Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Really Stupid Poetry Essay example
Really Stupid Poetry Essay example Really Stupid Poetry Essay example Hoang 1 Bach Hoang Professor Donato Martinez English 102 08 April 2015 Marital Struggles Adrienne Richââ¬â¢s poem, ââ¬Å"Novella,â⬠is about a conflict between a husband and wife. It is a routine for them, after a fight, one going out, the other staying home, and later they get back to each other. Written by Sharon Olds, ââ¬Å"I Go Back to May 1937â⬠tells a story of a broken relationship between a mother and a father from a childââ¬â¢s preexistent vantage point. Both poems are about conflicts in a family, between a husband and wife, possibly due to lack of love and understanding. Rich tells the story, an everyday fight, with a simplicity in language but hidden within are contradiction as well as a metaphor, whereas Olds uses imagistic language, metaphors and anaphora to describe her parents, how they are unsuitable for each other. In ââ¬Å"Novella,â⬠Rich approaches directly with simple word choices, focusing on a marital argument to illustrate the problem in a marriage. The poem begins: Two people in a room, speaking harshly. O ne gets up, goes out to walk. (That is the man.) The other goes into the next room and washes the dishes, cracking one. (That is the woman.) (1-6). In these first lines, one can see that Rich only uses simple words to establish a situation of a troubled marriage. She shows that the husband and wife take out their aggressions towards one another on the house ââ¬â the husband leaves the house and the wife breaks a dish. Although the parallel views of husband and wife given at the beginning of the poem seem to say that they are both at fault for the marriageââ¬â¢s problem, Rich portrays the woman as much more of a victim when she says later in the poem: ââ¬Å"She has no blood left in her heart.â⬠(9), as though the husband Hoang 2 is a vampire who has victimized his wife. Contradiction is another eminent element in ââ¬Å"Novellaâ⬠, appeared in line 10, 12 and 13. After the fight, ââ¬Å"The man comes back to a dark houseâ⬠(10), revealing the husbandââ¬â¢s view about his own house. The house is described as a random house with the use of article ââ¬Å"aâ⬠and as an dark abandoned house despite the fact that his wife and children are all inside. To the man, the house is no longer his home that he feels comfortable to return. In front of the house, the husband realizes that ââ¬Å"He has forgotten his key / He rings at his own doorâ⬠(12-13). The fact that the husband forgets the key shows that he probably does not want to return with his family. As a result, he now has to ââ¬Å"rings at his own doorâ⬠like a stranger who does not belong to the family. Even though the husband returns home in the last lines of the poem, Rich asserts that the husband and wife are ultimately separate, using the stars as a metaphor: Outside, separate as minds the stars too come alight. (17-18). The stars, as a metaphor, represent the husband and wife after the fight. Outside, like their minds separated to each other, the stars, scattered in the sky, begins to blink one by one. Inside, like the star, the husband and wife live under the same ââ¬Å"skyâ⬠but do not really understand each other. In ââ¬Å"I Go Back to May 1937,â⬠one can easily see how Oldââ¬â¢s poetic style contrasts with Richââ¬â¢s prosaic, less imagery one. Throughout most of the first half of Oldââ¬â¢s poem, she is intensely descriptive, which also adds to the tone of her poem. ââ¬Å"I see my father strolling out under the ochre sandstone arch, the red tiles glinting like bent plates of blood behind his headâ⬠(line 2-5). She sees her father as a confident young man, as sturdy and stubborn as the stone arch he is walking under. On the other hand, she sees her mother with ââ¬Å"a few light books at her hipâ⬠and ââ¬Å"standing at the pillar made of tiny bricksâ⬠. This visual description of her mother makes her seem like an easygoing woman who would carry lightweight books around her. It also makes her look as fine, fragile and delicate as the fine. However, words like ââ¬Å"bentâ⬠and ââ¬Å"bloodâ⬠hold mutual
Friday, November 22, 2019
Anyone and Everyone Are Welcome
