Kenneth Grahames The Wind in the Willows Essays -- Kenneth Grahame Wi

Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows is a satirical reflection of the English social structure of the late nineteenth century, during a time of rapid industrialization throughout Europe. Also considered a children’s story, this novel conveys Grahame’s belief in the ability of one to live an unrestrained and leisurely life, free of the obligations of the working class, and entitled to this life through high social status and wealth. The River Bank characters, especially Toad, represent those who live this idle life of the upper class. In contrast, the stoats and weasels of the Wild Wood resemble the proletariat, and an animosity between these two classes existed. The lower classes of the time were subject to poor standards of living, as well as exploitation by the factory owners and businessmen. They developed a resentment and hostile attitude towards the upper classes. In this book, Toad most prominently exemplifies Grahame’s ideal life of leisure and freedom and subsequently has his house taken over by the rebellious working class Wild-Wooders. More importantly though, Toad exhibits many qualities, â€Å"that make him, for most readers, the most memorable figure in this book†. Yet many of these characteristics displayed by the aristocratic Toad seem to undermine the author’s attempted, â€Å"legitimizing of extreme disparities of wealth and social position† (Keefer). Toad is shown to be a very rich and prominent figure in the River Bank society. He is well known in his community, and in the community of the Wild Wood, and is a dear companion to Mole, Rat, and Badger, the other three main characters. Toad displays many admirable qualities that make his figure a very memorable one. Rat describes him to Mole as being, â€Å"always good-tempered, always glad to see you, always sorry when you go†¦ He is indeed the best of animals. So simple, so good-natured, and so affectionate† (13). Toad is also a good friend, is a compassionate animal, and he demonstrates all of these qualities, and others, at numerous points in the story. For example, he invites Mole and Rat to come with him on his adventure (16). However, it seems that the author has made Toad’s ‘negative’ qualities more definitive and more memorable than his aforementioned ‘positive’ qualities. Toad is a very coercive and extravagant individual, he is presumptuous... ... about, and I know exactly what to do, and I’ll tell you† (131). Toad’s deceitful nature shown here and the way he takes advantage or tries to manipulate one of his friends for his own betterment, as well as the other aspects that show Toad in a negative light, is not consistent with Grahame’s allegory. Although in this novel and the context of the River Bankers, Toad’s actions are harmless and comical, they are representative of the upper class, and a poor representative in that respect if the author is attempting to validate the ideas of wealth and status. â€Å"Why should he have so much money?† is the basic question surrounding the issue of Toad’s social legitimacy in The Wind in the Willows (Keefer, 10/25/99). Toad, no doubt, is a very memorable figure because of the things that make up his character. However, when Grahame presents these qualities to the reader, it is inconsistent with his trying to justify the extreme separation and inequality of classes. The stoats and weasels resent Toad, and what he signifies, and take Toad Hall as an act of defiance or rebellion. However, in the end, it is the upper class that regains control of the house, and subdues the unruly society.

Causes of Reality TV Popularity

There are several reasons that reality television has become popular today. The three that I will focus on are the concepts of money, instant fame, and the guilty pleasure phenomenon. The first catalyst for reality television being popular today is money. Today’s shows offer huge sums of money to people who do not necessarily possess the career skills that would make them a productive enough member of society to amass such wealth through honest work. Simplified, dumb people get lots of cash. Now, some shows do in fact have, at least at first, a pseudo-intellectual premise. Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, for example, offered up to a million dollars to people answering a set of questions. The questions, however, differed from related shows in that they were usually trivia oriented. Also, the audience was involved, as well as calling a friend and so on, which added to the drama aspect. The lighting, music, and editing all were contrived to produce the maximum possible suspense surrounding rather innocuous pop culture subjects one might find in any game of Trivial Pursuit for Children. The promise of money and the vicarious joy at someone winning lots of money, or more commonly spectacularly losing said money, is what draws millions of viewers. The second reason I believe reality television has become popular today is that of instant fame. Reality television takes ordinary people, sets them up in extraordinary situations on a world stage with other similarly commonplace individuals, and makes them the focus of a nation’s attention on, for example, an hour every Tuesday. Obviously the majority of the population has no chance of ever being picked as a participant for the show itself, but again the concept of vicarious living kicks in and the audience is hooked. The members of the show are satisfactorily every-day individuals for fans to willfully suspend their disbelief. That’s what keeps 35,000 twenty year olds auditioning every year for a chance to participate in MTV’s The Real World, which offers no monetary reward save the endorsements from being an instant celebrity. The third reason that reality television is popular today is what I like to call guilty pleasure syndrome. Sociology professor Mark Fishman of Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, has made a study of reality TV. â€Å"The Germans have a word for it, the appeal of some of these shows,† he says. â€Å"It's called ‘schadenfreude. ‘ It means taking delight in the misfortunes of others. It's a guilty pleasure. You feel you shouldn't be watching. It's always been in good taste not to look at these things†¦. It's a moral envelope that's being pushed†¦. We seem to be in a new age of making public what [we used to think] shouldn't be seen. † In today’s society, with the massive technological revolution of home computing and the internet, and with the renewed interest in free speech and the protection of the arts, more and more people are finding premises entertaining that 30 years ago would have been considered obscene.

