Yamashita's Tropic of Orange Essay

The Los Angeles school begins with quite different precepts, disputing the hypotheses of the Chicago School. They contend its orientation towards individuals as explaining the environment (for example the genius/criminal type creating vice and disorder (Park 1925, pp. 41)), its historical determinism and its view of the city as a cohesive, stable unit (Dear 2008, pp. 109). Its theoretical bases, rather than the structural, modernist paradigms of the Chicago School are postmodern, 21st century ones. For example Mike Davis, one of the leading thinkers of the LA school, cites Fredric Jameson's conception of postmodernity, with globalised, temporary forces producing uncertain outcomes (Davis 1998, pp. 84). Edward Soja, another sociologist of the LA school, has employed Foucault's post-structuralist paradigm to explain some aspects of the postmodern city, for example he has likened the central 'downtown' district of the city to a new 'panopticon', Foucault's conception of a form of total surveillance and control for the centre over the periphery. He suggests as a headquarters of space, knowledge and power with universal visibility throughout the city, it can supervise economic and social activity, and is able to surveil the surrounding city (Soja 1989, pp. 234-6). Another highly influential postmodern theorist in the LA School has been Henri Lefevbre

Jacob Riis’ book How the Other Half Lives is a detailed description on the poor and the destitute in the inner realms of New York City. Riis tries to portray the living conditions through the ‘eyes’ of his camera. He sneaks up on the people flashes a picture and then tells the rest of the city how the ‘other half’ is living. As shocking as the truth was without seeing such poverty and horrible conditions with their own eyes or taking in the experience with all their senses it still seemed like a million miles away or even just a fairy tale.

“Where Worlds Collide” is an essay by Pico Iyer who talks about the expectations and reality of Los Angeles through the perspectives of travelers from different backgrounds. In “Where Worlds Collide,” Pico Iyer argues that even though Los Angeles is depicted as a vicinity to receive wealth, happiness, and many opportunities- it is actually the antithesis, and instead, many harsh prejudice and unending craziness will occur instead; Iyer argues this by using allusions, anaphoras, and juxtapositions to help convey what he is saying.

Matthew Lees’ “How many of the Bronx’ dreams?” is different from James McBride's “The city of Gods” because Lee discusses the lost dreams of Bronx’ New York while Mcbride focuses on the racial realities of America. In contrast, Lee discusses the dreams of people in Bronx’ New York “...Bronx’ dreams/...moved from the shadows/ how many of the Bronx’ dreams were even said out loud” (Lee 1). Lee begins by lamenting the number of lost dreams in Bronx’ New York. Lees purpose of persuading readers that Bronx’ New York is a lost city is supported through his diction and tone, by using the word “shadows”, an image of darkness that people feel. This darkness then gives the reader the feeling of hopelessness that the people feel, proving that many of

The novel “The Street” by Ann Petry demonstrates the relationship of Lutie Johnson and urban setting by personifying the wind, using imagery to show how brutal the wind was, selection of detail and figurative language in which refers to a deeper meaning of the wind-racial discrimination.

Gary Soto was born April 12, 1952, in Fresno, California to Mexican-American parents. His grandparents emigrated from Mexico during the Great Depression and found jobs as farm laborers. Soto grew up poor in the San Joaquin Valley and learned that hard work pays off through chores, such as moving lawns, picking grapes, painting houses, and washing cars.

While today Los Angeles is prided on being one of the most diverse cities in the United States, there was (and still is) a tremendous amount of resistance that had to be overcome. Society’s inclination to maintain homogeneity along with the testing of loyalties and allegiance through pressures of war have proven great obstacles in the evolution of what is now a majority-minority city. Nina Revoyr’s Southland gives a historic fictional recount of Los Angeles’ most tested times from perspectives looking in to the past, present, and future. The discovery of unpleasant truths through grave social injustices provide a painful reminder of Los Angeles’ history and consequently a warning for future setbacks. Southland is an emotional testament to the inescapability of discrimination within stratified cities and the unspoken necessity of assimilation that occurs as a result.

