Cold Pastoral By Marina Keegan

Cold Pastoral By Marina Keegan Throughout J.R.R. Tolkiens world renowned blockbuster novel Lord of the Rings, the word ring is mentioned multiple times, however, in Marina Keegans story Cold Pastoral, neither cold nor pastoral appears. Not even once. Pastoral can be a term used to describe the livelihood of shepherds, but in literary terms, it is a lent word to describe the mode of literature which depicts a simple life from its complex content. Similarly, cold can be used to describe the weather or feeling of people, but it can also describe a persons personality as hardhearted, cheerless and cool. The more relevant interpretation of the title together with the story would be the latter of both explanations. The story is about Claire whose boyfriend, Brian, died suddenly and the series of events that followed Brians death. Keegan, the author, through describing Claires uncertainty towards the relationship and the revelation of the reality of the relationship, revealed the cold personality of Claire and her desi re to lead a life that feels pastoral, i.e. a simple life, to highlight the importance of revelations. Commitment to a relationship does not just depend on the passion; in fact, it relies heavily on the confidence of both parties in the relationship. Apparently, Claire is not madly in love with Brian. A lot of time was spent being consciously romanticà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ we might admit à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I like you ,' are comments made by Claire on their relationship, which hint that Claire is uncertain about her relationship with Brian (1, 2). As we observe in the real world, couples at the early stages of their relationships are, more often than not, infatuated with each other. Due to the feeling of uncertainty, Claire lacks faith in her relationship with Brian, thus she is not fully committed. This accounts for, in part, why Claire does not seem extremely depressed after learning of Brians death. It is this sense of uncertainty that lingers in Claires mind, the reason for why not a lot of people know of their relationship. One of the reasons that Claire does not seem too depressed after Brian, her boyfriend, died is that she is uncertain about the relationship, which resulted in her lack of commitment, whilst her personality, cold, also contributes much to her absence of severe depression. Humans are never emotionless beings, which is why our emotions are affected greatly by the surroundings. The only stark difference between individuals is their ability to contain emotions. People who are less capable of containing their emotions are often regarded as moody or emotive, while those who are more capable are often regarded as cool and composed. Claire is definitely one of the latter ones. After Brians death, Claire surprised [herself] that night by crying alone (2). This revealed that Claire has a composed personality and that she does not express her emotions explicitly that often. As the saying goes, The onlooker sees the best. People involved in incidents are often lost in their thoughts, and it is only through revelations that they reassess and take a clearer view at the situation. Just after Brians death, Claire was preoccupied by a certain degree of sadness and sorrow. Not only once, but many times, did Claire mention her commitment to Brian, this is revealed from her comment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Id underestimated how much I liked him (2). As it turns out, her emotions and view to her relationship drastically alters after reading Brians diary. Contrary to her sadness and sorrow, Claire comments that Im actually feeling great and Fuck Brian, I thought now, which reveals that she, rather than feeling upset, is on the one hand angry with Brian, and on the other hand, feeling relieved for realizing this fact sooner instead of later (8). Had Brian not died, she would not have discovered this painful reality and broke away from feeling blue. Brians death, though sorr owful and pitiful, has given Claire a chance to reveal the truth and free herself from the bondage of the relationship. Keegan successfully portrays Claires personality through her response to Brians death, which also reveals her desire for a simple relationship the direct reverse of the relationship she had with Brian. Actions such as being consciously romantic, waiting too long before responding to texts and [Brian and Claire] took a certain pride in our ambiguity are indications that the relationship involved complications (1, 1, 2). As the title Cold Pastoral suggests, Claire is eager to seek a relationship that is simply simple. Claires request is very simple she likes being liked (1). She wanted her partner to simply love her and take care of her. After the revelation through Brians death, she is crystal clear about the kind of relationship that she pursues more than anything Id ever wanted in my life, I wanted him to love me (11). Claire simply cannot resist the opportunity to begin a simple, committed love affair. Apart from the contents of the story, Keegans manipulation of prose and style conveys strong messages about the characters and the plot. When we read the story, the narration affects our judgment