The eNotes Blog Night and 10 Other Must-ReadMemoirs

Night and 10 Other Must-ReadMemoirs While  Nobel  Peace Prize recipient  Elie  Wiesel  penned  several  autobiographies and works of fiction, his  best-known work is  Night- a memoir based  on his experiences as a prisoner in WWII  concentration camps, specifically  Auschwitz and Buchenwald. A harrowing read  offering a  firsthand account of one of  our  worlds most tragic  time periods, Night  helped shine a light on the Holocaust and to this day is regarded as one of the worlds most important works of literature. A fact that is not as widely known as the work itself is that  Night is part one of a trilogy:  Night,  Dawn, and  Day.  Each book focuses on specific parts of Wiesels transformative renaissance- darkness to light, horror to healing. With  Night, we know of Wiesels intent: I wanted to show the end, the finality of the event. Everything came to an end- man, history, literature, religion, God. There was nothing left. And yet we begin again with night. For the trilogys subsequent works, Wiesel took a different approach, saying, In Night it is the ‘I who speaks. In the other two, it is the ‘I who listens and questions. The final book,  Day (not a memoir but a work of  fiction), completes the transformation arc: an injured man reflects on his relationships and experiences during WWII and comes to grips with his survival and the deaths of loved ones. Memoirs, like Night, offer a clear window into the thoughts and experiences of others, especially those who write them. They are also a subgenre of autobiography- though the exact categorizations of memoir and autobiography are a bit fuzzy and at times almost entirely overlapping. Essentially, a memoir is autobiographical, while not all autobiographies meet the criteria  for a memoir. Loosely, autobiographies will encompass the subjects entire lifespan, whereas memoirs- depending on the work- tend to be more flexible and focused on a specific point in time or subject matter, like WWII. Though there has been some debate over the years about  Nights designation as a memoir, most publishers agree that the story speaks to Wiesels personal experiences- something we can all learn from. Night  will surely live on as part of the historical canon and as a must-read memoir for generations to come. Keep reading for ten more memorable, must-read memoirs handpicked by our staff. Some are new, some are old, and many you may not have heard of just yet (but should definitely check out now!). 1. When Breath Becomes Air Paul Kalanithis poignant memoir When Breath Becomes Air recounts his fight against Stage IV lung cancer. A brilliant medical student, Kalanithi had a bright future in neurosurgery ahead of him when he received his diagnosis. His New York Times op-ed How Long Have I Got Left? led him to write this memoir. Continue reading When Breath Becomes Air summary → 2. The Lost Boy The Lost Boy is the sequel to Dave Pelzers bestselling memoir A Child Called It.  The story opens in Daly City, California in 1973, when Davids teachers call the police to report their suspicions of child abuse.  Continue reading The Lost Boy summary → 3. Between the World and Me Between the World and Me is a book-length letter from author Ta-Nehisi Coates to his fifteen-year-old son, Samori. It was written shortly after his son learned that Michael Browns killers would go free- the same year that Tamir Rice and Eric Garner were killed by police officers. Coates wanted to explain to his son what it means to be a black man in America.  Continue reading Between the World and Me summary → 4. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis Hillbilly Elegy is J. D. Vances illuminating memoir of life in Appalachia, a region of the Eastern United States stretching from Alabama in the South to New York in the North. Appalachia used to be an industrial haven, home to the coal and steel industries, but the decline in manufacturing has resulted in widespread economic hardship.  Continue reading Hillbilly Elegy  summary → 5. Man’s Search for Meaning In Mans Search for Meaning, psychologist Victor Frankl draws on his experiences in Auschwitz to develop his method of logotherapy. In the concentration camp, he discovered that the desire to find meaning is essential to the human experience. He uses this knowledge in his psychoanalytic practice.  Continue reading Mans Search for Meaning  summary → 6. The Fire Next Time James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, according to writer William Styron, is â€Å"one of the great documents of the twentieth century.† It articulates the anger, frustration, and hope felt by African Americans during the 1960s. The two essays composing this work were published in 1963, selling more than one million copies, making Baldwin- according to The New York Times- the widest read African American writer of his time.  Continue reading The Fire Next Time summary → 7. The Story of My Life In The Story of My Life, author and activist Helen Keller recounts her early education with Anne Sullivan from the Perkins Institute for the Blind. An illness left Keller deaf and blind at eighteen months, and shes unable to communicate until Sullivan teaches her the manual alphabet.  Continue reading The Story of My Life  summary → 8. The Last Lecture In The Last Lecture, professor Randy Pausch expands on a speech that he delivered at Carnegie Mellon University in September 2007. Pausch, who had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, addressed his book primarily to young adults and children hoping to fulfill their dreams.  Continue reading The Last Lecture  summary → 9. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou recounts the story of her life up to the birth of her child. Though she faces many hardships in her life, including being raped and living in a junkyard, shes able to find love and happiness as a mother.  Continue reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings  summary → 10. This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen In his introduction to the English translation of This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen, Jan Kott writes of Tadeusz Borowskis decision to render his Auschwitz stories in the first person: The identification of the author with the narrator was the moral decision of a prisoner who had lived through Auschwitz- an acceptance of mutual responsibility, mutual participation, and mutual guilt for the concentration camp.  Continue reading This Way for the Gas  summary →

