Marxist Theory and Oedipus the King Essay - 1339 Words

Marxist Theory and Oedipus the King The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles (Marx and Engels 2). This excerpt, taken from Karl Marxs and Friedrich Engels The Communist Manifesto, explains the two primary classes found throughout most of Europe during the era of the Industrial Revolution. These classes were the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The former were known as the exploiters and the latter as the exploited. The wealth, power, and prestige of the bourgeoisie, acquired mostly from their control of institutions, industries, and means of production, enabled them to force upon the proletariat their economic, political, and religious ideologies. These are the same ideologies†¦show more content†¦(E.g. Oedipus the king, Jocasta the queen, and Creon, the kings proxy, all belong to this upper class division.) These high-ranked officials rule the citys people directly whereas the gods rule them indirectly. That being said, the lower class then consists of those being ruled over, the citizens. This two-class system perceived throughout the play holds distinct similarities to the bourgeoisie and the proletariat of the Industrial Revolution. Oedipus Tyrannus is a perpetual class struggle in that one of the two classes is constantly with some type of conflict. At the start of the play, for instance, the lower class is suffering plague and pollution. Although not revealed at first, this plague is caused by the actions of the upper class, much like how most of the proletariats troubles are a direct result of the actions of the bourgeoisie. The lower class suffers inevitably due to their exploitation by the upper class. The upper class, being the more powerful and controlling class, is able to influence the lower class with their political, economic, and religious ideologies. As stated earlier, these common ideologies are what cause the citizens to be loyal to their rulers. This is possibly the reason as to why the citizens of Thebes are able to confront Oedipus and ask for his help to rid them ofShow MoreRelated Oedipus the King - Exploited or Exploiter? Essay915 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus the King - Exploited or Exploiter?      Ã‚  Ã‚   Great thinkers throughout history have contrived intricate theories of social order. By applying these particular ideologies to literature, we as readers are able to see a great work through the eyes of one or many of historys most celebrated philosophers. Sophocles Oedipus the King has been open to many interpretations. With its intricate plot, archetypical tragic character, and lofty social issues, Oedipus the King provides for virtuallyRead MoreEssay on Colonial Oppression of Women1123 Words   |  5 Pagespower relationships are usually portrayed. Colonial and Postcolonial studies among other critical approaches provide a suitable critical discourse to analyze this issue in literary works. Feminist discourses share many similarities with postcolonial theory and for this reason the two fields have long been associative, even complimentary; both discourses are predominantly political and concern with the struggle against oppression and injustice. Moreover both reject the established hierarchical, patriarchalRead MoreCleanth Brookss Essay Irony as a Principle of Structure9125 Words   |  37 Pagescultural and critical theory library Open source archive of ebooks, texts, videos, documentary films and podcasts Pages * Home * List of major critical theorists * What is Critical theory ? * What is Frankfurt School ? * Support Critical Theory Library * Contact This Blog This Blog  Ã‚  Ã‚   |    | ------------------------------------------------- Top of Form Bottom of Form    Home  » texts  » History amp; Class Consciousness: Preface by Georg Lukà ¡cs (1923) Thursday, February 3, 2011Read More Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Theory and Practice Essay2862 Words   |  12 PagesMacbeth and Lady Macbeth in Theory and Practice    Shakespeares Macbeth has been the subject of scholarly research in terms of ambition, politics, and sexuality. The most predominant analysis is that of the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This relationship in theory is full of sexual innuendo, maternal power, gender transgression, and violence. In reading multiple essays on the psychological nature of the relationship one question came to mind: to what extent are the charactersRead MoreExistentialism vs Essentialism23287 Words   |  94 Pagesthat things have a set of characteristics that make them what they are, amp; that the task of science and philosophy is their discovery amp; expression; the doctrine that essence is prior to existence While, Existentialism:A philosophical theory or approach, that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free amp; responsible agent, determining their own development through acts of the will. Existentialism * is a philosophical term which posits that individuals create

