Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Marriage and Psychological Instability Essay
Disorders occur in virtually all types of people. The trigger of disorder usually becomes something that an individual wants to forget or escape from. “In the Lake of the House” by Tim O'Brien and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins, both characters, even though they belong to different genders and represent different roles within society and marriage, have severe psychological disorders.
“In the Lake of the Woods” is a brilliant and provocative meta fictional mystery. The novel starts with the John Wade's retreat with his wife Kathy to the Lake of the Woods in far north Minnesota. The year portrayed is 1986. The novel combines the fictional story of John Wade with material from the factual source and the author's own footnoted comments and his personal opinion. John losses in the Minnesota Senate election because of his mysterious past that he tried to hide and run away from. He is trying hard to hold his marriage and himself together but the problems of his past and what he did trouble him deeply. The structure of the novel is unusual, as in the first chapter the author reveals that Kathy will disappear. Rather than to tell a story of the couple's life, the author explores the hypothesis. When Kathy is not found, Wade joins the search about four weeks later but with the only reason – to disappear himself, therefore making it impossible to solve the mystery of both of their disappearances. (O'Brien )
“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins is a story where the misunderstanding between a wife and a husband dominates as the red thread in the story. Charlotte Perkins develops the drama out of simple depression that most of women have. However, by having a doctor husband this woman end being locked up in the house, where she is left completely for herself. Moreover, she is being threatened by her husband to be sent to the professional facility where she will get special care. Charlotte Perkins demonstrates how desperate a woman can be when she is completely abandoned. At some point of her life, the yellow wallpaper dominates her imagination.
Psychological disorders disrupt people's lives, especially the families of those who suffer from it. Both stories reveal the characters with certain psychological disorders. Two common things that both stories have are the marriage problems and the psychological disorder of one of the characters. Moreover, in “The Lake of the Woods”, the psychological disorder of John is a cause of his dysfunctional marriage, when in “The Yellow Wallpaper” it is vice verse. In Perkins' story, Jennie becomes insane because of her dysfunctional marriage, when her husband John does not get her psychological conditions and does really nothing to help her. (Gilman )
John Wade was severely damaged by his past. The first aspect that the author tried to tell about John's psychological disorder roots is his childhood. Tim O’Brien uses a unique structure of his novel, as he discloses the crime at first and only then investigates what might happen to Kathy. O’Brien never mentioned that John is a murder, however, he started giving examples of his insanity, which was very visible for his wife. In addition, the author makes it very clear that Kathy cheated on John, but once again, never tells the reader that John could have killed her because of rage. He posts John as a man who lived in a shadow of his past, trying very hard to hide it and forget it. But his past always echoed on his marriage, which made it very clear when describing his sleepwalking problems. John was lost, as when Kathy found out about Vietnam and his past he replies, “Everything is true. Everything is not true”. Tim O'Brien has always insisted on the spectral quality of the things that happened in Vietnam. His main suggestion was that seeing was never equal to proof, as the eyes can lie by not showing the reality. When he comes to the Lake in the Woods, he is ruined, disturbed and lonely. (O'Brien )
Both authors describe how their psychological disorders affect their characters. “In the Lake of the Woods” the author tells about the problem of sleepwalking and disrupted sleeping at night that deeply affects the marriage of the main character. Charlotte Perkins illustrates how bad the character of Jennie gets at the end of the story, when she feels completely alone. She starts having hallucinations and her minds compares herself to the image on the wallpaper that she is trying to protect from anyone else, because she is afraid that she will loose it too, just like she lost society, communication, husband and real life.(Gilman )
Traumatic experiences wound marriage. John yearns for unconditional love and acknowledgment. The way O’Brien tells the story is interesting, as even at the end of the book the reader cannot understand if John decided to simply disappear or he acknowledged that he murdered his wife and committed suicide himself. O’Brien uses this story to demonstrate how people get affected by trauma in their lives, as it resembles a house with many rooms. Every trauma can be locked in one of such rooms in order to hide it. He had mood swings, he could wake up in the middle of the night strangling his wife or even sleep walk. Tim O'Brien never reveal what happened to Kathy, but he says: “There were times when John Wade wanted to open up Kathy's belly and crawl inside and stay there forever”. Kathy became for him that mirror he always imagined in his mind where he could become invisible. He wanted to dissolve in Kathy, love her and live a happy life never reminding himself of his past. Kathy was adulterous and when John's inner personality, the one that tried to hide all sins from his past, could not handle being humiliated, he killed her in the state of sleepwalking. After “waking up” from his traumatic state, he realized of what he did and could not live with it any longer.(O'Brien )
