Friday, January 31, 2020

Christopher McCandless Essay Example for Free

Christopher McCandless Essay Christopher Johnson McCandless (February 12, 1968 – August 1992) was an American hiker who adopted the alias Alexander Supertramp and ventured into the Alaskan wilderness in April 1992 with little food and equipment, hoping to live simply for a time in solitude. Almost four months later, McCandlesss remains were found, weighing only 67 pounds (30 kg). It has recently been speculated that Chris had developed lathyrism, caused by his consumption of seeds from a flowering plant in the legume family which contain the neurotoxin ODAP. McCandlesss resulting paralysis would have caused a gradual inability to move, hunt or forage and this could have led to his death from starvation. [1] His death occurred in a converted bus used as a backcountry shelter, near Lake Wentitika in Denali National Park and Preserve. In January 1993, Jon Krakauer published McCandless story in that months issue of Outside magazine. Inspired by the details of McCandlesss story, Krakauer wrote and published Into the Wild in 1996 about McCandless travels. The book was adapted into a film by Sean Penn in 2007 with Emile Hirsch portraying McCandless. That same year, McCandlesss story also became the subject of Ron Lamothes documentary The Call of the Wild. A full-length article on McCandless also appeared in the February 8, 1993 issue of the The New Yorker magazine.[2] Earlier years[edit] Christopher McCandless was born in El Segundo, California, the first of two children to Walter Walt McCandless and Wilhelmina Billie Johnson. Chris had one younger sister, Carine. In 1976, the family settled in Annandale, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C., after his father was employed as an antenna specialist for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). His mother worked as a secretary at Hughes Aircraft and later assisted her husband with his successful home-based consulting company in Annandale. Walt and Billie often fought and sometimes contemplated divorce.[citation needed] Chris and Carine had six half-siblings living in California from Walts first marriage. Walt was not yet divorced from his first wife when Chris and Carine were born; however, Chris did not discover his fathers affair until a summer trip to Southern California[3] in 1986. This discovery caused him to hold a lot of bitterness towards his father, and could have been a factor in his views ab out society. At school, teachers noticed McCandless was unusually strong-willed.[citation needed][who?] In  adolescence he coupled this with intense idealism and physical endurance. In high school, he served as captain of the cross-country team, urging teammates to treat running as a spiritual exercise in which they were running against the forces of darkness all the evil in the world, all the hatred.[4] On June 2, 1986, McCandless graduated from W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax, Virginia. On June 10, McCandless embarked on one of his first major adventures in which he traveled throughout the country in his Datsun B-210, arriving at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, two days prior to the beginning of fall classes. His upper middle class background and academic success were drivers for his contempt of what he saw as the empty materialism of society. McCandless was strongly influenced by Jack London, Leo Tolstoy, W. H. Davies and Henry David Thoreau. In his junior year, he declined membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Society, on the basis that honors and titles were irrelevant. McCandless graduated from Emory on May 12, 1990, with a Bachelors degree, double m ajoring in history and anthropology. He envisioned separating from organized society for a Thoreauvian period of solitary contemplation. Travels[edit] In May 1990, Christopher McCandless donated the remaining $24,000, given to him by a family friend for his law degree, to Oxfam International, a hunger prevention charity. Towards the end of June, he began traveling under the name Alexander McCandless until later adopting the last name of Supertramp (Krakauer notes the connection with Welsh author W. H. Davies and his 1908 autobiography The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp). Most people he encountered regarded him as intelligent and one who loved to read. By the end of the summer, McCandless made his way through Arizona, California and South Dakota, where he worked at a grain elevator in Carthage. He survived a flash flood, but allowed his car to wash out (although it suffered little permanent damage and was later reused by the local police force as an undercover vehicle) and disposed of his license plate.