The Remains of the Day Essay Example for Free

The Remains of the Day Essay Kazuo Ishiguros The Remains of the Day is an intimate portrayal of an utterly English butler through his methodical ruminations on the subjects of greatness and dignity. Stevens, the aging butler of Darlington Hall, performs his job with selflessness and a ruthless suppression of emotion. He is unsentimental, stiffly walking through job and life like an automaton. He presents himself, perhaps unknowingly, as glacially reserved, humorless (when the new owner of Darlington Hall takes over, Stevens finds himself having to practice banter in order to please his American employer), and snobbish. Out of an unquestioning respect for his betters and a misplaced need to repress all emotion, Stevens has managed to rid himself of all sense of identity, creating a blank facade that fools even himself. He is, indeed, as Galen Strawson calls him, an innocent masterpiece of self-repression (535). Stevenss lack of identity is further emphasized by the fact that he is known only as Stevens; with no apparent first name, he becomes unselfed, possessing no self outside of his manservant role. Critics have made much of the butlers namelessness, citing it as evidence of his suppression and lack of humanity. David Gurewich, for example, points out that for Stevens to have a first name would be improper, and at odds with tradition (77). He is essentially, many contend, worthy of only the surname, lacking the personal identity, as well as any affable qualities, that a given namethe Christian name, the familiar namemight lend. However, a close reading of the novel discovers that Stevens, indeed, has a first namea name of which he is obviously proud and one that is especially appropriate to his character. Early in the novel Stevenss father joins Darlington House; in his seventies, he is too feeble and old to head a household, but he is nonetheless determined to serve someone in some capacity. At one point Stevens becomes miffed when Miss Kenton, the head housekeeper, refers to his father by his first name, William; Stevens demands that she call his father Mr. Stevens. Not allowing his father to be referred to in a personal manner is the same propriety that prevents Stevens from addressing Miss Kenton by her first name and, later, by her married name. It is in large part a result of Stevenss own inability to become personable, personal, emotional. Later, obeying his dictum, Miss Kenton comments, I am sure Mr. Stevens senior is very good at his job (55,italics added), revealing through implication that Stevens is a junior, that his first name is, in fact, William. Stevens is every bit his fathers son and appropriately his fathers namesake. The shared name emphasizes that Stevens is the analogy of his father in both service and dignity. Stevens has obvious and unmitigated respect for his father, whom Stevens views as the perfect butler: [I]t is my firm conviction, Stevens says at one point, that at the peak of his career my father was indeed the embodiment of dignity' (34), the essence of a true butler. Like his son, Stevenss father demonstrates in his day-to-day life an almost inhuman restraint of emotions, in keeping, they both believe, with the dignity inherent in service. Stevens relates the tale of his fathers having to serve the general whose incompetence was responsible for a sons death; Mr. Stevens Senior, denying personal feelings to a disturbing degree, attends to the general with utter professionalism and emotionlessness, an act Stevens later sees as the personification itself of dignity in keeping with his position' (42). Years later Stevens acts with remarkably similar dignity, performing service duties while his father lies dying in an upstairs bedroom. Stevens later considers this to be the epitome of his service, regarding it as a turning point in my life as the moment in my career when I truly came of age as a butler (70). As his father dies, Stevens continues his duties, serving drinks, maintaining proper order, retrieving bandages for the deplorable M. Dupont, all the while unaware that he is crying, his inner walls crumbling under the weight of humanity, his outer walls standing firm. The act establishes him as the quintessential butler and, more important, as proper heir to his fathers name; further, it is through this act of quelled emotion and staunch repression that Stevens indeed earns his fathers name. Stevenss mirroring of his father is further evident in the butlers most intimate relationships, both of which are virtually emotionless and completely passionless. The relationship with his father is the end result of a lifetime of extreme emotional repression. This is most poignantly illustrated as his father, on his deathbed, tells his son, I hope Ive been a good father to you (97), and Stevens can only reply over and over, Im so glad youre feeling better now (97); Stevens is helpless to think of a better, more loving response. He has re-created ithin himself his fathers emotional vacuum, ridding himself of all feelings and, simultaneously, his heart. The void he has so painstakingly constructed is there to haunt him when the possibility of love appears in the form of Miss Kenton. Unable to respond to her intimations (often overt) of a desired relationship, Stevens allows the one possible love of his life to escape. His extreme professionalism prevents him from responding emotional ly to Miss Kenton on any level, allowing her instead to slip away into marriage and forever away from him. Encountering Miss Kenton, now Mrs. Benn, years later and discovering the truth of this past opportunity of love (and, subsequently, the possibility of happiness and fulfillment), Stevens is finally overwhelmed by his pent-up emotions and confesses to his pain: Indeedwhy should I not admit it? at that moment, my heart was breaking (239). Stevens sacrifices all to service, to dignity, to becoming the perfect butler; his entire existence is founded on his butlers profession. And in the end, he finds himself alone, lonelybut unequivocally worthy of his fathers name.

