The Three Strangers By Thomas Hardy and A Vendetta By Guy De Maupassant Essays

The Three Strangers By Thomas Hardy and A Vendetta By Guy De Maupassant Essays The Three Strangers By Thomas Hardy and A Vendetta By Guy De Maupassant Essay The Three Strangers By Thomas Hardy and A Vendetta By Guy De Maupassant Essay Essay Topic: Literature The Stranger Both these stories build up mystery. However, because they are written in different ways, there is significant contrast in the way the two stories are built up. Hardys story is longer, and has much more detail than Maupassants. Hardys has more characters and there is a twist in the tale. Maupassants is simpler, to the point and only has one character. These differences in structure contribute to the contrasting styles in which the mystery is built up. The setting at the beginning of The Three Strangers, plays a big part in creating mystery. Thomas Hardy describes a lonely cottage (page 130) as solitary. The way he describes this leads the reader to think that if anything happens out there, no one would know about it. Hardys descriptive use of the weather when he says the level rainstorm (on page 131), creates an atmosphere that plays on the readers emotions. The setting for Maupassants story builds up mystery too. It opens with a horrific murder. On page 201, we are told that the victim was treacherously knifed. This is important, as straight away there is some action in it, which makes us wonder whats going to happen next. This is a clever way to build up mystery. Like Maupassants, Hardys story gets to the point almost straight away: an incident had occurred (page 133). This is mysterious, because it doesnt tell you what the incident was until a little bit later. This builds up suspension and mystery very well. As the first stranger ascends the hill, Hardy develops mystery by using nature. The time of day helps when on page 134, it says the time of full moon. The sense of mystery is developed further through this, as a full moon is often associated with mysterious events. The way the first stranger walks also brings out the mystery in him. It says on page 134 there was caution in it, referring to his walk. This makes us wonder why and leads the reader to think that the man is scared of something, mystery being built, as we dont as yet know what the danger is. On several occasions, Hardy refers to the first stranger as a solitary pedestrian. This adds to the mystery rather well because if one is alone, no one will know if something happens to you. Later, as he is about to enter the house, the first pedestrian is described to be mentally looking through the door (page 135). This shows that he might be uncomfortable with what the people inside might ask him. This is backed up by the quotation on page 135. The question of his entry. This argument could be reinforced by the quotation on page 136. His hat hung low over his head. It is evident that the stranger doesnt want to be recognised in the house. Overall, Hardy gives the impression to the reader that the man did not want to be recognised, and he did not want too many questions to be asked about him. This builds up suspension and mystery as it tells us that something is going on, and the man has a secret. In Maupassants story, there is also a secret. This secret is being revealed to us little by little, gradually telling us how the widow will carry out the vendetta. By doing this, he introduces the idea she has had. First, he tells us that there was nothing else on her mind but this. On page 202, it tells you she had no rest. This shows she was determined to carry out the vendetta, but it seems she didnt know how to go about it. Next, he tells us that she has decided what to do. On page 202, it reads inspiration. We now know that she has decided what she is going to do, however, the reader has not been informed what it is and still, Maupassant gives the pieces little by little. The story continues and we finally get to know what is going to happen on page 203, when it says the dog tore the face to pieces. This is somewhat different to the way Hardy develops the plot. Hardy draws it out even more, and I think this helped Hardys story immensely with the build up of tension and mystery. Once the second stranger is inside, and the people at the party are asking about the strangers professions, the first stranger does not seem to be too pleased to be asked about it. It seems at first that he is keen to let everyone know what he is when he says very quickly and firmly Im a wheelwright. However, it appears that he is feeling a little too keen, especially as when the hedge carpenter says you can tell a mans profession by his hands, the first man instinctively sought the shade (page 142). All this shows that he is not telling the truth about his profession. This also adds to the mystery of the story, and again, it makes the reader wonder why the man is so secretive about himself, and why he would lie about his profession. In Maupassants story, there is a level of predictability regarding what is going to happen when it reads, on page 203; reduced the throat to ribbons. Before this, though, the clues are introduced very gradually. This also shows the determination and intelligence of the old woman. Usually a plot like this would be very well planned-out. However, it says that she had a sudden inspiration (page 202). This tells you that the woman is not a gentle, soft woman, or not in this case, at least. This is because she is so determined to do what she has to do, since it is what she has believed in throughout her whole life. Page 202 also says that the inspiration was a fierce vindictive one. The woman had forced herself to be less shy and timid, especially to be able to carry out the vendetta on her sons behalf. This builds up mystery well, as it