Torsion Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Torsion - Lab Report Example Fenner and other (1984) indicated that the modulus of rigidity is given by the ratio of stress to shear strain often represented mathematically as ?/?. As widely cited, modulus of rigidity is essential in measuring the material’s shear stiffness and it is known to be analogous to Young’s modulus for any elastic behaviour in compression or tension (Benham, Crawford & Armstrong, 1996). Given that a ductile material component useful in providing shear, an individual need to note that the maximum shear stress is safety, which is less than the materials yield shear stress (?y). However, a brittle material the criterion of failure is based upon its tensile stress (Gere &Timoshenko, 1984). Research indicate that the theory of torsion often give the torque in form of rotation as (1) The equation 1 above is often derived from Hooke’s law and it is also valid for the shear stresses though somewhat lower than shearing proportional limit (Case, Chilver & Ross, 1993). In a so lid circular section, it has been outlined mathematically that the polar second moment of the area of cross section is given by equation (2) (Ryder, 1969) (2) This implies that from (1), it can be shown that the maximum shear stress, that occurs at r = d/2, is provided by equation (3) (3) This experiment deals with determining yield shear stress along with the modulus of rigidity for the specimen of brass and mild steel of a circular cross section. Apparatus In this experimental set up, there were various sets of apparatus used. Among them were the torsion machine, a torsion bar, a gearbox, a torque meter, two protractors, a counter, and a hand-wheel. This way, a torsion machine was used for carrying out a test involving a specimen that was accommodated within the socket at each end. The 60:1 reduction gearbox served the purpose of manually applying the angular displacement at the left- hand side. The torsion bar was essential in this experiment given that it was used for measuring the torque when at right-side with a torque meter being used for reading digital data. The two protractors listed above were vital in this experiment since they were used for purposes of measuring the rotation of the specimen. They were placed at the gearbox, in which case, one was placed at the input hand wheel along side a 6 degrees scale, while the second gearbox was placed at the specimen shaft at 360 degrees scale. The counter, on the other hand, was used in providing the number of revolutions each of which might be zeroed. Last but not least, the hand-wheel placed at the torque meter assembly was used in returning the right-hand of the given specimen back to the original position. Procedure It is worth enlisting that this lab exercise involved 2 experiments: experiment 1 and experiment 2. This implies that there were specific procedures for specific experimental set up. In experiment 1, which involved determining the modulus of rigidity G for brass and mild steel, the procedur e for the experiment involved the following steps. 1. The diameter of the each of the cylindrical portion of the specimen was measured. 2. Using the level, the torque meter hand-wheel was adjusted in ensuring that the torsion bar, as well as the deflection bar is maintained close to and as parallel as possible. 3. The dial gauge was then set to zero through rotating the outer bezel. 4. The specimen was then accommodated in the right hand hexagonal

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 45

Journal - Essay Example Additionally, the title of the article depicts that the story given by Roosi has not yet been validated. This is because of the use of the phrase â€Å"woman says† (Watkins & Almasy 1). On the other hand, the contents of the article are well detailed and include quotations from Roosi and Richard Quest and statements from the Malaysian Airlines. The article has an embedded video with a slide show of the pictures taken by Roosi and her friend at the cockpit in 2011 with Hamid. The article employs a relatively formal language. It quotes the words â€Å"A Current Affair† and â€Å"Piers Morgan Live† to imply that the reader will categorize them as referring to television programs. The tone of the article is apathetic as there is little concern over the matter raised on the conduct of the Malaysian Airlines pilots and the article does not offer recommendations that may assist in averting such an incident in the future. Watkins, Tom, and Steve Almasy. "Jonti Roos says she flew in cockpit with missing pilot." CNN. CNN, 12  Feb.  2014. Web. 12  Mar.  2014.

