Hotel California Rhetorical Devices

“When you’re on a holiday”, “playing and having fun”, and “you’re on a golden sea” are all phrases found in the song “Island in the Sun” performed by the band Weezer and was produced in 2001. As I first listed to the song, written by Rivers Cuomo, I imagined a young man looking for someone to enjoy life with. Through studying the allegory, I further realized that the tone was Cuomo’s hopefulness which is expressed as he is seeking to find the meaning in life which turned evolved to capturing the theme.

In the Eagles’ song, Hotel California, the speaker describes their freedom in California before coming across this hotel with beautiful women. Unfortunately for him, everything was not as it seems. The song is very light and cheerful in the beginning, hinting at themes of innocence. Although later in the song, the hotel takes on a slightly darker look as the speaker discovers its real purpose. In the song, Hotel California, the use of poetic devices to describe its themes of innocence and desire become prevalent. The use of metaphors show how the incoming insanity has seeped into the hotel through the song’s theme of desire, whereas the imagery shows the speakers depth of innocence in the beginning of the song.

Clare Boothe Luce once said, “Money can’t buy happiness, but it can make you awfully comfortable when you’re miserable.” Wealth is the American dream, a goal many strive for, but what are they willing to do for it and at what costs? In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the film Chicago directed by Rob Marshall, their yearning for wealth leads many to make demoralizing decisions in order to succeed. Jay Gatsby, one of the main characters in the novel, is a wealthy man who lives in a mansion on the rich side of the city. Gatsby was in love with a woman named Daisy who ,while he was at war, left him for a wealthy man. Hence the reason why Daisy became Gatsby’s American dream and so he worked his way up the social classes to win her back. In the film Chicago, Roxie, a married woman, had an affair with a man who had “connections” with those in the dancing/singing industry. He lied and, consequently, she ended up shooting him. In prison, Roxie’s case became the story of the century and aided her ‘fame’. Although these works demonstrate that the American dream is achievable, based on the character's success, after closer analysis it is clear that the American dream is only achievable through corruption.

The song, “Hotel California”, by the Eagles, is a very poetic song that uses imagery, and symbolism to bring out the theme in an indirect way of the speaker’s personal issues of life. The Eagles use imagery to set the mood and tone of the song. Along with many aspects of symbolism to input a lot of double meaning throughout the whole song. With both imagery and symbolism incorporated, many fans or people who have heard of this song would believe that the theme of this song is about a lonely traveler trying to break his own temptations.

The American Dream, the idea that anybody can be successful through hard work and dedication, has been a driving force in the American history. However, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby and Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun express the notion that the Dream itself is defined differently to different people. The American Dream is not the same for everybody, it is instead an idealistic achievement that changes based on who is driving themselves towards the Dream. Success through the Dream, therefore, is defined by the Dreamers themselves. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby achieves materialistic wealth, but that wealth is not enough to fulfill his definition of the Dream. Gatsby’s idea of success is to gain respect from others and to receive love back from the women he loves - Daisy. A Raisin in the Sun’s Walter Younger, on the other hand, desires wealth, and struggles utilizing the Dream’s ideals to attain said wealth. His definition of success revolves around a stable income that would allow him and his family a comfortable lifestyle where money is not as big an issue. Both Gatsby and Walter’s experiences and the polar differences in their Dream’s definitions reveals that the success of one’s Dream is based heavily on the person themselves and not measurable by tangible aspects such as wealth or respect.

Has it ever occurred to you that this generation tries to search for the next best thing? Is it like a business man try to look for the next best thing that everyone is buying? I mean if other people do it and there perfectly fine doing it we assume that we could do it and we think we will be just fine as well. Take those examples and try to use it with music. Do you think that what we listen to can affect us in any way or not? Maybe and maybe not, but some of us tend to get influenced by what they put into their heads. Not everything that we see or do can import negative thought or feelings, but listening is a part of that category as well. Therefore, what these artists are trying to do is trying to use a rhetorical device to tell us that

The poetry of this particular metaphor, for whatever cosmic reason, was exactly the message I needed to hear in precisely the manner I needed to understand it. You see, for months now I’ve been completely on autopilot. Wandering around these “glittering” (more like Urine stained) Los Angeles streets like a zombie waiting for some kind of bolt of lighting to strike and give me purpose. Hindsight is 20/20 and I see now that it

In the lyric poem “Hotel California” by The Eagles, the speaker tells the story of a man succumbing to greed and self-temptation and how he is forever trapped by that greed in a place that is impossible to leave and go back to where he was before. The poem uses the poetic device of symbolism by using the hotel as a place where one goes when trapped by their greed. Once the man has experienced what he wants, he is trapped in a place he cannot leave, shown as a hotel that is impossible to leave in the poem. He begins conflicted about being greedy, ends up enjoying it, but then figures out he’s trapped forever by it.

