The Psychology Underlying The Narrative Strategy English Literature Essay

The Psychology Underlying The Narrative Strategy English Literature Essay Robert Louis Stevensons novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a great illustration of how different disciplines of education are intertwined. Although this novel is used in many English courses, it could also be used in a Psychology course more specifically, an Abnormal Psychology course. On the surface, Dr. Jekyll is clearly suffering from dissociative identity disorder, more commonly known as a split personality. He alternates between the personalities of himself and his evil half, Mr. Hyde; however, below the surface there is another way this novel relates to Psychology. Dr. Sigmund Freud, a very notorious psychologist from the Victorian Era from which this novel is written, proposed a theory called Psychoanalytic Theory. This theory suggests the notion that the unconscious is split into three dimensions: the ego, the id, and the superego. Each of these dimensions represents one of the main characters in this novel. The narrative strategy in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is effective because it offers the perspectives of the three main characters, Dr. Hastie Lanyon, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, and Mr. Gabriel Utterson, which stimulates all parts of the unconscious making the novel appealing to all types of people. Dr. Hastie Lanyon represents the ego of the story which Freud describes as the decision-making component of personality that operates according to the reality principle (McCann, and Weiten 523). Lanyon is very much a realist. He speaks dismissively of Dr. Jekylls experiments describing them as  unscientific balderdash (Stevenson, 38). Lanyons dominant ego also makes him very skeptical. An instance that shows this characteristic is when he is following instructions to gather the contents of Dr. Jekylls drawer. Upon finding the contents, Dr. Lanyon says, Here were a phial of some tincture, a paper of some salt, and the record of a series of experiments that had led (like too many of Jekylls investigations) to no end of practical usefulness (Stevenson, 73). Dr. Lanyon seriously doubts the value of the work of his former colleague, Dr. Jekyll. His letter which shows his point of view of the events involving Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde shows the cynical side of the story which stimulates the re aders own ego by allowing them to question the plausibility of the events that occur in this mysterious novel. Dr. Jekylls alternate personality, Hyde, represents the id, which according to Freud, is the primitive, instinctive component that operates according to the pleasure principle (McCann, and Weiten 523). Hyde is described as a troglodyte. This is basically defined as a primitive or caveman-like creature. Hyde is described as a short and hideous man that repulses everyone that crosses his path. The id can also be thought of as the devil on your shoulder that gives bad advice just to satisfy the here and now instincts of the unconscious. Evil is always described as inferior to good and the way Dr. Jekylls clothes are too big for Hyde correlates with this outlook. The id has a very powerful negative influence over the unconscious mind just as Hyde is very negatively influential over Dr. Jekylls personality. According to Freud there is always an internal conflict going on inside the unconscious sectors of the mind between the evil id and the good ego. An example of how this conflict arises in the novel is when Hyde murders Sir Danvers Carew. This shows how the id, Hyde, overpowers the ego-like, or good, Mr. Carew for no obvious reason other than it was something to do that would please him at that very moment. The perspective of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde presented through the letter at the end of the novel shows the reader how the id can sometimes overpower the rest of the unconscious and can also counter the attitude of the ego or Dr. Lanyon, therefore stimulating the readers id. Mr. Gabriel Utterson represents the last component of the unconscious, the superego. Freud describes this this part as, the moral component of personality that incorporates social standards about what represents right and wrong (McCann, and Weiten 523). The superego acts as a mediator between the instinctive urges of the id and the realistic impulses of the ego. Mr. Utterson represents a perfect Victorian gentleman. He is polite and follows societys norms but his persistent investigations show that he cannot ignore the fact that something unnatural is going on with his friend, Dr. Jekyll. Although the three main characters were once best friends, after Dr. Lanyon decided that Dr. Jekylls experiments were too peculiar and later declaring to Mr. Utterson, Jekyll became too fanciful for me. He began to go wrong, wrong in mind (Stevenson, 38), Mr. Utterson became a mutual friend or the mediator between the other two gentlemen. The way the novel is structured, having Mr. Uttersons perspec tive contribute to the bulk of it, is effective because it is a midway point for the reader. It allows the readers own superego to mediate the events that occur regarding Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It is interesting to see what can be uncovered when different areas of education are applied to one another. Through the research of Dr. Sigmund Freud, one is able to relate the psychology of the unconscious mind to the behaviour, motives, and opinions of the characters Dr. Lanyon, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Mr. Utterson in Robert Louis Stevensons novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This novel is remarkable because the author chose a creative way to narrate so that every person that reads the novel, no matter if they are dominated by their unconscious ego, id, or superego, they will be able to relate to at least one of the main characters. The narration technique of this novel is significant because it stimulates each region of the unconscious mind and allows the reader to separately evaluate the views of each of the three main characters which, in turn, eliminates bias.

