what needs to change. Priestley would like a society where the state provides welfare to those who need it, not by the prejudices of the rich. A society where money isn’t what epitomizes success but people ability to care after one and other. As suggested by Inspector Goole â€Å"We are one body. We are responsible for one another† shows how each specific character has a clear simplistic purpose. For Mrs Birling it’s to be symbolic of the greediness that capitalism involves.

Oppression, Suffering, and Poverty of Men in Jane Eyre Essay

The novel Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontà «, depicts the coming of age of a woman who encounters great hardships, obstacles, and heartbreak. During the Victorian era women were subordinate to men and often times lacked the same opportunities and privileges that society and the family structure gave to men. Although society and the family structure of the Victorian era treated men and women differently, men were also oppressed, experienced suffering, and had to overcome poverty, but due to the masculinity that men were forced to portray during the era often times the hardships of men have been overlooked when analyzing the men in Jane Eyre. The characters John Reed, St. John Rivers, and Edward Rochester suffer various forms of lack and poverty†¦show more content†¦When explaining the outcome of John’s life to Jane Robert Leaven says: [John] could not do worse: he ruined his health and his estate amongst the worst men and the worst women. He got into debt and into jail: his mother helped him out twice, but as soon as he was free he returned to his old companions and habits. His head was not strong: the knaves he lived amongst fooled him beyond anything I ever heard. He came down to Gateshead about three weeks ago and wanted missis to give up all to him. Missis refused: her means have long been much reduced by his extravagance; so he went back again, and the next news was that he was dead†¦they say he killed himself. (255-256) John Reed’s social and family structure fails to serve him. Instead of creating an equal and stable life or a wealthier lifestyle with his inheritance he becomes a gambler and loses most of his families wealth and most importantly his life. Not only does he impact and ruin his life, but also he causes his mother to have a stroke and eventually her death. John Reed appeared to have power and wealth, but because the stress and constraints that society placed upon him he crumbled and fell victim to ruin. John Reeds lack of a fatherly figure to aid in his guidance and the structure of his social and family aspect of life helped lead to his suffering in the novel. Overall there exists a dominating moral suffering for the male characters in the story. Similar to JohnShow MoreRelatedCharlotte Bronte: The Social Critic1732 Words   |  7 Pagesworld. Charlotte Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Jane Eyre had a similar effect upon the mindset of Victorian society, as its publication ended the silence on social justice and set off an ‘eruption’, leading to sweeping reforms. The novel revolves around the moral and spiritual journey of Jane Eyre, an orphan who values freedom and struggles to break free of Victorian-era standards. Brontà « satirizes these standards through her portrayal of the lower classes, mental illness, and orphans. Jane is critical of Victorian EnglandRead MoreLiterature And Composition Of Jane Eyre2903 Words   |  12 PagesSummer Reading Assignment Name: Bunji Bayasgalan AP Literature and Composition Jane Eyre Before returning to school, you will need to read Jane Eyre and complete this organizer, which will guide your reading and prepare you for the quiz, discussions and related assignments. You may use this packet for the quiz. SECTION 1: Background Research The better you understand the Victorian era, the deeper your understanding of Jane’s experiences (and Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s themes) will be. Use the space below