American Literature

On the outset, Cheever depicts everyday characters engaged in ordinary feats, but his art lies in his extraordinary treatment of his subjects, through vivid images and spectacular storylines. His short story The Swimmer is an example of this treatment, as it is about Neddy, a middle-aged suburban dweller, who decides to swim his way back home one fine afternoon through a series of pools. His unsettling experiences at each private pool and a public one make him realize that this is not the kind of safe trip and adventure he had in mind. In fact, it becomes a lifelong journey at a fast forward pace through the life he thought he knew so well.

With this realization, his once familiar, cozy, and secure world begins to feel loop-sided and strange. During his journey, Neddy finds each pool and its owner unwelcoming and evasive than the other and finally ends up at a public pool. Entering a grimy public pool is something he never imagined or planned as part of his journey, as he was looking for a cushioned form of adventure yet this exposure ends up forming a significant part of his realization. Initially, Neddy is afraid that he might contaminate himselfdamage his own prosperousness and charmby swimming in this murk (608). But then he has to remind himself that this unpleasantness shouldnt bother him too much, because he was an explorer, a pilgrim, and that this was merely a stagnant bend in the Lucinda River (608). It is, however, ironical how the guards unceremoniously turn him out of the public pool for not wearing an identification disk. Neddy then realizes that outside the luxury of his private pool, he is a nobody and needs an identification number. The public pool in fact sounds like a prison cold, oppressive, and sanitized. On the other hand, Neddy finds no relief even at the private pools of his friends, as they are equally cold and unwelcoming. According to Riley, Cheevers characters deny reality and to escape totally into a private vision , they do not succeed when that vision cuts them off from social and personal bonds and responsibilities or from a realistic assessment of their own limitations (21-26).

Thus, as pilgrim, Neddy must pass all the terrains of Lucinda River private as well as public, to experience the variedness of lifestyles, the yawning gap between classes. Thus, the sharp contrast between the murkiness of the public pool as compared to the gleam of the private pools shows the emptiness and deceptive quality of the affluent suburban world to Neddy and to us.

During the 17th century the people were preoccupied with the belief that the world has a grand design and behind it is a designer who knows and sees all things. This belief was the mechanistic world view in which the designer being pertained to is God. God is the omniscient being, supreme in intellect as well as other aspects. Thus, everything that takes place has a reason and will ultimately lead to something of great lengths.

While this theme was popular  in the said era, it has been found that even earlier philosophers have already considered seeing a supreme being as the biggest decision maker for all the occurrences and existence. This supreme being is the unmoved mover as stated by Aristotle and the uncaused cause as according to St. Thomas Aquinas theory. One of the most popular analogies for this world view is the Watchmaker God analogy.

The watchmaker God  analogy is used for explaining the existence of God. In this analogy, the watchmaker is God and the watch being created is the world and all who inhabit it. The analogy states that as it is with making clocks, everything in the world was systematic. People exist in places because just like a missing piece, the clock will not function without it.  Furthermore, just like a watch, thee world works by combined effort of the parts. Everything is mechanical and based on an intelligent design (Paley).

Many people immediately accepted the said analogy especially during the 17th century because this was  the era of scientific understanding, and rationality among all faculties of man is the most exercised. By the entry of new philosophers, however, a different world view was introduced.

Ralph Waldo Emerson and his theory
One of the famous theorist who emerged after the era of the mechanistic world view is Ralph Waldo Emerson. An essayist, poet, and a philosopher, Emersons argument became popular in the mid 1900s. Among his theories, transcendentalism earned him the most recognition.

Transcendentalism is both a political and philosophical movement. Unlike the mechanistic world view in which man serves as a part of a clock with a very important role to play in order for the entire universe to function, transcendentalism promotes the individuality of a person. It states that the universe functions on its own and each aspect of the universe has a mind of its own, which it uses in order for continued existence. Transcendentalism also contradicts the  theory proposed that God is the designer behind the intelligent design of the universe. Rather it states that God is one with the universe and as nature continue to evolve, so does god. Furthermore, Emerson implied that the higher reality is found not only by the usage of human reason but through sense experience (Emerson).

From this, it may be gathered that Emersons theory directly contradicts the points of the mechanistic world view. The man upholds the power of individual intuition and the sense of self. Instead of accepting that God is the unmoved mover as expressed by Aristotle, he insists that God moves with the world. While the universe is indeed a grand design, Emerson argues that God is not just a designer who fixed people in a certain position. Rather god is present in all that exists. Thus, in being one with nature and all individuals, people are communing and being one with God, not just acting according to the design but purely based on innate confidence on the self (Emerson).

