Individualism in Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken,...

Individualism in Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken, Zalman Kings In Gods Hands and James Baldwins Sonnys Blues Every society has certain values and generally accepted ways of living that are considered normal. These principles are what keep societies organized and orderly. Conforming to these principles, however, is not necessarily the road to happiness for every individual. The main character, Shane, in In God’s Hands, Sonny, in Sonny’s Blues, and the speaker in The Road Not Taken, all choose not to live by what is considered normal, or popular, and are able to find happiness by living as individuals. Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken is a poem about the choices every person must make in their life. The first line of†¦show more content†¦Though it would seem that Sonny’s life would be miserable compared to that of his brother, he is able to find happiness with his unusual lifestyle. Throughout most of the story Sonny seems to be out of place. He is not accepted by society, and not understood by his family. At the end of the story, however, when Sonny takes his brother to a blues club to see him perform, Sonny becomes the successful and popular one, while his brother is the outsider. When Sonny’s brother first gets to the club he realizes that â€Å"everyone at the bar knew Sonny†. The line, â€Å"Here, I was in Sonny’s world. Or, rather: his kingdom. Here, it was not even a question that his veins bore royal blood†, shows that Sonny was happy and respected by the people at the club. Though the life of a heroin addict is certa inly not considered normal, and should not be glorified, Sonny is still able to find happiness in his individuality. Zalman King’s In God’s Hands is a movie about three surfers who are traveling around the world training to become big wave surfers (meaning that they will use jet skis to be towed into waves in excess of forty feet). The main character of this story is Shane, who is the best surfer out of the three, but whose personality is very different from his two companions. Shane is a spiritual loner, who has made surfing his entire life. While his friends spend much of their lives partying, and chasing women, Shane spends his

Essay about Isolation and Nature in the Works of Robert...

