Essays on Alienation

Research Paper

Abstract The youth is the most at-risk group in terms of gang membership nowadays. It has been found in several studies that gang involvement largely appeal to adolescents, especially those living in poor neighborhoods, estranged or alienated in schools, and in conflict with police authorities or the larger criminal justice system. Researchers reported that the youth turns to gangs to compensate for their lack of adequate and proper socialization. Large communities, or areas with sizable populations, have serious gang-related problems. This paper discusses existing empirical studies on gang formation, membership, and violence. There is a considerable dearth of studies ...

In essence, “The Dispossessed” by Ursula Le Guin discusses alienation as a way to acquire and maintain power over other people. According to the author, alienation is a violent way of taking power because one does not care or consider what other people would think about his or her move. They totally disregard the will of the people. Notably, alienation involves identifying individuals who differ with the person taking power and portraying them in the bad light so that they could be discriminated against (LeGuin 73). As a result, the individual uses that opportunity to seize power. For instance, ...

“The Dispossessed” is a novel about a utopian life. A reader can observe the life on two different planets and they are Anarres and Urras. Urras may remind more of Earth while on Anarres people do not oblige any rules and have a very alienated life. Urras is seen as a superior planet considering the fact that population of Anarres have separated from Urras before. Anarres’ state of mind can be seen as anarchic at first glance. However, after couple of pages the reader may find some tendencies of social life. It is important to mention that the current ...

History

Abstract Karl Marx observed the large gap between workers’ and serfs’ quality of life compared to the aristocrats running European countries from France to Russia. He theorized that viewing workers as commodities necessary to produce profits was causing deep angry feelings of alienation in the working class. The pamphlet written by Marx and Engel called The Communist Manifesto (1849). Marx’s work grew from Hegel’s theories about alienation in order to apply to society in the decade of the 1840s (Panich & Leys, 1998). Contemporary authors have determined that the feelings of alienation in 1848 were similar to what ...

Part1

Primitive and alienated from the rest of the world. Hegel viewed Africa as a world enveloped on a dark mantle of the night. It is a land shut-up from the rest of the world and often presumed to be static from development perspectives.

Stereotypes associated with Africa includes being under-developed, unhistorical, wild, and untamed.

Definition of terms Assimilation means an adaptation of a minority group to the norms or directions of a larger group. In this case, the way of life of the minor group becomes similar to that of the dominant one (Brubaker, 534). Acculturation is the contact between individual members of groups with different cultures that produce a ...

Thesis

Charles Baudelaire’s poem, The Swan (1860), is a clash of emotions, from nostalgia to despondency, brought about by the destruction of the City of Paris and the memory creation on the events of the war.

The feelings of loss and nostalgia keep on bugging the persona’s mind, and he remembers Andromache, the widow of Hector, a Troy great warrior. When Greece defeated Trojan, the son of Achilles took Andromache as a trophy of war, taking her away from the familiarities of her entire life and surroundings to a new civilization and establishment where she became a wife ...

HILLS LIKE ELEPHANTS. THE MAIN IDEA OF THE STORY AND ITS CONFLICTS.

Introduction:

background on both authors and texts

Summary of the text

Thesis statement: Jig and Paul being characters of different stories by different authors revolt against norms of the American patriarchal society in the first half of the 20th century.

The topic of homosexuality and alienation of the main character in “Paul’s Case”

Examples and explanations Summary of the issues discussed in the story and conclusion Difficulties of communication Examples and explanations summary of gender roles in the story

Symbols used in the story and their explanation

Examples and discussion Summary of use of form and content of the story Issues discussed in the story Discussion of the issues Summary of discussed issues ...

Discussion Board

Anxiety, tension, confusion, and irritability Cognitive therapy helps in dealing with feelings of anxiety, tension, confusion and irritability. Other ways to deal with these feelings include; advising the victim to exercise, minimizing the use of stimulants like caffeine, proper meditation, self-evaluation and reflection, and adjusting to different lifestyle aspects.

Sense of frustration, anger, and resentment

These feelings are normal, and relieve stress, which provides a way of solving a current or a past situation. Sometimes the feelings can lead to adverse effects and therefore should be controlled. Cognitive therapy, gradual relaxation and inducing activities that will let go of the feelings can be used. Such ...