greatly. Since this story is a first person narration, we have to be critical about the emotions of the narrator. Throughout the story, the tale was narrated from the perspective of Claire, the main character, and I and We are mainly used as the pronoun for Claire as the narrator (1). In such narration, the contents of the tale are easily influenced by the emotions of the narrator. Claire, whose boyfriend has just died, is with grief and pain, which indicates that she is at times pathetic and hysterical. This suggests that the narration given by Claire may not be as reliable as regular stories due to her fluctuating moods. Keegan, by using first person narration, is trying to place readers in Claires position. By doing so, readers can easily imagine themselves as Claire, which arouses sympat hy for Claires experience. In many peoples view, literary works should be elegant and profound, but plain and raw descriptions can also be powerful in conveying messages. When one reads the story, one is bound to come across many controversial choices of words, such as fuck, shit and penis, which do not normally exist in conventional novels or essays (7, 6, 2). Furthermore, the story includes many lines of dialogue and often comes with short and incomplete sentences, such as I just need time to myself toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and I know she waits before responding which isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (6, 7). The expressions, straightforward and natural, which are intentionally deployed by Keegan, can fully reveal Claires feelings and the thoughts going through her troubled mind. Since this story is about the events that happened to Claire, this writing style allows readers to have a more in-depth understanding of Claires plight, thus arousing echoes of the idea of revelation. Keegan kept the story compact, which creates a fast pace for the story, to suit the short time-span of the occurrence of events. The events in the story happened within a very limited time-span, despite the complex nature of the story. If all the ideas were explained in details, the story would have a very slow pace, which does not match with the swift happening of events. To achieve fast pacing for the story, Keegan kept the paragraphs of the text relatively short, while ideas within these paragraphs are at times incomplete, such as I just need time to myself toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and I know she waits before responding which isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (6, 7). From the examples, Keegan is providing a very vague image of Claire and a brief lead in of her thoughts. Contrary from giving the whole story, these short fragments allow readers to conceive the situation of Claire slowly but gradually. This allows Keegan to both keep the story concise yet providing sufficient vital information for readers to interpret the setting of the story and make a great impact on the minds of readers through their imagination. In the story, Keegan deliberately arranged the events in a non-chronological order, which enables readers to think in the minds of Claire. Events of stories are often in chronological order, which enables the reader to easily understand the contents of the story. However, in Cold Pastoral, the events, rather than in chronological order, are following Claires free flow of thought. In the beginning of the story, Claire mentions her relationship with Brian and Brians sudden death (2). After the breaking line, the focus turns to her interaction with her friends (2). After the second breaking line, Claire expresses her views on Lauren, Brians ex-girlfriend (2). Furthermore, after the third breaking line, the narration mentions Claires visit to Brians family (3). If the story is to be in chronological order, Claires comments on Lauren should be excluded from the context. Keegan, intentionally inserts this scene in such a way to reveal the thoughts in Claires mind. The illogical ordering of events provides readers with an in-depth understanding of Claires thoughts, and also allows readers to comprehend the mindset of Claire fragmented thoughts and troubled with disarray. Revelation is ubiquitous, but we often underestimate its effects. People need revelation, and then they need resolution, Damian Lewis once said (Lewis). Just like in Cold Pastoral, Claire, who believed that her relationship with her boyfriend Brian was perfect, realizes that she is actually not as dedicated as she believed to the relationship as well as Brian. We need not evade revelations, for revelation does more good than harm. In fact, revelation not only provides us information about the facts, but also provides a chance for us to step back and reassess our stances. The omnipresence of revelation is bound to amaze those who neglect it. Revelation can be as significant as the death of a person, as shown from the example in the story Cold Pastoral, or it can be as minute as receiving a marked quiz script at school. Events, which one may or may not notice, can often be regarded as revelations, as long as they allow one to introspect. The story, Cold Pastoral, not only successfully portrays Claire, the heroine, but also provokes the minds of readers to face revelations squarely.