[citation needed] In 1991, McCandless paddled a canoe down remote stretches of the Colorado River to the Gulf of California. He cros sed the border to Mexico and, having gotten lost in many dead-end canals, was towed by duckhunters to the sea, where he stayed for some time. He took pride in surviving with a minimum of gear and funds, and generally made little preparation. Alaskan Odyssey[edit] For years, McCandless dreamed of an Alaskan Odyssey wherein he would live off the land of the Alaskan wilderness, far away from civilization, and find himself[citation needed]. He kept a journal describing his physical and spiritual progress as he faced the forces of nature. In April 1992, McCandless hitchhiked from Enderlin, North Dakota, to Fairbanks, Alaska. He was last seen alive on April 28, 1992, by Jim Gallien, a local, who gave him a ride from Fairbanks to the head of the Stampede Trail. Gallien was concerned about Alex, who had minimal supplies (not even a compass) and no experience surviving in the Alaskan bush. Gallien repeatedly tried to persuade Alex to defer his trip, and even offered to drive him to Anchorage to buy suitable equipment and supplies. However, McCandless ignored Galliens warnings, refusing all assistance except for a pair of Wellington rubber boots, two tuna melt sandwiches, and a bag of corn chips. Gallien allowed Chris to wander off with the belief that he would head back towards the highway within a few days as his eventual hunger set in. After hiking along the snow-covered Stampede Trail, McCandless found an abandoned bus (about 40 miles (64 km) west of Healy) used as a hunting shelter and parked on an overgrown section of the trail near Denali National Park, and began to live off the land. He had 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of rice, a Remington semi-automatic rifle with 400 rounds of .22LR hollowpoint ammunition, several books including one on local plant life, and some camping equipment. He assumed he could forage for plant food and hunt game. For the next thirty days or so, McCandless poached porcupines, squirrels, and birds, such as ptarmigans and Canada geese. On June 9, 1992, he managed to kill a moose; however, he failed to preserve the meat properly, and within days it spoiled and was covered with maggots. His journal contains entries covering a total of 112 days. These entries range from ecstatic to grim with McCandless changing fortunes. In July, after living in the bus for three months, he decided to leave, but found the trail back blocked by the Teklanika River, which was then considerably higher and swifter than when he crossed in April. Unknown to McCandless, there was a hand-operated tram that crossed the river only 1⠁„4 of a mile away from where he had previ ously crossed. In the 2007 documentary The Call of the Wild, evidence is presented that McCandless had a map at his disposal, which should have helped him find  another route to safety.[5] McCandless lived in the bus for a total of 113 days. At some point during that time, presumably very near the end, he posted an S.O.S. note calling on anyone passing by to help him because he was injured and too weak. The full note read: â€Å" Attention Possible Visitors. S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August?[6] † Death[edit] On August 12, 1992, McCandless wrote what are apparently his final words in his journal: Beautiful Blueberries. He tore the final page from Louis LAmours memoir, Education of a Wandering Man, which contains an excerpt from a Robinson Jeffers poem titled Wise Men in Their Bad Hours: Deaths a fierce meadowlark: but to die having madeSomething more equal to centuriesThan muscle and bone, is mostly to shed weakness.The mountains are dead stone, the peopleAdmire or hate their stature, their insolent quietness,The mountains are not softened or troubledAnd a few dead mens thoughts have the same temper. His body was found in his sleeping bag inside the bus by Butch Killian, a local hunter, on September 6, 1992.[7] McCandless had been dead for more than two weeks and weighed an estimated 30 kilograms (66 lb). His official, undisputed cause of death was starvation. Krakauer suggests two factors may have contributed to McCandlesss death. First, he was running the risk of a phenomenon known as r abbit starvation due to increased activity, compared with the leanness of the game he was hunting.[8] Krakauer also speculates that McCandless might have ingested toxic seeds (Hedysarum alpinum or Hedysarum mackenzii) or a mold that grows on them (Rhizoctonia leguminicola produces the toxic alkaloid swainsonine). However, an article in Mens Journal stated that extensive laboratory testing showed there was no toxin present in McCandlesss food supplies. Dr. Thomas Clausen, the chair of the chemistry and biochemistry department at UAF said I tore that plant apart. There were no toxins. No alkaloids. Id eat it myself.[9] Analysis of the wild sweet peas, given as the cause of Chriss death in Sean Penns film, turned up no toxic compounds and there is not a single account in modern medical literature of anyone being poisoned by this  species of plant.[5] As one journalist put it: He didnt find a way out of the bush, couldnt catch enough food to survive, and simply starved to death.[9] However, the possibility of death through the consumption of the mold, which grew on the seeds in the damp bags which McCandless stored them in, was considered a suitable explanation by Krakauer.