Scrooge in A Christmas Carol - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 939 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/10/30 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: A Christmas Carol Essay Did you like this example? A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is the story of Scrooge, a rich man who runs a counting house in Victorian England. Scrooge was very greedy, unkind, and lonely. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts who show Scrooge his past, present, and future to convince him to change as a person. The ghosts are described in great detail and full of symbolism. The appearance of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future reflect thematic messages Dickens had about mankind. The Ghost of Christmas Pasts constantly changing appearance and bright light represent the qualities of memory. The constantly changing appearance of the Ghost of Christmas Past represents how memories of the past can change. On Christmas Eve, The Ghost of Christmas Past visits Scrooge to show him his past. Scrooge notices the Ghosts appearance is constantly changing. For as its belt sparkled and glittered now in one part and now in another, and what was light one instant, at another time was dark, so the figure itself fluctuated in its distinctness. (Dickens) Similar to memory, the Ghost of Christmas Past is always changing. People remember events in their past differently. Memories can be remembered clearly or be locked away. The bright light coming from the Ghost of Christmas Pasts head represents how memories can reveal a truth. After the Ghost reveals Scrooges past, Scrooge tries to extinguish the light from the Ghosts head using the Ghosts cap. Scrooge observed that its light was burning high and bright, and dimly connecting that with its influence over him, he seized the extinguisher-cap, and by a sudden action pressed it down upon its head. (Dickens) By viewing his past, Scrooge is shown the light or truth about how greed destroyed his life. Dickenss message is that reflecting on our memories can reveal a truth about our life. This truth can be used to improve our lives or be ignored, like Scrooge chose to by trying to extinguish the ghosts light. The Ghost of Christmas Pasts appearance represents qualities of memory including how memories of the past can change and how memories can reveal a truth. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Scrooge in A Christmas Carol" essay for you Create order The two children under the Ghost of Christmas Presents robe, Ignorance and Want, represent two qualities that destroy a person and society. On Christmas Eve, the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge two hideous children hiding under his robe. Scrooge asks the Ghosts who the children belong to. The Ghost proceeds to describe them. They are Mans, said the Spirit, looking down upon them. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware of them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see written which is Doom(Dickens). The two children, Ignorance and Want, are physical representations of human sins. By describing Ignorance with Doom written on his forehead, Dickens is warning the reader on how ignorance can destroy a person. Dickens portrays Ignorance and Want as children to provide commentary on how his own societys ignorance and want affects children. Dickens is arguing that people in Victorian England are ignorant of how work and living co nditions affect children due to their obsession with money. Dickens describes the appearance of Ignorance and Want to show how these qualities affect mankind. They were a boy and girl. Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish; but prostrate, too, in their humility. (Dickens) Ignorance and Want are described as hideous and evil. The children show what people become after they are transformed by ignorance and want. People become hideous, greedy monsters. The two children, Ignorance and Want, represent two human sins that can destroy a person and society. The hidden appearance and terrifying presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come represents how the future is mysterious and frightening. On Christmas Eve, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come visits Scrooge to show him his future. The Ghosts appearance is hidden by a black cloak. It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand . (Dickens) The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is the embodiment of the future. Since the appearance of the ghost is unknown, Dickenss message is that the future is mysterious. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come also has a terrifying presence. Scrooge is very frightened by the Ghost. Although well used to ghostly company by this time, Scrooge feared the silent shape so much that his legs trembled beneath him, and he found that he could hardly stand when he prepared to follow it. (Dickens) Scrooge is afraid of the Ghost because he is worried about the future it w ill show him. Dickenss message is that the future is terrifying. Since the future is so mysterious, people are afraid about what will happen in the future. The hidden appearance and terrifying presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come represents how the future is mysterious and frightening. The appearance of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future reflect thematic messages Dickens had about mankind. The Ghost of Christmas Pasts appearance represents the qualities of memory. The two children under the Ghost of Christmas Presents robe, Ignorance and Want, represent two qualities that destroy a person and society. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Comes appearance represents qualities of the future. The Ghosts are not just characters that help Scrooge change. By analyzing the Ghosts appearances, the reader can find Dickenss ideas and views on the past, present, future, and his own society. Work Cited Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, 1990.

