Analysis Of Norman Mailer 's The Naked And The Dead Essay

David Sedaris is a one of the best-selling authors. One of his books is called "Naked." In this book he talks about his life. David Sedaris is a great writer who wrote about his family and himself when he was growing up. While most people usually don't like talking about the humiliating moments of their lives, he presents the reader with his own obsessions and the numerous interesting and funny events from the life of his family. Sedaris uses a lot of sarcasm in his book; therefore it is very appealing and interesting to read. Sedaris was able to see the irony in any situation. I think this quality is very important in dealing with different issues in our lives.

Journalist, Norman Mailer, in his essay, “The Death of Benny Paret”, describes his firsthand account of the beatdown, and ultimate death of the professional boxer. Mailer’s purpose is to integrate a logical, formative description of the events that took place with his emotional reaction to witnessing the profound death of a man who he supported and revered. He adopts an excited tone, which fluctuates throughout the piece and eventually turns somber, and somewhat bitter, in order to both inform and to channel the emotional rollercoaster he experienced on this night to his audience.

When looking into the ideas of political theorists it is important to the use of political concepts that may play an important role in what the theorists are suggesting and also how they may affect the relationship between to state and the individuals living within a state. The concepts that will be looked at within this essay are: power, authority and also accountability.

Norman Mailer, in his article “The Death of Benny Paret” claims that even the strongest person has their weakness. Mailer supports his claim by describing the fight between Paret and Griffith and the unexpected death of a champion. The author’s purpose was to point out that nobody is invincible. Mailer uses his article to appeal to people with the same mentality as Paret by using figurative language, tone, and syntax. Norman Mailer’s use of similes, solemn and disdainful tone, and various syntactical elements in his article, shows that everyone is mortal, and even those who may seem invincible have their breaking point.

Allegory fails if there is obscurity between the i) emblem, ii) the figurative construct. iii) the thing it really represents

“The Scarlet Ibis” is a story by James Hurst. It is a sad short story of a child born with a medical condition who overcomes some of his challenges brought on by his condition. He is then made to run to death by his well-intentioned but egoistical older brother. Many symbols appear in James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis”. A symbol is a material object representing something that is often immaterial. In “The Scarlet Ibis”, James Hurst uses the scarlet ibis, the bleeding tree and the coffin in the barn loft as symbols to offer greater insight into abstract ideas that are difficult to understand on their own.

In “Leviathan,” Thomas Hobbes believes that citizens choose to obey a sovereign leader in return for security and protection to from violence, chaos and bloodshed that is mankind’s “state of nature.” In a Commonwealth, the body of people agree to submit to a sovereign head of state to rule with absolute power, for the common good of survival and protection, be it given willingly by compact, or by force through acquisition, as outlined in Chapter XVII. Once sovereignty is in place, citizens are obligated to obey. Political legitimacy is the acceptance of authority and faith in an institution, monarchy or an assembly that was chosen by the Commonwealth for protection from their innate selfishness and evil tendencies. Whereas political legitimacy is nonexistent in the state of nature, it is used in a social contract to ensure self-preservation.

In Weber’s article he claims that there are specific types of domination, which stress the importance of establishing “legitimacy” as a leader, within a group of people. He supports this opening claim in his introduction paragraph, in which he defines the authority of domination “classified” by the “kind of claim” demanded (2). He ultimately supports his by breaking down the types of legitimacy in domination in three distinct categories: Legal authority, traditional authority, and charismatic authority (3). He supports his argument through theoretical examples in which he assumes the reader has a background in. The assumptions include: knowledge of basic authoritative environments such as work setting or school that are applied to his

Symbolism is an object, person or colour which conveys a connotation beyond its literal meaning. Symbols are typically abstract or non-rational. In Addiction, symbol was effectively manipulated to incorporate the unrealistic conventions of masks, stylised movement and abstract props. Buzz, the drug lord was costumed in all black, including a black mask (Expressionism convention). The black signified Buzz’s malignant personality and contagious harmful spirit. But the mask dehumanised Buzz and allowed him to represent, ‘free will’; in context free will was defined as Darcy’s ability to decline or chase Buzz’s immoral influence. Furthermore Buzz and Darcy participated in a stylised movement piece-Theatre of Cruelty convention- were Buzz was standing

Speaker: David Sedaris was considered “the most brilliantly witty New Yorker since Dorothy Parker.” and wrote several essay collections as well. His essay “Naked” is experience from a week-long visit to a nudist colony. Occasion: The writing takes place inside a trailer park within a nudist colony. Audience:

The reality is depicted in a litany of powerful, clever men, who misuse their abilities for their own personal ends - which are chiefly, the acquisition and maintenance of power. Their goal is public acclaim, cynically acquired through a popularity based on the

On the speculative side, most theories of legitimacy will include both an account of human nature and the origins of government. These accounts are not to be taken as literal histories, or even historical theories. Speculative accounts should be taken at face value and appreciated for what they are: useful thought experiments. To take an account of human nature or the origins of government in any other way is foolish at best. It is my belief that there is an inherent value in these thought experiments. They are tremendous starting points for theories of legitimate government and reveal a great amount of insight into the views of the theorist. I believe that in adopting the position espoused by the second option

The ruling elite extends the definition of illegal or criminal behavior to encompass those whom might threaten the status quo. The rules draw

Defining deviance as behaviour, which violates consensual social norms, also raises the questions of whose norms? Why are some norms more important than others? And why do some norms appear to serve the interests of capitalist governments and the powerful? .

The concept of power has been a topic of interest of many sociologists as they seek to define the term. Ensuring that the exercise of power is legitimate is a key integral to the concept of power in present day. However, although the power is seen as legitimate, it also has to be exercised appropriately as; ‘power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely’ (Dalberg-Acton, 1907: 504). Max Weber and Hannah Arendt are two sociologists whose ideology of what the concept of power is, are at the opposite ends of a pole. It is different in the fact that both theories approach different aspects of power. Weber’s account of power is more associated with everyday understanding and use of power, whereas Arendt’s account of power focuses more on power as a tool when speaking and acting in concert (Goverde H. & Lentner H, 2000).