UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CATAMARCA FACULTAD DE HUMANIDADES DEPARTAMENTO INGLÉS PROFESORADO EN INGLÉS ASIGNATURA: LITERATURA NORTEAMERICANA Identity in the Hairy Ape: Yank as a part of the System and as a Social Outcast PROFESSOR: Mgter. María del Valle Bulla Mgter. Lucía Fernández STUDENT: Mercedes, Gutiérrez YEAR: 2012 Yank’s initial space in the world which defines his self is, eventually, shattered by the intruding gaze of Mildred. His search has to do with a displacement, a spiritual emptiness and an isolation that challenge his former lifestyle. As his initial reality disintegrates, Yank tries to reconcile with the ‘image’ setting out in search of an identity which would fit the …show more content…
(Abudullah Al-Dulaimy, 2011: 5) It is well known that Yank relies in his vision of societal structure on the basis of belonging, that is why by the begining, he thinks he has found an equilibrium in life and he is happy with his work. Therefore, he has the reputation of being a hard and very effective worker among his companions and he is pleased and comfortable with his present circumstances. (Aloostany, 2011:1) His feeling of completeness is well described by O’Neill. He depicts him as a ‘part’ as an important piece for the mechanical world he venerates, he is the brute force that makes the engines of the ship work. (Abudullah Al-Dulaimy, 2011: 6) “I’m de ting in gold dat makes it money! And I’m what make iron into steel! Steel, dat stands for de whole ting! And I’m steel—steel—steel! I’m de muscles in steel, de punch behind it!”(O’Neill, 1922: 13) Yank feels he is a valuable person for the first time when he enters the company, he feels comfortable and settled there, since during his chilhood he had been foresaken, he felt at home in the ship’s furnace. (Abudullah Al-Dulaimy, 2011: 5) Human traits are lost in the middle of the American Capitalist structure. The community became immersed in luxuries and overlooked the spiritual world around them. People became mere employees, their morality
If you examine a vehicle, you may agree that it is greater than the sum its parts. Individually, the engine, battery, tires, steering wheel, and steel body can’t haul a teen to school or an associate to work like they can when they are all working together as a cohesive unit. Just like any vehicle, the common wealth of a community is greater than the needs of the individuals that make up the community. When the individuals of a community entangle themselves in a web of wants and selfish desires, they tend to loose sight of the well being of the people who surround them, the environment in which they thrive off of, and, in the long-run, themselves. In conjunction, author Scott Russell Sanders’ article titled “Defending Our Common Wealth” highlights these points as well as emphasizes creating a new vision of wealth, encouraging community over consumption and consumerism to his audience.
“Outcast United, a alluring treat for lovers of nonfiction. As refugees from around the world join together, Luma ( the Fugees soccer coach) helps the young boys get an education and learn how to work together to keep each other safe. Luma a independent women came to America to go to school.
Before taking this course, I always looked at films and read books just as the average person does; interesting plot and how long will it hold my interest, but this course gave me an entire different perspective when watching films and reading books. Now that I have taken this course and have watched the required films, the most important thing when watching other movies and reading books, is the meaning behind each scene and how they relate and affect our world. For this paper, I will discuss a book that I read a long time ago, which is She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb and how this book relates to this course.
TCITR explores the challenges of living life on your own terms amidst the social pressures of the 1950’s, through the idea of individuality. Similarly TPOBAW, examines the struggles of teenagers being individuals amidst social cliques, facades and peer pressures of the 1990s’.The challenges of being an individual in America is shaped in the 1950’s context, where the protagonist, Holden, in TCITR is considered an outcast by rebelling against 1950’s parental values that held social advancement through academia and goes on a manic quest to New York searching for identity and deep meaning in life. Holden’s quest for individuality is accentuated through symbolism of his red hunting hat, a symbol of his uniqueness and internal struggles. “I swung
J.D. Salinger’s world-renowned book The Catcher in the Rye and director Sean Penn’s dramatic feature film Into the Wild both give us a unique perspective of society through a collection of descriptive imagery and riveting plot development. Both materials present us with protagonists Holden Caulfield and Chris McCandless, whom are deeply encompassed by self-introspection and who seem to be on a quest to find true happiness and meaning to their bland, corrupt lives. A recurring theme in both works is the process of discovering one’s true identity, which can only be achieved through a journey of spiritual self-discovery.
The book “The Other America”, written by Michael Harrington, describes poverty in America in the 1950s and 1960s, when America became one of the most affluent and advanced nations in the world. The book was written in 1962, and Harrington states that there were about 50,000,000 (about 25% of the total population) poor in America at that time. The author did extensive research with respect to the family income levels to derive the poverty numbers, and used his own observations and experiences to write this book. This book addresses the reasons for poverty, the nature of poverty, the culture of poverty, the blindness of Middle Class America with respect to poverty, and the responsibility of all Americans in addressing the issue of poverty in America.
