Native Son by Richard Wright Essay Example for Free

Native Son by Richard Wright Essay Richard Wright was determined to make a profound statement. In his novel, Native Son, he endeavors to present the â€Å"horror of Negro life in the United States† (Wright xxxiii). By addressing such a significant topic, he sought to write a book that â€Å"no one would weep over; that would be so hard and deep that they would have to face it without the consolation of tears† (xxvii). Native Son is a commentary on the poverty and helplessness experienced by blacks in America, and it illustrates the abhorrent ways that blacks were treated, describes their awful living conditions and calls attention to the half-hearted efforts offered by white sympathizers. Told from the perspective of his character Bigger Thomas, Wright crafts a story depicting the oppressive lives endured by Negroes and makes it so despicable that it grabs the attention of the reader and forces him to reevaluate the state of society. There is much in this novel that would cause a reader to cry, but, to Wright’s point, the topic is so significant that it resonates more deeply and elicits a deeper response. Bigger Thomas is the protagonist of the novel, but, to Wright, Bigger also exemplifies African Americans of the time. He is barely educated, struggling to find meaningful work and living in an overcrowded slum with his family; just like many others around him. Bigger is frustrated with his place in life and finds it difficult to understand why the opportunities that are available to whites are not available to him. During an exchange with his friend Gus, Bigger exclaims, â€Å"Goddammit, look! We live here and they live there. We black and they white. They got things and we ain’t. They do things and we can’t. It’s like living in jail† (23). Bigger and Gus have no outlet to express their individuality or emotions. Their feelings towards whites are ingrained in them. Bigger states, â€Å"[Whites live] right down here in my stomach†¦Every time I think of ‘em, I feel ‘em†¦It’s like fire†¦That’s when I feel like something awful’s going to happen to me†¦Naw; it ain’t like something going to happen to me. It’s†¦It’s like I was going to do something I can’t help† (24). This statement summarizes how the everyday black man feels about his station in life and the opportunities available to him. Additionally, it foreshadows the heinous events that will unfold later in the novel. A turning point in Wright’s story comes when Bigger is offered a job as a chauffeur for the Dalton family. Mr. Dalton is a white real estate mogul that prides himself for being a member of the NAACP. He employs young black men in an attempt to rehabilitate them. On the surface, this is an ideal opportunity for Bigger because it provides room and board and pays well enough to allow him to take care of his mother and siblings, but Wright is looking to emphasize how the trivial the actions taken by the white sympathizers do not actually address the challenges faced by the African American population. Bigger is not overwhelmed by this opportunity or impressed that the last chauffeur had gone to night school. Moreover, this job ultimately places Bigger in a situation that he cannot control, and he accidentally smothers Dalton’s daughter, Mary. Bigger realizes, â€Å"Though he had killed by accident, not once did he feel the need to tell himself that it had been an accident. He was black and he had been alone in a room where a white girl had been killed; therefore he had killed her† (101). This is the â€Å"awful† event that Bigger alluded to earlier in the story. Killing Mary elicits feelings in Bigger that he had never experienced before. Bigger acknowledges, â€Å"He was more alive than he could ever remember having been; his mind and attention were pointed, focused toward a goal† (141). Bigger embraced these feelings and continued with a scheme to make everyone believe that Mary had been kidnapped. With the assistance of his girlfriend Bessie, he plans to escape with $10,000 in ransom money. Wright uses Bigger’s emotions and his heightened sense of awareness at this point in the novel to comment on society at the time. Wright is stating that the act of murder is one of the only ways for young African American men to express themselves, to exert any independence and to get out from under the oppression of their daily life. When the authorities realize that Bigger is the killer he flees to avoid being captured, but he realizes that â€Å"all his life he had been knowing that sooner or later something like this would come to him† (207). Survival becomes paramount to Bigger, escaping the law is his only priority, and Bessie becomes a liability. While attempting to hide from the police, Bigger realizes that it will be easier to escape without traveling with Bessie. In a tense scene, Bigger first rapes Bessie, lets her fall to sleep and finally bludgeons her. His actions are methodical as  Ã¢â‚¬Å"he lifted the brick again and again, until in falling it struck a sodden mass that gave softly but stoutly to each landing blow. Soon he seemed to be striking a wet wad of cotton, of some damp substance