Sense Of Horror In Monkeys Paw English Literature Essay

Sense Of Horror In Monkeys Paw English Literature Essay Jacobs creates a sense of horror in The Monkeys Paw by using a variety of literary techniques. As The Monkeys Paw was written in 1902, Jacobs makes the story scary in ways that are very different to modern horror films and books. We can tell that the story was written in the early twentieth century as it contains many details that would have been common in Victorian literature. One of the most obvious features from The Monkeys Paw that tells us that the story was written over a century ago, is the old-fashioned language that Jacobs uses. The language used throughout the story contains words such as rubicund and visage, which are not words that are commonly used today. Also, the fact that  £200 was considered to be a lot of money shows that the story was from a long time ago as  £200 is not seen as a large amount of money in the modern world. Other aspects of the story also show that The Monkeys Paw was written in the Victorian time period the fact that India was seen as a new, e xotic and unexplored country tells us that the story must have been written in a time when transport wasnt as easily available as it is today. In the story, when the Sergeant-Major tells the Whites about his exploration, they seem almost in awe of him as he is seen to be the bravest and most adventurous person that they have ever met because of his journey to India. The fact that Jacobs used a Sergeant-Major character is also another typical feature of Victorian literature. Finally, the household objects that the Whites use in The Monkeys Paw show that the story was not set in modern times. For example, the Whites use candles for light and heat their kettle on a fire as there was no electricity in Victorian times. As The Monkeys Paw was written over a century ago, Jacobs doesnt use explicit gory details to create horror like modern scary films and books. Instead, he uses subtle hints in most aspects of the story to build up an element of terror and one of these aspects is the way that Jacobs uses setting. The main way in which Jacobs uses setting to increase the tension in The Monkeys Paw, is the way that he creates contrast between the wild outside weather and the cosy atmosphere inside the Whites home. At the beginning of the story, Jacobs describes the night as cold and wet, whereas Jacobs describes the Whites home by writing the fire burned brightly. This contrast makes the reader associate the outside with dark, cold and bad while associating the inside with light, warm and good. There is one thing that is keeping the White family safe from the badness of the outside, and that is the blinds. The blinds are drawn in part 1 of The Monkeys Paw when the Whites are a cosy, normal family protec ted from grief and terror. However, in part 3 of the story when Mrs White is looking for Herbert to come back from the dead, Jacobs writes the old woman, with burning eyes, walked to the window and raised the blind. I think that the blind is a symbol for a barrier that protects the Whites from the danger of the outside and when Mrs White raises the blind to look for her son she lets some of that danger into her home. Also, the visitors bring some of the danger and badness from the outside into the Whites home when they visit. For example, when the Sergeant-Major visits, he brings the monkeys paw which changes the Whites lives forever and when the worker at Maw and Meggins visits, he brings the news of Herberts death. It is clear that throughout the story, Jacobs corresponds the outside atmosphere to the mood of the characters. For example, in part 3 of the story, the house is steeped in shadow and silence which is much like the couple, as there is no longer any banter or chatter bet ween them after Herberts death. For this reason, the reader is lulled into a false sense of security when they read about the wintry sun and prosaic wholesomeness at the beginning of part 2. The reader thinks that this sunny weather and ordinary atmosphere will correspond to the characters moods. However, a little later on, the Whites discover about Herberts death; this leaves the reader feeling shocked as they would have been expecting the Whites to have a normal day, when instead the Whites receive horrific news of their son passing away. Finally, we know that the house is very isolated as Mr White says at the beginning of the story thats the worst of living so far out. This adds to the suspense in part 3 of the story as we know that the Whites are alone and there is no one that can help them. Another way in which Jacobs creates horror is through his use of characterisation. Firstly, we get to see the happiness of the White family right from the beginning of the story. There are many examples of their close-knit, normal family life throughout part 1 of The Monkeys Paw such as Mr White and Herbert playing a family game of chess at the beginning of the story. The Whites are generally presented as pleasant and ordinary people. Therefore, when their first wish upon the monkeys paw comes true but at the price of their sons life, we are even more shocked at their misfortune