Anyone and Everyone Are Welcome Anyone and Everyone Are Welcome Anyone and Everyone Are Welcome By Maeve Maddox A reader asks for clarification regarding the use of the phrase ââ¬Å"anyone and everyoneâ⬠in such sentences as these: Everyone knows they love to talk on the phone to anyone and everyone. Anyone and everyone is [sic] to speak to you on the phone. You will speak to anyone and everyone who might listen. Anyone means ââ¬Å"an individual personâ⬠: I will give a free book to anyone in the audience who can solve this problem. - Only one person or a selected few (depending upon how the problem is presented) will win the book. Everyone means ââ¬Å"every person in a groupâ⬠: Everyone in the audience received a video recorder. - All of the audience members received a free recording device. The combination ââ¬Å"anyone and everyoneâ⬠is used in the context of a welcome or invitation as a way to emphasize inclusivity, as in these examples from the Web: Anyone and Everyone are invitedà to join the server after we open, which is very soon.à Anyone and everyone areà invited to Roundtable.à Anyone and everyone areà welcomeà to comeà hack on things. Sometimes the phrase is used in the sense of ââ¬Å"people in generalâ⬠or ââ¬Å"people of no specific qualifications: Today anyone and everyoneà can set up an online business. à Amazon also maintains a flourishing side enterprise inà self-publishing, whereà anyone and everyoneà can write an e-book. And sometimes, especially when preceded by just, ââ¬Å"anyone and everyoneâ⬠occurs in the context of exclusion: Ifà just anyone and everyone areà too easily included, we are saying in effect that anything goes.à We dont want just anyone and everyone, just a select few. We willà notà sign onà just anyone and everyone. We demand theà best. We dont work forà just anyone and everyone. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Capitalize Animal and Plant NamesTelling a Good Poem from a Bad One3 Types of Essays Are Models for Professional Writing Forms
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Comparison and Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Comparison and Contrast - Essay Example These animals are similar in terms of origin, physical features and uses. Donkeys and horses both came from the same descendants: scientific genus Equus. Although they are not perfectly identical genetically, they both indulge in no different activities. Because of their similarity in terms of genes and physical features, it is plausible for them to mate and interbreed. In fact, the offspring of this unique breeding is called a mule. In addition, donkeys and horses have very similar habits. They are both highly active physically with horses considered to be just a little more vigorous and faster than donkeys. From the outside, both animals look considerably alike. Both stand with four legs and possess an extended hairy tail on its back, tresses along their necks, and elongated ears. Although they vary [Studentââ¬â¢s Last Name] 2 in size in general, horses and donkeys both possess bulky body built, which make them perfect for pack chores and absolutely not well suited to live indoo rs. And yet another similarity is their use by humans. Since the time of Jesus Christ or even long before that, donkeys and horses are already used for transportation purposes. They are extensively used for distant travel and in carrying heavy loads that humans could not normally carry. And because of their heavy built, many pheasants use them for farming reasons. Donkeys and horses are wonderful creatures. It does not really matter whether they are similar in terms of origin, physical feature, or uses; both animals should be treated with care and respect just like what most humans relish. Even though both make for excellent pack animals because of their built, it should not be the only reason for them to walk this earth. II Love and hatred are like oil and water, they donââ¬â¢t mingle. But the motivation that lulls behind each of them leads someone to either lofty triumphs or a dead end. In movies like Rush Hour and Fighting Club, something has to be learned: a person can decide how he would discern things and how he would respond. He may choose to merge with love or to usher hatred. In the movie Fighting Club, the Narrator emphasized, though subtly, the importance of unity ââ¬â not just unity with others but unity with oneââ¬â¢s self. If we love ourselves, we learn to love others. Why love? Love begets every wonderful thing in the world. With love, one learns to respect not just his own self but also others. With love, one learns to value health, soundness of mind, rest, and Divine connection. The absence of love could be a focal point of disaster. [Studentââ¬â¢s Last Name] 3 On the other hand, in the movie Rush Hour, an array of unwarranted slaughters is detailed. People are stuck in a rut of hatred and passion for revenge. The movie showed the consequences of abhorrence. In the realm of darkness and animosity, one can only hope to change but in there, good things are never to be seen. The beginning of hatred is the beginning of a downfall. The re must be nothing like choosing between love and hatred. If someone can choose to give love, why choose hatred. In a context of marriage and family, the one that binds the family together is respect, understanding, and care but above everything else is love. III Dogs and snakes are wonderful creatures. Their existence did not come as a supplement or a mere embellishment to the world. They aid in sustaining balance in our ecosystem: dogs are naturally borne