whose only life was the jarring of the brick’s impact† (222). Ultimately this second murder is unnecessary, as Bigger is soon apprehended. Bigger is arrested and indicted for the murder of Mary Dalton, and the character that Wright chooses to defend him is a white, Jewish attorney, named Boris Max. In the novel, Max takes the time to talk to Bigger and understand the actions in his life that have influenced him. For the first time in his life, Bigger has someone interested in his thoughts and feelings, which result in Bigger beginning finding hope. Max does his best to motivate Bigger to fight to save his own life. Max pleads, â€Å"Listen Bigger, you’re facing a sea of hate now that’s no different than what you’ve faced all your life. And, because it’s that way, you’ve got to fight. If they can wipe you out, then they can wipe others out too† (320). Throughout this section of the book Bigger undergoes a transformation. By explaining his actions and feelings to Max, he finally emerges from the shell he has created around himself. Max works hard to understand the issues in Bigger’s life that culminated in his actions and the violence he exerted against Mary and Bessie, and he uses this information to form his defense. Although the crimes that Bigger committed were horrific, the reader begins to sympathize with him as he describes more about himself and his feelings to Max as the story comes to a conclusion. Wright’s goal with this novel was to evoke empathy for Bigger and to make a statement regarding the treatment of blacks at the time. Wright uses Max’s closing statement to the judge to summarize all of the points he wants the reader to contemplate. Max combines everything that he learns about Bigger and weaves it together with the plight of the blacks during the time and eloquently argues that Bigger should be sentenced to life in prison, rather than to execution. Max argues, â€Å"This man is different, even though his crime differs from similar crimes only in degree. The complex forces of society have isolated here for us a symbol, a test symbol† (354). Through Max’s monologue, the reader more clearly understands all of the factors that  have contributed to the creation of Bigger and others like him, and he pleads with the judge to understand that there are larger forces in play, other than the specific crime that Bigger committed. Unfortunately, despite Max’s valiant attempts, the â€Å"sentence of the Court is that you, Bigger Thomas, shall die on or before midnight of Friday, March third, in a manner prescribed by the laws of this state† (381). Initially, it would appear that with Bigger’s execution, Wright fails in his attempt to move people to reevaluate the racial injustice of the times, but the conclusion is actually Wright’s acknowledgement that society was not quite ready to change.

Comparing Tell Tale Heart and The Black Cat :: comparison compare contrast essays

Tell Tale Heart and The Black Cat.    The two short stories that I have chosen by Edgar Allan Poe are The Tell Tale Heart and The Black Cat.   These two stories in particular have many things in common as far as technique goes, but they do have some significant differences between the two.   In this paper I will try to compare and contrast these two short stories and hopefully bring something to the readers attention that wasn't there at first.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the main differences in these two short stories is the way in which the reader finds out the ending of the stories.   In The Black Cat the reader finds out the ending of the story in the traditional format. At the end of the short story. However, in The Tell Tale Heart the reader knows the ending at the very beginning of the story.   An advantage of having the story come full circle is that it allows the reader to try and focus on other aspects of the story such as why and how. Poe makes the ending very clear to the reader, in doing this he makes the reader read with anticipation.   The anticipation that is created makes the story more enjoyable.   The Black Cat is written in the more traditional sense, which has its advantages as well. A traditional way of writing is having the story flow from beginning to end.   Poe is able to develop the characters as the story goes along and of course by not knowing the ending the story is full of sur prises that make it unpredictable.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another difference in technique that Poe uses between the two short stories is the way that the anger in placed.   In The Tell Tale Heart the main character's anger is placed on the direct object of whom he has problem with, but in The Black Cat the main character chooses to displace his anger on to an animal whom he had no prior qualms with.   I think what Poe was trying to convey was that sometimes our anger is directed at the things that really can't fight back, in a normal circumstance (in the story there were supernatural aspects with would not occur in a normal environment).   As we read the story and see how the man is displacing his anger we realize that at one time or another we have all done this.

