The Complexities of Morality and Perception in Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

In this case he really feels that Wilson is not much of a man and Tom is getting away with having an affair with his wife, he almost feels contempt for Wilson. This can be seen in his treatment of women as well, when Daisy suggested going to town, “Tom broke out savagely…women get these notions in their heads.” This suggests that Tom has little regard for women and their ideas and thinks of women as play things. The use of language here, “broke out savagely” also shows Toms aggression and the ability to interrupt people as he wishes. Another very important incident is when Daisy tells Tom she is leaving him for Gatsby, Tom mocks Gatsby by saying “she’s not leaving me! Certainly not for a common swindler who’d have to steal the ring to put on her finger.” This shows that Tom has no respect for Gatsby and looks down on him as a commoner who not only has had to work for his money but has also made it by illegal means. The particular use of language here “a common swindler who’d have to steal the ring to put on her finger” is very effective because it sums Tom’s pompousness and his views on people from a lower background having little values, who would even resort to stealing.

Craig Silvey engages us with Jasper Jones in order to convey a certain moral message in hope to make us stop and think. No one in this novel is truly accepted into the community, which tells me as the responder, that in order for this society to succeed differences need to be tossed aside. Jasper Jones is a credible recollection of the injustice, racism and social exclusion that exists in the Australian society. It also tackles growing up, first love, family unity, and a sense of belonging in a community.

Discuss in detail Bennett’s dramatic techniques from page 70 “boys come in” to “the bell goes” on page 74 and consider how this passage might be viewed as a significant and dramatic moment in the History Boys.

Tom Robinson was a man who respected others and had good moral standards. He was a truthful man and always helped those who were in need. For his kindness he was repaid with the judging eye of the whites and it cost him his life. ‘You’re a mighty good fellow, it seems- did all this for not one penny?’ He died in prison when he should have been a free man. He is seen as a man of truth, love and dignity. Tom Robinson was an innocent man who told the truth throughtout his trial while the whites lied just so they could see a grateful, kind, helpful man pay the price for their wrongdoing and all because he had different coloured skin.

Although fictional texts are simply narratives, the characters and ideas presented within them have the ability to reflect a particular period in time and the attitudes and beliefs associated with it. The coming of age novel Jasper Jones, written by Craig Silvey, follows the journey of Charlie Bucktin, the thirteen-year-old protagonist, who is forced to rethink his traditional notions of right and wrong, after a tragedy opens his eyes to the world around him. Throughout the novel Silvey brings to light issues concerning morality, justice, and humility, by discussing them from the perspectives of certain individuals including Charlie, Jasper and Jeffrey. Overall it is these representations that provoke audiences to question their own morality, and to question the prejudices present in society during that era.

During the 1630’s, there was a group known as, the Puritans. The Puritans immigrated from England to America, for the sole purpose of religious freedom and their belief that the church of England needed reform. Puritan author’s, Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards, conveyed their messages and beliefs in their writing . For these two authors, they were working around the same foundation, Puritanism, for the intended messages. Admittedly, there is a disconnection in belief between the two. Edward’s writings take Puritanism to the extreme whilst Bradstreet’s works show a more traditional view in the religion while staying true to it.

Although seemingly innocent, the small town of Corrigan, where the novel, Jasper Jones, is set, is home to a vast number of lies and secrets, and holds an immense amount of deception and manipulation within its walls. Secrets are a pivotal part of life and the human experience, and Jasper Jones reflects this in a relevant and thought-provoking manner, presenting the ways in which secrets and deceits can alter a person’s life for the worse, and cause emotional damage and trauma to those involved with the dishonesty.

At the beginning of the story, the narrator provides a brief description of himself that allows readers to reflect upon his character and morality. He introduces himself as someone who believes that

I believe that human beings are basically good. When they are first born and grow up as babies and toddlers, humans are innocent. However, with the effects of outside experiences and social expectations, human beings can be prone to evil. Humans want to be recognized within society and this can be seen in the movie, “The Talented Mr. Ripley”. Due to the social environment that Tom Ripley lives in, he feels the need to fit in and be wealthy like the people around him. This causes him to seek for ways, whether the action is moral or immoral, to attain a higher social status.

With the use of short sentences such as ‘you go alone’ Wells, H.G. (p43-50) and ‘he corrected me in one particular’ (p44) Wells builds up tension that keeps the reader engaged and enthralled with unease at the beginning of the story. As with the narrator no names are given to three elderly occupants of the castle, this increases the reader’s suspicions by making it less personal

The author’s purpose was “to point out the puritans, those bogeymen of the modern intellectual, are not responsible for [the squeamishness of the facts of life].” (p 17) The author was very successful in his objective. The author’s use of actual court documentations furthers the author’s effectiveness. Anyone can just say that people have it all wrong about the puritans but the historical proof is what really changed my perception.

     From his childhood to his later years, it was evident that Tom Driscoll was a rude character. For example, during his childhood, Tom and Chambers (the boy with whom Tom was switched with and who was also Tom’s slave) always went an “played” together. On such instance was when they went swimming with Tom’s friends and were diving off of canoes. Chambers was an excellent

Primarily, The Victorian era, during which the novella was published, valued appearance and reputation. The era encouraged and strived for propriety, mainly on the surface. It rejected anything that went against society’s rigid, restraining values. It resisted anything that appeared immoral and corrupt. The era was

Litz, A. Walton. "Into the Nineteenth Century: Pride and Prejudice." Interpretations of Pride and Prejudice. Ed. Rubinstein. E. Englewood Cliffs: Pr

Tom Wingfield has a dual role in The Glass Menagerie. The first Tom is the narrator, who introduces his second self, the character. In his fifth soliloquy, Tom the narrator indicates that time has detached him from the drama, "for time is the longest distance between two places" (Williams 1568). In the closing soliloquy Tom recounts how he lives and re-lives the story in his memory, though he is detached from the participants in the original affair. Like his father, "a telephone man who fell in love with long distances," (Williams 1523), Tom has fallen in love with the long distance that is time.