Free Essays on Briefing For A Descent Into Hell

Taken from the novel, Briefing for a Descent Into Hell, the quote, â€Å"†¦in pulsing dark, crouched, I holding on, clutching tight, †¦rocking, somewhere behind the gate, †¦and a dark red clotting light and pressure and pain and then OUT into a flat white light where shapes move and things flash and glitter.† (135) is a description of the miracle of birth. Birth symbolizes the beginning of an entire lifetime; a lifetime in which a person will have the chance to make important choices that will shape not only his or her future but who they are as an individual. Briefing for a Descent Into Hell is a story about the personality of a professor by the name of Charles Watkins, who is suffering from amnesia. Found wandering the streets, Charles was admitted as a John Doe by the police into Central Intake Hospital of London, England, where he underwent various treatments, struggling to regain not only his forgotten memories of the life he used to live, but the forg otten memories of the person he once was. Throughout the novel, Lessing frequently calls to question who or what forms an individual’s personality, and where characteristics and traits are established and acquired to form who a person is. The author Doris Lessing, uses the protagonist’s extra sensitivity and perception as a handicap in a society organized as ours is; one that favors conformity, the average, the obedient, however restricting his character, personality and actual self, therefore creating the conflict between achieving the standards and normalities determined by society or maintaining the individuality of one’s true self while deviating from the expected; ultimately calling to question personality itself. Made up of both physical and personal traits and characteristics, a personality takes shape in many ways. The physical characteristics such as height, hair color, facial features, and weight are all characteristics that we naturally have no control ove... Free Essays on Briefing For A Descent Into Hell Free Essays on Briefing For A Descent Into Hell Taken from the novel, Briefing for a Descent Into Hell, the quote, â€Å"†¦in pulsing dark, crouched, I holding on, clutching tight, †¦rocking, somewhere behind the gate, †¦and a dark red clotting light and pressure and pain and then OUT into a flat white light where shapes move and things flash and glitter.† (135) is a description of the miracle of birth. Birth symbolizes the beginning of an entire lifetime; a lifetime in which a person will have the chance to make important choices that will shape not only his or her future but who they are as an individual. Briefing for a Descent Into Hell is a story about the personality of a professor by the name of Charles Watkins, who is suffering from amnesia. Found wandering the streets, Charles was admitted as a John Doe by the police into Central Intake Hospital of London, England, where he underwent various treatments, struggling to regain not only his forgotten memories of the life he used to live, but the forg otten memories of the person he once was. Throughout the novel, Lessing frequently calls to question who or what forms an individual’s personality, and where characteristics and traits are established and acquired to form who a person is. The author Doris Lessing, uses the protagonist’s extra sensitivity and perception as a handicap in a society organized as ours is; one that favors conformity, the average, the obedient, however restricting his character, personality and actual self, therefore creating the conflict between achieving the standards and normalities determined by society or maintaining the individuality of one’s true self while deviating from the expected; ultimately calling to question personality itself. Made up of both physical and personal traits and characteristics, a personality takes shape in many ways. The physical characteristics such as height, hair color, facial features, and weight are all characteristics that we naturally have no control ove...

