| Papers [1-15] of 66 :: [Page 1 of 5] | | Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 —> | Search results on "OCTAVIA BUTLER": |
|
|
Octavia Butler's "Parable of the Sower", 2001.
Critical Analysis of Octavia Butler's science fiction novel, "Parable of the Sower".
1,864 words (approx. 7.5 pages), 1 source, $ 59.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper presents a summary and analysis of "Parable of the Sower". The paper takes a look at biblical references in Butler's sci-fi story, as well as its parallels to the modern world and where our society may be headed.
From the Paper
"Octavia E. Butler, the grande dame of science fiction, writes extraordinary, inspirational stories of ordinary people. Parable of the Sower is an ultimately hopeful tale set in a dystopian future United States of walled cities, disease, fires, and madness. Butler brings forth an utterly nightmarish vision of California in 2025, but one with a shockingly firm grounding in reality. Society, plagued by global warming and other detriments that Butler keeps unspecified, has collapsed. Los Angeles has devolved into walled island neighborhoods in a sea of utter chaos, (Butler, 23). Residents have been forced to themselves to keep from being overrun by hoards of homeless and starving just beyond the walls. Gangs of thugs rape, pillage and, under the influence of a drug called pyro, burn whole neighborhoods to the ground for the sheer joy of destruction. Everything we take for granted today now comes with a price. No one can be trusted. Violence is a way of life. People hear gunfire so much that [they no longer] hear it, (Butler, 440). Slavery is returning."
| |
|
"Dawn", 2002.
An assessment of Oankali science and human society in the novel "Dawn" by Octavia Butler.
650 words (approx. 2.6 pages), 2 sources, $ 26.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper is a persuasive indictment of Oankali (alien) actions in the novel "Dawn" by Octavia Butler. It addresses international relations as well as literary theory, particularly the value of conflict and emotion in forming "human-ness". .
| |
|
The Value of Family, 2001.
This paper compares the texts of Frederick Douglass' "Narrative of an American Slave" and Octavia Butler's "Kindred"
1,353 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 45.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
A comparison and discussion of two texts on slavery and its evils, "Narrative of an American Slave" by African-American slave, Frederick Douglass and "Kindred" by Octavia Butler. The paper shows how these novels show the dynamics of slavery- its horrible cost to the culture and country, and the continued efforts of people today to make sure it never happens again.
From the Paper
"One of the most famous accounts of slavery in America comes from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself. Douglass was a gifted writer, and an eloquent orator who motivated and influenced numerous people, abolitionists, and politicians throughout his life on the subject of slavery and freedom."
| |
|
"Kindred", 2007.
A brief review of Octavia Butler's novel "Kindred".
786 words (approx. 3.1 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 28.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses how on the surface, Octavia Butler's "Kindred", is a time-travel science fiction novel investigating a modern day female African American's experience in the pre-Civil War south. However, it contends that, underneath the surface, the novel attempts to examine the inter-personal relationships between parents and their children. It looks at how Dana, the novel's protagonist seemingly becomes the surrogate mother to the accident-prone Anglo child Rufus and how, as the novel progresses, the adept reader realizes, Dana's martial characteristics contributes to the unhealthy emotional childhood development of Rufus.
From the Paper
"Having established Dana as a strong maternal figure, Rufus demonstrates the qualities of an erring and insecure child. First, the reader learns about the quality of love that has shaped the young Rufus' psychic; "And there was Rufus, swung from his father's indifference to his mother's sugary concern" (69). Rufus the child, experiences his biological parent's paternal love as "indifference" and "sugary", which only reinforces his dependent bond with the maternal love provided by Dana. "
| |
|
"Kindred", 2002.
A book review and analysis of "Kindred" by Octavia E. Butler.
1,075 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 37.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This essay takes the form of a brief summary, followed by a critique of the novel "Kindred" by the African-American woman science fiction author Octavia E. Butler. This novel details life on a plantation, but beyond its fictional scope it provides the reader with knowledge and information about what life was like during the age it chronicles. Ultimately, it presents its readers, both black and white, with a profound moral quandary of the impact of slavery upon the lives and ancestors of both slave owners and former slaves.