[3] Subsequently the academic Ronald Hamilton made the link between the symptoms described by Chris and the poisoning of Je wish prisoners in the Nazi concentration camp in Vapniarca. He put forward the proposal that Chris McCandless died of lathyrism caused by ODAP poisoning from Hedysarum alpinum seeds which hadnt been picked up by the previous studies as they were searching for alkaloid instead of toxic protein. The protein would be relatively harmless to a well-fed person on a normal diet, but toxic to someone who was malnourished, physically stressed, and on an irregular and insufficient diet, as McCandless was. Subsequent tests revealed ODAP was indeed present in the seeds. [10][11] Criticism[edit] McCandless has been a polarizing figure ever since his story first broke following his death, along with Krakauers Outside article on him in January 1993. While Krakauer and many readers have a largely sympathetic view of McCandless,[12] others, particularly Alaskans, have expressed negative views about McCandless and those who romanticize his fate.[13] The most charitable view among McCandlesss detractors is that his behavior showed a profound lack of common sense. He chose not to bring a compass, something that most people in the same situation would have considered essential. McCandless was also completely unaware that a hand-operated tram crossed the otherwise impassable river 0.25 miles (0.40 km) from where he attempted to cross. Had McCandless known this, he could easily have saved his own life.[4] There has been some speculation (particularly in details given in the Lamothe documentary) that he vandalised survival cabins and supplies in the area. However, Ken Kehrer, chief ran ger for Denali National Park, denied that McCandless was considered a vandalism suspect by the National Park Service.[14] His venture into a wilderness area alone, without adequate planning, experience, preparation, or supplies, without notifying anyone and lacking emergency communication equipment, was contrary to every principle of outdoor survival and, in the eyes of many experienced outdoor  enthusiasts, nearly certain to end in misfortune. Alaskan Park Ranger Peter Christian wrote: When you consider McCandless from my perspective, you quickly see that what he did wasnt even particularly daring, just stupid, tragic, and inconsiderate. First off, he spent very little time learning how to actually live in the wild. He arrived at the Stampede Trail without even a map of the area. If he [had] had a good map he could have walked out of his predicament [ ] Essentially, Chris McCandless committed suicide.[13] Sherry Simpson, writing in the Anchorage Press, described her trip to the bus with a friend, and their reaction upon reading the comments that tourists had left lauding McCandless as an insightful, Thoreau-like figure: Among my friends and acquaintances, the story of Christopher McCandless makes great after-dinner conversation. Much of the time I agree with the he had a death wish camp because I dont know how else to reconcile what we know of his ordeal. Now and then I venture into the what a dumb territory, tempered by brief alliances with the he was just another romantic boy on an all-American quest partisans. Mostly Im puzzled by the way hes emerged as a hero.[15] Jon Krakauer defends McCandless, claiming that what critics point to as arrogance was merely McCandlesss desire for being the first to explore a blank spot on the map. Krakauer continues that In 1992, however, there were no more blank spots on the map—not in Alaska, not anywhere. But Chris, with his idiosyncratic logic, came up with an elegant solution to this dilemma: He simply got rid of the map. In his own mind, if nowhere else, the terra would thereby remain incognita.[16] Others have pointed out that a map of the area (although apparently not including the location of the hand-powered tram) was found among McCandlesss belongings, and refute the accusations that he intentionally discarded this map.[17]

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Mariquita: A Tragedy of Guam by Chris Perez Howard Essay -- Book Revie

Mariquita: A Tragedy of Guam by Chris Perez Howard The book entitled Mariquita A Tragedy of Guam was written by author Chris Perez Howard in honor of her mother Mariquita Aguon Perez. The book covers the pain and sufferings of Guamanians through World War II from the perspective of one family. The book covers a period of time a little under a decade, beginning in 1938 while Guam was under Naval Administration. The book starts off painting the image an Howard's mother Mariquita. She is depicted as somewhat a diamond in the rough, beautiful and one of a kind, even pointing out that she worked as a stenographer, an uncommon position to be held by women in this time period. The book goes on describing her daily life including spending much time with her friends, competing amongst each other in the latest fashions and watching the movies. The story goes on describing her acquaintance with a young soldier by the name of Edward Neal Howard that has an eye for