The Self-destructive Relationship in Wuthering Heights Essay -- Wuther

On the face of it, it would seem that the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff is self-destructive to an extreme. Due to the lovers’ precarious circumstances, passionate personalities and class divisions, it seems that fate transpires to keep them apart and therefore the hopelessness of their situation drives them to self destruction. However, although the relationship is undeniably self-destructive, there are elements within it that suggest the pain Heathcliff and Catherine put each other through is atoned for to an extent when they share their brief moments of harmony. Catherine is trapped between her love of Heathcliff and her love for Edgar, setting the two men down a path of destruction, a whirlwind of anger and resentment that Catherine gets caught in the middle of. Catherine is drawn to Heathcliff because of his fiery personality, their raw attraction and one certainly gets the sense that they are drawn together on a deeper level, that perhaps they are soulmates. C. Day Lewis thought so, when he declared that Heathcliff and Catherine "represent the essential isolation of the soul...two halves of a single soul–forever sundered and struggling to unite." This certainly seems to be backed up in the novel when Catherine exclaims â€Å"Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind--not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being...† This shows clearly the struggle Catherine feels as she is drawn spiritually to Heathcliff, but also to Edgar for very different reasons. Edgar attracts Cath erine predominantly because he is of the right social class. Catherine finds him "handsome, and pleasant to be with," but her feelings for him seem petty when compared to the ones she harbours... ...ctive. Catherine is pushed to death and Heathcliff to brutal revenge, bordering on the psychotic. Yet before Cathy’s death, the knowledge that the other loves them is strong enough to make Wuthering Heights such a classic love story, and â€Å"that old man by the kitchen fire affirming he has seen two of 'em looking out of his chamber window, on every rainy night since his death,† shows that as they walk together on the moors, their self destruction may have led them to death, but also to what they most desired-being together. Works Cited - MLA Format Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights. London: Dover Publications, 1996. Chatterjee, Praving. Emily Bronte. September 28, 2013. Web 22 Apr. 2015. https://emilybronteparminder.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/brontes-contributions/ Wikipedia. Emily Bronte. Web 22 Apr. 2015. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Bront%C3%AB

Body Mass Index Essay

Body Mass index is a formula that determines the mass of body fat a person has. This formula is used to determine your weight proportion compared to your height if you’re on target, overweight or obese. Today we will use the formula by plugging in my own personal information and determining if I am over weight, on target or obese. To start I plug in the formula BMI=703w/h2. W = weight, H = height. I am 5foot 5 so in the formula my height will be 5.5. After plugging in my info, I multiply 5.5 squared times 5.5 giving me the answer 30.25. I then divide 703W by 30.25 H. This then gives me the answer 23.24. Making W 23.24. Which is Equivalent to not being overweight. 703w/5.5(2) 703w/30.25 23.24w According to the chart my inequality fits in between the Compound inequality equation 23 < BMI < 25 which says I’m probably not overweight.   I don’t agree with this formula for I know for a fact that according to my height I am severely obese. However according to this formula I am probably not over weight. In addition to this the formula only uses your height and weight, it does not determine you fat mass or your muscle build. From going to the gym I’ve Learned that muscle weighs a lot more then fat. Which means that with this formula someone in perfect shape can be assumed to be obese: when in fact there in shape. The solutions chart that says whether you’re obese, overweight, or perfectly fit is giving in Intervals. The chart gives you a range of numbers from low to high. You determine where your body mass determines by the number of intervals you land on or in between. None of these numbers are to Infinity. The ranges have a start date and end date. In conclusion after plugging in the necessary figures and using the Body Mass Index formula it was determined that this formula gives inaccurate  results. For according to my doctor I am severally over weight and this formula has me sounding like a super model.