Dysfunctional marriage causes psychological disorders. Charlotte Perkins uses symbolism in her story by comparing the picture Jennie sees on the wallpaper to herself. Perkins illustrates abandoned woman completely on herself by giving her everything that is empty. The author is sure that if John, Jennie’s husband would react differently on her conditions, she would be cured. Jennie thinks“I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more society and stimulus”. By saying that the author expects John to be more supportive and do not simply leave his wife in an empty house, but support her and give her the cure by taking care of her and socializing with her. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” the dysfunctional not supportive marriage makes Jennie to completely loose her mind. (Gilman )
Both John Wade and Jennie have psychological disorders, however, triggered by different circumstances and effecting different spheres of life. Both stories incorporate the idea of dysfunctional. Both stories tell about different madness and different causes that became the triggers of psychological disorders of main characters. However, in one story marriage causes psychological instability and in the other one, it gets affected by the psychological disorder. These stories reveal the unspoken ideas about marriage and the secret's of people's real thoughts. In addition, they might be reflecting on psychological disorders that make people have several personalities because of escaping the reality they live in.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Essay on the Principle of Population
An Essay on the Principle of Population is a great book by Thomas Malthus written in the end of the 18th century. The book is one of the first attempts to analyze the factors which influence the development of human society and every country. The author tries to present the structure of the society and the role of an individual for the whole humanity. Thomas Malthus analyzes the ideas and books of the greatest scholars and philosophers of his time including Charles Darwin, who offered a sensible idea about the evolution of biological species. Malthus analyzed Darwin’s ideas and tried to prove that human society develops according to the similar principles. The author discusses various aspects of human civilization. first of all he analyzes the problem of natural resources and food. He claims that the growth of population is dangerous because the planet can not produce enough food for great amount of people. Malthus analyzed the reasons of wealth and poverty; tries to present similarities between poor countries and find the solution to the problem of poverty. Then, he analyzes the ideas of different scholars and writers concerning the ideal society and he calls their ideas Utopian and tries to create his own concept of such a society.
The book by Thomas Malthus became one of the most influential books of his time at once, because he analyzed important and controversial problems. When a students has to prepare an essay about the book, he has to read it attentively to realize the problems analyzed there, its theme and topics. Such book are very difficult for understanding, because the work is not a fiction but a great set of wise thoughts and concepts.
Students will surely need to take advantage of critics which analyze the entire book and describe its points in detail for good understanding. A student has to build the essay according to the strict structure and a detailed outline will be helpful to organize thoughts in a good way. A student is expected to measure the value of An Essay on the Principle of Population for the world literature, the development of social studies and philosophy.
Essay writing on such a serious book is quite a complicated process and students surely waste their nerves ans spend too much time to understand the book and to organize the essay correctly. Free sample essays on the principle of population prepared by the professional writers can be called a good help for students who require profound writing assistance and data for the analysis. Due to free example essays on the principle of population one can see the model of structure, format, manner of writing and composition of a good essay which can attract attention of the professor and award a student with high grades.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Essay on Smartphones
Essay on Smartphones
The use of Smartphones in Australia has been increasing exponentially in recent years. The popularity of Smartphones in Australia can be related to the capability of Smartphones to act as communication devices and for other uses. Just like ordinary phones, Smartphones enable communication despite the communicating parties being very far away from each other. In Business, Smartphones are widely used to communicate with business partners.
Smartphones are also widely used to in various stages of business transactions including ordering, purchasing and selling. Smartphones enable business travelers to book and confirm flights whenever they are saving them from the inconvenience of queuing.
For other users Smartphones are an entertainment tool. Today’s range of Smartphones comes equipped with thousands of applications to entertain their users. Users can play advanced computer games on their Smartphones, watch and download movies, listen to stored music or opt for radio stations. Equipped with superior capabilities to access the internet, Smartphones are used for searching for information on almost every aspect of life. With a Smartphone a user can read news online on what interests them be it politics, sports or entertainment news. Smartphones also provide valuable sources of information for consumers who are seeking to make a purchase decision.
With these superior capabilities Smartphones are expected to keep dominating the mobile phone market for many years to come. In coming years the Smartphone is expected to become the most preferred device for navigating in unfamiliar places. Secondly, people are likely to integrate more aspects of their lives with Smartphones including security where one can watch their homes using CCTV surveillance. The capabilities of Smartphones may also see them replace some of current technologies as they take over their roles.
