Disturbia Character Analysis

Ashley, neighbor to Kale (Shia Laboeuf) stood out the most in this movie. In the movie Ashley was played out to be someone who had hidden agendas. In the movie she is seen to have some issues. She undresses with her windows open. She acts like she doesn't know it's open and that no one can see her. However she does know. She knows Kale is watching and that he likes her, because of this she gives them a show. She does this not to entertain them, but more so to entertain herself. She is a complicated character for she only shows what she wants people to see. (Literally) Also figuratively. The way she dresses also exemplifies her and her characteristics. For example when Ashley first spoke to Kale. She had on a bright colored shirt; pink (I believe it was) and a dark spagetti top under. Also when she swam she had on a red bakini. This displays her to be devious.

"Ain't I a Woman?" vs. "Aren't I a Woman?"

"Aren't I a Woman?" is the retold version of "Ain't I a Woman?" This is a speech given by Sojourner Truth at a womens convention. Both versions of the speech has it's pros and cons. "Ain't I a Woman?" has authencity and orighinality because it was written in the exact words of the speaker. Also this version gives a sense of interaction between the speaker and the audience. However the diction is hard to apprehend if one isn't used to that sort of diction. For example sojournes says "ober" rather than "over". This makes it difficult ofr the reader to understand. "Aren't i a Woman?", the retold version, on the other hand is more wordy and modern-like. It has more of a flow in it and easer to understand. However because of this it lacks authencity and originality. Also ht reader gets a false tone. It also decreased the sassiness and sarcasm of the speech.

Aren’t I a Woman?

    "Aren't I a woman" is a retold version of Sojourner Truth's speech at a woman's right convention. This audacious speech was full of so much sassiness giving the speech an empowering air. Truth talks about women rather than men in her speech. This emphasizes women's importance in the role of society. She gave many examples to prove her point of view alluding to the bible. First she asks the audience "where did your Christ come from?" giving the audience a chance to think about the question. Then she goes ahead to ask the question emphasizing the importance of the question. She repeats the question as a way to interact with the audience, to elevate their (audience) minds into an abstract way of thinking and to connect with her audience at a higher level. After this as if to relieve the tension she purposely and specifically built up, she answers the question "From God and a Woman."

    Repetition is a very significant rhetoric device that Truth uses to get her point across. When truth uses this device, an amazing result gives way. Her feelings and passion emanate from her and flow into her audience. The reader knows this fact with the help of the Italics. With this assist, the reader gets an instant gratification of what is going on with the audience. The reader can see Truth's use of repetition when one looks at "Aren't I a Woman?" That question was repeated throughout the whole speech. The use of repetition stresses the significance of the question. It stresses the meaning and what she believes the definition of a woman is. Truth sees all these women being taken care of and admired by men and yet she gets nothing. This makes her wonder; isn't she a woman? She is a hard worker, works harder than most men, yet she is not noticed in the society. That accepted but in the least she should be accepted as a true woman. This makes her wonder; isn't she a woman? She bore thirteen children and watched as they were all taken away from her. Her children were considered to be nothing more than property just as she was. She went through so much and was denied so much but still didn't have the simple respect of being addressed as a woman even though she was better than a man. This makes her wonder; isn't she a woman?

    Sojourner Truth's tone in this speech was sassy; almost sarcastic. This gave the speech an air of empowerment because it was courageous and brave. Truth was a minister so she was a skilled preacher and knew how to rile up a crowd. The most important fact about this speech was that Truth killed three birds with one stone. Not only did she address the situation of a typical African American, the typical situation of a woman but she addressed the problems of an African American woman. She painted a picture with her words her diction and use of syntax (not imagery) of what an African American women go through. Sojourner Truth proved that it was good to be audacious but more respected was being audacious to be good.

Civil Government Response

    The main idea of the essay was Thoreau's disapproval of the government, their support of slavery and their involvement in war with Mexico. The essay in general talks about the government but also those who support the government's ways. The author seems to be saying or asking if or if not the government controls the lives of the inhabitants. Can or can the inhabitants change in the fact that they support the government by paying taxes. The speaker, Thoreau, also scolds those who sit around and listen to the government telling them what to do and accept it. The authors main question is if the government is corrupt or not in the opinions of the inhabitants.