How Texting Affects Teen Literacy - 1624 Words

How Texting Affects Teen Literacy When most people think about teen literacy, they refer to texting. Most people think that texting harms teenagers, but in reality it does not. Text messaging is perhaps one of the things people do most daily, especially teenagers. These days teens are nearly inseparable from their phones. Teenagers are growing with an increasing rate with these cell phones. Teens depend on their cell phones to get through day to day things dealing with personal and professional lives. Although when people think about texting, it is not a bad thing. It has its pros and cons, and to think it has more pros than anything. Texting is very much influenced by advancement in technology. Experts say that technology has put a new emphasis on writing and reading in today s generation. Technology also adds new layers to understanding and what is means to be literate. It requires the combination of manual, visual, and cognitive attention. Texting helps our communication skills, language skills, writing skills, a nd classroom skills. Texting â€Å"As texting has features in common with both writing and speaking, we might expect experience with it to relate to both teens reading and writing development† (Plester, Wood, Bell 49). Texting helps teenagers with reading skills by phonological awareness. It makes teenagers more aware of what they are saying, it also makes them stronger writers and readers than someone who does not text. Texting makes teens more aware of theirShow MoreRelatedTexting And Teen Literacy : Understanding And Knowing How Texting Affects Literacy Overall, Particularly With Teenagers1206 Words   |  5 PagesTexting and Teen Literacy My personal interest in researching this topic is understanding and knowing how texting affects literacy overall, especially with teenagers. I know that communication has evolved and as we move forward with technology, there are/will be positive and negative results that will arise and affect our daily and normal lives in how we communicate This will affect not only our day-to-day communication but also in how we learn. I would like to know more about this topic becauseRead MoreMobile Phones And Its Impact On The Way1559 Words   |  7 Pagestoday’s world you cannot go anywhere without seeing at least one person attached to their cell phone texting. This day and age sending a text is the quickest and most efficient form of communication. The Berkman Center for Internet Society at Harvard University found that (78%) of teens now have a cell phone and almost half (47%) of those teens have smartphones. That translates into (37%) of all teens who have cellphones, up from ju st (23%) in 2011(Madden). Today, people tend to use their phonesRead MoreEffect of Texting on Teens1686 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is the Effect of Texting on Teenagers? Cell phones are becoming a modern day necessity, to the point that they are a must have for every teenager and adult.   Human beings are growing increasingly attached to these devices, depending on them more and more for their communication with other people, job duties, and other daily activities that they must accomplish. One way that we are taking advantage of cell phone technology at a rapidly growing rate is through the use of text messaging.Read MoreEffect of Texting on Teens1686 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is the Effect of Texting on Teenagers? Cell phones are becoming a modern day necessity, to the point that they are a must have for every teenager and adult.   Human beings are growing increasingly attached to these devices, depending on them more and more for their communication with other people, job duties, and other daily activities that they must accomplish. One way that we are taking advantage of cell phone technology at a rapidly growing rate is through the use of text messaging.Read MoreThe Effects of Text Messaging on Teen Literacy783 Words   |  4 PagesText messaging can affect a person’s social skills, writing skills, driving skills. The money that people spend on phones and texting can cause financial hardship. Text messaging has begun to have a detrimental effect on people’s writing skills. They use inventive spelling and abbreviations. As most teenagers get used to short texting, some of their grades dropped to the spelling errors they make. So many teens get used to wing abbreviation that they write that way. Teenager’s writing skills haveRead MoreThe Effects Of Texting On Children s Children1120 Words   |  5 Pages 2005). Texting is such an important communicate channel for teenagers, but what does texting mean exactly? Texting is an action which describes not using proper English grammar to send me ssages. Data suggest, 63% of all teens said they exchange text messages with other people every day. Until today, this trend is still continue developing. The most teenagers all said they cannot leave text in lives (Kuehn, 2012), does it affect school-aged children in literacy? Absolutely yes. Literacy includesRead MoreTexting: More Drawbacks than Benefits Essay1584 Words   |  7 PagesTexting, the new age means of communications involves a series of point-to-point signals that are transmitted through a network. 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Today, literacy refers to the â€Å"ability to decode informationRead MoreEffects of Texting on Society Essay1141 Words   |  5 Pagesadvantage of texting is that it allows people to send short messages to anyone in any part of the world. Another advantage of texting is picture messaging which is a service that allows people to capture and share valuable moments. Texting is also a major distraction for teenagers, and it can affect important tasks such as driving. A large number of teenagers die while texting and driving at the same time. While texting contains many advantages such as easier communication, texting can be very addictingRead MoreThe Effects Of Texting On Teens : Introduction And Hypothesis1130 Words   |  5 Pages The Affect Texting Has on Teens Introduction and Hypothesis The average teen from the ages 13-17 sends about 3,339 text messages per month, and 1 in 3 teens send over 100 per day. Teenagers are sending texts about 8% more than they were last year. Females send an outstanding amount of 4,050 text messages per month, and males send about 2,539. You think those numbers are shocking? Think again. The average teen spends about 9-10 hours on their phones every