Symbols: The Essential Element :: Literary Analysis, Native Son

Symbols: the basis of all literary works. Without symbols books become boring and lifeless. Symbols assist the reader in discovering a deeper meaning. In Richard Wright’s novel, Native Son, symbols are used to show death, faith and living in a white run world. In the first book, readers are introduced to the rat. Bigger is shown attempting to destroy the rat. When the rat is deceased, he appears as a â€Å"flat black body†¦ [with] two yellow tusks† (6). With this death, Bigger’s murder streak starts. In the gruesome death of the rat, the ghastly deaths of Mary Dalton and Bessie Mears are foreshadowed. Mary’s death- while not gruesome at first- then turns suddenly violent when Bigger â€Å"sawed the blade into the flesh†¦ [and] sent the blade of the hatchet into the bone of the throat† (92). Though Mary initially died by suffocation, her head being chopped off is as disturbing as the death of the rat. However, Bessie’s death was terrifying from the start. Bessie was murdered in the most atrocious manner. Bessie is not only raped, but bludgeoned to death by Bigger â€Å"[lifting] the brick again and again† (237). Bessie’s appalling death is the worst of all the deaths. Bessie appear s to have done nothing wrong yet she is murdered at the hands of Bigger out of fear. Wright’s use of the rat as a symbol shows how death is a horrendous event in life. Wright’s use of the cross helps readers recognize faith. After Bigger is arrested, he is soon visited by his mother’s preacher, Reverend Hammond. The reverend visits Bigger in an attempt to convince him that he must have faith in God. After praying for Bigger, Reverend Hammond â€Å"[draws] from his pocket a wooden cross with a chain upon it† (286). The Reverend then placed it around Bigger’s neck where it â€Å"[hangs] next to the skin of Bigger’s chest† (286). The cross presented to Bigger is Hammond’s attempt at forcing Bigger to believe and hope for something better. The cross is once again seen when Bigger is leaving the Dalton home, yet this time it is in a negative light. As Bigger exits the Dalton home, he sees a â€Å"[looming]†¦ burning cross† (337). Bigger then questions if â€Å"white people [wanted] him to love Jesus too† (337). It is not until people are yelling at him that this is a cross of hate, not love and faith. When Bigger returns to the van he â€Å"[grips] the cross and [snatches] it from his throat† (338).

Grant and Lee a Study in Contrasts Essay

â€Å"Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts,† written by Bruce Catton compares and contrasts the characteristics and lives of two leaders of the Civil War. Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, two very strong and very different generals, met on April 9, 1865 at Appomattox Court House in Virginia to bring to a close the Civil War. By this time, America had become a country that was starting over with the simple core belief in equal rights for everyone. Lee, who is from Virginia, had very traditional and old fashioned beliefs. He strongly believed in the idea that having unequal, leadership, and social categories provided an advantage to society. The Confederacy embraced Lee as their leader as well. Furthermore, Confederate soldiers considered Lee the symbol of everything for which they had been willing to die for. On the other hand, Grant was raised very differently from Lee, his father had been a tanner on the Western frontier, and he was brought to be a hardworking man and to make something of himself. Grant primarily focused on democracy and believed that no individual was born into any type of class. Moreover, he believed that society should have privileges that each man should win for themselves and not just have privileges because you were born into an aristocratic family. He is seemingly the complete opposite of Lee in his belief that each person has the ability to work hard and gain their own good fortunes. Grant believed in a balanced social structure that did not limit anyone to any particular fate. He believed that life was a competition and everyone should get the chance to reach their limits. Grant had a more modern outlook on life and Lee would rather live in accordance with the past. Also, Lee and Grant were most different when it came to loyalty. Lee saw himself very much in relation to his own region. He was brought up in a static society where change was not known. Therefore, his loyalty would only be to the society in the location he lived and would fight to the limit to defend it because he believed that it gave his life the deepest meaning. On the other hand, Grant would fight for a broader concept of society so that there could be growth and expansion. He would fight for the Union with everything he had because he strongly believed in the Western way of living he was raised in. Although Grant and Lee had individual beliefs that clashed with one another they also had a few things in common. For example, Catton points out they were both great fighters that displayed a lot of tenacity and fidelity to their separate causes. Grant battled and endured his way down the Mississippi Valley despite his military handicaps and personal discouragements while Lee still had faith at Petersburg after all hope was lost. Also, their fighting qualities were very similar and they both refused to give up as long as they were able to fight. They were both also very daring and resourceful in that they had the ability to move quickly and think faster than the enemy. Most importantly, they were alike in the sense that they had the ability to turn away from war and come to peace once the fighting had ended. As a result, this helped the nation become whole and united again. Their gathering at Appomattox was a great moment in American history. In our modern society today I think that we can now discuss our political differences and beliefs in peace and overall our nation is one that is very united as a whole. We live in a country that strongly follows Grant’s belief in equal rights for everyone in which citizens are able to vote for who they want as President of the United States. Also, although people will always disagree and agree on some things we carry on the beliefs of Lee and Grant in that we can always come together and discuss things in a peaceful manner much like they did at Appomattox on April 9, 1865.

Sex Education Encyclopedia Of Gender And Society

Connell, Erin. Sex Education. Encyclopedia of Gender and Society. Ed. Jodi O Brien. Vol. 2. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2009. 745-748. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 30 Sept. 2015. This article has a really good explanation and a history behind. Sex education began during the 19th and early 20th centuries. This type of education debate or reveals a range of attitudes, values and also belief about the children, adolescent, sexuality, and gender. During WWI soldiers were infected of some STDs and people was afraid that some of those diseases would spread civilians. School projects began and they were making sure people was aware that their children wouldn’t end up with the two of the STDs they were facing the most which were (syphilis and gonorrhea.) during the 1920s and 1930s a youth culture began to teach and also to check on some of the changes women were making throughout the society. These type of changes were social, physical, and also emotional. By the tim e of the 1960s birth control, pills, and abortion services were increasing. These were some of the reasons why sex education began to be taught in schools because there was too much taboo between adolescent. When the project of teaching about sex in schools began these were some of the advices they were given to the people (wait for sex until marriage, use contraception, get your boyfriend to use a condom.) also they were given some strategies like (prevent pregnancy, or prepare for marriage.)Show MoreRelatedThe Separation Of Sex Education1012 Words   |  5 Pagesteaching sexual education you must take into consideration of the method of what is taught. The methods of teaching are, abstinence only and comprehensive. While abstinence only focuses on abstinence from sexual behavior and does not include any method of contraceptive. As for comprehensive informs students about contraceptives, sexual transmitted diseases as well as the option for abstinence. 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