John Steinbeck Essay -- essays research papers

pot Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California, a farming fellowship with of about 2500 people. He was the third of four children and the only son of fanny Ernst and Olive Hamiton Steinbeck. His sisters Beth and Esther were much older than John and he felt closest to Mary, the youngest. He spent his childhood and adolescence in the Salinas Valley, which he later called the salad bowl of the nation. Johns mother, Olive, was the daughter of Irish immigrants. She left her parents ranch to become a teacher. John remembered his mother as energetic and full of fun. He called his father, in contrast, a singularly silent man. Steinbecks father, also named John, worked as the treasurer of Monterey County. He had elect a safe, practical course in life, in order to support his family. John enjoyed literature from an early age on. His mother read him the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Robert Louis Stevenson, and the stories of King Arthur. John attended Salinas Hi gh School, an experience he generally dis managed, but one bright spot in his high school carrer was his ordinal grade English teacher, Miss Cupp. She admired the compositions he wrote and encouraged him to continue with his write. Throughout high school, John spent most of his free time writing stories in his room.John graduated from HS in 1919 and then went to Stanford University. John wanted to study to be a writer, but his mother wanted him to be something practical, like a lawyer.While attending Stanford University, John Steinbeck decided that a degree was of no use to a writer. Instead, he studied the things that interested him and would help him pass around as a writer. He studied literature, history, and classical Greek. He convinced university officials to let him learn human anatomy alongside the medical students. Dissecting cadavers would help him do it more about people, he explained. Steinbecks creative writing teacher taught him to write stories that were true. She didnt mean the events in the story had to have actually happened, but instead the story and characters must reflect real human feelings and conflicts. During his college years, Steinbeck worked at a number of different jobs to help pay for his educ... ...gories including physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, peace, and economics. The dirty money is awarded to those who have made valuable contributions to the good of humanity. The Nobel Prize was the greatest honor of John Steinbecks life. His acceptance speech concluded with the observation that St. John the Apostle may well be paraphrased In the end is the Word, and the Word is Man--the Word is with Man. After receiving the Prize, John began having heart problems and he was moved to his home in New York. John Steinbeck died peacefully on December 20, 1968, with Elaine lying at his side. He was 66 years old. As John Steinbeck experienced life in Ameria he save his observation, his enjoyment of life, and his b elief in human goodness. Several of his works are now considered classics. His books differ in content and in form, Of Mice and Men is similar to a play and The Sea of Cortez is a scientific account. But Steinbeck wrote all of his books with a particular goal in mind. As he explained, My whole work draw a bead on as been aimed at making people understand each other.

Aphra Behns Oroonoko †Slaughter of the Human Spirit Essay -- Behn Or

Oroonoko Slaughter of the Human Spirit Aphra Behn introduces her characters in Oroonoko as beautiful people who possess a pure, innocent love. Behn does this in an effort to devil her readers smell and question. Her poetic description of their emotions magnify the horror of the final scene. Behns romantic love score is brought to a tragic end through brutality and death. Why did she elect such an ending? Her decision to have Oroonoko take the life of his wife and unborn baby leaves her audience questioning. Was what they had love? If not, what was it? What had killed their innocence? The spirit level of Oroonoko and Imoinda began with him approaching her and finish with the cut of his knife. Oroonoko both began and ended the story that was theirs. Therefore, when analyzing their relationship it is most important to examine Oroonokos behavior. Oroonoko is the one who determined what path their story would take. What drove him to end their story in such a brutal way? What cau sed him to act so uncontrollable? The truth is that his heart couldnt stand to lose her again. He couldnt risk not finding her. He was scared because he realized that he could not protect her. Even the strong, powerful Oroonoko was not able to rescue her and her unborn child from slavery. His hope and innocence were killed by fear. He finally met a force that could beat him. Throughout the story, Oroonoko exhibits his power and control. In order to once again mount his courage, Oroonoko goes hunting to kill a tiger that had been too fierce and powerful for others to conquer. When Oroonoko comes upon the tiger, she is devouring her new kill. Upon Oroonokos approach, the tiger stares at him with a very fierce rag... ...heaven. This is a beautiful image. Does it really matter how they chose to exit this world? The truth is that it does. Aphra Behns tale of Oroonoko is not only a tragic love story. It is also a story about slavery and how it can kill a person. The relationship betwe en Oroonoko and Imoinda is described as pure and innocent. Their story compliments the point that Behn was trying to make about slavery. Slavery can kill hope, purity, and innocence. Slavery does not only kill the human spirit. It slaughters it. The student may wish to begin the paper with the interest quote And these two People represented to me an absolute Idea of the first State of Innocence, before Man knew how to sin. (pg.10)Works CitedBehn, Aphra. Oroonoko. The Norton Anthology of English Literature.Ed. AH Abrams. New York. WW Norton and Company, Inc 2000.

