ktmeng/mec huggingface dataset:
Topic: family

Huck’s feelings about society and the adult world are based on his negative experience, the main one being Huck’s drunk abusive father, “Pap”. “Paphe hadn’t been seen for more than a year, and that was comfortable for me; I didn’t want to see him no more”. Although Huck was free from his father for a long time, the new judge in town returns Huck to Pap because he privileges Pap’s “rights” over Huck’s welfare, much like the relationship between a slave and a master. The judge fails to take into account Pap’s drunkenness and abusive past, which puts Huck in a sizable predicament.
Topic: family

Because of Pap’s abusive nature and drunkenness, Pap fails Huck in providing Huck with a set of beliefs and values that are consistent and satisfying to Huck, making Pap fail as a father figure in another way. Although Pap is a hideous, hateful man in nearly every aspect, Huck does not immediately abandon him when given the chance. Huck is grasping on the final thread he has of family. Huck truly believes in the sense of family, and desperately wants it, but at the same time, is scared by the idea (won’t let Widow Douglas close).
Topic: family

By placing hope in the wrong person (Pap), Huck misses out on the possibility of a good family with Widow Douglas. As apposed to Jim, who represents the best of white society even though he is black, Pap represents the worst of white society: he is illiterate, ignorant, violent, and profoundly racist. Though to a very small degree, Huck has been led to believe the same. Pap represents the true evil in the book, making Huck’s belief in a family cynical and saddened. Through Huck’s adventures on the Mississippi River, he has created new homes for himself at the locations of his new family members as well as comfort zones for Huck.
Topic: family

Huck and Jim, both alienated from society in fundamental ways, first find home on the island where they meet up. The island provides a pastoral, dreamlike setting: a safe peaceful place where food is abundant. Through two incidents on the island (the floating house and Jim’s snake bit), Huck and Jim are reminded that no location is safe for them. Because of this Jim and Huck leave on a raft as an escape from both being caught, as well as civilization and society as well. “We said there warn’t no home like a raft, after all.
Topic: family

Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don’t. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft. ” Huck and Jim’s raft becomes a sort of haven of brotherhood, equality, and growing affection, as both find refuge and peace from a society that has treated them badly. Compared to the outrageous incidents onshore, the raft represents a retreat from the outside world, the site of simple pleasures and good companionship. Huck and Jim do not have to answer to anyone on the raft, and it represents a kind of utopian life for them.
Topic: family

They try to maintain this idyllic separation from society and its problems, but as the raft makes its way southward, unsavory influences from onshore repeatedly invade the world of the raft. In a sense, Twain’s portrayal of life on the raft and the river is a romantic one, but tempered by the realistic knowledge that the evils and problems of the world are inescapable. Through different events, Huck ends up at the Phelps’s’ house. Although the reason Huck goes to the Phelps’s’ house in the first place is to find Jim, he still finds a sense of home there.
Topic: family

When caught creeping around the house, Huck was caught. Aunt Sally came out, mistaking him for her nephew, who is inevitably Tom Sawyer. Huck pretends to be his best friend Tom so that he could find a way to help Jim as well as stay out of trouble. Although Aunt Sally thinks Huck is Tom, she still gives off that motherly vibe, even after Huck mentions his deception. After the final escape, the Phelp’s house seems to come to even more life then it was before. Aunt Sally smothers the boys, Aunt Polly scolds, and everyone bumbles along
Topic: family

Ultimately, readers are left questioning the meaning of what we has been read: perhaps Twain means the novel as a reminder that life is ultimately a matter of imperfect information and ambiguous situations, and that the best one can do is to follow one’s head and heart. Perhaps Twain means also to say that black Americans may be free in a technical sense, but that they remain chained by a society that refuses to acknowledge their rightful and equal standing as individuals. Unfortunately, these questions seldom have straightforward answers, and thus the ending of the novel contains as many new problems as solutions.
Topic: family

General supervision would be when you know what the kid is doing and checking on them regularly. This might be analyzed as keeping an attentive eye from a range e. g when children are playing on a carpet or when a child is sleeping. The element of danger when embracing close guidance would be less than in the other wo levels of supervision. Once the needed level of supervision has been identified, it is very important to consider the following disciplines in order to ensure safe guidance and to make all other member of the family conscious of them also.
Topic: family

Do not let children play outdoors without supervision All tools equipment and chemicals must be securely saved away in a locked shed or garage All paved areas should be safe Fences need to be sound Devices for outdoors need to be inspected daily and set up properly (usage logs) Gates should be safely fastened Dustbins/wheelie bins/re-cycling bins need to not be accessible to children If animals are present then children’s play locations must be without animal food and waste Locations of water consisting of butts or ponds and sand pits need to be firmly enclosed or covered.
Topic: family