as they seem to be just a normal family and not foolish people who have no common sense. The fact that Mr and Mrs White are elderly also adds to the sense of danger in the story as they are seen to be more vulnerable than younger people may be. In part 3 of the story, Jacobs uses contrast in the characters moods for a dramatic effect. At the beginning of the story, the couple are chatty and make jokes with ea ch other which makes a light family atmosphere. However, in part 3 of The Monkeys Paw, Mr and Mrs White have radically changed into uncommunicative couple who hardly exchange a word as they have nothing to talk about after their sons death. This huge contrast makes the reader realise the enormity of the effect that Herberts death has had on Mr and Mrs White. This effect is also portrayed through Mrs Whites newly irrational behaviour throughout part 3. She is constantly having mixed emotions she laughed and cried together which show that she is not in control of her feelings and she has wild ideas about bringing her son back from the dead. Finally, another way in which Jacobs creates drama through his use of characters is by showing that the Sergeant-Major is unwilling to talk about the paw. The Sergeant-Major is described as doughty which makes us think that that he is very brave, so his reluctance to talk about the paw shows us that if even an extremely courageous soldier is too scared to talk about the paw, then it must be an incredibly strange and frightening object that shouldnt be messed with. Jacobs also creates a sense of tension in The Monkeys Paw by building up the suspense throughout the different parts of the story. The structure of The Monkeys Paw is like many pieces of Victorian literature; it is separated into three short chapters. In part 1, we get to see how close the White family are, the monkeys paw is first introduced and the first wish is made. At this point in the story, we dont know the power of the paw so we arent as frightened as we are later on in the story. However, the Sergeant-Majors reluctance to talk about the paw leaves us with questions. We wonder if wishes on the paw do come true, why the Sergeant-Major is wary of the paw and we also wonder what wishes the Whites will make. These questions make us want continue reading the story to discover what happens. Part 2 of the story begins on a seemingly ordinary day there was an air of prosaic wholesomeness. This lulls the reader into a false sense of security because they think that they were foolish for having fears of the monkeys paw as it seems to be such an ordinary day. The tension then starts to build when Mrs White spots the suspicious and mysterious man from Maw and Meggins outside of the house. Then, when Herberts death is revealed, the reader is even more shocked because of the huge contrast to the seemingly normal start of the day. The news of Herberts death also leaves the reader with even more questions. We ask ourselves whether wishes on the monkeys paw do actually come true or if the compensation of  £200 was just a freakish coincidence. This, again, makes us want to read further into the story to find out the answer to our questions. The description at the beginning of part 3 sets the scene for the rest of the story; it is night time and Mrs White is weeping. We associate these details with badness and we therefore are expecting for something scary to happen in the next part of the story. From the moment that Mr White makes the second wish, the tension is built up throughout the rest of part 3 by the increasing speed of the knocks and Mrs Whites attempt to open the door. The suspense is only relieved right at the end of the story when Mr White makes the third wish. This way, the reader feels scared for the longest time possible which creates the greatest sense of fear. Another way that Jacobs creates a sense of horror in the story is by withholding the full information from the reader to create a sense of mystery. For example, the reader does not know if the  £200 compensation for Herberts death is related to the paw or whether it is just a coincidence. We never find this out, even at the end of the story, and so there creates an element of mystery about the whole story. We are also left wondering about other questions at the end of The Monkeys Paw, such as whether wishes on the monkeys paw actually do come true and whether Herbert did actually come back from the dead. These questions make us discuss and think about the story even after we have finished reading it, and this is a sign of a successful story. Also, Jacobs withholds information in another aspect of the story when he doesnt tell us what Herberts mangled body looks like. Jacobs writes that Mr White says I could only recognise him by his clothing when describing Herberts body. This is v ery powerful as it makes us imagine Herberts body being far more contorted and gory than Jacobs could possibly describe with words. Also, in part 3 of The Monkeys Paw, Jacobs doesnt give us any information about Herbert. Instead of writing something like Herbert the zombie approached the house, Jacobs is much cleverer in his use of language to build up the tension. He does not