Devices such as mobile MP3 players and gaming consoles will be under serious threat from the increasing popularity of the Smartphone.
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Monday, January 21, 2013
Essay on Predatory Crimes
A predatory crime is defined as “an act that causes a victim to suffer loss of property or physical harm.” (1). This is in contrast to the other three broad categories of crime: illegal service crimes, public disorder crimes and crimes of negligence. Predatory crimes are, perhaps, the most famous crimes of the category – they make all of the loudest headlines. Murder, manslaughter, rape, kidnapping, first-degree burglary and white-collar crime all fall into this category. These are the crimes people try to ward against most. However, all too often, their attempts are unsuccessful because people have a somewhat warped idea of what is truly dangerous, so they defend themselves against things and prevent circumstances that aren’t nearly as dangerous as what they face every day. One of the most famous scares, for instance, is the serial killer scare.
People are afraid of someone who will slaughter them for no reason whatsoever, just because the killer’s warped psychology requires it of him – I believe that the illogicality takes a major part in this idea being as frightening as it is to the masses – however, they forget that 80% minimum of predatory crimes are committed by someone the person knows. So parents might forbid their daughter to walk alone at night in a public place, however, allow her to stay out with a date she’s met only a few weeks back – the second being, in theory, more dangerous. In this paper, I’ll start with general recommendations about the prevention of predatory crime on a personal level, and then list four particular contexts, giving specific tips on how to handle them.
A number of things must be remembered when facing predatory crime in general. The first thing is to know the facts. Many of the stereotypes associated with predatory crimes are simply false, such as the one listed above. A list of factors to be taken account when dealing with predatory crimes would have made a paper on its own, so I shall only say that they must be known. Second is to minimize the risk. This can be done in a number of ways – avoiding places which are likely to be dangerous, being aware of how well you know your acquaintances, being prepared for assault at all times. Third is to keep a cool head in any circumstances – and that includes knowing when to act. It is often recommended that submitting in any circumstances is best.
This is simply not true – in some cases, such as when resistance of the victim is unexpected by the offender – this raises one’s chance of being seriously harmed greatly. Risk, naturally, must be taken into account when calculating this – statistics show that those resisting actively take more damage in general, but are less likely to be grievously harmed. This rate differs for different kinds of crime, however, and the specific nature of the crime must be taken into account here – which I shall now move on to, discussing rape, kidnapping, assault and first-degree burglary.
Rape is one of the greatest criminal scares of all time. Indeed, what can be more frightening than the violation not just of a person’s body, but also of his or her mind? Rape is a crime of violence, an outlet for anger – not for sexual release. And it is usually committed by someone the victim knows – in 84% of the cases, in fact. Rape is one of those cases where resistance is not futile – the more a person actively resists, the less likely she is to get raped. However, rape can involve not only violence, but psychological pressure, as well (a threat, for instance). This also constitutes as rape, and makes men possible victims. Acting in unexpected ways can also aid the victim. A well-known urban legend says that one woman scared away a would-be rapist by screaming “Hooray!” at him. Every joke has a bit of a joke in it, but this is a good example. Rapists look for victims – they do not usually look for a challenge.
Kidnapping is a predatory crime that is a completely different story. This is a crime which is often joked about in the form of a hoax – or warned about in this manner. As the name shows, it’s most famous for the abduction of children - however, even adults can be kidnapped. To avoid kidnapping, one should at least not make common knowledge one’s usual routes and places where one goes (4). Varying one’s routine helps, and makes it much more difficult for a kidnapper. Active resistance can help in the very beginning, while you are being taken, as per assault – however, if already kidnapped, the best way to go is to play it submissive – unless in danger of being killed – until a chance to escape presents itself.
Dealing with assault is, again, different. Once again, key is avoidance of possible situations. A white person strolling around in Harlem at three in the morning is all too likely to be assaulted, for instance. Risk minimized, resistance severely depends on the victim’s and the attacker’s physical condition. Still, the best way to go about it is to, if possible, get away from the fight. Simply run. Throw the assaulters off your track, and then go for aid. The blunt truth is, it is not the assaulters who will have to heal the wounds and broken bones you might gain from fighting head on. Getting away and calling for aid is essential to a safe survival.
