The Destructors - 1014 Words

John Copenhaver English 102 Fiction Essay, Thesis and Outline Instructor Freshwater Thesis Statement: Both Greene’s â€Å"The Destructors† and Lawrence’s â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner†, particularly the climax of each story, illustrate a powerful preoccupation with the ruining of lives because of a desire to control the material world. Outline: I. Introduction--thesis statement as well as introductory material regarding the two texts to be referenced. II. The Destructors--a discussion of Greene’s story a. major plot points from the story b. T.’s impulse to control the material elements of the house c. the obsession with materialism and its effect on Mr. Thomas’s life III. The†¦show more content†¦Young Paul decides to take to gambling, specifically on horse races. In a bit of magical realism, Paul is able to accurately predict the winner of any horse race so long as he rides his own wooden rocking-horse while searching for the answer. But no matter how much that Paul earned through gambling, it was never enough. As the Derby drew near, â€Å"the boy grew more and more tense. He hardly heard what was spoken to him, he was very frail, and his eyes were really uncanny† (Lawrence 306). In the end, Paul made over 70,000 pounds on that race alone, but the stress of his divination costs him his life (Lawrence 308). Because Paul believed that more and more money was necessary for his family to survive, he continued to push himself harder and harder to win more and more. The stress of this path, however, was ultimately self-destructive and cost Paul his life. No matter how hard he tried to control the material wealth of the family, his und erlying belief that there must always be more money would destroy his very life for the sum of more than 70,000 pounds. In both Greene’s â€Å"The Destructors† and Lawrence’s â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† we see a pervasive, and perverse, need to control the material world in both the characters of T. and Paul. The former attempted to enact such control by destroying what he found beautiful, while Paul was driven to win more and more money. The end result of both actions, though, was remarkably similar: the material control soughtShow MoreRelatedA Critical Analysis of The Rocking-Horse Winner and The Destructors1240 Words   |  5 PagesA Critical Analysis of The Rocking-Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence and The Destructors by Graham Greene In both stories, The Rocking-Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence and The Destructors by Graham Greene we see the common theme of wanting to be envied by others because of what we have or can do. The need to do better, have prestige and more power than anyone else is a very common human conflict that is dealt with on all levels of humanity. The emotional environment that man growsRead MoreThe Basement Room, By Graham Greene1091 Words   |  5 Pagesrelation to the good of other people. Renowned author Graham Greene explores this theme from what some people believe to be a Christian perspective in his many of his works. Although two of Graham Greene’s short stories, â€Å"The Basement Room† and â€Å"The Destructors,† are neither clearly redemptive or biblical, it is very possible that the stories are written from a Christian worldview because of their parallels to the nature and consequences of sin, and Greene’s criticism of selfish human behavior. â€Å"The BasementRead MoreThe Lottery vs the Destructors Essay examples1046 Words   |  5 PagesThesis In Shirley Jackson’s, â€Å"The Lottery†, and Graham Greene’s â€Å"The Destructors†, the author creates a story filled with symbolism, irony, grim reality, and a ritualized tradition that masks evil, which ultimately showcases how people blindly follow tradition. Outline I. Introduction II. Setting B. Time Period III. Plot A. What messages are seen inRead MoreThe Destructors Essay747 Words   |  3 PagesCharacters Trevor (T) : A silent, decided, and seemingly frustrated teenager . He speaks nothing more than needed and yes or no forms most of his answers. He becomes a member of the gang because he wants to take revenge of a society in which his parents have come down. His father, formerly an architect, is working as a clerk ; and his mother considers herself better than the neighbors. This leaves T with nothing better to do than join the local gang. In the destruction of Old MiserysRead MoreThe Decline Of British Bees2223 Words   |  9 Pagesbees, causing widespread declines. There are a variety of afflictions that are affecting insect life in the UK with the honey bee most notably affected. Varroa Destructors, a parasitic mite are wiping out bee colonies worldwide, in the past hundred years or so it has become the most serious pest of bees across the world. Varroa destructor developed from a pest of an Asian honeybee which appear to be mostly unaffected by the mite. When the European honeybee pic ked up the mite however it had disastrousRead MoreAnalysis on The Destructors by Graham Greene 820 Words   |  4 PagesThe Destructors written by Graham Greene as a third person view. The story set in London nine years after the end of World War II. People survived from The Blitz. The Blitz was Nazi Germanys sustained aerial bombing campaign against Britain in World War Two.(The Blitz) Everything was in chaos, people lost their home, slept in the underground station and lost their hope for the future. The story is about a group of teenage boys who formed a gang and call themselves as the Wormsley CommonRead MoreEssay on A Comparison of The Destructors and Lord of the Flies2333 Words   |  10 PagesA Comparison of The Destructors and Lord of the Flies      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Graham Greenes The Destructors, the author presents the Wormsley Common car-park gang, a group of adolescent delinquents who commit petty crimes for fun. William Golding, in his novel Lord of the Flies, presents a slightly younger group of boys who are wrecked on an uninhabited island and develop a primitive society that eventually collapses and gives way to despotic savagery. Although these two casesRead More The Signficance of Violence in Graham Greenes The Destructors793 Words   |  4 PagesThe Signficance of Violence in Graham Greenes The Destructors In serious fiction, no act of violence exists for its own sake. Graham Green, in his short story â€Å"The Destructors,† reveals certain intangible needs met through one central act of violence. One need we all have as humans is the need to be creative, to express ourselves, to use our imagination. All little boys use their imaginations, which is based on what they see in their environment, whether that be television or their ownRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Destructors By Graham Greene945 Words   |  4 Pageshustles readers to the end is the reason why they picked a story that is more commercial fiction or literary fiction. Commercial fiction drives readers away from the real world, while literary fiction deepens the reader’s awareness of life. â€Å"The Destructors† by Graham Greene is a short story that stresses the tension between social classes following the aftermath of World War II. This realistic fiction grasps historical context to reveal the purpose of the destruction of a house. The Wormsley CommonRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Destructors By Graham Greene954 Words   |  4 PagesPicasso remarked during the later parts of his life. Even Picasso’s genius creative mind knew the potential that destruction has in terms of life; an untapped force of creation and desire awaiting to be fulfilled. In the legendary short story â€Å"The Destructors† by Graham Greene, protagonist Trevor is an intelligent fifteen year old boy who joins a children’s gang in the wake of the Second World War Seemingly set back in life by the horror of the war, Trevor cannot find himself without a certain pain festering