In the poem, “Oranges” by Gary Soto, he talks about a cold day walking with a girl for the first time and they went to a drugstore and the boy wanted to give her a chocolate bar but he didn’t have enough money. So, he put down one orange that he had and a nickel on the counter. The lady knew what was going on so he let him have it. If I was the boy’s girlfriend, I would be pleased because he is doing whatever he can the chocolate bar to her. For example, the boy only had a nickel when the chocolate bar costs a dime. He didn’t want to leave without giving her the chocolate bar to her because he didn’t have enough money so he took out a orange and a nickel and put it on the counter. That shows his kindness and effort to giving her the chocolate bar. Another example

Carlo Ginzburg’s Night Battles depicts the relationships that existed concerning magic and the use of witchcraft as they where believed by both the popular and the elite concerning the benandanti in the Italian area of Friuli. Keith Thomas’ Religion and the Decline of Magic does a similar thing except his subject area is in the whole of England and includes more information and examples of the beliefs and practices of the English. Both the English account and the account of the Friuli benandanti have several similarities that exist between the two as well as some distinct differences. The differences between the two groups are shown by the way

Pablo Neruda is from Chile and gives a voice to Latin America in his poetry (Bleiker 1129). “The United Fruit Co.,” the poem by Pablo Neruda that will be analyzed in this essay, is enriched with symbolism, metaphors, and allusions. These allusions have great emphasis to the Christian religion, but some allusions are used to evoke negative emotions towards the United States (Fernandez 1; Hawkins 42). Personification and imagery along with onomatopoeia and metonymy are also found in “The United Fruit Co.” Neruda’s use of these literary devices makes his messages of imperialism, Marxism, and consumerism understandable (Fernandez 4). In this essay each of these literary devices with its proper meaning will be further analyzed in the hope of

Identical to the Sublime's characteristic of accumulation in "The Circular Ruins" is Magical Realism's characteristic of an extensive

LeGuin’s description of Omelas engages all of one’s senses through her usage of rich visual, auditory and tactile imagery to ‘prove’ to the reader that Omelas is undeniably a utopia. The city of Omelas can be described as a place in which the inhabitants’ senses are constantly overwhelmed by sensations which are pleasing to their eyes, beautiful to their ears and sweet to their tongues. The unchanging state of this society which is surrounded constantly by sensory delight can be found in these descriptions; for instance, the “child of nine or ten [who] sits at the edge of the crowd, alone, playing on a wooden flute […] he never ceases playing” (LeGuin 275). In addition to the wooden flute, LeGuin describes, “a shimmering of gong and tambourine” (LeGuin 273). Following the narrator’s stunning description of everything which makes Omelas a utopia, her statement that the reader may, if he pleases, “add an orgy” in order to make the Omelas less “goody-goody,” makes it apparent that Omelas in many ways does not have to be concrete and limited to the previously provided descriptions. Her aim is not to describe a particular city, although it is named and its characteristics are already expressed, but to present the idea of a perfect city, a utopia in which bliss is fixed, and good fortune is wholly

The use of counter culture and ideology can provide unique perspectives on the issues faced by everyone, even those who do not acknowledge it. Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh portrays a drug addict who rejects any conventions of normalcy in the pursuit of an alternate reality. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis does the same through the depiction of a rich and greedy Wall Street tycoon. This essay will closely analyze the themes of illusion and reality in Trainspotting and American Psycho. The relationship between the fantasy world and the “real” world in these texts are closely linked and aid the narrative in a criticism of social and structural issues. The texts are often criticized as glorifying drug use and violence however through analyzing the effect of narrative, drug use and culture on the characters reality and illusions will argue that the elements of drug use and violence help in the deconstruction of greed and popular culture in the texts.

I think that A Clockwork Orange is a book worth reading because it is relatable, makes you think, and is interesting. The author, Anthony Burgess, was born February 25, 1917. At the young age of two his mother passed away. He was brought up by his aunt and later his stepmother. Even with such an unstable childhood Burgess continued on to enroll in college and major in English. He had a passion for music, which he expressed in the main character of A Clockwork Orange. Burgess wrote several accomplished symphonies in his day, as well as over fifty books. He was diagnoses with a brain tumor at about age 40 but well outlived his doctor’s expectations continuing his artistic output until his death from lung cancer at age 76.

Los Angeles was the first product off the assembly line of American urban planning. Turned on in the late 19th century, the city-making machine was fueled by an immense immigration of people who sought to create a new type of city out of the previously quaint pueblo. They also strove to craft the first major city developed primarily by Americans and outside of European archetypes. As a result, Los Angles is not only incredibly diverse, but also nearly impossible to define. Since it is a product of the American machine, understanding the community of Los Angeles becomes vital to understanding the United States. But to fully comprehend the present Los Angeles, one must look at the process that created it. Specifically, Los Angeles was