British Imperialism in South East Asia

For along period, up to the late 20th century, many of the European nations had vast interest in many of the Asian and African countries. This made them to colonize these countries so as to get whatever they wanted. Almost all of the African and Asian countries became colonies of the western countries. The more a country was perceived to have got many resources, the higher the scramble for that country was. Britain is one of the countries that had majority colonies in both the African and the Asian continent. India happened to be just one of these colonies.The colonists come along with their way of doing things thus impacting on the natives' way of handling the same issues. In essence, most of the colonies wanted to see that they changed their colonies to behave in the manner that will be beneficial to them. In India, the British’s interest was experienced during the decline time of Mughal Empire (http://www. indianchild. com/history_of_india. htm para 8). It all started as me re commercial activities between the two nations. There was a breakup in the rule of the Mughal Empire which resulted to the rising of dispute among the princess.This was a great advantage to the British as they did step in to settle the dispute. In the process, the British Empire started gaining much influence (Martin, pp 213). During the first global war that was fought in Europe and North America for seven years, it saw the British and the French come into a big fight in which the British won. Many of the Indians were recruited in the well paying British army. In the end, it emerged that India became the key source for Britain’s raw material and a market for finished goods (Siegel & Kennedy pp 98). British Colonialism in IndiaWhen the British entered the Indian colony, they formed a society that was stratified having the Britons occupying the highest position in the society. In the Indian schools, it emerged that the language of communication was now English. Many scholars of the British rule in India have noted that despite the heavy presence of the Britons in India, their presence was insignificant. The British used the tactic of divide and rule very well, and more importantly the psychological indoctrination of the Indians who had undergone through the education system of the British.These were the people who became the model British subject. the British used the English-educated Indians to absorb values about what they wanted , and this played a significant role in helping the Britons loot most of what they wanted from India, in terms of physical wealth and labor (http://india_resource. tripod. com/britishedu. htm para 1). According to the Britons plan, they wanted to have a person who was Indian in blood and color, but with an English taste, language and intellect. It meant therefore that the Britons had to decide on what the Indians were going to learn in schools and the mode of learning.For the British to succeed in its mission, they did set t he learned Indians against their fellows by proclaiming that they were following a very bad tradition, and it was only the British’s tradition that was good. These intellects were used to stress the negative impact of the Indians tradition. The Indians were made to believe that they were conservative people who lacked national concept or history. On the other hand, the British were considered as modern and scientific oriented. â€Å"With their unique organizational skills and energetic zeal, they would raise India from the morass of casteism and religious bigotry.These and other such ideas were repeatedly filled in the minds of the young Indians who received instruction in the British schools,†(http://india_resource. tripod. com/britishedu. htm para 4). There was need to facilitate transport and communication between the colony and the colonials. Hence the colonials constructed the railway line to facilitate transportation of the troops, raw materials and finished good s. There was as well telegraph lines to ease communication. However, the Britons did not take any step to see that the Indians learnt the new technology (Webster pp 186).The Indian soldiers rebelled against the British in 1857 causing the British to tighten its rule against India (Martin, pp 213). the rebellion of the soldiers occurred when the British empire introduced new cartridges that required the soldiers to tear them apart using their teeth. The cartridges were lubricated using animal fat, and this offended especially the Muslims whom their religion did not allow them to use pork or its products, while the Hindus were against the use of cattle fat for greasing.The rebellion was put down in 1858, but already several of the Britons had been killed; males, females and children. There were establishment of schools and universities by the Americans and the Britons in India that provided an education system that advocated for a strong nationalist sentiment. â€Å"In 1885, they fou nded the Indian National Congress, which promoted a greater role for Indians in their country's government. The new organization also sought harmony among Indians of diverse religion and social groups†, (Martin pp 213).There are many other influences in the Indian cultures that can be directly linked to the British rule in India. For instance, the Indians were not known for using surnames. However, with the coming and the ruling of the Britons, the Indians adopted the use of surnames. As Kolhatkar argues, â€Å"Surnames were not in use in India in ancient times and almost till the end of the first millennium CE. Thousands of names are known from Sanskrit/Prakrit texts, rock-cut inscriptions, copper plates, coins etc. They are almost always single names†, (para 3).However, it is now an occasion that in India, you come across the name of the child alongside that of the parent. The use of the surname became as a mark of respect for the parent. It is because of the British rule that the use of the surname became advent. It could be argued that these was because of the fact that the Britons wanted to make the work of administration much easier by having a system that was â€Å"more clarity in identifying individuals and the facility of documentation and reading created by the