To what extent can Steinbecks The Pearl be classed as a parable Essay Example For Students

To what extent can Steinbecks The Pearl be classed as a parable Essay Published in 1947, Steinbecks novella, The Pearl, has attracted much literary attention. Many critics have referred to the work as a parable,but how far can this classification be justified? In order to answer this question, we must first establish what is meant by the term parable. A dictionary defines a parable as a short story which puts across a moral or religious truth. We know of parables from the Bible, where Jesus told these stories to teach his followers about Gods word. Typical features we would expect from a parable would be: a short narrative told in a simple style with little detailed description; a homely setting;nameless and undeveloped characters; and a moral or religious truth conveyed through symbolism, with everyday objects or events representing larger ideas or concepts. The basic plot of The Pearl is straightforward. Kino,a native Mexican fisherman, married with a child, sees his son stung by a scorpion,and a doctor demands money for treating him. Kino finds a large pearl, which he thinks will solve all his problems and save his son,but instead it leads to greed, disaster and violence. We will write a custom essay on To what extent can Steinbecks The Pearl be classed as a parable specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Finally the family throw the pearl back into the sea, but not before they have lost their precious son in a shooting. In many ways, The Pearl conforms to what we would expect of a parable. The story is short, although not as short as the parables in the Bible;the style is simple, with little complex vocabulary or sentence structure; the main setting is the homely,if poor, Mexican fishing village and many of the characters are nameless, eg the doctor, the priest, the pearl buyers, the trackers. Even the main characters are not described in much physical detail. All we know of Kinos appearance is, he was young and strong and his black hair hung over his brown forehead. Certainly, we can take a moral message from the tale; that the promise of wealth is a great corrupting influence in mens lives,and such is human nature that man will often sink to great depths to gain the thing he desires. Evidence that would also mark this story as a parable is that the author uses a great deal of symbolism. Kino can be seen as representing man and all men, giving his story universal significance. His wife, Juana, has a name which means woman, again suggesting that she is meant to represent all women. The child makes up the archetypal family, representing the next generation and hopes for the future. The major line of symbolism, however, centres round the pearl itself, which symbolises much more than material wealth. It becomes a crystal ball in which one can see ones dreams and nightmares; Kino looked into its surface and it was grey and ulcerous. Evil faces peered from it into his eyes, and he saw the light of burning. And in the surface of the pearl he saw Coyotito lying in the little cave with the top of his head shot away. The whole story, in keeping with a parable, could also be seen as putting across a religious truth. It could represent mans search for his soul, finding good and evil on the way, making a sacrifice, and finally coming to a greater understanding. Kino at the start of the book is isolated and protected. When the pearl comes into his world, he learns about loneliness, hate, greed, suspicion and evil. Like Adam, in the Fall in Genesis, Kino returns to his home at the end of the book , having gained knowledge, but changed forever,as he has sacrificed his son for this knowledge. The idea of this book being a religious parable also seems to be borne out by the journey through the desert to sell the pearl, which is like a pilgrimage, testing the character of the pilgrim, and seems to echo the Exodus of the Israelites seeking their promised land in the Bible. Was this story supposed to be a version of the parable of the pearl in the Bible, where a merchant sacrifices everything he holds dear for a pearl of great value, and his place in the Kingdom of Heaven? As we have seen, Steinbecks novella has many features we would expect of a parable, but does that mean we can say it is one completely? .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a , .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a .postImageUrl , .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a , .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a:hover , .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a:visited , .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a:active { border:0!important; } .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a { 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; } .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a:active , .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a .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; } .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u657a2d7a5ba2e0949cd840d2b9a0906a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Brave New World Essay Gender EqualityLooking at further evidence, we find features of the text which do not conform to those we would expect of a parable. Although the style is simple, there is a great deal more description than we would expect from a parable, some of it very poetic in style, eg High in the grey stone mountains, under a frowning peak, a little spring bubbled out of a rupture in the stone. It was fed by shade-preserved snow in the summer, and now and then it died completely and bare rocks and dried algae were on its bottom. This description of a pool continues for a full page. The main characters, Kino and Juana are named and their personalities are much more developed than we would expect form a parable. This makes the story far more realistic as the characters seem like believable people with real feelings and emotions, Juanas face was hard and lined and leathery with fatigue and with the tightness with which she fought fatigue. And her wide eyes stared inwards on herself. The whole story can be read as entertainment, without having to look for a message or meaning. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that Steinbeck was trying to write it as a realistic piece, and not as a parable. In his book, Sea of Cortez 1941, he explains that he took the idea for his book from an old Californian/Mexican folk tale about an Indian boy who found a pearl. He liked the story, but said, it did not sound believable because it was so much like a parable, or a short story with a hidden moral lesson and the character of the young boy went contrary to human direction, that is, he was not realistic enough. In Kino and Juana, Steinbeck has given us much more realistic people. In his introduction to The Pearl, Steinbeck himself casts doubt on his book being a parable, saying If this story is a parable, perhaps everyone takes his own meaning from it, and reads his own life into it. Looking at all the evidence, my conclusion is that although Steinbecks The Pearl has many features of a parable, it goes much further than a parable in that it exists on so many levels . It can be seen as a realistic story of the economic and political repression experienced by native Mexicans at the hands of their wealthy conquerors and rulers. It can also be seen as a story showing how man and nature are intertwined. It can be read as an exciting adventure tale, or as a moral or religious lesson. In many ways, it is unfair to categorise this novella by putting a label on it. I prefer to see it, like Steinbeck himself, as a unique work of art that each reader can interpret in his or her own way.