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
How does an individuals learning style preference influence the extent Essay
How does an individuals learning style preference influence the extent to which e-learning can be an effective learning tool - Essay Example The acquisition of learning techniques and styles by students depends on the personal characteristics of the student, the subject of study, and the students level of understanding of the subject (Major, 2015, p.47). Different people prefer different approaches to learning. No one approach or strategy of e-learning is optimal for all students. The methods and technologies used for e-learning involve the use of web-based education techniques, podcasting, internet video conferencing, social networking software, and computer-assisted instructions, among others. The styles of e-learning are especially gaining popularity in the higher education sector where most of the students are distant learners. This paper discusses how the learning preferences of an individual influence the extent to which e-learning can be a useful learning tool (Canavan, 2004, p.21). E-learning allows the adoption of the education content to suit the learning styles of individual students. It may entail the incorporation of digital media, digitized materials, graphics, web-based interactions, interactive videos, among others. The adoption of different learning styles and methods greatly affects the effectiveness of e-learning in the higher education sector. E-learning allows for the adjustment of educational content to suit the learning needs of the students. However, a lot of emphasis has been made on use of standard conventional learning styles in the e-learning systems (Brown, Zoghi, Williams, Jaberzadeh, Roller, Palermo, & Holt, 2009, p.4). This includes a tutorial, lecture, problem-based learning, and written text. The relationship between the styles of e-learning and the effectiveness of the e-learning system, as well as the attitude of students towards e-learning, is also important. The performance of students in the e-learning system is primarily tied to their learning style preferences. The learning style preferences in
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Nature versus nurture Essay Example for Free
Nature versus nurture Essay Every person in this world has their own distinctive personality and behavior. People may wonder why an individual may act the way they do. Thus psychologists had put this into a study of whether an individualââ¬â¢s behaviors are caused by hereditary or the environment. This study is known as the nature-nurture debate. This essay will discuss the difference between nature vs nurture, which one applies to me, and how it influenced me in my life. This controversial debate has existed since 1869, when the phrase Nature Versus Nurture was coined by the English polymath, Francis Galton. Throughout different time periods, this controversy continued with two contrasting scientists leading the debate. During the Greek Classical period, Plato, who favored nature meaning the genetic influence on the individualââ¬â¢s behavior that relies mostly on traits that you inherit. While Aristotle, who favored nurture meaning the effect the environment has on that individual which relies mostly on time spent improving a skill set, for example influence of parents or friends. The purpose of the nature-nurture debate is to explain the effect of genetic influence and the environment on the development of human trait and behavior. As far as nature goes there are many traits that I have inherited naturally through genetics from my mom and dad. From my dad I can tell I have inherited his height as well as his eating habits. I can tell that my work ethic has been inherited from my dad because he is a very hard worker and can never sit still, I also strive to achieve my personal best. My dad is also a very controlling and demanding person in which I see myself doing also. While from my mom I have inherited her good looks, sensitivity, and concerned for other peopleââ¬â¢s feelings. I have also inherited my momââ¬â¢s super mathematical skills and my dadââ¬â¢s artistic abilities. I can also tell that I have inherited a good sense of wellbeing from my mom. Alongside that came nurture that are behaviors that I have developed from the environment I grew up in. I have learned to respect all people from being influenced at school and in the home. I have also learned to be responsible of things such as going to school or work on a daily basis, and doing the right thing. I learned that if I am not responsible and do not do my work, then I must pay the consequences. I have also learned from experiences that if I do