Green cross code according to age Always put yourself between the road and the child hen possible Use restraints/reins where applicable Don’t allow children to run ahead Teach children about stranger danger particularly when in parks and adventure playground. Ultimately, once disciplines have been put in place in the different areas when supervising children, then this will ultimately assist when determining the levels of supervision required as the safety of the child is paramount in any home based child care setting. Also having procedures in place when out and about in case children get lost or separated is considered as good practice for any child-minder.
Topic: family

Next, I thank my father for teaching me how to be a responsible hardworking man. My father always taught me that a man is a person that takes care of his responsibilities. He always showed me that having fun with my friends was pleasant and okay as long as I had taken care of my homework and chores. Once I got to that age where I could clean up behind myself, he made sure I did just that. My father also made sure to teach me that being responsible comes with benefits. For instance, if my chores were done on time without my parents telling me to do them, they always had a surprise for me.
Topic: family

It was never anything outrageous but it was definitely a good motivator. My father never tried to spoil me, but there was always a lesson to be learned in everything he did for me. If he gave me something for doing what I was supposed to do, he would tell me that God’s reward for me being responsible is even greater. My father continually stressed to me that when you work hard for the money, there is always a greater reward at the end. Finally, I thank my father for teaching me that a real man works hard for his money.
Topic: family

My father always said if a person takes the easy route to get money, that person won’t appreciate anything. I didn’t understand what my father meant by that until I got older. Seeing people sell drugs to get money, I noticed that those people didn’t care how the money was spent. I would see those people buying clothes, which were ridiculously expensive; like five or six hundred dollar shirts. These guys had no clue about how to work hard for their money, so they didn’t care how fast it was spent. Then I saw a hard working man who cherished every dime he worked for.
Topic: family

In the end, what my father was trying to teach me was that there are benefits for those that work hard, and none for those that don’t. In conclusion, I thank my father for being there to teach me how to be a hardworking man, the importance of being responsible, and how nothing comes easily. He taught me that when a person works hard for a living, they reap the benefits of that hard work. My father is my super hero; I wish every child could have been as fortunate as I was to have their father around.
Topic: family

When one spouse does not agree with a decision made by the other spouse, then an argument can occur, and result by one or both parties sharing a feeling of resentment against the other. Lack of communication in all areas of the marriage, can cause strain on the relationship. It is common for many couples to subject themselves to the distractions of everyday life, therefore leaving very little time for communication. This can cause marital problems to be over looked, triggering a range of feelings to explode in the marital relationship, and result in divorce.
Topic: family

According to the latest statistics, children of divorced parents are less likely to finish schools or graduate from colleges with high grades, find a good job and be satisfied with own career or personal life. Parents’ divorce always causes great impact on children, which can in no sense be positive or inspiring. Start your work with choosing an appropriate topic of your research. If analyzing the general effects of divorce on children in modern society seems to you too broad or too hard to deal with, you can choose a topic like analyzing divorce rates and tendencies in modern inter-race marriages, or analyze the divorce rates among American families of Hispanic origin, etc.
Topic: family

You can study the influences of religious beliefs on divorce rates in various society, or research how such factor as the number of children in the family is linked to divorce rates in modern America society. When working on your academic essay on divorce, it is very important to gather a great deal of statistics in order to support your thesis statement and point of view. A great deal of various data related to the topic of divorce can be found online, but it is necessary to use only the most recent statistics taken from official and reputable online sources. It can be great to show the data in the forms of graphs, diagrams, pictures, or use other visual illustrative materials. For all essays on divorce, operating with current divorce rates statistics (with respect to race, gender, type of marriage, time of occurrence, the place where the family resides, etc. etc.) can be of a great help and support for the writer.
Topic: family

There is plenty of factors related to divorce which should be discussed when analyzing the topic of divorce effects on children. They should include financial, economic, social, emotional, psychological, behavioral, academic, and all other issues related to child’s development and growth. When working on your essay on divorce, do not forget to follow usual essay structure: starting your essay with a good introduction with a thesis statement, followed by the body and conclusion. Pay proper attention to referencing and formatting your paper, as well as following the chosen writing style. Proofread and spell check your paper before submitting it to your instructor.
Topic: family

I was sufficiently fortunate to see every one of the three depictions upon their entry from Paris. Some portion of my thesis manages Whistler’s enhancing work, so I made a straight shot to inspect his most celebrated craftsmanship before it went up on the gallery divider. Amplifying glass close by, I was particularly struck by the delicacy of the paint; shut everything down, turns out to be evident that Whistler utilized thin oil paints, intensely weakened with turpentine, to make semi-translucent, watercolor-like tinted washes.
Topic: family

