The Color Purple Essay Example for Free

The Color Purple Essay A symbol of freedom and liberty, individuality yet togetherness; the American Flag has presented an image of America for decades. Ever since Francis Scott Key wrote his poem about the â€Å"broad stripes and bright stars,† the United States of America has been marked with this simple, yet lucid icon of peace and sovereignty. Symbolism in literature plays a bigger part, one that relates an object or ideology to stress a connection to a more discrete or unclear picture. Alice Walker, a novelist, utilizes many symbols to depict the struggle of young African American women to find and rid themselves from captivity. Through many images, Walker allows for recognition between specific symbolic portrayals and the main ideas of the novel. In her novel, The Color Purple, Alice Walker uses symbolism to express the transformation of oppressed women in a segregated society from total constraint to self-empowerment and newfound identities. Through the neglected character of Celie, Walker depicts a reconstruction from weakness to authoritative behavior using symbolism. Because she is a woman, Celie is very under-appreciated and not expected to become anything substantial in society. At the beginning of the novel, Celie allows this image of being a â€Å"mule† to control her life. She describes how she is â€Å"another piece of wood†(30) to numb herself from the painful life she lives. However, later in the novel, Shug Avery, a singer whom Celie becomes very close with, tells her to live with freedom and independence, as well as love and passion. Eventually, this guidance turns her to sewing, a symbol introduced to describe Celie’s sense of pride, accomplishment, and individuality. When Mr. ________, Celie’s husband, comes to visit her while she is sewing, he asks â€Å"what was so special bout [her] pants†(276). She says that â€Å"anybody can wear them†(276), except Mr. ________ replies that â€Å"men suppose to wear the pants†(276). New to her personality, Celie snaps back and says, â€Å"So†(276)? Before her newfound identity, Celie would have never talked back to Mr. ______, now called Albert, because s he would have been abused. She has come to the realization that she is not one that needs to back down to â€Å"hierarchy† because of race and gender. Through this journey toward self-actualization, Celie distinguishes a personality with voice and freedom, thus, much different from her past, imprisoned lifestyle. Similarly to the path of Celie, Squeak, an abused character in the novel, learns that she needs to act upon her uncle’s sexually abusive behavior. The reader changes his/her perception of Squeak when she begins to sing, an activity symbolizing power and voice. Her lover, Harpo, discusses her distinct path to reaching this feeling of self-confidence by stating that â€Å"[Squeak] sit in the corner a year silent as the grave. Then you put a record on, [she] come to life†(100). She develops voice, a characteristic most women lack during this time period. Like Celie’s use of sewing, Squeak’s utilization of singing gives the reader a new depiction of character. These specific representations correspond to each individual’s journey to break free from the wrath of these men, and live a life of confidence and fortitude. Furthermore, Walker not only presents symbols as a way to interpret transformations, but also to display identity, specifically in the characters of Celie, Squeak, and Shug. Color, thus, is one symbol that is explained to fully develop ones sense of selfhood. At the beginning of the novel, Celie shops for clothing, and while shopping she â€Å"think what color Shug Avery would wear†(22). Celie looks for the bright colors, the reds and the purples, however is shut down and forced to buy a color that she may not particularly enjoy in the long run (22). Her sense of entitlement seems to be tarnished and her lack of individuality is clearly portrayed. However, Shug â€Å"wears a skintight red dress†(54) reflecting her strong personality and extreme sense of independence. When Celie begins her transition to freedom, she learns about the importance of color. She returns from her visit in Memphis wearing â€Å"little red flat-heel slippers† (220), displaying a sense of uniqueness and individuality that is newly portrayed to the reader. In addition to color, Walker uses names in the novel to symbolize the identity of characters. Moreover, Squeak is given this nickname during the novel, proving how insignificant women’s voice is throughout the story. Celie tells her to make people call her by her real name, however, she doesn’t seem to understand because she is so used to not talking back to the male figures in society and telling them what to do (86). It is evident that she lacks self empowerment; a specific sense of power. Later, she is raped by Harpo, pushing her over the edge. She forces him to call her by her real name, Mary Anges, which symbolizes a feeling of power and authority. Another name that is introduced throughout the novel, is God. Celie writes her letters to God in a very personal way, as though God is a man, a white man reading her every word, yet not concerned with her prayers. Shug talks to Celie and displays her feeling of God by saying that â€Å"[She] believe God is everything†¦Everything that is or ever was or ever will be. And when you can feel that, and be happy to feel that, you’ve found it†(197). Due to Shug’s ability to guide and lead Celie down the correct path, Celie learns to believe that God is not a figure or a man, but yet an essence, a feeling; he is everywhere. She begins to write her letters not only to God, but also to the stars and the trees and the sky, depicting that God is in everything and in everyone. This sensation, passed on by the guidance of Shug, proves that she has moved in a direction of knowledge and passion, toward self-actualization. In the novel, The Color Purple, Alice Walker uses the characters of Celie, Squeak, and Shug to display the common themes of transformation and new identity through the literary device of symbolism. Symbolism in literature acts as a depiction of a broad topic; it is a useful tool to help display a wide range of ideas or beliefs. Walker forces the reader to understand that the symbols she uses do not just represent one idea or one focus, but many themes such as the development into a new person, the transition to gain a new identity. These symbols help portray a sense of individuality and power, just as the American Flag does for the citizens of the United States of America. Its powerful image gives way to the greater idea it presents: liberty and entitlement.