The American dream originated when immigrants came to America searching for new opportunities and a better life. In the early 1900’s all people could do is dream; however, those dreams gave many different meanings to the phrase “American dream”, and for the most part, wealth and hard work play a very large role in the pursuit of “the dream”. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, and Arthur Miller’s drama, Death of a Salesman, both protagonists, Jay Gatsby and Willy Loman, are convinced that the way to achieve a better life is by living the “American dream”. However, the dream does not end up successfully for these two characters. In fact, their ideals and hopes of rising to success cause their American dream to take a turn into

Communication changes us by giving us a way to understand each other. Communication bringsus closer to people by being able to tell them our interests, wants, needs, and beliefs. Being able to understand whoever you are around is very important, without communication we would not be able to do that. The way we communicate makes a big difference in our lives. Metaphor: Poem: “Dream Deferred, Harlem” By Langston Hughes Quote: “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” Meaning: The quote from this poem is asking if dreams can just start to fade away. Poem: “Dreams” By langston Hughes Quote: “Life is a broken winged bird” Meaning: The quote in this poem is using a metaphor by comparing life to a bird with broken wings.Simile: Poem: “Dream Deferred, Harlem” By Langston Hughes Quote: “Or fester like a sore” Meaning: The quote from this poem is comparing a desire to

Contrary to a seemingly pervasive belief, the Eagles' "Hotel California" isn't an ode to Satanism. Rather, the song serves as an ominous warning about the self destructive nature of greed and as a pointed criticism of the wildly hedonistic lifestyle frequently espoused during the 1970s. The "Hotel California" spoken of in the song serves as an allegory for a lifestyle that is undeniably alluring, yet entirely destructive and nearly impossible to let go of, as shown by the lyrics, "You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave"; these lyrics, like much of the song, also have a double entendre- "check out" literally refers to checking out of a hotel, yet also refers to figuratively "checking out" by disassociating from reality. The line, "This could be Heaven or this could be Hell," also emphasizes the duality of the lifestyle.

From tantalizing towers to famished families, the American Dream creates havoc wherever it reaps, whomever resides on top fears only of their class rather than the devastating pecuniary finances descending on the proletariat populous. However, this horrendous feat may only be achieved at the heavy expense of the many rather than the few, if at all. As evident as the success of those who have claimed to achieve “the American Dream” may reveal itself to be, can the general public truly believe a dream so lavished and prestigious to be concluded given the basis of the dream to claim more and more materialistic things. The answer is no, obviously not, a person would go mad before claiming as much as they so desired and that is deemed rightfully so. Furthermore, the American Dream only leads to disillusionment and a false sense of morality coupled with the corruption of those too ignorant to see themselves become blind. The American Dream cannot be achieved, as portrayed in the two texts “The Great Gatsby” (Scott F. Fitzgerald), and the acclaimed poem “19” (W. H. Auden), as proven by the use of green light, the role of religion and strong imagery in society and analysis of the lives of those both lavished alongside those who possess only their pity for one’s self.

The idea of the American Dream is a concept that many people have struggled with against themselves to prove that it not only exits but can ultimately be achieved. Countless generations of people have devoted their lives and work towards this dream. But, what is the American Dream? Can someone actually profoundly feel the fulfillment of what the American dream means and is to be achieved, or are we actually following a manipulated stereotype that was created within our own minds? The American Dream is commonly defined as someone working their way up from a low economic or social level towards prosperity, wealth, or fame. The novel “The Great Gatsby” by Scott Fitzgerald embodies many themes however the novel’s most significant theme relates to the American dream and the corruption it brings. This achievement of reaching the “American Dream” is commonly portrayed by having money, a big house, a car, a happy family, and other upscale possessions. Fitzgerald shows how this dream is full of materialism, and how materialism corrupts the lives of people by ultimately making it hard for them to see reality objectively. The characters Myrtle, Daisy, and most prominently Jay Gatsby have all been corrupted and destroyed by this dream. As a result of being so materialistic Fitzgerald’s characters start idealizing not only their way of life but their feelings, too. In the praised satirical novel, “The Great Gatsby”, Fitzgerald successfully exposes the underside of the unattainable and

The “American dream” is something that people from across the nation strive to achieve in their lifetime. It is often defined as an idea that every American citizen should have equal opportunities to achieve success and prosperity through hard work. This dream has metastasized since the early 1900s, if not earlier, and was a large contributor in the life of Jay Gatz; otherwise known as Gatsby, from the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Jay lives a lavish life of parties and extravagant guests. However, this fairytale image of what Gatsby assumes is the American dream is nothing but a mask to hide the fact that Gatsby has no idea what he is doing. Leading the perfect “American Dream” to Gatsby is a symbolic way for the author to

Therefore, wealth can only create temporary happiness; it creates a never ending desire that cannot be satisfied. The ideal life is an illusion that deceives humans to want more than they can ever have. Firstly, the cars show the carelessness of the rich. Then, the green light was a symbol deceiving others disguised as a symbol of dreams. Finally, with the representation of the Valley of Ashes being the hopelessness values of the American Dream never happening. So, while every human wishes to be wealthy and carefree, it seems to bring only more problems than it is worth.