Essay on William Shakespeares Authenticity - 3166 Words

William Shakespeares Authenticity Over the past several centuries, many scholars have been debating the authenticity of Shakespeare and his works. Many books have even been published questioning if the legendary playwright from Stratford is the author of his many plays and poems. This theory still remains as a possibility today and much of the evidence stems from Shakespeare’s great literary achievements, his humble beginnings, his inadequate education and the missing chapters in his life. Throughout his writings, there is evidence of similarities between the language and literature of the time period with subjects such as law, history, politics and geography as well as manners and knowledge of the courts which would†¦show more content†¦The day to day life of the author was ordinary. He was a hard-working, middle-class man that made good money and took care of his family. Such a basic lifestyle has led many to believe that this ordinary man could not have written these extremely passionate and thought-provoking works. No one surrounding Shakespeare ever commented on his greatness and that a man with such little education could not have known about the aristocratic nature of the upper class. However, some men such as Meres and Jonson did see him as a respectable gentleman and a talented writer. This argues the fact that a simple Stratford boy could have become a literary icon simply because of his genius and that his knowledge might not have been obtained in a school and wasn’t simply learned. His genius might have been applied by making accurate observations on everyday life. It is also important to remember that many great authors had even less schooling. Bacon, though, has been one of the candidates for the true authorship of Shakespeare’s works due to references made to the Bible, the law and other classics. In the 19th century, a search was conducted to find hidden messages within the text of the works. For example, in Love’s Labour’s Lost, the Latin word, ‘honorificabilitudinitatibus’ is actually an anagram for â€Å"Hi ludi F. Baconis nati tuiti orbi† which translates to, â€Å"These plays, the offspring of F.Show MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1696 Words   |  7 Pageswith references to William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as a notable representation of genuine hetero love. 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This play depicts of how at times the decision to act is usually influenced not only by coherent considerations, like the need for inevitability but alsoRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet And Franco Zeffireli s Film Version Of The Story1216 Words   |  5 Pages William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Franco Zeffireli’s film version of the story are different in many ways, but the basic characters and basic plot remain the same. Franco Zeffirelli’s screenplay is an edited, re-vamped version of the original tragedy in which lines are cut and scenes are modified. Additionally, Zeffirelli modifies Shakespeare’s ghost scenes and uses narrative and film techniques to both create an overall suspenseful atmosphere and generate empathetic feelings towards Hamlet. TheRead MoreRomeo And Juliet Film Analysis1647 Words   |  7 PagesRomeo Juliet. Lehmann, Courtney. â€Å"Strictly Shakespeare? Dead Letters, Ghostly Fathers, and the Cultural Pathology of Authorship in Baz Luhrmann s ‘William Shakespeare s Romeo + Juliet.† Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 52, no. 2, 2001, pp. 189–221. Web. 22 May 2017. 1. In this article by Courtney Lehmann, She takes a close look at Baz Lurhmann’s William Shakespeare s Romeo + Juliet and discusses how exactly this film is classified as an early modern to postmodern adaption of Romeo Juliet. In thisRead MoreRomeo And Juliet Love Essay1160 Words   |  5 Pageshave. Additionally, there is also familial and neighborly love. However, as great as love is, the authenticity of it is what discombobulates many. Love may be the feeling that is life sustaining, but at the same time, it can also be life threatening. Humans are vulnerable to fall into an untruthful love due to the fact that we fantasize over the thought of being in love. Through William Shakespeare’s tragic play, â€Å"Romeo and Juliet,† a fabricated false love is manifested. Thus, the star crossed loversRead MoreHamlet And The Basic Human Need For Truth1478 Words   |  6 Pagessaying, â€Å"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspec tive, not the truth.† This idea is examined in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, a play full of warmly delivered lies and completely intentional deceit. Hamlet himself shows how a life full of lies and deceit breeds a desire for something real. In the beginning of the play, authenticity is introduced as a rare trait and the Ghost reveals treachery to Hamlet setting him on a path that leads to his demise. Hamlet’s actions

Mary Maloney Review free essay sample

Character Analysis of Mary Maloney Lamb to the Slaughter Characterization is an important component in short story writing. In the short story Lamb to the Slaugher written by Roald Dahl, we are introduced to Mary Maloney, a pregnant housewife who recently found out that her husband is going to leave her. Mary develops into a very complex character as the events of the short story unfold. Mary is a typical housewife, waiting on her husband hand and foot. She loves him dearly, but as the short story unfolds, we see that he does not share the same feelings. Mary, unable to handle the rejection, lashes out and kills her husband. We then see Mary’s character transform before our eyes and the once loving, dutiful housewife becomes a very devious, manipulative and cold hearted character. She manages to fool everyone maybe even herself. As the story unfolds, we see Many as a very cold hearted person as she kills her husband in the blink of an eye. We will write a custom essay sample on Mary Maloney Review or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After her husband has told her he plans to leave her and refuses to let her cook supper for him, Mary strikes out and hits him with a leg of lamb that she had planned to cook for supper. At that point, Many Maloney simply walks up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head (Dahl, p. 13). Mary then uses her deviousness to create the next aspect of her character. Mary is also very devious in that she not only kills her husband in cold blood, but she then precedes to create an alibi for herself. She practices her speech in the mirror, and then goes to the grocery store where she is sure the grocer will remember her as a calm, loving wife. She sat down before the mirror, tidied her hair, touched up her lips and face. She tried a smile. It came out rather peculiar. She tried again (Dahl, p. 14). These actions show that she was very clever and manipulative and was already thinking very clear in regard to the events that would follow. Mary is very manipulative in that she is able to create the character of the poor, pregnant wife, whose husband has just been murdered. She is able to convince the police to take pity on her, to mix her a drink and then to even eat the evidence, the leg of lamb that she has left in the oven. Why don’t you eat up that lamb that is in the oven (Dahl, p. 17). These actions show the complex character that Mary Maloney truly is. Throughout the entire story, Mary is a very interesting character. She faces many issues in dealing with her husband’s news that he is leaving her. She reacts based on her instincts and kills her husband and this shows her cold heartedness. In the end she has to create an alibi to cover up her devious crime in which she has to manipulate the police into eating the evidence. Mary is a very unique complex character and she has, through her actions conducted a devious crime in which she will be proven innocent. Through the use of Many Maloney’s character, as well as irony and suspense, the author was able to maintained the interest of the reader throughout the entire short story.