Isolation and Nature in the Works of Robert Frost During the height of Robert Frost’s popularity, he was a well-loved poet who’s natural- and simple-seeming verse drew people - academics, artists, ordinary people both male and female - together into lecture halls and at poetry readings across the country.1 An eloquent, witty, and, above all else, honest public speaker, Frost’s readings imbued his poetry with a charismatic resonance beyond that of the words on paper, and it is of little surprise that people gathered to listen. Yet it remains somewhat ironic that his poetry would possess this power to bring individuals together - poetry that, for the most part, contains a prevailing theme of alienation, of a sense of separation†¦show more content†¦It is often in this separation that the subject turns to the non-human for solace - and that the relations between the human and the non-human are explored. Appropriately enough, both these elements - one’s interaction with both the human and the non-human - are contained within the opening poem of North of Boston, The Pasture. We have the narrator heading out ‘. . . to clean the pasture spring’, that is, to participate with nature. There is a clear fondness for the outside extolled within the verse, as shown by the attention to the young calf, and by the desire to remain and ‘watch the water clear’3 - a desire quite contrary to the narratorr’s insistence that ‘I shan’t be gone long.’. What is curious, though, is the request that ends each stanza: ‘ - You come too.’. What needs to be determined is wether this is a genuine request for human accompaniment, or, like the somewhat forced statement it is linked with, a by-rote expression that belies the narrator’s desire to enjoy the idyllic scene alone. The poem serves well as the opening for the book, encapsulating two of the major themes that North of Boston deals with. However, to examine the first of the scenarios outlined above - poetry in which no human presence isShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Dark Side of Humanity Exposed in Robert Frosts Poetry991 Words   |  4 PagesThe Dark Side of Humanity Exposed in Robert Frosts Poetry Robert Frost is often referred to as a poet of nature. Words and phrases such as fire and ice, flowers in bloom, apple orchards and rolling hills, are all important elements of Frosts work. These ‘benign objects provide an alternative way to look at the world and are often used as metaphors to describe a darker view of nature and humans. In Frosts poetry, the depth is as important as the surface. The darker aspects of Frosts poetryRead MoreImagery in Robert Frost’s â€Å"Desert Places†720 Words   |  3 PagesApril 19, 2010 Imagery in Robert Frost’s â€Å"Desert Places† Robert Frost, an American poet of the late 19th century, used nature in many of his writings. One of the great examples is the poem â€Å"Desert Places† that express feelings of a speaker and the meaning of the entire poem through images of nature. The poem describes two different kinds of desert places and clearly emphasizes the most frightening one. To help readers understand the meaning of â€Å"Desert Places†, Frost uses variety of images to createRead More The Theme of Isolation in Robert Frosts The Mending Wall Essay797 Words   |  4 PagesThe Theme of Isolation in Robert Frosts The Mending Wall Robert Frosts The Mending Wall is a comment on the nature of our society. In this poem, Frost examines the way in which we interact with one another and how we function as a whole. For Frost, the world is often one of isolation. Man has difficulty communicating and relating to one another. As a result, we have a tendency to shut ourselves off from others. In the absence of effective communication, we play the foolish game of avoidingRead MoreRobert Frost s Writing Style1589 Words   |  7 Pages Robert Frost once said, â€Å"The figure a poem makes. It begins in delight and ends in wisdom... in a clarification of life - not necessarily a great clarification, such as sects and cults are founded on, but in a momentary stay against confusion† (Robert Frost Quotes). This same kind of thinking opened the door for metaphorical poetry that helped to show the poets transparency. His love for the social outcast and the struggles of his life are exhibited greatly in his poems. Robert Frost helpedRead MoreThe Unnatural Life of Robert Frost683 Words   |  3 PagesThe Unnatural Life of R. Frost. One of the most humble of men to be awarded a modest four Pulitzer prizes and casually accept a Congressional Gold Medal for his works, Robert Frost arguably carried a literary movement and immortalized himself in history. While viewed as a naturalist, Frost is noted for the New England regionalism that is prevalent in his works. By acting on the world and surrendering to his poetry, Frost held a cynical mirror of bi-polarity to his world and developed it throughRead MoreThe Life Of Robert Frost ( 1874-1963 )1683 Words   |  7 PagesWhile he lived Robert Frost (1874-1963) enjoyed the recognition as an accomplished po-et. He was a multiple Pulitzer Prize recipient as well as of the honor of the Congressional Gold Medal. Considered one of the finest modernist poets of the twentieth century his poems to this day are admired for the depiction of the bucolic nature of New England and his practiced use of the everyday spoken word. Mr. Frost was born in California in later moving across the country to Lawrence, Massa-chusetts in 1885Read MoreBiography and Works of Robert Frost794 Words   |  3 PagesBiography: On the outside, Robert Frost’s life seemed easy, but what happened in his life explains why he wrote about a darker side of human nature. Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco. According to â€Å"Frost’s Life and Career† on Modern American Poetry, Frost lived there until he, his mother, and his sister moved to Massachusetts after the death of his father. That is where he married Elinor Miriam White, and had six children, two of them dying as babies. Frost grew tired of the MassachusettsRead MoreOut Out by Robert Frost548 Words   |  2 PagesRobert Frost is the author of Out Out--, â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, and Nothing Gold can Stay. His literary work communicates deep meaning through the use of metaphoric language and deception. Being raised most of his life on a farm; his works perceive the natural life of a normal person while out in nature. â€Å"Frost believes that the emphasis on everyday life allows him to communicate with his readers more clearly; they can empathize with the struggles and emotions that are expressed inRead MoreAn Analysis of Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken1800 Words   |  7 PagesRoad Not Taken Robert Frost Introduction Robert Frost is one of the best known poets in American history, and his poem, The Road Not Taken is among the most well-known of all his poems. Frost places a great deal of emphasis on nature in his writing, as he was a lover of the countryside. He based many of his poems on the New England scenery, which was his home for most of his life. I chose this particular poem because I have enjoyed the readings we have done so far of his work and The Road NotRead MoreRobert Frost s Mending Wall1291 Words   |  6 PagesIn Robert Frost’s poem â€Å"Mending Wall†, he illustrates barriers as linking people through, communication, friendship and the sense of security people gain from those barriers. His messages are utilized through systems, for example, symbolism, structure, and humor, uncovering a complex side of the poem and, in addition, accomplishing a general carefree impact. In Robert Frost’s â€Å"Mending Wall† a tightly woven intricate balance of literal an d metaphorical meaning is portrayed through themes of isolation