Appreciating Rain on a Grave by Thomas Hardy Essay

This poem presents its composer, Thomas Hardy, through a persona of grief over his late wife. The poem is contextualized immediately after Mrs. Hardys death as the widowed persona stands by her grave. The poem moves from third person perspective through to a first person point of view. It reflects on the personas guilt of mistreating his late wife before her death and his yearning to be with her in the present. Would I lay there And she were housed there! Or better, togetherWe both, – who would stray thereHardy wrote this poem as a way of expiating the way he treated his late wife while she was alive. The poet, Thomas Hardy introduces the poem by describing the rain spouting on the personas wifes grave Clouds spout upon her. This creates a melancholy mood in the audience and expresses the physical pain she suffered from the persona whilst she was living Her who but lately Had shivered with pain, his past actions make him feel immensely guilty. The purpose of this poem was for the poet to reflect upon his actions and acknowledge his guilt for the mistreatment of his late wife. The persona contemplates on his behaviour towards his wife while she was alive causing her physical and emotional pain and acknowledges that his love was lost through his ill-treatment of his late wife. This is evident through the following lines:Her who but lately Had shivered with pain and his yearning to be reunited with her again Would I lay there And she were housed there! Or better, together We both, – who would stray thereThe poem moves from a serious tone to a more light hearted tone. The poet evokes a sad, melancholy mood in the early stanzas of the poem Clouds spout upon her Had shivered with pain and in the late stanzas of the poem the poet evokes a somewhat contented mood Love beyond measure With a childs pleasure All her lifes round. There is a bittersweet tone to the poets reflections upon his thoughts of his wife in the poem. The poem consists of four stanzas with each stanza consisting of nine lines.  The informal language in Rain on a Grave is effective and appropriate in conveying Hardys reminiscence of thoughts and feelings as it allows him to freely express his emotions and hence it serves to achieve his purpose. Hardy uses several imagery techniques throughout the poem Green blades from her mound, which allows readers to visualize the grass on her grave, Clouds spout upon her which helps readers envisage the image of rain spouting on the grave giving a melancholy effect. Other techniques used are metaphors so coldly, so straightly such arrows of rain: giving the striking effect of rain and the cold, reality is brings like stars on the ground, – Till she form part of them- gives the uplifting mood and that his wifes afterlife is a much better life than the one she had when alive, emotive language loved beyond measure With a childs pleasure gives the empathy of love and how it can be beyond anything and rhyming techniques When sunny the day there, – Or evening was clear At the prime of the year. The techniques in the poem assist with evoking the reader with what the persona feels and sees and the mood of the poem. The rhythm is slow and gentle, appropriate for the personas thoughts. Movement of this poem is slow placed to suit the reflective thoughts and emphasize the thoughts of the persona. Due to the poets use of structure, imagery and metaphors he enables readers to feel and sympathize with his thoughts. Bibliography: http://web.mac.com/kburden/iWeb/Wessex%20Heights/Podcast/F1735ED8-8E67-492C-A6B7-266F83730FDE.html