Use of the Mock-epic Style in The Rape of the Lock Essay -- Rape Of Th

Use of the Mock-epic Style in The Rape of the Lock "The triumph of the Baron's rape is in exactly the same high language as it would be if he were Hector." In The Rape of the Lock, Pope uses the mock-epic style to satirise the seriousness with which a trivial misdemeanour (the theft of a few strands of hair) and the ways of gender polarised society can be blown beyond all sense of proportion. Thus the male mentality, through the Baron, is portrayed as lacking depth or personality beyond that required to achieve its ends; men objectify and devise "strategems" (4,120) to conquer their female obsessions; they are "victor[s]" (4,162) who self-importantly congratulate themselves as meriting "wreaths of triumph" (4,161) when they have seized what they desire. The Baron claims that the "glorious prize" is his in perpetuity, whilst many conditions which will never be fulfilled ("while fish in streams, or birds delight in air" 4,163) remain unfulfilled. In this satirising of the epic mould such trivial occurrences are substituted in place of truly fantastic possibilities (mighty cities falling, for instance) for the purpose of putting the lock's severing into a more realistic perspective — this is made even more explicit in the following canto (4,8 "[no-one ever] felt such rage, resentment, and despair / as thou, sad virgin! for thy ravished hair" — meaning that perh aps Belinda over-reacts, in Pope's opinion, just ever-so slightly.) He also then reinforces his satire with a broadening of humour, and a stab in the direction of then-popular culture: specifically, "Atalantis" (4,165) was no great enduring writing but a cheap, scandalous work of fiction, "notorious for its thinly concealed allusions to contemporary scandals", pe... ...rder of life.") Obviously the ultimate aim of the poem is to mitigate the severity of the liberty taken in the theft of the lock (as seen in the minds of those involved in the familial dispute.) Mock epic assists Pope in achieving this without being seen to trivialise the assaulted feelings of the victim — the high language and drama of his work accords to the act of the lock's severing a grossly inflated significance, which retains enough of its epic origins not to be viewed as derisive sarcasm. As a satirist Pope is therefore presenting for the appraisal of his readership the notion that the loss of the lock does not deserve the intensity of ill-feeling which has resulted from it. BIBLIOGRAPHY: The Norton Anthology of English Literature 6th Edition, Volume 1, 1993 A Choice Of Pope's Verse, edited by Peter Porter, Faber & Faber, 1971

Radio One, Incorporated

Radio One, Incorporated In general ? Assume a corporate tax rate of 34%, and a market risk premium of 7. 2%. ? Data in exhibit 9 are in $1,000. ? Show and explain all your calculations, i. e. the reader/grader must be able to follow your reasoning and be able to understand all your calculations without using time to reconstruct your numbers. ? Make additional assumptions if necessary, but make them explicitly. ? Good luck. ? Questions 1. Why does Radio One want to acquire the 12 urban stations from Clear Channel Communications in the top 50 markets along with the 9 stations in Charlotte, North Carolina, Augusta, Georgia, and Indianapolis, Indiana? What are the benefits and risks? 2. What price should Radio One offer on a discounted cash flow analysis assuming all equity financing? ? Show and explain cash flows items needed to be estimated to get relevant cash flows in 2001 – 2004. Estimate relevant cost of capital to calculate PV of relevant cash flows assuming acquisition is all equity financed. ? Estimate terminal value of potential acquisitions after forecast period ends in 2004. ? What price should Radio One offer on a discounted cash flow analysis using relevant cash flow in 2001 – 2004 and a terminal value in 2004? ? Are the cash flow projections (in forecast period and terminal value) reasonable? If not: Revise your calculations. 3. What price should Radio One offer on a transaction multiple for comparable transactions analysis? What price should Radio One offer on a trading multiple of comparable firm analysis? 4. Assuming that Radio One’s stock price is 30? BCF, can it offer as much as 30? BCF for the new stations without reducing the stock price? 5. What price should Radio One offer for the new stations?

