Expectations Compromise Reality - Literature Essay Samples

Esther endured five long years of loneliness. Her determination to prove herself and fulfill her desire left her more alone and disappointed than her initial hunger for companionship. In â€Å"Esther† by Jean Toomer, Esther’s morality and desires are shown to be degraded through several aspects. The townspeople cause the audience to realize Esther is more unhinged from years of desire than was revealed from her own point of view. Esther’s morality is shown to decay because she was so desperate to have the child she dreamed of and loved, she was willing to risk the sin of conception without marriage. The opposite descriptions of Esther and Barlo create a distinction in the reader’s mind to separate the two in more than just race and appearance. By placing her faith and future in a man she actually knew nothing about in order to pass the years, Esther’s five year long wait resulted in anticlimactic regret. In order to illustrate Esther’s descen t into hopelessness, Toomer employs the townspeoples reaction, Esther’s inner thoughts, and the juxtaposed descriptions of the two main characters to portray how Esther’s hope for her future is eventually degraded. The townspeople’s speculation at Esther’s sense of urgency when Barlo appears back in town is not merely small talk, it reveals the outside perspective of Esther’s wait, particularly her degradation during the five years. In Esther’s eyes, she is simply living a dull life and yearning to have a human connection, specifically a baby, with King Barlo. So she waits. During the five years, her connection with the outside world dissipates and she becomes weary. Her interactions with the customers degrade from them calling her a â€Å"sweet-natured, accommodating girl,† to Esther only seeing â€Å"vague black faces†(32-33). When Barlo finally arrives, she hurriedly closes the shop, determined to get to him first, and the townspeople take notice of her, claiming â€Å"she always was a little off, a little crazy, I reckon† (34). This judgement from the townsfolk reveals how Esther is kept at a distance from them. The influence from the outside world is so present in Esther’s thoughts, it makes its way into her dream of claiming a baby: â€Å"Her joy in it changes the town folks’ jeers to harmless jealousy, and she is left alone† (32). This tidbit of her dream also encapsulates another one of her desires that is eventually degraded: the desire to be accepted in her surroundings. Esther’s loneliness without a husband at twenty-seven and no men showing interest in her translates into her extreme hope for Barlo to come back and conceive a child with her. All of her inner plans, which of course are not visible to the public shopping at her family’s store, would seem crazy to the public as well. Observing her from the outside, the townspeople’s comments at her actions remind us that Esther is not simply a lonely girl, her hopes and mentality were degraded- and it shows. The third person narration limited to Esther reveals her degraded inner thoughts plotting her unrealistic confrontation with Barlo, as well as her crushing disappointment when he is not exactly as she remembered. When Esther realizes Barlo is no longer the man from her memory, she rushes out of the house and finds that â€Å"There is no air, no street, and the town has completely disappeared† (36). The disappearance of Esther’s surroundings is parallel with her mind: both have become completely degraded. Quite possibly, Esther’s only reason for staying in the town which held nothing for her was for the chance of seeing Barlo again. Now, since that plan has dissolved, her cause and hope for life has as well. The polar opposite characterizations of Barlo and Esther create juxtaposition in the reader’s mind and emphasize the ridiculousness of Esther’s hope to unite with Barlo. Esther is white passing, and has had a very â€Å"safe† life managing her family’s shop and simply waiting, never experiencing the racism that Barlo likely experienced. Yet in her safe life, Esther has also never experienced the human connection that she so craves, that Barlo seems to have no trouble in obtaining. Descriptions like â€Å"a clean-muscled, magnificent, black- skinned Negro† compared to â€Å"like a little white child, starched, frilled† distinctly categorize the two characters, and separate them in the audience’s perspective. (29) The fact that Esther is the daughter of the richest colored man in town, yet passes as white, is another way Esther and Barlo differ. Barlo is a known black man. He travels, he picks cotton, and falls into his religious trances which the town knows him by. Yet for all of Esther and Barlo’s differences, they both degrade by the end: Esther is weary, desperate, and lonely. Barlo is an impaired, repulsive man, ruined by his money. The fact that Esther and Barlo both decay physically and mentally only worsens the result of Esther’s wait, because she did not expect the object of her imagination with such a robust physical state, and spiritual mental state, to decay in the similar unfortunate way that she did. Jean Toomer’s â€Å"Esther† illustrates Esther’s descent into hopelessness as she allowed her expectations to compromise her reality. Placing all her confidence into one man based off of a few shallow impressions and expecting him to want to love her upon first sight shows Esther’s innocence and decay simultaneously. The lack of human connection throughout her years has made her so vulnerable and naive that she believes Barlo will indeed give her the child she desires. Esther’s desperation is revealed in the townspeople’s reaction, her own inner thoughts, and her and Barlow’s degradation.