her. Mariquita at first entertained the young sailor but hesitated to pursue any relationship with Eddie. Then one night coming out of the movies, a Marine yelled a racial remark towards Mariquita and Eddie, out of the crowd, defended Mariquita. That was the turning point, and they eventually begin dating, first in secrecy then soon after, they married. Mariquita and Eddie had two children, the first named Chris and the second named Helen. Japanese invaded and the war broke out in Guam right after the birth of Helen and Mariquita actually had to flee with her newborn into the jungle for safety. During Japanese rule Guamanians were forced to work. The Japanese also occupied any housing they needed. The Americans were forced to surrender and Eddie bec... ...dure their torture, then head home and play and laugh with her kids, it was like there were two people playing her role. The book gave very good accounts of the times surrounding war, but I think Howard's emotions skewed the story somewhat. This book goes against the canon in citing instances which were harmful to the Guamanians. Americanization for instance, indirectly told the people to lose their identity and their culture and opt for a more Westernized and modern set of values. Then goes the point of having separate schools and American only functions, U.S. treated the people of Guam as second class citizens. The book does a great job in capturing all this unfairness. All in all, the book seemed better as a romance novel to me, with a great many details, valuable details of World War II in Guam hidden in the background almost as a supplemental story.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Drawing the Line on Political Correctness Essay

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is funny how over the years, humor had changed tremendously. Television networks do not intend to offend anybody, except for the ego-driven celebrities and politicians as well as constant draws which satirize church people and family driven values.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is not because some things are now regarded revered. The viewers have also changed. They cannot express amusement at themselves to any further extent. One concrete example is the old sitcom, titled Murphy Brown, which over ten years ago, has been the center of contention on the subject of political correctness. The show on October 11, 1993 was aired and was regarding a series of comments made on-air made by Murphy and Peter which all got gashed up, and had the entire staff production required to attend a session on political correctness (Tucker 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   That particular episode exposed much of the irrationality of how people can get easily offended by the least thing said, such as: â€Å"I’m not black, I’m African-American† as one character protested. Another beamed up â€Å"I’m not African†¦I’m black†. â€Å"I’m not black†¦I’m brown!† Networks have determined that it is impossible to say anything without getting anyone offended by someone, so they have principally decided not to pronounce anything (Tucker 1). Political Correctness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1980’s, political correctness or PC emerged as a communal tyranny. It was an impulsive or unprompted statement of specific expressions, behavior and ideas considered legal but must be outlawed and those who disobey will be imposed with punishment. It began with little influence and later on had grown to such popularity till it then started written and unwritten law in the community. By way of those declared in the public as not being politically correct fitting the subject of state or mob prosecution (Atkinson 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the effort of pointing out the detestable background of political correctness is to reiterate the vital significance of freedom of speech, freedom of voice and plain speaking; such are the safeguards of the community against the nuisance of tyranny, the absence of these factors indicates having no tyranny. For that reason, any form of expression prohibition or those summoned by the slander, libel and public decency laws, are considered matters of severity subject by methodology of common law and not by mob dictations (Atkinson 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The affirmed coherent of this oppression is to avert people from getting offended; to coerce each one to stop the use of   behaviors or words which can displease women, non-whites, homosexuals,   the fat, the stupid, the ugly or the crippled. This exposes not only its irrationality but its stimulation. The set of values which are not accepted are those apprehended by the earlier generation, for such reasons, the terms dagos, wogs, niggers, coon, sheilas,   poofs, spastics and   have turned out to be profanation, because, in an action of infantile rebellion, their issue have develop as well-regarded by the latest generation (Atkinson 1).   