In America, most of our parents at a very early age that we should be grateful for what we have. Even with these teachings Americans are finding it hard to do just that. American Capitalism is built off of the concept that anybody can buy property, open a practice/start a business, and profit off of it. One thing that both “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck teach us is that the system of American capitalism isn’t perfect. Both of these books show both sides of capitalism, those who make it and those who don’t. In both books the rich are ignoring the bad things they inflict on the poor because it makes them richer and more powerful. As Rick Danko said, “As time goes on we get closer to that
The lives of the American society is concentrated on working to live and spend money, under a capitalist system that are
Pariah: A social outcast, one who doesn't fit in with the morals of society. Derived from the caste system, in which it was the lowest one could be. Pariah tells a story of a 17 year old African-American teenager named Alike who is learning to embrace her sexual identity as a lesbian. Alike likes to hang out at clubs with her openly lesbian friend Laura.
In the novel A Brave New World, the idea of being detached from "home" due to being under the constant pressure of having to conform to societal rules and standards is seen consistently throughout. Often being seen as rebellious or disgusting, characters who do not agree or align with the standards and rules of society are frequently outcast and suffer from being rejected. Although many who do not align with society end up being alienated, their alienation can often allow for their lives to be enriched and changed for the better. One such example of this is seen in John, who although grows up living as an "uncivilized savage", is outcast from others of his tribe causing him to have strong individual character and beliefs.
The two stories feature the idea that members of society, no matter what titles or position in social hierarchy, can feel isolated, which creates “savage emotions” for the members of civilization. When it worked out that it was Kurtz who requested the assault on the steamer, since "he detested now and again being taken away"(Conrad 91), even that it was held for sparing his life. Sadly, Kurtz was not spared finally, in light of the fact that he couldn't leave the place that brought him riches and acclaim, notwithstanding for sparing his life. For him, there was no ethical limitation since every one of the locals there were just "savages" at the Inner Station, and he had the privilege to manage them unreservedly as they all had a place with
They were on their way to New York City and had about a week left onboard. They are manly type of men. Yank, is the know-it-alls woker. When Yank speaks the men listens. Yank is a proud man. Paddy was the eldest of the men. He felt work life onboard the Ocean Liner was a piece of cake compared to his work onboard a Clipper Ship. Mildred, a wealth passenger volunteered with Manhattan's Lower East Side’s less fortunate and was on her way to do volunteer services in Europe. Mildred's Aunt believed Mildred's service to the less fortunate is "slumming" and does not understand why she has to do it in another country. She takes a tour of the ships and walks into the men work area. She walks in on one of Yank’s rants. Disgusted by Yank’s appearance and behavior she mumbles that he was a filthy beast. Paddy told Yank Mildred looked at him like he was a big "hairy ape." That angered Yank. Yank ends up getting arrested because he makes a Gentleman in Manhattan miss his bus. While Yank is imprisoned on Blackwell's Island he finds out that Mildred’s father built both the physical and metaphorical cage that had him trapped. His fellow prisoner tells him he should join the Wobblies or the Industrial Workers of the World. In Scene Seven, Yank visits the local I.W.W. but they kicked him out because the Secretary thought he was a government spy. In the eighth scene, Yank tried to become friends with an ape.
Capitalism started up as a system of investing and sharing money in order to increase the value of resources in the future. Capitalism was just an economic system, but then soon turned into a complex system of ethical practices. Harari defines capitalism as, “a set of teachings about how people should behave, educate their children and even think” (Harari 314). This economic system evolved along with the people that were endorsing it. Capitalism enables the rich to get richer, while the poor continue to get poorer. There are many benefits to capitalism, but there are downfalls as well, and these downfalls tend to be masked because of the rapid speed capitalists grow at. Harari first presents a definition for capitalism, and soon goes into great detail on why capitalism, while fast paced and unforgiving, is able to stand unwavered while other productions fail.
Once we understand that the biblical doctrine of sin is an appropriate test for economic systems, it is fairly easy to see how well capitalism scores in this regard. The framework of America’s democratic capitalistic economic system was largely influenced by biblical considerations of human sin by our Founding Fathers. By dispersing and decentralizing power, we will accomplish mitigating the effects of human sin in society. This is in essence the conservative view of government and its vision of
Often times literature is used to reflect historical events of the time period in which the piece is written. Examining artifacts such as books, plays, or music is a way to gain insight into the social, political, and cultural attitudes of that time period. An example of a primary source of the 1920s would be Eugene Oneill’s the Hairy Ape. In this play, the main character Yank falls victim to a technological movement, the Industrial Revolution. New ideas, technologies, and cultures were emerging, and Yank has to deal with the adversity of post WWI America.