Emerson as a pantheist
From the given arguments of Emerson as oppose to the mechanistic world view, many conclude that somehow, the poet-essayist-philosopher is a pantheist. This hypothesis may be enforced by looking through the description of a pantheist.

According to Owen, pantheism is the philosophy wherein God is believed to be one with the universe. The supreme being is identical with nature and all that exists. In addition, the philosophy insists that everything exists is only one being, which is God. Thus, communing with nature is communing with the supreme being.

Putting this in parallel with the transcendentalism theory, Emerson claims that indeed there is God within all existing being. In addition, each being is not placed in a certain position by a designer, instead that person exists as through a person accord. God is not a designer behind everything but a part of the system, part of nature. This points that Emerson is a pantheist.

Conclusion
From the given facts, it may be drawn that the 17th century saw the emergence of powerful rational minds, which led to the acceptance of the mechanistic world view. This view insists that god is the designer of the complexity of the universe. This world view is put in an analogy called the watchmaker god, wherein God is the watchmaker and the watch is the entire universe.

By the entry of the 19th century, however, the theory was contradicted by transcendentalism pioneered by Ralph Waldo Emerson. In Emersons theory, he argued that God is not but a designer but part of the entire design. This makes him a pantheist, given that pantheism proposes that God is part of nature, moves and evolves with it. This, completely agrees with Emersons theory and disagrees with that of the theories of the 17th century, which were founded on rationality.

Into the wild by John Kraukauer is an interesting story that looks through the western American from the eye of an adventurer who chose to forsake both his family and an assured future. Kraukauer, in this masterpiece, makes an enlightening picture which symbolizes the greedy characteristic of man through obsession. Man in nature therefore sums up the dominant thematic aspect of Into the wild. Chris McCandless deeply believes that his important joy in life originates from his close association with nature. John Kraukauer therefore employs his own perceptive in presenting these ideas, thus pointing out many evidences to bring up his argument. For instance, through point of view, Kraukauer underscores how Chris McCandless ultimately became foolish as seen in how he met his end due to negligence and his own death wish. Into the Wild is a mouthpiece that Kraukauer uses to exposes that the overconfidence of a brave as well as a brilliant young man in the society, may yield to destruction if care is not taken into account. Into the wild is shaped together by excerpts from Chris McCandless as well as the experiences of Kraukauer, which brings about a convincing tale of undeterred adventure into the wilderness.

Kraukauers success in revealing the theme of futility as a result of mans obsessive nature lies in his search for the original cause of what drives these insatiable desires and obsession. Durst (46-48) asserts that the answer to such question may be found in the inborn drive that propelled the young Chris McCandless to leave his family, a brighter future and modern life and head into the wilderness in the remote Alaska. This primarily led to the destruction of McCandless four months later, as his body was found by the hunter in his campsite (Kraukauer, 112-114).

Through such an angle, Kraukauer builds up the concept of futility in mans efforts to satisfy his insatiable ego. With regard to this, he digs deep by exposing the inherent and convincing mysteries of people in society who are not contented with their positions. Into the Wild equally loosens the riddle that holds the larger mystery of obsession by undercutting the deep effects of the American wilderness, compounded by the attraction of highly risky ventures as well as activities and influenced by the relationship between fathers and their sons.

In addition, Miller (65-66) points out that the force behind McCandless departure into the wilderness resonate the failed fatherly role in initiating the young men into the American culture. As a result, these young men experiment on their own about what may be good for their lives and future. With regard to this, Hinter (87-89) further asserts that McCandless decision to live the civilized America for the Alaskan wilderness echoes the innocent mistakes that young people make. As the effects of such mistakes turn out to be fatal and irreversible, Kraukauer explores that the irresponsible paternity becomes evident as McCandless hit the headlines and is dismissed on grounds of his pretentiousness, naivety and lack of vision.

According to Durst (49-51), McCandless is said to be a person responsible for his death because he definitely wanted to die. Although it is quite ironical that one can willfully want to die and eventually goes ahead to execute the same thoughts, Kraukauer presents that the desire for close association with nature should be fair so that the negative effects of death may be avoided. Into the Wild is a mouthpiece that Kraukauer uses to expose the difficulties, dangers, and the uncompromising attempt of McCandless to move out of the shadows.

It is plausible to note that Into the wild not only reflects the need for identity, but equally questions the utility of how the society is ready to battle with issues of morality as well as materiality. It is clear that McCandless was running from a cold home. In other words, it was problems at home that brought him into sharp focus the destructive destination of McCandless (Kraukauer, 112-113). Therefore, it goes without saying that he was attempting a search for inner peace, a place where he would trace his meaning and that is why he chose to be closely linked with nature. Although the devastating end results eluded him, Kraukauer presents this experience in an indirect plan such that many of the readers may show little or no sympathy for McCandless and thereby fail to understand all that led to his destiny.

