Opium In The Gambler, The Nun, And The Radio - 1019 Words

The word â€Å"opium† is utilized several times in this short story. An opium is an addictive, narcotic drug that relieves pain or brings ecstasy. In a figurative sense, it is a way to avoid reality. For some, alcohol allows for just that. For others, it could be music, sexual intercourse, gambling, and many more. In â€Å"The Gambler, the Nun, and the Radio,† the thin Mexican says, â€Å"Religion is the opium of the poor† (Hemingway 478). But, this statement is not necessarily true, which Mr. Frazer soon realizes. Several opiums, or escapes from reality, exists, as this story shows. Although religion is not the universal opium of the people, it helps many escape from reality. Sister Cecilia wants to become a saint, which seems to be her goal in life†¦show more content†¦He refuses to accept the fact that he has to retire from bullfighting until finally, his coleta, which is a symbol of being apart of this industry and figuratively, his manhood, is cut off. He faces reality in the end, just as Cayetano most likely will in the future. Mr. Frazer plays his radio every night while he is at the hospital. Even though his escape from reality is based around an object, it is still his opium. â€Å"But Seattle he came to know very well...He lived in Seattle from two o’clock on, each night, hearing the pieces that all the different people asked for, and it was as real as Minneapolis...Mr. Frazer grew very fond of Seattle, Washington† (480). Mr. Frazer’s radio allows him to travel to different places without having to leave since he is unable to. He learns to listen to his radio â€Å"without thinking† (480). Escape starts to become an addictive thing, just like an opium drug, and it transforms into something that will soon obscure him completely from the real world. In certain parts of this story, opiums are compared with others, which suggests that one’s opium is not always another’s. â€Å"The Mexicans came and brought beer but it was not good beer† (480). At first, it seems that the beer tastes bad. but then Cayetano and Mr. Frazer have a brief discussion about it, saying, â€Å"‘Three of your countrymen were here.’ ‘Sent by the police to see me.’ ‘They brought some beer.’ ‘It was probably bad.’ ‘It was bad’† (482).