What Is Psychology? :: Psychology Expository Essays

Psychology is the study of the behavior of living organisms. The people that study the behaviors are called psychologists. There have been many studies done by these people to try and figure out why people or animal do the things they do. Psychology's four main goals are to describe what occurred, explain why it occurred, predict what event is likely to occur next, and to change to prevent unwanted outcomes. Psychologists study the process of thinking, learning, cognition, emotions, motivations, and personalities. An example of one study that has been done would be why a dog salivates to the sound of a bell and show. This behavior is due to a conditioned stimulus becoming a conditioned response. Another experiment done was with a baby and a white mouse to see if the baby would be scared if something happened while grabbing for the mouse. There are several different types of psychologist for different problems. One example is a school psychologist. In education and school psychology, they study the process of education and works to promote the intellectual, social, and emotional development of children in the school environment. The main type of psychology is called clinical psychology, which specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of mental and behavioral disorders. Behavior is any observable action or reaction of living organisms. There are many levels of behavior that is studied in psychology. Some psychologists concentrate on the behavior that at a high level like having aggression or being prejudice. There are four main characteristics needed to be an observable behavior, which are: the organism itself, motivation, knowledge, and competence. Behavior cannot be studied without the organism there in body. Also, motivation must be in place for the study of behavior because it is an immediate cause of a behavior. Knowledge is something that the organism already knows. In order to examine it, you need to understand the environment and what he/she/it knows, thinks, and remembers.

“Hurricane Hits England” and “Search For My Tongue” Essay

Compare how a person’s culture is shown to be important in â€Å"Hurricane Hits England† and in one other poem. In both â€Å"Hurricane Hits England† and â€Å"Search For My Tongue†, the poems explore the theme of culture being important to person, both poems approach this theme in different ways. In â€Å"Hurricane Hits England†, the poet uses the method of flashbacks to explore the theme, whereas â€Å"Search For My Tongue† approaches this theme by putting us in the author’s shoes. In â€Å"Hurricane Hits England†, the subject matter is based around the serious hurricane that hit Southern England 1987. This is a very rare life force that is unusual in this country, more frequently occurring in the Caribbean. This storm in England reminds Nichols about her culture and this life force has been able to â€Å"break the frozen lake† within her. This shows us, the reader her culture is important to her, by creating a fusion of human life and natural life forces; â€Å"Talk to me Huracan†¦Talk to me Shango†. These â€Å"gods† that she is calling out to us the reader, makes us also think that she is trying to create a chant as if she sees the hurricane as both â€Å"Fearful and reassuring†. Although she is happy that the hurricane has come for it has been able to help her discover her culture again, she is also reminded about what damage this ‘life force’ can do to a country, physically and emotionally. The poet is using this event in England to help call her â€Å"back-home cousin†. This is another reminder to us the reader that she wants this occasion to be a flashback of what would have happened if she was in the Caribbean. However, she knows that this is not the same as the storms in the Caribbean, as the trees are â€Å"falling heavy as whales†. This simile is used to represent the different types of ecosystems around the world, how different trees have different properties. If you go to the Caribbean, the types of trees are mainly palm trees, with the properties of having flexible bark. However, in England the types of trees are Oak and Pine which are quite heavy and inflexible. This makes the trees unsuitable for this type of weather, making this experience still remind the poet about her culture, but seeing this weather as a new experience. In â€Å"Search For My Tongue†, the way the poets shows us how culture is important to her is done in different ways, by showing us how it is to be in another country and not be able to express your â€Å"mother tongue†. In this poem, she describes how she is scared of loosing her â€Å"mother tongue†, how it would â€Å"rot† and she will have to â€Å"spit it out†. This demonstrates how her language is a very important part of her culture and heritage and during the first stanza in the poem; the use of botanical imagery shows a mood of death and decay. She explains how she could not create a hybrid tongue, the use of both languages; â€Å"You could not use them both together†. This botanical imagery is then used to help the re-growth of her mother tongue while she is having a dream; â€Å"munay hutoo kay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The way how she portrays this stanza of the poem, not only gives the impression of her doing a chant but also had a lyrical feeling towards it. This is then an awakening for her mother tongue to â€Å"grow†, thus rediscovering language and culture is obviously important to the poet. The final stanza is probably the most enlightening and meaningful stanza in the entire poem, for it finally concludes how culture can be extremely important to people and make them the way they are; â€Å"the bud opens in my mouth†. The use of botanical imagery has now been used to firstly represent death and decay, to now being represent growth and re-birth. This use of assonance in the last stanza also helps to change the mood of the entire poem, giving it a more positive feel to the poem; â€Å"blossoms out of my mouth†. This line not only tells us that she is happy with the culture that she has re-discovered, but it also means that she has found the item that she had lost; her tongue. We know this from the title of the poem â€Å"Search For My Tongue†. In conclusion, both of these poems have been able to show how a past culture can be important to a person’s character and future growth. This could teach all of us a moral lesson, by telling us that culture is important to everybody’s feeling of self by making it mould our characters to what we are today. In both these poems, they might have used different methods to portray these themes, with the outcome giving off the same message.