From the Paper
"The novel tells the tale of a young, African-American woman of the present who is transported back in time to an era and a place in our country?s history where she was no longer considered a human being but merely a piece of chattel. The woman?s name is the very modern appellation of ?Dana.? The first time she is brought back in time to the ages of her ancestor, she meets a future slave owner named ?Rufus.? (A ridiculous name thinks Dana.) Rufus? life is endangered as child. Dana chooses to save the white baby Rufus, as one day he will become her own ancestor, though a slave-owner. She decides to do this even though the way the two of them will become linked is by a freeborn black woman becoming his slave and her own grandmother."
| |
|
"Kindred", 2006.
A review of Octavia Butler's "Kindred".
1,623 words (approx. 6.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 52.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper takes a look at 'Kindred' by Octavia Butler and discusses how this modern-day slave narrative brings into sharp focus the reality that we cannot escape history. The paper further discusses how the culture of our ancestors has clearly changed, but just as we carry on the bloodlines and genetic information from our ancestors, we also carry forward the remnants of their culture.
From the Paper
"By entering into the role of a slave, Dana begins to negotiate and develop the ethic of compromise within her own head. She is perfectly aware that killing her "owner," Rufus, would bring no legal action in the modern world, nor would it likely bear any guilt on her psyche. However, she has become keenly aware from her second visit to Maryland that Rufus is not just any slave owner, he happens to be the man who will eventually father the first ancestor listed in her family tree. The repercussions of killing him would then logically lead to Dana and the rest of her family simply never coming into existence. Begrudgingly Dana accepts this knowledge and learns to survive in the same way that Alice, one of the house slaves, survives. At first Dana didn't understand how Alice could tolerate, and even express mild affection toward, Rufus after learning that Rufus had sold off three of Alice's children. Eventually Dana understands the complex relationship that all of the slaves have with Rufus through the knowledge that she must protect someone who does her harm ironically for her own protection. In the end, however, Dana comes to a full realization of the situation, and after her ancestor has been born and safely sent away from the plantation, she finally is placed in a situation where she must kill Rufus. Dana realizes that she cannot accept slavery no matter how kind or well-intentioned the slave owner is. "A slave was a slave. Anything could be done to her," Dana thinks as she sinks the knife into Rufus' side (Butler 284)."
| |
|
O. Butler?s ?Kindred?, 2004.
This paper discusses O. Butler?s ?Kindred?, a complex novel, which makes a strong comment that slavery continues to exist in 20th century America, manifested in the economic oppression of certain social classes.
1,865 words (approx. 7.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 59.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper explains Butler?s intent to explore the finer nuances of freedom is evident in the very fact that she chose the America's bicentennial year of freedom, 1976, as the time for situating her 20th century African-American protagonist. The author points out that, by using carefully chosen words and a matter-of-fact tone, Butler places, in perspective, modern day society, which treats certain classes of human beings as invisible people, undeserving of recognition and respect. The paper relates that the core of Butler?s message is that the freedom finally obtained by the blacks was hard won and paid for by the suffering and loss of several lives, as symbolized by Kevin?s scar and Dana?s loss of one arm.
From the Paper
"In fact, "Kindred "is full of such sleight-of-hand symbolisms. Take, for example, Dana?s marriage to Kevin, a white man. Their union, in spite of the misgivings of both their families, is a rich metaphor for human integration the way it should be, free of racial, color or class barriers. Similarly, it is significant that Dana, a black woman, is the one summoned to rescue her white ancestor, Rufus, every time his life is in danger. Indeed, Dana?s meeting with the child, Rufus, is her first inkling of the humiliation suffered by her ancestors. For, here was a small boy advising her that she had to address him as ?master,? while simultaneously calling her by the deprecating term ?nigger? ."
| |
|
R. v. Butler: The Supreme Court Decision, 2006.
An analysis of the legal arguments presented and the final decision arrived at in the the 1992 Canadian Supreme Court Case, R v. Butler.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 2 sources, $ 44.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper evaluates how H. L. A. Hart and P. Devlin would assess the 1992 Canadian Supreme Court decision R. v. Butler. In so doing the paper clearly expresses an understanding of the debate between Hart and Devlin and applies the salient themes and or arguments of that debate to the Butler decision. Finally, the paper argues for one position or the other when determining whether or not the 1992 ruling was a just and equitable one. Specifically, the paper argues that Hart's position is more tenable than either Devlin's or the Supreme Court decision.
| |
|
Foucault and Butler on Gender, 2006.
