The Gift of Magi Essay Example for Free

The Gift of Magi Essay Country Lovers Alyssa Helm English 125 Instructor: David Makhanlall November 7, 2011 Themes: The Gift of Magi It is always great to read stories where the author is able to show love between two characters. â€Å"The Gift of Magi† was a great example of this. This story showed how a couple’s love was so strong between the two, that they were able to give up their most prize possessions for one another. â€Å"The Gift of Magi† allows the reader to be able to relate to this love story with a heartwarming theme of love vs. material things. As a reader reading this story there were a lot of themes or meanings that this story has. A theme: â€Å"it is not a statement about a dominant impression or mood; it is not a moral or proposition; it is not the attitude of the writer. Theme is more complex than any of these elements of fiction; it cant be defined in a single word† (Clugston, R. W. (2010). The most important would be showing the limits a person would go for someone that they love, even if it means giving up the most important thing to them. Della, with only $1. 7, wanted to make sure that she was able to provide her husband with what she felt would be the best Christmas gift. Della considered her long, brown hair as one of her most prized possessions. But, when it came down to her hair or getting her husband Jim a Christmas gift she did not think twice about cutting it. The twenty dollars that the woman offered her at the hair shop seemed to be just enough for her to be able to purchase the perfect gift. Ther e were many literary elements that contributed to the theme of this story. The first one would be symbols. There are two main symbols that are represented in this story. This would be Della’s long brown hair and her husband Jim’s gold watch. . Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majestys jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy(Clugston, R. W. (2010). These two things are focused on the most in this story. The end result in this story has a twist on it. Della and Jim both bought things to compliment each other’s prized possessions. The focus was mainly put on Della’s hair however at the end of the story it reveals how her husband Jim had sold his watch so that he was able to purchase the hair barrettes that she couldn’t use now because she cut her hair. Della didn’t know what reaction she would get from her husband, she even went home to style her now short hair so that it maybe her husband would accept her drastic cut. The couple did this only to find out at the end of the story that they both got rid of what was most important so they could buy each other a gift for the holidays. The second literary element that would contribute to this them would be the point of view. This story was told in third person. This means that the story contained a narrator. â€Å"Its important to remember that the narrator, whether a character inside the story or one looking on from outside the action, is a voice invented by the author for the purposes of the story. Clugston, R. W. (2010). I feel like with this story it helps set the mood and was able to allow the reader to sympathize with the couple. I say this because the narrator is able to describe in full detail the feelings of each character. We are able to see things that we would not if the character had been telling the story. The narrator is able to provide us with full detail about each facial expression, or feeling that is told. Although this couple was only trying to make sure they each had something for Christmas, I feel like if they had communication they would have been able to avoid losing items that meant the most to them. I totally understand how much it means to be able to buy your loved one something on a holiday, but it’s not always about materialistic things as you have each other. Reference Page 1) Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into Literature.

Cry, the Beloved Country: Change :: Cry the Beloved Country Essays

In undertaking a journey, a person learns and changes. One may change emotionally, psychologically, as well as spiritually. The journeyer is scared at first, then usually goes through some pain and suffering. In the end, however, this journeyer comes out different then they were when they began, with some understanding. Stephan Kumalo, James Jarvis, and Absalom Kumalo undertake this very thing in Cry, the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton. Stephan Kumalo, a priest from the small native town of Ndotsheni, takes a journey to the great city of Johannesburg. He intends to find his sick sister and his son, Absalom, who has gone away. At first, Stephan has "the fear of the unknown, the fear of the great city"(44) where his loved ones had gone to and not written in months. Not long after he begins, he realizes "this is a bitter journey"(55) upon hearing the occupations and practices of his sister. He goes through pain and suffering, more and more as he learns of his brother's loss of faith in the church, and the murder his son has committed. But, soon enough he comes to an understanding of this world in Johannesburg. He learns why there is so much crime and poverty. He then has hope the success of his daughter in-law and his nephew in Ndotsheni. He gains hope for the rebuilding of the tribe. Stephan Kumalo comes away from his journey changing spiritually and knowing that there is "comfort in a world of desolation"(94). He changes emotionally and becomes stronger. Also, he changes psychologically and learning the troubles of Johannesburg and apartheid, and their various causes. James Jarvis undergoes vast changes during his journey. He is told that his son has been killed, and he leaves for Johannesburg at once. His son, Arthur, was a social activist helping natives in South Africa, trying to get better hospitals and schools for them. These are subjects James Jarvis never thought about much. When he arrives at his son's house, the place of Arthur's death, he reads through some of his manuscripts and books. First, James suffers a lot thinking about his son's death. As he reads through some of his books and papers however, he comes to an understanding how great a man his son was, and what he stood for. "He sat smoking his pipe and was lost in thought"(180) after he reads a manuscript on what is permissible and what is not