what I am supposed to do, I may be rewarded greatly for it. I have been influenced to do something that will benefit myself and be rewarded for good things done. My environment has influenced me in many ways to act upon certain things automatically. Things like looking both ways before crossing the street, or other things that appear to be common sense are learned from nurture. When I say which one of these phrases ââ¬Å"nature vs nurtureâ⬠has more influence on me in my life, I would have to say nurture, because my past experiences is what made me the woman I am today. In most instances, the aspect of nurture tends to apply to children who live with their parents. The way I was brought up affected me now that I am an adult. This is because nurture is a product of a personââ¬â¢s childhood upbringing. There tends to be various external influences relating to nurture that affected my behavioral as a person. These include environmental factors such as the parental upbringing, the peer groups, the socioeconomic status, and other factors in the outside world.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Richard Wrights The Man Who Was Almost a Man Essay -- Richard Wright
Richard Wright's The Man Who Was Almost a Man The Man Who Was Almost a Man is a fictitious short story about an uneducated black boy's quest to become a man. Growing up in the early 1900's was a very hard task for most black people. The lack of education was one of the hardest hills they had to overcome to make it in a world dominated by whites. The story centers upon one 17-year boy who has very low self-esteem caused by his peers. He believes that owning a gun will gain him respect with others and thus make him a man. The title of this short story has several different ways of being interpreted because the time and atmosphere in which it was written. The short story was written in first person narrative, which gives a graphic account of the personality of the character Dave. The short story is also written in a dialect of an uneducated black boy which gives the reader the feel of what is was like to be that young man back in the early 1900's. The stories title The Man Who Was Almost a Man holds many different meanings to how Dave must have felt back in those times. Dave's struggle was man versus society in an era where his skin color meant more than his actions. He was unable to interact with the white society and was outcast by his peers because of his age. He believed at this time in his life that being a man was the more important than life itself. Buying a gun and learning to shoot was his solution to becoming a man. This was not the case though. The first time he fired the gun it numbed his hands and fell to the ground. He also shot Mr. Hawkin's mule, which he was unable to cover up. Now everyone would know what he had done which would give his peers a bad impression of him. He would not gain their respect, nor... ... a man. Life was hard back then and being accepted played a big role in all blacks searching for that one thing that would make them accepted within their society. Works Cited Blau, Eleanor. "The Works of Richard Wright, This Time Published as Written." The New York Times 28 Aug. 1991, final ed., sec. B: 1-2. Brignano, Russell Carl. An Introduction to the Man and His Works. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1970. Fabre, Michel. The World of Richard Wright. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1985. Hannon, Charles. "Teaching the conflicts as a temporary Instructor." College Literature 6 (1997): 126-141. Joyce, Joyce Ann. Richard Wright's Art of Tragedy. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1986. Walker, Margaret. Richard Wright, Daemonic Genius: A Portrait of the Man, a Critical Look at His Work. New York: Warner Books, 1988.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
The Booker Prize
The Booker Prize award is considered to be one of the most prestigious recognition of the literary world and it represents one of the most important international rewards for any writer, ne it a famous or a little known one. As any award of its king, it stands as a full acknowledgement of the efforts and endeavors of writers from different periods of time. Despite the fact that it does not have the same international impact as the Nobel Prize for literature, it is viewed as a major asset in the writing career of its winners.However, it can be argued that the contribution of the award is two folded, as there are both advantages and disadvantages for winning the prize. Still, it is rather hard to determine the extent to which one of these two elements prevails. It may be that in the career of an already famous writer the role such a prize plays be rather limited as most often this award is solely a different acknowledgement of the literary merits in a series