Course of action in Gray and Black No. 1 was likewise an intense creative explanation, particularly to the eyes of Victorian watchers. At the point when the depiction was first displayed at London’s Royal Academy in 1872, gatherings of people were bewildered. Contrasted with the exceedingly completed surfaces and thick, beautiful arrangements more common of Academy works of art, Whistler’s picture is significantly pared down. To nineteenth century groups of onlookers, Whistler’s depiction looked incomplete, and the setting appeared to be unimaginably vacant. Indeed, even today, the room in which Whistler represented his mom is striking in its exposed state—and its geometric normality. It is all straight lines and right edges: striped floor covering, box-molded stool, dim wood framing, and surrounded prints (of Whistler’s own etchings) on the dividers.
Topic: family

Alfred Barr was likewise instrumental in securing a place for “Whistler’s Mother” in the American awareness. In 1932, so as to fund-raise for the youngster MoMA, Barr sent the sketch on a yearlong shriek stop voyage through 12 American urban areas, incorporating 18 days in Los Angeles. When the artistic creation came back to Paris, a huge number of Americans had seen Arrangement in Gray and Black No. 1, and broad press scope of the visit achieved millions more. The U.S. Postal Service even issued a Mother’s Day stamp including the work of art, however they included two subtle elements that Whistler would presumably not have acknowledged: an inscription perusing “In Memory and in Honor of the Mothers of America,” and a vase of blossoms in the lower left corner.
Topic: family

Furthermore she has a abundant sexual drive, which is not satisfied in her opinion because of her outer appearance (“…abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity.”)The last line of the second paragraph is irony. It does not say how she is seen by the rest of the world but how she sees her self (“Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs”). This sentence is connected to the last sentence of the first paragraph. It shows how she adopted her classmates point of view about her body. This emphasizes her very low self-esteem.
Topic: family

The third paragraph emphasizes her efforts to become beatiful and sexual satisfied. The first sentence of this paragraph shows what she’s told to do in order to satisfie her abundant sexual drive. (“She was advised to play coy, exhorted to come on hearty, exercise, diet, smile and wheedle.”) Using imagery of a turning off fan belt the poet emphasizes how fast this efforts achieved the oppsite ( “Her good nature wore out like a fan belt”) Her last effort is to have a plastic surgery. (” So she cut of her nose and her legs and offered them up”). Using this kind of formulation ( “… cut off…offered them up”) this plastic surgery sounds like a sacrificial offering. And it is meant to sound like that because it is an offering to the society. She offers her own body in order to please other people.
Topic: family

But the poet put a question mark in that sentence because beauty is still a question of taste. She will never make everybody happy! (” Doesn’t she look pretty? Everyone said.”). With her new beauty she gets sexual satisfied ( “Consummation at last.”) Finishing the poem with a ironic sentence the poet wants to show that she is not necessarily happy now . (” To every woman a happy ending”) Furthermore she adopts the girl’s story to the rest of the female world in order to convey that plastic surgeries are not necessary. And they do not necessarily make you happy because it is not good to give up the own body in order to fit in any kinds of stereotypes.
Topic: family

There are various familial relationships that most of us would often take for granted. Jon Stallworthy, for example, highlights that of a father and son in his poem, “Two Hands”. Throughout his depiction of these two characters, he emphasizes how two people who seem so similar, and are supposed to be intimate or close by default, can be almost alien to each others’ personalities and emotions. Several techniques, such as diction, themes and structure are utilized to portray the contrast between father and son.
Topic: family

In “Two Hands”, there are two main characters present: the son, who also narrates the text, and his father. The reader can depict the father to be a surgeon, or at least have a profession in the field of medicine, because of the use of terms such as “scalpel” or “lancet”, as well as expression like “fingers that have stitched new life”. In contrast, the same ‘two hands’ of the son have been utilized in a rather contrasting way; that of the field of literature.
Topic: family

There are several themes that bring out the emotions felt by the narrator in this text. For example, love is something that is lacking in the relationship between father and son. While it can be said that the son admires his father, which is depicted through the phrase, “Hand, you may have your chance to stitch a life for fingers that have stitched new life for many.” The narrator is describing his father’s accomplishments by stating that he has saved the lives of many, which shows love and respect for his father. However, there is no portrayal of emotion from the father’s side in the text, which can only show that according to the son, there is no love provided from the father’s side at all. Another vivid theme in the text is that of the conflict between family and career, which can be looked at individually for the son, as well as for the father.
Topic: family

This poem clearly implies that the father is married to his career, as he has almost no time to devote to his son. The final line, “he will be out again” is extremely powerful in showing how often he is out of the house. Furthermore, even when he is at home, he is “in his study… up late,” because “he has articles to read.” Overall, we can infer that the father feels like by working hard and supporting the family, he is fulfilling his duties, and therefore the concept of spending time and expressing love to his son are almost redundant, and of no value.
Topic: family

