Paper Example. Stereotypes of Characters in the Open Boat by Stephen Crane

Stephen Crane's The Open Boat meditates on the nature of existence and is narrated through the eyes of four major characters: the Correspondent, the Captain, the Oiler, and the Cook. A stereotype refers to a fixated over-generalized idea or image about a thing or person, and this idea might be true or false. Each character in Crane's book tends to have stereotypical tendencies. The Correspondent represents the dominant character that might or might not be the narrator or even Crane himself. This character, being the most condescending of the four, tends to be cynical of men. He holds a generalized perspective, which comes through his introspective thoughts that men should have control in certain situations, especially when in a bought that also has a captain (Crane, 1898). However, he realizes that the sea, with its waves and sharks, is in full control, and their chances of survival are uncertain. The Correspondent is also surprised by the brotherhood that the men in the bought have formed in such a difficult moment despite his distrustful perception of them. This aspect suggests nature is always in control.

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The Captain is generally expected to be in charge of the ship and guide the occupants to safety; however, the ship wrecks and their predicament lies on the small float boat, which he cannot keep afloat despite bearing the responsibility of keeping everyone safe. The Cook holds a pleasurable perspective of things by thinking of food while he cannot help with rowing. He, however, assists the other men with bailing the water from the boat. Because of doing most of the dirty work and being the Oiler, Billie is generally expected not to know much about survival tactics apart from obedience to the Captain. He is, however, the most insightful character when it comes to survival tactics but still dies, unfortunately(Crane, 1898).

How Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man Is Hard To Find Represents The South And Its Society

Set in 1955, the historical context of O'Connor's story depicts the south in various aspects, including the Civil Rights Movement, increased crime rates, and the period of automobiles typical of America in those times. The racial tension in Georgia where O'Connor lived was typified in Grandmother's attitude in how she opinionated African-Americans. She told June Star that little "niggers" in America did not have things like their white counterparts (O'connor, 1953). The southern society embraced the increase in the number of automobiles in the roads increasing the appetite for adventure, and this is exhibited in the story with the car accident.

Symbolism in The Things They Carried by Tom O'Brien

In O'Brien's narrative, the star-shaped hole inflicted on the dead Vietnamese soldier symbolized the soldier's lost dreams and aspirations. The nylon stockings worn by Henry Dobbins symbolize the female sex mystique that the soldiers can no longer experience in the platoon. The puppy that Azar violently kills provides him with a sense of control over his predicament the Buffalo killed by Rat Kiley is a sign of vengeance to the death of Curt Lenon, who was their friend. The baggage or tools carried by the soldiers also included the emotional baggage they bore like grief, terror, loss, longing, hatred, and confusion(O'Brien, n.d.).

Poetry-Themes

The themes in The Flea by John Donne include seduction, love, and sex. The subject matter is a metaphysical love that takes the form of a humble flea (Donne, n.d.). Marvell Andrew's To His Coy Mistress is a poem about seizing the opportunity of youth. The main theme is the transience of life shown through time, and how it coerces people into the grave before they achieve personal fulfillment (Marvell, n.d.). William Shakespeare's Shall I compare Thee to a Summer's Day is a poem love poem whose themes include timelessness of beauty and love, death, and immortality (Shakespeare,1963). John Donne's Batter My heart, Three-Personed God, is a religious poem with themes such as divine love, mortality, and divine judgment (Donne,1895). Randall Jarrel's The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner is a poem about contemplation of issues of existence, with life and death as the main themes (Jarrell,1945).

Drama: A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Importance of setting

The importance of the setting of this play, in terms of time and place, is tied to the history of the difficulties for African-Americans in the mid-1900s in Chicago, and their struggles to move up the social ladder (Hansberry, 1984).

The role the setting plays

The mid-1900s in Chicago were significant in shaping the play's context. The Younger's home, in those times, was cramped, and the family shared spaces like the kitchen, living room, and worn furniture while many residents crowded apartments(Hansberry, 1984). This kind of life was an important motivation for the Younger's family to move out to a better suburban place and buy their own home.

Could The Story Be Set In Another Setting?

The play could still have been set in a different setting, both time and place, because African-Americans were not only in Chicago but other places too, albeit in varied numbers. The mid-1900s were better temporal fit as a setting, but the plights of African-American families took long to get better.

What I Can With $100,000 If I Won It

Winning $100,000 could be an opportunity of a lifetime for anyone if they have a solid plan of how to use it well. Personally, before even thinking of spending this money in other ways, I would clear any debts that have high-interest rates, and set aside some money in the region $10,000 for emergencies that can cover at least six to seven months of living expenses. Being business-oriented as an individual and a dreamer, I would consider investing about $30,000, especially in real estate.

Depending on the house prices and regions, I would choose states or neighborhoods that can fit that budget. Assuming my debts scrapped just about $10,000, I would use $20,000 of the remaining $50,000 to buy and sell a diversified stock. I can use $10,000 to subsidize school loans and spend another $10,000 in a tech-related short course, preferably online, depending on the current circumstances. I can then donate $4000 to a charity organization and use the remaining $6000 to spoil myself.

Who I Sided With In the Story and Why

The character I sided within the story in Walter Lee Younger because of various reasons. Apart from being the story's protagonist through which we learn much of the play, Walter is a dreamer and thinks business almost all the time. We have a lot in common. He has plans to acquire wealth and become rich, influencing his friends, especially Willy Harris, to think the same (Hansberry, 1984).

The play opens with Walter planning to open a liquor store using his father's insurance money. This is my kind of mindset, investment. Walter is always on the frontline in providing solutions to the many problems of his family. These are some of the reasons why I sided with Walter in this play.

References

Crane, S. (1898). The Open Boat: And Other Tales of Adventure. Doubleday & McClure Company.

Donne, J. The Flea by. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved 5 May 2020, from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46467/the-flea.

Donne, J. (1895). Batter my heart, three-personed God, for you. The Poems of John Donne from the Text of the Edition of 1633 Revised by James Russell Lowell.

Hansberry, L. (1984). Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. Samuel French, Inc.

Jarrell, R. (1945). The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner. Partisan Review, 12(1), 60.

Marvell, A. To His Coy Mistress. Poets.org. Retrieved 5 May 2020, from https://poets.org/poem/his-coy-mistress.

O'connor, F. (1953). A Good Man is Hard to find [Ebook]. The Avon Book of Modern Writing. Retrieved 5 May 2020, from https://repositorio.ufsc.br/bitstream/handle/123456789/160332/A%20good%20man%20is%20hard%20to%20find%20-%20Flannery%20O%27Connor.pdf.

O'Brien, T. The Things They Carried [Ebook]. Mariner 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2020, from https://www.boyertownasd.org/cms/lib/PA01916192/Centricity/Domain/777/TTTC%20Full%20Text%20mariner.pdf.

Shakespeare, W. (1963). Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?. The Poetry Foundation:< www. poetryfoundation. org/poem/174354>(accessed 5 May 2020).