Political correctness is simply the antipathy of spoilt children bound for against their values of the parents (Blazquez 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A decline in the community takes place at the time the greater part of its people turned out to be self-centered, and beneath this power it gradually takes apart all the manacles in the lead of decadence brought about by customs, law, manners, tradition and beliefs. As each succeeding generation of self-centered people accede to be in command of the community, it grabs its chance to desert further of the exasperating fetters that wisdom and genius had instilled. The social annihilation and its proponents attain their unfounded principle by openly taking on irrationality by means of slogans at the same time as defaming those who do not sustain their standpoint (Atkinson 3) .As part of the social decline due to political correctness it makes each generation by another one crafts public behavior less rational and less restrained.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the present day we face up to a problem of political correctness which is the direct opposite of the liberal tradition. Wherein liberalism promotes challenging political ideas, political correctness, by language, conduct or law, tries to find how to hold back the expression of the ideas.   The fundamental nature of social equality is the preference of opinions and ideas, and the liberty to convey the ideas.   However democracy is not all about choice, it is moreover about majorities. The values and ideas of the greater part are capable to succeed over to other choices.   The politically correct pay no attention to the autonomous ideal in terms of both the majoritarism and choice.   It is their objective to have the institutions of the state captured and mould them to reveal their outlooks.   The reality that their thoughts may not mirror the thoughts of the majority, or certainly are particularly conflicting to views of the majority, is of no importance.   It is the views’ imposition that matters.   Hence this is the deep-seated predicament with political correctness (Hanan 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are three features in political correctness. The first is that, political correctness is a set of beliefs and attitudes which are separated from conventional values.   Next, the person being politically correct has a narrow outlook on how people ought to sense and what they are allowed to talk about.   Third and mainly significant, political correctness is rooted in institutions of the public, which comprise a lawmaking support, and which have compelling powers.   It is this third feature that provides political correctness its influence.   The absence of this confine of power the outlooks of the politically correct will merely be an additional view in the arena of ideas (Hanan 2). An institution, government is or a person is politically correct when they stop to correspond to the welfare of the preponderance, and become concentrated on the concerns and cares of sector groups of minority.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Political correctness and its origin does breed confusion.   This is for the reason that political correctness has its beginning in equality campaigns, specifically the racial equality campaign, which has regularly been motivated by politics and its liberal side.   The existing result is that the more raucous adversaries of political correctness plunge into the corner of involving, for instance, that racism is acceptable, basically since it is not politically correct.   Doing the contrary to what is politically correct is not the base to be in opposition to political correctness (Hanan 3). This ensnares, on the other hand, point out why it is imperative to evaluate the predicaments emerging from political correctness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Retorts about Vice Presidents are a revered custom on TV. But the issues of Dan Quayle in an Emmy Awards ceremony bear a resemblance to a Rodney King thrashing by the elites of Hollywood. Quayle is television’s superior beating guy ever in view of the fact that he made campaign issue on Murphy Brown; it was a ram of what appeared like every onstage joke. Diane English, the creator of Murphy Brown, topped the evening with an argument of single mothers that traversed the line into adherent nastiness. â€Å"As what Murphy has said to herself, ‘I couldn’t possibly do a worse job raising my kid alone than the Reagans did with theirs.’ â€Å" The viewers applauded and laughed on lines such as these. However the reaction was extra troubled and concerned. At a campaign rally Quayle used the Emmy volley to stress his point that â€Å"Hollywood doesn’t like our values.† Numerous parties in the industry of television approved that the entire flaunt was, at the semantically criticism like values of religious faith, marital fidelity and patriotism. Quayle writes that â€Å"Tens of millions of Americans now see the entertainment industry as an all-powerful enemy, an alien force that assaults our most cherished values and corrupts our children† (Zoglin 1). The Republican-political episode in which Murphy reacted to the Vice President, while hurriedly nursing to her new born; she heeds his remarks on television and responds with disbelief: â€Å"I’m glamorizing single motherhood? What planet is he on? I agonized over that decision.