mention Herbert once; instead he increases the suspense by describing the fusillade of knocks on the door. This way, Jacobs keeps the mystery of the monkeys paw in tact as he does not state that the knocks are definitely coming from Herbert, for all we know, the knocking could just be a figment of the couples imagination. Finally, senses are another thing that Jacobs removes from the characters to increase the tension in the story. Depriving the characters of some of their senses in parts of the story increases the tension as the characters are having something that is vital to them removed; this increases the ir level of fear. For example, in part 3 when Mr White goes downstairs, it is very dark so he is deprived of his sight. He has to use touch and sound as his main senses to be able to get around. Jacobs writes that Mr White felt his way to the parlour before he lost the direction of the door. By removing one of his senses, he loses the direction of where he is going which shows just how fundamental senses are and what effect being deprived of them can have. Jacobs goes on to prove that that Mr White is scared at losing his direction by saying his brow cold with sweat. When Mr White is scared in this part of the story, we empathise with him which makes us feel frightened too. A reason why we empathise with the characters is the way that Jacobs uses of language. The Whites dialogue is very realistic and believable it makes the Whites seem like real people which makes the reader feel sympathetic towards them. Also, the Whites just seem like an ordinary family as they make jokes with each other and at the start of the story they are playing chess and knitting by the fire. They do not seem like greedy or foolish people so we empathise with them at their misfortune of having their wish come true but at the cost of their sons life. Another one of the main language tools that Jacobs uses in The Monkeys Paw is irony. Jacobs creates irony throughout the story which makes the eventual horror even more shocking. For example, in part 2 of the story, Mr and Mrs White seem happily contented with their lives as they are making jokes and seem to be a close couple. Then when they receive the news of Herberts death, the reader is taken aback at this news as the couple see med to have a perfectly good, normal life before Herberts death. Other examples of irony in the story are the way that Herbert says goodbye when he is going to work and the way that Mrs White makes comments about waiting for Herbert to come home. Herbert says before I come back and Mrs White says when he comes home which are both referring to Herberts return. This is ironic as they do not know that Herbert will not be returning. Another language technique that Jacobs uses to create horror is sentence structure. For example, when Jacobs is describing the Whites at the start of the story, he uses long sentences like Father and son were at chess, the former, who possessed the idea about the game involving radical changes, putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment from the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire that go into a lot of detail to describe what is happening. However, when the story becomes more tense, Jacobs uses short sentences to show the change in pace of the story and to build up a sense of panic. For example, in part 3 when the couple hear the first knock, the suspense increases dramatically and Jacobs shows this by using a series of short, simple sentences such as A third knock sounded through the house. The final way that Jacobs uses language to create horror in The Monkeys Paw is simply through the choice of the words that he uses. The way that he describes things creates powerful, scary imagery. Jacobs can make even the most ordinary household objects seem terrifying. For example, when describing a candlestick he writes [the candle-end] was throwing pulsating shadows on the ceiling and walls, until, with a flicker larger than the rest, it expired. This description gives the most powerful sense of imagery as Jacobs makes the candle seem alive by saying that it has a pulse. The use of the word pulsating also makes the reader think of the Whites as they are very tense at this point of the s tory and their pulse rate is probably very high due to their nervous anticipation of seeing whether their wish has come true. I think that WW Jacobs is a very powerful and intelligent writer who has cleverly used every possible feature in the story of The Monkeys Paw to create a sense of horror. The literary techniques that he uses are very typical to those of most short stories written in Victorian times. Personally, I think that these techniques, such as the mystery of the unknown, are a great deal scarier and build up a much better sense of tension than present day horror stories. Modern horror films and books mainly use gore, wounds and blood to create the element of disgust that generates the most profit. However, I think that Jacobs cleverly uses subtle details and suggestion in The Monkeys Paw to develop a sense of throughout the story, and this is what creates a classic horror story that really plays with the readers mind.