William Faulkners A Rose for Emily Essay -- William Faulkner Rose E

William Faulkners A Rose for Emily A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner is counterbalance in a fine Southern townsfolk during the post-Civil War era. The story revolves around the strange and tragic events of Miss Emily Griersons life. At first glance, Emily seems urgency a lonely charwoman with little self-confidence and low self-esteem that seems to stem from her upbringing by her amaze. There seemed to be some kind of ill-treat by her father and the detail that she had seemed to have lived such a sheltered life. She was brought up thinking that nobody was good enough for her. Her father had even shunned forward his own family. Emily was turned into preferably an odd character due to this type of upbringing. Emilys love was controlled by her father, a man that was respected and of high categorize in the community. After her father passed away, Emily tried to act as if it never happened, and she was actually going to keep her father in the house. It was though she did no t want to be alone and she was will to live with her fathers corpse for company. The towns people almost had to resort to law and force the military issue when Emily finally broke knock down and came to the reality that her father had to be buried. Emily was a reclusive woman hopelessly clinging onto the ways of the Old South but the town around her was growing with the times. unmatchable day when Emily meets a Yankee, Homer Barron, and falls in love with him. Homer was part of the construction company that was responsible for the raw building a... William Faulkners A Rose for Emily Essay -- William Faulkner Rose EWilliam Faulkners A Rose for Emily A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner is set in a small Southern town during the post-Civil War era. The story revolves around the strange and tragic events of Miss Emily Griersons life. At first glance, Emily seems like a lonely woman with little self-confidence and low self-esteem that seems to stem from her upbringin g by her father. There seemed to be some kind of abuse by her father and the fact that she had seemed to have lived such a sheltered life. She was brought up thinking that nobody was good enough for her. Her father had even shunned away his own family. Emily was turned into quite an odd character due to this type of upbringing. Emilys love was controlled by her father, a man that was respected and of high class in the community. After her father passed away, Emily tried to act as if it never happened, and she was actually going to keep her father in the house. It was though she did not want to be alone and she was willing to live with her fathers corpse for company. The towns people almost had to resort to law and force the issue when Emily finally broke down and came to the reality that her father had to be buried. Emily was a reclusive woman hopelessly clinging onto the ways of the Old South but the town around her was growing with the times. One day when Emily meets a Yankee, Hom er Barron, and falls in love with him. Homer was part of the construction company that was responsible for the new building a...

Essay on Freedom in Color Purple and Their Eyes Were Watching God

The Spirit of Freedom in The Color Purple and Their look Were Watching God   Freedom takes many different forms. There is personal remedydom, societal freedom, mental freedom, and physical freedom. Freedom is not tangible, but may be achieved through many experiences. Different aspects of freedom are apparent in both The Color Purple and Their Eyes Were Watching God. In The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, the freedom moves from the outside into Celie and then out again. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, the freedom stems from within Janie but is prompted by certain outside forces. both women experience freedom, and the freedom grows from within and is radiated outward.      In The Color Purple Celie evolves from being oppressed by Mr.____ and society to being free in any theorise adequate sense. The spark of freedom starts from within her and radiates outward with each new catalyst. Shug is Celies first source of freedom. She teaches Cel ie to be free in her thoughts and to respect what she thinks and feels. Shug makes Celie realize that its okay to think what she thinks and to feel what she feels. Why Miss Celie, she say, you still a virgin (Walker p.81).      Sofia is Celies second source of freedom. While Sofia herself does not tell Celie anything, she relates free feelings and ideas to Celie. For a time, Sofia was, in every way, unfree. And Celie knew that Sofia did not want to be that way. Celie learned that she could never give up hope, and that made her actions free.      Although Mr._____ oppressed and hindered Celie, he was finally a source of freedom. When he gave Celie the wire that said Nettie was dead, and all her letters t... ...her life. When he was gone she had nothing else to look after in life except herself. She was like a little recognized, able to blow in the wind and go wherever she chose to go. Janies mind, spirit, and body were free. She pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net... and she called in her soul to come and see (Hurston p. ?).      Freedom is a central theme in these two novels. Freedom is a subjective concept and each person must ultimately reveal his or her own freedom in order to be truly free. The characters freedom often stems from other characters or events but is always a settlement of inner strength and will-power. The supporting characters or events act only to bring out the inner freedom and to empower that freedom. As Epictetus once said, He is free who lives as he chooses. And both these characters were finally able to live as they chose.

