The Nature of Humanity in the Work of Sherwood Anderson Essay -- Human

The Nature of Humanity in the Work of Sherwood Anderson A common staple of horror stories—in film and on the page—is the scene of the frightened and indignant villagers chasing the monster who has been terrorizing the townsfolk. In Sherwood Anderson’s â€Å"Hands,† the protagonist, Adolph Myers (Wing Biddlebaum) is a well-intentioned individual whose actions the people around him contort so that he becomes more fiend than friend. In Wing Biddlebaum, the very aspects of his character that make him human are those that society distorts to make him into a maladapted monster: first, the mystery that surrounds him causes the townspeople to misunderstand him; second, because of the accusations of his pedophilic homosexuality stemming from this misunderstanding, they demonized him into a pariah; and, third, the guilt that the â€Å"mob† forces him to feel ultimately confines him to his own prison of anguish. Approaching the story from this perspective demonstrates that Wing’s destiny is almost beyond his control, a destiny significantly manufactured by his society’s judgments. Wing is an extremely intricate person; however, most of the people among whom he lived in Pennsylvania before his current residence in Ohio failed to recognize this, as do his fellow citizens in the town of Winesburg. Anderson describes him as â€Å"one of those rare, little-understood men who rule by a power so gentle that it passes as a lovable weakness† (13). Just as his previous neighbors were unable to understand Wing fully, so are those among whom he currently lives: â€Å"the depth and complexity of [his] suffering† baffles them (Elledge 11). The very profundity of Wing’s situation explains why he â€Å"for twenty years had been the town mystery,† although osten... ...While he is obviously no monster, ironically, his weakness and frailty as a limited mortal prolong his fall from grace, making a rise from such a fall seem insurmountable, tragically preserving the inaccurate image of his soul as that of a mere depraved, malevolent, and corrupting offense to human decency. Works Cited Anderson, Sherwood. â€Å"Hands.† Winesburg, Ohio. New York: Bantam, 1995. 8-15. Brown, Lynda. â€Å"Anderson’s Wing Biddlebaum and Freeman’s Louisa Ellis.† Studies in Short Fiction 27.3 (1990): 413-414. Elledge, Jim. â€Å"Dante’s Lovers in Sherwood Anderson’s ‘Hands.’† Studies in Short Fiction 21.1 (1984): 11-15. Morgan, Gwendolyn. â€Å"Anderson’s ‘Hands.’† The Explicator 48.1 (1989): 46-47. Updike, John. â€Å"Twisted Apples: On Winesburg, Ohio.† The American Short Story and Its Writer. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford, 2000. 1464-1468.