Qualitative & Quantitative Essay

Qualitative research focuses on gathering of mainly verbal data rather than measurements. Gathered information is then analyzed in an interpretative manner, subjective, impressionistic or even diagnostic. Here’s a more detailed point-by-point comparison between the two types of research: 1. Goal or Aim of the Research The primary aim of a Qualitative Research is to provide a complete, detailed description of the research topic. It is usually more exploratory in nature. Quantitative Research on the other hand focuses more in counting and classifying features and constructing statistical models and figures to explain what is observed. Read also: Aims of Research QualitativeQuantitative HypothesisBroadNarrow DescriptionWhole pictureFocused Type of ResearchExploratoryConclusive 2. Usage Qualitative Research is ideal for earlier phases of research projects while for the latter part of the research project, Quantitative Research is highly recommended. Quantitative Research provides the researcher a clearer picture of what to expect in his research compared to Qualitative Research. QualitativeQuantitative PhaseEarlyLate 3. Data Gathering Instrument The researcher serves as the primary data gathering instrument in Qualitative Research. Here, the researcher employs various data-gathering strategies, depending upon the thrust or approach of his research. Examples of data-gathering strategies used in Qualitative Research are individual in-depth interviews, structured and non-structured interviews, focus groups, narratives, content or documentary analysis, participant observation and archival research. On the other hand, Quantitative Research makes use of tools such as questionnaires, surveys, measurements and other equipment to collect numerical or measurable data. 4. Type of Data The presentation of data in a Qualitative Research is in the form of words (from interviews) and images (videos) or objects (such as artifacts). If you are conducting a Qualitative Research what will most likely appear in your discussion are figures in the form of graphs. However, if you are conducting a Quantitative Research, what will most likely appear in your discussion are tables containing data in the form of numbers and statistics. 5. Approach Qualitative Research is primarily subjective in approach as it seeks to understand human behavior and reasons that govern such behavior. Researchers have the tendency to become subjectively immersed in the subject matter in this type of research method. In Quantitative Research, researchers tend to remain objectively separated from the subject matter. This is because Quantitative Research is objective in approach in the sense that it only seeks precise measurements and analysis of target concepts to answer his inquiry. Read also: Qualitative research, Quantitative research Determining Which Method Should Be Used Debates have been ongoing, tackling which method is better than the other. The reason why this remains unresolved until now is that, each has its own strengths and weaknesses which actually vary depending upon the topic the researcher wants to discuss. This then leads us to the question â€Å"Which method should be used?† If your study aims to find out the answer to an inquiry through numerical evidence, then you should make use of the Quantitative Research. However, if in your study you wish to explain further why this particular event happened, or why this particular phenomenon is the case, then you should make use of Qualitative Research. Some studies make use of both Quantitative and Qualitative Research, letting the two complement each other. If your study aims to find out, for example, what the dominant human behavior is towards a particular object or event and at the same time aims to examine why this is the case, it is then ideal to make use of both methods.