widening use of the printing press.Thus came into being the current method of the individual's name, father's name and the surname,†(Kolhatkar para 6). Therefore, looking at the influence Britain had in India, it can be concluded that it is true to note that these influences spilled all over the world especially the other Britain’s colonies. The use of surname, the British system of education, trade and language are all over the world. Reference: Kolhatkar, A. Indian surnames and the British influence, 29 Jul 2004, Retrieved on 13th May 2008 from http://archiver. rootsweb. ancestry. com/th/read/INDIA/2004-07/1091137759Martin, P. Five Steps To A 5, ISBN: 0071437142; M cGraw-Hill Professional, 2004 History of India, 2004, Retrieved on 13th May 2008 http://www. indianchild. com/history_of_india. htm Siegel J & Kennedy P. Endgame: Britain, Russia and the Final Struggle for Central Asia, ISBN: 1850433712; I. B. Tauris, 2002 SOUTH ASIAN HISTORY; History of British Rule and Colonization in India, 2001 Retrieved on 13th May 2008 from http://india_resource. tripod. com/britishedu. htm Webster A. Gentlemen Capitalists: British Imperialism in South East Asia, 1770-1890, ISBN: 1860641717; I. B. Tauris, 1998

The Basics of Beatles Essay Topics

The Basics of Beatles Essay Topics The more information you are able to gather about the subject, the better prepared you'll be for writing your essay. Persuasive essay topics don't always need to be of a significant nature, you can write about things which are linked in your life. College application essay topics are a vital portion of an entertaining and compelling bit of writing. In an issue of speaking, picking out persuasive essay topics is similar to telling yourself what you wish to convey to the rest of the planet. You will need to underline the source of the prevailing prejudice in young folks particularly. You ought to be proficient in the topic, have an overall idea about the chosen issue and figure out how to get the best arguments to show your thesis. If you can select the matter by yourself, it's possible to produce the issue of interest! Needless to say, there's also the age-old dilemma of teenage rebellion. Thus, include data in the shape of statistics, experiments, research material that will help you support your essay argument. There are several ways of writing an essay but the fundamental structure stays the same. Controversial issues are happening all of the time, all you have to do is turn on the news and you'll be able to locate a vast collection of topics to select from. To choose which subject you're likely to discuss, it's crucial to see the complete collection of good persuasive speech topics from the special area of study. Be clear in your thoughts about the point that you want to make. The very first issue to do is become a specialist on the subject as you'll be expected to understand the the inner workings of the subject you're debating about. A wonderful idea may be to pick out a subject, which has a stable selection of accessible info and nonetheless sufficient room for a private research. Another good idea is to receive some totally free essay examples of different sorts and on various subjects to find a general idea of the way in which a thriving debatable paper looks. Argumentative essay topics cover a wide selection of subjects, and can be quite persuasive if a top quality essay represents them. The topics for argumentative essays are frequently very self-explanatory they're common understanding. Occasionally, selecting a great argumentative essay topics will be quite tough. There are several good persuasive essay topics to select from. Hence, you have to first understand the significance of prejudice if you need to write great essays on prejudice for the essay exams. SATs ought to be eliminated. The essay isn't the simplest task to master. Perhaps, writing argumentative essays isn't that an effortless job. Next, you should consider the method on how you wish to relay it to your readers. Every American should learn how to speak Spanish. Quite simply, the politician who would like a vote, or the fake news sites which just need a click. You have to make sure that you're very interested in the topic before it's possible to persuade others about it. Be certain the source is truly legitimate and valid. For that, research for sources to have in your essay to back up your viewpoint. Parents should speak to kids about drugs at a youthful age. Students lead busy lives and frequently forget about a coming deadline. They should be allowed to pray in school.

Essay on What the Government Should do About Animal Testing

I scan my keycard and walk through a set of double doors, past the examination rooms and a door labeled organic waste. I walk into a complex and intricate maze of dark hallways. The doors read canine testing, swine feeding lab and primate testing environment. Upon looking into the dark rooms; one can make out the cages that once held chimpanzees. The sole purpose of this area is animal experimentation. This area, one of the most secure on the campus, has a separate dock and security cameras at every turn. I have had the opportunity to work in the animal labs of one of the largest corporations in the world. This discourse is my argument on animal experimentation and why the state should allow animal testing for the sake of humanity but†¦show more content†¦Animal testing is important to our society because of the rise in issues concerning the topic. In recent news for example, China is ending cosmetics testing on animals. Issues like cosmetics testing on animals do not go un noticed. It is also important because animal testing has already contributed to our society and continues to do so. The history of animal testing dates back over a thousand years and is reflected in today’s arguments. The earliest record of animal testing is during the Greek and Roman times. As David Degrazia mentions in his article, On the Ethics of Animal Research, animal testing during the medieval era brought the discovery of lung function and the circulatory systems. In 1876 the first law was enacted against animal testing in the United Kingdom. In 1959 the first major report on animal testing was published. The report by William Russel