Amy Tan Cultural Identity - 1636 Words

Although the popular insult â€Å"uncultured swine† is wildly amusing, it can never actually be true. Everyone has a cultural identity that is shaped by factors such as heritage, upbringing, education, and personal experience. Since these are defining aspects of a person’s life, it is no surprise that the cultural identity borne from these factors have a huge impact on his point of view. One’s culture greatly influences the way one views others and the world. In the short story â€Å"Two Kinds† by Amy Tan, the differences in the cultural identities of Jing-mei and her mother greatly impacts their perspectives and attitudes. Due to their divergent cultural identities, Jing-mei and her mother have opposing views on Jing-mei’s abilities and†¦show more content†¦Consequently, she did not know the range of opportunities that were present in America and took them for granted, unlike her mother, who recognized and pushed her daughter toward them. More than anything, Jing-mei wanted to be her own self, not what her mother wanted her to be despite having Jing-mei’s best interests at heart, both the result of their generational and cultural divide. Her careless perspective on life resulting from her American identity are strongly juxtaposed with her mother’s hard-working and optimistic views. Furthermore, Tan describes when the pair’s brewing tension due to their cultural differences culminate when Jing-m ei refuses to practice after a failed performance and her mother yells, â€Å"Only two kinds of daughters†¦ those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter!†(67). This defining moment clearly lays out the obvious divide between the cultures of Jing-mei and her mother. Jing-mei has been greatly influenced by the individualistic, independent ways of the United States, whereas her mother has retained her more traditionally Chinese values of respect and obedience. The â€Å"two kinds† of daughters represent the two cultures that Jing-mei and her mother embody, and how these differences influence their separate views on their place in the world. Jing-mei’s mother believed that if a person worked hard enough,Show MoreRelatedAmy Tan Chinese Cultural Identity1615 Words   |  7 Pagesnovel, Amy Tan s parents adopted a pluralistic identity. According to E. D. Huntley: Daisy and John Tan continued to cling to many elements of the culture of their homeland, living essentially insular life and socializing mainly with the members of California s Chinese community, although their ambitions for their children included a certain degree of Americanization. (2) Despite the fact that Amy TanRead MoreAmy Tan: A Brief Biography757 Words   |  3 PagesAmy Tan is an American Chinese writer most notably known for her critically acclaimed novel The Joy Luck Club, amongst many others. Amy Ruth Tan was born on February 19, 1952, in Oakland California to John and Daisy Tan. Both of Amy’s parents were Chinese immigrants who fled from China to escape hardships. Amy’s mother, Daisy, divorced her abusive husband and left behind three daughters before immigrating to the United States and marrying Amy’s father, John. The marriage produced three children,Read MoreAmy Tan s The Joy Luck Club1385 Words   |  6 Pages Amy Tan s The Joy Luck Club Mona A. M. Ahmed Zagazig University, Egypt The purpose of this paper is to investigate pluralism, acculturation and assimilation in Amy Tan s novel The Joy Luck Club (1989), a finalist for the National Award, and a recipient of the 1990 Bay Area Book Reviewers award for fiction. Amy Tan (1952- ) is a Chinese American novelist; she is the daughter of John Tan, a Chinese electricalRead MoreAmy Tan Overcoming Faulty Relationships and Self Identity Essay1514 Words   |  7 PagesAmy Tan struggled with many issues caused by her dual cultures, which she expressed thoroughly in her works. Daisy and John Tan were post war immigrants and the parents of Amy Tan (Amy Tan). Tan was given the Chinese name An-Mei, which stands for blessings from America (McCarthy). To them she was the blessing that they had received after their own struggles. Tan’s father came to America after WWII to become a minister (Amy Tan). Even though it seemed like Tan’s life was running smoothly tragedy struckRead MoreThe Two Kinds By Amy Tan1272 Words   |  6 Pagessecond generation immigrants, experience a cultural conflict between that of their parents and that of mainstream U.S. society† (Wikipedia 1). Amy Tan the author of â€Å"Two Kinds†, and the young character in the story both are a second generation immigrants, who have struggled in their life with parents, about the culture they assimilating and their real culture. In the â€Å"Two Kinds† story the author illustrates the struggle between her American cultural identity, and her mother’s Chinese culture, as likeRead More The Search for Identity1422 Words   |  6 PagesThe Search for Identity in â€Å"It’s Hard Enough Being Me† by Anna Lisa Raya, â€Å"Who Will Light Incense When Mother’s Gone† by Andrew Lam, and â€Å"Two Kinds† by Amy Tan Identity in America is becoming a worldwide issue for everyone who has immigrated here. In the three essays that I have looked at, I have seen the same issue being discussed. It is the theme of being treated differently and looked at differently. The stories talk about how children come from different areas from the world and try to fitRead MoreMother Tongue by Amy Tan Essay1070 Words   |  5 PagesIdentity and Culture Amy Tan’s ,â€Å"Mother Tongue† and Maxine Kingston’s essay, â€Å"No Name Woman† represent a balance in cultures when obtaining an identity in American culture.   As first generation Chinese-Americans both Tan and Kingston faced many obstacles. Obstacles in language and appearance while balancing two cultures. Overcoming these obstacles that were faced and preserving heritage both women gained an identity as a successful American. In the work of Amy Tan’s â€Å"Mother’s Tongue† she providesRead MoreAnalysis Of Two Kinds By Amy Tan1567 Words   |  7 Pages One of the most complex relationships is that of a mother and daughter. Amy Tan is an author who writes about her life growing up as an Asian-American in Chinatown. Her novel The Joy Luck Club is a series of short stories about Chinese mothers and their assimilated daughters. One of these stories is â€Å"Two Kinds,† which looks into the life of Jing-Mei Woo and her struggle to gain a sense of self. Some key themes in The Joy Luck Club are the generational and intercultural differences among Chinese-AmericanRead MoreAmy Tan s The Joy Luck Club And The Kitchen God s Wife Essay1609 Words   |  7 PagesFebruary 25, 2016 LWA: Amy Tan Born on February 19, 1952, in Oakland, California, Amy Tan is introduced to the world as an American novelist. Amy Tan is known for being a worldwide artist, as she published two of her famous novels, The Joy Luck Club and The Kitchen God’s Wife. Often, people would think that successful people had a great start at a young age; yet, Amy Tan had experienced a rough childhood until she later became successful. Both of her parents, John and Daisy Tan, are Chinese immigrantsRead MoreHanif Kureishis My Son the Fanatic and Amy Tans Two Kinds: Modern Cultural Theme of Dual and Transitional Identity745 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿ In a world which is only now beginning to emerge from the shackles of colonialism, both former empires and the nations once subdued by their hegemony have entered a transitional period defined by uncertainty and the loss of collective identity. Compounding matters is the delicate balance that expatriates from former colonies turned independent countries, suc h as Pakistan, India, and Hong Kong, must seek to achieve while residing in the former motherland of Great Britain. For the most ambitious