In a poem, the structure and topography play an extremely crucial role in the way a readers depicts the writing. Stallworthy has laid out “Two hands” in one long stanza, with a great deal of enjambment as well. This implies run-on thoughts, as well as providing a tone of overall reminiscence to the text. The lack of a concise structure gives the effect of thoughts being haphazardly thrown onto paper, in whichever order they may occur. Moreover, this style makes it seem like a story is being told. This is useful in depicting the character of the narrator, as well as provides the impression that he is writing a
Topic: family

Over the course of this poem, the use of rhyme or rhythm is extremely subtle, and perhaps is only used in order to emphasize certain points. Stallworthy hasn’t used a specific rhyme scheme in his poem, to demonstrate that no conclusion has been drawn from the thoughts conveyed by the son. There is a great deal of expression of emotion; however he isn’t able to make anything out of it. In contrast, in the few places where slight rhyme has been utilized, there is some logical reasoning involved. For example, “Down the lancet margin his hand moves rapidly as mine moves slow. A spasm shakes the phone at this elbow.” In these lines, he is claiming that his father’s expertise exceed that of his own in the field of medicine, allowing him to scan the medical journal more rapidly. Overall, it can be reasoned that there are very few decisive or exact points being made, which is why the use of rhyme has been avoided.
Topic: family

Throughout this text, Stallworthy implicates a very negative atmosphere, relation directly to the bumpy relationship between father and son. A mood of intensity is depicted through the use of phrases such as, “I curse tonight,”, where the son expresses his frustration over the fact that while his father is at home, with him, he is busy working. Even though they may be physically near, the father’s heart and mind do not stray from work. The tone is also often depressing or gloomy, which is highlighted by the fact that it is set during night time; this is when all fears are at their peak, and when one feels most lonely as well.
Topic: family

Finally, the poet’s extensive use of personification helps in illuminating the overall impression he wishes to bring across in the text. For example, “the pencil nodding stiffly” provides an image of a man working hard into the depths of the night; stern and focused. Furthermore, the personification of the scalpel in the phrase “led a scalpel an intricate dance” portrays the act of surgery as an art form, requiring a great deal of grace as well as skill. These two models illustrate the father as extremely hard working and skilled in his field of work. In contrast, an expression like “The phone has sobbed itself to sleep” highlights an extremely striking image of a young boy trying to cry himself to bed.
Topic: family

The child chooses a table and chair. The child walks to the classroom shelves. Choose his activity. He chooses the practical life material (The pouring exercise) and carefully carries it back to his seat, placing the tray on his desk. He then begins the next cycle. In addition, concentration and freedom begin to develop gradually at this stage. The normalize child continue to show concentration with his work; and ignore other children in the class-room. “For his work is the expression of his mind”. (Montessori. 1949, P133).
Topic: family

Bearing in mind the sensitive period for Order. He carried out his work, according to the presentation already shown to him previously by his teacher. I noticed how he kept on repeating the exercise, by pouring the water from one jug to another using his manipulative skills. Dr. Montessori’s observation about the girl that kept repeating the exercise “Forty-Two times”, flashed to my mind instantly. I notice how the child look content with what he was doing. This leads to repetition of the exercise over and over again. He remains calm and confident while carrying out the cycle of activity.
Topic: family

To summarise my point, In a Montessori classroom, the practice of Montessori‘s teaching on “Normalization” is daily practiced everyday in the Montessori environment. The idea that the environment is prepared, encourage children to work on activities of their own choice at their own time. It helps the child to show the characteristics expected from a normalized child that is -Independent, Respectful, Love of Order, Work, Silence, Mutual cooperation, Obedient and Joy.
Topic: family

Another popular example of motherhood is Lou Ann’s relationship with Dwayne Ray. Although the child has actually not established a personality yet, and can not respond with his mom, we can not inform how Dwayne Ray’s part of the relationship is, however we can anticipate how it will be. It can be presumed that he will constantly be looked after by his mother, Lou Ann, for her uneasy ways and worry of her kids death keep her a vigilant mother, unrelenting in keeping him as safe and healthy as possible.
Topic: family

Throughout the book, she contributes she’s prevented all her life, in order to secure and take care of this little girl that was given to her care versus her own dreams. She has definitely no clue what to do, and constantly frets that she isn’t raising Turtle appropriately. Her worries are lessened, however, after Turtle beings speaking, her very first noise being laughter due to the fact that if Turtle was unhappy, she would have not laughed when she did a somersault.
Topic: family

Taylor becomes more confidant in her role, and eventually accepts it to be perfectly normal, as does everyone else, and no one even considers Turtle not to be Taylor’s child, proven when many biological references are made between the two, despite their lack of blood ties. After Turtle is attacked in the park, Taylor begins to think that she isn’t doing a good job as a segregate mother, and when Turtle is threatened to be taken away from Taylor, she feels that the case to save Turtle is helpless and begins to think that the state department would do better than she would in raising the child.
Topic: family