Cyrano de Bergerac: Cyranos Qualities :: Cyrano De Bergerac Essays

Throughout Edmond Rostand’s classic play, Cyrano de Bergerac, the title character, Cyrano, is a passionate writer whose complex and rich personal qualities are the foundation of his peerless eloquence. Cyrano’s unrivaled sense of humor is a defense against those who humiliate him for his outlandish appearance. For example, during the â€Å"nose† speech, Cyrano challenges Valvert with twenty stunningly varied and complex alternative suggestions, one more stinging than the next, to replace Valvert’s banal attempt at insult. Cyrano's retaliation against Valvert's feeble attempt at embarrassment backfires as Cyrano destroys his opponent with a tirade of ingenious examples of how better to insult "the nose": â€Å"It’s a rock, a peak, a cape! No, more than a cape: a peninsula!† (41). In addition to Cyrano’s wit, his language is deeply thought-out and rich with poetic imagination. Cyrano amplifies upon a single word by using concr ete words to spin a simple concept into a memorable poetic experience. Cyrano illustrates the value of Christian’s need for a kiss from Roxane: â€Å"After all, what is a kiss? A vow made at closer range, a more precise promise, a confession that contains its own proof, a seal placed on a pact that has already been signed; it’s a secret told to the mouth rather than to the ear, a fleeting moment filled with the hush of eternity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (126). Furthermore, it is in compensation for Cyrano’s great suffering that his verbal style is so sensitive and brilliant. He will always love in vain: 2 â€Å"Look at me and tell me what hope this protuberance might leave me!†¦I go into a garden, smelling the fragrance of spring with my poor monstrous nose, and watch a man and a woman strolling together in the moonlight. I think how much I, too, would like to be walking arm in arm with a woman, under the moon† (51). Incorporating cleverness and eloquence into his language, Cyrano replies to Le Bret’s sympathy with the response that he would never let a â€Å"sublime† tear be lowered by having to run down such an ugly nose.

Naturalism in Stephen Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Streets Essay

