Concrete Angel Essay

In the second stanza the speaker explains when life may appear to be at its lowest, the little bird, hope, sings its sweetest song to those who need it. Even a storm, meant to represent the worst hardships in life, cannot easily, “abash the little bird” (line 7). This imagery of the bird fighting the storm signifies how even any effort to make things brighter is worth the attempt. The bird will not easily be embarrassed or berated by the trials of life. While hope does have the potential to fail and no longer keep, “so many warm” (line 8), it works on the offense to keep that warmth inside everyone’s soul.

In Martina McBride’s Concrete Angel, we have the story of a young girl who is being abused by her mother. According to McBride, this is a true story based on her niece who was abused by her mother (McBride’s sister) and killed at the young age of 7. Child Abuse in recent years has been overshadowed by minor issues in today’s society. But the issue still exists; the sad thing is that these abusers are admitting they hurt children or even their own child and they have no remorse for it. It appears child abuse has gotten worse over the years but it is being ignored and no one talks about it anymore. In 2008 when the song Concrete Angel was released the writers of the song Rob Crosby and Stephanie Bently wanted to really go in depth with the lyrics of the song because at the time child abuse had been spreading all over the world. McBride, the producer, and performer also had a connection to this song because it tells of a personal experience she’s had with her family.

Maya Angelou is a leader by example, she sets the standard by her actions and the stories she tells teaches the audience a lesson. Majority of her work is to inform us of the past and she wants us to learn from her experiences in life; she is a life teacher. The purpose of this poem was to inform us of the history of our country. The poem is titled “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” and her purpose of writing this is to teach the reader why the caged bird sings. Maya Angelou wants to put the reader in her shoes to get the ultimate experience of racial inequality but instead by taking the role of a caged bird or a free bird.

     Michael Shaara’s fictional novel, The Killer Angels, is based on the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. The novel allows the reader to recognize the heart and courage of the more than two million men that fought in the war. Shaara focuses the reader to better understand the reason why these men fight and the meaning of the war. Ultimately, the reader observes that the war is fought on an individual level as much as a governmental level. These men are there to fight for what they believe is truly right. The Confederates fought for their rights to hold slaves, their freedom tyranny of the Federal Government, and their

In a letter to the reader, Michael Shaara states that his purpose is similar to Stephen Crane's in The Red Badge of Courage. He wishes to display history not as cold facts, but rather in such a way that the reader can live the history. This is to be accomplished through extensive detail of the emotions of the men, the atmosphere of the battle, and strategies of the commanding officers. Accepting this as Shaara's intent, it can be justifiably stated that he succeeds in his objective. The Killer Angels does not merely relate what assaults and defenses where made by which colonels and generals. Instead, the book delves into the emotions of the major figures of the battle and what they endured physically and mentally as they planned for

Wars have been fought for many different reasons through the years, and that holds true for the American Civil War (1861-1865). In Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Killer Angels, the reasons for fighting the war are brought about through the officers and soldiers at a famous battle site of the Civil War, Gettysburg. Gettysburg was one of the most documented battles of the whole war. It took place over a span of three days and can be viewed as a turning point from Confederate prominence to Confederate demise. As in any conflict, there are two sides to the story. The Union and the Confederacy each had their own views as to why they were fighting the war. Victors write the history so too often only the Union side is

The novel The Killer Angles, by Michael Shaara, gives a story like depiction of the American Civil War at the Battle of Gettysburg. In this novel we see the views of both Confederate and Union armies. The officers for both sides in this novel used to go to war with each other but are now on different sides according to their political views. In the end both armies realized the war had accomplished nothing but all the deaths of soldiers.

The Battle of Gettysburg brought the dueling North and South together to the small town of Gettysburg and on the threshold of splitting the Union. Gettysburg was as close as the United States got to Armageddon and The Killer Angels gives the full day-to-day account of the battle that shaped America’s future. Michael Shaara tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of the generals and men involved in the action of the battle. The historical account of the Battle of Gettysburg gives the reader a chance to experience the battle personally and not the history book manner taught in schools. A historical novel gives the facts straightforward and provides no commentary by the people involved in history. The

In The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara fictionally illustrates the historical facts of the battle at Gettysburg. Shaara gives action and words to characters of another time, and then places these players on the stage of this great battle. Through the use of powerful biblical and non-biblical imagery and themes the epic nature of the battle at Gettysburg and its characters are enhanced. Such imagery and themes, combined with Shaara's fictionalization, help to contribute to why this single battle holds such monumental significance and influence upon the lives of Americans over a century removed from its occurrence.

Angel Island is called “the Ellis Island of the West”. Angel Island was supposed to be a beacon of hope for many immigrants; who were wished to start a new life in the United States. These immigrants wished to achieve their own “American Dream”. Angel island did not live up to its name expectation of being a welcoming utopian paradise for immigrants. Angel Island had a plethora of people from many nationalities go through its doors. Yet, the immigration station becomes a “home” from many immigrants, using home in the loosest sense of the word. Over half a million people passed through the doors of the Western immigration station, but immigration officials detained a significant number of individuals. The population with the largest amount

Honor played a major role in novel, Killer Angels. Throughout the book, Honor was a concept that remained important to members of the armies, regardless of whether they were supporting the Union or the Confederacy. Every action and decision was made with the intention of being heroic and as honorable as possible.

“Halo” is a song about a woman who had been hurt by a past relationship and built walls around herself so she would never experience heartbreak again. (“Remember those walls I built? Well, baby they're tumbling down”) But then she meets a guy who she calls her angel or “saving grace” and she falls in love with him even though she promised herself she wouldn’t. ("i swore I'd never fall again. But this don't even feel like falling.") This guy makes her feel loved and she always prays that he

Similar story with “Savior”; Clark’s lyrics describe various kinks and role-playing situations (accompanied by Prince meets Nine Inch Nails electronic drums and slinky guitar), but then spirals into high-pitched pleading bookended by Clark commenting in a voice both lamenting and matter of fact: they call me a strange girl, they speak to me in bruises. I got 'em tryin' to save the world, they said, "girl, you're not

The Angel is spending the majority of the story with the chickens in the chicken coop. He has no room to move or stretch. This signifies how Pelayo and his wife doesnt have a second thought on the comfort or for the feelings of the Angel. The Angel is found laying in the mud at the begining with dilapidated wings. It says, “He spent his time trying to get comfortable in his borrowed nest, befuddled by the hellish heat of the oil lamps and sacramental candles that had been placed along the wire,” (365). The author uses all of this to help the reader understand how low the Angel is mentally and how hard it’s going to be to overcome the adversity the Angel is facing, rather than letting the conditions of his surrounding overcome

Margaret Laurence's story of The Stone Angel is about the life Hagar Currie an emotionless, stubborn and proud woman. Margaret Laurence uses this stone angel, originally bought by Hagar's father, to embody the qualities of Hagar. These virtues are often identical to those one assumes are possessed by the stone angel and are paralleled many times by Laurence. Throughout the novel, Hagar relives her life through her memories.