Black Comedy And William Faulkner English Literature Essay

Black Comedy And William Faulkner English Literature Essay In the literary work As I Lay Dying, the author William Faulkner portrays his use of black comedy in the novel. Black comedy is defined as the morbid, gloomy, grotesque, or calamitous situations in its plots (Dictionary.com). Faulkner demonstrates his writing techniques of black comedy through the characters actions. As I Lay Dying is criticized as a black comedy because of the portrayed tragic irony of incoherence, insanity, and the submission to abuse in the novel. As I Lay Dying have several examples where The Bundrens demonstrated incompetent behavior throughout the novel, which was grotesque behavior that is found to be humorous among readers and critics. An example is Cash building his mothers coffin outside her window. From Jewels perspective Its because he stays out there, right under the window, hammering and sawing on that goddamn box. Where shes got to see him (Faulkner 1864). That is unfortunate that Addie must witness her son take pride in building her coffin outside her window. Another example is Anse Bundren, the husband who is not self sufficient for himself or articulate the meaning of work. Darl states I have never seen a sweat stain on his shirt. He was sick once from working in the sun when he was twenty-two years old, and he tells people that if he ever sweats, he will die (Faulkner 1864). Addie Bundren has always prepared his meals, watched the children, clean, and wash laundry. Faulkner shows irony of how Anse marries a woman after knowing her for a couple of days after Addie has been buried. Vardamen who is the youngest son in the family has taken upon himself to believe his mother could not breathe in her coffin. Vardamen caught a fish from a nearby creek and gave it to Dewey Dell to prepare for dinner. After Addies death, Vardamen compared his mother to the fish that was lying the pan bleeding. He figured if the fish died because it could not breathe, he should drill holes into Addies coffin so she can breathe. The tragic incoherent behavior was demonstrated when the lid of the coffin was removed and discovered there are two holes drilled into Addies face. The eldest child in the family named Darl was considered insane at the end of the novel. In the beginning of the novel, Darl narrates Jewel and I come up from the field fifteen feet ahead of him, anyone watching us from the cottonhouse can see Jewels frayed and broken straw hat full head above my own (Faulkner 1860). This suggests the possibility the beginning of his insanity not being surfaced. The black comedy was suggested when Darl decides to set the barn on fire as a method of saving his mother only to put other members of his family at risk. When the family arrived in Jefferson, Mississippi, Addie was then finally buried. Ironically, Darl was taken in by two officials has taken Darl into custody and placed him in a mental intuition in Jackson, Mississippi. In the novel, Cash thoughts stated I be durn if I could see anything to laugh at (Faulkner 1947). The primary shock in Darls final short monologue is his transfer of himself to the third person (Simon 104). Addie Bundren had a small excerpt in the middle of the novel about her thoughts and feelings. She began to display submissive behavior to abuse stated When the switch fell I could feel it upon my flesh: when it welted and ridged it was my blood that ran, and I would think with each blow of the switch: Now you are away of me! (Faulkner 1920). Throughout Addies life her father influenced Addie the meaning of life is the preparation of staying dead for a long period of time. She then finds herself marrying Anse and come to the realization there is no point in living after baring her second child, Cash. It is humorous to find that she spent her whole life mentally and physically abusing herself through her relationship with Anse and until death. It is a travesty how she spend her life through abuse but ironically Jewel decides to resent her until death and after death. As I Lay Dying is humors because of the characters display of grotesque behavior. Faulkners characteristic style as well as the variations in style that create differences in tone, ranging from comedy to thoughtful contemplation (Bunselmeyer 424). The tragic and exaggerated events that happened throughout the novel gives critics something to laugh about because of irony of incoherence, insanity, and the submission to abuse in the novel that hopefully will not happen in reality.