Naturalism in Stephen Crane’s â€Å"Maggie: A Girl of the Streets† â€Å"Maggie: A Girl of the Streets,† is a novella written by Stephen Crane and published in the year 1893. This work was published during the time of the Industrial Revolution, when factories were appearing everywhere. Their workers were often not paid enough to lead a decent life, and suffered from their situation. They were not very civilized and sometimes aggressive in their behavior. Perhaps because of this radical change from a more agricultural lifestyle to one of industry and factories, some pieces of literature were starting to transition from the classification of Realistic writings to works that are now categorized as works of Naturalism. While the two categories are related, Naturalistic works often are based in urban landscapes and focus upon the poor and less educated; whereas the character focus and settings of Realistic works were ordinary people living in both cities and small towns. Crane’s novella was written right as the literary movement of Realism ended and Naturalism began, and understandably includes elements of both movements. Crane’s story, though, can be concretely set in one category. His story occurs in urban New York. The plot of it is set on a community of its poor residents who cannot change their situation. The themes and tenets used in this work, as well as the aforementioned setting and plot choices, concretely set this novella in the classification of a work of Naturalism. Crane uses foreshadowing to allude to storylines that are created and events that occur later in the story. In the opening of the novella, we are greeted with a scene of a bloody and intense fight. Those involved are mere children, who are fighting intensely and drawing all the blood they can from their adversaries. The names of the neighborhoods from which the boys are from: â€Å"Rum Alley† and â€Å"Devil’s Row†, imply to the reader that the inhabitants are both heavily dependent on alcohol and rough in their personalities. The fact that young children are fighting battles like animals echoes the similar themes of Naturalists portraying the city as a jungle, and its’ inhabitants equal to the animals that occupy it. Crane uses both similes and metaphors to add intensity and detail to his work. His work is peppered with colorful language that allows the reader to perceive an occurrence or characteristic with greater intensity. Crane implies that Maggie is a flower through stating that she â€Å"blossomed in a mud puddle† (ch. 5). When referring to the speed with which Maggie at her food, Crane states that she ate â€Å"like a small pursued tigress† (ch. 2). Later, Jimmie confronted Pete at the bar, and â€Å"snarled like a wild animal† when he threatened Pete into a fight (ch. 11). Soon before the fight, Jimmie, his companion, and Pete stood close together and â€Å"bristled like three roosters† (ch. 11). From these similes and metaphors can be pulled Crane’s portrayal of the city. The use of animal comparisons to refer to the actions of people expose the animal-like and barbaric nature of those described. Crane and other Naturalists used this technique of describing the city as a jungle to present to their readers the reality of city life. The lifestyle and living conditions of the poor were animal-like. They fought one another in a struggle to survive. Whoever was larger was always considered superior over the small. When Pete approaches the brawling children and hits one on the head to stop him from fighting, the young boy â€Å"scrambled to his feet, and perceiving, evidently, the size of his assailant, ran quickly off, shouting alarms† (ch. 1). Crane’s use of diction is also telling of the lifestyle of those living in the Bowery. The characters speech is consistently made up of curses and broken words. It shows that the inhabitants are either poorly educated or uneducated, and lack a civilized lifestyle. The male inhabitants, at least in this story, are constantly challenging another to a fight if he feels insulted by something the other does or says. These traits further demonstrate the uncivilized and animal-like existence of those living there. Crane’s use of characterization helps the reader form ideas or hypotheses about the way a character will act throughout the story. In Chapter One, as Pete is approaching the brawl on the street, he is given the following description: Down the avenue came boastfully sauntering a lad of sixteen years, although the chronic sneer of an ideal manhood already sat upon his lips. His hat was tipped with an air of challenge over his eye. Between his teeth, a cigar stump was tilted at the angle of