From a different dimension that is a way from the destruction of his own unguided decision, Kraukauer excavates the tragedy of McCandless for the hope and beauty that can be found in nature. He brings out the impression of a peaceful atmosphere where one is in touch with wild fruits spilling down the riverbanks, the natural figure of a mountain trimming along the sky and brings out the idea of an environment where one can reflect upon life and eventually appreciate the beauty of life. Miller (57-58) argues that Into the wild fosters a symbol of a society where no one cares for the plights of others and the only source of fulfillment and satisfaction is evident in nature. It is a tale that leaves us wondering how our screwed up lives, leaves us hurting others in the society but when poor judgment is used to address all these, we continue closing our minds , judge and criticize other a factor that  leaves us more lonely and troubled. This becomes the source of many deaths in the American society because, whether we look at Chris McCandless as a failed person or brave enough to have faced his own problems, one point remains evident that he perished as a result of loneliness and fear.  Into the Wild therefore calls upon us to embrace all the understanding as well as compassion for others in the society.

According to Hinter (213-115), a number of people suffering the same fate as that of McCandless are drawn by Kraukauer to underscore the decay of morality in the capitalist society. This is in a bid to think about the need to essential change in the lifestyles of people. For example, several people in Into the Wild lead unhappy lives and yet unlike McCandless, they take no bold step to address their unhappy situations (Kraukauer, 74-77). Probably, this scenario is obvious as a result of security, conservativeness and conformity in the capitalist society. It also articulates the reason why McCandless embraced a spirit that was guided by his passing for adventure.

It is arguable that the joy of life is deep in our attempts to try out newer experiences built around the endlessness in the changing features of our possibility as well as exploring different sun sets each day of our lives. However, Kraukauer implies that much can be gotten out of our lives if we lose touch with our monotonous routine ad explore risky ventures like McCandless. On the same note, Durst (142-143) postulates that irrespective of the misfortunes that characterized McCandless explorative spirit, it remains obvious that if such move is properly constructed, it yield incredible life that is filled with beauty and meaning.

Into the wild portrays a number of unconventional personalities. McCandless became a leather tramp as a result of surrendering his car and comfortable life and choose to live like a beggar. The sense to escape his life overwhelmed him to an extent of being tramped and thus changing his name to Alexander all within the intentions to leave his past life. He went wherever the road could lead him (Kraukauer, 152-154). As a consequence, McCandless struggled against the society a pointer of Kraukauers central conflict in the novel. He encompasses what is arguably called greed in the society and the monotonous mode of livelihood which somehow slides one into unsatisfactory kind of life. The picture that Kraukauer centers is the McCandless struggles against the parents, McDonald his boss and his eventual fights in the wilderness, in a bid to survive in Alaska. For example, Gallien says of McCandless that  those people who think that they came to Alaska and live in our land should know that living in the bush is not picnic (Kraukauer, p 5).

To recap, Kraukauer uses Into the wild to  comment on the unified effort of the society to adorn the robe of kindness such that regardless of the understanding that the society is filled with evil people, we can rise above this and meet everybody by showing them compassion, as well as kindness. McCandless, meet a host of people who become instrumental in helping him get a job as well as accommodate him. For example, Westerberg says that a number of hitchhikers whom he gave jobs over the years were not good enough but Alex is the hardest worker (Kraukauer 17-18). Westerberg and Franz are examples of such people. In addition, Kraukauer proves that wealth is useless as evident in his attempt to forsake all his actions and tramp. Into the Wild is a tour de force that illuminates the efforts of an enigmatic young man in the society in pursuit of a satisfying life.

Introduction
Benjamin Franklin was born on 17th January, 1706 in America. He was a successful man, hardworking and a focused man. He was a publisher, printer, politician and a smart diplomat. Franklin was the tenth son of a Massachusetts soap and candle maker (Brux, pp 10). Largely self-taught, Franklin displayed an intellectual ability, readily apparent to those around him, that would earn him an international reputation in various fields. According to Franklin (pp 24), he began his career as a printer, going on to found the New England Courant, the fourth newspaper in the colonies.

This research paper will focus on the achievements of Benjamin Franklin, his dreams and his contributions towards the declaration of independence. In an attempt to establish the founders of America as a United State, this paper will analyze the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin.