When faced with first-degree burglary – which, too, falls under the predatory crime category – is, once more, different. If one places oneself in the place of the burglar, one must understand that he is likely very much frightened. The law is on your side, and he has been caught in the act red-handed. He is likely panicked – and, if it’s first-degree, the “fight” part of the instinct has overwhelmed the “fright” part. However, this instinct can be turned around. A man in this condition can be easily frightened away or threatened, such as saying that someone else in the house has called the police or something of the sort. As usual, it is best to try not to get into a physical confrontation. Nevertheless, if a fight does ensue, you have one distinct advantage: you know the territory and he does not. If the victim utilizes in the correct manner, it is more than likely that the burglar will turn tail and run.
Thus we can see that the cases of predatory crime are very different. General prevention of such crimes on a personal level is very similar, boiling down to minimizing the risk by avoiding risky places and situations, utilizing common sense and keeping calm. However, when already in a situation that might be threatening to one’s health, the ways of proper conduct are very different, each meriting its own paper. It is difficult to work out one strategy for all predatory crimes. The one thing to be said for most of them is to try not to get oneself harmed – in many cases, it is better a living dog than a dead lion. It is braver in all respect of one to prevent a crime or come out of it alive than perpetuate a conflict.
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Thursday, December 27, 2012
Secondary Health Office Essay
Secondary health office is the facility responsible for the proper and timely assessment and treatment of minor injuries that occur during normal (day) hours.
Speaking about the ideal secondary health office, I would like to note that I would have to meet the following requirements as show in the essay below:
- Location. The best choice for ideal secondary health office would be close to the main roads/highways so that injured patients could be immediately brought to the health office. Another thing that needs to be noted here is that health office needs to be located in close proximity to the places where most injuries occur. Such location will guarantee that patients will be delivered to the health office in no time and get the proper treatment there. Thus, the ideal secondary health office should be located in the place where it could be easily accessed as well as in close proximity to the places where injuries happen.
- Equipment/supplies/Storage Space. The ideal secondary health office should possess the right amount of equipment to cater the right needs of the injured patients. The office should remain aware of the most common injuries that happen in the area the office covers and thus should possess the tools and equipment needed to cover these needs. Should there appear some other needs that the office is not ready to meet, the office should be ready to provide a car/vehicle to transport the patients to the nearest hospital or clinic that handles such injuries.
In reality whenever the ideal secondary health office covers a school district it should be located on the school territory. Should a student report injury the office will contact his/her legal guardians or parents. It is for this reason the office needs to possess extensive database of information about students and contact information about them and their parents.
The needed medication is supposed to be kept inside the ideal health office. After the office obtains parental permission it should proceed with treatment. The medication apparently needs to be stored in original pharmacy containers for safety reasons and is to be used whenever needed. All health abnormalities will be reported promptly to students’ parents.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Fiscal Balance Essay
Essay on Fiscal Balance
Fiscal balance is the total balance, which includes the government tax revenues, proceedings from the sale of assets, and all the government spending deducted. When these calculations are complete, and there is a positive figure, it then indicates a fiscal surplus. In economics, it is the balance of the total income and expenditure the government incurs while carrying out its operations (Hansen, 231).
Gross domestic product is gross market value of all the consumer goods and services created in a country. The values that constitute in the calculation of GDP include the total customers, government expenditure, exports and investment. The most influential factor of the economy is the growth of the gross domestic product (Auerbach, 212). The table below shows the United Arab Emirates balance and the percentage gross domestic product in the years 2005 to 2010. Reports indicate that there was a fluctuation of the expansion and reduction in the fiscal balance and the gross domestic growth as indicated in the table.
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Year - UAE Fiscal balance and % GDP
2005 - 101.5
2006 - 163.9
2007 - 194.4
2008 - 304.7
2009 - 0
2010 - 27.1
The table above indicates a rise and fall in the fiscal balance in Billion Dirhams. The trend shows that there was a steady rise of the fiscal balance from the year 2005 to the year 2008, which had the highest growth of 304.4. A rapid drop of the fiscal balance experienced in the year 2009, which has a fiscal balance of zero billion. This drop in the balance was because of the world crisis that hit almost all the nations, and this did not exclude Dubai, which was among the hardest hit.
Dubai had a significant amount of debt; Abu Dhabi had to buy the largest part of the shares of Dubai. The economy has gradually grown since the year 2006, because of aid from Abu Dhabi. This recovery is supported with the aid of the slow expansion of the fiscal policy. The growth of the economy results from the economic activities that Abu Dhabi carries out, the country has increased spending on the investment sector.