Case Study Mcdonalds Essay

It operates over 35000 restaurants in more than 100 countries on six continents. 5 It has an unparalleled global infrastructure and competencies in restaurant operations, real estate, retailing, marketing and franchising. McDonald’s website says that it is a leader in the area of social responsibility and is committed to protecting the environment for future generations. 7 Strong and wide communication channel in the market. (deng, 2009) 8 Play areas for children. 9 Large target markets. 10 Recession resistant (Birchall, 2008) 11 In September 2003 successful backing up of new products was launched with MTV’s advertising campaign featuring the new tag line, â€Å"I’m Lovin’it†. (Jennifer, 2004) WEAKNESSES 1 McDonald’s has not achieved its growth expectations in past several years. Narrow Product lines. (deng, 2009) 3 McDonald’s brand association as a junk food. (deng, 2009) 4 Few option for healthy eating 5 High employee turnover rates. (macy, 2012) 6 McDonald’s also have some bad effects on environment. (ltd. , 2006) 7 McDonald’s also faces many types of legal actions on many issues. OPPORTUNITIES 1 Product packing for McDonalds now features QR codes for customers to get nutritional information. Mcnamara, 2013) 2 Opportunity to enlarge market, the consumers who care about health issue. (deng, 2009) 3 Slightly changing market brand image of McDonalds. (deng, 2009) 4 In 2009, McDonald’s launched its hefty Angus burger in all U. S. A locations. 5 Introduction of trans-fat-free French fries in all restaurants in the U. S. A and Canada. 6 Introduction of McCafe. 7 Testing marketing fruits and vegetables as happy meal at some outlets. 8 McDonald’s franchises overseas became a favorite target of people and groups expressing antiglobalization sentiments. Entry into new and highly popular product categories. THREATS 1 Public attack about obesity issue. (deng, 2009) 2 Changing taste of consumers. (deng, 2009) 3 Unable to keep patrons as special order sandwiches offered by rivals Burger King and Wendy’s. 4 Promotional plans like McDonalds game found conspiracy with 51 people charged in a part of scam winning $24 million by stealing winning McDonald’s tickets. 5 McDonalds showed a delayed effect than other restaurants operators in switching over to zero trans-fat cooking oil. In 2001 McDonald’s was sued for hurting religious sentiments by vegetarian groups for not revealing its flavors in French fries as it added beef extract to vegetable oil and showing it as veg in menu. 7 Consum ers began filing law suits that eating at McDonald’s had made them over weight. 8 Competition from burger kings and Wendy’s. (Thomadsen, 2007) MARKET SEGMENTATION TARGET MARKET| BABY BOOMERS| GENERATION X| GENERATION Y| GENERATION Z| DEMOGRAPHICS| 45-65+| 35-44| 19-34| 0-18| GEOGRAPHICS| URBAN| URBAN| URBAN| URBAN| PSYCOGRAPHICS| More concerned with low cholesterol food| More concerned with low fat food| More concerned with physical fitness food products| Generally eats taste oriented food products| BEHAVIOURAL| Mostly concerned with good quality of food products| Requires access with quick and fresh food service| Generally catch-up food by themselves by reaching out| Check out with friends and family| ISSUE ANALYSIS In 2004,Morgan Spurlock’s documentary film Super-Size Me gave very criticism to McDonald’s fast â€Å"nutrition†, in which he shows how he gains fat and destroy his health by eating McDonald’s. 2 In 1998 McDonald’s started â€Å"Made for you† System but it was not successful. There was a decrease in growth of sales in stores. 3 In 1999 before the implementation of â€Å"made for you â€Å"scheme ,McDonald’s planned to provide about 190 million in financial assistance to its franchisees ,but the actual cost of implementing the system ran much higher than the corporation had estimated. In 2001, 51 people were charged conspiring to rig McDonald’s game promotions over the course of several years, revealing that $24 million of winning McDonald’s game tickets had been stolen as a part of scam. 5 In 2004, McDonald’s was sued for extracting a small amount beef added in to the vegetable oil used for cooking French fries. 6 Many people still complain that the food served by McDonald’s is not hot to eat. RECOMMENDATIONS PRODUCT :- 1 McDonald’s should provide hot food to eat because many customers complaint that their food is not so hot to eat otherwise it will affect sales. McDonalds should bring some new healthier products for all ages because bad effect on health is one of the weaknesses of McDonald’s and bringing some healthier food will help to overcome this image. 3 McDonald’s should provide some free snacks because it will help it compete with its competitors and increase sales. 4 McDonalds should make their products in fat free oil because it will have good effect on health. 5 McDonald’s should also provide some regional food because in this way some rural people will also start accepting its products. Launching of new fried and bone in treats in Chicago. PRICE:- 1 The price of products should be affordable because if they will not be affordable to small income group then its sale will be affected and it will also give the opportunity to competitors to increase their sales. 