Bless Me Ultima Character Analysis - 1039 Words

In the novel Bless Me, Ultima author, Rudolfo Anaya introduces a character by the name of Antonio Mà ¡rez or â€Å"Tony† as referred to by his friends and family. In the novel Antonio appears to be the embodiment of an entire generation of children that are born to traditional Mexican/Native families but raised in an ever so diverse United States. In a Q A with Rudolfo Anaya at the end of the novel he states, â€Å"my mother was a very religious person, much like Antonio’s mother in the novel. I grew up completely imbued with the Catholic cosmology. Later I discovered there are many religions in the world, many spiritual paths. These paths are part of our inheritance as Nuevos Hispanos. They stretch from Mesoamerica to the Indian Pueblos of the Rà ­o†¦show more content†¦From his birth, Antonio is immediately pulled between cultures, his mother’s brothers state â€Å"We must take with us the blood that comes after the birth. We will bury it in our f ields to renew their fertility and to assure that the baby will follow our ways.† (Anaya 6) While his father’s â€Å"compadres† disagree and say, â€Å"We will burn it and let the winds of the llano scatter the ashes.† (Anaya 6) The two cultures cannot come to agreement because of their differing superstitious beliefs and therefore crate the altering paths that Hispanics are forced to choose between. The road that Antonio will follow will ultimately be the same road that his brothers faced, they too were born into split cultures, they dealt with the altering customs of the English-speaking culture and that of his family. Later in the novel his brothers tell Anthony of the realization that I believe all Hispanics eventually realize when they become older. His brother Gene says â€Å"Were men, Andy, were not boys any longer. We cant be tied down to old dreams. (Anaya 72) Antonio’s brothers had recently returned from the war, it is there that they rea lized the truth of the world and were able to find their identity. A major part of one’s identity involves a system of morals and beliefs which are too influenced though one’s culture and experiences in life. TheShow MoreRelatedCharacter Analysis : Bless Me, Ultima1361 Words   |  6 Pagesourselves. They can expand our thoughts to a multitude of different subjects and force us to be a slave to our dreams, such as facing parental pressure, religious ambivalence and the loss of ones innocence. This is true of Antonio Marez in the novel Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya. Antonio has lost control and begins to succumb to his dreams and loses control of himself. He battles his expectations given to him by his parents and also at the same time has another battle within himself. He is confusedRead MoreBless Me Ultima Character Analysis702 Words   |  3 Pagesunderstand the world through our own perspective. When people do not quite understand, or do not want to, they often misunderstand situations and other people. Humans tend to label e ach other as one thing when they can be something else completely. In Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya, Narciso is misunderstood as just a town drunk when he really is a hero. Lupito has just killed the town sheriff, and all the men are out for his blood. They are searching the bridge and the bushes looking for him when NarcisoRead MoreBless Me Ultima Character Analysis708 Words   |  3 Pages In Bless Me, Ultima! Written by Rudolfo A. Anaya, the main character Antonio is greatly affected by the deaths of three characters in this novel, Lupito, Narciso, and Florence. Their deaths cause Tony to question sin, death, forgiveness, the nature of God, and spiritual identity. Lupito, a war veteran that suffers from Post-traumatic stress disorder, death triggers the questioning of moral sin and afterlife, will he be forgiven because of his sickness from war? Narciso, one of AntoniosRead MoreBless Me Ultima Chicano Literature1592 Words   |  7 PagesIntroductory Paragraph Bless Me, Ultima is a Chicano novel written by Rudolfo Anaya in 1972, which includes a magical realism plot. Chicano literature is especially significant in this novel because it helps create a cultural identity for the main character and his community. The novel talks about a petite boy named Antonio; throughout the book Antonio makes his best efforts to try and find the path to which he belongs, he wants to find answers about who he is and wants to learn a lot more aboutRead MoreThematic Analysis Of Bless Me, Ultima1580 Words   |  7 Pages Thematic Analysis of Conflicts in, Bless me, Ultima Differences in others aid to the stimulation of ideas and opinions that expresses an individual s personality. In Rudolfo Anaya’s bildungsroman, Bless Me, Ultima, the struggle between two families and their extreme differences cause numerous conflicts that are constantly present throughout his novel. In this chicano inspired novel, Antonio Marà ©z, the six year old protagonist, is perpetually faced with instances of dissimilarity throughoutRead More Bless Me, Ultima: The Cultural Distress Of A Young Society Essay example3164 Words   |  13 Pages Bless Me, Ultima: The Cultural Distress of a Young Society An answer to the discussion question of whether or not there is a defined border culture would need a great number of years in field research, but we can also observe a few of the characteristics of such border culture just by looking at scholastic essays and books related to the topic. Within the research that I did, I found a number of scholars who, while defining the border, mention all the specific or special characteristics of thisRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1982 Words   |  8 Pageswelcome and love rather than hypocrisy, racism, and judgement. Task #2: Bless Me, Ultima Whether religious or not, death is a subject that haunts almost everyone with the desire for answers. Antonio Marez in the novel Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya proved this as he was forced to witness and experience the deaths of five people he knew very well. Being born with an excellent sense of spirituality brought him and Ultima, a curandera with extreme healing powers, close together. With Ultima’s guidanceRead MoreAtticus, Scout, And Jem Finch2314 Words   |  10 Pagesraised by Atticus, who passes down his values of equality and righteousness to Scout and her brother Jem. Because she is still growing up, the reader sees and follows as scout learns man lessons about dealing with prejudice by observing the other characters in the story. Scout learns that yielding to prejudice often hurt and cause strife to others and by resisting prejudice we often help others. Hatred and prejudice poison the people they infest. Through her journey and bildungsroman, Scout learnsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Holden Talks With Mr. Spencer Essay1569 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis: This quote is from the part when Holden talks with Mr. Spencer. Since Holden failing all his classes except one, Mr. Spencer is advising Holden about the importance and the impact of his actions in his life. Holden’s perception of adults is depicted when he curses Mr. Spencer in his mind. By nodding silently to Mr. Spencer’s words, Holden actually disrespects adults. We can easily perceive that Holden feels alienated when Mr. Spencer tells him that he is one of those people on â€Å"the otherRead MoreReview Of Yann Martel s Life Of Pi Essay1337 Words   |  6 Pageshurtful. Pi is found, fed, bathed, and taken to a hospital. There, two Japanese men come to question Pi about what caused the Tsimtsum to sink. He tells his story, which they do not believe, so he offers them a more plausible version, with the animal characters replaced by other humans, which casts doubt on t he original story. Throughout the novel, the story is interrupted by the author’s notes on Pi as he is now, telling this story to the author. After recovering in Mexico he went to Canada, where he

The Reality of Love in Antigone - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 682 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/05/20 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Antigone Essay Did you like this example? For many, love is defined by a marriage or a happy family. People picture a high school romance or the affection between their grandparents. Despite these commonly pictured relationships, love is often more complicated than one might think. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Reality of Love in Antigone" essay for you Create order For some, the path love takes can be travelled at the expense of life altering results. Sophocles explores this idea in his play, Antigone, by creating love and death within one family. Although Haimonrs affection is never directly shown on stage, he proves his love for Antigone through his actions and words. The first way in which Haimion demonstrates his feelings for Antigone is by defending her actions to his father. Antigone has buried the body of her brother, which Creon had previously outlawed, and Haimon is informing his father about how the people, himself included, believe this is wrong, [The people] say no woman has ever, so unreasonably,/ Died so shameful a death for a generous act:/ She covered her brotherrs body She should have all the honor that we can give her! (218-219) By defying Creon, Haimon shows he cares more about defending Antigone than respecting his father. Although Haimon is speaking to his father on behalf of the people, not Antigone, he is still demonstrating his devotion towards her because standing up to his father takes courage and a sense of rebellion. By showing these emotions, Haimon highlights his deep, emotional feelings for Antigone. Haimon also confirms his love for Antigone by threatening to kill himself in front of his father. While Creon and Haimon engage in numerous arguments concerning Antigoners punishment of death, Creon states that [Haimon will] never marry [Antigone] while she lives (222). Haimon responds to his father by stating that Antigone, must die.