means that the woman could be unpredictable as she is not her usual self. Hardy also uses this method in his story. He does not disclose to us the next mystery that is about to arise. The mystery is what the second stranger does for a living. There are clues scattered about when he talks. For example, on page 138, it says not a face without power. This gives the impression, that at least he is a boss of some kind or in charge of something. He was in fact, in charge of something, that thing being other peoples lives. Something that could put you off track however, is the second strangers kindness. On page 140, he says relieve the needy. You dont really expect an executioner to help the needy, as if he didnt kill people every week, so this is a clever way to draw out the little mystery. Later on, when asked about his occupation, the second stranger says I leave a mark upon my customers (page 142). This is again a clue to the strangers profession. Finally, in the second verse of his song, he gives his final clue. A post whereon to swing (page 143). The post is the hanging pole, and they are swinging because of the rope holding them up by their necks. I think Hardy has used this riddle well, for as well as leaving the readers to unfold it themselves, he has placed into their minds the question what will this man have to do with the rest of the story? It was clever to use this riddle, as it builds such great suspense, that mystery is built up immensely in this part of the story. The third stranger comes in and flees so suddenly, that it is obvious that there is significance in the way he does so. It must provide a vital clue to the story. After he has fled, the party in the cottage wonder why he did so, which is what the reader is intended to wonder too! When they hear the gunshot, and suspect what this man might have done, the story starts to unfold. After they have thought about it for a while, and heard the shots going off at regular intervals, it says their suspicions became a certainty (page 146). After they supposedly become certain of their suspicions, the second stranger puts himself in charge of drawing up a plan. This plan consists of some danger. This also excites the reader, making him wonder whats to come. On page 147, the constable says, staves and pitchforks. This shows that Hardy is developing a sense of danger, which helps the build up of mystery in the story. On page 148, the first and second strangers are back in the cottage. They seem very confident of the others, as they say theyll have him. Although they seem confident, the reader is not supposed to be so sure. This helps greatly in the mystery development, as it helps to form suspense. Hardy has used this well, as when the reader finds out the whole thing was a red herring, he is excited by what the true answer is. Red herrings are important for mystery stories because they excite the reader. The example in Hardys story is used very well. Maupassant does not have a red herring in his story. This is makes it is shorter and more to the point. Maupassant finishes his story how he started it: with a horrific murder. On page 204, it says the dog seized his throat. It also says that when the dog was finished, Nicolas Ravolati writhed. This shows that the death was a very painful one. Of course, it seems that the woman has got away with it. However that is what Nicolas thought. If the story had continued, we might have learnt that the old lady herself had been murdered in a vendetta for his life. In leaving the ending open, Maupassant is still building the sense of mystery even though the text has concluded! At the end of Hardys story, when he writes the explanation, he tries to make it really interesting for the reader. First, before the real answer is explained, the magistrate says havent you got the man after all? (Page 151)? This makes the reader wonder who the man really is, and why the third stranger ran away if he is not the man. Gradually, from here on, Hardy explains the real answers to these questions. First the third stranger says the condemned man is my brother (page 151). This is the first thing that is revealed. Still, though most of the questions remain. The next revelation is the real identity of the criminal. On page 151, the third stranger says my brother was in the chimney corner. This is the mystery solved, and Hardy has done this in a very shrewd way. He has kept readers guessing to the last second. Hardys explanation summed up the whole story well, and explained the puzzle. This enthrals the reader and the whole story has built up the sense of mystery very well. I noticed that both stories used isolation as a way to build up mystery. Hardy used it as in the isolation of the little cottage, whereas, Maupassant used it as in the isolation of the widow. On page 201, it says the widow refused to let anyone stay. The authors are building up mystery in the same way, but in a different context. I can now say that I immensely enjoyed reading both of these stories. They had both contrasts and comparisons, but more contrasts. The two stories built up mystery very well, but they built it up in completely different ways. I think this is because both authors were not setting out to write the same kind of story. I personally preferred Hardys story. I think this is because it built up mystery in a very shrewd way so that I was guessing what the answer would be right until the very end. One part that I did enjoy greatly, however, was the red herring. I found this to be a very clever way of putting readers off course from the real answer, as it did to me. I did enjoy Maupassants story as well, but I didnt find it as mysterious as Hardys. In conclusion, I would like to say that I think both stories built up mystery well, but I think Hardys built it up to a greater effect.