† Afterward, she emerges on her television show to respond to the charges of Quayle: â€Å"Perhaps it is time for the Vice President to expand his definition and recognize that whether by choice or circumstance families come in all shapes and sizes. And ultimately, what really defines a family is commitment, caring and love.† (Zoglin 1) Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What can be done to deal with political correctness and its problems is to eliminate the encouragement role of such seen on televisions.   They should be apprehensive with the arbitration of rights, not disseminating the politically correct ideologies.   Their backing character roots from their lawmaking permission.   It is the point to eradicate this permission which does slight more than allow misinformation (Hanan 4).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In these modern times, many people are amused with how funny lines are thrown in television shows, especially when the icons make fun of prominent people using politically correct terms which are perceived to be satirical and insulting. Political correctness does not happen only in the industry of television, each individual may encounter such lines which can cause annoyance and getting offended. For instance when one is told that â€Å"she does not wear too much makeup, she is cosmetically oversaturated† or when one is told to be â€Å"afraid of commitment then he is monogamously challenged†. It can be very much insulting indeed. Political correctness is something that should be eradicated in the society. There should be lines drawn as to when joking or entertaining goes, it should not go beyond the point of insulting and degrading someone’s character, because no person has the right to insult nor hurt their sensible beings. The television industry is such a great means of influence; hence they should realize the sensitivity with which their messages affect their audiences. Works Cited Atkinson, Phillip. Political Correctness. 2000. A Theory of Civilization. 3 February 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   . Blazquez, Augustin.April 8, 2002. Political Correctness: The Scourge of Our Times. Newsmax. 3 February 2008 . Path: Archives; Articles; 2002. Hanan, Ralph. The Problem with Political Correctness. June 22, 2005. National. 3 February 2008 . Tucker, Jamey. Politically Incorrect Humor. April 11, 2005. Jamey Tucker’s Blogsquat. 3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   February 2008 . Zoglin, Richard. Sitcom Politics. Sep. 21, 1992. Time Magazine in parnership with CNN. 3 February 2008 . Path: Time; Magazine; Article

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Women Poetry of world war one - 1575 Words

Women Poets of the First World War During the First World War, many women began writing about their experiences and their opinions of the war. However their works have been given less importance as compared to the Literature written by Men of the time. ‘Even while poetry is arguably the most central of women’s war time genre, readers have often found it disappointingly backward-looking in both style and subject matter’ (Blucks, 89) While looking at the works of Women poets we find a variation in themes ranging from those who encouraged men to fight the war to those who fought the war themselves and despised it. This research paper attempts to study the different kinds of poetry written by women and the themes they express. ‘The†¦show more content†¦One such poem that expressed these themes is The Wind on the Downs by Marian Allen. This poem was written to her Fiancà ©, Arthur Greg who died in the war. The poem expresses her struggle to cope with the news of his death- ‘You have not died, it is not true, instead You seek adventure in some other place’, a feeling that was faced by most women on the home front. Men on the war front often suffered horrible deaths, many of whom, the bodies were never found. Their loved ones at home therefore had no closure. The lines of Vera Brittain’s Perhaps expresses the same idea when she says – ‘..though kind Time may many joys renew, There is one greatest joy I shall not know Again, because my heart for loss of You Was broken, long ago.’ Her poem expresses deep feelings of loss because life might go on as usual for her and everyone around by her loved one will not be there to enjoy it with her. Many of the women were insistent on being on the war front. They may have felt subordinated or may have been carried away by the idea of the war or maybe just wanted to be useful first world war is notable for having transformed woman’s role of a mere spectator of a male event into one active participant at various levels, in the war behind. Therefore some did go to war and worked on various levels. ‘Female feats went unrecorded; occasionally they got a mention in the papers’ (Khan, 133). A range of poetry was also a cry for much needed respect that ought to be givenShow MoreRelatedUniversity Of Oxford English Professor, Dr. Stuart Lee1318 Words   |  6 Pagesthe First World War was one of the seminal moments of the twentieth century in which literate soldiers, plunged into inhuman conditions, reacted to their surroundings in poems. 