Herman Melville s Bartleby The Scrivener - 1455 Words

It is normal to think in a situation of employer and employee, the employer gets to make the commands and orders pertaining to the employee, however in Herman Melville’s Bartleby the Scrivener, this situation is not the case, and in fact opposite. Blatantly about the passive resistance the main character, or employee, Bartleby achieves with the famous, â€Å"I prefer not to,† quote, this basic idea of passive resistance only skims the surface of the underlying themes and lessons presented in the book. Melville adds certain aspects into the story that raise questions about Bartleby’s character and his amount as a human (if even human at all), especially when compared to other characters. These questions about Bartleby s character serve as a negative instruction to the reader on lessons of humanity as where the other characters serve as positive instruction. Melville transforms the book into an educational tool to teach the basic characteristics of humanity and ess entially redefining what it is to be a moral and good human through the book. The presentation of Bartleby’s strange character throughout the book raises questions on if he is even human or not. The subject and possibility of Bartleby s supernaturality is apparent in the book as well. In about every situation presented, the narrator is constantly questioning Bartleby s humanity or pondering how a human could be acting the way Bartleby is acting: â€Å"His face was leanly composed; his gray eye dimly calm. Not a wrinkle ofShow MoreRelatedHerman Melville s Bartleby, The Scrivener1305 Words   |  6 PagesHerman Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener Born in New York City on August 1st, 1819, Herman Melville led a life that commenced in partial fame and success, but ended in poverty and despair. Although unjustly criticized for the â€Å"purposeless extravagance† and â€Å"disorderliness† of his writing, due to his digressions into many different topics while discussing a single one, especially in his most celebrated novel today, though most criticized and unappreciated in his time, Moby Dick, Herman MelvilleRead MoreHerman Melville s Bartleby The Scrivener938 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener† delves into the life of a worker at a New York City Law firm. Herman Melville provides a drab and bleak outlook on the conditions of labor and mental state of the workers at the firm. Though the story can be seen as a depiction of the isolation and lack of passion found in big city labor, I believe that Melville provides much more in his writing. Within the details provided in the story, he manages to forge a metaphor for the power of transcendental ideals such as self relianceRead MoreHerman Melville s Bartleby The Scrivener1402 Words   |  6 Pagestackle these walls. Herman Melville gives us a glimpse at how walls can eventually destroy us if we give into them. In his short story, Bartleby the Scrivener, the narrator tells the story of a clerk he once employed, Bartleby. At first, Bartleby seemed to be the perfect employee, but he eventually began to shirk his work and depart into himself. Through the narrative, the narrator gives his account of how he dealt with Bartleby and gives the reader a look at the walls Bartleby dealt with in partRead MoreA Man s World On Wall Street1638 Words   |  7 PagesWhat makes a man, a man? Herman Melville’s â€Å"Bartleby, the Scrivener,† written in 1851, undoubtedly constructs a man’s world on Wall Street. During this time, it would be said that men and women had a certain role to fulfill. It just so happened that me n were considered superior over women during the 1800’s. However, Melville wasn’t completely prosperous exterminating women from his narrative. Herman Melville’s â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener,† is full of male characters. Bartleby, Turkey, Nippers, and GingerRead MoreThe Joy Luck Club And Bartleby The Scrivener1376 Words   |  6 PagesI am a reader who s level of engagement in the story coincides with how applicable the conflicts and central messages are to my life. Likewise, I can readily appreciate a story and its contents when I can mature as a reader alongside the development of the story’s main characters, the protagonist especially. For this reason, I was enthralled with Amy Tan’s ‘The Joy Luck Club’ and Herman Melville’s ‘Bartleby, the Scrivener,’ as I resonated well with its main characters; just as the characters graduallyRead MoreBartleby the Scrivener Essay2334 Words   |  10 PagesBartleby†™s Isolation and the Wall Introduction: â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener, A Story of Wall Street† is a short story by Herman Melville in which the narrator, a lawyer who runs a firm on Wall Street, tells the story of a rebellious scrivener who worked for him named Bartleby. One day, Bartleby simply states â€Å"I would prefer not to† when asked to do his normal copying duties as a scrivener (Melville). Soon Bartleby starts sleeping and eating at the office, refusing to leave. Eventually the narratorRead MoreThe School Of Marxist Criticism1703 Words   |  7 Pagesallowed to teach and in fact it lead to not being able to step on campus for any reason leaving him the only option to abandon his long term carrier. And later produced his famous opposition letter named â€Å"Rheinische Zeitung†. Bartleby the Scrivener written by Herman Melville is my focused story in this Marxist criticism approach due to the multiple elements that are inserted in the work piece which are alienation, Class Conflict, Freedom/Imprisonment, and Individualism. These approaches are very importantRead MoreEssay about Individual Freedom in Melvilles Bartleby, the Scrivener869 Words   |  4 PagesFreedom in Melvilles Bartleby, the Scrivener What motivates you to go to work everyday? What motivates you to dress the way you do? What motivates you to be reasonable when it comes to normal requests? Ah, the ultimate question in need of an answer: Who determines what is reasonable and normal, and should we not determine these matters for ourselves? Chaos would result, you say, if every individual were granted that freedom. Yet, we all do have that freedom, and Herman Melville (1819-1891) throughRead MoreBartleby The Scrivener Analysis1203 Words   |  5 Pages Herman Melville is an acclaimed author of the American Renaissance period and his most commendable works include â€Å"Bartleby, the Scrivener†. The story of â€Å"Bartleby† is not only a revelation of the business world of the mid-19th century but at the same time, it is also the manifestation of the emerging capitalistic lifestyle of perhaps New York’s most prominent street, Wall Street. Bartleby is a rather peculiar yet captivating figure. Bartleby’s life and death contribute to a sort of enigma for theRead More Social Deviance in Bartleby the Scrivener Essay608 Words   |  3 Pages Social Deviance in Bartleby the Scrivener nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Bartleby the Scrivener is a story that takes place on Wall Street, peopled by workers of a common mold.nbsp; Being a non-conformatist of the most extreme type,nbsp; Bartleby is eventually suffers a death of attrition.nbsp; The message that Melville intends for the reader is how society has little tolerance for social deviance. nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; I mentioned a