Second Variety

Second variety is a wonderful and influential short story written by Philip K. Dick. This is a science fiction which describes the destruction caused to earth surface by nuclear wars making it uninhabitable for human beings. This short story is full of suspense, violence and thrill. In the process of evolution, the second variety is very well equipped to kill the already existing once. Initially it may appear bit difficult to get along the plot, once getting hold then all the turns and twist are amazing.This is a classic piece of literature which conveys a great message to protect human race on earth from the lethal weapons created by man himself. It mainly depicts the destructions caused by nuclear wars. Defeated by Russia, American government flees to moon base and develops advanced technologies to fight back. They develop robots called claws, the killing machine. Soldiers of UN forces are protected by a special kind of wrist tab. They were produced and designed in an unmanned fact ory. Within the span of six years the claws have destroyed the entire Russian army.But later machine overtook man and there was a threat of great disaster. UN forces were urgently summoned by Russians for policy meeting. Major Hendricks is sent for negotiation with Russians On his way he was accompanied by a boy who later turn out to be a 1-V robot. It was reveal that the US wrist tab became ineffective against claws. Along with three Russian soldiers, Hendricks set on a journey to prevent the destruction. And it becomes very difficult for Hendricks to find out who is the second variety robot among his Russian companions. Dick’s short story â€Å"Second Variety† also presented human-like machines, the claws.These machines were made for a world war and eventually broke free of human control, developing machines that could pass as humans (as our smart phones will do someday). Unlike the replicants, the claws were always intent on killing humans-thus necessitating a means to tell them apart. The early models were easily recognized as being non-humans. Unfortunately for the humans in the story, the only way they could tell the most advanced models from humans was by seeing multiple claws of the same variety together. Otherwise, they easily passed as humans right up until the point they started killing.It seems worth considering that the same might apply to psychopaths. To be specific, normal people can catch the psychopaths that are poor mimics, have poor impulse control, have difficulty with behaving responsibly, and possess a poor capacity for assessing consequences. However, the psychopaths that are better mimics, have better impulse control, can seem to act responsibly, and can assess consequences would be far more difficult to spot. Such psychopaths could easily pass as normal humans, much like Glaucon’s unjust man is able to conceal his true nature.As such, perhaps the experts think that these specific traits are part of what it is to be a psychopath because these traits are possessed by the psychopaths they have caught. However, as with the more advanced claws, perhaps the most dangerous psychopaths are eluding detection. At least until it is too late. â€Å"Second Variety† occurs in the aftermath of an extensive nuclear war between the Soviet Union (sometimes referred to as Russia) and the United Nations. Early Soviet victories forced the North American government and production to flee to a Moon Base, leaving the majority of their troops behind.To counter the almost complete Soviet victory, U. N. technicians develop robots, nicknamed claws—the basic models are â€Å"a churning sphere of blades and metal† that ambush their unsuspecting victims â€Å"spinning, creeping, shaking themselves up suddenly from the gray ash and darting toward†¦ [any warm body]. † U. N. forces are protected from the claws by a special radiation-emitting wrist tab. Within six years, the sophisticated and i ndependent claws have destroyed the Soviet forces, repairing and redesigning themselves in automated underground factories run without any human oversight.The U. N. forces receive a message from the Soviets asking for a policy-level officer to go to them for a gravely urgent conference. The U. N. victory was costlier than they had expected. Major Joseph Hendricks is sent to negotiate with the Soviets. En route to the rendezvous, he meets a small boy named â€Å"David† who asks to accompany Hendricks. When they near the Soviet bunker, soldiers immediately kill the boy, revealing him to be a robot. The claws' development program has evolved to develop sophisticated robots identical to humans designed to infiltrate and kill.The three Soviets met by Major Hendricks—Klaus, Rudi and Tasso—reveal that the entire Soviet army and command structure collapsed under the onslaught of the new robots. From salvaged internal metal identification plates, two varieties are identi fied: I-V, a wounded soldier, and III-V, David. The II-V—the â€Å"second variety†Ã¢â‚¬â€remains unknown. The different models are produced independently of each other in different factories. The Soviets also reveal that the U. N. protective tabs are ineffective against the new robots. Hendricks attempts to transmit a warning to his H. Q. unker, but is unable to do so. During the night, Klaus kills Rudi, mistakenly believing he is the II-V. The next morning, Hendricks and the two remaining Soviets return to the U. N. lines. When they reach the bunker, they discover it overrun: a crowd of David and Wounded Soldier model robots attack, but Tasso destroys them with a very powerful hand grenade, stating that