Analytical Essay Sample on Dances with Wolves by Michael Blake

Analytical Essay Sample on Dances with Wolves by Michael Blake Michael Blake’s book Dances with Wolves reveals a very exciting story of the territorial war between settlers and Native Americans. The book has a Western setting depicting a frontier from a Native American’s point of view. Blake invites the reader to experience the regular pressure that had initially been placed on American by Settlers. John Dunbar, the major character, is a lieutenant who had initial sympathy for the settlers, links with a tribe belonging to Native Americans. This essay analyses Lieutenant Dunbar’s traits that made him abandon America’s allegiance and be part of the Comanches. Dunbar is a brave man after deciding to be a leader of a troop in a civil war. Instead of having one of his legs face amputation, he decides to take a horse to war and ride next to his enemies where they have a full view of him. He goes into the enemy’s frontline so as to pronounce and face his death. The army belonging to the Union attacks as the confederates gets distracted by the ride Dunbar has decided to take. The war ends as a confederate riot. Dunbar survives the battle and they win the war and Dunbar is considered a hero. His creative nature is evident when he decides to distract the enemies from his troop. He also defends the village and sees them to victory following attacks from a rival tribe known as Pawnee. He is smart when he requests for a position on western frontier, though it is deserted. He is awarded the horse that carried him during the war and his posting as a gift. As a result of his brave trait, he does not leave the island, and he decides to live alone with his horse. His self-assured nature gives him the courage to live in the island though it looked deserted. After arriving at the new post, he finds the frontier in disrepair and abandoned. He is opportunistic of giving â€Å"hope† to the island and makes a â€Å"life† out of the island. He begins restocking and rebuilding the fort and prefers the solitude that has been accorded to him. Dunbar being a friendly and a social person creates friendship with the people of the tribe found in the frontier, where he finds a woman raised by Indians despite her white race. He gets attracted by the customs and the lifestyle of the island dwellers and he begins spending a lot of time with the tribes. For being lovable person he earns respect from the island dwellers and is seen as a hero when he locates buffaloes that were migrating and volunteers to participate in hunting the buffaloes. In addition to this, his befriending nature also extends to animals after he forms some form of friendship with a wolf that he names â€Å"Two Socks† (Blake 120). His non-conversant nature allows him to interact freely with the tribes in the island and get rid of his white-man’s lifestyle. He changed his clothing, identity and mindset. He further befriends and forges relationship that turns out to be romantic with a white woman from the frontier tribe. Dunbar is realistic depicting high intelligence in the way he manages his life as well as the life of others. Due to his sympathetic character, Dunbar rescues the white woman who was injured. His compassion attribute causes him to understand the pain tribe is experiencing when they are confronted with the Pawnee community. He also portrays a cooperative nature when he decides to work together with the community in times of war and when hunting for the buffaloes. His cooperative nature is also evident when gets along with the tribe as well as with its culture. Dunbar is loyal and has a citizenship-type of a character when he turns down the offer by Americans to serve in their army. The American army requests Dunbar to serve as an interpreter in helping them understand the local tribe’s language. When he rejects their offer, he is put on trial, and charged for treason, and they transport him back to the east as a prisoner. His courageous nature is also seen when he does not fal ter even after being threatened with deployment to face trial charges. Dunbar’s excellence nature is attributed to the victory his accomplices have witnessed. Dunbar is also industrious seen in the way he reconstructs the island and tries to reshape it from its ruin. His leadership skill allows him to lead his troops twice in a battle where they did not concede defeat. He showed them the â€Å"way†, and this influenced his troops to follow his example. In conclusion, the shift portrayed in the story is what makes the story so unique and unusual, as the antagonist turns out to be the protagonist. As the story begins, Blake depicts the Indians as protagonists after the warriors originating from the Pawnee tribe murder Timmons, who was Dunbar’s escort. This makes a reader have an impression of how all Native Americans are cruel and evil savages. As the book progresses, Indians turn out to be the protagonists after Comanche reconciles with Dunbar, and Blake describes them as colonization’s victims. The love twist that unfolds between Lieutenant Dunbar and his lover makes this book worth reading. Dunbar has various character traits that enable him to â€Å"fit† and accept the Comanche tribe and join them. Dunbar’s bravery trait made his troop win the war and as a result, he was positioned at the frontier as a gift accorded to him. This accord made him experience a new whole tribe in a deserted fort. His lead ership skill â€Å"blends† well with his bravery character, in leading the two groups to victory during the war. His bravery nature is one of the things that attract the Comanches to him and because of this he is awarded respect. First and foremost, he leads the Comanches to victory against their foes the Pawnees, and he later joins them in the hunt for the migrating buffaloes. His cooperative nature is another attribute he depicts after agreeing to join hand with the community in searching for the buffaloes. He has a friendly nature seen in the way he befriends the community, a wolf and the woman whom he turns out to have feelings for resulting in a romantic relationship. As the story comes to an end, Dunbar shows the loyalty and the citizenship after turning down the American army’s offer to together with them in interpreting the Comanches language. Despite the fact that the American army threatened him with trial charges for trespass and treason, Dunbar does not yie ld to their request. They then transfer him to the eastern side where he is to face trial, but he is rescued by the Sioux. If you need a custom written essay on Dances with Wolves topic you can buy essays online at CustomWritings.com. 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Film & Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film & Society - Essay Example The producer of the biography of Kane's life recognizes the fact that a human being is not necessarily the sum of his activities and property, while asking his reporters the real meaning of Charles Foster Kane. In an effort to find the real Charles Foster Kane - a composite of a number of historical personalities such as the newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst; the aerospace and movie mogul Howard Hughes; and the Chicago utilities magnate Samuel Insull - the film helps the viewer discover that there is something deeper that drives the life and achievements of a person. This depth of insight may be called the meaning of life, the interpretation of life, or an individual's motivating force to do what he does and to live the way he lives. Charles Foster Kane died following a successful business life with the word "Rosebud" on his lips. This word apparently had nothing to do whatsoever with the kind of persona possessed by Kane. Was it the name he had decided on for a new business venture, given that wealth and power were Kane's predominant interests as revealed by his biography In any case, Kane's story unfolds in a series of flashbacks, each one providing insight into an attribute of Kane previously hidden from the viewer. The life story of Kane is told by a succession of people that were connected with him. Each of these people saw a separate side of the man, and none of them could see him whole. Thus, all people in relation to Kane saw him differently, and each one's viewpoint was imbued with prejudices, making the recollections rather vague and unreliable. The man himself never gets to tell his own story. How close would his story be to the reminiscences of his associates We cannot tell, and all that we are left with is our own interpretation. If money is our preoccupation, perhaps we will define Kane's life as a money-making enterprise, just as a person dealing with aggression in the home is most likely to view the Thematic Apperception cards with an eye for violence. Kane's life had changed irrevocably from a materialistic standpoint. He was a rich man who knew how to remain prosperous through his business undertakings. Yet, viewers of the film have noticed that riches did not necessarily bring unconditional happiness in the man's life. Rather, he seemed to have felt vulnerable and alone, and on his deathbed he remembered the simple snow globe and the Rosebud, which was the sled he used in his youth. Kane appears to feel nostalgic about his childhood as death knocks at his door. Was he trying to recall certain values that he had failed to live by due to his ever increasing occupation with the guarding of wealth Once again, the interpretation depends on the viewer. It will be not considered wrong to assert here that Kane was remembering his childhood and the Rosebud at the end of his life because death marks a return to a state of being we were closer to at the time we were children. Would it also be correct to state that the meaning of life is r eally to remember that state of being and live as intimately attached to it as possible, so that death takes us to a world that feels better than this one and we are not taken by surprise right at the end of this life term Literature on near death experience has often mentioned the dark tunnel experience, whereby a person