Use of Literary Elements in Slaughterhouse-Five Essay Example for Free

Use of Literary Elements in Slaughterhouse-Five Essay Slaughterhouse-Five 1993. The true test of comedy is that it shall awaken thoughtful laughter. Choose a novel, play, or long poem in which a scene or character awakens thoughtful laughter in the reader. Write an essay in which you show why this laughter is thoughtful and how it contributes to the meaning of the work. English author George Meredith wrote, â€Å"The true test of comedy is that it shall awaken thoughtful laughter.† Slaughterhouse-Five would have been quite the comedy in Meredith’s eyes, because it is an extremely satirical work. Satire is writing that ridicules human weakness in order to bring about social reform. Ridicule, in this case, is humorous mockery of something, making people thoughtfully laugh about the situations which these characters find themselves in. In the Kurt Vonnegut novel Slaughterhouse-Five, the main character Billy wants only to have a normal American life, but his studies to become an optometrist are interrupted by his being drafted into the army during World War II and, as a prisoner of war, experiences the tragic bombing of Dresden. Then, he begins regular travels to the planet Tralfamadore. He also begins to become â€Å"unstuck in time;† he is time traveling. This essay discusses the use of satire in Slaughterhouse-Five to communicate to the reader the themes which are addressed in the book. In chapter four of Slaughterhouse-Five, satire is used through the comic depiction of a war film depicting the process of dropping bombs, all the way from mining the materials needed to make the bombs, to dropping them, to the planes landing back where they came from (74-75). This film, though, is described as it played backwards, as if somebody is rewinding a VHS cassette. Comic relief is the inclusion of something humorous often to heighten the emotional impact by means of contrast. The war film, when played backwards, conveys a very serious topic, but is lightened by the diverting and comical description of the reverse playing of the film. Comic relief is used to make the reader laugh and pay attention to what in other situations would be a very dry and boring scene, and likely think about it later. This part of the story addresses the destruction of war, a main theme  of Slaughterhouse-Five. By the use of comic relief, the reader is forced not to ignore the scene for fear of having to think about the destruction of war, satirically pointing out the reader’s distaste for tough topics such as the destruction of war. It also explicitly, yet not grossly, highlights the destruction of, specifically, dropping bombs as a wartime tactic. Farce is a comedy characterized by improbable plot situations, exaggerated characters, and broad satire. In Slaughterhouse-Five, one of the many instances of farce is the character Howard W. Campbell, Jr. (128-131). Campbell is an ex-prisoner of war who has turned his support to the Germans and is trying to form a unit of Americans who shift their allegiance to the Germans to fight against the Russian Communists. In his ridiculous and highly symbolic outfit, he tries to appeal to the American prisoners of war his ideas that the Germans are fighting for many of the same purposes as the Americans: against the Communists. Because of the outrageous and funny nature of Campbell, one is forced to think about the rash idealism which he stands for. Farce in this situation is used to denounce the metanarratives that are taught in war. It first emphasizes the craziness of the German ideal, and then the dogmatic wills of the Americans who do anything to reiterate their hatred for Communists. Then, when Edgar Derby, the leader of the American prisoners of war, stands up to speak against Campbell, the section is used to denounce the post-World War I anti-German metanarrative. Black comedy is the combining of morbid and serious topics with elements of low comedy to underscore the senseless futility of life. It is used as a form of comic relief in Slaughterhouse-Five while Billy is on a plane on the way to the convention of optometrists (155-156). His father-in-law asks the barbershop quartet to sing his favorite song. The song is quite comical and uses lots of low humor, such as cursing and parodying Polish accents. This reminds the author of a very serious time when Billy saw a Polish man being hanged in the street during World War II for having sexual intercourse with a German woman. The reader is pulled in by the funny song which is then related to the very serious topic of racial discrimination and hate. This connects to the theme of the terribleness of racial hatred. Irony is something that is opposite of what is meant, what is supposed to happen, or what makes sense. In Slaughterhouse-Five, irony occurs in the Kilgore Trout story about Jesus (109). He is a nobody, and for fun, the Romans crucify him. Then, they realize that he is the son of God and that he was an unfortunate person to kill. This causes the reader to rethink everything they have thought about the the gospel of Jesus Christ and free will, and also to laugh about their ignorance of this new idea of what really happened in the beginning of the New Testament. The theme addressed by this short story is that nobody is completely sure of what is going on, and somebody else such as God must be in charge, thus, there is no free will. Many themes are addressed in Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, like the denunciation of the metanarratives popularized during war, the disagreement with the legitimacy of the destruction of war, the horribleness of racial hatred, and the lack of free will. These topics are discussed in Slaughterhouse-Five through the use of humorous elements such as black comedy and farce. One may choose to think about these very important themes, and maybe they will affect one’s life.