of awards. On the other han d, for emerging new literary talents or for little known fiction authors, it plays a significant role.This is why, in order to have a better comprehension of the influence the Booker Prize has and the power of the award in itself, first and foremost it is important to take into account the history of the Prize and the tendencies it followed. Secondly, the actual advantages and disadvantages of the prize cannot be determined in general terms, but must be focused on particular examples. In this sense, the present paper aims at discussing ââ¬Å"Vernon God Littleâ⬠and ââ¬Å"The Inheritance of Lossâ⬠, two of the novels which captured this award in 2003 and 2006 respectively.In this context, a coherent analysis can be made in relation to their state prior to winning the award and afterwards. Finally, some conclusions can be drawn which may shed some light on the possible advantages and disadvantages of awarding little known authors the Prize, through the experience of the two writers. History and tendencies of the Booker Prize The Booker Prize or the Man Booker Prize at it is known since 2002 was fist established in 1968 and ââ¬Å"aims to reward the best novel of the year written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Irelandâ⬠(The Booker Prize Foundation, 2008).Through a process of astute selection, authors in the English speaking world are rewarded for their literary efforts in the area of fictional work and are given the possibility to claim worldwide recognition. The Prize was established by the Booker Company ââ¬Å"but administered since 1971 by the charitable concern the Book Trust (formerly the National Book League), the Prize, first awarded to P. H. Newby (Something to Answer For) in 1969, soon grew into one of Britain's most recognizable cultural institutionsâ⬠(Huggan, 2001, 107).From this point of view, the prize in itself is therefore viewed as one of the most important literary acclaims of the world. The early star t of the award was directly related to the historical evolutions taking place especially in the Commonwealth but also throughout the world. The end of the 1960s represented not only a time of an increased literary activity but also a time of great political turmoil. In this sense, the decolonization proves was an important factor in outlining not only the national relations inside the former colonies, but also in determining the future contacts with the former colonial powers.The issue of colonialism was raised quite often throughout the history of the Prize, taking into account the fact that the company which organizes and sponsors the yearly event was well known for its sugar plantations in areas such as the West Indies. In this sense, there were certain controversies which arose throughout the years in relation to this matter. In one occasion, in 1972 the winner of the Prize, John Berger, declared that he would support the black extremist movement, the ââ¬Å"Black Pantherâ⬠in defiance of what he labeled as being a colonial rule on the territory (The Book Prize Foundation, 2007).Therefore, it was important especially for Great Britain to undergo all sorts of programs that would allow it to maintain a good and strong relation with its former colonies. In this sense, the Prize represented a connection between the artistic environments of different countries from the Commonwealth, Ireland, or South Africa. It was yet another element that placed these countries together and defined their common cultural heritage from the past.Therefore, it can be argued that, aside from its literary value, the Prize played a particular role in forging and rewarding the essence of culture and literature in particular from the Commonwealth countries. Despite constant controversy and discussions over the merits and awards given along the years, there have been some important names which have claimed the award, and at the same time, there were impressive newcomers which burst on the literary scene after winning the award. The first winner of the prize was in 1969 P H Newby for ââ¬Å"Something to answer forâ⬠.Taking into account the fact that it was the first edition of the awards, it raised without a doubt certain controversies. This was largely due to the fact that the winner was known beforehand and it was considered that a free competition and fairness had not yet been set in place. Still, the author remains in the annals of the Booker Prize as the first winner of the award. There are resounding names which have claimed this literary recognition. Among them, William Golding in 1980 for Rites of Passage, in 1982 Thomas Keneally for Schindlerââ¬â¢s Ark, or 1989ââ¬â¢s Kazuo Ishiguro's Remains of the Day.All these authors and many more considered the prize as being an important asset in their literary careers and remain to this day reference