This Boy's Life, set in America in the 1950’s, is a compelling memoir by Tobias Wolff, whom recreates the frustrations and cruelties faced throughout his adolescence, as he fights for identity and self-respect. During this period of time, America underwent major changes in the political and economic spheres, which in turn were responsible for its social makeover. Society in this time was geared toward family; marriage and children being part of the national agenda. The 1950’s was also an age of male dominance, where even if women worked, their assumed proper place was at home. Throughout the memoir, the protagonist, young Jack Wolff, makes it difficult for the reader to feel much affection towards him, as his actions prove to be troublesome and unruly. However, as the memoir progresses, Jacks struggle reveal the reasons for his actions which sequentially shape his character, providing the readers with understanding and sympathy towards his inexorable situation. The fraudulent lies and deceitful ways of Jack can be frustrating upon the reader; though we come to realise that he does this in order to be accepted by the people around him. Jack also engages in fights and unfaithfully betrays his best friend Arthur, although it becomes evident that he only does this in order to gain Dwight’s approval of him. The lack of a real father figure in Jack’s life has a profound impact on him and his desperate attempt to develop his identity, which further supports the readers’ emotions of sympathy towards him.…
‘In a couple of hours they would wake up and find us gone, far away, so as not to remind them of their pain and what our family now meant to this town’ (p. 2)…
26 –“that was the thing I couldn’t get my head around – there would be a tomorrow, and a day after that, and a day after that. The world went on regardless of how I felt.”…
An exterior factor which may affect ones present identity is ones past experiences. This concept is explored in Tim Winton’s “Aquifer”, as it follows an adult on a tumultuous journey which leads him to make personal discoveries. “Aquifer” is a clever portrait of growing up and the transition from “Innocence” to…
In the coming of age novel Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey the reader witnesses alteration in the protagonist Charlie, who is introduced as an innocent teenager who then transforms his attitudes and opinions due to an experience. Charlie not only endures physical changes, however also changes his mind set in regards to the town he lives in, Corrigan, and his mother. These distinctive changes have both negative and positive effects that are represented by the use of a variety of language techniques.…
McVeigh dropped out of college and joined the army when he was 18 years old. He felt that the government had no reason to kill several people at Waco or Ruby Ridge. This is when he decided to take care of the situation himself, and decided to blow up a building and murder countless people. He believed that people learn traits from the government and he felt that the government were not higher up that the people of the United States. It's an "equal" country, so shouldn't everyone be "equal?" I agree with his rational for this, but his actions definitely spoke louder than his words.…
Individuals experience many different transitions during their lifetime. These transitions can be challenging but it is how well one responds to the challenge that results in the growth of an individual. Two texts that show transitions are The Story of Tom Brennan, a 2005 Australian novel written by J.C. Burke, and Raise Your Voice, a 2004 American drama film directed by Sean McNamara. Through these two texts, the audience learns about the social context, the characters and their experiences, which helps to shapes our understanding of transitions.…
“Crash” exemplified one aspect of human life that is commonly overlooked. It showed how diverse the world is and how dialectic influences who we are. In the…
There is, however, an air of uneasiness and uncertainty surrounding him, dissatisfaction that he never quite understands and that leads to eccentric behavior. Nor wanting to risk his job security, he is not yet ready to follow the rebellious step of his old friend Francis Finnerty. What he seeks first is meaning in his personal life and his marriage. Inspired by the humble lives of farmers, he purchases and old farm where he and Anita could start over and renew their love and mutual commitment. Yet, Anita’s reaction does not meet his expectations.…
In some places in the poem, the words can easily be taken literally to convey…
In "Auto Wreck", as the title insinuates it, is a situation that describes a car accident that takes place in a city, which means, that an ambulance, a hospital, the police, and the crowd are the main actors when death is about to strike. In the development of the poem, Shapiro describes the atmosphere that surrounds a city at night when there is a car accident; Blood all over the streets and gutters, the police covering the situation and the crowd observing the tragic accident, recalling death as enemy. In a very interesting way, Shapiro describes the hurry, horror, and in a certain way, indifference of society towards an "auto wreck", idealizing a space were these actors interact with one another creating a hostile atmosphere regarding death.…
The crash of the fireworks, exploded and shattered the calm air, neon lights violated the murky black sky. Below the fireworks, a teenage couple stood wrapped in an embrace sharing what seems like their first kiss. The girl, nervous and fluttery, her eyes quickly looking at his before shying away, she subtly smirks as she leans in.... CRASH! The noise explodes from the dodgems as their lips meet in a gently kiss. Cars collide and manic giggles fill the air as people search for their next victims to bump into. Bodies thrown forwards as the collision impacts at full force, shocked faces as their seatbelts dig into their skin. Impatient bystanders watch while they…
It was April 24, 2010; we all sat in a small waiting room at Baptist Hospital nervously and anxiously waiting for any news. The least bit of movement in the hallway would get our hearts racing and blood pumping. Most of us were still in shock from what had happened the previous night. We were still trying to convince ourselves that it wasn’t her in that car, that they had the wrong person. It had just been a birthday party she was going to, not a party with alcohol, but somehow alcohol had shown up, and she got caught up in it. Her first drink led to another and that one to another; it felt good, at least for a while, but while she was busy “enjoying life,” she had no clue what was about to happen next, something that would affect the lives of many people forever.…
The environment within the film Crash is that of one with high tension and hostility that is depicted right from the start. James, a film director, and his wife are in an open relationship that is seen as one that is struggling due to their lack of sexual desire for each other. Once James gets into a serious car accident, he is automatically drawn into a lifestyle of thrill seeking experiences within this underground society. As James explores this way of life, it is of no surprise that what he is getting himself into is much larger than what he anticipates. A major portrayal of this lifestyle is a scene where the group of scarred individuals put together a private reenactment of James Dean’s famous car accident. With the knowledge that their lives are at risk, these stuntmen collide head on intentionally and arouse the crowd within moments of impact. This portrayal of a chaotic environment is the first time we are openly witnessing a group of people supporting this ideal of violent sexual arousal.…
Life can be very unpredictable, there are many accidents everyday. Some people perceive these events as unfortunate, while others believe it to be an act of god. Whenever I witness car accidents on the road, I view them as to be very unfortunate for the people involved. I never imagined one day I would firsthand experience the event of being in a car accident.…