A comparative analysis of the different approaches of Michel Foucault and Judith Butler in tackling the construction of sexuality and gender.
1,828 words (approx. 7.3 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 58.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper examines how, in the introduction to the "History of Sexuality", Foucault argues that in the 17th century the role of sex and sexual activity in the discourse of western society made a fundamental and radical change. It also looks at how, in "Discipline and Punish", Foucault argues that obsessions over sexuality and society's approval or disapproval of specific actions occurs because of the infinite diffusion of power which is found as the basis of western society. In comparison, it looks at how two decades later, Butler employed themes from Foucault's philosophy in order to argue her case for the arbitrariness of anatomical sex, gender identity and gender performance. It shows that through the arguments in her work, "Gender Trouble", Butler concludes that there is no essential relationship between a person's anatomical sex, her self-identified gender and the gender performance she enacts to fulfill society's expectations of the norm.
From the Paper
"Foucault's analysis of discourses on sex comes as a reaction to the more commonly-held belief that there was a society-wide discourse of repression in regards to sex. Foucault argues against this; he questions whether or not "sexual repression is truly an established historical fact"; whether "prohibition, censorship, and denial truly the forms through which power is exercised in a general way, if not in every society, most certainly in our own"; and whether "there really was a historical rupture between the age of repression and the critical analysis of repression". Foucault argues that through the evolution of Christian pastoral practices, specifically that of confessions regarding sexual sins, society was compelled to begin an elaborate and never-ceasing discourse on sex. "
| |
|
William Butler Yeats, 2006.
An analysis of the poetry of William Butler Yeats, one of the most acclaimed poets of the 20th century, and what influenced his writings.
3,186 words (approx. 12.7 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 92.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper investigates William Butler Yeats' passion along with his politics and his political changes, within the context of a select number of poems. The paper begins with a brief description of the poet and the Irish literature that characterized the period. Additionally, the paper looks at how Yeats' politics changed over time and the influence that his relationship with Maud Gonne had on his politics and his beliefs.
Table of Contents
Introduction
William Butler Yeats
Passion and Politics
Conclusion
From the Paper
"William Butler Yeats (W.B. Yeats) was born in 1865 in Dublin, Ireland. However his family moved to London where Yeats was reared. Yeats returned to Dublin in 1881 where he studied at the Metropolitan School of Art. Historians note that Yeats as fascinated with mysticism and the supernatural; this interest greatly affected the way in which he wrote. His first writings were published in 1885 and remained active in the literary world throughout his life as a poet and dramatist. Yeats received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1923.Yeats' married Georgie Hyde-Lee in 1917 but his first love and the inspiration for many of his poems was Maud Gonne an Irish activist. He continued writing and lived in Ireland for the rest of his life. He died in a French hotel in 1939."
| |
|
In Memory of William Butler Yeats, 2006.
This paper analyzes the three parts of the elegy of W.H. Auden's "In Memory of William Butler Yeats."
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 1 source, $ 35.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The paper demonstrates how the three parts of the poem reflect the elegiac, apostrophe and poetic mimicry of Yeats' verse in Auden's "In Memory of William Butler Yeats." The paper discusses that while the poem immediately shows a traditional form of reflection and commemoration of Yeats's life and his death in the modern world, it is clear that Auden sought to idealize the naturalism and mythical mastery that Yeats beheld in poetical history.
From the Paper
"This study will examine the three parts of W.H. Auden's poem: "In Memory of William Butler Yeats." In the first part of the poem, Auden uses a reflective elegiac ideology to commemorate a poet that he held in high literary regard. After Auden describes the differing social perspectives of Yeats' influence on the world, the second part of the poem brings forth an apostrophe that speaks to Yeats as a brother in poetry. Finally, the third part of the poem is written in verse style of Yeats, as Auden brings to life the actual poetic talents that his hero had emulated in his lifetime. In essence, the three parts of the elegy will be examined within the context of the style that Auden has chosen to commemorate William Butler Yeats."
| |
|
William Butler Yeats, 2004.