Peace, Prosperity and American Relative Power Capability :: essays papers

Peace, Prosperity and American Relative Power Capability There appears to be in the world an era of unprecedented peace. Contrary to the predictions that the end of the Cold War will bring about the fragmentation of international order and the emergence of multipolar rivalry among atomistic national units, today the world’s major powers enjoy co-operative relations and world economy is progressively liberalising and integrating. The peace and prosperity of the current era, however are sustained by the constant operation of a single factor: American relative power capability (Kupchan, 1998, p. 40). In this paper, a clear foreign policy strategy for the United States of America in Europe and Eurasia will be outlined. Such an outline should be necessarily made from the perspective of American national interests. America is a global power and it has vital global interests. The perception of the global interests of America is shaped by the desired future that the American political elite is envisioning. A viable foreign policy strategy then will be simply the roadmap for achieving, to the greatest extent possible, the objectives which are substantiated by that desired future starting from the present condition of the international landscape. The means to achieve these objectives are determined by the relative power capability that America has at present, as well as the capability self-image in the context of the international landscape of the political elite; its world view. The prevailing world view often shapes the motivations of the decision-makers and consequently determines the perceived foreign policy objectives , as well as the very means to achieve these objectives. Misperception of the behaviour of other actors within the international context leads to erroneous foreign policy motivations on behalf of the decision-making elite, which in turn result in a foreign policy strategy that may be, at best misguided, at worst—catastrophe. That has been the sad, costly lesson from the Cold War—a global low-intensity conflict caused by a mutual misperception of threat with excessively high risk potential for escalating into a thermonuclear war. To downsize the potentiality of similar perceptually-based geopolitical disasters, a clear understanding of the true motivations of the other actors on the international scene is vital. The true motivations can best be outlined through the inferential analysis of the foreign policy behaviour of the other actors. Peace, Prosperity and American Relative Power Capability :: essays papers Peace, Prosperity and American Relative Power Capability There appears to be in the world an era of unprecedented peace. Contrary to the predictions that the end of the Cold War will bring about the fragmentation of international order and the emergence of multipolar rivalry among atomistic national units, today the world’s major powers enjoy co-operative relations and world economy is progressively liberalising and integrating. The peace and prosperity of the current era, however are sustained by the constant operation of a single factor: American relative power capability (Kupchan, 1998, p. 40). In this paper, a clear foreign policy strategy for the United States of America in Europe and Eurasia will be outlined. Such an outline should be necessarily made from the perspective of American national interests. America is a global power and it has vital global interests. The perception of the global interests of America is shaped by the desired future that the American political elite is envisioning. A viable foreign policy strategy then will be simply the roadmap for achieving, to the greatest extent possible, the objectives which are substantiated by that desired future starting from the present condition of the international landscape. The means to achieve these objectives are determined by the relative power capability that America has at present, as well as the capability self-image in the context of the international landscape of the political elite; its world view. The prevailing world view often shapes the motivations of the decision-makers and consequently determines the perceived foreign policy objectives , as well as the very means to achieve these objectives. Misperception of the behaviour of other actors within the international context leads to erroneous foreign policy motivations on behalf of the decision-making elite, which in turn result in a foreign policy strategy that may be, at best misguided, at worst—catastrophe. That has been the sad, costly lesson from the Cold War—a global low-intensity conflict caused by a mutual misperception of threat with excessively high risk potential for escalating into a thermonuclear war. To downsize the potentiality of similar perceptually-based geopolitical disasters, a clear understanding of the true motivations of the other actors on the international scene is vital. The true motivations can best be outlined through the inferential analysis of the foreign policy behaviour of the other actors.