The Mining Industry From Bust to Boom

Introduction Australia’s mining industry registered a remarkable turnaround at the turn of the new millennium following high market demands in Asia’s emerging economies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Mining Industry: From Bust to Boom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The resultant increased demand created a positive effect in Australia. This paper seeks to discuss how the turnaround specifically impacted on the Australian economy in terms of growth. Global demand, supply, commodity prices The period between 2003 and 2011 witnessed an increase of more than 300%, in US dollars, of global export resources from Australia after a sharp increase in demands from majorly the emerging economies. Prices of other noteworthy steelmaking commodities from Australia also increased in the process. These developments followed closely on the heels of a poor performance in the same sector and industry that laste d for over two decades, between the 1980s and the early 2000s. The Asian recession of early 2000, the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, and the poor run faced by Japan during the 1990s affected prices negatively, leading to the commodity prices stagnating. In an attempt to mitigate on the harsh situation that was being faced by the industry, companies entered into mergers globally in order to achieve economies of scale advantages. China’s emerging economy triggered huge demands for steel in 2003 given her humongous domestic market. The high demands have been sustained throughout the period, mainly due to the rate of urbanisation currently ongoing in the country.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Other economies in Asia have also indicated significant rise in demands, with India poised to also increase on its total market demands for steel over the next few year s. The Mining industry in Australia during the 2000s Australia has a wide portfolio of minerals which it exports to the global market, including coal, iron ore, copper, as well as bauxite, and gold. On average, Australia’s resource export value rose strongly in the 2000s to more than half the value of total exports registered at the close of the decade, mainly due to a 9% growth on the average of commodity prices. Changes have also been witnessed within the structures of the mining industry where iron ore and coal now remain to be the minerals with most advantages to the country, unlike the 1990s when aluminium, gold, and copper emerged strongly as the most valued and profitable minerals for export. The volume of processed metal exports contracted as their share grew less. The effect of the mining boom experienced in 2000 saw the Company’s revenue rise from 6% of the total GDP to 14% by close of the first decade in the new millennium. Mining investments currently stand at more than 4% of the GDP value, in comparison to 1.5% of GDP in the year 2000. Equally, Mining employment rose to 1.7% by close of the decade from a lower value of only 1% in 2000.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Mining Industry: From Bust to Boom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the contrary, however, the total mining output has grown at a smaller rate of only 3%. This has consequently led to fallen labour and multifactor productivities as a result of the sharp rise in prices. The fall in productivity is explained by depletion of reserves for such commodities as oil and copper which, as a result, occasioned a reduction in productivity. Basically, the mining companies were forced to extract lower grade resources while using more inputs. Productivity also lowered because of the longer lead times between the time when investment in new capacity is undertaken, and the resultant output realised on stream. This lead time is, on average, estimated to last for three years. With the current committed investment projects nearing completion, production of iron ore, coal, as well as LNG is set to increase significantly and consequently increase the exportation volumes, as well. This will contribute to a recovery of the overall mining productivity in the long run. The Mining boom and its effects on the economy According to Heckscher-Ohlin-Samuelson framework, when global commodity prices increase, income and factor transfer effects occur. Income effect is a reflection of output changes of the different industries in the economy when spending export earnings of the higher commodity. The incomes are spent mainly on paying taxes and royalties, including being shared out as dividend payment. The spending of these income values, rather than saving, results in an increase in other tradeables and non tradeables.