An analysis of three poems by William Butler Yeats: "Sailing to Byzantium", "Easter 1916" and "Wild Swans at Coole".
1,857 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 59.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper argues that any text is a source of endless speculation, argument and debate in relation to three poems by William Butler Yeats: "Sailing to Byzantium", "Easter 1916" and "Wild Swans at Coole". Each poem is analysed through two critical approaches, namely New Critical, which focuses on the specific devices used by the poet in the actual poems and Marxist, which looks at the context of the poet and poem to extract meaning.
From the Paper
""Sailing to Byzantium" is not an exception to the fact that any text is a source of endless speculation, argument and debate. The debate in this poem arises over the interpretation of the golden bird that is "set upon a bough to sing". A New Critical reading of the golden bird holds that it is a symbol of the "artifice of eternity" and the ideal world of art. The golden bird defies all change and, as apart of art, comments on life and the natural world which is subject to mutability and transformation. A Marxism, however, argues that the golden bird along with the "holy city of Byzantium" represent aristocratic values, and the stability and immutability of the aristocracy is what Yeats yearns for. To a Marxist, nature symbolizes a society that changes."
| |
|
"What the Butler Saw", 2005.
A description of the processes of semiotics in Joe Orton's "What the Butler Saw".
1,810 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 58.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The paper describes how Orton employs a variety of signs and symbols in "What the Butler Saw" to facilitate interpretation and more importantly, misinterpretation in the Prentice house. It discusses how the playwright relies on mayhem as a dramatic tool, but beyond the madness there is a method that Orton wants us to evaluate gender, crime and the medical establishment with.
From the Paper
""Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar," Sigmund Freud is quoted as saying, to which Geraldine Barclay replies, "But it is a cigar!" So ends Joe Orton's 1969 play, Geraldine by now having been through sexual harassment, gender transformation and internment in an institution of mental health. "What The Butler Saw" is a play primarily obsessed with the interpretationaE"and misinterpretationaE"of symbols, signs and language. This paper will examine the ways in which each of the characters function to interpret the world of the play and the way that their interpretation informs us about them and their world."
| |
|
William Butler Yeats, 2004.
This paper discusses themes, especially of Ireland, in the poetry of William Butler Yeats, a famous Irish poet.
1,395 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 46.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The paper explains that the Yeats?s poems discussed are "To Ireland in the Coming Times," "Down at the Salley Gardens," "No Second Troy," "When you Are Old," "At Galway Races," "Red Hanrahan's Song about Ireland," "The Falling of the Leaves", and "The Two Trees". The author explains that Yeats, born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1865, spent much of his summer vacations with relatives in the west of Ireland in County Sligo, where much of Yeats poetry, such as "At Galway Races" and ?Red Hanrahan's Song about Ireland", is set. The paper relates that, as his poetry matured, so did his images of Ireland, as in a later work, "No Second Troy", which celebrates the noble beauty of Ireland, but laments the troubles the Irish people are facing under English rule.
From the Paper
"Another later poem, "At Galway Races," illustrates how Yeats work was evolving, but the theme of Ireland was still the most lasting message in his works. "Sing on: somewhere at some new moon, / We'll learn that sleeping is not death, / Hearing the whole earth change its tune, / Its flesh being wild, and it again / Crying aloud as the racecourse is, / And we find hearteners among men / That ride upon horses" (Yeats). Yeats is not only celebrating horse racing, which is the national sport of Ireland, it is celebrating the endurance of Ireland during its troubles with Great Britain, and celebrating the strong backbone of the Irish, who are men "that ride upon horses." Yeats work literally breathes Ireland in every line, and there is no doubt that Yeats loved this unique land, and wanted to share that love with people the world over."
| |
|
William Butler Yeats, 2002.
An understanding of Yeats' poetry through philosophy.
3,400 words (approx. 13.6 pages), 11 sources, $ 124.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper examines William Butler Yeats' aesthetic and philosophical doctrines in the poems, "The Mask", "The Phases of the Moon" and "The Drawing of the Sidhe." The author analyzes these poems in the context of Celticism, symbolism and aesthetics, and discusses their historical backgrounds, respective contexts, content, and style.
|
|
|