    The author used expedient constantly through the course of the essay. The meaning of this word is to serve to promote one's interest or to approach a given purpose. This helps in explaining what the author is trying to prove or his purpose in the essay which is self reformation. The author emphasizes in the essay the importance of self reformation and only through self reformation can one change something else; either governmental reformation or social reformation. Another point the author tries to get across to his audience is the definition of manhood. The definition of a man as Hawthorne puts it is someone who "…has a bone on his back which you cannot pass your hand through" (Thoreau) meaning a man is someone who is bold and is willing to stand up for his conscience even if he is in the minority and not one can frighten him to the point of keeping silent. A man must stay true to his conscience even though it means defying the government "under a government which imprisons unjustly, the true place for a man is also prison." (Thoreau)

    The author uses many quotes and examples to support his point. Thoreau uses quotes and examples from many philosophers to support his claims, such as Nicholas Copernicus, Confucius and Shakespeare. The author also gives allegorical examples such as "you many see a file of soldiers, colonel, captain, corporal, privates, powder monkeys, and all marching in admirable order over hills and dale to the wars, against their will, ay against their common sense and consciences which makes it very steep marching indeed, and produces a palpitation of the heart. They have no doubt that it is a damnable business in which they are … peaceably inclined. Now what are they? Mean at all? or small movable forts and magazines at the service of some unscrupulous man in power?" (Thoreau) The author also uses himself as an example to support his point appealing to ethos and his credibility. He resisted by moving into the woods and not paying taxes and by staying in jail standing up for his conscience.

     One of the major virtues in this essay is evidently Thoreau's uncanny ability to acknowledge the idealism behind his views. In doing this Thoreau uses metaphors. For example Thoreau uses the machine metaphor for the government at least thrice in the essay. This is an example of his acknowledgement of idealism for he goes on to say "machine of the government, let it go, let it go; perchance it will wear smooth-certainly the machine will wear out." Another virtue in his essay was his constant advice to the government to cease slavery and war with Mexico. This kept the focus of the essay and facilitated the rhetorical strength of the piece by appealing logos.

    Thoreau's tone is truly engaged at the beginning of the essay. This empowers the significance of his message. He initiates the piece mainly in a personal manner, factoring merely how he himself "went to the woods because he wished to live deliberately" (Thoreau) Portrayal of this bias practice is in no way imposing but rather it expresses Thoreau's own opinions. Thoreau appends this with a modest tone moderating his claim with phrases like "it appears to me". This submissive opening tone leaves his audience tolerant of his excessive views. Slowly Thoreau succeeds in capturing his reader his tone becomes more aggressive and confident. His tone becomes more commanding over time "let your affairs be as two or three" (Thoreau) However, in the course of pointing out excesses such as the news Thoreau implements a sarcastic tone.

    Figurative language one of Thoreau's many rhetorical devices. Thoreau never limiting himself to any group of strategy uses a mass of them upon his will to entangle his audience in lovely delicious rhetorical goodness. A lot of these devices are related so discreetly it would go unknown to an average reader. For example "still we live meanly, like ants" (Thoreau) a simile that slurs the existing human condition and lowers it to the level of an ant. Another example is the allusion" with unrelaxed nerves, with mourning vigor, sail by it, looking another way, tied to the mast like Ulysses." (Thoreau) This is alluding to the common awareness the Ulysses also known as Odysseus had to strain himself from the dangerous lure of the siren, Thoreau compares that to the dangerous attraction of the modern world.

    In conclusion Thoreau is a genius who took steps in acting on what he believed in. He uses himself as an example for many who wanted what in their conscience knew were right, but were not courageous enough to act on their stance. He proved himself to be masterful of the metropolitan mind

    

The Slave’s Dream Response

    The slave's dream is evidently about a slave who is sleeping and dreams about his old life before being captured. During this dream the life of this slave is freed, escaping from the clasp of slavery by death. While the slave slept, he dreamt about his old life as king, his wife and his children. The speaker of this poem is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. His audience's are possibly to his wife and children telling them of the happy thoughts this man had in the course of his peaceful death. The audience could also to be all others who don't believe they could be freed from an inescapable situation. The tone of the poem is empathetic because it seemed as though the author was feeling the same things the character was feeling through the author's syntax. With denotative devices one can determine that the author also sympathized with the character while the character dreamt about his once loved family; but also was exhilarated by the liberation of this characters soul.

The author also uses a lot of figurative devices. Literal or concrete imagery is figurative device used to generate a mental impression created by direct description. Longfellow uses a lot of these types of imagery when he described the slave's flight to this haven. "At night he heard the lion roar, and the hyena scream, and it passed like a glorious roll of drums…" (Longfellow). The author used metaphor when saying "…his lifeless body lay a worn-out fetter…" (Longfellow). Personification, another figurative device used by the author is also made useful in "…death illumined the land of sleep…" (Longfellow),"The forests, with their myriad tongues shouted of liberty…" and "… and the blast of the desert cried aloud, with a voice so wild and free…" (Longfellow). The last of all figurative devices used in this poem is symbolism. For example Longfellow uses a worn out fetter to symbolize the bond life had on his soul to slavery, it also symbolizes a hold life had on the slave's happiness and freedom.