Encore Music free essay sample

Ive had piano lessons for eleven years and have worked on developing my voice. I always go around the house singing, but never had any formal training. When I auditioned for the All-Cape and Islands Festival, I received a perfect score and was ranked the number one alto on Cape Cod and the Islands. After that, my parents and I decided that it would be a good idea to go to a music camp, so I could do what I enjoyed most all year round. At the end of our search, we chose the Encore Music Camp of Pennsylvania. Not only did it have a prestigious reputation for its staff and curriculum, but it also gave campers a selection of the length of their stay. If I liked it, I could extend my stay. My first day at camp was an experience I will never forget. As I climbed up the stairs of Sullivan Hall, I saw reflections of myself everywhere, in the form of other campers who were new to Encore. We will write a custom essay sample on Encore Music or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I entered my room and saw my roommates name tag and luggage, but not my roommate. I heard the music of a viola waft through from the room next door. Suddenly the music stopped and a girl appeared, complete with a big smile and a viola and bow in hand. Im Lilian. Do you want to go around and knock on peoples doors and meet them with me? I hadnt been at the camp long enough to realize that this friendliness was characteristic of Encore-goers. I met the campers in my dorm that night, and learned that Encore was definitely the camp for me. Two weeks later, I was working on my employer at home, to get her to let me stay longer. My parents had willingly gone along with the plan, but she was not so readily swayed, and my solitary wish was not granted. One week later, I was crying hysterically. How could I leave all these people I had come to love, and whom I had learned from? I havent seen any of my friends from camp since July, but I have kept in touch with them. I write and receive letters frequently, and occasionally Im surprised by a call from New Jersey, New York, or Pennsylvania. The times and memories of my first year at Encore are ones that I will not soon forget, and I can barely wait to experience more next summer, when I return to Encore for the six-week session. L

Thomas Edison Was A Man Who Influenced America More Than Anyone Else.

Thomas Edison was a man who influenced America more than anyone else. Some of the inventions he pioneered are still used to this day. He was a man who spent almost his entire life working as a scientist, and receiving more than 1,200 patents in his lifetime. (Anderson pg.7) Thomas Edison's life was probably twice as productive as a modern day chemist, he was a firm believer of an eight hour work day, eight hours in the morning, and eight in the afternoon. Aside from his amazing history as an adult Edison lived an equally exciting childhood. Thomas Edison was born in Milan Ohio on February 11, 1847. At the time, his father was owner of a successful shingle and lumber company. However with new railroads being built through Milan his father lost customers to the bigger companies which began to open. The Edison's were forced to move to Port Huron, where he first began his education. When he was only seven years old his teacher, the Reverend G.B. Engle considered Thomas to be a dull stude nt, and was terrible in math. After three months of school his teacher called him addled, which means confused or mixed up. Thomas stormed home.(minot, pg1) The next day, Nancy Edison brought Thomas back to school to talk to Reverend Engle. He told her that Thomas couldn't learn. His mother became so angry at the strict Reverend that she decided to home-school him.(minot 1) After a while his mother, a former teacher herself, recognized his un usual abilities to reason. She quickly got him interested in History and Classic books. Thomas however was strangely attracted to the subject of science. By the age of ten Thomas Edison had already been experimenting and by now owned a sizable quantity of chemicals. Unfortunately his experiments were often quite expensive and he found it his duty to pay for them. Because he didn't go to school he had plenty of time to earn money by himself. When he was only twelve, he began selling newspapers on the Grand Trunk Railway, he even printed the news papers himself (Szhlmen, 1). He spent everything he earned on books and chemicals after about one year his mother became so sick of the noises of exploding beakers and the smell of burning flooded the house with smoke that he was no longer allowed to work in the house (Minot). Luckily h e was given permission to move to his lab into the train baggage car. He would be able to experiment during the long five hour layover in Detroit (Minot). Sadly one of chemicals fell off an unstable rack and caught fire. The fire was quickly spotted and only caused minor damage. Tom was then banned from experimenting on the train. Along with chemistry he began to work with telegraphy. When he was fourteen, he and another boy who lived nearby set up a telegraphic connection between their houses. By using the telegrapher so often Tom became equivalent to a second class which could earn a very steady pay. (Vanderbilt, 17). With his knowledge in telegraphy he began working as a full time operator soon af ter he made his first major invention it was a telegraphic repeating instrument that enabled messages to be transmitted automatically over a second line without the need for an operator. He had invented a machine that does the job he is hired to do. For a while Edison kept this invention secret. He began using it while at work, but was caught asleep with it on. After he was fired he moved to Boston, here he planned to dedicate all of his time to research for new inventions. Soon after he invented an automatic vote counter. Now the presidential votes could be counted in a fraction of the time it used to take. But the government didn't like it, it was too fast. Those who decided not to use it argued that people want time between the time that they vote and the time they hear the results. However, this machine is later used, and the same design is still used today. Since his last invention didn't produce any profit, he was hoping his next invention would help