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The transfer effect that follows an increase in prices of commodities is smaller, in the sense that more excess capacity in the form of labour and input markets results in smaller input amounts. It becomes easy to import labour involved in the mining, together with the capital required rather than sourcing them domestically. There is expected reduction in income effect whenever if foreigners have a greater share of the mining industry. When substitutability degree involving price is great, between consumption tradeables and non-tradeables, the rate of real exchange will be smaller. A more flexible economy will result in smaller overall wage magnitude. The price as well as exchange rates will induce patterns of spending and inputs to an appropriate shift responding to the increase in domestic demand and mining production. Direct effects to the economy Mining operations have had a direct labour cost of about 10% of the total receipts in mining. The total increase in employment realise d as a result of mining during the ten-year period is 2.2 million people. The comparatively smaller increase in figures of employment in the mining industry is as a result of immense capital required. Intermediate input expenditure has also increased to grow more than the direct labour costs incurred. This growth is equivalent to 40 percent of all the revenues from mining. Among the goods and service costs that make up the intermediate input expenditure include freight, contractors, repairs, and rent charges, among many others. A fast growth in the costs was experienced following the mining boom. The costs reached 15% per annum on average, which represents 3 percent of the decade’s GDP. The Australian government has received large amounts of payments from the industry in the form of royalties and taxes. At the start of the decade, this amount represented a paltry 0.5% of the GDP. In the period around the years 2008/2009, this same value had increased to about 2% of the GDP, m arking the highest figure ever. Taxes and royalties from oil and gas mining, however, have been falling in the entire decade. This is a reflection of Australia’s oil deposits and fields in general. The industry’s gross operating surplus, after royalties and taxes have been deducted, has risen to about $65 billion registered in the recent years, up from a paltry $15 billion dollars recorded in the 1999/2000 period. The new changes represent 5.2% of GDP compared to 2.2% of the GDP recorded in the 1999-2000 year period. However, it is prudent to point out that the earnings of the mining industry do not impact significantly on the country’s economy. This is because the industry is largely foreign owned. Spending within the Australian economy has been boosted as a result of the industry’s investment projects that have been initiated throughout the country. Total investments stood at $10 billion. This was equivalent to 1.4 percent of GDP at the start of the dec ade. By the end of the decade, the figure was $58 billion. This figure represents 4.2 percent of the cumulative GDP. The spending mainly comes in the form of payments to construction workers, as well as the purchase of non-labour inputs involved in the mining investment. However, a larger share of the mining inputs is obtained from foreign countries rather than being sourced domestically. Indirect effects to the economy The strong market demand for minerals exceeded output of the same throughout the mining boom period. As a result, non-tradeables inflation also picked up to run at about an annual percentage value of 4%, which was up by a single percentage point recorded in the years prior to the boom. Inflation in tradeables recorded an average percentage value of 1% each year thereby increasing real exchange rate measures to about a high of 35%. Mining Boom Effects on the States Some states, notably Queensland, Northern Territory, and Western Australia, enjoy more resource distribu tion than others with fewer or less distribution. The share of the distribution in resources is reflected in the different states economy structure. Such aspects as employment, engineering construction, revenue, and value added industry gross are higher in states with more resources. Comparisons with other mining booms in the past The previous mining booms experienced in Australia were largely characterised by poor macroeconomic results and outcome. In particular, unemployment together and inflation were exceptionally high despite the boom. On the contrary, the boon in the early 2000s has had a more stabilised macroeconomy mainly due to the institutional framework improvements following the adoption of floating exchange rate, product market flexibility, inflation-targeting regime, as well as decentralised wage bargaining (Eslake 2011, p. 223). Conclusion Australia has a combination of mineral deposits, which include oil, copper, iron ore, bauxite, and gold. These minerals are availa ble in varied quantities, with oil volumes depleting tremendously over the years. Decrease in global demand for these minerals in the period before the year 2000 had resulted in low prices and poor values. However, emerging economies in Asia, and particularly China increased demands in the early 2000s. This fuelled a boom in Australia to supply the market. This has resulted in changes in the economy, including increased investment volumes, higher revenues, taxes, and royalty charges to the government, as well as increased employment. However, the distribution of these resources in the country is not evenly as other states enjoy more deposits than others. This has resulted in a skewed growth and development pattern in the country, with states which have limited resources also experiencing limited development. Although the country has experienced similar booms before, the current boom has managed to stabilise the macroeconomy, as opposed to previous ones which were characterised by hi gh unemployment and inflation. List of References Eslake S 2011, â€Å"Productivity: The lost decade†, in H Gerard and J Kearns (eds), The Australian Economy in the 2000s, Proceedings of a Conference, Reserve Bank of Australia, Sydney, pp. 223–254 This essay on The Mining Industry: From Bust to Boom was written and submitted by user Brandon Goff to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.