Cedar Point Amusement Park Essay Example for Free

Cedar Point Amusement Park Essay When I lived in Michigan, one of my fondest memories was going to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. We lived over 3 hours away so it was a perfect day trip. When we reached Cedar Point Road, Lake Eerie was to the right and along the horizon seventeen roller coasters stood high as sky scrapers. As we entered the park we were greeted by Snoopy and the Peanuts gang. The park was soon filled with children laughing, parents pushing strollers, and adrenaline junkies looking for the next thrill. As the aroma of sugar candy coated apples filled the air, we dashed to the snack shop for candied apples and cotton candy. We enjoyed our sugary treats on the Giant Wheel which is known as North Americas largest Ferries Wheel. Coming off the Giant Wheel we find ourselves entering Snoopy town, where Snoopy and the gang entertained the audience with music and dance. As the show ended, we decided it was time to ride some coasters. The first coaster we rode was the world’s fastest coaster the Top Thrill Dragster which slingshot us from 0 to 120 mph in less than 4 seconds and in 15 seconds we were spiraled up 420 feet and back down to the finish line. We soon found ourselves wet on Shoot the Rapids the wettest water coaster that took us up and splashed us down. It was refreshing as the temperature was rising. Now we were at the end of the park and to our amazement stood the world’s largest wooden roller coaster. Its handsome and elegant architecture was admirable to look at. Aboard this coaster we were rocketed through the hills and turns, just like life, full of ups and downs. Above all Cedar Point Amusement Park is fun for all ages. It clearly left me with a lifetime of memories, to return home to Maui and share with loved ones.

Fascades of Current Society Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout history women, men, and children have all felt the pressures and manipulations by the media through some faà §ade style form or shape. A Faà §ade by definition is a false, superficial, or artificial appearance or effect, which is primarily imposed or placed on an object, group, or even individual. Through the use of words, deliberate images, and material items advertised within society, as a result have become pressures felt by all types of individuals. Many of these pressures forced upon individuals, prevalent in society today, has in turn created a false sense of ideals and an artificial basis of reality. Men, women, and children all wear some form of a mask in a faà §ade sense as an attempt of self defense against one another, which is clearly an affect of the media’s dominance. In turn, we are all targets and victims to the controlling media weather we realize it or not.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Advertisers have shaped and evolved our society from the beginning and has made it into what exists currently: It defines what it is to be a â€Å"Girl† or a â€Å"Boy†, even a man or woman, and images presented of these â€Å"supposed† ideal gender definitions have become the basis for our decisions made in our lives everyday. These pressures of social definitions overtake men, women, and children’s thoughts; some of which are feelings the having to look or act a certain way in order to be beautiful or accepted in this world severely obsessed with appearances as a basis for self-worth. From the clothes one chooses to wear or the product chosen to consume, all are somehow related to the media’s images seen in magazines, newspapers, internet, and television advertisements. Messages conveyed through all forms of common media known to contemporary man affects them subconsciously regardless of age, color, beliefs, or any aspect which many diversify one man from another, one woman from another woman, etc. Advertisers pursue knowledge of society’s defining aspects and embrace all diversities of individuals in order to be able to target their product or message to all these parties. Advertisers have been quite successful, but in part gave birth to an obsessive and consumptive society which has severely damaged the aspect of personal identity, especially among young women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The idea of anyone wearing a type of meta... ...es. Authors even depict their major and famous characters display the negative effects on physical and mental attributes from media based aspects. One way or another, the business world of advertising and marketing will find any way possible to affect individuals in a manner to benefit them. And even it means pressuring young girls to starve themselves, forcing them to wear a metaphorical mask of false beauty, all in order to sell, sell, sell.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This mask does not literally reflect what I personally wear metaphorically, but there are some themes which I admit have thought over. Nor do I deny that the media has brainwashed me along with everyone else, but at least I am able to recognize the problem society faces. The truth is girls and boys should not be obsessing what lies on their outsides, but rather what lies within. This inner beauty is what everyone needs to realize and get in touch with. There are so many other qualities within everyone and this is where true beauty lies. It is a beauty that wearing a mask of make-up of designed clothes cannot deny or illuminate, and lies within is a major part of ourselves which must be nourished and cultivated.