Where and Whence

Where and Whence Where and Whence Where and Whence By Maeve Maddox A few years ago a TV special aired with the title The From Whence We Came Awards. I dont recall what the awards were for. I just remember reacting to the use of from with the word whence. Whence is not synonymous with where. Whence means from what place/source/origin. Examples: The wealthy man never forgot the poverty whence he came. A stranger appeared in our midst. We know not whence he came. Whence came these caterpillars? Clearly, the use of whence in modern English is extremely limited. If you choose to use it, remember that the from is built in. Where has the meaning at what place or in what place. Unnecessary prepositions also show up with where. One often hears Wheres he at? and Whered he go to? instead of the more grammatical Where is he? and Where did he go? The unnecessary to is not as frequent as the added at. Perhaps the contraction of where is into wheres accounts for the speakers need to add the unnecessary at for balance. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?3 Types of Headings10 Types of Hyphenation Errors

Finance questions Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Finance questions - Speech or Presentation Example Other considerations include the frequency of single drills, as well as the number of drill session per week. The session should begin by crosschecking the safety consideration. Players should be free and well rested. They should be free of injuries in the limbs and arms that require exercising (Mcardle, 2000). After successful safety considerations, the session should proceed with a warm up. Begin by combining dynamic and static warm to achieve all desirable results (Mcardle, 2000). Players should do begin by slight running, going around the court two times, making a few stretching and jogging and Plyometric jumps. Warm up serves two functions. First, it prepares muscles for the explosive plyometrics. Secondly, it is one of the first stages of acquainting with plyometrics, especially for the novice (Taylor & Beashel, 1996). This training entails dropping on grounds from an upper surface, followed by a jump-up. A drop-down during the eccentric phase offers the muscles the pre-stretch, as well as a vigorous upward drive during the contraction phase. The effectiveness of the exercise is only effective if the time that the feet touch the ground is short. The exercise loading is determined by the dropping height, which should be about 0.7 to 1.1 meters (Taylor & Beashel, 1997). Three sets of jumps should be performed, each with 10 repetitions. In bounding, oversized strides are employed for the running action while time is spent in the air. Bound that involve two legs minimize the endured impact. The intensity may be increased by hopping or even single-leg bounding. Upstairs’ bounding improves the horizontal of movement. Three sets bounding and hurdling should be performed, each with 10 repetitions. Hand claps and press ups, done in alterations, is one way in which the chest and the arms can be conditioned. Pre-stretch occurs as the hands swing back to the ground and as the chest sinks. This