The investment on the development of the real estate business is rapid and in aid of the expansion of the economy. The rise of the oil prices has increased the income of the United Arab Emirates. These economic investments resulted to increase of the total balance over the years.
In the United Arab Emirates, the central bank governor releases the reporting of the fiscal position of a company. In the past year, reports indicate that the country’s financial position was steady and desirable. There was a record of a surplus in the fiscal balance, which was approximately 3% of the gross domestic product because of the rapid profitability from the increase of the oil prices.
The governor of the central bank, Al Suwaidi, states that there was an expansion of GDP compared to the year 2010, and there was an increase of the fiscal balance because the previous year had a deficit of approximately 2%. The fiscal balance and gross domestic product in United Arab Emirates had been fluctuating over the years with 2009 being the worst although Abu Dhabi has been of help and there is expansion of the fiscal balance, currently due to the economic activities in the country.
2005 - 101.5
2006 - 163.9
2007 - 194.4
2008 - 304.7
2009 - 0
2010 - 27.1
The table above indicates a rise and fall in the fiscal balance in Billion Dirhams. The trend shows that there was a steady rise of the fiscal balance from the year 2005 to the year 2008, which had the highest growth of 304.4. A rapid drop of the fiscal balance experienced in the year 2009, which has a fiscal balance of zero billion. This drop in the balance was because of the world crisis that hit almost all the nations, and this did not exclude Dubai, which was among the hardest hit.
Dubai had a significant amount of debt; Abu Dhabi had to buy the largest part of the shares of Dubai. The economy has gradually grown since the year 2006, because of aid from Abu Dhabi. This recovery is supported with the aid of the slow expansion of the fiscal policy. The growth of the economy results from the economic activities that Abu Dhabi carries out, the country has increased spending on the investment sector.
The investment on the development of the real estate business is rapid and in aid of the expansion of the economy. The rise of the oil prices has increased the income of the United Arab Emirates. These economic investments resulted to increase of the total balance over the years.
In the United Arab Emirates, the central bank governor releases the reporting of the fiscal position of a company. In the past year, reports indicate that the country’s financial position was steady and desirable. There was a record of a surplus in the fiscal balance, which was approximately 3% of the gross domestic product because of the rapid profitability from the increase of the oil prices.
The governor of the central bank, Al Suwaidi, states that there was an expansion of GDP compared to the year 2010, and there was an increase of the fiscal balance because the previous year had a deficit of approximately 2%. The fiscal balance and gross domestic product in United Arab Emirates had been fluctuating over the years with 2009 being the worst although Abu Dhabi has been of help and there is expansion of the fiscal balance, currently due to the economic activities in the country.
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Monday, December 3, 2012
Russian Literature Essay
Essay on Russian Literature
Stylistic and Thematic evaluation and/or comparison of Nikolai Gogol’s „The Overcoat” and Fedor Dostoevsky’s „The Dream of the Ridiculous Man”
The following essay paper is going to concentrate on the two great masterpieces „The Overcoat” and „The Dream of the Ridiculous Man” written by Nikolai Gogol and Fedor Dostoevsky. The aim of the paper would be to analyze each of the works separately and then compare and contrast them. It is important to point out that the works of Gogol and Dostoevsky can be compared and contrasted because the writings of these authors usually have many themes in common. Both of these writers are well known mystics, who with the help of their stories describe and deride human characteristics in a way that makes the reader shiver at times. In fact, it is even said that Nikolai Gogol stands at the inventor of the Russian short story, and Fedor Dostoyevsky noted that all Russian short story writers had based their works on Gogol’s „Overcoat”.
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I would like to start with the analysis of the short story by Nikolai Gogol, called „Shinel“ („The Overcoat“) that is often named to be one of the greatest works of the Russian literature. In the „Overcoat” Gogol manages to combine realism and fantasy, comedy and tragedy, grotesque and sentimentality. The story dwells about Akaky Akakyevich a clerk living in a small city who discovers that his overcoat has become worn out and decides to take it to the tailor in order to fix it. However, the tailor proclaims that the overcoat is so worn-out that it is impossible to get it fixed. After wrangling with himself Akaky decides that there is not other way out of the situation except for buying a new coat. From the first pages of the novel it is seen that Gogol does not feel sympathy to his main character, on the contrary it seems that the author takes pleasure in describing how pathetic poor clerk is. In order to make the character unforgettable, Gogol apply metaphors, and hyperbolas, spicing the novel up with witty sarcasm.