Compare and Contrast: Death of a Salesman & Oedipus Essay

Compare and Cotrast Separated by almost 3000 years of literature, two plays can still contain similar elements and characteristics that tie the two together. This is the case between the two plays, Oedipus The King and its counterpart Death of a Salesman, one written approximately 430 BC and the other written in 1949. When first reading this book, one might question, what could these stories possibly have in common; one is about a king who discovers he has killed his father and copulated with his mother and the other about a salesman with suicidal tendencies and unattainable dreams. As the reader further analysis the story, the underlying similarities become more apparent even as one might say that there are no relations between the two stories. Looking into the main protagonist of both plays, we realize that they are strikingly similar in aspects related to their prideful personality, demeanor, and temperament, all quite evident in the way they handle their personal conflicts which leads to their event ual downfalls. Analyzing these characters their shared traits become quite obvious to the reader. Divulging the two plays, we are faced with these two characters with strikingly similar personalities. Both prideful men, this trait becomes quite apparent when addressing other of their own merits. In the very beginning of the play Oedipus the King, Oedipus is addressing the conditions of the people and instead of really addressing the issues of the plague Oedipus uses it as an excuse to praise himself further saying , â€Å"Here I am myself- you all know me, the world knows my fame; I am Oedipus† ( Sophocles 1156: 6-8). His words of bravado show his prideful personality, that he is above all and that he is known by all even as far to say â€Å"the world knows [his] fame (1156: 7). As the play moves further along, his pride becomes more and more evident when Tiresias the blind prophet has named him the corruption and curse of the land. He shrugs it off and denies it with false confidence responding to her saying â€Å"you can’t hurt me or anyone else who sees the lig ht- you can never touch me (1167: 427-428). The delivery and  way Oedipus says this statement is said with a hurt pride covered up by false confidence. In the same way, Willy, the main protagonist of Death of a Salesman, is a quite prideful man who covers up his own short comings with grandeur delusions and false confidence in himself. In one instance, speaking to his boys, giving them advice on how to succeed: WILLY: Because the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want. You take me, for instance. I never have to wait in line to see a buyer. â€Å"Willy Loman is here!† That’s all they have to know, and I go right through! ( Death of a Salesman 1435. Act I) Willy gives seemingly sound advice but he also takes it as an opportunity to puff out his chest in bravado and say that he himself is well liked by everyone â€Å"never hav[ing] to wait in line to see a buyer† (1435. Act I) . This is all for show, priding himself as a man who has succeeded in the world of business, in truth it is nothing more there mere false confidence. When addressing his wife about his trips up north to New England and his sales he contradicts himself when he say that he is â€Å"very well liked in Hartford†¦ the trouble is†¦ people don’t seem to take to me† (1437. Act I). All this false confidence and pride comes to light when he makes such statements even though he knows otherwise. Both Oedipus and Willy have this prideful personality that allows the play to propel of it, eventually leading to their own self demise in one way or another. Referencing to their own self demise, the eventual paths they choose leads to the outcomes of how the stories end up. How this goes about is how they decide their own fates, choosing to deal with situations in the wrong ways or all together ignoring others all together in beliefs that they are in the right. In the story Death of a Salesman, Willy is confronted with financial issues which become apparent when he and Linda are discussing the month’s payments in which he owes a â€Å"hundred and twenty dollars! If [his] business [doesn’t] pick up [he won’t] know what [he’s] gonna do† (1436 Act I). This problem could have simply been remedied when his neighbor had come for a visit: CHARLEY: You want a job? WILLY: I got a job, I told you that. (After a slight pause). What the hell are you offering me a job for? CHARLEY: Don’t get insulted. WILLY: Don’t insult me. (1440 Act I) The way he handled the situation was poor at best, and he had done so in a prideful manner as though his dignity was being attacked. Instead he could have simply looked into the possible venture which would have helped with monetary issues at home. These monetary issues attributed to his eventual suicide later on in the play. It becomes apparent that Willy deals with such situations with anger, a hint of anger and as though he himself was being attacked. Oedipus deals with his incestuous problem with the same mannerisms. When he himself has been accused of causing the plague in the city by Tiresias the blind prophet, he denies fault instead saying that Creon has put her up to it in order to over through him in which he says to Creon himself â€Å"You-here? You have the gall to show your face before the palace gates? You, plotting to kill me, kill the king-I see it all, the marauding thief himself scheming to steal my crown and power† (Sophocles 1171: 594-598). Here we see him dealing with the situation poorly with angst, as though he himself was being attacked.. Instead of tackling with the issue head on, he prefers to avoid the blame and instead play the victim. The two protagonist of both plays, confront their own problems with anger, and a feeling as though they themselves were under fire, that they were being criticized. These lead to their eventual downfall as the plays slowly progress onwards fueled by their own decisions and mannerisms. Tying all these elements together the two main protagonist become the major point of most of the similarities between Oedipus the King and Death of a Salesman. Their behavior and personality reflect that of prideful man who hides behind false bravados and confidence in attempts to avoid their problems. Their attempts to avoid the problem lie in the way they handle situations with anger and a feeling as though they were under criticism. All this brings the plays to a full circle, having the two main protagonists bring about their own self destruction. Work Cited Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Charters, Ann, and Samuel Barclay. Literature and Its Writers: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford, 1997.1155-1199. Print. Sophocles. Oedipus the King. Charters, Ann, and Samuel Barclay. Literature and Its Writers: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford, 1997.1155-1199. Print.