However, Mattie convinces her otherwise when she tells Taylor that she isn’t asking the correct questions, that “You’re asking yourself, Can I give this child the best possible upbringing and keep her out of harms way her whole life long? The answer is no, you can’t. But nobody else can either. Not a state home, that’s for sure. For heaven’s sake, the best they can do is turn their heads while the kids learn to pick locks and snort hootch, and then try to keep them out of jail. Nobody can protect a child from the world…
Topic: family

Do I think it would be interesting, maybe even enjoyable in the long run, to share my life with this kid and give her my best effort and maybe when all’s said and done, end up with a good friend. ‘” (pg. 178). What Mattie says here when comforting Taylor is a Barbara Kingsolver definition of motherhood. Taylor worries that she is unable to care for a child, and that with this attack, even the state would do a better job than she could, but, as Mattie said, no one can protect a child from the world, and especially someone that doesn’t care for them, like the state.
Topic: family

They need a mother, a guardian, anyone that cares about them to raise as good a child as chance permits. Through the caring and affection Taylor received as a child, the worry and extreme concern Lou Ann pays Dwayne Ray, and Taylor’s behavior towards a child that is not her own, all show examples of how, biological or not, a mother or a mother-like role in a child’s life can lead them to riches or ruin. Their moral fiber, their behavior, their ethics all depend upon what they are taught and raised upon.
Topic: family

Newt Hardbine and Jolene Shanks never had these morals and ethics instilled in them, thus leading them to terrible, even short lived, lives. Barbara Kingsolver uses these examples, even through minor characters such as Sandi at the Burger Derby and Bobby Bingo who sells vegetables out of his truck. All examples seen in The Bean Trees show that Motherhood and the role of a mother plays a predominant part not only in the book, but universally.
Topic: family

The short passage extracted from the section “”Thanikama”” in the memoir Running in the Family written by Michael Ondaatje depicts a dark scene where the author’s father, Mervyn, is left alone near the end of the book. The scene is described in extreme detail to portray a clear mental picture of the atmosphere and setting, yet sparkled with figures of speech and other writing devices of which this paper is aiming to will focus on.
Topic: family

The line “half empty” (1) is the negative way of saying that, in this case, the bottle of alcohol is actually half full. In establishing a generally sad, dark, lonely and negative mood to the scene, Ondaatje uses many features of which one is simply the presence of specific objects. As a matter of fact, Ondaatje’s diction is (not only in this short passage but in the entire memoir as well) much elaborated.
Topic: family

The second way, this time more metaphorically, that Ondaatje uses the mirror as a literary devices is that usually a mirror is usually sparkling clean so that one can observe himself in it and see clearly. Perhaps that Mervyn could not see himself properly in the mirror since he was confused about himself, lost, and even drunk. Another reference to the mirror is further made stating that he was “scared of the presence of the mirror,” (19) a hint that perhaps he really could not accept himself, which goes hand in hand with the fact that the father would get drunk when living hard times. Ondaatje goes in depth in explaining the room’s appearance and the character’s actions.
Topic: family

Ondaatje does not only write about the setting though; he also refers to personification when stating that the “branches put their arms into the windows” (8). This is a very effective technique portraying the tea bush not only “becoming jungle,” (8) but also constantly moving, stretching in every direction grasping for anything at hand: “If you stood still you were invaded” (9). Near the end of the passage, Ondaatje uses another exclusive feature when referring to the battalion of ant. The ants are very famous for their cooperation together and their outstanding strength. As this detail is put to the end of the memoir when Ondaatje concludes his investigation about his dad, it suggests that the ants were associated to himself and his quest.
Topic: family

Like the ants, he had to communicate with others and never let go; a quest he finally accomplished in the end. The last sentence of this section of the memoir would be associated with the last moment before the death of the father, which would account for Ondaatje not referring to his father as still living past “”Thanikama”.” The midnight rat which is a disgusted, scary, dark, and feared creature would be a metaphor for the death getting closer and closer. Past this point, short entries from other people are added in saying how Mervyn was and used to be, which would seem right now that he has past away.
Topic: family

As this paper has shown, Ondaatje combined many literary devices in writing Running in the Family. Ondaatje’s writing style is unique in the sense that it does tell a story (or preferably called a memoir), but it also borrows writing features from the poetic structure, in the way that even though all readers reads the same book with the same plot, interpretations could change and alter being more precise than a poem but less than a story. Ondaatje’s exceptional skill to balance the metaphors with the statements and the personifications with the right choice of word in no particular chronological order results in a unique mind grasping memoir.
Topic: family

Due to the context of the time, being a woman gave you a lower social status than men – many were seen as second rate to their male equivalents. They had less power than men, this was displayed through having less rights, particularly when it came to democracy and voting – less control. She was confined by her social status as a woman. This makes her level of power in the novel significantly lower than Curley’s – adding to the idea that she is presented as one of the weak ones.
Topic: family