The morality of abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The morality of abortion - Essay Example It has been a question pondered for decades, possibly even millennia. Some feel that it begins at conception, the moment the sperm fertilizes the egg, and others believe life begins only once the being is viable, or can live and breathe on its own, while others argue it is at birth, once it is its own entity. In today’s society this question has taken on a much more legal realm rather than a philosophical one. Due to its validity in the argument for the morality of abortion it has become one of the hottest topics of debate today. Arguments for both sides, pro life and pro choice, can be seen in most every media outlet; from late night TV, to Presidential debates. It seems everyone has a view on this issue and all seem to want to have their say. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the human race has strong ties to its origins so in answering the question of if humans were once fetuses; many feel the answer to when life begins will also be uncovered. After researching the quest ion of, was a human being ever a fetus and the moral issue of what the arguments are for both the anti-abortionist and those who are pro-choice, the question of the morality of abortion should become clear. ... In this he argues that we could never have been something that was not a person, such as a fetus. He then takes this idea step further in saying that since only persons are moral agents and as a result have rights, no abortion ever has nor ever will violate any rights since non-persons, in this case fetuses, do not have any. This debate, though it seems logical, can hold many horrendous implications. If, in society, we view only those who are capable of rational and moral activity, as persons and therefore the only ones to have rights, many others besides the fetus could be excluded. Take for instance a man in a comma. In the comma state the man does not have the ability of ration or moral activity; he is in a sense a vegetable, same as a fetus. So according to this theory if he was an inconvenience then the plug could be pulled and it would be okay to let him die because he is not essentially a person. A new born, according to this theory, could also be deemed incapable of rational and moral activity, so in essence it is yet to be essentially a person, so therefore has no rights and if one so choose could be done away with. Another example would be a mentally handicap person, in many severe cases, the mentally handicap are incapable of rational and moral activity, therefore are they not considered essentially persons with rights. It seems that saying that only those with rational and moral activity are essentially persons and therefore have rights is a dangerous road to travel. Olson, however, takes on the view that we are not all essentially persons, but that each of us is essentially a member of the species, Homo sapiens, in short, an animal, a biological kind. He says that the properties of personhood are acquired by humans at some stage in

Plant Growing Lamp Presentation Essay Example for Free

Plant Growing Lamp Presentation Essay Good morning, everybody. Thank you for coming to my short presentation today. Let me introduce myself first. I’m Chris Wong, a medical assistant of Willis Health Centre. I’m very glad today to present to you our team’s proposed product, Dino, a plant growing lamp. My presentation will be covered into three parts. I’ll, first of all, introduce to you the background information about our environment. Next, I’ll explain our proposed product, Dino. Finally, I’ll outline some problems that our team concerned about. Afterwards, there will be a question and answer session. Right, let me start with the background about our environment. In fewer years, do you feel the weather is unexpected? Do you think this is terrible? Do you know why? Let me talk you. Nowadays, human do lots of things to damage our environment is caused the bigger problem, global warming. That why the weather is unexpected. They use lots to things to release the greenhouse gas. It is global issue because the effects are very important. That why we developed this plant growing lamp. Fine, I’ll now explain our proposed Dino. To start with, let’s look at the aesthetic value. This lamp can come with different pattern and color. Most important is it will have some seed inside the lamp. You can choose the pattern and color to match your home design and your home will be more modern. After the plant grows up, it also can offer fresh air. You will have a wonderful environment in the house because it can be a pretty decoration. Now, let’s turn to the user’s needs. The lamp has deep penetrating infrared light. Do you feel tired after a whole working? It can help you to relief pain and stimulate blood circulation. You feel more relax after using Dino. It really can bring you a health benefits. So much for the user’s need and the aesthetic. Let’s now look at the benefits for our company image. As you know, our company directions are focusing on health and environment. I think the health benefits of the user are already to promote our images. For the environment, the lamp is using a bio-degradable material. It is less damaged to our environment and it is very eco-friendly since Dino is also using the recyclable material.