In this poem, the author appeals to pathos or the emotions of the reader. For instance the author says "They clasped his neck, they kissed his cheeks, thy held him by the hand!—a tear burst out of the sleeper's eyelids and fell into the sand." The author uses denotative language like kissed, held, tear, burst and fell to appeal to the reader's emotions. As said previously the author in correspondence to his use of syntax is indirectly in control of the reader's mood. The author lets us feel, with his use of literal imagery, what the character is feeling. In doing this he imposes his tone in the reader and we feel what the author wants the reader to feel.

The theme of the poem is that one always has a haven waiting for them. All has a haven, even if it's as simple as sleep or as complicated as death. This was a reoccurring theme throughout the poem. At the begging the author starts the poem with the character asleep, dreaming about his family and feeling happy; letting go of all inhibitions. At this moment the slave was free. Free of slavery, free of pain and free from loneliness. While the character was asleep he was pulled in a flight to a permanent haven; a flight drifting away finding permanent freedom.

Feeling inspired

I just finished with my story and I can't stop writing….

Being so long, I have allowed my self the pleasure of free writing

I sit here listening to the squeak of my chair and the jangles of my typing

I experience all these emotions; too much to handle to excellent to let go.

I must be loosing my mind for I see colors: blue, red, and yellow

And hello green

Oh woe unto me

Indescribably

presumably, vigilantly, persistently, abominably

and all other, any other ably

there might be

Ha!!!! Deliriousness of vision and fevered conceptions

My witty ambitions

All this lateness up night staying

All this because I am feeling

INSPIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

coming up this weekend...

Well guys i thought about the fact that there was no after math to desiree's baby and was upset so i decided to create one stay tuned ...

The not -so- heavenly gift

<1>

Always, have I had good values and virtues, none of which were acquired from my forbearers. I find I obtain my qualities by educating my person from experiences and observations, from analyzations and contemplations, from believing in instincts and believing in my self. Previously to this repugnant event, I was bestowed with plenty of responsibilities. I abhorred my responsibilities but accepted them, for I knew not what else of an option I might have had. These responsibilities were equal to the weight of the world which I was still struggling to bear. I could heed the heavens and their soundless whisper of censure. They deemed it utterly necessary to conquer me and mine desires; to break me and mine will. Surely, the holy beings thought of this as a gift, in their deceitful way of offering me endowments ; only, almost certainly to get authorization from God. A gift, my mother one day came to inform me. She said "Todun! You are to have a new baby brother!!" A new baby brother!! Why on gravel did these beings consider this to be a gift?

<2>

I remember the day clearly in my dearly dedicated mind; I remember it to be lucid, with not an intimation of a cloud in sight. All things were gleaming and shimmering in the dispersed sunlight, when suddenly a cloud appeared from nowhere seeming to levitate over the radiant sun; as if to tease. It stood there with its opaque stance. It was as thick as smog in duration of a ghastly blizzard, and just as dark, indeed just as tainted. I gaped at it as it gave the impression of glaring back. I considered this, finding it peculiar and oddly disturbing. In this moment, I discerned this murk to be an acquaintance of the not so heavenly-heavenly beings and disregarded it. The market, where my mother and I have been walking through all day, seemed so crowded with people growling; snarling and sneering in their witless attempt get a hold of on sale items. These beings fought over on sale items like food deprived hyenas finding recently dead meat. Paving our way through scores of Hyenas, my mother stopped suddenly and with much quickness; it made me cease as well. I turned to see the reason why we had stopped, looking right towards my mother. Her face looked aghast almost ghostly. She had turned pale and her lips were lacking moisture. She looked around as if to make sure no one took notice of her and then back at me "Call your father" she whispered to me, with much pain reflecting her voice. It began to rain heavily, I knew precisely what was next…

<3>

The hospital emanated a stench of chorine bleach and ailing inhabitants. The scope which I was at present was sinister and ominous amplifying my fretfulness to the point of no rescue. I could hear the rain steadily hit the window pane. I was terribly uneasy to the position of having a twitch spasm every time the third to the left florescent light flicked off and on. In truth, I was indifferent to the idea of a new brother; the irksome inconvenience of the appended responsibility was the dilemma to which I was not charmed to. Little did I know that the heavens had a little more in mind! My father walked in the room looking around for me. He finally discovered me and offered me a grin stretching from the each ends of the great wall. He walked up to me with a clink and a clank in his step, and said "Wow!! Never in my wildest dreams would I have dreamt we would be honored with not one but two handsome boys. You should be incredibly thrilled. Todun you must count your blessings!!" Indubitably I did as my heart dropped all thirty stories of the hospital building. I tried to rationalize why these heavenly beings were in opposition to any contentment that may happen to glide into my verve. This left me with a feeling of incarceration, an atrocity, and impertinence for my liberty.