RenaissanceArt, Architecture, Philosophy And Religion - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 782 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/05/28 Category Art Essay Level High school Tags: Renaissance Essay Did you like this example? The Renaissance was a period of rebirth. A rebirthing of the Greek and Roman era. During this time, people found a renewed interest in the ancient Graeco-Roman philosophies, art, architecture, writings and more. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Renaissance:Art, Architecture, Philosophy And Religion" essay for you Create order Scholars during this period studied and translated texts, musicians wrote music based on the early-aged dramas, and architects replicated the architectural construction of the ancient ruins. A sparked interest in independency arose. People were curious. Many began finding new perspectives, opinions, and creation. Creativity arose during this era. Artists, poets, and scientist were discovering new approaches to the world. Many changes were approaching throughout the Renaissance. Italy sparked the beginning of the Renaissance, creativity assisted in its flourishment, and the renounced interest in the Greek and Roman era conceived the modern era. The Renaissance began in Italy during the 13th century. It became known as the birthing place of the Renaissance due to the growing economic power. As Italyrs trade partners increased so did their abundance of wealth, which can be tied into why Italy is known as the starting point of the renaissance. Along with their economic growth was the increased interest in humanism. Many poets, artists, and writers became influences in the start of the Renaissance. Francesco Petrarch for instance, was known by many as the Father of Humanism, and considered one of the earliest humanists. He was a scholar who studied the philosophies and writings of Ancient Rome, such as Cicerors letter, which many acknowledge to be the introduction of the Renaissance. Dante Alighieri is another influential poet of the Renaissance. His writing, The Divine Comedy, is still remembered today as one of the greatest work of literatures due to it reintroducing civilization, and his analysis of the Fall of Rome. Many c onsider this literature to be a bridge leading people away from the Middle ages and into the Renaissance, due to the incorporation of mythology. By incorporating mythology, he was breaking away from the previous Catholic overtake. Literature was not the only factor in the start and flourishment of the Renaissance. Creativity is responsible for the prosperity of the Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci is a vital figure in the Renaissance. With his works detailing emotions, lighting, and his outlook on life, he is still known today as the Renaissance Man. His two most famous works, The Mona Lisa and the Last Supper are two impactful paintings of this time period. He held the belief that art was characterized through nature and science, which can be noticed in many of his works. Vitruvian Man serving as one. This representation of the human figure also embodies the thought of the universe. It also serves to represent Davincirs interest in proportion. His painting, The Last Supper is also a vital piece of work during the Renaissance time period. It captures the importance of religion following the rise and fall of Catholic persuasion. This paintingrs composition is balanced, and the geometrical formation goes to symbolize Neoplatonism, a reference between Greek philosophy and Christianityrs allegory. T his also serves as an aspect of humanism as it amplifies spirituality. A reincorporation of Greek and Roman architecture was an essential part of the Renaissance. Architecture during the Renaissance magnified the ancient Greek and Roman era. Greek columns, triangular pediments, and Roman arches and domes were repeatedly present in many buildings. The revival of ancient architecture came from the study of Vitruvius, a Roman architecture. Filippo Brunelleschirs dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, was a work during the early Renaissance period. It is known to be a piece of architecture which sparked the beginning of the Renaissance, as it reintroduced buildings from the classical age. An abundance of architecture during the Renaissance embodied Gothic and Baroque architecture. It placed a large emphasis on symmetry, geometry, as well as proportion, which can also be found in human figure paintings and sculptures. The Sagrestia Vecchia is a Christian building capturing the essence of Byzantine architecture. Pilasters and arches are abundantly used in the Sagrestia Vecchia, as well as other Roman architectural buildings. Following the Dark Ages, when the Catholic took over, a new era was formed. Known as the Renaissance, it was a time that sparked interest in the philosophies and humanities of the Greek and Roman time period. Scholars began looking at things with a new perspective, architects re-introduced ancient frameworks, and artists discovered proportion in the human body. The rebirthing of European culture guided a movement towards secularism, rationality, and individualism. It became known as the denomination of personality, which ultimately revitalized Europe and shaped the modern day era. A rediscovery of Greek and Roman writings and ideas lead to Humanists, the scholars that translated and studied these ideas and writings.