Despite her social status as a white woman, she manages to manipulate her position over others that she deems weaker than her. Although she is a woman, she is a white American, and this means that automatically she has a social power over the black population – in the context of time and due to racism this was widely accepted. A clear example of this is given by Steinbeck when she tries to talk with Candy, Crooks, and Lennie in Crook’s room. She is not wanted by any of those three characters, and Crooks, filled with hope about the dream farm that they had been discussing, turns to her and says that he would ‘ast the boss not to ever let you come in the barn no more’.
Topic: family

Curley’s Wife takes advantage that her social role is higher up in terms of power compared to Crooks, simply because she is a ‘white woman.’ She says that she could get Crooks ‘strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.’ This is a threat towards Crooks, and it is a threat that carries weight because it has happened before and could happen to Crooks. Crooks reduces himself ‘into nothing’ and had ‘no personality, no ego-nothing to arouse either like or dislike’. He shrivels back so much and this shows the extent to which Curley’s wife can manipulate her power. Although out of the characters introduced to the reader in Of Mice and Men she appears to be one of the weak ones, because of the social hierarchy that existed in 1920’s America, she is able to exert her power over a select group of people – namely Crooks and all black people.
Topic: family

Although Candy is theoretically more powerful than her simply because his social status as a white man at that time was considered more powerful than a white woman. But Curley’s Wife manipulates Candy’s physical weakness, and calls him a ‘lousy ol’ sheep’ and the whole group of them ‘bindle stiffs.’ She is prepared to talk to them in such a way that she’s sure that they wouldn’t be able to properly retaliate. At the beginning of her entrance she says that Crook’s room is where they left all the ‘weak ones’ – evidence for this point.
Topic: family

Grace Nichols writes Praise Song for my mother as ode, or letter, as an event of her mother. Having moved from Guyana to the UK, the ‘ode’ remains in a Caribbean design, applauding her mother for all that she has done. Nichols blogs about what family is, and what it implies to her, and the poem appears to be positive, in adoration of her mother, however there are likewise other perspectives that say the poem might have a much deeper, unfavorable meaning.
Topic: family

Nichols conveys the effective, protective love that she gets from her mother in the poem in a range of methods. She writes that she was ‘water to [her], deep and vibrant and fathoming’. As water is a necessity to live, she develops the image that her mom was a necessity to her life, and that she ‘couldn’t live without her’. She uses much of these metaphors, utilizing the term ‘You were’ to convey the various functions her mom played in her life, that although she was simply a female, she was to her, the ‘moon’s eye’ and the ‘dawn’.
Topic: family

Making use of the past tense in ‘you were’ reveals that her mom might have died, and that this is not only a celebration of her mother, but likewise a celebration of her mother’s life, which the poem is a sort of grieving of her mom. However, this can also be analyzed as the memories of her childhood, when she resided in Guyana with her family, composed in the past tense, to convey her feelings in the past.
Topic: family

Nichols could also be trying to convey the message that family is about growing, and allowing the children to develop and learn. Although this at first sight, a poem of positivity, and ‘praise’ for her mother, there could be a more negative, possibly sarcastic side to the poem. The phrase ‘you were water to me’ initially seems positive, but when paired with ‘deep and bold and fathoming’, makes the reader think that there was possible ‘too much water’, and that Nichols’ mother was possibly overprotective or that she enveloped Nichols in her care. The words ‘deep’ and ‘bold’ make you think of the ocean, and possibly that she was drowning in it. In addition, Nichols writes ‘go to your wide futures, you said’. This initially strikes the reader as a message of hope from Nichols’ mother, that she wanted her children to go out into the world and grow. The fact that ‘futures’ is plural, shows that there is essentially a ‘world of oppurtunities’ available, rather than a controlled, decided future.
Topic: family

However, this may have been written as a sarcastic ‘you said’, showing that Nichols’ mother expected too much of them, and that life is actually much harder than going ‘out to your wide futures’. This resentment may be a product of Nichols’ mother being overprotective, and not allowing her to learn on her own, and being overprotective. It may also mean that her mother may have essentially abandoned her, and left her to her own actions after she left to England. However, given the circumstances, it is most likely written as possibly a memory of the last thing her mother said to her, before passing away, or before their relationship became too distant. In this way, there are many differing interpretations for this message.
Topic: family

Nichols seems to be conveying the message that family is a sort of nutrition, or nourishment. She uses lots of metaphorical language such as ‘You were water’ and ‘you were sunrise’ to make family seem like a very positive factor. She also writes ‘the fried plantain smell replenishing replenishing’, with the repetition of ‘replenishing’ making the reader focus on the word. The lack of punctuation in the phrase, and also the lack of punctuation throughout the whole poem possible harks back to Nichols’ less educated childhood.
Topic: family