Exchange Rates and Forward Contracts Analyses Essay

The appreciation of the Australian dollar would affect the investor in a positive manner. When the U. S. firm invested in Australian dollar in the Australian money market, consequently the returns would be in Australian dollar, there would be a gain on the side of the U. S firm. This would mean that the return in U. S dollar would be greater after Australian dollar’s appreciation. When the U. S firm has to repay the borrowed money in Japanese yen, it needs more U. S dollars than how much it should have been if the Japanese yen did not appreciate. This means a loss on foreign exchange transaction for the U. S firm. â€Å"Price it now and deliver later† is the underlying concept for â€Å"forward contracts† (Kolb, 2002) protecting parties from possible exchange rate fluctuations. Since Wolfpack expects British pounds to be appreciating, and it is invoicing in this currency, it is better NOT to hedge its exports with a forward contract. Pricing at the current exchange rate means lesser US dollar returns as compared to the appreciated British pounds that can purchase more U. S dollars for Wolfpack in its home country.

Original writing assignment Essay

   It was a beautiful sight, picturesque even, all around were fields of lush green grass with steep hills, deep valleys and evergreen trees. In front of him there was a lake with beautiful sparkling blue water, with beavers going about their daily business, fishes swimming and birds singing. However, as he glanced across to the other side of the lake the boy laid eyes upon an almighty cave. The water on this side of the lake was brown with dead fish floating on the surface. The banks surrounding this part of the lake were simply bare rocks threatening to crush anything with the misfortune of touching them. There were no birds singing or beavers playing. Not a single living thing dwelled on those premises and it was obvious why. Who in there right minds would rather live there than on the stunning view that was just meters from the grim scene? The boy drew his gaze away from the lake and noticed many little buildings with thatched roofs and only one floor. In front of these unusual and certainly old-fashioned buildings stood small families of people all dressed in pretty much the same way. The women wore long brown and white frilly dresses. They all looked like servants. The men also wore brown and white but these were brown tattered trousers and a white V-necked shirt. At a glance down at his attire, the boy noticed he was wearing exactly the same as the other boys that he had seen. He was tired and decided that he should get some rest; a fall from the sky into unfamiliar territory can really take it out of you. The young boy slowly advanced towards the nearest house. He was walking straight towards the 3 people stood in front of it, but the didn’t even seem to have noticed him. The boy was only 20 metres from them now but their gaze was still fixed to where he had first landed. He was now only 10 metres from them and could clearly see every single crevice on their skin. That was then he noticed the boy in front was not only dressed identically to him he was also exactly the same height and build with the same blonde hair blue eyes. He even had exactly the same horseshoe shaped birthmark on his neck. The young boy looked extremely confused and turned to the women in a desperate search for an explanation. To his horror, the woman was looking straight through him. This feeling of horror rapidly swapped itself with a feeling of utter disbelief, he recognised this women but where from. He opened is mouth to ask if she too recognised him. However, as soon as the first letter rolled of his tongue and dissipated into the air the almighty rumbling started again. This was much worse then the soft rumbling he had become accustomed to during his dreams. This was a full-blown earthquake style rumbling. The whole ground was shaking. The voices started again. He could finally make sense of the voices â€Å"Help David, the cave, help† it started of with just the women but very quickly the rest of the people joined in. He finally realised where he recognised that woman from. It was his mum, but it wasn’t. It couldn’t be it had to be a bad dream. The voices were unbelievably loud now. He could not take much more of this. David dropped to his knees willing himself to wake up. He didn’t. Of course, he didn’t: He couldn’t. There was only one thing he could do. The young boy sprinted to the cave, as soon as his size 7 shoes made contact with the cold grey stone the voices stopped, and the rumbling subsided. The inside of the cave was massive. David was standing in what seemed to be an ally. It had a grey floor and red-stone wall. In this alley of a cave ran a small, dirty brown stream. David decided to follow the stream. The silence was deafening. He was right in the centre of his worst nightmares yet the scene he was now living resembled his dreams in no way what so ever. He was expecting an increasingly loud rumble as he became ever closer to the source of all his sleepless nights. However, it was in no way at all like this. All David could hear was the ‘splat’ as his feet slapped against the wet floor. All he could do was walk straight into the caves belly, he could not go back outside, he couldn’t face the screaming. He had to sort this, now, once and for all. The relatively small walk was taking forever, a whole hour seemed to have passed as David walked through the cave however in reality it was closer to a minute. At last, the young boy had reached his destination. It certainly was not what he had expected. He was standing on a floor of grey stone. In front of him was a ring of water. Inside this ring was a small island containing one thing and one thing only; a white, round crystal. A rickety rope bridge hung loosely over the deep murky water. This was the end; he had reached the end of the cave, the end of the nightmares. It had to be something to do with that crystal, but what? David had obviously made his mind up as he cautiously walked to the bridge. He checked the ropes, it seemed secure enough but there was only one way to find out. He raised his foot and slowly but surely placed his foot on to the bridge. As soon as his foot connected with the nearly rotten wood an almightily high-pitched scream pierced through the silence, the rumbling once again shook David’s brain, and a short stab of bright light temporarily illuminated the area before subsiding into a low shimmer. The rumbling didn’t stop, it got considerably worse. The bridge was shaking; water was spraying from the stream in huge waves. He had to keep going, this torture had to end. David lunged and grabbed the crystal. A searing pain swarmed through David’s entire body. A brilliant light blinded him. Everything went white. David could no longer hear the high-pitched screams; he did not feel the ice-cold water flooding over the top of him. The rumbling stopped, so did the screaming and the crystal returned to the dull colourless state in which it started. David was nowhere to be seen.   All this happened 14 years ago. I have been all alone here ever since, still experiencing the same horrific dreams. Although now it’s all changed. You are here. The man thrust his hands forwards, palms out. There was writing burnt into the skin. Help David Our Saviour. Harry Litchfield Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