Job Seekers... Have You Heard About LinkedIns Job Seeker Premium

Job Seekers... Have You Heard About LinkedIns Job Seeker Premium Note:   Im not endorsing this service since I do not know the results people have gotten from it, but its important to know it exists and is an option for enhancing your online job search. My sense is that the service is most useful for someone contacting recruiters and hiring managers in a particular field.   I encourage you to research the service to determine whether it is right for you. If you are a LinkedIn member and you are looking for a job, you might do well to subscribe to LinkedIns Job Seeker Premium Account service. For just $29.99/month, you get organizational tools and direct access to recruiters that you do not get with a regular LinkedIn account. You will also be featured as a job seeker to help you get noticed in the big LinkedIn pool. There are more expensive versions of this service as well. If it works, I hope you wont have to subscribe for more than 2 or 3 months. Ideally, you’ll get your value back a hundred fold and think that the LinkedIn Job Seeker Premium account was worth it. For more information see LinkedIn Job Seeker Premium on the LinkedIn site. Of course, it wont help to get the attention of recruiters and hiring managers if your LinkedIn profile is not up to par.   The Essay Experts LinkedIn Profile Services will help you ensure that your LinkedIn image makes the right impression.   I recommend working on your profile first, and then signing up for the premium service if youre interested. If anyone has used this service and has results to report, please share them in the comments.   Id love to know whether you have found value from upgrading.

Magical Realism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Magical Realism - Essay Example Kate states that â€Å"Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Chopin par 1). The phrase afflicted with a heart trouble suggests that Mrs. Ballard had heart problems. From the story, Josephine (Mrs. Mallard sister) had to break the news in a manner that could not affect her sister. Mr. Mallard is said to have died in a railroad disaster. Kate writes â€Å"†¦newspaper office when the intelligence of the railroad disaster was received, with Brently Mallard’s name leading the list of â€Å"killed.† (Chopin 1). This message is conveyed to Mrs. Mallard by Richards (friend of Mrs. Mallard husband) through her sister Josephine. Richards takes time and confirms that Mr. Ballard is dead through a second telegram. Mrs. Ballard weeps for her husband in front of Josephine and Richards and immediately she goes into her room. The setting and the events that happen in the room can be described as living in the world of fantasies. Mrs. Ballard is cushioned into emotions that almost take her way before she is interrupted by her sister. She sees a thing coming to possess her and tries to fight it back but all in vain. It overwhelms her and she declares she is free. Free can have many meanings but at this instance, it is like Mrs. Ballard knew death was approaching her by the hour. To support this assertion, Kate states â€Å"She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death; the face that had never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead. †¦ of years to come that would belong to her absolutely† (Chopin 1). From this statement, Mrs. Ballard knew the hour of her death was approaching and she had foreseen what would happen and welcomes it with open arms. She even makes a prayer that life would be longer. Such a scenario explains clearly the fate o f Mrs. Ballard. Her room and the setting of the furniture and the window give some clue as

Internet Business and E-Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Internet Business and E-Commerce - Essay Example E-commerce can be between business to business (B2B) or even business to consumers (B2C). Therefore, e-commerce is actually conducting the whole of business online or if there still exists an operational offline real world shop of the business, then e-commerce can be used just for expansion purposes. 1 In this text, it is being assumed that a seller of leather goods is planning to go online through e-commerce. This seller has a very good repute in the market for selling the most premium leather goods. The company, Exquisite Leathers, has 5 branches all over the city and caters to the elite class. For now, it plans to open an online section so that it can expand its business even better. There can be a number of reasons for which a company can go online. The first and foremost reason, which has been mentioned earlier as well, is that the company might want to expand. Expansion can be in terms of serving new customers. When a company goes online, they are now virtually accessible to anyone all over the world. Therefore, if Exquisite Leathers plans to make international customers, this is the best way to do it. When the company will be placed online, it will be accessible to leather good buyers globally. The company will definitely have to use various strategies to make sure that they come to be noticed by all the customers. But e-commerce is the best starting point for expanding any given company's customer base. For that the company will first have to do the demand analysis of leather goods all over the world. This will tell them of their potential market. After this, the company will have to analyse that whether it can even cater to the whole target market that the demand analysis is giving. Therefore, the company will now have to decide on a target market, the market that the company wishes to serve. The target market will depend on the resources of the company to fulfill the needs of a given market. 2 The second reason for going online would be to increase sales. This is a requisite of increasing the customer base, but if we keep the customer base variable constant and just serve the same city that the company already has branches in, and then this reason will be even more valid. For example, if the company does not want to cater to international customers and just wants to make sure that it is fully available to all the customers within the same city, then e-commerce would be a great idea too. This is because there are many customers who are very busy and they do not get the time to go to physical shops and buy leather goods. Providing them with an online store of the shop will make the store easily accessible and available only on a click. This will ensure that the target market that the company wished to serve in the city, that is the elite market, is fully reaching them. Methods Adopted to go Online: A company can use two methods to go online. The first one is that of designing and launching the website themselves. As far as the second method is concerned, it is to go online by outsource the making of the website. The first method includes designing and launching the website themselves. This can be done by assigning the Information Technology department of the company to take care of all the details related to the website. But this does not mean that the Information T