The words ‘replenishing’, ‘water’ and ‘sunrise’ creates the image of the mother fulfilling all the bare necessities for the Nichols’, and shows the different roles that Nichols’ mother played in her life. The poem itself is very orderly for the first three stanzas, with same sized lines, but the fourth stanza is one line longer, this line being longer still, and then the fifth stanza being one line only. This poem could possibly portray a ladder or staircase, symbolising the ‘steps’ to adulthood and success. As the poem is about Nichols’ mother, this could be creating the image that her mother was the aid to her success. This is all the picture of how family is a sort of nutrition and aid to life.
Topic: family

Overall, Grace Nichols provides many different standpoints on the importance of family in ‘Praise Song for my Mother’. Although it is written as a positive poem of ‘celebration’ of her mother, there could also be more negative standpoints and alternative views, highlighting possible sarcasm in the poem. In conclusion, Nichols seems to generally have very positive views on family and uses lots of metaphorical language to create the image that her mother was ‘everything’ to her’. She also uses literary techniques to showcase her memories of childhood, and the importance of family in her upbringing.
Topic: family

This novel is based around a small village called Chust, in Romania. Chust is a small 17th century village surrounded by a large and sinister wood, full of shadows of unease. The villagers were frightened of the wood, and all that it contained. They were wary of ‘outsiders’ and were led by tradition. They especially believed in the Miorita, a song about a shepherd murdered by his fellows and through a lamb, he sends word to his mother that he is not dead but has gone to ‘marry a princess from a distant land.
Topic: family

When Peter was 5, Tomas had made him a wooden goose. Tomas was very skilled at carpentry and it was a beautiful masterpiece, a gift of love. In a fit of rage, Tomas destroyed the goose. By doing this he was breaking any bond that he had made with Peter. Peter tried to make another goose, but it was never as good. This symbolises their relationship, never to be as good as it once was.
Topic: family

At the end of this novel, Tomas rode into the crowd of hostages and started slaying them to the ground. Tomas knew he was going to die and this was a last effort to show Peter that he always loved him and that he was a good father. As soon Tomas was engulfed by the vampires, Peter immediately picked up the sword and fought until they were all dead. This is know as the ‘Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy’ stating that is you’re father dies you must avenge his death.
Topic: family

Also she is the one that told Sally about their family’s heritage at last. Sally’s mum is partly aboriginal but inherited a lot of aboriginal cultures and thinking from Nan. She is afraid of people in high position as much as Nan does and that reflects through Sally’s identity as she goes against the university’s officer about her scholarship. Although a part of Sally is aboriginal but she was not raised knowing that she is one. Hence, Sally’s identity is contradicting in itself. She can be careless at times, but also caring to her family members. She did not know the reason why other people treated her differently, but she has to get through it which makes her becomes strong and tough.
Topic: family

Lastly, Nan is one of the most influential family members in Sally’s life. Sally did not know why her dad dislike Nan at first but it all becomes clear at the end when she knows that Nan is aboriginal. Nan has a habit that Sally dislike, being afraid of people in power. Due to that, Sally became strong and independent when it comes to dealing with people with power as shown through in chapter 18 as she was suspected guilty for receiving an aboriginal scholarship but not actually one. The fact that Nan and mum mentioned about being ‘black’ is a bad thing and being ‘white’ is everything encourages Sally to stand up and proof that being aboriginal is not something to be ashamed of, she is proud to be one because that’s what makes her who she is.
Topic: family

The Victorian era was a tremendously exciting period when many artistic styles, political and religious movements flourished. It was the era of invention and progress and it would prove to progress a lot leaving Victorian life at the end of Queen Victoria’s reign unrecognizable. Life in Victorian times was very much based on and steeped in tradition, religion and reason. This is why they were hugely fascinated by things outside the box like ghosts, the supernatural, magic, foreign travel and Arabian nights.
Topic: family

The opening of the story is a metaphor of society, the Victorians were very cozy in there lifestyle. Huddling together to keep England, keep ideas, keep reason, keep religion and stick to what they know but new things are trying to get in. When Jacobs wrote The Monkeys Paw the Victorians were curious about exotic far off lands and travelling, a popular saying at the time was “the sun never sets on the British empire ” By the early 1900s, England had conquered and colonized countries all over the world. The saying meant that somewhere in the world it was always daylight, and there a British colony could be found.
Topic: family

Jacobs uses foreshadowing, imagery and symbolism in this story to explore the consequences of tempting fate. His careful, economical creation of setting and atmosphere add suspense and tension to the tale, two of the main story themes along with fate and chance. As the story unfolds, author Jacobs provides many hints that, indeed, the monkey’s paw does possess strange powers, and that tempting fate by making the three wishes is a grave mistake…
Topic: family