Black Women in Art Essay -- essays research papers fc

Black Women in Art Historically and currently African American women use art as a way to express themselves, their emotions and as an act of resistance. In this paper, I will discuss the various ways two very influential artists, Laurie Cooper and Lorna Simpson, use imagery to uncover and forefront the various forms of oppression that affect their lives as African American women. Since the late 1970s, African American art, as a form of self expression, explores issues which concern African peoples worldwide. During this time period, African American artists use symbols which represent the struggles, despair, hopes and dreams of a people striving to debunk prominent stereotypes and dismantle the intersecting oppressions of race, class and gender. Despite the long history of African American art, many black artists in contemporary society still have a difficult time getting their art viewed or accepted by the masses. Society, in general, tends to look at African art as ethnic, trivial, simple, folk art, perhaps even collectable, but not worthy of true in-depth exploration of fine art accreditation. However, Laurie Cooper and Lorna Simpson disrupt these perceptions in their art. Lorna Simpson, a photographer, was born in New York during the sixties. Still residing there today, she remains active in the art world. Simpson brings much attention to a cause near and dear to her, the â€Å"situation of black women in society.† The ambiguity in her photographs allows the viewer to evaluate the meaning of her work and to draw their own conclusion with her spirit in mind. An excellent example of this is in her piece Counting(1991). The Albright-Knox Art Gallery helps interpret the piece: Lorna Simpson’s work, Counting, contains three images: a fragment of a woman’s body, a small brick hut, and a group of braids. The figure is anonymous and wears a white shift, Simpson’s preferred costume for her models. She likes the simplicity; she believes that it indicates what she terms "femaleness," without bringing up issues of fashion; and she also likes the fact that there are many possible interpretations for such an outfit. The times to the right of the figure might indicate work shifts, but the schedules are unrealistic if considered closely. Other possibilities for what they might mean are open to viewer interpretation. The central image shows a smoke house in Sout... ...e, the work is not answer oriented. It’s intentionally left open-ended. There’s not a resolution that just solves everything. This statement leaves the viewer free to form their own conclusion and remain open to various interpretations. Lorna Simpson and Laurie Cooper help to change the world for the better by addressing confrontational, silenced issues by opening the eyes of the world to all of the â€Å"isms† that plague society and gives us hope for the future. Both women subvert traditional imagery, physically and psychologically in prominent historic and current representations of African American’s historically and currently in American society. This subversion allows their artwork to escape the marginalization of African American art as seemingly â€Å"ethnic folk art† and exposes their works as tools for social progression. Bibliography 1. 2. 3. 4. Jorge Arango. â€Å"At Home with Lorna Simpson.† Essence Magazine, 2002, p.172 5. Audre Lorde. â€Å"Beyond the Margins† Words of Fire, The New Press, 1995, p.287

Whole Foods Market SWOT

Whole Foods Market is one of the largest retailers of organic food products in the world. The company is successful because of its skilful growth strategy, huge product variety, and big profits. Whole Foods Market’s motto is â€Å"Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet†, and this motto, as well as the core values, are very important for the company’s strategy and operating practices. However, the company does not execute the motto completely due to its poor international operations, which is one of the biggest weaknesses of Whole Foods Market. One of the opportunities of the company is the superiority in the market of high demand for the organic products. Increase in the competition in the market is one of the biggest threats for Whole Foods Market.Firm’s StrengthsWhole Foods Market grew from a local market to one of the largest organic product retailer around the world. By 2008, Whole Foods Market operated and owned 276 stores in the United States and in ternationally. The company’s expansion strategy consists mostly of acquisitions of other companies. One of the biggest and most important acquisitions was the acquisition of Wild Oats stores, which gave Whole Foods Market opportunity to operate with large scale stores and with less competition in that segment of market.The company offers a huge variety of products which includes: grocery, bakery, poultry and meat, seafood, deli, wines, cheese, and household products. The regular average size of a Whole Foods Market store is around 45,000 to 60,000 sq ft. In the bigger stores, which size up from 60,000 to 80,000 sq ft, they offer even a bigger variety of products and catering service. Example of this would be the Austin 78,000 sq ft store which included hundreds types of cheese, beers, wines, and seafood items.Whole Foods Market’s revenue was rapidly growing since the early 1990’s with an increase of 30%, and 20% increase since year 2000. By 2007 the company reco rded sales of around $6.6 billion. The revenue growth let the company to continue the expansions and acquisition of many more stores. Whole Foods Market acquired 134 stores since 1991 through 15 acquisitions.Firm’s WeaknessesWhole Foods Market has three stores in Canada, and six stores in the United Kingdom. The possession of such few stores internationally, the company is not able to arrive at the effect of economies of scale in distribution and purchasing. Because of weak operations internationally, the company’s prices are high, therefore lacking the company to compete with other international companies which have a larger operations scale.OpportunitiesWhole Foods Market is in a good market segment because of the rapid growth of demand for the organic products around the world. Consumers tend to slowly start preferring organic products to the regular packaged products. The organic market is growing very fast every year and everywhere around the world. Because of the increase in demand for organic products, which Whole Foods Market supplies, the company is going to experience an increase in sales and revenues.ThreatsSince the market for organic products is becoming more popular and growing, there are more players involved in the market. There are a lot of small companies and huge corporations who are entering the same market as Whole Foods Market, and some of them could be considered a respectful threat. Small supermarkets that supply organic foods, specialty supermarkets and restaurants are the small competitors. Wal-Mart on other hand is a potential strong competitor who announced in 2006 that the company is going to focus on organic segment, and is able to provide the consumers with low price organic products.Strenghts Skilful growth strategy Huge product variety Big profitsWeaknesses Poor international operationsOpportunity Market leadership in high demand marketThreats Increase of Competition

Attachment And Family Systems Theory - 1893 Words

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