<4>

Three years, slowly stole away by these devious devils given to me by the not so heavenly- heavenly beings. Brothers of mine, slowly I did begin to love, all the more to the zenith of lovability. Never has my person felt such love for another not talking of two others in which situation I currently find myself in. These new feelings soared inside of me destroying the individual who once was, and created anew a self who now is. This new self was of a more patient persona for how else can this new being pact with two animated three year olds. This new self lacked self-interest in her ways and fancied pleasing others; she grew to be unquestionably admiring of the two devils. I took on the role of a mother, as immodest as it may seem to be. I cooked, bathed, dressed, fed, cleaned and did everything for the two devils.

<5>

With as much love as I shower upon my brothers I cannot endure much of their vigorousness. Sometimes it seems as though tears are not enough to purge my dislike of the irksome behavior of these two out of control devils. They are like malevolent malicious monkeys who've been let out into the ruthless tropical world. The thought of squandering each day with them constructs a vicious image in mine mind; like a living nightmare prolonged into a life time. Deep inside me, a scream awaits to be exposed, but self-control, another virtue learned, be- stilled this want of freedom crawling in my anatomy. Thoughts of my empty childhood flow into my head and my lack of influence growing up follows. I was in an empty abyss, had no one to sustain and instruct me; I was alone. I consider my position and what I could do in the lives of both the devils. I could raise them to be courageous, loving and capable. I dream of the day when these two devils grow to be men and I look at them and see myself, a mirror of me and my accomplishments. And I will look at them and smile and be proud as they walk off to their jobs. I will say to my self "Yes!! I had a little to do with who and what they became just as they had something to do with whom and what I've become."

<6>

And so presently I look up at the sky and hear the snickering of the heavenly beings. I heed their atrocious laugh. This gift they had whispered of perhaps has been a gift after all. I hear the "ha"s! And the "ho ho ho"s! I laugh alongside them, for although my brothers can sometimes be burdens, they are always and always will be my pride and my joy. These heavenly beings opened my heart to understand what had always been their motive. To elevate me and mine desires; to sanction me and mine will. Out side the sky was brilliant and joyful and the sun seemed to be in on the tale, for it laughed with me.

Hawthorn sources

Any one who need help on writing their narrative… this might be of great service this tells you about Hawthorn's style of writing... http://www.allfreeessays.com/essays/Hawthorne-Writing-Style/145.html