Sociology Mental and Sexual Atrocities

Questions: 1. What was the most surprising thing that stood out to you about the film? 2. What did you find most difficult to watch/hear?3. Do you think that most Canadians really know about what went on in Residential Schools? Why or why not?4. How did the experiences and education being taught in the Residential Schools affect the students sense of self-worth?5. The 100 years of Residential schools have been called Canadas Holocaust. If this is true, then why are most people ignorant to what really went on? Why do you think people hold so easily to their negative stereotypes (or racist views)?6. How do you think this could affect a persons choices after leaving the Residential School?7. How do you think we can promote reconciliation after all of the harm that has been done? Did the national apology from Steven Harper make a difference? Why or why not?8. What are you going to do with what youve seen? How will this affect you (and how you treat your patients or people in society) in your nursin g career? Answers: 1. The most surprising thing about the movie We were children is the manner in which the Canadian governments residential system got involved in physical, mental and sexual atrocities to young children. The scene of Lyna being subjected to hunger, loneliness, racism and abuse at such a young age truly makes me question why should children be subjected to such atrocities at such young age when they needs to be nurtured and cared. 2. The most disturbing scene for me is Glens attempt to commit suicide. 3. I think Canadians were aware about the atrocities in Residential school because the Canadian Government formally apologized for these schools in June 2008. The Canadian Residential school system was started way back in the 1850s and since then about 1,50, 000 aboriginal children in Canada were legally forced to attend the residential schools. The main purpose was to integrate the aboriginal population into the Canadian society. All Canadian are now aware of the atrocities and horrendous experience of children in these schools after the government apology and several attempts to retell the story. The movie We were children has disclosed the horror acts to the world through the narration and acting of Lyna and Glen. Several reports also covered atrocities in residential schools which depicted violation of childs self esteem and culture. 4. The experience and education taught in Residential schools affected the students self-worth in many ways. This can be understood from the experiences of the character Lyna and Glen in the movie We were children. These children were punished for speaking their own language and often locked up in storage room for several days. They were victims of abuse and have witnessed abuse done to other children too at the residential school. Their feeling of self-worth was highly affected as it was seen in the movie that both Lyna and Glen faced lot of difficulty in adjusting to life outside school. They had a feeling that they were not suitable to fit into the white society and it lead may children to attempt suicide to stop their sufferings. All form of abuses, poor sanitation along with overcrowding and threatening has resulted in poor self-esteem in affected children and rise in social dysfunction over the generation. 5. The Residential school system has been called the Canadas holocaust, still may people are ignorant to what happened at the school. This can be said because despite several reports on negative experience of residential school children, nothing has been done still to improve the experience of these children or the survivors. They now suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome and have poor social and professional skills. Aboriginal community is still in need f ways to health their wounds caused by substance abuse, violence and crime. The experience of children at the Canadian residential school depicts racial stereotyping practices in society. They were abused because of their race and origin. People hold on to negative stereotypes because of their social values and attitude towards people. Some engage in this racial stereotype because they were also a part of it. It was also found that children experiencing racism in residential school tend to transmit this across generation depicting their own experience as a factor influencing such acts. Negative stereotypes can affects a persons choice after leaving the residential school because they will also adapt the abusive behavior learned from residential school. It will lead to a intergenerational trauma in which effects of racial experience will be passed on to vulnerable children. Due to this racial stereotypes, their cultural values and sense will be affected leading to harmful consequence in the future. They might develop feelings of low self-esteem and sense of worthlessness in life. They struggle to fit in society and develop mistrust towards people. 7. After all the damage done to children in Residential schools, reconciliation can be done by promoting the rights of Aboriginal community throughout Canada. Healing initiative can also be undertaken to counsel affected children and help them overcome different psychological problem. Several such healing initiative has been implemented in Canada to address sexual and physical abuse in affected person. The national apology of Stephen Harper has not worked because he is not committed to true reconciliation efforts. People still do not get real benefit as residential school survivors face several issues in their life till now. Sustained action is required to make the reconciliation efforts possible. 8. As a nurse, I would deal with such children in a very compassionate manner. In case of people suffering from substance abuse, I would provide them drug treatment and rehabilitation support. I would provide treatment to break their addictions and manage their withdrawal symptoms. I would provide emotional support and physical care to residential school survivors.