†But her death will cause another (222). His willingness to sacrifice his life for Antigone shows that Haimon cares more about his love interest than his father. This clear devotion is essential to Haimonrs character. Until now, he demonstrated an intense respect for his father. Changing his stance so suddenly proves that Antigone must mean a lot to Haimon. Since he and Creon were discussing Antigoners punishment, the factor that made Haimon change his mind must have been Antigone herself. This suggests that Haimon cares greatly for her. The reader also realizes that Haimon is putting the worth of his life equal, or even above, Antigoners. Haimon implies that if his father decides to kill Antigone, then he will be committing murder to his son as well. A person would only make a claim that drastic if they cared very passionately about what they were sacrificing themselves for. This once again leads the reader to believe that Haimon has feelings for Antigone. A third way Haimon proves his love for Antigone is by killing himself following the death of her. After Antigone is found dead, the messenger brings the news to Creon. He also informs the king about the death of his son, stating that Haimon is dead; and the hand that killed him/ Is his own hand His own, driven mad by the murder his father had done (239). Haimon has killed himself as a result of Antigoners death. Although the reader was introduced to the prospect of Haimonrs suicide, it is now more of a reality rather than a threat. Someone would only choose to die for something if it was important to them, so the fact that Haimon has actually killed himself demonstrates that he is willing to defend Antigone with his life. He would only show this amount of care and passion towards Antigone if he were in love with her. Haimon expresses his feeling of affection for Antigone through his dialogue and actions, rather than it being displayed openly on stage. While these feeling are often associated with happiness and care, people, including Haimon and Antigone, can experience love in an entirely different way which involves having to fight and chase after one another. Although love can often be seen as a challenge or uphill battle, it is important for people to look at it as something great and meaningful in life.

Causes Of Crime Theory Reflection - 1680 Words

Causes of Crime: Theory Reflection There are rarely simple answers when it comes to human behavior. Criminological theories have evolved greatly over the years as new measuring tools have become available, more communication pathways available for researchers to work together, and as the world has changed and advanced in numerous ways. The platform of criminal theories has evolved from primarily focusing on the individual, to looking towards the environmental and social influences, and on to encompass a combination of theories that looks at the many variables within and around individuals. Here I will discuss what I believe are some less relevant theories that attempt to explain crime and their policy implications and then discuss some of the most viable theories from which potentially effective policies can be generated in preventing crime. The routine activities theory suggests that if the opportunity exists, then some individuals will take advantage and commit crimes, as it argues that everyone has the potential to commit crime (Bernard, Snipes, Gerould, 2010, p. 26). It also argues that people have choices as to whether or not they put themselves in certain situations where they could become a victim of criminal behavior (Bernard et al., 2010, p. 26). Supporters of this theory suggest that if we create policies that remove those opportunities and provide oversight then those individuals will not commit crime. For example, commercial businesses that install goodShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Gender And Socio Economic Status1091 Words   |  5 PagesThis essay will analyse the role of the dynamics of gender and socio-economic status to discuss the importance of these two factors to understand crime. Gender and socio-economic status are the ways in which the individuals in a society are classified and judged as; some argue that this is the very cause of inequality (Parker Hefner 2013 p. 224). The gender in this case, does not address the biological definition but it includes the socially constructed model for performing a gender in a societyRead Moresociology internationalist crime deviance1200 Words   |  5 Pagesdo interactionists explain crime? (Labelling Theory) Are offenders different? Interactionists argue that a mistake most perspectives make is that they assume lawbreakers are somehow different from law-abiding