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In  Child of ourRead MorePotrayal of Women in The Ancient World, The Middle Ages, and The Renaissance992 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the three literary periods: The Ancient World, The Middle Ages, and The Renaissance; women have been portrayed and treated in different ways. The Iliad by Homer is about the Trojan War fought by the Achaeans and Trojans which was over the capturing of the wife of King Menelaus, Helen of Troy, by Paris. In The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer, it is about a group of 29 people who are all on a pilgrimage to Canterbury to worship St. Thomas’s shrine; however, as Chaucer describes all these typesRead MoreAnna Akhmatov The Russian Antigone1023 Words   |  5 Pagesof the other women of her time. â€Å" Anna Akhmatova was the leader and heat and soul of Saint Petersburg tradition of Russian Poetry in the course of the first half of the twentieth century.†(New World Encyclopedia 1). Along with being a poet, Akhmatova also wrote prose, litera ry scholarships, memoirs, and autobiographical pieces. In her 77 years of living Anna Akhmatova accomplished so much she went down as one of the greatest Russian poets and an inspiration for women all over the world. Anna AkhmatovaRead MoreJessie Pope War Women Analysis1582 Words   |  7 PagesMasculinity and Femininity in Jessie Pope’s war poems: â€Å"War Girls† and â€Å"The Call† The world wars have greatly impacted modern British literature in the 20th century. There were many poems written about the period of war; some showed them in a positive light and some negative. Gender roles, gender relations on what means to be a man or a woman impacted greatly during this time. In particular with World War I, women in large numbers took over jobs in the homeland while the men were out fighting. QuestionsRead MoreThe Wasteland, by T.S. Eliot857 Words   |  4 PagesT.S. Eliot transformed the traditional poetry form into a more modern style. Eliot was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 26, 1888. At the age of 25, Eliot moved to England where he began his career as a poet. Eliot greatly attracted the modernist movement, which was poetry written in the reaction of Victorian poetry. His first poem, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, was known as one of the most famous pieces of the Modernist movement. In his poetry, Eliot combines themes such as aridityRead Mo reEssay on T.s. Eliot And Society1454 Words   |  6 Pagesrole in society. Many things occurred during these eighty five years that accounted for a great social change. Among these things were World War I, the Civil Rights Movement, prohibition, women suffrage, and the Great Depression. Particularly after World War I and during women’s suffrage, society’s standpoint on certain issues changed dramatically. After World War I, people’s attitudes swung with high expectations for themselves but were soon lowered after the economy’s fall. During women’s suffrageRead More Felicia Hemans and Jane Taylor Essay1093 Words   |  5 Pagesliteracy world of the 19th century saw an emergence of female writers into the male dominated profession of poetry. Many men felt as though their profession was being invaded. They resented women entering the public sphere. This mentality in part helped influence which women were able to write and what they wrote about. Fe licia Hemans and Jane Taylor are both women poets that emerged during the 19th century. Both women have used their poetry to help expand on traditional notions of romantic poetry duringRead MoreBritish World War I And Wilfred Owen s `` Anthem For Doomed Youth ``941 Words   |  4 PagesBritish World War I soldiers Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon both have a similar approach to World War I poetry, however, Owen is the more effective writer. Owen’s poetry is heavily influenced by Sassoon’s, but Sassoon’s poetry entails very gruesome imagery in great detail. In Owen’s poems, he describes the pleasures of life being deadened because of the war and denies the expectations of the war from society. Sassoon’s poems are far more depressing and visual with descriptive words but seem toRead MoreWar Poems954 Words   |  4 PagesWar is a time of violence, protest, death and pain for many people around the world. With this conflict, a lot of poetry is wri tten because poetry is one of the most common ways for people to put across their feelings about situations. War is one of these situations for which many people have very strong feelings. A common theme in war poetry is the transformation that war brings about in a person. Many poems reveal boys going into war and becoming young men after the experience. Another dominant