defiance. He walked with a certain swing of the shoulders which appalled the timid. He glanced over into the vacant lot in which the little raving boys from Devil’s Row seethed about the shrieking and tearful child from Rum Alley. â€Å"Gee! † he murmured with interest. â€Å"A scrap. Gee! † He strode over to the cursing circle, swinging his shoulders in a manner which denoted that he held victory in his fists. He approached at the back of one of the most deeply engaged of the Devil’s Row children. Ah, what deh hell,† he said, and smote the deeply-engaged one on the back of the head. This description of Pete portrays him as a person with a lot of confidence and one that sees himself as having authority over others and can do what he would like. â€Å"Maggie† is a story that is pessimistic. It is not only a story of a character who ultimately succumbs to her situation by becoming a prostitute because she feels she has no other way if supporting herself, but also one of the horrible conditions of the lower class. The residents of the area are â€Å"stuck† in the same situation of those who before them and cannot change. This is especially seen in Jimmie, because when he gets older, he adopts the same traits his father had. The story also is detached. Crane is merely telling the story. He does not intrude upon the writing by stating that anything was right or wrong. In every situation that could render an opinion or analysis by the author, Crane does not interject with his ideas or thoughts about what is happening: he merely tells the story as it happened with no feeling toward it. He states something as it is and does not embellish it. When Tommie dies, it is stated exactly as it is: â€Å"The babe, Tommie, died† (ch. ). No sad reminisces about his life or the â€Å"tragedy† of his death is given. He does not judge the characters. Naturalist writers often gave very detailed accounts of situations in their stories, but left judgment and interpretation to the reader. Tied to the fates of the characters is the story’s theme of â€Å"survival of the fittest†. The baby, Tommie, dies because he is too weak to survive. The same is the case for Maggie: she is dependent upon Pete for support. When she no longer has a relationship with him, she succumbs to her lowly situation and dies before her mother and Jimmie. Jimmie and his mother survive because they have the toughness to endure the rough lifestyle that living in the city requires. Violence and aggression are persistent themes throughout â€Å"Maggie. † The novella opens with a violent fight scene. When Jimmie returns home from the fight, his mother is furious and angrily scrubs him raw while washing the blood from the fight off of him. Pete, when breaking up the fight that Jimmie was in, just hits one of the kids on the head instead of speaking. Jimmie fights Pete when he discovers he has ruined his sister. While Pete leads Maggie through a crowded sidewalk, he threatens to fight some who are in their way. This aggression is another way that Crane implies to the reader that the city is a jungle and those who reside in it are animals. A final similar theme of â€Å"Maggie† and other works written in the time of Naturalism is the use of irony. The first instance of it occurs after Jimmie tells his mother Maggie had â€Å"gone to the devil,† which is a phrase the novella uses for having premarital sex. She curses Maggie for a bit, the says â€Å"†Ah, who would t’ink such a bad girl could grow up in our fambly† (ch. 0). This is a statement of great irony, because the environment Maggie grew up in was horrible, and her family was by no means a good one. A second instance of this occurs when Jimmie comes home to report â€Å"Mag’s dead† (ch. 19). His alcoholic and abusive mother wildly mourns the death of her daughter. A group of mourners arrive at the apartment, and one of the women tells her â€Å"†Yeh’ll fergive her, Mary! Yeh’ll fergive yer bad, bad, chil’! Her life was a curse an’ her days were black an’ yeh’ll fergive yer bad girl? She’s gone where her sins will be judged†Ã¢â‚¬  (ch. 19). She responds by stating she would. This again reflects irony by the fact that, in the household she grew up in it was hard not to commit a sin. (Word Count: 1617) Crane’s novella reflects themes and techniques commonly used in Naturalistic writings. The writers whose works were considered from the era of Naturalism all had common themes and tenets that characterized their stories. Through the use of these literary devices the authors were able to paint a picture of the lives of the members of the lowest class and bring their readers to realize the reality of the world in which they lived.