people. The labelling theory suggests that most people commit deviant and criminal acts but only come are caught and stigmatised for it. It is for this reason that emphasis should be on understanding the reaction and definition of deviance rather than the causes of the initial act. QuoteRead MoreTaking a Look at the Labeling Theory909 Words   |  4 Pages The labeling theory is one of the critical perspective sociological theories of crime. Labeling theory was the first of the critical perspectives and like the other critical perspectives, it considers defining crime, as well as applying a label to those who commit what is defined as a crime to be problematic. Among the issues addressed by labeling theory are defining deviance based on primary deviance through implementing a label on the offender, discrimination by formal institutions, as well asRead MoreTheories Of Marxist Theory And Conflict Theory1066 Words   |  5 PagesMany theories have interrelated theories and derive from one another. Marxist theory has connection with labeling theory and conflict theory. Marxist theory and conflict theory explains law and criminal justice but does not oversee multi-groups conflict of society (Akers 2017). Marxist theory is a sociological model which is based on con flict of classes (Akers 2017). Marx viewed the industrial society or capitalist society from a macro point of view. Marxism is also a conflict theory, believing thatRead MoreOutline and Evaluate Marxist Theories on Crime1431 Words   |  6 PagesOutline and assess Marxist explanations of crime and deviance.    In looking at the Marxist explanation of crime and deviance one must also look to the non-sociologist explanations and those of other different groups in order to come to an informed view of the subject.    The non-sociologist definition of crime and deviance would be that deviance is uncommon behaviour, something that offends the morals or the majority of society, without being harmful or serious enough to be criminal. WhereasRead MoreThe Criminal Mind by Dr. Adrian Raine676 Words   |  3 Pagesneurocriminology (which is, interestingly enough, so new and developing that the word cannot yet be found in the dictionary). According to Dr. Raine, the field of neurocriminology can be described as â€Å"using neuroscience to understand and prevent crime.† Dr. Raine discusses the theory of neurocriminology by explaining the relationship between genetics and the environment, and the effect these have on an individual’s brain, thus creating violent tendencies within that individual. The second half of the article focusesRead MoreBiological and Classical School1265 Words   |  6 Pagesunderstanding social behavior of criminals. The members of this school used the approach to t he study of crime, which became known as criminology. Positivists saw behavior as determined by its biological, psychological, and social traits (Williams McShane, 2009). This paper will compare and contrast the Biology/Biosocial theory of the Positive School theory of crime and the Classical School theory of crime. Positive School The Positive School began around the late nineteenth century. Auguste Comte,Read MoreCriminology, Crj 3680 Your Theory Of Crime1689 Words   |  7 PagesSolivà ¡n April 19, 2016 Criminology, CRJ 3680 Your Theory of Criminality Social process theory and more Crime comes in all shapes and forms. Some people define crime as breaking the rules defined by society; other people define it as breaking the laws established by society. The key difference in this assertion is that rules like General Douglas Mac ArthurRead MoreCriminology And The Social Theory Essay1726 Words   |  7 Pagessocial theories for the onset of criminal activity), law (such as drug laws and government strategies to overcome street crimes) and sociology (such as the deviance amplification model). The collaboration between various disciplines and experts within the field means the complexity of crime is valued highly. Jock Young, ‘In Praise of Dangerous Thoughts: a Review’ explains how criminology aids the ability to look at criminal behaviour in a micro sense as ‘an intricate understanding of crime initiatesRead MoreCriminological Theories Help Professionals Better Understand Why Individuals Commit Crimes1375 Words   |  6 PagesCriminological theo ries help professionals better understand why individuals commit crimes. The hope is that by gaining a better understanding of why people commit crimes, we can help prevent them better in the future. Currently, there are several different theories that individuals have claimed to be the reason for criminal behavior. Some of those theories include classical, neoclassical, biological, sociological, psychological, social, choice or strain. Each theory, while sometimes intertwined

Light Emitting Diode Free Essays