points of the English speaking literature. However, there are little known writers who claimed the pri ze and soon after, emerged as rising stars of the literary world. Some of the names include 1985 winner Keri Hulme with The Bone People. The winner was on his first novel which, following the prize, came to experience incredible success (The Booker Foundation, 2007).Throughout the history of the prize, there has been a lot of controversy regarding the system of awarding the prize, and even the ceremony in itself. However, as the years went by, the format of the prizes, including the actual event in which the prize was given would adapt to the rigors of an emerging global entertainment society. More precisely, if in the beginning the event did not enjoy the spotlight in the literary and television society, in 1976, ââ¬Å"Melvyn Bragg presented the first ever TV broadcast of the Booker Prize, live on BBC2â⬠(The Booker Foundation, 2007).This came to be an acknowledgement of the importance the prize came to have in the literary world and in the English society as well. At the sam e time however, due to the fact that the artistic part of the awarding ceremony became more and more important for the audience and the media coverage the event started to receive, the controversies surrounding the event took an ascending trend. In this sense, ââ¬Å"many have accused the prize committee of catering to either the needs of otherwise unknown authors in the right place at the right time or to the same few authors each year.Political agendas and profit motives have also received much attention in recent years, further fuelling the controversy surrounding the prizeâ⬠(Jacobson, 1997). From this point of view, one can argue that the controversies surrounding the prize have in most occasions shifted the focus from the literary event it was meant to be in the beginning to a marketing occasion it is now considered to be. The tendency nowadays is rather hard to determine due to the different points of view shared by analysts.In this sense, while the organizers and part o f the media considers it to be ââ¬Å"the world's most important literary award and has the power to transform the fortunes of authors and even publishersâ⬠(The Booker Prize Foundation, 2007), others view it as ââ¬Å"an enormously successful marketing vehicle for nominated authors and their publishers alikeâ⬠(Jacobson, 1997). Yet, for some of the winners, these two perspectives can find a worthy combination which can acknowledge the quality of their work and promote the sale of their books at the same time. The Booker Prize: young writers and first time novelistsOne of the most important aspects of the Booker Prize is given by the possible impact it has on the actual winners. While there is little discussion on the advantages well known authors draw from winning the prestigious prize, a more relevant discussion would be on the effects it has on first time novelists who are awarded the prize. In this context, the effects can be seen more in the careers of first time nove lists due to the fact that it represents the first recognition of their work and therefore its impact can be better assessed. Indeed, the biggest impact the prize has is on the author who actually wins the award.In this sense, D B C Pierre won the award in 2003 with ââ¬Å"Vernon God Littleâ⬠. His won of the prize is considered to be one of the most interesting surprises of the event. According to the most reviews at the time, the writer was considered to be an underdog in comparison to his rivals, as ââ¬Å"It beat a shortlist including the first novel by Monica Ali, Brick Lane, which was the bookmakers' favorite and has been the biggest seller in the shops, and Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, the only established author to make it to the final round of judgingâ⬠(Jury, 2003).From this first perspective, it can be seen the fact that in the judging process the focus of the jury tried to be on first time novelists as well as on established ones. This approach tends to gi ve certain equilibrium to the awarding process and to take into account a wide variety of literary submissions. The choice of the jury at the time was unanimous; therefore there was little doubt on the potential winner. The unity of the choice was considered to be justified due to the important message the text tried to convey.The story of a young teenager from Texas whose life evolves as he tries to face up the challenges of poverty, violence, and family misery was impressive for the panel of the judges who claimed that the book is a ââ¬Å"coruscating black comedy reflecting our alarm but also our fascination with modern Americaâ⬠(Jury, 2003). Indeed the emotional touch on the novel came from the authorââ¬â¢s own personal experience as a drug addict in search for his own identity and individual