Free Essays on Sonnet 18

In the sonnet â€Å"Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? (XVIII),† William Shakespeare uses images, metaphors, personification, and conceit to portray his theme that as long as this poem lives so does the beauty of the man he speaks of. The beloved's "eternal summer" shall not fade just because it is personified in the sonnet. The speaker has much influence in the poem to defy time and carry the beauty of the beloved down to generations forever. The images that Shakespeare uses are simple, but capture the beauty of the beloved man. In line 3 the speakers talks of â€Å"rough winds,† and â€Å"the darling buds of May† he is using rough winds to describe the unpredictable chance and change, and he implies that his beloved does not suffer from these winds as summer does. When the speaker assures his beloved that his â€Å"eternal summer shall not fade,† he is using summer as a metaphor for his beauty. He boasts that, unlike a summer’s day, the memory of his beloved will last forever. The speaker personifies the sky, or â€Å"heaven,† by using the metaphor of an â€Å"eye† for the sun so that the comparison between a person and a season becomes dramatic. By assigning heaven an â€Å"eye,† the speaker uses the image of his beloved’s eyes. Similarly, in the next line when the speaker mentions that summer’s â€Å"gold complexion† is often â€Å"dimmed,† he is attempting to compare a human attribute with some trait of summer. Throughout the poem the speaker is comparing his beloved to the traits of summer. The first line introduces the conceit of the sonnet, the comparison of the speaker’s beloved to a summer’s day. The speaker then builds on this comparison when he writes, â€Å"Thou art more lovely and more temperate† because he is describing his beloved in a way that could also describe summer. The speaker simply contrasts the life span of his poem and his beloved’s memory to the personality of a summer’s day. He brags that,... Free Essays on Sonnet 18 Free Essays on Sonnet 18 In the sonnet â€Å"Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? (XVIII),† William Shakespeare uses images, metaphors, personification, and conceit to portray his theme that as long as this poem lives so does the beauty of the man he speaks of. The beloved's "eternal summer" shall not fade just because it is personified in the sonnet. The speaker has much influence in the poem to defy time and carry the beauty of the beloved down to generations forever. The images that Shakespeare uses are simple, but capture the beauty of the beloved man. In line 3 the speakers talks of â€Å"rough winds,† and â€Å"the darling buds of May† he is using rough winds to describe the unpredictable chance and change, and he implies that his beloved does not suffer from these winds as summer does. When the speaker assures his beloved that his â€Å"eternal summer shall not fade,† he is using summer as a metaphor for his beauty. He boasts that, unlike a summer’s day, the memory of his beloved will last forever. The speaker personifies the sky, or â€Å"heaven,† by using the metaphor of an â€Å"eye† for the sun so that the comparison between a person and a season becomes dramatic. By assigning heaven an â€Å"eye,† the speaker uses the image of his beloved’s eyes. Similarly, in the next line when the speaker mentions that summer’s â€Å"gold complexion† is often â€Å"dimmed,† he is attempting to compare a human attribute with some trait of summer. Throughout the poem the speaker is comparing his beloved to the traits of summer. The first line introduces the conceit of the sonnet, the comparison of the speaker’s beloved to a summer’s day. The speaker then builds on this comparison when he writes, â€Å"Thou art more lovely and more temperate† because he is describing his beloved in a way that could also describe summer. The speaker simply contrasts the life span of his poem and his beloved’s memory to the personality of a summer’s day. He brags that,...

Underbelly vs Chopper Connected Text Essay Example

Underbelly vs Chopper Connected Text Essay Example Underbelly vs Chopper Connected Text Paper Underbelly vs Chopper Connected Text Paper The two types of texts I am comparing are two different types of the underworld in Melbourne Australia. They explain the depth of crimes they committed and the gangs they were in. The novel I am using is Chopper Reads novel. In this he talked about his upbringing and joining the underworld as early as 15. The Movie I am comparing the novel to is Underbelly, written by Peter Gawler and directed by Tony Tilse. Under belly is about to rival gangs competing for complete control for the underworld. In both the texts all the characters were free to make any decisions they wanted, but most of them would affect they lives greatly. In the novel Chopper read explains that almost when he was born his parents thought he was mentally insane. At the age of 7 he was taken to a mental hospital for treatments. But none worked. He got involved with the Melbourne underworld at the age of 15. The Melbourne gangland wars start the night the gangster Alphonse Gangitano, The Black Prince of Lygon Street, and one of the legendary Carlton Crew gang, murders a low-life crim named Greg Workman at a St Kilda party for the sheer hell of it. The charming gangster Alphonse gets away with the murder by convincing two witnesses not to testify but the killing sets the tone for the mayhem that will follow, and sets Alphonse himself on a path to self-destruction. When Mark Copper Read did a crime it did not care if he got caught. He would just be happy that he accomplished what he wanted to do. He once saw a girl getting doing dirty deeds for a drug dealer for some cocaine. Chopper told her to go home and never come back to the city and everything will be alright. The next week he got 5 years for giving the drug dealers feet third degree burns. This is the opposite for the people in Underbelly. They only committed a crime if they were sure that they wont get caught. A lot of the time they just got hit men just to do there dirty work. I liked the concept of the Melbourne underworld from Mark Chopper Read then from underbelly because Mark Chopper Reads novel was pure facts unlike underbelly which was nothing like the underbelly novels. The TV series was just made to entertain. Even though both texts talk about the Melbourne underground, Underbelly is like the kids version of the Melbourne underworld. While they were setting up hit mans to kill there enemy Chopper was some bars cellar burning some drug dealers feet. Over all I think the Chopper Novel takes the prize of best text for the sole fact that he is talking from experience while underbelly is being directed for a big audience. Chopper just wrote the novels to past boredom in jail I couldn’t even spell and now I am international bestseller. Even though the underbelly TV series entertains me greatly, I know that half of it is lies just to get money†¦