The new overcoat Akaky purchases, becomes the central part of the story after the introductory part. This is so, because for poor Akaky a new overcoat is not simply a garment, for him it is a key to the future happiness. The author places the garment in the centre of the story for several purposes, partly to emphasize how important material things to people are, and partly to one more time humiliate Akaky and show that he is pathetic to the extent that he is in awe in front of the overcoat. In order to emphasize the latter, Gogol describes in detail the day new overcoat is purchased. That day Akaky feels on top of the world, he believes that the new overcoat will change the way he is perceived by other people, will make them respect and honor him, will make him a desirable bachelor and a frequent guest. Wearing a new coat Akaky begins to walk the streets of the town like a new man, in fact, maybe like a man for the first time.
When the overcoat is stolen Akaky is head over heels in sorrow, he seeks help to recover the overcoat. The style, in which Nikolai Gogol describes the happening with the overcoat, is interesting. That is probably the only time in the novel when an attentive reader may feel that the author is to some extent pitiful towards the poor clerk. However, when Akaky starts looking for help and decides to go to the police where he is immediately turned down, the style and voice of the author gets more sarcastic. When after police Akaky turns to an „important personage”, that latter also refuses to help him, reminding him only about the laws of etiquette, and how inappropriate it was to come there without a prior documental complaint – Gogol’s tone is changed for good. The reader cannot feel any sympathy with the character anymore. That is why, when towards the end of the book, unable to bear the vicissitudes of fate Akaky comes down with flu and dies, we do not sympathize the Akaky at all.
After his death a ghost resembling Akaky wonders around the city stealing overcoats. This is the first time Gogol’s famous mysticism appears in the essay. It was very common for Gogol to apply the literary tools used for putting non-living things to life. Akaky ghost is wondering around the city stealing people’s overcoats. The ghost does things that his counterpart did not every do during his life. After Akaky’s death Gogol seems to be very enthusiastic and brightly describes the actions of the ghost and the horror it causes to people. This stylistic change, in my opinion, is used to again show how „little” Akaky was.
This poignant story shows us the social injustice in the 19th century Russia. It shows the urban alienation and human isolation. Though his story, Gogol is trying to attract the attention to the fact that in today’s world bureaucracy has become more important than human life. Gogol also points out that in the corrupt society a person is no one, and will not be assisted by anyone unless he has money or connections. However, what is unclear whether Gogol would like to reader to sympathize with the fate of the poor clerk or whether one should regard this story as something funny. In my opinion, such ambiguity lets every reader form his/her opinion on this question.
„The Dream of a Ridiculous Man” by Fedor Dostoevsky is a short story that is in fact the last story Dostoevsky has ever written. This story is about a dreamer whose life changes after a series of encounters in his dream. The story begins, with the protagonist who is never named, planning his suicide. From the first minute the reader sees that the novel is very philosophical and deep. The language used by Dostoevsky is very advanced and the metaphors he employs are at times hard to grasp. The reader immediately sees that the protagonist is man of thinking, he tends to constantly be analyzing his life and deeds as well as the life and actions of others. He is willing to see the motives behind what the people do. On the verge of committing suicide he meets a crying child that turns to him, however, the protagonist pushes her away. Though, thinking about what he has done he realizes that he himself is selfish and cruel, these thoughts destruct him from suicide and give him a chance to sleep peacefully the first time in months.
While he sleeps, he experiences a wild dream. He dreams as though he has been taken to a different planet where there are absolutely different people. All those people are kind and loving, gentle and pure, in their world there is not place for cruelty and disgrace. This is the time in the novel when Dostoevsky first time introduces his religious beliefs. Actually, religion, though indirectly, is one of the major topics in the novel. When the perfect people learn of shame and poverty they become totally different. The story shows us that people who have been living in the perfect world of love and care go through different stages that bring them to the place where we are right now. Soon, it becomes obvious to the reader that these „new people” that appear in the dream race, are actually, we – the people of today.
Before long the dreamer (the protagonist) understands that he no longer loves the people on the new planet. He sees that those people are slowly becoming the people he wanted to run away from when living on planet Earth. Though, the dreamer understands that now that these people know what sorrow is he loves them even more than he used to when they lived in the Garden of Eden. The above part of the novel again introduces Dostoevsky’s outlook on God and Godliness. For his God is almightily, though generous, thus the way protagonist did not stop loving people when they change, same way God will always love humans.