LIGHT EMITTING DIODES Light Emitting Diodes are electronic components that use the flow of electrons to excite materials into emitting photons of light. A diode is a basic electronic component that allows electricity to flow one way only. The discovery of â€Å"light emitting† diodes we believe was an accident sometime around 1907 when a diode in an early radio transmitter was noticed to glow when in use. We will write a custom essay sample on Light Emitting Diode or any similar topic only for you Order Now Incandescent bulbs use resistance in a filament to impede the flow of electricity, heating up to a degree which emits light. It takes high amounts of energy to do this and the filament burns out in time and high levels of wasted energy are given off in the form of heat. Quite a â€Å"green† product from a manufacturing and chemical/recyclable point of view. CFL â€Å"energy savers†, fluorescent tubes and many other conventional lamps use higher frequency alternating current to excite harmful chemicals to emit light. One 5 foot 1,5meter tube contains enough mercury to contaminate a swimming pool. Billions have been dumped into waste disposal. Heavy metal poisons have a cumulative effect. In the long term these cannot be a â€Å"fix† for the energy crisis we face today. They are poisoning our earth and also us directly through the food chain and locally with emission of harmful UV. So â€Å"Energy savers† are in the writers opinion very dangerous and should be banned. Aquifers for example may soon be or may already have been rendered unusable. Cape Town for example has water shortages in summer, but our municipal uncontrolled dumps are sitting on top of these aquifers. With poison being cumulative up the food chain, we worry about the safety of this water. A lot of our vegetables are grown in this area, using this aquifer water. Has this water or these vegetables been tested? LED lighting uses less energy than most other lighting sources, with current commercially available product generation producing 90 or more lumens per watt and doing so with a good power factor. Initial start up current is not high so production capacity of electricity can be reduced. Led lighting can give the illusion of natural light and thus the lit area may not be so obvious as with the predominantly yellow wash from other technologies. However, this warm effect can be created with the appropriate (warm) colour scale choice of LED. (Kelvin scale) LED lamps can be made to any specific colour from infra-red to ultra violet for specific requirement. For example, the pure white, 5000-6000K or daylight white 6000-7000k (slightly blue to look at) will greatly enhance viewing of detail, help old tired eyes with reading and greatly improves CCTV camera image quality. The limited white light band emitted by LED luminaries with very little long wavelength red light content, does not reflect off glass for example so that CCTV cameras will view inside of vehicles for example. Visual quality control of food products and manufactured goods is enhanced. Finishing lines for the automotive industry will clearly show up any blemishes for example. LED useful life span is longer than most other forms of lighting. Actually LED lifespan is governed more by the mains power supply conversion components that drive them. The LED component should be good for 50 000 hours with acceptable loss of output , however the lamp will be limited by the lifespan of the driver which is likely to be 20 to 30 000 hours. The driver converts your input mains Alternating Current to Direct Current. The led itself being a diode, runs on low DC voltage. I prefer constant voltage power supplies to drive LED’s as opposed to constant current drivers. Constant current drivers are a little more energy efficient but we have found in practice that they cause the LED to run too hot for our liking and in some circumstances don’t switch the current fast enough and pop the led. Constant voltage â€Å"switch mode† power supplies have a wide input voltage tolerance, are very efficient and have internal short circuit, temperature and overload protection circuits with automatic recovery. Conventional low voltage down lights for example mostly use copper wound transformers. Output voltage of transformers follow the input voltage. These type of transformers are around 50% efficient so it takes approx 75watts to run a 50watt lamp. This could be replaced by a 6watt LED lamp that would use 7watts taking the power supply in to account. Power factor would be improved. LED’s run extremely cool relative to â€Å"conventional† lamps so can also save on air conditioning. A fluorescent or incandescent lamp in a fridge is effectively having a fire inside a fridge. High power LED’s do run hotter, but not nearly as hot as metal halide, fluorescent, HPS or incandescent. LED lamps are recyclable and contain no harmful toxins. In addition to this the manufacturing process of this produces less carbon emissions than some other older type of lamps. No hazardous substance disposal procedure required. They will have relatively