Writing with a Lens an Example of the Topic Literature Essays by

Writing with a Lens The message of the short story titled "A Clean, Well-lighted place" by Ernest Hemingway is that with age comes a better understanding of the troubles of others. The story centers on the opposing reactions of two waiters of different age groups towards a troubled old man who seek a nightly refuge in a clean and well-lighted cafe. The old man visits the clean and well-lighted cafe every night to drink. The cafe had been his source of nightly refuge from his troubles possibly because it is comforting and peaceful so that it is good for easing the knots of confusion on his head, unlike the bars that have blazing light and noisy music. In this way, he can drink his troubles away peacefully. Meanwhile, the younger waiter resents the fact that the old man stays too long in the cafe, forcing him to go home at 3:00 o'clock in the morning and delaying the time for him to be with his wife. He told the old man, perhaps out of resentment or irritation rather than ill will, that he should have kil led himself last week (for he had known that the old man almost committed suicide). The younger waiter, however, could not comprehend why the old man should kill himself when he had plenty of money. Obviously, he believed that money is enough reason to make one desire to live in this world. The older waiter however, is sympathetic towards the old man for he himself had started to feel the emptiness or nothingness of life. He had not shared with the younger waiter's sentiment that the old man had no reason to take his own life because he had plenty of money. It is safe to assume that with his age, he had already seen so much of life that his perspectives on life are so much different now than he was younger. He had admired the younger waiter's youth and confidence, two qualities that can make any man hopeful about life. He recognized that it is not the presence or absence of money that matters now, but the inner conflict of the soul had plunged the old man to despair so that he wants to shorten his rather ironically long life. Need essay sample on "Writing with a Lens" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Meanwhile, the critical essay titled "Who is American" by Eric Foner allows me to read the text differently. This essay is about the changing concept of American identity in American history. The problem of defining American citizenship or "Americaness" lays on its "inclusive" and "exclusive" ideas of who should be an American (Foner, 186). The difficulty arose because of the presence of many diverse groups of people (with its own unique physical characteristics and culture) in American soil that seeks to enjoy the rights and privileges accorded in American citizenship. However, conflicts arise because of the differing views held by the groups of people involved: for example, the white had a notion for racial superiority; they reasoned that blacks are by nature inferior who could not subject it own passions to its intellect. The Whites therefore, of European descent, should be the only ones that are worthy to be recognize as the true American. However, this concept had been challenge d by the supposed "inferior" races and their advocates through succeeding generations in American history. What is striking to note is that the change of the concept, of who should be included and excluded as American, is being influenced by the unique circumstances and experiences that American people faced throughout their history and until now the act of defining, or fixing the boundaries of inclusion or exclusions, of who should be an American continues to become a challenge. The unique circumstance and experiences of the Americans (for example, the Civil war that challenges the American ideals of equality and democracy, the expansion of American territories and America's view that they are the protector of the world) throughout history had lent different forms and shapes to those boundaries, sometimes expanding and at other times decreasing its limitations, so that success in fixing specific rights to groups of people had become elusive. In fact, Foner had predicted that even w ith the widely accepted modern approach to cultural pluralism or multicultural recognition of American society, the Americans of the twenty first century will continue to have a political and social struggle as diverse groups of people asserts its worth to be recognized as "American"( Foner , 186- 195). What this critical essay established is that life is a continuous battle, of winning and losing and this victories and defeats are largely dictated by the fact that man is changeable or evolving, that is, what is true or right to him today may not be true or right for him tomorrow. As man moves through life, his perspectives changes. These changes are largely influenced by his own unique experiences which are a mixture of lights and shadows (an application of old and new ideas to its fixed goals through time which are either beneficial or dangerous to him), of victories and defeats in his own lifetime as he struggles to find his worth. Therefore, in relating the concepts of this essay to the story, this enforces what I had first assumed what Hemingway may be trying to say in the story, on why the two waiters had differing reactions to the old man. Indeed the unique experiences of man placed him in a better position to understand the troubles of others. The advocacy for inclusion and exclusion to American citizenship had oftentimes raised sentiments and advocacy based on particular circumstances by others and in the same manner, the particular experiences of nothingness of the older waiter had made him sympathetic to the despair of the old man. However, age may not be a guarantee for understanding or becoming sympathetic with the troubles of others. As with the history for defining who is an American, there are times when the boundaries had expanded and then later decreased depending again on particular circumstances. In fact, the history of American citizenship is "a complex story in which gains are made and lost, rights are expanded and sometimes revoked and ideas long since discredited rise like ghost to haunt later generations"( Foner, 195). Therefore, feelings of sympathy towards the troubles of others may be based on immediate circumstances and not with age alone. This brings to my mind that the younger waiter had actually "did not wish to be unjust, he was only in a hurry" (Hemingway,). More importantly, the essay had enabled me to place a significant meaning to a "clean and well-lighted place " in the story unlike earlier where I only find its significance as an appropriate place to untangle all the troubles away. In the essay, the efforts for defining what an American is becomes the guiding fixed goal for the establishment of the worth of any diverse groups in American soil. However, before arriving at an agreeable identification of who is a true American, some factors, such as differing views and ideas had to be "wiped" clean. Otherwise, protest and wars will arise. In like manner, clean and light carries the same symbolic meaning in the story. "Well-lighted" symbolizes the fixed meaningful goals of man. A good lighting is a symbol of a worthy cause that serves to keep man on the right path of life, and it must be a balance cause, as for a good lighting consisted of shadows as well as light. Yet to reach those goals, man had to wipe some "bad, mistakes or failure s" in his past or life. The desire, therefore, for both the old man and the older waiter to seek refuge in a clean and well-lighted cafe, is a desire to clean their acts so that they will find their right path towards a meaningful life again. As a conclusion, I can say therefore that the use of critical essay had helped me find depth in the story. At first, I only see that Hemingway's message was to inform the reader that with age people had differing reactions to the troubles of others. The older the man, the more sympathetic he is. This is largely due to the fact that with age comes many experiences. However, although the critical essay supports the idea that man is prone to changes in perspectives based on his experiences, age may not be the ultimate factor for sympathy. The immediate circumstances that man finds himself may be the greatest contributory factor to his reactions to the troubles of others. Furthermore, the essay had helped me to place a more meaningful significance of the "well-lighted and clean cafe" in the story. Originally, I have concluded that a clean and well-lighted place is suitable for troubled people because it is comforting and peaceful, however, with the critical essay I have come to believe that a "well-lighted" and "clean" cafe is a symbol of a balanced human goal and the need for man to "clean" whatever is necessary to achieve those goals, respectively. However, both the critical essay and the primary text do not provide me any information on who the old man really was and what was exactly his problem. The old man was not ordinary for "he was clean.. . and drinks without spilling". (Hemingway,). However, his problem was indeed weighty and it is incredible that he wished to shorten his rather ironically long life through suicide. If the identity and problem of the old man is revealed, then it will probably change my interpretations of Hemingway's message. Moreover, the inability to disclose the identity and problem of man does not satisfy my curiosity as a reader. Works Cited Foner, Eric. "Who is an American?" Reading for Writing Analytically. Hemingway, Ernest. A Clean, Well-lighted Place.