One may say that the above stories „The Overcoat” and „The Dream of a Ridiculous Man” have nothing it common. I realize that such opinion may exist, though only on the surface. Though in a different way, but Gogol and Dostoevsky touch upon the same topics that are, in reality, still relevant today. One topic that both works have in common is the idea that society is a deception that is composed of hypocritical people and unjust institutions. The authors show that people have become slaves of bureaucrats and money-seeking officials. Moreover, when being put on the scales, the human life weights nothing in comparison with monetary or statutory advances.
However, it is very important to mention that the two prominent works present the main character and his life completely differently. In the „Overcoat” it is shown that Akaky becomes able to see the world around him only when he pulls his funds together and purchases an overcoat – that for him is a ticket to the new life. Though, after the overcoat is stolen Akaky, who has put all of himself into this garment, is destroyed. On the contrary, in the „Dream of a Ridiculous Man”, the protagonist is not victim, neither he is humiliated. The knowledge he has acquired from him dream has changed him, has made him a completely different person. His dream gave him a chance to live a different life, though when the dream was over and the „other life” was gone he did not go down and out. Quite the opposite, the first thing he did upon awakening was he helped the child he neglected before, and later became a preacher. So, both of protagonists are fighting with society, though while Akaky is destroyed, the dreamer leaves the battle undefeated.
In conclusion I would like to say that both of the works analyzed above are indeed the masterpieces of world literature. These two works are filled with deep symbolism and feelings. Both the novels deal with the topics that can be related to each other, such as the loneliness of a human being in the world, the abuse of power by bureaucrats, the cruelty and ambiguity of the modern world. The style the novels are written in differs greatly, primarily because their authors had explicitly dissimilar writing styles. While Gogol is usually very light, satirical, and bright, Dostoevsky is very philosophical and gloomy. Additionally, while Dostoevsky’s novel is rather Godly, Gogol chooses to employ the devil forces, such as a haunted overcoat. Another great discrepancy between the two novels lays in the way authors see their main characters. While for Nikolai Gogol the sad story of Akakiy is amusing, for Fedor Dostoevsky his ridiculous man is not at all comical. Conclusively, while dealing with related subjects, two novels take a different perspective on the human life and the world around us.
The new overcoat Akaky purchases, becomes the central part of the story after the introductory part. This is so, because for poor Akaky a new overcoat is not simply a garment, for him it is a key to the future happiness. The author places the garment in the centre of the story for several purposes, partly to emphasize how important material things to people are, and partly to one more time humiliate Akaky and show that he is pathetic to the extent that he is in awe in front of the overcoat. In order to emphasize the latter, Gogol describes in detail the day new overcoat is purchased. That day Akaky feels on top of the world, he believes that the new overcoat will change the way he is perceived by other people, will make them respect and honor him, will make him a desirable bachelor and a frequent guest. Wearing a new coat Akaky begins to walk the streets of the town like a new man, in fact, maybe like a man for the first time.
When the overcoat is stolen Akaky is head over heels in sorrow, he seeks help to recover the overcoat. The style, in which Nikolai Gogol describes the happening with the overcoat, is interesting. That is probably the only time in the novel when an attentive reader may feel that the author is to some extent pitiful towards the poor clerk. However, when Akaky starts looking for help and decides to go to the police where he is immediately turned down, the style and voice of the author gets more sarcastic. When after police Akaky turns to an „important personage”, that latter also refuses to help him, reminding him only about the laws of etiquette, and how inappropriate it was to come there without a prior documental complaint – Gogol’s tone is changed for good. The reader cannot feel any sympathy with the character anymore. That is why, when towards the end of the book, unable to bear the vicissitudes of fate Akaky comes down with flu and dies, we do not sympathize the Akaky at all.
After his death a ghost resembling Akaky wonders around the city stealing overcoats. This is the first time Gogol’s famous mysticism appears in the essay. It was very common for Gogol to apply the literary tools used for putting non-living things to life. Akaky ghost is wondering around the city stealing people’s overcoats. The ghost does things that his counterpart did not every do during his life. After Akaky’s death Gogol seems to be very enthusiastic and brightly describes the actions of the ghost and the horror it causes to people. This stylistic change, in my opinion, is used to again show how „little” Akaky was.