Pilgrimage Essay - 1196 Words

Pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place. The holy places that Christians choose to visit on pilgrimage can include; where a saint lived, where a relic of a saint is kept, where a vision occurred or where Jesus lived. To travel to holy places (such as Rome or Lourdes) is in itself considered a part of the pilgrimage. Originally pilgrims would have walked and maybe met with other groups on the way. Some choose to make the journey alone or as a group, e.g. - the HCPT takes sick children to Lourdes as part of the charity. In fact many of the pilgrims who go to Lourdes are seriously ill or severely handicapped, has become a place where in numerous cases the sick have been restored to†¦show more content†¦Taking an actual physical pilgrimage is only a small step on our spiritual journey. Our pilgrimage through life is one way of walking with Jesus. Lourdes is a good example of a holy place, a place of pilgrimage. Pilgrims visit Lourdes because of devotion to Mary. In 1844 on January 11th a sick child was born, her family was poverty stricken and she had a poor education. In February 1858 Bernadette out to collect firewood with her sister and on the banks of the river Gave, Our Lady appeared to her. Bernadette continued to see visions. One official returned to his faith after witnessing Bernadette during a vision. Mary called herself The Immaculate Conception on her 16th appearance. Bernadette spoke words of a dogma just ruled by the Pope. Priests and others began to believe and miraculous cures began. In 1862 the commission ruled that the immaculate mother of God did appear to Bernadette. Today there are many practices associated with Lourdes. Daily masses are vibrant a joyful celebrations of praising, in groups of thousands indoors and out, with priests from each country. Pilgrims also visit the Grotto where prayers are said. The statue of the Virgin Mary can be seen in the grotto, pilgrims visit for a moment of reflection (thousands of miracles big and small occur here but not all are recognized by the church). Pilgrims drink the water from the natural springs.Show MoreRelatedThe Role Of Cyber Pilgrimage On A Pilgrimage1585 Words   |  7 Pages Moreover, there are also other methods of cyber-pilgrimage that are commonly use to partake on a pilgrimage on a daily basis. These include pilgrimages videos on YouTube, virtual tours, and online pilgrimage websites of 3D replicates of sacred sites. For example, a very well known YouTube channel for pilgrimage is the America Media. This channel contains many pilgrimage journeys made by father James Martin. Father James is a Jesuit priest, a writer, and editor for the Jesuit magazine AmericaRead MoreExploring Pilgrimage Essay2030 Words   |  9 PagesExploring Pilgrimage Pilgrimage is a journey to sacred places that are inspired by religious devotion. The place that is visited is usually where events have happened in the past that are relevant or important to what the pilgrim believes. Pilgrimage is an ancient custom which has changed over many years. It used to be a long and dangerous journey, but now many treat it like a holiday. A very early example of a pilgrim was Hsà ¼an Tsang, a 7th century Chinese Buddhist;Read MoreEssay on Pilgrimage /Christian, Muslim4247 Words   |  17 PagesPilgrimage /Christian, Muslim A Study of the Christian Pilgrimage to the Holy Land And the Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca SSC 231 Cultural Conflict and Human Solidarity University College Utrecht May 2001 Introduction A French folklorist and ethnographer, Arnold Van Gennep (1908-1960) gave us the first clues about how ancient and tribal societies conceptualized and symbolized the transitions men have to make between states a statuses . He demonstrated that all rites of passage are markedRead MorePilgrimage And Place : An Old Testament View1219 Words   |  5 PagesIn Gordan McConville’s chapter â€Å"Pilgrimage and ‘Place’: an Old Testament View, he reinterprets the meaning of pilgrimage in relation to the Old Testament. His consensus is the Christian theology views the history of holy sites and its geography as a restriction in a journey toward God. â€Å"Christians do not make hag to Jerusalem. There is no one holy place; God does not ‘live’ in Jerusalem even in the story of the Old Testament was never final or definitive,† (McConville, 26). Having mass in our hostelRead MoreExploring Why Christians Go on Pilgrimages Essay962 Words   |  4 PagesExplor ing Why Christians Go on Pilgrimages I will start this essay by explaining why some Christians go on pilgrimages and will go on to explain in detail the effect this might have on them. I will also share experiences that others have had and the life changing experiences they’ve had. A pilgrim is one who travels to sacred places but in a more detailed form, a pilgrim is a believer in a faith or the follower of a religion who travels to sacred places within or outsideRead MorePaulo Coelhos The Pilgrimage: A Unique Search for the Meaningful3334 Words   |  14 PagesThere is no denying the fact that Paulo Coelho with more than a dozen novels to his credit has emerged as a contemporary literary figure of international repute. The Pilgrimage marks his entry into the world of fiction with a bang followed by a big bang in the form of his most popular novel The Alchemist. No doubt, The Alchemist has earned him immense popularity far and wide and established him as a novelist of consummate skill. His other novels which include The Valkyries, Like the Flowing RiverRead MoreGetting Closer to God on Religious Pilgrimages in Gregory Chaucers Cantebury Tales 821 Words   |  4 Pagesfolk to goon on pilgrimages,† said Gregory Chaucer in his book, The Canterbury Tales, meaning people long to go on religious pilgrimages. The act of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages had been a very popular and traditional practice in the Christian society. This visit to shrines or holy places was an act of religious devotion and played a role in the lives of many Europeans, especially those in the western regions of Medieval Europe. In order to understand the importance of pilgrimages, we will emphasizeRead MoreEssay on Bryons Childe Harolds Pilgrimage: the Byronic Hero1003 Words   |  5 PagesBryons Childe Harolds Pilgrimage: The Byronic Hero Boozer English 11/4/95 In Byrons poem, Childe Harolds Pilgrimage the main character is portrayed as a dark brooding man, who doesnt like society and wants to escape from the world because of his discontent with it. Through the poem we see the strong resemblance the Byronic hero has to many of todays popular characters, such as Batman. In the third stanza of the poem we learn that Childe Harold is the productRead More Bryons childe Harolds Pilgrimage: The Byronic Hero Essay991 Words   |  4 Pages Bryons quot;Childe Harolds Pilgrimagequot;: The Byronic Hero In Byrons poem, quot;Childe Harolds Pilgrimagequot; the main character is portrayed as a dark brooding man, who doesnt like society and wants to escape from the world because of his discontent with it. Through the poem we see the strong resemblance the Byronic hero has to many of todays popular characters, such as Batman. In the third stanza of the poem we learn that Childe Harold is the product of a long line of nobilityRead MoreMoses and The Mount Sinai1734 Words   |  7 Pagessacred to the Israelites and hosted an extraordinary event 3,000 years ago, unfolding salvation history through the covenant God made with His people, authenticating the sacredness of Mt. Sinai. Many early Christians’ embarked on this religious pilgrimage to Mt. Sinai, a natural and sacred site, to encounter this revelation, a breathed civilization by God for humanity, transmitted to the prophet Moses and the Israelites. (Kessler, 1968) Pilgrims, who have embarked on the journey to Mt. Sinai, claim