National health insurance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

National health insurance - Research Paper Example This essay argues that the United States should reform its health insurance system and switch to a national system because the current system is not working. The World Health Organization released a report in 2000, which set out three goals of a fair and just health care system. These are: (a) providing good health (b) responsiveness, i.e, satisfying peoples’ expectations of respect and care from health care providers and (c) ensuring that costs are distributed according to an individual’s ability to pay. (www.ddl.umaine. edu). Japan has a nationalised health care system, whereby health care services such as preventive measures for certain diseases, pre-natal health care and similar mandatory services are provided by the Government, but specialized health care required by individuals is funded through a universal health care system, i.e, employee insurance. As pointed out by Harden (2009), the Japanese system costs half as much but achieves much better outcomes as compared to the United States. In the case of Sweden, health care is funded through a combination of state funding, taxes, social insurance and patient fees (Gennser, 1999). The advantages offered by the partially nationalised systems of health care in both these countries is: (a) lower costs of the system to patients (b) access to health care by all citizens and (c) better health outcomes, because people are able to approach health care centres and get basic medical check up procedures performed on an ongoing basis to detect serious medical conditions early on. There are also however, some problems which have manifested in these systems in most developed nations. For instance, Gennser (1999) points out that one of these problems is the overall increase in health care costs over a ten year period, while productivity fell. This was caused largely by increased employment of health professionals, but a lack of optimal use of the available manpower. Secondly, there is a general decrease in

Racism and the African Condition in America Research Paper

Racism and the African Condition in America - Research Paper Example The African Americans, who during the early times of the American civil war were not part of the recognized American society, were used as sources of labor. As such, they were treated as no more than animals that provided labor for the benefit of the slave owners and drivers, who reaped the benefits of free labor and controlled how much output they wanted from the slaves. This was one of the highest levels of racism, where non-blacks would not work, and if they did, they would do the least amount of work. The above case was also demonstrated by the use of African Americans being used to take part in and complete tasks that were deemed degrading to the prestigious and elite white race. Due to this, African-Americans had their role in the society reserved as per predisposition that they were inferior to the whites, which allowed African-Americans to be used for heavy manual labor in the farms and plantations. Following their predisposition in society, they were referred to as Negroes a nd were entitled to all forms of slavery-affiliated activities concerning forced labor. This was by all means, against traditional convention found in ancient civilizations, in which slavery was not based on skin color, but rather on the superiority of character and ability of the person I question. This is because ancient slaves were often the spoils of war or people that were captured from wars and raids, but the African American slaves were only picked to work based on the color of their skins. The above was a blatant portrayal of racism that existed in the period prior to the American civil war from the time of their capture from their native homes in different parts of West Africa. In addition to slavery, due to the color of the skin African-Americans bore the title of slaves from as early as the 18th century. With this in mind, they did not hold any form of human dignity as they were viewed and perceived as being less than human, but better than animals considering that they u nderstood the directions given to them. Under the treatment as slaves, they did not enjoy equal rights with the rest of the human population in America, as they were not human to the American slave drivers and owners; a direct translation of this statement indicates that as slaves they lived under very dilapidated conditions with no necessities except those that sustain life. However, they had to work for the same food they fed on in spite of working on plantations and fields for hours on end. They were forced into sugar factories and tobacco farms, with no form of protective gear, as they were as disposable as the next animal of no value despite raking in plenty of fortunes for their owners. As such, no other races were involved in work as slaves except African-Americans who were denied their rights as individuals and humans through collective treatment and misconceptions of inferiority in a white-dominated continent or land of Americans.1 In addition, for African-Americans to be d enied their rights there must have been a form of recognition of them being humans in order to decide that they were not equal to the rest. Religiously from the moment that the African-Americans were allowed to practice their own religious practices, they were faced with numerous racial challenges.