Carnivores of the Kalahari Desert Free Essay Example, 2250 words

The average amount of rainfall it receives per year is estimated to be between 76 and 190 mm of rain per year (Thomas & Shaw, 2009). The area is surrounded by the Kalahari basin, which covers about 2,500,000 square kilometers extending further into Namibia, South Africa and Botswana, and intruding into sections of Zimbabwe, Angola and Zambia. The Okavango is the only permanent river that flows into the delta in the northwest, forming wetlands that are rich in wildlife (Thomas & Shaw, 2009). Primeval riverbeds known as the Omuramba pass through the Central Northern stretches of the Kalahari and supply stagnant pools during the rainy season (Ownes, 2012). In the past, the riverbeds were mostly havens for wild animals in the desert ranging from elephants to giraffes, and predators such as lion and cheetah (Ownes, 2012). Currently, the riverbeds are mainly grazing lands although some predators such as leopard and cheetah can still be found. Climate The word Kalahari is acquired from the Tswana term Kgala that can be directly translated to mean a waterless place (Owens, 2012). We will write a custom essay sample on Carnivores of the Kalahari Desert or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The Kalahari is vastly covered by red sand and does not have any permanent surface water. However, the Kalahari cannot be referred to as a true desert. Sections of the Kalahari receive 250 millimeters of erratic rainfall every year and are quite vegetated. The Kalahari is only actually arid in the southwest with less than 175 mm of rain every year, making the desert a fossil desert. The temperatures during summer ranges from 20 to 50 o C (Thomas & Shaw, 2009). The Kalahari Desert is extremely hot during the day. There are however no cloud to keep the heat on the ground at night. Therefore, it is often extremely cold at night. The desert sometimes experiences thunderstorms during the summer. Carnivores in the Kalahari Desert Spotted Hyena Spotted hyenas survive at relatively very low densities compared to other areas(Mills, 2008). They are quite specialized on gemsbok calves which are thinly and widely distributed. Their versatility enables them to travel vast distances to find them. They live in slightly larger clans of up to 80 hyenas making up one clan. Unlike other carnivores in the Kalahari, the spotted hyenas often hunt any species (Mills, 2008). The only exemption they make is on the buffalo and the giraffe, which are a bit too large for them. Unlike the brown hyena, the spotted hyena is a predator and not a scavenger. It is the only carnivore capable of coexisting in the same ecological niche as the lion, and pose as some form competition when it comes to hunting of the prey.

Marijuana, also known as cannabis, weed, dank or pot, has...

Marijuana, also known as cannabis, weed, dank or pot, has been around for years. It was never really an issue until the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Its been said that Marijuana has been a good use for medical purposes. With the way people use it nowadays its hard to try to get it legalized because of the abuse it gets on the streets. Government surveys indicate that senior high school students admit that getting marijuana is as easy as ordering burgers and fries at a local burger joint. This means that no matter what the law enforcement is doing, us teens are still going to get our hands on marijuana. From my experience with marijuana, it never harmed my body or made me get violent, nor did it cause me to have any accidents†¦show more content†¦On average, Americans spend about 5 billion dollars on marijuana every year. Thats about how much the country contributes to the purchase of alcohol! The only problem is that the money made from people selling marijuana illegally mostly goes into the pockets of mafias because they contain the largest portion of distribution in the marijuana chain. On average each state spends right at about 1 billion dollars to make sure the marijuana laws are enforced. Asa Hutchinson, the former DEA director mentioned in a CNBC interview that The cost to fight marijuana is worth it and the people should not mind the cost, but instead look into the benefits it would bring to the country. However, its difficult to see what the benefits really are, because the law enforcement says that criminalizing marijuana will reduce the number of accidents associated with people under the influence of marijuana, reduce violence caused by the intoxication of the drug, and reduce the number of drug dependents. But these arguments to criminalize the use of marijuana are completely unproven. Alcohol also intoxicates the drinker, which obviously causes vehicle accidents. Tobacco poses health risk to smokers after years of continuous use, but they are still considered legal? Therefore, the reasons given to criminalize marij uana arent very accurate and unproven. It is ironic that the given effects of marijuana are almost the same that made it illegal and are the sameShow MoreRelatedThe Legalization Of Marijuan Marijuana1097 Words   |  5 PagesDECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA The decriminalization of marijuana refers to removing drug offences concerning marijuana from criminal law rather than completely legalizing and allowing public use of the drug whether regulated or not. The legalization of Marijuana has been a hot political issue for decades due to its potential medical uses and industrial properties. It is a very important and controversial issue in society today. Although many false claims have been made about cannabis in recent historyRead MoreThe Addiction to Marijuana1533 Words   |  7 PagesIn the United States, marijuana is being categorized as a Class A Drug, but in reality marijuana has been known to help cure and fight many sicknesses and diseases. Marijuana is being criticized by people that never studied the drug or even know about the medicinal benefits from the drug. Over the years, marijuana has been called a gateway drug to harder narcotics, but this isn’t the case. Marijuana has many medicinal benefits that the media and go vernment avoid releasing to the society but itsRead MoreThe Government And The American Citizens Stipulations Dealing With The Drug2946 Words   |  12 Pagesstipulations dealing with the drug, marijuana. Additional research was also conducted in order to discover the positive and negative results associated with marijuana being legalized if it were to occur nation-wide. The underlying reason for this topic is due to the recent debates within the federal government, concerning the issue of legalization for the drug. Also, because of the popularity of marijuana with not only the urban community, but with my close affiliates. There has been consistent discussions among