recognition of the self.There are certain objective elements which drew the attention on the novel itself. Firstly, there was indeed the personal affection of the author which tran sformed the book into an impressionable work. Secondly, there was the subject which dealt with a serious issue affecting America at the time. High school shootings and violence among teenagers were considered, and still are viewed as being an essential challenge facing the society due to the questions it actually raises on the values driving the society forward.In this sense, critics considered that ââ¬Å"â⬠the storyline for this book is one that you would as much see played out today on the six o'clock news as read in a novel and has for this reason struck a chord with book loversâ⬠(Jury, 2003). Therefore, the actuality of the story combined with the drama of the personal history of the author made the novel receive the most acclaimed British literary award. The reviews were however split following the award ceremony as not everybody considered such a literary work to be worthy of the prestige of this prize.In this sense, ââ¬Å"picking up on Finlay's notorious past, Th e Daily Telegraph described his win as ââ¬Å"highly embarrassingâ⬠for the prize's organizers and sponsor, the Man group. The Guardian called him the ââ¬Å"oddest and most controversial characterâ⬠to have won the award, while The Independent's literary editor, Boyd Tonkin, said he was a ââ¬Å"novelist whose background makes the antics of most young writers look tame in the extremeâ⬠(The Sydney Morning Herald, 2003). Therefore, the cutting edge of the novel was not fully appreciated by traditional literary reviews who considered it to be a choice too daring for the conservatory nature of the award.However, despite the criticism that surfaced after the award ceremony, another element was introduced in the justification for rewarding Finlayââ¬â¢s artistic effort with the prize. Therefore, it was considered that taking into account such a novel and the fact that the winner was in fact a debutant on the literary scene, the focus of the Booker Prize may have shifted from the well acclaimed authors to the ones that have not been top of the selling lists. In this way, the Booker Prize Foundation would engage itself in an endeavor meant at promoting the new talents and at reintroducing young literature to the public.Another important presence on the list of the winners of the Booker Prize is the 2006 juryââ¬â¢s choice in the person of Kiran Desai and her novel ââ¬Å"The Inheritance of Lossâ⬠. At 35, she was the youngest female writer to receive the award and this element, along with the quality of her work, attracted the attention of both the jury and the public worldwide. She contested the prize with other five writers, including her mother who had been nominated before for the award, yet never won it (BBC, 2006).Among the other writers from the short list, there were authors with more experience and with more public consideration such as Sarah Waters or Kate Greenville. Still, she became the youngest winner of the award. This was due i n part to the new attempt of the Booker Prize Foundation to try to promote new talents and in part to the emotional story Desaiââ¬â¢s novel portrayed, a story of ââ¬Å"globalisation, multiculturalism, inequality and the different forms of loveâ⬠(Pryor, 2006).From the perspective of Finlayââ¬â¢s experience with the Booker Prize as well as Kiran Desaiââ¬â¢s, it can be said that there are both advantages and disadvantages in winning the award. Firstly, one of the most important advantages of the award is the financial aspect. On being awarded the prize, the winner receives ? 50,000 and the tacit commitment of the Foundation to continuously promote the novel. In the case of Finlayââ¬â¢s personal history, in the conditions in which he lived a life of poverty following the loss of his family fortune, the financial aspect can be seen as being of considerable importance (Greer, 2003).Secondly, another advantage of young or debutant writers receiving this prestigious award is the wide recognitions they receive following the ceremony. Before the award, Finlay was far from being an award winning character. His life of drugs, alcohol, and misery would not have presented himself as a possible valuable mind for the literary world. Even more, his past has often been invoked as being unworthy of a Booker Prize winner. Yet, after the recognition he received from the Booker Foundation, many of his critics turned to admit his literary merits in presenting a new face of everyday life in America.In this way, aside from the fact that he managed to draw the attention on the misery and distress affecting local societies in America, he also succeeded in underlining the effects of an abuse led life. Similarly, in Desaiââ¬â¢s situation, the