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a prominent early American Author who contributed greatly to the evolution of modern American literature. A New England native, Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4, 1804 and died on May 19, 1864 in New Hampshire. An avid seaman, Hawthorne^s father died in 1808 when Nathaniel Hawthorne was only a young child. After his father^s death, Hawthorne showed a keen interest in his father^s worldwide nautical adventures and often read the logbooks his father had compiled from sailing abroad. Hawthorne was a descendant of a long line of New England Puritans, which sparked his interest in the Puritan way of life. After he graduated from Bowdoin College in 1825, Hawthorne returned to his home in Salem were he began to write in semi-seclusion. Hawthorne published his first novel, Fanshawe in 1828. In 1839, Hawthorne was appointed weigher and gauger at the Boston Custom House. He later married Sophia Amelia Peabody in 1842. In the following years, Hawthorne wrote his more famous novels which shaped his own literary style, as well as the genres of the romance novel and short story. Eventually, Hawthorne developed a style of romance fiction representative of his own beliefs. Although Nathaniel Hawthorne^s writing style was often viewed as outdated when compared to modern literature, Hawthorne conveyed modern themes of psychology and human nature through his crafty use of allegory and symbolism. To begin with, Hawthorne^s style was commonplace for a writer of the nineteenth century. During the time period in which Hawthorne wrote, printing technology was not yet advanced enough to easily reproduce photographs in books. Therefore, Hawthorne frequently wrote lengthy visual descriptions since his audience had no other means to see the setting of the novel. (Magill:1 840). One example of such descriptions was in The Scarlet Letter when Hawthorne intricately describes the prison door and its surroundings. Another aspect of Hawthorne^s writing which was exclusive to his time period was the use of formal dialogue which remained fairly consistent from character to character (Magill:2 140). Such overblown dialogue was evident in The Scarlet Letter when the dialogue of Pearl, a young child, exhibited no difference from the dialogue of the other characters in the novel. Hawthorne adopted the use of overly formal dialogue partly from a British writer, Sir Walter Scott, whose works were popular in the United States and Great Britain (Magill:1 841). Although Hawthorne^s dialogue was overly formal, it was an accurate tool in describing human emotion (Gale). Absence of character confrontation was another component of Hawthorne^s literary style. Hawthorne frequently focused more on a character^s inner struggle or a central theme than on heated encounters between characters (Gale). One example of this style can be found in The Scarlet Letter since the novel was almost solely based on the commandment ^Thou shall not commit adultery^ (Magill:1 846). Despite dated dialogue and dated writing style, Hawthorne implied various modern themes in his works. One of Hawthorne^s recurring themes throughout his works was his own view on human nature. Hawthorne explored an interesting human psychology through his exploration of the dark side of human consciousness (Magill:1 841). In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne introduced ^a profound comment on the breakdown of human relationships in the society of the seventeenth century^ (Harris 304). Hawthorne^s theme that human nature is full of wickedness was also evident in ^Young Goodman Brown^ when the title character encountered great difficulty in resisting temptation (Magill:3 1143). One outstanding aspect found in Hawthorne^s writing was the concept of neutral territory. Hawthorne described this concept as ^a neutral territory, somewhere between the real world and fairy-land where the actual and imaginary may meet, and each imbue itself with the nature of the other^ (Litz 145). The concept of neutral ground was most evident in the Custom House section of The Scarlet Letter and served as the area in which romance took place (Magill:1 1569). Hawthorne^s modern themes were also modeled by Hawthorne^s own religious beliefs. Although it was not the only reason Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter, his Puritan background contributed greatly to his portrayal of a sinner in a strict Puritan community (Litz 157). Hawthorne also raised questions concerning the morality and necessity of Hester Prynne^s exile in The Scarlet Letter. One reason for these inquires was Hawthorne^s disbelief in heaven, hell, angels, or devils since modern science was undermining the Bible (Magill:2 847). Unlike the frankness commonly found in modern twentieth century literature, the nature of literature in the nineteenth century was more conservative. Therefore, Hawthorne implied more modern themes through the use of symbolism. One of Hawthorne^s most obvious symbols in The Scarlet Letter was Pearl, the living product of the adulterous affair between Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne. Even though some of Hawthorne^s symbols were fantastical, they represented an anachronistic moral standpoint of Hawthorne himself. (Gale) An example of this symbolism was Hester^s moral sin of adultery symbolized by an overly ornate scarlet ^A^ on Hester^s breast. In fact, few authors who worked outside realism have been as concerned with morals as Hawthorne was. (Magill:2 1572). Hawthorne also employed allegory as a way of presenting themes. Hawthorne often achieved allegory by placing characters in a situation outside of the ordinary (Magill:2 1572). In The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne presented a highly complex variation on his usual theme of human isolation and the human community (Harris 304). Hester Prynne was a superb example of both these themes since she was isolated from a strict Puritan community. Possibly, Hawthorne^s recurring theme of isolation stemmed from his own experience of seclusion (Gale). Hawthorne explored the themes of penance for sins and cowardliness when Arthur Dimmesdale struggled with himself to make his sin public. In conclusion, Hawthorne^s literary style did indeed contain elements such as description and dialogue, which seemed out of place when compared to modern twentieth century literature. However, Hawthorne^s style was typical of the literary style of the time. Nevertheless, Hawthorne addressed modern themes and expressed his own view on human nature and religion. In addition, Hawthorne^s symbolism was an essential tool in addressing topics, which were too radical to be publicly addressed in the nineteenth century. Therefore, Hawthorne^s symbolism an astute way to express his own beliefs. Hawthorne also achieved a unique form of allegory by placing characters in unusual situations. Hawthorne used various symbols to imply themes of adultery, sins, and human morality. All in all, Hawthorne deeply examined every facet of human nature and drew conclusions from the experiences of the characters in his work. WORKS CITED Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter.

Fitzgerald, Sheila ed. Short Story Criticism. vol.4.

Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1989.

Gale ed. DISCovering Authors. Detroit: Gale Research Company , 1996.

Harris, Laurie Lanzen. Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism. vol. 54. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1985.

Litz, Waltona ed. American Writers. New York: Charles Scriner^Òs Sons, 1998.

Magill, Frank N. ed. Magill^Òs Survey of American Literature. vol. 13. New York: Salem Press, 1991.

Magill, Frank N. ed. Critical Survey of Long Fiction.

vol. 4 Pasadena, California: Salem Press, 1991.