A Creative On A Birthday. Essay Example For Students

A Creative On A Birthday. Essay -at (1*****): insert your last name here-at (2*****): insert the day BEFORE your birthday (ex. I was born on April 2,so I put: April, 1)-at (3*****): insert your teachers name here-at (4*****): insert your exact birthday, include the year-at (5*****): insert your mothers name (ex Mrs. Jones)I wrote this essay for my A+ term paperMy teacher said that this wasthe best part of itjust follow the above guidelines (1****) 2-My Birthday: In the Beginning What a large building this is, exclaimed Jake Burgess. Lookingaround, he admired the beauty of the architecture. The time is currently 2:50 PM, (2****), 2127, stated thecomputer voice, have a nice day!Lets see now, said Jake, I have to be at room 2024 at Damn!Im late! He rushed over to the nearest elevator doors and pushed thelittle button marked UP several times. He was in great shape for a 62year old. When the doors finally opened, Jake quickly stepped into theelevator and pressed the button marked 20. He stood there, waiting. With a humming sound, the elevator started its quick ascension. Stepping out at his floor, Jake looked around and spotted the door marked2024.Okay, its only 2:54, I still have one minute left. Jake graspedthe knob, turning it and pushing at the same time. The door swung openinto a small, warm looking room. In the center there sat a smallreceptionists desk, and a blond woman sat there. Good afternoon, Ms. (3****), she said, You would be Mr. Jake Burgess?Yes, I am him. Is Dr. Smith ready to see me yet?Yes, Ill tell him youre here. Hes waiting for you, just stepthrough those doors. (3**********) pointed to the doors behind her(1*****) 3and turned back to the book she was reading, The Good Earth, by PearlBuck. Dr. Smith was standing behind his desk with his back towardsJake. Looking out the large window at the ocean, the Dr. said, Goodafternoon Mr. Burgess, welcome to your first therapy session with me.He turned around offered his hand and asked, Can I call you Jake?Sure, Doc. You know, I have never been to a shrink before, whatdo I have to do.Just relax, and start talking about whatever you want, forinstance, why you have decided to take these therapeutical sessions.Well, I have been feeling this emptiness inside ever since mychildren moved out. Ever since the first time I delivered a baby, I am adoctor, I have loved children. I remember that day, it was(4*********)I had woken up around 6:00 am that day and had just goneoutside to get the paper. It was predicted to be a beautiful day, the sunwas to be shining and the temperature was to be in the balmy 70s. (National Weather Service)It was only my second week working at the Hospital of Our Ladyof Mercy, so I was very excited and arrived at work a full half-hourbefore my shift started. I sat there in the lounge reading my copy(1******) 4of The New York Times. Hawaii, Gets a Mixed Filipino Reception, andinteresting article about the reception of the Filipino dictatorFerdinand Marcos in the state of Hawaii. (Bull) Suddenly, theloudspeaker called my name to report to the room 104. I rushed over there as quickly as possible. Picking up theclipboard with the patients information, I found out that (5*****) was inlabor. After several hours of comforting her, the baby finally decided tomake his debut in the world. At about 1:00 PM, I delivered a fine youngboy into this world. It really was amazing holding the little kid andrealizing that I helped a life into the world. .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a , .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a .postImageUrl , .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a , .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a:hover , .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a:visited , .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a:active { border:0!important; } .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a:active , .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7b98e1b25826eb92510ba630daa6aa6a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: How Can We Help the Homeless and Should We?: Searc EssayLater that day, while reading a movie review about ApocalypseNow, I realized how amazing it really was. (Shipler) I would neverforget that experience for as long as I lived.Well Jake, said Dr. Smith, it seems that your love of childrendeveloped from this and now you feel empty because you arent currentlyhelping anyone.Yeah, I guess you re right Doc.Anyway, your time is almost up. Ill see you next week okay?Sure Doc.By the way, Jake, did you ever find out what happened to thatkid?(1******) 5Yeah, hes a successful doctor who works at that old hospital,Our Lady of Holy Mercy.