award represented both a personal recognition of her young talent, as well as a proof of the the attention the issues addressed by her book received following the award. In this sense, ââ¬Å"the judges hailed ââ¬Å"The Inherit ance of Lossâ⬠as a magnificent novel of humane breadth and wisdom, comic tenderness and powerful political acutenessâ⬠(BBC, 2006).Thus, another advantage of the award received by a young talent is the fact that by recognizing the value of the book, the jury also acknowledges both the new perspective given to certain elements such as cross culture issues and, at the same time, underlines the importance of the issues under discussion for the contemporary society. Probably one of the most important advantages young winners and first time novelists benefit from is the increase in sales of their books. Most winners received not only wide acclaim from the critics, but also from the public.For instance, ââ¬Å"the 1978 winner, Iris Murdoch's ââ¬ËThe Sea, The Seaââ¬â¢ (â⬠¦) has a rate of continuing popularity which almost all of today's authors would give their eye teeth to equalâ⬠(Ezard, 2004). Therefore, most authors du find fame and fortune following the award winner status. Kiran Desai ensured the Penguin fiction division a rise in sales of two percent immediately after winning the Booker Prize award. Thus, the success of her book was also viewed in the choice of the readers. Still, one of the most important elements which drew the attention of the public was precisely the label of Booker Prize winner.Similarly, Fanleyââ¬â¢s story was proposed for a film adaptation as a result of the criticsââ¬â¢ acclaim (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2004). Hence, each in his or hers own way managed to reach success as a result of the Booker Prize. Aside from the various, especially financial advantages, there are also considerable disadvantages of the Prize being given to young or first time novelists. One of the most important however is the eventual commercialization of the literary content in an attempt to win the prestigious prize.In this sense, ââ¬Å"because of the marketing potential and the industry-renowned judges, the Booker Prize now is a very high stakes award. Authors, in turn, have more reason to tailor their work to the expectations of the Booker arbitersâ⬠(Jacobson, 1997). As a result, the quality of the works may decrease in the attempt to write attractive novels for the judges in the panel rather for the public. Hence, the prize has come to be a goal in itself, rather than an actual recognition. Young artists and first time novelists tend to fall in this trap most often due to the lack of experience and a limited identification of their own personal style.Moreover, due to the increased media attention on the prize, the entire process becomes more focused on the financial aspect, rather than on the artistic value of the recognition in itself. It is considered thus that ââ¬Å"all in all, there can be little doubt that the Booker, more than any other literary prize in recent history, has blazed a trail in the commercialization of English-language literatureâ⬠(Huggan, 2001). Overall, it can be said that the Booker Prize has had an important influence on its winners, but also on the new tendencies it rewards through the acknowledgement of certain artists.However, another true element is the fact that the commercialization of the entire process has led to the dilution of the value of such a prize. This is why it is important that the Booker Prize award new talents or even little known artists, without regard to their personal or ethnical background because it would prove that the most important element the Booker Prize takes into account is talent and literary achievement, rather than fame and public notoriety. Bibliography BBC. ââ¬Å"Kiran Desai claims Booker titleâ⬠. BBC News. 2006. 6 January 2008 Desai,Kiran.The Inheritance of Loss. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2005. Ezard, John. ââ¬Å"Booker prize's long-term fame lotteryâ⬠. The Guardian. 2004. 6 January 2008 Greer, W. R. Book Review ââ¬â Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre. 2003. 6 January 2008 Huggan, G raham. The Postcolonial Exotic: Marketing the Margins. Routledge. : New York, 2001. Jacobson, Warren. The Booker Prize. 1997. 6 January 2008 Jury, Louise. ââ¬Å"Debut novelist defies odds to win Booker prizeâ⬠.The Independent. 2003. 6 January 2008 Pierre, D. B. C. Vernon God Little. London: Faber and Faber, 2005. Pryor, Fiona. ââ¬Å"Review: The Inheritance of Lossâ⬠. BBC News. 2006. 6 January 2008 The Booker Prize Foundation. About the prize. 2007. 6 January 2008 The Booker Prize Foundation. Hitting the headlines. 2007. 6 January 2008 The Booker Prize Foundation. The Booker Prize. 2008. 6 January 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)