2 The prices of products should be regularly checked so as to compete with competition because people will buy those products which they can get in low price. PLACE:- 1 McDonald’s should open new franchises in small cities also . It will help them to expand its business and increase growth. McDonald’s should increase the number of its franchises in all countries in order to expand its business. PROMOTION:- 1 McDonald’s should provide some discount on more products purchased because in this way people will buy more. Because some people will start purchasing more items if they can get discount. 2 McDonald’s should provide home delivery service because sometimes some people can’t go to store in order to pu rchase them. It will increase sales. 3 McDonald’s should provide online sale because in this way people can place their orders online. McDonald’s is working on new salads and wraps . (wong, 2013) 5 McDonald, s will test the new fried and bone in treats in Chicago. (wong, 2013) 6 Success of mighty wings in Atlanta. (wong, 2013) BEST RECOMMENDATIONS PRODUCT:- McDonald’s should provide some healthier food for all ages because health obesity is the major problem with McDonald’s . In this way they can get good image regarding health. PRICE:- Prices of products should be regularly checked in order to compete with competition because people will cheapest product. PLACE:- McDonald’s should open new small franchises at small cities also because it will help him to expand its business and increase growth rates. PROMOTION:- McDonald’s should provide home delivery service because sometimes people can’t go to store in order to purchase product. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bibliography Birchall, J. (2008). McDonalds claims fast food sales fighting off slowdown. Financial times. deng, t. (2009, may). McDonalds new strategy on changing attitudes and communication. International journal of marketing studies, 37-42. Jennifer, R. (2004). online branding :the case of McDonald’s. ritish food journal. ltd. , n. m. (2006). ICCR sponsered proxy resolutions on genetically modified organisms gain recognition among shareholders at wendy’s McDonald’s . financial wire. macy, a. (2012). financing a remodel:a case of McDonald’s Franchisee. journal of case research in business and economics. Mcnamara, B. (2013). McDonalds give the people wha t they want. Nutrition business journal. Thomadsen, r. (2007). product positiong and competion:the role of location in the fast food industry. Marketing science. wong, V. (2013). will McDonald’s mighty wings fly? Business weak.

Love in Midsummer Nights Dream Essay examples - 1275 Words

What is love? Love is a very powerful emotion! Love is something that can come at any time in your life. It can appear in any way, shape, or form. In the famous play â€Å"Midsummer Nights Dream,† by William Shakespeare, love is a major theme that affects many people and causes many challenges. In order for love to conquer these challenges one needs to stay true to their love, they may need the help of some magic, and must be persistent. Staying true to ones love is so very important when one believes in their true love with every fibre of their being. Hermia and Lysander are so in love that nothing else seems to matter. They want to be together at all costs and they will not let anything get in their way, this is true especially for†¦show more content†¦His resolution is that they run away together and elope in a city just out of Athens. They believe everything will resolve itself easily so that they will never have to worry again or experience the pain of being ap art! This may have gotten them out of the situation for now, but they are still at risk of getting caught. But for them, they did not care. They were going to be together at any cost. Their true love was going to come true, even if it caused them immeasurable amounts of trouble if they got caught. Although one might feel that true love does not exist, these two believe in it and that its magic power will conquer over all the consequences coming their way no matter what the consequences may be. True love is a great thing to have but sometimes magic needs to play an important part. The magic in the play altered many relationships and caused a lot of chaos, but none were affected more than Helena and Demetrius. The fairies decide that it would be better if they attempt to alter their relationship, â€Å"A sweet Athenian lady is in love/ With a disdainful youth. Anoint his eyes,/ But do it when the next thing he espies/ May be the lady. Thou shalt know the man/ By the Athenian garments he hath on./ Effect it with some care, that he may prove/ More fond on her than she uponShow MoreRelatedLove in A Midsummer Night’s Dream1043 Words   |  5 PagesLove in A Midsummer Night’s Dream Throughout the events which unfold in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare delivers several messages on love. Through this play, one of the significant ideas he suggests is that love is blind, often defying logic and overriding other emotions and priorities. Helena loves Demetrius unconditionally and pursues him despite knowing that he loathes her; conflict arises between Helena and Hermia, childhood best friends, over Demetrius and Lysander; and becauseRead MoreA Midsummer Nights Dream- Love1141 Words   |  5 Pages In the