Literature has always worked as the quintessential reflection of life and existence in the mortal world. The authors find their liberty as they engage in the portrayal of the fictional character as expressions of their creative zeal. Fiction goes on to get meshed with the elements of reality, thereby portraying the true picture of life in the literary works by the stalwart authors. A close introspection of one such work, The Moviegoer, by the acclaimed writer, Walker Percy would let one develop a perfect understanding of how literature can explore the true meaning of life in this temporal world ...

Many of us, when we think about our histories, do not realize how influenced we are by the institutions are us. Whether it is by religion, class, work, a different institution, or a combination of a few, who we become has much to do with what we witnessed, and what went on around us, how we were raised, and the opportunities that were presented to us in youth. In some cases, these institutions began before we were born. For me, it is a combination of institutions. While many played small roles in my upbringing, as well as who I ...

Catcher in the rye brings out the anguish and confinement in a teenage boy called Holden, in the mid-1950 (Bratož 95). Holden is faced with disparities in life, which makes him to reconsider the meaning of life. Similarly, Charlie, in perks of being a wallflower is faced with problems that Holden encounters in life. Despite living in different social, economic and cultural confinement, ideologies represented in the two pieces of literature are uncanny. Holden was a victim of the World War 2 post-war trauma in the United States of America. The post-war conditions had forced Holden to give up ...

Nemesis, a novel by Philip Roth, gives a protagonist view of what is good, and what is wrong in the lives of human beings. Moreover, the novel gives an opposing view on a religious basis, but the antagonism is set in a virtual or imaginary basis, as the main character, Bucky, contradicts the view of others by supernatural eventualities. Moreover, Bucky is faced with vast guilt that alienated him from his life (Roth 21). Apparently, the author depicts that Bucky has poor eyesight and natural defect that makes him unfit to serve his country during the World War 2. ...

Abstract

“Bartleby the Scrivener” is a marvelous short story of the American nineteen century that has been discussed greatly from various disciplinary perspectives over the last century. Bartleby has been seen as a revolutionary figure who intentionally disrupts the capitalist system and has been traced to numerous real people, including Thoreau, Emerson, and even Melville himself. Critics have attached numerous equivalences to the protagonist; therefore, it is important to study the historical, political, and cultural context to choose the proper one. “Bartleby the Scrivener” demonstrated not only allusion to specific people and conflicts in New York but also showed class ...

Ideology in Allen Ginsberg’s “America” and “Sunflower Sutra”

Ideology is a very important topic as it relates to literature. Literature is one of the primary methods in which people that perhaps are not within the mainstream of culture, politics and society employ to question hegemonic power structures. Dominant power structures are often posed primarily as the synthesis of modernity, objective reality, logocentrism, patriarchy, white supremacy and capitalism, which are often cited in shorthand as “imperialism.” The United States, after the Second World War the period in which Allen Ginsberg and the other beat generation writers were most active was arguably the point in world history in which ...

Alienation involves isolating a certain group of people by being indifferent and discriminative. This paper focuses on an article that provides a detailed account of suffering that North Koreans underwent through the rule of Kim- Jong- il and his current predecessor Kim- Jong- un through the eyes of the Myth of Sisyphus, a compilation of essays by Albert Camus. I chose the article by Tom Phillips about a refugee who escaped the inhumanity in North Korea because refugees are some of the people who face great alienation. Also, through Yeonmi Park’s experiences, a refugee, described in this article, ...

The article “Good parenting key to breaking cycle of poverty” by Nicole Letourneau and Justin Joschko in the Toronto Star highlights the importance of strong relationships between children and adults in low-income families in Canada (Letourneau & Joschko, 2013). The article is significantly critical in the essence that it exposes the dangers of families suffering poverty not building a strong relationship with their children by particularly not giving them the necessary attention. In hindsight, the article depicts how extensive and sensitive alienation can be experienced while also revealing its prevalence to be witnessed across various issues. Alienation is thus witnessed ...

The article “Sinai explodes into violence after years of chronic poverty and opted to vent their alienation” by Harriet Sherwood in the Guardian reveals the dangers that can arise in cases of inequality in poverty levels (Sherwood, 2012). This is article is critical as it reflected various aspects of alienation and highlighted a scenario that was on significantly on the news globally. In essence, the article depicts the extensive levels of alienation and its prevalence. In the article, alienation is witnessed various ways and at various levels with both the poor and the wealthy or middles class feeling indifferent ...