Historical background
Following a serious argument with his brother in 1723, Franklin left Boston to start a new life in Philadelphia. There, he quickly became an honored citizen and began his lifelong participation in political affairs. He served in Pennsylvanias colonial legislature (1736-64), both as delegate and elected clerk of the general assembly. In 1737, he also became postmaster of Philadelphia. He rose to prominence throughout the colonies when he became deputy postmaster general of British North America (1753-74) (Franklin, pp 29).

His contribution to the declaration of independence is in the books of history even though he was never in the battle fields, he was an eloquent man with practical ideals and principles on how America was to be governed.

Congress Representatives
According to Franklin (pp 28), there were thirteen states that were against the British monopoly and policies. The thirteen states had to unite and oppose the British rule since the British government had a strong military and a lot of resources to marshal war against the colonies. The colonies were Rhode Island, New York, North Carolina, Hampshire, Viginia, Delaware, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey and Georgia. According to Brux (pp 12), the reason why they had to come together was because the British army was well organized and the British government did not allow the colonies to bring forward the names of the representatives in the parliament to air their views and to follow the proceedings in the parliament. This led to animosity among the colonies and even the royal officials were not allowed in the parliament hence felt neglected and none represented.

The thirteen states had to come up with the representatives to negotiate with the British government over certain issues that were raising controversy. When American colonists began to vie for freedom in 1775, Benjamin Franklin had many reasons for supporting the revolution. At first, however, he made no comment on which side he supported. In truth, he was waiting to publicize his opinion until he could convert two loyalists who were very dear to him. First were his longtime friend and ally Joseph Galloway and his own son, William Franklin (Hamilton, pp 46). Benjamin revealed his loathing for Englands recent atrocities to his son in private. He despised British rule because of the corruption in the system.

According to Rider (pp 14), Benjamin Franklin was one of the people that were selected by the congress to represent America in Britain. The other members of the committee were Robert Livingstone, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Roger Sherman. The committee of experts had several meetings with the British government of all the representatives that were sent by the Congress, Benjamin Franklins ability to articulate issues posed a serious worry among the representatives from the British government. His presence in the meeting was viewed as a plus to the American government. He was a tactful leader who had the ability to handle tough questions rationally (Rider, pp 14). His ability to reason logically and to come up with positive recommendations contributed a lot during the French-Indian war. He was selected to represent Pennsylvania in 1754. During this time, the thirteen colonies were not united Franklin came up with Albany Plan of Union. This was a plan to bring all the colonies together under one central authority. The plan was accepted by the majority and was approved by the congress though it was rejected by the colonial legislatures since they believed it could usurp their powers as legislatures.

According to Rider (pp 18), Franklin was a radical thinker who was opposed to colonial policies. He was an intelligent, out spoken man who never kept quiet in times of crisis. He was opposed to Stamp Act he openly opposed the Act and argued that the colony had no mandate to impose new Acts on the people. He emerged to be a leading spokes man for American rights. During the time he was representing Pennsylvania, he went to London to represent the state and later after successful representation, he became an agent for Georgia, New Jersey and Massachusetts. After series of negotiation with the British government led by Benjamin Franklin, there was an urgent need to come up with a working constitution after independence to define how the government was to operate and to ensure that no State violates the principles behind the new constitution. John Jay and his two friends Robert Livingstone and Gouverneur Morris were acknowledged a lot for coming up with a new constitution that was accepted by the majority (Brux, pp 13).

It is worth noting that the draft was more of English laws and never acknowledged most principles that were initially valued before the declaration of independence. The system of governance was almost similar to that of England. However, most of the experts argued that the constitution was drafted by people who had little experience on constitutional matters and were not old enough to understand the deeper meaning of certain ideologies in governance thereby adopting a system that had similar context with the England constitution. According to Brux (pp, 12) by the time Franklin returned to America from London, he became a member of the Patriotic cause of the Continental Congress (1775-1776). He served in the committee that was responsible for the drafting of the document (Declaration of Independence). He was a man who liked joking and most people believed that the reason that led to omission of his name among the people who were responsible for coming up with the draft, was because he could include jokes in the document.

However, he was the eldest signer of the declaration of independence document. After signing the document that liberated the thirteen states he cracked a joke to the committee members making an ironical statement, Gentlemen, we must now all hang together, or we shall most assuredly all hang separately, (The Independence Hall Association, pp 12). Ironically, the time he was signing the document to liberate the Americans, his son William was incarcerated in Connecticut. Franklin left Continental Congress and expressed his ambitions to become the president of Pennsylvania constitutional convention in the year 1776.

As an ambassador, Franklins public career became so instrumental to the people of America.