Butterfly free essay sample

Butterfly There is a man in my neighborhood that plays the bagpipes. He sits under his tree and allows his music to rise above the drone of the coming and going traffic. The song is Amazing Grace—the only song he knows. I am a musician; I have played the viola for nine years. But music can still amaze me. A brass tube with holes in it, costing $11.50, taught me that. A penny whistle. It could transport me to a place that was entirely my own. The first time I placed my fingers over those empty holes, my dog tilted his head in surprise at the resulting sound. Days later, determined to produce a pleasing tone, I wandered into my room while punching notes out on the way. Setting up my chair in front of the mirror, I sat down and watched my clumsy fingers try to learn a new dance. We will write a custom essay sample on Butterfly or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My mind wandered and I could hear my friend’s mildly accusing voice. â€Å"So why aren’t you going to the football game?† I hit a high, shrill note. â€Å"I dunno,† I heard myself say, â€Å"I’m too busy, I guess.† The second time the note sounded clear and deep. Here in my room, I did know. An unexpected calm trickled over me like a sticky-sweet syrup, slowly pulling at the worries that had cluttered my mind. I knew why I wanted to be here and not in a crowd of faces. My grandmother’s condominium overlooks the Ohio River. So it was surprising to see, nine stories above the earth, a burning orange butterfly pass by the window. It fluttered along lazily, as if not aware it was climbing above buildings created to place holes in the sky. The girl in the mirror smiled. My stress floated away; I felt content for the first time that day. After a little practice, the pitches began to march in harmony. Melodies poured from my little penny whistle. My fingers cautiously hammered out the notes that formed Amazing Grace and I was lifted above the commotion of the week. My friends may think I am a lost cause, but it is they who will never understand how wonderful the view is from up here.