Muse or Method? :: Personal Narrative Teaching Education Essays

Muse or Method? My eyes cast a casual glance towards the clock across the room as I sit back down at my desk. With caffeine reinforcements at hand, namely the signature red, white, and blue can of Diet Pepsi I just pulled from the fridge, I quickly put away the mound of books that has grown since I came in the room at 4:00. After making a hasty mental check to reassure myself I am prepared for the next day of class, I review my lesson plans one last time, sit back, relax, and ponder just exactly how I plan to go about grading the thirty essays tucked away neatly in my folder. Despite the method's classes and all of the other education courses I had taken at college, I felt ill-prepared for what lie ahead. "What's worse than writing a paper," I asked myself, only to answer quite obviously, "Grading one." I must admit that it took me quite a while to realize why this concept was such a difficult one for me. Not only was I working with a group of thirty creative young minds, I was also working with a group of rather insecure young minds, especially when it came to writing. How could I effectively evaluate each individual paper and constructively provide advice without dictating what I expected my papers to contain? Still, this was only part of the difficulty. The other is something I am just starting to understand now. In trying to formulate a basis from which I could evaluate these student papers, I was also struggling to unsurface the components of successful writing. Unbeknownst to me, I was wrestling with the same ideas that we have been discussing in class during the last couple of weeks. Interestingly enough, I found that my approach toward the subject was similar to our approach as a class. How did I begin? I started by determining which elements of writing I considered to be the most important and basic: creativity and technique. Through the centuries, many writers have attributed their success to the adoring eye and gracious blessings of the muses. The nine muses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, were recognized as the Goddesses of learning. As a result of their titles, these muses were often credited with spontaneously generating a frenzy of creativity within a writer which resulted in a monumental piece of literature. Although reference and credit to the muses is not often made within contemporary literature, the idea remains.

Evaluating La Donna Beatty’s “What Makes a Serial Killer”