play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, written by William Shakespeare, a literary technique known as â€Å"doubling† is used to convey entertainment, mystery and reality as the story line for Lysander and Demetrius, Helena and Hermia, Oberon and Theseus, and Titania and Hippolyta. †Doubling† shows indistinguishable personalities of each character but completely contrapositive background stories and actions. Lysander and Demetri us are completely identical except for their personality, actions, and theRead MoreTheme Of Love In A Midsummer Nights Dream1041 Words   |  5 PagesAn Analysis of Love in A Midsummer Night’s Dream Love within the modern society has taken on a flippant meaning, depending on the phraseology used around the context of the word. Love is used interchangeably with the idea that â€Å"I love apple pie† to â€Å"I love this new car† to the point in which the term love is devalued within our society. How can one say they love their spouse or children and not devalue the true meaning of this intent, when they claim to love apple pie as well? Within the playRead MoreTheme Of Love In A Midsummer Nights Dream907 Words   |  4 PagesA Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay There are several types of love that can be found within the play, â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† by William Shakespeare. I will cover the following three types of love found in the play, forced love, romantic love, and parental love. In the play Shakespeare actually tries to show the audience just how fickle love can be and even goes out of his way to poke fun at those who cannot let go of the love that they feel for another person. Another concept that ShakespeareRead MoreEssay on Love In A Midsummer Night’s Dream524 Words   |  3 Pageselements as well as characters Puck and Oberon, the true message of love in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is revealed. The four lovers know the direction in which their hearts are inclined to turn, but when the love potion is administered, the bounds of their rectangle are thrashed without knowledge or consent. The rapid shifts in affection between the play’s â€Å"four loversâ⠂¬  is representative of the idea that love isn’t a conscious choice, but a cruel game in which we are the figurinesRead MoreTheme Of Love In A Midsummer Nights Dream704 Words   |  3 PagesShakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream central theme of love A common theme in literature is love. Love can take hold in an instant and can make you do things you never would have done otherwise. Love appears in several different ways in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Hermia and Lysander show true love, while Helena demonstrates unrequited love. Titania and Bottom presents us with magic love. In the play, love is also the cause of a few broken hearts. While there is no one common definitionRead MoreMidsummer Night’s Dream: The Power of Love1260 Words   |  6 Pages Love is a powerful emotion, capable of turning reasonable people into fools. Out of love, ridiculous emotions arise, like jealousy and desperation. Love can shield us from the truth, narrowing a perspective to solely what the lover wants to see. Though beautiful and inspiring when requited, a love unreturned can be devastating and maddening. In his play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare comically explores the flaw s and suffering of lovers. Four young Athenians: DemetriusRead MoreThe Theme Of Love In A Midsummer Nights Dream755 Words   |  4 Pageshaving a cheerful ending. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy with a theme of love’s difficulties. Articulating the theme, Lysander, one of the main characters, states, â€Å"The course of true love never did run smooth,† (I.i.134). Female characters of the play, Hermia, Helena, Hippolyta, and Titania, have a significant role in the delivery of the theme of love’s difficulties. Hermia, the â€Å"disobedient† daughter of Egeus, has much in common with today’s females. She let love and the potential of happinessRead MoreTheme Of Love Gone Love And A Midsummer Nights Dream1892 Words   |  8 PagesLiterature Theme Comparison Love is a popular theme in a multitude of literature pieces throughout the times. Forbidden love seems nearly as popular as does love gone wrong and unconditional love. Two tales that contain the theme of forbidden love, the theme of love gone wrong, and the theme of unconditional love are: William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Fay Weldon’s â€Å"IND AFF or Out of Love in Sarajevo.† Though these stories were both written many years apart, they have a commonalityRead MoreDifferent Types of Love in Midsummer Night’s Dream1508 Words   |  7 PagesTypes of Love in Midsummer Night’s Dream Love and lovers, both can be described as many different things. William Shakespeare shows us this in his play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In this play we see all types of love, from passionate love to foolish love. Along with this we also see different types of lovers and pairs. Examples of these lovers come from pairs like, Hermia and Lysander, Demetrius and Helena, Titana and Bottom, and Oberon and Titana. It seems that in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare