Analysis Of The Book ' The Four Houses '

In A Home Is Not a House, Reyner Banham starts by arguing that the main function of the typic American house is to cover its mechanical structure. In fact, he states that the use of mechanical services in architectural practice varies constantly because mechanical services are considered to be new in the profession, as well as, a cultural threat to the architect’s position in the world. To show his argument, Banham states that American houses are basically large single spaces divided by partitions inside that give a relative importance to the use of internal mechanical services, causing a threat to the need of architectural design. Similarly, American cultural characteristics, like cleanliness and hygiene, also foster the use and need of mechanical

House of leaves is another contemporary work that portrays insane character. In reference to the House of leaves, it is obvious that the tension of madness is neither observable nor openly stated; a phenomenon that reveals that madness is not easily detectable. This is what triggers Gothic plots to have a positive development as they mainly focus on revealing the why and what of the occurrence of an event. It is evident that wider experiences, techniques, psychological knowledge as well as craftsmanship have tremendously advanced such that the earlier Gothic work seems artificial and naïve (Lovecraft, 2013). As Crawford (2014) reveals, the theme of madness runs through most Gothic narratives and is usually enunciated by the characters where they often question their own sanity or that of their fellow characters.

Have you ever wondered what life is like for people in specific social classes and all the baggage that comes with being wealthy? In the article “Amber Waves of Green”, author Jon Ronson has sit downs with hard working americans making a income of $200 a week all the way up to $625,000 a week. In another writing titled “The Mansion”, written by Michael Lewis, allows the reader to get insight on what life is like as a middle class individual taking on a higher style of living. Within the two articles the reader can point out that both Jon Ronson and Michael Lewis disagree on living styles, what wealth can do for you, and how it can affect the people around you.

Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story “This Blessed House” is one of many stories in her Pulitzer Prize-winning collection Interpreter of Maladies and follows a newlywed Indian-American couple, Sanjeev and Twinkle, settling into their first suburban home together. As Twinkle begins to find and admire Christian objects scattered around the house, Sanjeev wants to throw them all away, underscoring that Sanjeev deeply cares about how they will look if they display these Christian symbols as Hindus, while Twinkle simply wants to have fun in presenting her discoveries. More deeply rooted in the situation is that Sanjeev wants to look good in front of his coworkers; he does not get along with Twinkle; and the house he is supposed to show off in an upcoming housewarming party only troubles him with the Christian objects. Sanjeev’s earlier phone calls with his mother put these three variables of work, spouse, and home together as a formula, when she says that because he has enough money in the bank, he needs “a wife to look after and love,” and that his money is supposed to go toward raising a family (Lahiri 148). Sanjeev is taught to perform this role of success, and despite it not making him truly happy, his continual pursuit of it emphasizes that he is attempting to perform a fixed role that he does not fit into well. Sanjeev’s actions and mentality in “This Blessed House” reflect upon his performance and acting to fulfill a character of the American

“Beneath My House” by Louise Erdrich, is a literary essay with an expressive approach. Erdrich narrates the day she rescues a kitten from beneath her house, despite the fact that she does not even like cats. Her maternal instincts take over when she hears the kitten cry, which causes her to do whatever it takes to rescue the kitten. Then, the author analyzes the event and she expresses her emotional response. Through the use of description and narration, Erdrich allows for the audience to imagine the rescue of the kitten “beneath her house.” The overall theme is the act of being born.

Eternal youth can seem close to perfect, but eventually everyone has to grow up and be mature. For example, In the Glass Castle Jeannette walls had to grow up young, and quickly realized the world does not wait for you.

The Sam Davis Home is a historical plantation reserved in Smyrna, Tennessee where the Davis’ resided. Sam Davis, son of Charles and Jane Davis, was a well-known, wealthy individual who was known for his courageous act during the civil war. This site is local to me and I wanted a better understanding of the history around me that has impacted my community over the years. I have attended the Sam Davis Home a few times before in my life, mostly during grade school. I was alone with Cady, the tour guide, during the tour so it was easy to ask questions and take time explaining things thoroughly. I plan to go back during October for other events and haunted tours of the Sam Davis Home. I am truly pleased with my choice in location and it has given me a better outlook on Smyrna and a great appreciation for the town.

Predicting events in House of the Scorpion is quite an interesting affair. The protagonist, "Matt," has a perspective that is almost identical to that of myself as a reader of the story. As Matt unravels the mystery as to what he is and what his purpose is, his thoughts begin to match my own. As questions arise as to the history of the slaves, the opium farm, or the Alcrán family it seems that Matt often seems just as curious as myself if not more so. As a result of this many of my questions and assumptions are also stated within the text. Is Matt truly like all the other clones? El Patron puts in a lot of effort to educate, care for, and provide Matt with a proper life yet at the same time none of it seems quite right. A man who has quite

Edgar Allen Poe is known for his intricate and unsettling short stories and poems. Poe believed that an effect had to be an unifying aspect of a story. In his “Philosophy of Composition”, he writes about how the reader needs to feel the effect throughout a story and realize that the writing buttresses the effect. Poe’s short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, uses the quintessential features of the Gothic tale to fulfill Poe’s goals of creating a singular effect for the reader. The desolate landscape and a pervading sense of vagueness coalesce to create an atmosphere of abject terror in “The Fall of the House of Usher”.

In Lauren Jae Gutterman’s “The House on the Borderland: Lesbian Desire, Marriage, and the Household,” Gutterman explained how women who are married, have tendencies to be with another woman, but do not want to tell their husbands. During the 1950s to the late 1970s, many women showed heterosexual norms. They took care of their families, and expressed unconditional love for their spouse. However, if becoming close to another woman, they will soon start to become attracted to them and then form a relationship. The urge to love another woman while loving their spouse was a difficult task to balance for women. Not knowing if they will get caught or not, women who shown interest in another woman had to keep it private, to prevent the family structure from getting ruined. The absence of the husbands allowed the relationships of two women to happen. Gutterman states “Given wives limited mobility, and free time, most of their lesbian affairs took place in their own homes. Many took advantage of their husbands’ absence to spend time with their lovers, carried on affairs without their husbands’ knowledge” (3). The interaction woman received from another woman strengthened their relationship and the feelings they had for one another. Women were living two lives around that time. In the light, they depicted an ordinary life of a woman, as she will be an outstanding citizen in the community. The role of a woman in the day depicted how the woman took care of the family, and the household,

The reading by Robert Rakoff explains that there is a conflict in the meanings that we experience in our lives. He mentions that how these meaning are institutionalized by our culture and institutions. Rakoff in his article points out how a house is a multivocal object and produces meaning through its symbolic entity. He further explains, people try to resolve the conflicts of the meanings of a house through ownership. The link below is an example of how certain ideas and values are attached to a house.

She thinks it is a normal way of living, nothing abnormal, never experienced anything different until she reads the book. Elizabeth begins to think for herself, more open to knowledge and women’s rights. “Library books on the table” (Wilson, Page 4) clearly shows her desire to

In Daisy Miller by Henry James the author takes us on an adventure of a self centered American woman who has no desire to conform to society. On the contrary in A Dolls House, Henrik Ibsen shows Nora as woman who is also not bothered by society, but for less selfish reasons. Both women are willing to do what is necessary for Daisy it is what is necessary to fulfill her own needs and for Nora what is necessary to fulfill the needs of the ones she loves. Despite the motives of both women, each author shows the empowerment behind each character. James and Ibsen discuss how the power of women is portrayed through independence, courage and innocence.

“The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”(Roosevelt). Memories are a phenomenon that brings both good and bad thoughts of the past back into one’s reality. This comes to show that an individual is a product of her past but is not a prisoner of it, due to it being her history and not her present. Margaret Atwood speaks in her poem, “Morning in the Burned House”, as a child who is reliving her past, although, that is perceived to her as her reality and she becomes a prisoner of that memory. This poem illustrates the message that the past is not one’s reality in that moment; it is history that tends to repeat itself in one’s mind. In this poem, Atwood expresses her thought and message through the specific imagery she uses of the five senses and the fire. Atwood uses the five senses imagery as a way to make one feel as if she is beside the child, reliving that memory with her. She uses the fire imagery as a way to set the tone for the poem, that perhaps something bigger and more life changing happened to the child. As well, Atwood uses the theme of illusion versus reality as a way to portray what is the child’s truth and what is a memory.

“Grandfather,” Asher said. “Today, can you please read Cinderella? I’ll be good to Tommy. I promise!”