it was designed to destroy the robots. Hendricks and Tasso flee, leaving Klaus to the old-style claws. However, Klaus survives both the claws and the bomb blast only to be shot by Tasso, sending â€Å"gears and wheels† flying.Tasso tells Hendricks that Klaus mu st have been the II-V robot. Hendricks, now suffering from a wounded arm and internal injuries, hopes to escape to the Moon Base. He and Tasso search for a hidden escape rocket, which is revealed as a single-seat spacecraft. Hendricks attempts to leave, but Tasso quickly subdues him. She convinces him to let her leave and send back help. In his injured state, he has no choice but to agree. Hendricks provides Tasso with the signal code needed to find the Moon Base.Alone and armed with Tasso's pistol, Hendricks returns to Klaus's remains and discovers from the parts that the robot was not a II-V, but a IV-V. A group of robots then attack Hendricks, including Davids, Wounded Soldiers, and several Tasso—the true II-V—models. Hendricks recognizes that he has doomed the Moon Base by sending a robot to them, and that he cannot withstand the onslaught of robots attacking him. As the Tasso models approach, Hendricks notices the bombs clipped to their belts, and recalls that the first Tasso used one to destroy other claws.At his end, Hendricks is vaguely comforted by the thought that the claws are designing, developing, and producing weapons meant for killing other claws. Dick said of the story: â€Å"My grand theme—who is human and who only appears (masquerading) as human? —emerges most fully. Unless we can individually and collectively be certain of the answer to this question, we face what is, in my view, the most serious problem possible. Without answering it adequately, we cannot even be certain of our own selves. I cannot even know myself, let alone you. So I keep working on this theme; to me nothing is as important a question.And the answer comes very hard. â€Å"[1] Reviewing the story, critic Zack Handlen wrote, â€Å"‘Second Variety' is grim, violent, and suspenseful. There’s enough characterization to keep the protagonists from being indistinguishable, but not much beyond that. While most of the twists are easy to s pot once you discover the main plot—basically [an] ‘Are you or aren’t you a machine' deal—they still have an impact, and Dick makes his point quite clearly. Which isn’t something you can say for much of his other work—[‘Second Variety'] is the most user-friendly piece of his I’ve read.There’s enough uncertainty to know it’s Dick; questions of identity keep popping up, and the good guys/bad guys line is pretty well obliterated by the end. But the plot is logical, and there is a point A to point B to point C evolution that you can follow without too much trouble. † He also remarked on the similarities between â€Å"Second Variety† and the Terminator films, writing: â€Å"When the claws/screamers start changing, their newest models take human forms for much the same reasons the T-800 was created. â€Å"

Family Essay

In a world of varying cultures and values for the elderly, there exists a principal notion about elderly homes that have spurred today. Oftentimes than not, the notion about elderly homes are of the negative and this stems from the fact that the elderly homes serve as a constant reminder about something that most people fear—death and old age (Dickinson and Vasen, 2006). However, according to Dickinson and Vasen, there is a positive side to the elderly homes that most people do not see (2006). One of these may be attributed to the view that the elderly homes can be considered as a family in itself. In this family, there are parts that comprise the whole, cooperation is existent, and there are groups formed within the family as will be expounded in the body. The elderly homes are composed of several members that comprise the family. First, we have the group of nursing aides who cares for the elderly and they are the lifeblood of the family. Without the nursing aides, the elderly home will be like a tree without its roots. This is the group that serves the purpose of nurturing and giving utmost care and attention needed by the elderly living inside. Second, we have the group of elder persons who serves as the air that the elderly home breathes. They are the purpose why the home exists and without them, there should not have been an elderly home in the first place. Moreover, they are the center of attention in the home because of their decreased strength and special needs that have to be attended to. They are also at the center of activities in the elderly home such as in Christmas parties, gatherings, and others. Third, we have the administration that runs the elderly home. They manage the day-to-day affairs of the elderly home especially with regards to routine maintenance and those functions not covered by the nursing aides. Although they serve the elderly indirectly, they still form a vital role because they are the ones responsible for the proper functioning of the elderly home. Moreover, the administration is considered as the support system of the whole. In conclusion, it can be said that each is a part of the whole and each plays a role that whose purpose is to contribute to the family to which they are a member of. Moreover, there are relationships that are formed between these groups that form the bond between them as a family. It is all up to the members of this family to determine what type of family they would be. But certainly, it is not a negative one as most people tend to see them. Instead, it is a harmonious and vital institution of the society.