Is Media A Boon Or A Curse Essay

Is media a boon or a curse? Everything in this modern age is powered by media from the moment we wake up until we sleep at night. Have we ever asked ourselves how all of this affects our reasoning, our power to choose and our lifestyle? Since mass media is used to communicate and interact with people from various walks of life, it can often result in a conflict of opinions. The media, specifically in India, represents a convergence of paradoxes: tradition and modernity; anarchy and order; diversity and unity; conflict and cooperation; news and views; feudalism and democracy; the free market and monopoly. Mass media enjoys a very prominent role in our lives. Therefore, there are various effects of mass media on society at large. Mass media a boon? The wide reach offered by mass media is phenomenal. It can target both local and global audience. Over the years, mass media has played an important role in making people understand the meaning of democracy. We also come to know about the strengths and weaknesses of the economy of our country, the various problems faced by the nation, achievements of the nation in different sectors, through the prompt and precise reporting of different forms of media. In a country like ours, where there are many castes, religions and languages spoken, media has even more tough responsibility of conveying the true news to the citizens. Media plays a very important role in shaping the personality of people. It has been observed that citizens become more sensible and capable to shoulder their responsibility towards the nation and society because of the media. Media has done much good to society by exposing various scams, scandals, frauds, embezzlements and many other cases of corruption, leading to init iation of inquiries and other processes of prosecution against the perpetrators of these crimes. Some of the recent cases are witness that the Press has been instrumental in putting an end to atrocities. It has also brought to light some of the rustic practices like child marriage, dowry, etc., to light and has empowered women especially to come to the forefront and express their grievance. Media has not just become a form of disseminating information and entertainment but also the most trusted form of advertising. Millions of consumers and advertisers today receive a flood of information through commercial advertising. Recently, online media has become an improved modern method of  interaction. Its quick and easy access at the touch of a button has not only made media powerful but also helps in keeping us updated even on the move. Mass media can be used for educational purposes in an effective manner, and media is a boon for all age groups and people from different walks of life in many ways. They get news, views, and constructive information related to the subject of their c hoice. Mass media a curse? However, media suffers from some pitfalls; growing consumerism and materialism have adversely impacted our media. At times, the information reported may not be authentic from every angle. Hence, there may be a misinterpretation of a situation. News can be manipulated to influence the minds of the audiences. For example, a particular political party may manipulate reports in their favour, which would indicate the political control in the media. Media bias can occur due to various issues. A journalist or an editor may give personal preference to an issue. A particular event or a celebrity may receive undue importance and set wrong ideals before the youth. It may present an ostentatious lifestyle, which may inculcate wrong ideals amongst youngsters. Unnecessary sensationalism of an issue may project incorrect information to the public. There is the danger that comes when making money is more important than quality of information flow. It clearly hampers the honest and unbiased functioning of the organisation. Due to the rise in social media, we have become a population that is afraid to be ‘left out’ – we need to know things that really has no value, and, to a certain extent, we are at risk of filling our lives and brains with worthless information at the expense of meaningful dialog and interactions. Misleading messages may divert young minds towards a wrong path. Wrong interpretation of news may even blow things out of proportion. This would create further unrest in any place or even violence in case of extreme situations. At times, a particular event or news item may receive too much attention simply because of the lack of important news or snippets. It presents a wrong notion before the public and clogs their minds with unnecessary information. Media strongly influences the minds of the people who read or view what has been published, so it is important for the publishers and publications to be careful and cautious in handling the inputs they get from their reporters. Media is a boon if it is socially  responsible, unbiased, non-political, informative and educative to the masses but not to a class alone. But, it is a curse if it carries information or coverage to sensationalise, create curiosity among the public, misrepresentation of facts at the cost of someone’s reputation. For long-term solutions, we will have to bank on the educational institutions to educate, train, groom and prepare the youth to be more discerning viewers rather than passive spectators or participants in order to avoid any irresponsible influence or working of the media.

Personal Narrative Demonic Love - 936 Words

She looks into my eyes, and I into hers. Her deep green eyes reminding me of the grass in the long lost heaven. It is like she can see right through me with those eyes. They say the eyes reflect the soul. Guess thats true. My black eyes are resembling my soul pretty well. I am just tormenting her. I should just leave her to be. Then she might be able to solve this. I know she will. Shes destined to beat father after all. But how am I gonna tell her. How could I possibly tell her that my father is the one that has done these hateful acts against the good side. Her side. I am born to in-heir my fathers beliefs and acts. I am born to kill this girl that I have now fallen for. Head over heels. But I cant harm her, not in any way. But I will hurt her. It is unavoidable. The longer I wait the harder it gets, and the more it will hurt her. I raises my fingers and touch her cheek. That makes her lips turn up. Her smile is beautiful. The white teeth fits perfectly with her olive coloured skin , her red lips, and dark brown hair. She leans forward. I know I shouldnt but shes so difficult to resist, to say no, even though it is for her own good. I lean forward. Our lips touches. The well known warmth is growing in my stomach and up my spine, all up to my heart which skips a beat. My lips are burning. I am burning with lust. Lust for her touch, her kiss, her body. But also lust for hearing her voice, lust for seeing her smile, for seeing her eyes light up just like they do rightShow MoreRelatedGreat Performances Of Media Do Not Always Have On Involve Theatrical Acrobatics1147 Words   |  5 PagesGreat performances in media do not always have to involve theatrical acrobatics. An actor’s range or displays of genuine, emotional depth are necessary to build a character that is alive and multi-faceted. But, an actor’s ability to encapsulate a narrative within one’s own character is what is truly a display of an artist. 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