The Nation Takes Shape Essays - Midwestern United States

The Nation Takes Shape Essays - Midwestern United States The Nation Takes Shape The Nation Takes Shape by Marcus Cunliffe published by the University of Chicago Press 1789-1800 Bobby Earl Ms. C. Love February 12, 1998 The period of time from 1789 to 1839 was an age of growth for the United States of America; the United States grew bigger and better in general, it expanded into the West, and its commerce and industry also grew substantially. This is in part because of the great political leaders such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Andrew Jackson, but also in part of growing national pride and the yearning to become a successful nation. America grew larger and improved greatly in the first half century of its life. The territory of the United States tripled in size as America bought large amounts of property from other nations, and the number of the states in the Union doubled. The population doubled twice from around four million people to almost sixteen million people, and by the year 1840 rolled around. American exports also quadrupled in size to about $80 million dollars in profit. The national debt from earlier years was completely paid off in this time period; a feat that has not been accomplished since. An Army and Navy were established to protect the country, and judiciary, legislative, and executive departments of the government were formed with the ratification of the Constitution of the United States of America. Transportation became much easier in America by 1840. Approximately 2500 miles of canals and 3000 miles of railroads had been constructed. Harbors, lighthouses, and dry docks had also greatly incr eased in number to aid the seafarers. In the first fifty years of its history, almost all parts of America grew enormously, from schools to post offices to forts. America was a becoming a stronger nation in a world of giants. Another area of American growth was the West. As the Constitution was being signed, virtually no one lived on the western side of the Appalachian mountains. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the United States in size, however, and people soon started to expand into the empty space. At first, the thirteen original states argued over land boundaries from the colonial times. Eventually, they all ceded the controversial land to the United States government. The American government soon issued the Northwest Ordinance to deal with the land in the northwest. The ordinance divided up the territory into townships of thirty-six square mile sections. Each square mile would be sold at about $640. The ordinance also set the requirements the territory had to meet to be given a non-voting representative in Congress and to be eligible for statehood. The Northwest Ordinance also outlawed slavery in the Northwest Territory. There were other residents of this territory, however. Many Native Americans were pushed out after Mad Anthony Wayne defeated them at Fallen Timbers. Also, Jay's Treaty prevented the British from intervening in the Northwest Territory any longer. This eradication of non-Americans left room for many more people to move west and gave them a more secure feeling of safety. There were quite a few more reasons that people wanted to move out west. One of the reasons was because of the lack of farming land in the east. In the Northeast the soil was too rocky and poor to be able to sustain profitable farms. In the middle states, the soil was being eroded away; the tobacco plantations were ruining the soil in the South. Another reason was because the ideal of Manifest Destiny, the belief that the United States should reach from coast to coast, was becoming more popular. For these reasons and more, the population in the West grew rapidly, and the empty territories quickly became states. Another area in which America grew considerably was in commerce and industry. Before the Revolution, the colonies and Britain had established a relationship in which the colonies would export many raw products to Britain, and Britain would export many finished products to America. After the Revolution, Britain remained the United States' most valuable trading partner, but America also opened up to some new foreign markets, such as those in Latin America, the Mediterranean, and the Far East, areas economically controlled by major European powers. Between the years of 1793 to 1815, wars raged