His work as minister to France (1776-85) was critical to the achievement of the nations first foreign alliance, so essential to the success of the Revolutionary War effort. The respected and admired old statesman obtained loans, negotiated treaties of commerce and alliance, and, along with John Jay and John Adams, negotiated the Treaty of Paris that ended the War for Independence (The Independence Hall Association, pp 12). Once independence was achieved, Franklin came home to Pennsylvania to serve as the president of the Supreme Executive Council of Philadelphia (1785-88). Some of the treaties that were signed by Franklin were important in ensuring peace in America. The treaty of Paris that was accepted and signed had a great impact on the new constitution since important documents on governance were handed in to the former colonyGreat Britain and this brought a peaceful atmosphere for the adoption and the operation of the new constitution in the United States of America (The Independence Hall Association 2001 pp 12).

According to Brux (pp 13), it helped to reduce tension on territorial boundaries that had been a stalemate in governance, for instance, Spain and France on the ownership of the Islands such as Minorca and Bahamas Island. As a result, there was peace and good relationship between the two States. It also helped a lot in creation of new terms of agreement among the warring states and promoting conducive atmosphere for political development in the United States of America.

His contribution to Constitution
The constitution proposed a republican form of governance and the concept was well explained in a more republican form and ignored the democratic principles that were highly valued by some of the delegates during the fight for independence (Hamilton, pp 45). It is therefore true that most of the people depending on the State of origin, were not fully satisfied with the form of governance or system that was proposed in the constitution but they just had to accept it since there was an urgent need to form a new government that could ensure unity of different States.

Franklin was at the age of 81 when he was appointed as a senior states man of the constitutional convention. His old age was relevant in coming up with positive recommendations that were necessary in coming up with a good constitution that could represent the interests of every state (Middlekauff, pp 72). His few formal discourses were written out and read since he was not a good orator and none of his major ideas such as single-chambered legislature, executive board rather than the president, service in public without pay was ever implemented. However, Franklin ensured that the amendments were made. To ensure that the interests of different States were protected, for instance, the amendments on appointment of the council were necessary in providing a clear guideline on the method of appointment and the requirements for appointments.

He remained among the most influential figures due to his unique ability to settle disputes and encourage compromise whenever controversy arose. According to Middlekauff (pp, 72), Franklin achieved his objectives during the negotiations due to his prestige, humor and power of diplomacy. When a deadlock developed over the question of how the states should be represented in Congress, Franklin rephrased the problem in simple yet direct terms If a property representation takes place, the small states contend their liberties will be in danger. If an equality of votes takes place, the large states say their money will be in danger, (The Independence Hall Association, pp 12).

In the end, Franklin was an important member of the committee that adjusted the matter of representation, thus working out the good joint that was to be the most important prerequisite to the adoption of the Constitution by the thirteen states. When the time came to sign the document, Franklin encouraged his fellow delegates to take this spirit of compromise to its conclusion by lending the Constitution their unanimous support (Brux, pp 13).

Despite the fact that he himself did not approve of every aspect of the new plan of government, he concluded On the whole  I cannot help expressing a wish that every member of the Convention . . . would with me, on this occasion, doubt a little of his own infallibility, and to make manifest our unanimity, put his name to the instrument, (Brux, pp 14). According to Rider (pp 14), Franklins last public act was his open opposition to slavery, a cause with which he had opposed since 1730. He died on April 17, 1790, his funeral was well attended and his death was marked with heroic achievements.

Conclusion
Of all the people that contributed to American liberation from the British rule, Franklin Benjamin stands tall. He never went to the battle field but spent most of his time in boardrooms as others were fighting in the battle fields. He was a great diplomat who knew how to take compromise and to settle disputes. He was a tactful leader, who was ready to discuss controversial issues with the British government. He contributed a lot to the implementation of the American constitution by the thirteen states and his reputation was national and world wide. He emerged to be the founder of American independence though he never went to the battle fields. He died on April 17, 1790, his funeral was well attended and his death was marked with heroic accomplishment.

Published on October 2, 1838, Hans Christian Andersens The Wild Swans quickly made its way to childrens hearts and fairytale books, and continues to be a well-loved story even by todays children. Its plot rings with the familiarity of Europes stereotype in the 1800s that of a selfless, innocent female protagonist and an aggressive, powerful male romantic interest, normally acting as the rescuer and hero. In this story, the protagonist is a fifteen-year-old princess named Elisa, and the hero is a king of a faraway kingdom.