Inquiring Into the Essay the Language of War free essay sample

The Language of War 1. Yes, he has a point, but does this make it right? Does becoming a George Washington in your own country make it right to come to another country and kill them? In my opinion, no, it doesn’t. Both people are in the wrong in some ways, but Washington seems to have more of a right. He tried to bring peace and didn’t really like killing. Mohammed said killing was life and that you have to. 2. I think he was claiming that the people killed in 9/11 was nothing to the people, but for the war on America, and that he was a hero to his country. 3. Because he is fighting for his country, he is a hero. We will write a custom essay sample on Inquiring Into the Essay the Language of War or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Because his people look down on killing, he says that he has to. Because laws have exceptions, we flex them to do as so. Just because he is fighting for his country does not mean he is a hero. He could be fighting for only half his country, but in most cases, it’s not the whole of the people you are fighting for. There are always two sides. 4. I didn’t have a problem, for I always come into an essay with a fresh mind to the problem, especially if I know the genre of such work. I do believe he is right, and that war is between two countries, and the people are just messages, and are meant for business, not on a personal level.

What Makes a Hero free essay sample

What makes a hero is ability to help out in their community. Heroes are those who put their life on the line in 911. Those people where true heroes. If I ask you to list some heroes in your heart, I bet you can list a lot. Yes, there are many heroes near or distant from us. But if I ask you what a â€Å"hero† is, what will you say? Its a kind of hard to give a definition, isnt it? When I check on the dictionary, it says a hero is a person who distinguished by courage, noble deeds, and outstanding achievements and so on. I wont say I disagree with that, but it misses something here. To be a hero, you do need to be brave to make differences, but you also need a full-love heart. For this part I chose the topic of 911 the Vietnam War. We will write a custom essay sample on What Makes a Hero or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 911: thousand s of people were killed September 11th 2001. At 9:45 the towers fell and were in action. Soon the other tower fell. It wasn’t until 12 years after the incident happened that they found the person in charge. That person was Osama bin laden. He was shot and killed in his complex home. The heroes in this story were president Obama and the marines. Vietnam War: Those people were heroes. All of these heroes gave up their lives for our freedom. If they weren’t able to fight in that war I would not writing this now. Thousands of people died just to save our lives. The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other anti-communist countries. The Viet Cong (also known as the National Liberation Front, or NLF), a lightly armed South Vietnamese communist-controlled common front, largely fought a guerrilla war against anti-communist forces in the region. I had nice time writing about this. I choose this topic because heroes are very important. I would want to be a hero because heroes are the best things in the world. Heroes are even little kids. In my words heroes are the 8th wonder of the world. Without heroes the world wouldn’t be the way it is now. Heroes are the best thing in the world. That is why I chose the topic what makes a hero. I really enjoyed doing this project.