In exploring the concept of the serial killer, La Donna Beatty looks toward the violence of modern society, biology, and family. In addition, she observes the possible correlations between the de-institutionalization of the American mental health system as well as alcoholism. However, as with any attempt to map the mentality of the modern day serial killer, she is left largely with theories and inconclusive statistics. Given the broad range of factors which contribute to human behavior and experiences, the search continues while evidence, both complimentary and contradictory, builds. I expect that La Donna would largely agree that while she sets out to explore â€Å"What Makes a Serial Killer,† she comes no closer to a conclusive definition than where she began. While the facts she provides are compelling, her personal interpretations and conclusions are at times based on fallacy rather than consistently proven logic. Beatty begins her presentation of theories by touching on the most popular of modern theories for the prevalence of violence in American society – violence in the media. While she does briefly address it later, upon initially presenting this issue, Beatty does not look at the large number of people who are also exposed to media violence but do not grow up to be serial killers. Taken a step farther in relation to criminal impulses, just as not every person who is exposed to violent video games or movies becomes violent, those who do become violent do not always become serial killers. In fact, only a small percentage could ever be classified in this manner. This does not, of course, discredit the possibility of media violence as disturbing a child already inclined to such behavior and like much of the evidence in defining serial killers, the problems with the argument do not negate the possibility of some effect. Such media violence naturally leads into the subject of personal experiences with violence. I agree with the assertion that the high incident rate of domestic abuse in the childhoods of serial killers proves too common to be simple coincidence. Combined with the visibility of violence in society, such violence in the home could be volatile in the future killer’s behavior. However, some of Beatty’s connections are more forced than naturally conclusive. In particular she notes, â€Å"with 79 percent of the population believing that slapping a twelve-year-old is either necessary, normal, or good, it is no wonder that serial killers relate tales of physical abuse† (Beatty). In this, Beatty is drawing a connection that does not truly exist in her initial argument. While she should have tried to show the extreme types of parental attitudes serial killers may have experienced as children she instead shows the general public’s feelings of parental discipline. The issues of alcoholism and de-institutionalization of the American mental health system can be addressed together for the assumptions at the basis of Beatty’s fallacies on these issues. As with the problem of media violence, Beatty’s sources fail to look at the broader issues of the human rights of the mentally ill or the inconsistencies of the argument that the de-institutionalization of mental hospitals unleashed a wave of violence. While restrictions of unlawful and forced stays may create issues, as in the notable cases of Richard Chase and Edmund Kemper, it is impossible and potentially cruel to re-evaluate a system that is built to serve a broad spectrum of people where these kinds of violent men are not the norm. In her discussion of alcoholism, Beatty presents an even more illogical idea when she supposes that had Jeffrey Dahmer been treated for alcoholism he may not have become an infamous murderer. I cannot say with certainty that he would have killed had he gotten his alcoholism under control. Certainly, sobriety would have brought some self-control but it would be oversimplifying a complex issue and broad range of crimes by calling it a case of alcoholism gone badly. Taken individually, no theory presented by Beatty has yet to clearly define a serial killer class or disorder in our society. More likely, it is a combination of factors, some presented in Beatty’s essay and others of a more personal significance that may never consistently present itself in every killer. However, in the search for the reason behind their compulsions should we look for a solution? Should we attempt to find a way to stop those situations that damage these individuals, making their pain â€Å"so intense that it demands bloody revenge† (Beatty)? Even Beatty seems at a loss to decide between knowledgeable prevention and/or treatment and the reality of such men as Ted Bundy who she quotes at the end of her essay. Bundy certainly did not feel himself capable of being saved but, unspoken, is the question of whether he could be prevented. Like Beatty and Bundy, I have no answer but remain open to the theories that though they may not ever make it possible to stop everyone of these killers, can help us understand how they can veer so far from the beaten moral path.

Writing News Steven Rinella and the Parallels between Writing and Hunting

Steven Rinella is an interesting example of a person who used his passion for one pastime as fuel to nurture his career, and a profitable career at that. Having been born into a family that was ever close to nature, he spends most of his life doing what he is best at: hunting. For a decade he even tried to make his living this way, until it became completely clear that fur market had collapsed to the point when it was no longer possible to provide for a decent living. Ironically, the impossibility to pursue the desired career led him to a far more profitable vocation which, at the same time, allowed him not only to continue leading the so much loved lifestyle, but to popularize and advocate it as well. He became a fairly well-known writer and television personality telling his readers and viewers, accustomed to the modern world, about the things that for many people remained in the ages past: hunting, being united with nature and so on. In his representation hunters are not what they are often perceived by modern media. It may be news for some people who are used to getting information from television, but not all hunters are bloodthirsty hicks who massacre innocent animals with their assault rifles. They can just as easily be perceived as the precious few people who manage to be united with nature in our hectic age, and probably understand and love nature much more than the self-proclaimed animal rights activists. In addition to that, Steven Rinella considers that his hunting lifestyle has been a major contribution to his later success not only because it provided him with unique knowledge and materials to base his fiction on, but also because it allowed him to acquire skills and abilities which proved to be indispensable for his writing career. For example, patience verging on being superhuman – when you often have to wait for hours to even have a chance of encountering your game and know that success may not come today, this week or even this month, you are more than ready to wait for a long time before your writing brings any particular results. Or curiosity – in the sense that any news leave you curious and hungry for more, for seeing new horizons, for acquiring new experiences, for doing new things. There is hardly anything deadlier for a writer than to be stuck in his ways – and the life spent as a hunter effectively prevents him from ever becoming rigid in his ways. In a way, Rinella thinks, the crafts of writers and hunters are not all that different, no matter how unusual this statement may sound.