1. Why is this the case
The Wild Swans mirrors the predefined concepts of what a man and a woman must be like in order to be acceptable in their era. Europe in the earlier 19th Century (1800s) was a straitlaced society, torn by the stir of uprisings and civil unrest from the masses. The upper crusts of society were revered still, and their influence on the arts and literature paved the way for the genteel behavior highly favored in ladies. Being genteel consisted of, but is not limited to, the virtues of patience, innocence, modesty, caution, prudence and steadfast enduranceall of which Elisa possesses, as shown as the story progresses. Women were also expected to be beautiful in order to catch the eyes of the men.

But the most prominent trait in women of that era was their subservience to men. The men were expected to be the pillars of society, and generally regarded as superior to women, who were the fairer sex. They are portrayed as strong and decisive, and generally get what they want, especially in women. Often in the stories, they are seen as the persistent ones, and are given the obligation to save a damsel in distress.

2. What can we learn from this
Such stereotypes present in traditional literature often escape the attention of the children, who are usually more concerned over the resolution and ending of the tale rather than the individual characteristics of the characters. However, experts have deemed it harmful for a child to grow up with a fairytale-like preconception of the world. There develops a tendency to compare real people to the fairytale ideal, basing the standards upon fantasy personalities.

For example, the recurrence of beautiful heroines in fairytales, like Elisa whom the King considered to be the most beautiful girl he ever saw, tends to let children place an emphasis on beauty as a factor for a good, happy future. The rewards for being subservient would give the child the notion that constant obedience would be the best recourse in any circumstance. The portrayal of men as strong individuals could both give boys an unearned sense of importance and girls a propensity to lean on them and their judgment. There is also the fear that by comparing and judging based on the ideal, a child found lacking of the qualities would feel less entitled to be something great in the eyes of his peers.

3. How can such stereotypes be handled when dealing with folk literature with children
This author believes that in order for such stereotypes to be weeded out before they take root in the childrens minds, there has to be a shift in focus from the ending to the characters good traits. There is also a need for the child to understand what is being read, and to think it over instead of accepting the story as gospel truth. To do so, an adult whom the child respectswhether a parent, guardian, or educatormust be on hand to assist the child in digesting what he has read in the book.

In The Wild Swans, for example, it could be pointed out to the child, through guided questions and subtle pauses to emphasize certain elements of the tale, that the story was about the courage and determination of Elisa to free her brothersand not about the ending where she could finally speak freely again. And instead of glossing over the physical attributes and gender stereotyping, the adult must contrive to explain to the child that those aspects in the story are merely of secondary importance and that the success of the characters did not solely depend on their outer appearances but on something deeper inside them.

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr were leaders, who fought for rights of
African American people in different paths.  They were against racism. Malcolm X
Separatism and militancy contrasted with non violent tactics of Martin Luther King Jr.

Malcolm X was born on May 19th 1925 in Omaha. He was Black Muslim pilgrim,
who determined to create an organization for blacks regardless of their religion. In his
book The Auto biography of Malcolm X particularly in chapter 4, he describes about
his young age were he wanted to fight racism. He was working in an Ice cream  par lour.
There he met a black girl Laura, and got attracted towards her.  He also goes for rose land
ballroom dance with Lara. At the same period of time he met another white rich woman
Sophia and goes along with her, neglecting Laura even though he feels love for her. He
considers Sophia as social pride to gain respect among his friends. This shows his
immaturity of his early attempts to fight racism.

In 1963, Rev. Martin Luther King  Jr and 53 black men protested in Birmingham
against the existing segregation laws, and  were arrested. Luther King wrote a letter from
Birmingham jail. The letter states that Promises given by the politicians and merchants
of Birmingham have been broken, and now it is time for all people to be treated equal.
He is the man who does not  believe in violence or breaking laws. But firmly wants to
protect the rights of African American people, and when it is not given he determines to
fight violent for god given rights.  He is also frustrated by the church which failed to see
its responsibilities, he says people of god must understand and lead their action towards
justice. He spent eight days in jail.

Literature the enlightenment, romanticism, realism, modernism, and postmodernism. Where does one begin To some, those words can be as scary as the word computer is to others. This essay is designed to help you become a great literary interpreter. Getting the motivation is three fourths of the battle to getting into the heads of the artists. To begin, an outline of some of the literary movements has been provided.

The enlightenment was also called the Age of Reason. It spanned from 1660-1770. The central idea behind the enlightenment was using reason to understand nature and guide the human existence. Some of the popular writers from that time period were Voltaire and Moliere.

Romanticism entailed much more abstract literature than the enlightenment offered. Ideally, romanticism dealt with issues of passion and love. The romantic era covered the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Emerson, Thoreau, Wordsworth, and Goethe were just some of the well-known romantic writers.