This poignant story shows us the social injustice in the 19th century Russia. It shows the urban alienation and human isolation. Though his story, Gogol is trying to attract the attention to the fact that in today’s world bureaucracy has become more important than human life. Gogol also points out that in the corrupt society a person is no one, and will not be assisted by anyone unless he has money or connections. However, what is unclear whether Gogol would like to reader to sympathize with the fate of the poor clerk or whether one should regard this story as something funny. In my opinion, such ambiguity lets every reader form his/her opinion on this question.
„The Dream of a Ridiculous Man” by Fedor Dostoevsky is a short story that is in fact the last story Dostoevsky has ever written. This story is about a dreamer whose life changes after a series of encounters in his dream. The story begins, with the protagonist who is never named, planning his suicide. From the first minute the reader sees that the novel is very philosophical and deep. The language used by Dostoevsky is very advanced and the metaphors he employs are at times hard to grasp. The reader immediately sees that the protagonist is man of thinking, he tends to constantly be analyzing his life and deeds as well as the life and actions of others. He is willing to see the motives behind what the people do. On the verge of committing suicide he meets a crying child that turns to him, however, the protagonist pushes her away. Though, thinking about what he has done he realizes that he himself is selfish and cruel, these thoughts destruct him from suicide and give him a chance to sleep peacefully the first time in months.
While he sleeps, he experiences a wild dream. He dreams as though he has been taken to a different planet where there are absolutely different people. All those people are kind and loving, gentle and pure, in their world there is not place for cruelty and disgrace. This is the time in the novel when Dostoevsky first time introduces his religious beliefs. Actually, religion, though indirectly, is one of the major topics in the novel. When the perfect people learn of shame and poverty they become totally different. The story shows us that people who have been living in the perfect world of love and care go through different stages that bring them to the place where we are right now. Soon, it becomes obvious to the reader that these „new people” that appear in the dream race, are actually, we – the people of today.
Before long the dreamer (the protagonist) understands that he no longer loves the people on the new planet. He sees that those people are slowly becoming the people he wanted to run away from when living on planet Earth. Though, the dreamer understands that now that these people know what sorrow is he loves them even more than he used to when they lived in the Garden of Eden. The above part of the novel again introduces Dostoevsky’s outlook on God and Godliness. For his God is almightily, though generous, thus the way protagonist did not stop loving people when they change, same way God will always love humans.
One may say that the above stories „The Overcoat” and „The Dream of a Ridiculous Man” have nothing it common. I realize that such opinion may exist, though only on the surface. Though in a different way, but Gogol and Dostoevsky touch upon the same topics that are, in reality, still relevant today. One topic that both works have in common is the idea that society is a deception that is composed of hypocritical people and unjust institutions. The authors show that people have become slaves of bureaucrats and money-seeking officials. Moreover, when being put on the scales, the human life weights nothing in comparison with monetary or statutory advances.
However, it is very important to mention that the two prominent works present the main character and his life completely differently. In the „Overcoat” it is shown that Akaky becomes able to see the world around him only when he pulls his funds together and purchases an overcoat – that for him is a ticket to the new life. Though, after the overcoat is stolen Akaky, who has put all of himself into this garment, is destroyed. On the contrary, in the „Dream of a Ridiculous Man”, the protagonist is not victim, neither he is humiliated. The knowledge he has acquired from him dream has changed him, has made him a completely different person. His dream gave him a chance to live a different life, though when the dream was over and the „other life” was gone he did not go down and out. Quite the opposite, the first thing he did upon awakening was he helped the child he neglected before, and later became a preacher. So, both of protagonists are fighting with society, though while Akaky is destroyed, the dreamer leaves the battle undefeated.
In conclusion I would like to say that both of the works analyzed above are indeed the masterpieces of world literature. These two works are filled with deep symbolism and feelings. Both the novels deal with the topics that can be related to each other, such as the loneliness of a human being in the world, the abuse of power by bureaucrats, the cruelty and ambiguity of the modern world. The style the novels are written in differs greatly, primarily because their authors had explicitly dissimilar writing styles. While Gogol is usually very light, satirical, and bright, Dostoevsky is very philosophical and gloomy. Additionally, while Dostoevsky’s novel is rather Godly, Gogol chooses to employ the devil forces, such as a haunted overcoat. Another great discrepancy between the two novels lays in the way authors see their main characters. While for Nikolai Gogol the sad story of Akakiy is amusing, for Fedor Dostoevsky his ridiculous man is not at all comical. Conclusively, while dealing with related subjects, two novels take a different perspective on the human life and the world around us.
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