Metal Catalyzed Carbon - 899 Words

Recently metal-catalyzed carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatom cross-coupling reactions have been developed as an important reaction class in chemical synthesis.1 Nowadays, there is a variety of competitive methods for synthesis of aryl-nucleophile bonds with various sources of C-, O-, N-, P-, and S-nucleophiles.1-5 Researchers have extensively applied palladium-based catalysts in cross-coupling reactions in both academic and industrial settings,5, 6 however, our goal is the development of a range of copper-based catalysts for cross-coupling reactions. Copper-assisted Sonogashira-type coupling reactions are valuable transformations for organic synthesis. C-C bond formation between aryl halides and terminal aryl- and alkyl-alkynes affords the corresponding substituted internal alkynes. Alkynes are the building blocks of a wide range of pharmaceuticals, natural products, biologically active molecules, conducting polymers, nonlinear, optical and liquid crystal materials.7-12 The routine reaction method for Sonogashira-type coupling is the use of a palladium-based catalyst and a copper(I) salt as a co-catalyst.13 The role of the copper co-catalyst is to produce a copper-acetylide intermediate that subsequently transmetallates to the palladium center. In recent years, many different catalytic systems including copper-free palladium-based catalysts have been applied for this reaction,14, 15 but the use of effective palladium-free systems would obviously be much more interesting inShow MoreRelatedOur current aim is to make more green industries by searching for ways to make better yields and1200 Words   |  5 Pagesto form new molecules. In order for these bonds to work, carbon-hydrogen bonds need to be served. Previously, this has required dangerous reagents, and little was yielded when the reaction was over. Now, there are different ways to achieve this goal. If the right catalyst is given, it is now possible to form carbon-to-carbon bonds from activating carbon-hydrogen bonds. This reaction is called dehydrogenate cross-coupling, has to be catalyzed before the process can begin, and there are three categoriesRead MoreThe Effect Of Glucose On The Glucose Of Glucose1479 Words   |  6 Pagesenergy carrier. The primary source of carbon and energy for humans and most eukaryotes is glucose [1]. But, since it is polar in nature, glucose cannot diffuse through the plasma membrane’s lipid bilayer. This causes the need for glucose to be transported by a glucose transporter, on the plasma membrane, into the cell. After the uptake of glucose, glycolysis is used to convert the glucose into pyruvate. Glycolysis is a pathway that includes ten enzyme-catalyzed reactions. When glucose enters the cellRead MoreThe Dehydration Of 2-Methyl-2-Butanol Was Performed Using1571 Words   |  7 Pagesaccording to the GC, no alcohol remained in the vial after the reaction was complete. The actual yield of alkene components supported what was expected with a higher yield of 2-methyl-2-butene relative to 2-methyl-1-butene. Introduction Acid catalyzed dehydration of alcohols is a widely used tool in organic and industrial chemistry as it results in alkene and ether formation. Dehydration reactions have continued to be of great importance within these fields because of their ability to be usedRead MoreThe Effect Of Acid Catalyzed Elimination Of Water From Cyclohexanol1069 Words   |  5 PagesThe purpose of this experiment is to produce cyclohexene through the acid catalyzed elimination of water from cyclohexanol. Secondary alcohols like as cyclohexanol, undergo dehydration by E1 mechanism. In this experiment the important intermediate in the