high recycle value and can achieve Restriction of Hazardous Substances certification. The light output is colour specific, which does not degrade over time. Unlike most other light sources, they emit very low levels of harmful UV and infra-red rays. For food processing areas, our lamps, if broken, will not contaminate the area and can be made with PVC or poly carbonate covers so no broken glass issues either. (food production plants) LED is available in many guises, so most of your old fittings can be retrofitted with LED to minimize cost and waste. (tubes, bulkheads, downlights etc) LED lighting is directional, so light pollution in to neighbouring areas can be contained. This also allows for much lower power for example in the case of reading lamps. (task lighting). Less confusion blinding night creatures, less attraction and little or no killing of insects. The Earth Power team appeals to you to support the growing LED lighting industry which is open to all, unlike the â€Å"conventional† lighting industry which is dominated by wealthy giant corporations who all helped in getting us in to this trouble in the first place. We have been working with LED technology specifically for 4 years now and have identified many top quality reliable products and technologies. These products exceed our expectations and do more than just the job in hand. This technology has leaped in the last few years and continues to move forward. Our dedicated team consists of the founder with 35years owned business experience in the electronics industry an experienced QS , our marketing relationship manageress with a legal degree and our in-training technicians and support staff. EarthPower has quickly become a strong well know brand. We may not be the first to offer LED lighting in South Africa, but we are one of the pioneers and with 4 years dedication, one of the most experienced. Remember, we are all the incumbent custodians of our planet. How to cite Light Emitting Diode, Essay examples

Of Mice and Men Analysis Essay Example For Students

Of Mice and Men Analysis Essay John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men draws upon the economic hardships and struggles of the 1930s in America, as the Great Depression. During this period of time, there was a massive surge in the level of unemployment and poverty as the result of the closure of many banks, factories and farms. Throughout the novel, the reader is given a feel of the harshness of this period through Steinbecks use of various literary techniques to develop the characters, themes and plot of the novel. Imagery plays a key role in the development of the characters, plot and themes of the novel, particularly through the description of characters and their environment. In the early pages of chapter 1, Steinbeck gives a very vivid portrayal of George and Lennies physical characteristics, the two characters that the novel primarily focuses on. Words that automatically catch the readers attention during Georges introduction include restless eyes, sharp, strong features and Every part of him was defined (Chapter 1, page 2). The use of these words by Steinbeck help in defining Georges character whilst at the same time, compliment his significance in the play. Lennies introduction into the novel however, portrays him as the complete opposite in all ways to George through use of words such as shapeless and large, with regards to his size and appearance. The word shapeless as against the word defined, can be said to represent and express the lack of depth Lennie has a character in the play, due to his rather simple minded nature and childish antics, such as his desire to pet anything that catches his attention. Also through metaphorical comparisons made between Lenny and a bear in page 2 (sloping shoulders, dragging his feet a little), the theme of nature is brought about, in relation to his innocence and simplicity. The theme of nature is also portrayed through continuous reference to animals and their movements, such as the rabbits in chapter 1 who are also metaphorically compared to grey sculptures, adding to a sense of peace and stillness in the environment. Lennie is also portrayed as having a rather poor memory, as evidenced in page 4 of chapter 1 where he asks Where we heading George?. The Letts explore literature guide (Stewart Martin 1994), comments that Steinbeck makes use of Lennies memory as an excuse to provide the reader with background information regarding the pairs previous job in a place called Weed. The words restless eyes, can be said to reflect Georges frustration with having to constantly look for work whilst taking care of Lennie, who is generally responsible for the pairs constant search for a job, and to whom George openly confesses his frustration through the lines, When I think of the swell time I could have without you, I go nuts (Chapter 1 page 13). In spite of this George cares a lot for Lennie, as seen in