Realism is broadly defined as the faithful representation of reality, the attempt to show everyday activities and life, primarily among the middle or lower class society, without romantic idealization or dramatization was the focus of writers. Anti-realists about the past claim that no one has yet manifested a knowledge of the truth of tensed instances of the realist schema  (s is true  there is no evidence for s), instances such as  (Caesar crossed the Rubicon is true  there is no evidence for Caesar crossed the Rubicon). It is true that we cannot decide specific instances of the realist schema and that, consequently, neither our understanding of these instances, nor our knowledge of their truth may be constituted by the recognitional and executive capacities which, according to Michael Dummetts antirealism, constitute grasp of meaning. Although we cannot decide these issues, we can meet Dummetts anti-realists manifestability challenge by arguing for them from contingency. While no recognitional and decisional skills may constitute our knowledge that their truth-conditions are satisfied, we can, without begging the question, derive that knowledge from our folk and scientific theories of the workings of nature.

Modernism, is the movement wherein visual arts, music, literature, and drama which rejected the old Victorian standards of how art should be made, consumed, and what it should mean.
Postmodernism mixes the old themes with new contemporary issues to come up with striking artworks that command, question, and captivate its audience to take part in discovering its inner implication. With its inner meaning and splendor, it was also used as a way of communicating which was.

Knowing these terms or views would help us understand texts and poems, because we can dissect a story, a poem or a chapter of a book using these views.

Foreword
This research paper provides an analysis of the power of storytelling of two stories  The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich and Ghost Singer by Anna Lee Walters  in relation to the issues of identity.

Thesis
The storytelling of the Native Americans is much diversified when talking about its beliefs, language, and cultural patterns, but it has one common feature  the power of storytelling makes a strong emphasis on physical and spiritual harmony between humanity and nature and the maintenance of a viable sense of community within the structures of the tribe.

Introduction
Amid different types of literature, the Native American literature is one of the most fascinating and mystifying. It can be defined by the rich and fascinating legends of the Indian tribes that have been passed down from the ancestors of the Native American people. Their folklore is distinguished for its oral tradition and cultural heritage. It consists of various songs, poems, prayers, ritual drama, and an abundance of stories. One of the most important features of Indian storytelling is that it serves as a great tool of orally transferring the beliefs, rituals, and traditions from generation to generation.

The power of storytelling is a significant tool used for uniting people and forming the cultural identities of the Native Americans. Though these stories didnt exist in writing until the early 19th century, they were certainly one of the most essential sources of cultural heritage, every generation of Native Americans could insert new features and information, producing a inimitable mixture of old and new traditions. A chief feature of storytelling is that it places a strong emphasis on tangibility, and more importantly, on spiritual unity and harmony amongst people and the nature that creates a sense of community. Storytelling, as a social and cultural tool serves to pass on the cultural identities of the Native American people.

It is essential to point out that the storytelling of the Indian tribes is a prominent genre of folklore that had a great influence over twentieth-century Native American writing in English in which the narrative modes of the novel prevail (Native American Literature, 2010). There are numerous works dedicated to Native American culture, traditions, identity, and problems they face living in the American society. Among these books there are two, which are rather powerful and popular - these are The Plague of Dover by Louise Erdrich and The Ghost Singer by Anna Walters.

We will discuss these books by focusing on the way they utilize the power of the Indian storytelling in regards to the issues of identity and cultural heritage of the Native American people. These two books are a good source for analysis of multiple points addressing the relation of stories to history and culture.

In the first book The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich, several characters that we meet throughout the book are the narrators in the story. Louise Erdrich uses this mode of narration in order to create a story that is presented from multiple points and perspectives. Every story that is told by each of the characters in every episode is also discussed by them in the novel, making the story come together by systematically unfolding to the reader. Each chapter provides the reader with a perception of how the relationships between past, present and future of the main characters and their ancestors are revealed.

It seems that the story is a big puzzle that consists of an array of pieces. And all these pieces of this great puzzle are the stories told by each narrator. We can also compare this puzzle to a quilt. As we know quilts are made of numerous motley pieces of cloth. As a rule these pieces are cut out from cloth or old clothes that had once belonged to the members of family. The quilts are then passed down from generation to generation and represent the cultural heritage of each family. As we can see, the quilt also represents individual identity as it is composed of interlocking pieces of cultural-historical, individual-biological, and interpersonal-relational attributes (Witherell 1991).