Analysis Of The Book The Boy s The Striped Pajamas

In this Literary analysis report, of the book â€Å"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas†, I will be breaking down the story. Starting with the beginning introducing the main protagonist and antagonist of the movie. Then introducing the main conflict and how the protagonist tried to fix this problem, and how it was solved. The final paragraph will break down the movie even further by explaining symbols, showing what they mean, and how this movie depicted the real world. To start off, The movie â€Å"The boy in the striped pajamas† was directed by Mark Herman. The Story starts off in Berlin during World War II. The boy’s father is a soldier and is commander of a concentration camp. So in order to do his job he has to move his whole family closer to the camp. The rest of the story takes place in Auschwitz were the concentration camp is located at. The protagonist of this story is a little boy named Bruno. He is an 8 year old German boy. Bruno doesn t know what really is going on in the war. He is still innocent, during this time, all that he knows about the war is that his father is trying to make the world a better place. The antagonist in this story is Bruno’s dad. He is a very high official of the German army. He takes his job very seriously and says that by winning the war the world would become a better place for his son. Although the protagonist is being taught to hate Jewish people, he still becomes friends with a Jewish kid his age. This is the main conflict of the story, and whyShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book The Boy Of The Striped Pajamas 2429 Words   |  10 PagesLiterature March 30, 2015 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Introduction ​Most people view the Holocaust as one of the worst things that has ever happened in human history. It’s very difficult to argue this belief. Not only were millions of people killed in battle, but millions were killed outside of battle. After his murder of over six million Jews, Adolf Hitler became regarded as one of the most hated and evil people in the world, and still is today. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a novel based on thisRead MoreLiterature Review : The Boy s The Striped Pajamas1784 Words   |  8 PagesLiterature Review Outline: The Boy In The Striped Pajamas â€Å"The Boy In The Striped Pajamas† weaves a thread of intricate and compelling details through the description of each event that occurs within this book. For example, this novel features a descriptive scene where Bruno (the protagonist) encounters a fence, which holds many Jews captive; this event takes you on a journey where you can experience the border that divides us and how we may deal with that border - as Bruno faces. John BoyneRead MoreThe Striped Pajamas By John Boyne2334 Words   |  10 Pageswere killed outside of battle. After his murder of over six million Jews, Adolf Hitler became regarded as one of the most hated and evil people in the world, and still is today. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a novel based on this time period. Written in 2006 by an Irish author named John Boyne, it is about a boy named Bruno who is nine years old growing up in Germany during the second World War. Even though it is written by an Irish author and not a German one, it is well-known for depictingRead MoreA Paradox Of Innocence : An Essay3669 Words   |  15 Pagesof Innocence: An Analysis of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Introduction As a child, we are focused on the small aspects of life. We worry about eating ice cream on a hot summer day or when we will get the opportunity to go out on a cold snowy day and go sled riding with our friends and drink hot chocolate. We are fully focused on such basic childlike desires that we are completely unaware of serious events happening around us or in this case right next-door. As a nine-year-old boy, Bruno has no idea

Analysis Of The Book The Boy s The Striped Pajamas

In this Literary analysis report, of the book â€Å"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas†, I will be breaking down the story. Starting with the beginning introducing the main protagonist and antagonist of the movie. Then introducing the main conflict and how the protagonist tried to fix this problem, and how it was solved. The final paragraph will break down the movie even further by explaining symbols, showing what they mean, and how this movie depicted the real world. To start off, The movie â€Å"The boy in the striped pajamas† was directed by Mark Herman. The Story starts off in Berlin during World War II. The boy’s father is a soldier and is commander of a concentration camp. So in order to do his job he has to move his whole family closer to the camp. The rest of the story takes place in Auschwitz were the concentration camp is located at. The protagonist of this story is a little boy named Bruno. He is an 8 year old German boy. Bruno doesn t know what really is going on in the war. He is still innocent, during this time, all that he knows about the war is that his father is trying to make the world a better place. The antagonist in this story is Bruno’s dad. He is a very high official of the German army. He takes his job very seriously and says that by winning the war the world would become a better place for his son. Although the protagonist is being taught to hate Jewish people, he still becomes friends with a Jewish kid his age. This is the main conflict of the story, and whyShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book The Boy Of The Striped Pajamas 2429 Words   |  10 PagesLiterature March 30, 2015 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Introduction ​Most people view the Holocaust as one of the worst things that has ever happened in human history. It’s very difficult to argue this belief. Not only were millions of people killed in battle, but millions were killed outside of battle. After his murder of over six million Jews, Adolf Hitler became regarded as one of the most hated and evil people in the world, and still is today. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a novel based on thisRead MoreLiterature Review : The Boy s The Striped Pajamas1784 Words   |  8 PagesLiterature Review Outline: The Boy In The Striped Pajamas â€Å"The Boy In The Striped Pajamas† weaves a thread of intricate and compelling details through the description of each event that occurs within this book. For example, this novel features a descriptive scene where Bruno (the protagonist) encounters a fence, which holds many Jews captive; this event takes you on a journey where you can experience the border that divides us and how we may deal with that border - as Bruno faces. John BoyneRead MoreThe Striped Pajamas By John Boyne2334 Words   |  10 Pageswere killed outside of battle. After his murder of over six million Jews, Adolf Hitler became regarded as one of the most hated and evil people in the world, and still is today. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a novel based on this time period. Written in 2006 by an Irish author named John Boyne, it is about a boy named Bruno who is nine years old growing up in Germany during the second World War. Even though it is written by an Irish author and not a German one, it is well-known for depictingRead MoreA Paradox Of Innocence : An Essay3669 Words   |  15 Pagesof Innocence: An Analysis of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Introduction As a child, we are focused on the small aspects of life. We worry about eating ice cream on a hot summer day or when we will get the opportunity to go out on a cold snowy day and go sled riding with our friends and drink hot chocolate. We are fully focused on such basic childlike desires that we are completely unaware of serious events happening around us or in this case right next-door. As a nine-year-old boy, Bruno has no idea