and Rex Burch created the three R’s. The three R’s; refinement, reduction and replacement are the ethical guidelines for animal treatment. Current laws on animal testing are from 1966 and 1986 for the United States and European Union respectively. These laws forbid animal testing on vertebrate animals but exclude farm animals. Also, special permissions are needed for more severe testing and on certain animals. The three R’s are refinement, reduction and replacement and they strive toShow MoreRelatedAnimal Testing Should Be Banned848 Words   |  4 Pages As a society we have failed to notice, it’s everywhere. The animal testing footprint. Aeroguard, Chapstick, Michael Kors, Palmolive and Dettol: these common household brands all have the dark footprints of animal experimentation embedded into it. Each year over 6.5 million animals are brutally tested, killed or harmed in Australia and New Zealand, for many brands across the nation. You may think that Animal Testing has nothing to do with you but the real truth is, it does. It’s unavoidable to useRead MoreAnimal Testing: What if You Were in Their Place? Essay1621 Words   |  7 PagesEvery year about 241,000 rabbits are tortured in United States laboratories to test for the effects that household products, such as cosmetics, dishwashing liquid, and drain cleaner will have on their eyes (Rabbits in Laboratories | PETA.org. 1). Scientists will drip chemicals into the eyes of the animal to see how much irritation it will cause, a process known as the Draize eye irritancy test (Rabbits in Laboratories | PETA.org. 1). The test is certainly not pain free; it often causes distressRead MoreAnimal Testing Must Be Banned Essay1014 Words   |  5 Pagesmonoxide! Animal testing must be banned for unnecessary tests. Animals should not be guinea pigs. Animals still feel the pain when they are injected with medicine just like humans. Humans can defend themselves and stop the pain, but the animals get strapped down and cannot move. It is better to have tests run on animals because animals will help find cures faster. Animal testing must be banned for unnecessary tests because a lot of animals are dying for no reason. Ninety-four percent of animal testingRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Outlawed Essay1158 Words   |  5 Pagesof innocent and helpless, animals are being tortured and murdered. They are used for product testing as well as to put into products without consumer knowledge. These defenseless animals are deprived of respect and are victimized to an extent where it becomes unbearable to watch. There are many organizations that are trying to fight for animal rights. However, these organizations struggle with is because there is no legislation in the United States to combat animal testing. Even though it is not againstRead MoreThe Issue Of Medical Research1548 Words   |  7 Pagesthese diseases. There is no question that medical research is important to the medical world. However, could countries do without extensive focus on medical research? America spends the most on healthcare and me dical research out of any other country yet their life expectancy is not even close to being the highest. On top of its inefficiency in America, drug trials and animal testing have been scrutinized for being inhumane. Nevertheless, medical research is necessary to the improvement to health careRead MoreThe Dangers Of Testing Cosmetic Products On Animals1496 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract Many of the largest brands in beauty s billion dollar industry are still continuing to test products on animals. Based on prior knowledge, there are various companies that do not test on animals. While there are big brand companies that continue to test on animals, like mice and rabbits. The purpose of this research is to examine the dangers of testing cosmetic products on animals, along with examining possible effective and safe ways to test products. Gathering information through qualitativeRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Not Be Banned1721 Words   |  7 Pages † Today, more animals are being used in experiments than ever before: around 100 million in the United States alone† (3). Animal testing is now an international issue, and it is becoming a major story. Currently, animals are often used in medical testing, make-up testing, and other consumer product testing. Animals used in such product testing are often abused and suffer from serious side-effects. Animal testing can be painful for the animals, testing results are usually not even useable forRead MoreSay No to Animal Testing1436 Words   |  6 PagesI. Every year, over 100 million animals sit in U.S laboratories waiting to be burned, crippled, poisoned and abused (â€Å"11 Facts about Animal Testing† par.1). a. Animals deserve the same security and wellbeing as humans and therefore should not be subjected to that kind of neglect and abuse. b. Animals that are a part of some kind of new medication research rarely make it out alive. In fact, 92% of experimental drugs that are safe and effective in animals fail in human clinical trials because theyRead MorePersuasive Essay On Animal Rights1526 Words   |  7 PagesAnimal testing has been one of the issues that people are fighting overtime because of its moral. Even though some results of tests are successful on people, many people are still fighting for the animal’s rights. They believe that animals should have their own rights to live a free life where they belong, just like their species. In scientists point of view, animals have been one of the main subjects to test on, but a lot of them are currently looking forward to use and develop alternatives forRead MoreEssay about Animal Testing is Unethical1385 Words   |  6 Pageslife. You cant choose when you eat or what you eat, how you will spend your time, whether or not you will have husband or wife or childre n, and if you do, who that person will be. You cant even decide when the lights go on and off. Think about spending your entire life like this, even though you didnt do anything wrong or commit a crime. This is life in a laboratory for animals. It is deprivation, isolation, and misery. Now think about the needs of the animals that are caged up and stripped away