The Origin Of Basketball And I Essay -- essays research papers

Over the years since basketball was invented, its popularity has gotten really big. The game is played all over the world and has made a cumulus of mountain rich through its many professional leagues. The National Basketball Association is, by far, the most popular league in the world, but a lot of people like to watch college, high school, and recreational basketball as much. The game of basketball is one of the most popular and exciting games to watch or play on any skill level.     In December of 1891, Dr. James Naismith was a teacher at the Young Mens Christian Association knowledge School in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was winter and one of his superiors, Dr. Luther Gulick, asked of Dr. Naismith to come up with a game that could be played during the winter months ("History"). Dr. Naismith had played rugby and he didnt like the roughness of that game. He wanted a team game which would rag rid of most physical contact ("Basketball"). Th e game contained elements from American football, soccer, and hockey ("History").Dr. Naismith contemplated the way the game should be played and what should be used for a goal. His original idea was to have a vertical goal. When he consulted some of his students, they brought to his attention that people would be able to block an attempt to score by simply raising their hand in front of the ball. He then(prenominal) came up with the idea of a horizontal goal in which the players would have to throw the ball in an arc. This would mean less force would be needed to get the ball in and it also meant that the opposing players wouldnt be able to block a shot so easily (Anderson, 5).He then asked a custodian to hang to boxes from the balcony in the gym. The custodian came back and said that he only had to peach baskets. That would have to do. The first ball used was a soccer ball. Since there was eighteen kids in his class, each team consisted of nine players (Vancil). Since the baskets were placed on the balconies, which happened to be ten feet high, the players needed a ladder to get the ball out after each score.     By 1897, the size of teams had reduced to only five players and the ball was replaced with a slightly larger leather ball, very similar to what is used today ("Basketball"). As the popularity grew, much people began to go and watch th... ...it still does. The first long pro team was the captain Celtics of 1915 ("History"). It survived the NBL and dominated the NBA. The Celtics also changed the game into a future.The Celtics proved to be the best team in history. They were the first dynasty. Under some of the best coaches all(prenominal) to coach, they won an average of 57.6 wins out of 80 per season (Vancil, 12). They won eight championships in a row, and have a follow of sixteen which is five more than any other team. The other great team throughout the ages was the Lakers. They won five championshi ps in Minneapolis and six more after they moved to Los Angeles, for a total of eleven (Vancil, 26). The turning point for the NBA was the 1966-67 season. The Celtics were dominating and Bill Russell, the center for Boston, made $100,000 for that year (Vancil, 13). The fan interest was at an all-time high.In 1951 the first All-Star gage was held. The east had five of the leagues top nine scorers and beat the west easily. Eight years later, the Basketball Hall of Fame was built in Springfield, MA. It hold the names of great players, referees, coaches, and people of importance to the development of the game of basketball.

The Origin Of Basketball And I Essay -- essays research papers

Over the years since basketball was invented, its popularity has got ecstasy very big. The game is played all over the serviceman and has made a lot of people rich through its many professional compacts. The National Basketball Association is, by far, the most(prenominal) popular league in the world, but a lot of people like to watch college, high school, and recreational basketball as much. The game of basketball is one of the most popular and exciting games to watch or play on any skill level.     In December of 1891, Dr. James Naismith was a teacher at the materialization Mens Christian Association Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was wintertime and one of his superiors, Dr. Luther Gulick, asked of Dr. Naismith to come up with a game that could be played during the winter months ("History"). Dr. Naismith had played rugby and he didnt like the roughness of that game. He wanted a team game which would get rid of most bodily contact ("Basketball"). The game contained elements from American football, soccer, and hockey ("History").Dr. Naismith contemplated the way the game should be played and what should be used for a goal. His original base was to ingest a vertical goal. When he consulted some of his students, they brought to his attention that people would be able to block an attempt to score by simply education their hand in front of the ball. He then came up with the idea of a horizontal goal in which the players would have to throw the ball in an arc. This would mean less force would be needed to get the ball in and it also meant that the opposing players wouldnt be able to block a dick so easily (Anderson, 5).He then asked a custodian to hang to boxes from the balcony in the gym. The custodian came back and said that he only had to peach baskets. That would have to do. The number 1 ball used was a soccer ball. Since there was eighteen kids in his class, each team consisted of nine pl ayers (Vancil). Since the baskets were placed on the balconies, which happened to be ten feet high, the players needed a ladder to get the ball out after each score.     By 1897, the size of teams had reduced to only five players and the ball was replaced with a slightly larger leather ball, very similar to what is used today ("Basketball"). As the popularity grew, more people began to go and watch th... ...it still does. The first of all great pro team was the Original Celtics of 1915 ("History"). It survived the NBL and dominated the NBA. The Celtics also changed the game into a future.The Celtics proved to be the best team in history. They were the first dynasty. Under some of the best coaches every to coach, they won an average of 57.6 wins out of 80 per season (Vancil, 12). They won eight championships in a row, and have a total of sixteen which is five more than any other team. The other great team throughout the ages was the Lakers. They won five championships in Minneapolis and six more after they moved to Los Angeles, for a total of eleven (Vancil, 26). The turning point for the NBA was the 1966-67 season. The Celtics were dominating and Bill Russell, the center for Boston, made $100,000 for that year (Vancil, 13). The fan interest was at an all-time high.In 1951 the first All-Star Game was held. The east had five of the leagues top nine scorers and beat the west easily. Eight years later, the Basketball Hall of Fame was construct in Springfield, MA. It hold the names of great players, referees, coaches, and people of importance to the development of the game of basketball.