mechanism is the cyclohexyl cation. This intermediate can undergo both substitution and elimination reactions. In order to prepare the cyclohexene in a desired yield, it is imperative to the substitution reaction. In this experiment, the substitutionRead MoreMarine Geology And Marine Chemistry1211 Words   |  5 Pagesinformation consisted of scientific discoveries in physics, chemistry, biology and geology. The magnitude of these discoveries (qualitative and quantitative) are paramount to our understanding of marine science. Lastly, the Challenger Expedition catalyzed a movement for marine expedition. After docking from its four year journey, other countries began to follow in England’s footsteps and launched expeditions of there own. 3. The Plate Tectonic Theory has influenced the study of marine science inRead MoreMonitoring And Controlling Blood Glucose Levels999 Words   |  4 Pageselectron acceptor. The generated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is then electrochemically detected at an appropriate electrode. GOx shows a very high specificity for ÃŽ ²-Dglucose, although the oxidation of 2-deoxy-D-glucose, D-mannose and D-fructose is also catalyzed, albeit with a much lower turnover rate. The performance characteristics of a range of CNTbased glucose biosensors reported in the literature are compiled in decreasing order of sensitivity in Table 1. It is evident that the sensors incorporatingRead MoreThe Pollution Of The Air Pollution1333 Words   |  6 Pagescombustion of gasoline, diesel and jet fuels with large amount of emission of carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulates matter (PM) are especially concern. [2] A catalytic converter is an emission control device that converts toxic byproducts of combustion in the exhaust of an internal combustion engine to less toxic substances by way of catalyzed chemical reactions. The catalytic converter was invented by Eugene Houdry, aRead MoreThe Synthetic Methods Of Water Soluble Conjugated Polymers ( Wcps )1629 Words   |  7 PagesWater-soluble conjugated polymers (WCPs) have wide application prospects in biological imaging, diagnosis, and treatment areas. Currently, the synthetic methods of WCPs mainly include palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions (Suzuki, Heck, and Sonogashira), Wessling reaction, and FeCl3-catalyzed oxidative polymerization. All these methods follow the step-wise polymerization mechanism, which has disadvantages such as uncontrollable molecular weights, wide molecular weight distribution, difficult terminalRead MoreBacteria As An Intermediate ( Jia Et Al. Essay1591 Words   |  7 Pages(Jia et al., 2007). The overall chemical reaction conducted by these bacteria may be represented as: C6H12O6 → 3CH3COOH. According to Jia et al., 2007 these acetogenic bacteria synthesize acetic acid from single-carbon mixtures, including methanol, carbon monoxide, or a blend of carbon dioxide and hydrogen: 2 CO2 + 4 H2 → CH3COOH + 2 H2O. It is also described in the figure below. Figure 2: Schematic outline of Vinegar Production (Wood, 1998) The capacity of Clostridium to directly degrade complexRead MoreWhat Can Replace Conventional Fossil Fuel?930 Words   |  4 Pageshydrogenation to close the ring of the five carbon atoms of levulinic acid by adding hydrogen. However, hydrogenation is costly as precious metal catalyst is required and also the reaction requires high pressure to work. As a result of this, chemists has tried several ways to overcome these problems by replacing precious metals with lower cost metals such as copper. Unfortunately, the reaction did not perform as efficiently as the ones that uses precious metal catalyst. To solve the high pressure hydrogen