Word Choice Whiskey vs. Whisky

Word Choice Whiskey vs. Whisky Word Choice: Whiskey vs. Whisky To mark Saint Patrick’s Day, we’re taking a look at a spelling problem with deep connections to Ireland: whether to write â€Å"whiskey† or â€Å"whisky.† So are these terms interchangeable? Or is there a difference? And what does this have to do with Ireland anyway? Let us explain! The Origins of Whisky/Whiskey Whisky (we will default to this spelling to save repeating ourselves too much) is a distilled alcoholic drink made from malted grain. It is widely associated with two countries: Scotland and Ireland. Both have a long history of distilling whisky, but the word itself comes from Ireland. A modern whisky still.(Photo: saxonrider) In particular, it comes from Old Irish term uisge beatha, meaning â€Å"water of life.† This is the Irish version of aqua vitae, which was the Latin word for distilled alcohol of any kind (not just whisky). Eventually, uisge beatha entered English and was anglicized to become â€Å"whisky† or â€Å"whiskey.† Why two spellings, though? This may have started as a matter of regional preference. The story most people tell is that, during the 19th century, Irish distillers wanted to distinguish their product from their Scottish competitors. As such, they started using the spelling â€Å"whiskey† for Irish whiskey. Scottish whisky, meanwhile, became known as Scotch whisky. A Global Drink We see this Irish–Scottish division in modern spellings around the world: The spelling â€Å"whiskey† is standard in Ireland and the US. This is partly because of the large number of Irish immigrants who set up stills over here. â€Å"Whisky† is standard in most other countries, including Japan and India. This is not a strict distinction, though. As such, while â€Å"whiskey† is standard in the US, you will also find distillers who call their products â€Å"whisky.† For instance, Maker’s Mark uses the spelling â€Å"whisky† to recognize the Scottish heritage of company founder Bill Samuel. Whiskey or Whisky? Some people say there are differences between â€Å"whiskey† and â€Å"whisky,† such as the distillation process or the type of still used. Most of the time, though, â€Å"whiskey† and â€Å"whisky† are just different spellings of the same word. And as such, they are often used interchangeably. However, if you want to avoid upsetting drink geeks, remember: Whiskey is the spelling associated with Ireland. Whisky is associated with Scotland (especially â€Å"Scotch whisky†). So the correct spelling depends on where your favored tipple comes from. And if you want a Saint Patrick’s Day drink that won’t cause spelling headaches, you can always try Guinness instead.

Customer Relationship Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Customer Relationship Management - Essay Example According to the research findings learning relations should mature for positive results to be achieved; the use of IDIC enables customization of customer relationship. According to Peppers & Rodgers, IDIC involves several tasks, which can assist an organization to build learning relationship. Identifying customers is very important for a company, since it is easier to know the preferences of that specific customer. Differentiating customers involves identify customers of different levels, and their different needs; indeed, interacting with customers is vital. Therefore, organizations must improve their interaction, which enables the company to identify the needs of customers. Customizing customer treatment involves engaging the customer in a learning relationship, which includes adjusting the company’s behavior to meet the needs of a customer. In addition, use of ICTs enables an organization to research on effective CRM tools, which can foster learning relationships, and as a result, attracting and retaining customers. An organizational chart clearly shows the structure of an organization. As a result, these charts aid in organizing the place of work, by providing managers with departmental information. Therefore, a well-organized structure will definitely boost the customer relationship management through prioritizing on customer needs and fostering healthy interaction with such customers. Below is the Imperial Limited’s organizational chart; this organization interacts with customers daily, as it provides decoration services for weddings and other events. Figure 1: imperial decoration company, organizational chart How should that chart be changed in order to facilitate customer management and to make sure people are evaluated, measured, and compensated for building the value of the customer base? Currently, the company comprises of the chief executive officer, a vice president, and managers in all the respective departments. Generally, managers ’ responsibility involves co-coordinating activities in their respective departments and reporting to the vice president, who reports to the chief executive officer. However, in order for the organization to foster customer value through managing relationships, it must be ready to identify, differentiate, and interact with customers. According to Day (N.d, p.2), organization structures include coordinating mechanisms; however, they should be more customer-focused. Imperial Decoration Company is a service rendering company, where the human resources department deals with employees’ welfare, which includes training, salaries, and annual leaves among others. The marketing department markets the company through advertising, good customer services, and promotion. The accounts department handles all the returns of the company. Competition is increasing and the company needs to