Tale Of Two Cities :: essays research papers

Noble or Suicidal People often give up their life to save another as an act of courage or valiancy. In the novel Tale of Two Cities, Sidney Carton’s death saved Charles Darnay. However, when Carton gave his life it was not a noble act nor did he die merely to save Darnay. Carton committed suicide to immortalize himself in the eyes of Lucie Manette, Charles Darnay’s wife and Sidney Carton’s obsession. The fact that this event saved Charles Darnay’s life was just a fortunate coincidence. Ever since Carton was first introduced in the novel the author established that he was a drunk and a failure. Mr. Striver pointed out to Sidney Carton that his alcohol problem was interfering with his success as a lawyer. One time while with Lucie, Sidney Carton said that he would give his life to make her happy. He was dedicated to Lucie even though he could not have her for his wife. The main reason Carton committed suicide was because his life was going nowhere. In fact, if his life was moving in any direction it was down. He was a sad excuse for a lawyer. Lucie was married and had a child. The woman he loved pitied him. Yet Carton had a pathetic need to be around Lucie. For example, he swore that he would come visit Lucie and her kids frequently. The major reasons for Sidney Carton’s death revolved around Lucie Manette. Chances are Sidney would have given up alcohol if he could have married Lucie. He most likely would have become a prosperous lawyer if he needed to support a family. Carton would not have been the â€Å"jackal† anymore, as described by his law partner Mr. Striver. One might think that if Carton cleaned up his act he could have convinced Lucie to be his wife. The opinion Lucie had towards Carton may have been different if he was a successful lawyer and not an alcoholic. The reader is unaware if Carton was ever a successful lawyer. The novel starts off too late in Sidney Carton’s life to determine if his alcoholism was caused by the rejection of Lucie.

Heroism – Beowulf

The concept of heroism is one of which that can be somewhat difficult to explain through literature due to the popularity of the â€Å"pop fiction† heroes that illuminate the spotlight today. Heroes like Beowulf are often looked as mediocre when compared to the crime fighting characters known as Batman and Superman. Roger B. Rollin attempts to distinguish the difference and importance of literary heroes in his article, â€Å"Beowulf to Batman: The Epic Hero and Pop Culture. † Beowulf, the epic hero of the Anglo-Saxons, is depicted to be a true hero in the article.Rollins explains the five types of heroes, why people and cultures have heroes, and how movie heroes affect the view of heroism. Rollins states from the very beginning that there are five types of heroes in the literature. Beowulf is described to be the â€Å"type two† hero, â€Å"If superior in degree to other men and to his environment, the hero is the typical hero of romance, whose actions are marvel ous but who is himself identifies as a human being. The hero of romance moves in a world in which the ordinary laws of nature are slightly suspended† (Rollins, 435).This description is translated to mean that Beowulf is the strongest of his men who surpasses the realities of the physical world while still being human himself. As Beowulf embarked into the depths of the dark lake to face Grendel’s mother it was â€Å"for hours he sank through the waves† (line 572). Though the hero suspends the physical limitations of a human being, this does not mean that Beowulf has no error. In his final battle against the fire dragon, Beowulf acknowledges that he will die, an act of pure defeat when a hero is the subject of attention.Beowulf realizes that â€Å"His weapon/ Had failed him, deserted him, now when he needed it/ Most, that excellent sword† (lines 734-36) and that his life was â€Å"a journey/ Into darkness that all men must make, as death/ ends their few bri ef hours on earth† (lines 739-41). Beowulf, being a type two hero according to Rollins, â€Å"is more human than superhuman† (435). This hero is more attainable for readers themselves, knowing that the powers and virtues the hero possesses are possible to achieve, but not to the extent of the hero himself.By being the classic romantic hero, Beowulf is able to suspend the general limitations of human beings yet still identify himself as a human, fully susceptible to flaws and mistakes. People and their cultures look up to heroes, but not the heroes like those in literature. No, the role models for the world’s culture today are those that include Batman, Superman, and Spiderman. During the time in which Beowulf was written, the people of that time looked up to these warriors as the ideal man.However, since times have changed, today’s culture looks to discover heroes who are ideal in the present society. Like the Anglo-Saxons, society today realizes that they will never live up to the heroism of their heroic role models, but enjoy the entertainment the stories bring. Since Beowulf was passed down orally, embellishments were expected, as they are today; Rollins explains that, â€Å"we know, deep down in our hearts, that Batman will not be turned into a shish kabob by ‘The Joker’†¦. e are aware that such victories do not always occur in reality, there is a part of us which very much wants them to occur† (432). The world’s culture forces people to strive for the better of heroism, fully knowing that it will not become a reality. The fact that people today want their own chance for heroism shows that, in a sense, they are all attempting to become a unique â€Å"Beowulf† themselves. The popularity of movie heroes often distorts the image of heroism.Looking at Anglo-Saxon literature, it is obvious that a hero would be a man who is skilled in hunting, fishing, and almost the exact twin of the king. In pop culture, though, a hero is depicted as a strong, crime-fighting, custom-dressed man who lives a double life. For example, Superman. Kent Clark is an ordinary man, but transforms to the seemingly perfect, Superman when disaster strikes. According to Rollins, Superman â€Å"is absolute in his power, his glory, and his goodness† (435). In the movies, heroes are put above the rest of civilization, making them seemingly untouchable.The movies make it that a hero is not someone like a police officer, but just the person who swoops in and saves the day. On the other hand, in ancient literature, like Beowulf, the hero is a well respected man in the community who is elected to save the kingdom. When compared to movies, the hero from literature does not have the glitz, glam, and fame as a â€Å"Hollywood-ized hero. † The heroes in movies are heroes, but have more of a superficiality face rather than the heroic ideal characteristic as those from the Anglo-Saxon time period.From Beowulf to Batman, heroism is expressed for all time periods to relate. Beowulf was a hero for exemplifying the heroic ideal of his time and similarly, Batman is a hero for fighting crime, a characteristic that is makes his heroism credible. Heroes are relevant in all literature and pop culture; distinguishing the difference is what challenges the learner. WIth careful inspection, it is obvious to understand that there is no one type of hero, but a multitude of heroes that are showcased through literature and Hollywood alike.

Beauty When The Other Dance Is The Self - 1642 Words

Beauty can be viewed in a variety of ways for many different people. Society has made a huge impact on the way people view and think of one another. Since the media has created a specific definition of beauty, people begin to see others in a different light. Those who are considered the â€Å"other† are those who the society and media have not deemed beautiful. Alice Walker describes in â€Å"Beauty: When the Other Dance is the Self† how her experience with her eye being noticeably damaged had caused her to forget the value of her inner beauty. Similarly, Toni Morrison’s explains in â€Å"Strangers† that the media has highlighted the importance of physical appearance instead of a person’s character upon meeting them for the first time. The subject in Johannes Vermeer’s Study of a Young Woman is not conventionally beautiful but Vermeer saw something valuable in the subject that caused him to take his time to paint her. The painting Study of a Young Woman by Johannes Vermeer, challenges the idea of beauty that society has placed on the world and portrays how every human being is beautiful despite those views; although the subject of the painting is â€Å"othered† because she is not conventionally beautiful Vermeer choose her because he saw something in her worth more than physical beauty. Within the years 1665-1667, a painting that sought to go beyond physical beauty was created by Johannes Vermeer called Study of a Young Woman. Vermeer was a very recognized and important individual during theShow MoreRelatedBeauty Pageants838 Words   |  4 Pagesmy opinion beauty pageants are harmful to children. Beauty pageants create a negative environment for children putting them under pressure and negative self evaluation. 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