The article explains the perspectives of different groups and individuals in Australia to the alienated children detained in a juvenile in in the United States. Some individuals in this nation, support the act of alienating the children from their parents and argue that they were being punished for the unbecoming behavior of their parentages. On the other hand, the proponents hold that the incarcerated children are not old enough to make decisions on their own about their estranged parent. Children while in the juvenile are separated for their parents and they no longer relish their intimacy. According to the ...

A Thousand Clowns and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf

Alienation and the stress, which are characteristic of the US of the fifties, found its visible expression in the sixties in the civil rights movement, feminism, anti-war protests, and active struggle of national minorities for their rights and the emergence of the counterculture whose effects are still felt in the US society. To the 60-th year, the role of women begins to change considerably. Women, taking advantage of the emergence of a large number of jobs, and the fact that employers have to give up the preferences, which they at one time gave unmarried women and employed married women ...

Abstract

In the novel ‘Black Hole,’ teenagers who engage in sexual behavior contract a decision that leads to genetic mutations which are hard to conceal. The disease is a replica of the Aids Pandemic and the struggles which teenagers have to endure during their adolescent years. The importance of the study is to identify how teenagers in the book the black Hole relate to the youth in the current society. Teenagers experience hormonal imbalances which cause them to lose control and are mostly controlled by their sex drives. Sexual attractions are common during this developmental stage of life, and most ...

Japanese continue to grapple with low paying jobs despite the county’s strong economy. In this piece, I will explore economic and social alienation in Japan, reviewing some of the latest turn of events in the country. The article is titled “Japan’s Disposable Workforce: Alienation, suicide and social responsibility.” The article theme concerns alienation together with poor quality of life and poverty. These and other more reasons depicts Japan persistent alienation culture leading to high rate of suicide in the county. I got attracted to this article because Japan represents the most advanced societies in the world and ...

Progressivism in the 1970s

Progressivism, according to the West and Schambra, was a socioeconomic and political reform movement period during the nineteenth and twentieth century America in the 1970s. During this period, various political leaders, social reformers and intellectuals sought to find solutions to the political, cultural, social and economic challenges that had been brought about by the growth of capitalism and the Industrial Revolution in the United States (1). This group of leaders such as President Carter and individuals were termed as progressives who were convinced that some of the changes being witnessed then in America indicated the end of the old ...

In this essay I’m going to talk about political and social alienation in Egypt based off an article reflecting recent happenings in the said country. The article is titled “Sinai Explodes Into Violence After Years of Chronic Poverty and Alienation” The theme portrayed in the article is mainly alienation, alongside other themes such as poverty, marginalization and violence, which clearly brings out the alienation of the Bedouins, an ethnic group in Egypt. I chose the article because the Bedouins have several characteristics which alienate them from other Egyptians. The characteristics are; permanent nomadic lifestyle, low population and geographical ...

Divorce has become a common occurrence in the society today, and many individuals who take the extreme step of divorcing appear to have lost sight of the values and the vows that are associated with the institution of marriage. Many parents with growing children at home opt for divorce without realizing the damaging effects their one-time decision may have on the lives of their children. Even though divorce may be a relief to both the partners in marriage who find no further meaning in living together, it definitely is a life-transforming experience to their innocent children. For instance, after ...

Research Methods Sp2016

Abstract The dominance of commercial technological innovation in the context of modern society has resulted in a form of technological dependence for some individuals, causing them to pay less regard to aspects of the physical world. Technological innovation has assumed a noteworthy role in the flow of our daily lives, such as through the methods we employ to maintain interpersonal connections. Numerous individuals are included in a matrix of connections facilitated by technological innovation and an increasingly digitalized culture; however, the vast amount of these affiliations can leave individuals the global community feeling subjectively void. The effects of technological ...

The film “Lost in Translation” is really about the difficulties in translation, but not so much in the linguistic sense, as in the human, - translation of others’ feelings ("Lost In Translation (2003)"). The film is not so much the words as the information, the mood and emotions are not concluded just in words. This is perhaps one of the few movies, where the characters’ silence can be comfortable and talk about many things. A slow, as it might seem, dragged action is not the lack of pictures – that's the essence of the whole atmosphere of loneliness – the characters ...

The poem “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold was written in nineteenth century, when the new era of industrialization and progress began and the usual world started to change. The social order and values became more dependent on the historical processes of Victorian era, while the religion and faith faced crisis. The historical background of the author caused the focus of his poetry on the themes of decay, alienation and depression. Facing the changes that were happening, seeing how two absolutely different worlds clash have stimulated Arnold to write “Dover Beach” that expresses the attitudes and moods of English population ...