The Scottsboro Trials Essay -- Racial Relations, Segregation

March 25, 1931, nine men hopped on to a freight train of no return (Uschan 10). Unjust, prejudice, and racist the Scottsboro Trials, were definitely not just another ordinary case. The Scottsboro Trials changed how America viewed segregation. The nine young men, who hopped onto that train that day, were innocent and harmless. The Scottsboro Trials revealed the unjust treatment that African Americans faced outside of the Harlem Renaissance and changed views on segregation. Boarding the train from Chattanooga to Memphis seems like an innocent thing to do (â€Å"UMKC† par. 2). For the Scottsboro boys, boarding that train was one of the worst things they could have done. Two dozen whites and black road the train that day, and within the first 2 hours a fist fight broke out between the two races. The blacks won the fight, and the white men were thrown off the train and ran to the station master and reported that they had been assaulted by a gang of blacks on the train. Alabama stopped the train and dozens of men showed up and surrounded the train with guns in their hands. They took the nine African Americans aboard the train and put them into the Scottsboro jail (UMKC par. 2-5). Two other people were on the train at that time too. Victoria Price and Ruby Bates were found on the train unexpectedly while the search men were looking for any more black citizens. The women identified themselves and then Ruby Bates told the search men â€Å"We’ve been raped. All those colored boys raped us.†(Uschan 14).This caused an uproar throughout America not because rape was a horrible crime, but because back then a white woman having sexual relations with a black man was considered one of the worst things a person could do. The act was considered so terr... ... thing of the past. Racism is a very harsh and dangerous thing to participate in. Being racist can cause a person’s life to be in danger and it can ruin their life too. Helping African Americans understand that these racist people are sick and will be punished is just one way we can help the fight against racism. And so, the Scottsboro Trials ended up being victorious. It changed how America felt about discrimination and segregation and opened up many opportunities for blacks. America has changed as a whole because of the Scottsboro Trials and racism is slowly fading away. Segregation has caused many hardships throughout history and finally, it ended partially because of the Scottsboro Trials. Soon, America will be a place where it is as if seclusion against African Americans never existed. African Americans are one of us and together we are America.

Dangers in the Environment Essay

The Dangers within the Environment are affecting our health to means that we wouldn’t believe. We destroy our planets ozone that affects and causes global warming. The pesticides, mercury and carbon dioxide that we release into the environment cause so many health problems to use and our children. It actually affects our children’s health more than it does to use. How can we do this to our environment knowing that it affects our health more and more. Dangers with in our Environment The dangers within the environment that affect our health are increasing day by day. The first thing that is we are doing to the environment is destroying our ozone layer. We are destroying the ozone layer by greenhouse gases. The way we treat our planet is going to affect our health and maybe even kill us because of the toxins and pollutants that we release into our environment. Certain types of pollutants that we release into the environment can cause us to have several complications with our health. The pesticides, mercury and carbon dioxide that we release into the environment cause so many health problems to use and our children. It is not hard to see what we are doing to our planet on a daily basis. There is so much research that shows how much even low level of air pollution affects our health. Carbon dioxide is what we breathe out of our lungs when exhaling. Carbon dioxide is released while we are driving our motor vehicles, using our lawn mowers, and etc. For the one gallon of gasoline that is used in our machines it causes 19. of carbon dioxide to distribute into our environment. Trees absorb the carbon dioxide from the air but if the tree is cut down, burned, or dies then the carbon dioxide will not be absorbed up. When a tree slowly rots then the carbon dioxide is slowly released back into the environment. The pesticides that are toxic to our health and our environment are chemical pesticides. The chemical pesticides that is more dangerous to be farmers, their family members, and other people who use the chemical pesticides. The pesticides are released into the air that we breathe in. The pesticides are left on the produce that they are sprayed on and then remain on the inside of the produce. The pesticides can be rinsed off, but they also can run off into springs, and large bodies of water. In which the pesticides can contaminate our water supply. In the world today everyone is at risk for simple reason that we are destroying our planet. Our world is at a total disaster at how we treat it and take care of it. Individuals that live in the world are at risk form pollutants and toxins that are in the environment that we breathe on a daily basis. The pesticides, mercury and carbon dioxide that we release into the environment cause so many health problems to use and our children. We need to take better care of our environment and worry about our health. People do not care about their health because if they did then they will not smoke cigarettes that affect their health and our environment. If we would save from driving all over the place in our vehicles when you could ride a bike or walk. It could help save our environment from pollutants being disbursed into the air that we breathe.