Chapter 3, where he confesses to Slim about how he himself use to bully Lennie, before a terrible incident where Lennie was nearly drowned. Language also contributes to the development of theme, plot and character in the novel. The majority of the characters in the novel are shown to use shortened versions of modern words such and, little or fooling, as well as words that maybe considered improper or slang such as scummy. Steinbeck deliberately does this to reflect the manner in which a majority of people in this time spoke adding a sense of realism to the novel, as well as reflecting the educational and social backgrounds of the characters. Dialogue in the novel helps to convey to the reader some of the major issues in the play, which are often symbolized by a number of characters individually or as a group. One such example of this is the theme of loneliness as symbolized by Crooks. Crooks is a character who suffers both socially and physically as a result of his racial background, and an injury he suffered from a horse kicking him in the back. As a result of this, the room he occupies is off limits to everyone else on the farm, as they seem to do nothing but mistreat him, however Lennie in his usual simple-minded behavior, unintentionally trespasses Crooks territory. Crooks initially orders Lennie out of the room, considering him to be no different from the other ranch hands in the farm, although he later invites him to sit down after realizing he has no bad intentions. EMANUEL KAKAOUNAKIS EssayLater in the story George once again puts his new found friends in front of the obligation to take care of his best friend in the entire world.While George is outside playing horseshoes with all of his coworkers from the ranch he lets Lennie wander around and do as he wishes, which he knows can lead to trouble.While outside having fun with the others he never even seems to worry about where his traveling partner is or what he is doing.George is preoccupied with his other life, the one spent away from Lennie and his responsibilities. When George finds out that his neglecting to supervise Lennie has led to a tragedy he never once blames himself. If he would have been watching Lennie and taking care of him as he promised to do, none of this would have happened and nobody would be dead.Now, due to Georges lack of loyalty to Lennie and his promise to take care of him, Lennie is doomed to suffer the consequences of an action that could have been prevented had he not been left alone. George knows that the workers from the ranch will kill Lennie when they find him and gives only a half-hearted effort to try to persuade them from pursuing this act of destruction and murder. As the story closes, George, in a somewhat noble act of kindness, makes the effort to find Lennie before any of the workers from the ranch can. He has a choice to make after he finds Lennie: he can run away and hide as he has done in the past, therefore insuring the safety of his onetime closest companion, or he can take Lennies life himself.Due to his lack of loyalty to Lennie and his selfishness he chooses to take Lennies life.It is significant to the story how George decides to kill his friend.He does not even give Lennie a chance to get away from his pursuers but instead he shoots him in the back of the head just like what had been done to Candys dog. After all of the loyalty and love that both of these creatures had given to their respective friends, both of the superior creatures decide that they dont need them any more and choose to end the dominated creatures lives in a less than honorable manner.When given the chance to gain something that he wanted, George chose to alienate and kill his most loyal friend in the world in the same manner that dogs and other less than human creatures are disposed of when they are no longer needed.This display of Georges animalistic nature when presented the chance for advancement in life shows that loyalty, when put to the test, is never as strong as the persons desire to achieve his own dreams. Although Steinbeck is not trying to say that you can never trust the people that you call your friends, he is saying to be careful of those who call you a friend but only think of themselves while saying it.Even after spending the majority of his life calling Lennie a friend, George still betrayed him for the chance to become who he wanted to be.The animalistic nature of people tends to come out when they have the chance to seize what they believe is rightfully ours. So dont trust everyone who can trust you because everyone has got an agenda in life that shows us where they want to be.If you stand in the way of obtaining their goal they may be likely to step over you to get to it. As George has showed us, the human trait of loyalty can become very weak if put through the test of time, so avoid trying to test it so that you may not end up as Lennie did, being treated no better than an old mans dog.