Abstract

“Song of Solomon” is the third novel written by Toni Morrison and is a very remarkable and rich piece of fiction. Its power lies not only in the representation of African Americans century but also the author’s insistence on the necessity of healing the alienated and broken protagonist, Milkman Dead. His journey to the recognition of the cultural past can be viewed in the context of the mythic quest, as he follows it, first for gold, and then for knowledge about his ancestry. Significantly, in the novel, the writer employs classical myths, specifically that of Icarus and the ...

Introduction

In the modern age of technological progress, people begin to puzzle about their place in the environment and the relation of a contemporary human being to the nature. It seems like the link between a person and natural environment is lost, yet still despite the progress, humans try to connect to nature. There is a radical difference between the life in a modern city and in wilderness, which sometimes attracts adventurers and those who try to escape the civilization. There are radical examples, like Chris McCandless, who has chosen alienation from the society in order to live in wilderness ( ...

The film “Maria Full of Grace” takes place in a small Colombian town, where most people are poor and young people have no opportunities to improve their lives. The film presents a detailed image of the isolated Colombian town, which is located in the middle of a deserted landscape. In the film, Maria, the protagonist, moves in a space that seems to be completely unfit for her independent and spirited nature. While following Maria from one key community space to the other, such as the factory, the church and the open air disco, the viewers may become aware that ...

“The Hunger Artist” is a short story that was written by Franz Kafka that was initially published in 1922. The main character of the story is a hunger artist who remains faithful to his craft and who fears that the people who watch him completely misunderstand him. There is the insight that crowds used to appreciate this kind of “performance”, but that during this time, people refuse to believe in such anymore. One might say that the main idea of this short story is the alienation of many artists from society. The artist has a very troubled relationship with ...

The theme of alienation and resistance permeates throughout Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Alienation, disillusionment and fear are dominant elements in dystopian societies. In this paper, I seek to make the argument that alienation makes resistance to oppression difficult since individuals are separated from each other and the products that individuals produce. I argue that The Handmaid’s Tale shows how difficult it is for women to wage a successful resistance movement against a male dominated society. Even though Marx did reduce all human relations to means and modes of production, it is important to note ...

Introduction

During the early centuries of Christianity, an era of official persecution of the Christians, not only was the church and state separated, but also opposed. This essay will describe the connection that prevails between church and state from the ancient times in relation to the present times. In so doing, it will show the various shifts historically and in the current world of the state having influence over religion and religion having the upper hand over the state and the current attempts to bring a separation between the two parties. This sense of antagonism can be well edified with ...

Karl Marx’s Theses on Feuerbach is an exclusive note written the document that includes eleven small pieces of notes, which describe the few light setting works of philosophy on the discovery of the new world. The thesis describes the breakthrough in the world of philosophy, from the world of idealism, to the world of Marxism (Jal, p 1). The hypotheses describe the whole process of transition of knowledge through the provision of the truth, by exerting reality, and the power of knowledge in knowledge attribution. The thesis describes the transition that the world undergoes due to changes in ...

Introduction

The depiction of female characters in television has long been one of Feminism’s great worries and battles. Throughout the decades, females have been shown as one dimensional and weak, often reduced to mere companions or prizes for the lead, male characters. The popular television saga Game of Thrones has long come under the view of these critics, yet many have reached opposite conclusions. Even though some contend that it is deeply Feminist, other critics believe that it is extremely misogynist, painting women in a negative light. The present text will argue that historical considerations and character development show ...

Introduction

According to Beverly (2013, p. 1), parental alienation refers to the situation where one parent is irrationally rejected by their child, usually because the other parent has influenced the child negatively towards them. There are cases where the cases are severe that the case of Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) develops. In this scenario, the symptoms mentioned repeat themselves and the behavior are affected. The causes of this problem are usually triggered by both parents, especially those that provide the child with a hostile living environment. This environment could be triggered by parents who are undergoing a divorce or parents ...

Introduction

“A Heart So White,” is a story narrated by Juan, an interpreter, and translator who lives in Madrid, Spain, with his wife, Luisa. The narrator takes the standpoint of an onlooker as he examines the institution of marriage and its secrets and betrayals. Juan begins his book by reflecting on the death of Teresa, a woman previously married to his father, Ranz. It is against this backdrop of tragedy and emotional alienation that the story begins. Marías explores the intricacies of marriage and highlights major themes such as emotional alienation and the tragedy of death. This paper explores ...