Depiction Of Mama In Everyday Use Movie - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 643 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/05/23 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Everyday Use Essay Did you like this example? Nowadays, the younger generation seems to drift away from their roots and there is a story of Alice Walker named Everyday Use portraying a picture of this phenomenon. The story then was adapted to the same name movie following the plot and keeping the same characters. Although both the story and movie represent that Mama wants to keep the items from their familyrs past and give it to someone who would appreciate the familyrs heritage, I prefer to watch the movie because it is more authentic and has more sense of progression. In the story, Mama is stronger as she is a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands. She can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man. Moreover, when mentioning about Dee, Mama already has animosity towards her. Although she likes the different qualities Dee possesses, she is sometimes threatened because those qualities are unfamiliar to her. She seems to resent the education as well as the air of superiority of Dee over the years She washed us in a river of make-believe, burned us with a lot of knowledge we didnt necessarily need to know. Pressed us to her with the serious way she read, to shove us away at just the moment, like dimwits, we seemed about to understand.. She clearly understands that Maggie is destined to live a life which is similar to her while Dee lives in a world which she would never know a world making Dee depreciate her. Therefore, the story is on the track of playing out that animosity as Dee finally puts her too far. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Depiction Of Mama In Everyday Use Movie" essay for you Create order In the movie, however, Mama appears to be gentler. There is a scene showing her embracing Deers picture, which really touches viewers and offers them a glimpse of a motherrs unconditional love towards her daughter. Moreover, instead of harshly describing the limitation of Maggie as in the story, she shows more love towards her shy daughter. She looks at Maggie affectionately because she knows what has happened to her little daughter. Moreover, because of her unconditional love, she has some illusions about Dee. She is delighted when Dee promised to come home after years, and she is first confusing and disappointed as well as irritated by Deers superior attitude towards her and Maggie. Especially, the discussion between Dee and Mama when the former announces she has changed her name to Wangero becomes more comedic and sounds more ironic. At that time, the way Mama looks at Dee changes as if she does not know whether the girl in front of her is her beloved Dee or not. During the meal, she kind of protects Maggie and sees that Maggie has accepted the injustices of the world. In Maggie, she seems to see herself. She gradually realizes the separation which exists between Dee and the family when Dee acts strangely and superiorly during the meal. She learns something that she has never known about her daughter, and her realization of that knowledge drives the plot. Thanks to watching the video, readers can have a clearer picture of what the author wants to say because the quality of the movie is high, the setting is authentic, and the acting is good. Furthermore, the movie gradually and quietly describes many of Walkerrs important details about costumes and setting throu gh painfully bright dress and the sunglasses of Dee, the peaceful swept yard in front of the house, and the worn handle on the butter churn. In conclusion, although both the story and the film all have high quality and focus on the importance of maintaining oners heritage as well as challenge people to appreciate their own roots, the movie is easier to understand and has a little more sense of progression than in the story as it helps viewers picture the plot and to understand the personality of each character.