The story begins with a contrast between a close cozy Victorian family in Lakesnam Villa that are huddled together by the warm fire, father and son playing chess whilst mother knits against the terrible cold damp remoteness of the outside world hidden behind the closed blinds. The name of the villa of which they live is named ‘Laburnum’ which is also the name of a deadly poisonous plant, making the characters home the name of a deadly plant could be informing the reader something bad could happen later on within the story so this makes the reader wonder more creating tension within the reader as they are apprehensive as to what will happen next. Down the page a bit when Mr. White puts his king into “sharp and unnecessary perils” and soon sees “a fatal mistake after it was too late” it’s a kind of mini-drama, one that tells us what is about to happen in the story. Its using foreshadowing to depict and event early on in the story that is really a big part of the plot that is soon to unfold, it’s a clever and sneaky parallel to the ending which becomes only clear on your second read.
Topic: family

The banging of the gate heralds the arrival of their guest, Sergeant-Major Morris, ‘a tall, burley man, beady of eye and rubicund of visage’ his descriptive description of appearance makes impact on sight as he’s so big in the room, towering above the White family. His appearance and experience is broader and he is the catalyst for the story as he brings the monkey’s paw to the Whites’ home which will change there lives forever. Morris is both familiar and exotic. Morris and Mr. White began their lives in approximately the same way; Mr. White remembers his friend as “a slip of a youth in the warehouse,” But in his twenty-one years of travel and soldiering, Morris has seen the world and has brought back tales of ‘wild scenes and doughty deeds; of wars and plagues and strange peoples.’ He’s been a lot of places and seen a lot of things yet the White family cant possibly imagine going to another country, living there life in a routine and never stepping out of it but Mr. White hints that he does want to travel stating “I’d like to go to India myself,”.
Topic: family

Morris advises against it though saying “better where you are,” travelling isn’t all that good, better to stick to what you now instead of pushing boundaries. They’ve shared a few drinks and Morris’ eyes are brighter with his third glass of whisky at the Whites’ hearth so Mr. White now decides to bring up a previous conversation that was maybe let slip at a pub when Morris was again slightly over the limit, dropping into conversation “you started telling me the other day about a monkeys paw or something, Morris” but Morris is not keen on picking up the story that he hoped would not be brought up and discards it, stating it as “not worth hearing” and being offhanded hoping to push it aside and forget it. He’s now got all three peoples attention as the ‘three listeners leaned forward eagerly’ but he doesn’t really want it.
Topic: family

When he finally does tell them about the monkeys paw his ‘blotchy face whitened’ and his ‘glass tapped against his strong teeth’ he shows a lot of nervous body language clearly wanting to avoid the subject completely. He tells them of a spell put on the paw by an old fakir that “wanted to show that fate ruled people’s lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their own sorrow” which is also the moral of the story and their “light laughter jarred somewhat” using alliteration to give a light feel as they laughed uncomfortably at what he said. He says the paw gives three wishes to three different men and that he and a man before him have both had three wishes each. Mr. White deliberately doesn’t ask what Morris’ three wishes were but it appears clear they didn’t go well and Morris doesn’t offer to tell them either seeming anxious as well as nervous at this point. Circumstances soon become sad as he explains the first mans third wish “was for death” exampling the extreme power the paw has as ‘hush fell upon the group’. Morris thinks “it has caused enough mischief already” not wanting the responsibility of passing it on to any one else and the whole way through the story he’s talking with caution of not wanting them to touch it, he’s trying to warn them.
Topic: family

“Better let it burn” he says, he’d like to see it destroyed to put and end to it but Mr. White has other ideas “if you don’t want it ,Morris give it to me” he says back. Showing true friendship Morris wont, not wanting any blame and trying to protect his friends by keeping them out of harms way but Mr. White cant resist temptation and the excitement of playing with danger, its naughty and he knows it could have consequences but he’s on the spot, its a heat of the moment decision let it burn or try it out making the readers are curious to know more about the monkeys paw and what all can it actually do. Since there is a bad impression of the paw so far in the story the readers will also want to know what is going to happen later on and how deadly the paw can be, this sense of mystery builds suspense and tension, he has no time to think about it and just goes for it. Trying to lift the mood and break the atmosphere Mrs.
Topic: family

White to laugh it off “sounds like Arabian nights, don’t you think you might wish for four pairs of hands for me?” she says beginning to set the supper but Morris isn’t impressed with her humor, he doesn’t feel the subject should be joked or laughed about as its not a laughing matter and doesn’t appreciate her messing around with it. “if you wish, wish for something sensible” he says. There son Herbert on the other hand doesn’t believe in it anymore then he believes in Morris’ travels saying “if the tale about the monkeys paw is not more truthful than those he has been telling us”. Mr. White took the monkeys paw and gave Morris money for it although he “didn’t want it” and he ‘pressed Mr. White again to make him throw it away’ so even after being paid he wanted them to get rid of it proving he didn’t just want money for it.