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Annotated Bibliography

Dalirian, Zohreh, Alienation in Edward Hopper's and Jackson Pollock's Paintings (Wichita, Kan.: Wichita State University, 2010. In this published dissertation, Zohreh Dalirian compares Pollock’s alienation to that of Edward Hopper as expressed through their different artworks. He views Pollock’s art as a metaphor for his life. The alienation captured in his artwork can be used to explain his psychological characteristics. This work may be used to explore the link between artistic expression and psychology. Fisher, K, "Expressing The Age: How The Painting Of Jackson Pollock Displayed The Political Culture Of Abstract Expressionism.", Philogia, Vol. 2, ...

Shot in 1996 in Hong Kong, Comrades: Almost a Love Story by Peter Chan is a romantic drama on the complicated relationships of the Chinese couple. The film is a beautiful love story that takes place during the period of the political tension between China and Hong Kong, and the director’s main aim is to convey the atmosphere of the immigrants living abroad. Being a winner of the numerous awards, thus approved by the critics, Comrades: Almost a Love Story also touches the audience’s feelings by the director’s trenchant analysis of the destined love contrasted with ...

The word “modern” at first appeared long time ago – in 1585 and its meaning in Late Latin was “just now”. In English language the term modern had almost a similar meaning – “existing now”. There are two terms that relate to modern: modernism and modernity. Though they seem to be the same while derived from one term, it is though necessary to point out a definition of each of them and tell about their differences. Modernity, also known as modernization, can be defined as a process of social and economic development, involving the rising of industry, urbanization, technology and bureaucratic ...

Introduction

Canada has been hailed as one of the best countries in term of universal health care system. However, despite these positive reviews and global admiration of its health care system, there are various factors that are not admirable. The Canadian society is anchored on social justice and social equality. Therefore, every citizen, irrespective of color, ethnicity or sexuality is entitled to good healthcare. As such, it is a right to enjoy good healthcare system that is universal to all. However, this cannot be said to be true especially to the people of color such as the aboriginal. Over the ...

Released in 1977, Chantal Akerman’s “News from Home” offers a vision of New York as experienced by a newcomer. The filmmaker used raw footage of New York locations in order to realize her documentary film. She narrated the film by herself, using letters that her mother sent her over the course of several years in order to personalize her work. The voice-over narration she employs however has no correspondence to the images, being used simply in order to personalize and enrich her view of the city. The film is not easy to watch, due to the distractions created ...

Norman Bowker symbolizes the alienation that veterans of the Vietnam War felt within their community, consequently, this alienation illustrates the struggle they faced to be integrated back into the society.

Norman Bowker, a veteran who returns home, feels alienated from the other men in his hometown. “Speaking of Courage” chronicles the alienation and remoteness he feels in his hometown; though a deep desire to tell his story, he refuses to talk to Sally “… there is really nothing he could say to her” (O’Brien 133) as they both come from different worlds, one of war and the other ...

In Roszak’s text, he seeks to discover exactly why religious mysticism has disappeared from modern society. According to him, the “energies of transcendence” have vanished from our culture, which has incredible effects on how we live our lives. He states that religions sensibilities have been excised in order to make room for urban industrial development and the advancement of technology. The increasing secularization of our culture has stemmed from an idealism stating that we can do things on our own, and that we do not need pie-in-the-sky figures to help us along the way. There is no feeling ...

Introduction

The things they carried was published in 1990 and is regarded as an outstanding fictional work that is based on a platoon of American soldiers who participated in the Vietnam war and how they are fought boredom and trauma of combat throughout the Vietnam War. While it seems it is based on the experiences of O’Briens, the cover page recognizes the book as a work of fiction. In one of the short stories, Good Form, the narrator draws a clear cut distinction between the happening truth and the story truth. The author, O’Brien, has a feeling that, creating a story that is ...

The first greatest contribution of Karl Marx in political and social philosophies can be summed up by his utmost regard to the proletariats. Marx generalized the poor as being exploited in the market economy because even when he works so hard, he gets poorer and poorer. This is due to the forces of capitalism all over him. The poor produces wealth but he is alienated to it (Bottomore, p. 23 ). This means that he cannot enjoy the fruits of his labor. He could not have enough money to purchase the very thing that he creates.

For instance, the worker ...