DBQ on the Causes of the French Revolution Essay Example

DBQ on the Causes of the French Revolution Essay Example DBQ on the Causes of the French Revolution Essay DBQ on the Causes of the French Revolution Essay Change is feared. It is frequently heard that people merely fear alteration. Sometimes. nevertheless. thats non ever true. Some claim that they fear the alteration. when they simply like the manner things are and refuse to see things in another manner. When discontent spreads throughout the bulk of the population of French. a forced radical war is the lone manner to convert that alteration is necessary. Three chief things contributed to this desire for alteration. and those include revenue enhancements excessively unbearable to pay and last. thoughts promoting alteration that were inspired by the Enlightenment. and the success of the American Revolution. Before the Revolution. France was divided socially in a construction known as the Old Regime. It consisted of three estates. The First Estate was the clergy. who owned 10 per centum of the land but comprised of merely one per centum of the population. The Second Estate. with aristocracy. included two per centum of the population but owned 35 per centum of the land. The largest was the Third Estate. which was made up of the in-between category. provincials. and metropolis workers. owned merely 55 per centum of the land but made up 97 per centum of the population ( Doc. 2 ) . The Third Estate was taxed in utmost proportions so much so that staff of life. which was a necessity and the base of all repasts. became really hard to pay and obtain. It was going progressively hard to last on so small ( Doc 1 ) . However. the first two Estates lived easy with no revenue enhancements. Even the middle class. the in-between category. became every bit affluent as the predating Estate. but because of where they were born. they were still burdened by revenue enhancements. This led to restlessness in the Third Estate. Since they comprised most of France. they joined together and planned a rebellion. However. it is impossible to ramp in and anticipate changes without a program. To fix for this. the thoughts from the Enlightenment helped to change the way France was taking. After newly coming from this new age of thought and analytical surveies. the in-between category could easy utilize the thoughts of authorities. economic system. and societal construction to command a fluctuation ( Doc. 4 ) . One chief subscriber to the Enlightenment was Monsieur Rousseau. He believed in the will of the bulk ; that is. the majority of a group determines the concluding result. This appealed to the Third Estate because they did do up the greater portion of France. It was a good theory to them. Another subscriber to the Enlightenment was John Locke. He believed that all people are born with three natural rights: life. autonomy. and belongings. No affair what category a individual was born into. these rights should non be taken off. If the regulating system abuses these rights. so the people have a right to subvert the authorities. Halfway across the Earth. another revolution was taken antecedently. That was the one of settlements. known as the American Revolution. The settlements at that place. excessively. were upset by the heavy load of revenue enhancements and their deficiency of say in the affair. This applied to the Gallic Third Estate. every bit good. After the underdogs of America eventually pulled from behind and conquered the almighty Great Britain. this led to inspiration of another Revolution ( Doc. 5 ) . That flicker was used as a motivational tool to subvert the lumbering French governmental system. The win in the American settlements encouraged the Gallic to make the same. The first two Estates failed to see the job with the affair. and they were non at all pleased to be overshadowed by their ain people. With the disgruntled First and Second Estates strained to contend one time once more. this clip against their ain people. alteration was brewing. and it could be seen in the eyes of all. Armed with the choler against the heavy. intolerable revenue enhancements. the glare of the enlightened thoughts. and the assurance from the American Revolution. the Third Estate prepared to conflict and seek the transmutation they so urgently desired.