Generally speaking, The Plague of Doves tells a story of crucial changes that took place in the small town of Pluto over a certain period of time. These changes are destructive, as they actually lead to the destruction of the cultural identity of the towns citizens and to the loss of cultural heritage that was formed over many centuries. As the story progresses, we not only observe the decline of the town, but also the collapse of cultural and spiritual identities and traditions of the people. The main concern of the characters is their ability to hand down their traditions, knowledge and experience, that define their identities, to their descendants.

The goal for these traditions is due to the fact that many young people leave their native town for the big cities where they attempt to start a new life while searching for new and bright perspectives. This process turns the small and quiet town into a dying and decaying village. Because of this the native inhabitants of Pluto are gradually losing their identities. As we read the story we realize that losing ones identity is basically the same as dying. Though this death is not physical, it is no less final. Spiritual death can be devastating for people who appreciate and are proud of their cultural heritage. The problem is that when people lose the link to their ancestors, they become aimless, and in my opinion, that can be worse than death.

In The Plague of Doves the elders of the towns community tell various stories about their past and their ancestors. These stories create a representation of self and a sense of belonging to the community. These stories are dynamic as the people who tell them change over the course of time. These stories are told from different perspectives because each narrator often interprets the story according to his own vision, interests, experiences, and outlooks on life. Thus, every time the story was told by another person, it was actually told anew. Despite numerous and occasionally opposite interpretations, these stories are connected, independent, and together form a complete unit. This unit represents the culture and identity of the community. These stories serve as links between ancestors and their future descendants, as each generation adds something new to the stories. This addition is each generations contribution to their heritage and serves to preserve and support their identities so their memories live on forever. If their memories live on then they are never really dead.

The elders of the community feel that they are losing their land along with their identity. That is why Mooshum, one of the elders of the town, often tells of how the township of Pluto came to be. Mooshums granddaughter Evelina realizes that the loss of identity is irreversible. She feels that their identity will vanish with the town. This loss would enter me, too, she says. In The Plague of Doves Evelina states, Over time, I came to know that the sorrow was a thing that each of them covered up according to their character  my old uncle through his passionate discipline, my mother through strict kindness and cleanly order. As for my grandfather, he used the patient art of ridicule. (p. )As we can see, Evelina sees more in her ancestors than just their habits she sees that all the things they used to do would be forgotten.

The people of Pluto represent the entire nation of Native Americans who lived within the boundaries of their lands and have become displaced by white people. Native Americans generally consider white people to be thieves who not only stole their lands and rights, but also destroyed their identities.

In The Plague of Doves, when Neve Harp comes to talk with Mooshum about the past, he gets the following reply from Mooshum What you are asking is how it stolen How has this great thievery become acceptable How do we live right here beside you, knowing what we lost and how you took it (p. )

Besides, the issue of identities, The Plague of Doves also represents the relationship between the individual, history, and cultural. The culture of the Native Americans in the book by Louise Erdrich is that of the Obijiwe. As we read the story we begin to realize that such characters as Mooshum and Evelina are the characters that embody the heritage of the Obijiwe culture. When Mooshum and Evelina tell stories of the past they connect people with their heritage. This process of sharing heritage helps to preserve their culture, traditions, ancestors memories, and their identity. For them, it is the power of telling stories that give life to their culture. It is stories that preserve the history and experiences of a society (Northern Illinois University, 2010). This heritage is what forms the identity of the Native Americans, and if it not passed on to future generations the Indian culture will begin to fade away and eventually die. The death of their unique culture will lead to death of identity for the native people (Northern Illinois University, 2010).

The narrative of The Plague of Doves, and the power of the storytelling, plays an important role in the preservation of the individual and group identitys that are portrayed within the stories. Storytelling for the Native Americans is the hub of their society and culture. This hub holds their identities and the heritage of the people. The process of portrayal through story telling is vital to the preservation of culture and individual identity (Adler and McAdams, 2007).

Another novel that focuses on the importance of identity storytelling is the novel Ghost Singer by PawneeOtoe writer Anna Lee Walters. In her novel, she tells about the importance of preserving ancestral remains, cultural memory, tribal identity, and the struggle for sovereignty. Anna Walters describes the problem by telling a story about a people and their efforts to reclaim the stolen bodies and relics of their ancestors (Graber, 2000).

In Ghost Singer, a collection of various unusual items are housed in Smithsonians Museum of Natural History. This collection includes not only objects of the Indian culture, but also human body parts, such as ears, whole corpses, and bones. The scientists who gathered these items were focused on preserving the Indian in a very barbaric way. They didnt take into consideration the religious beliefs of the Indians who felt that the spirits of their ancestors whose bones were housed in the museum are not dead. These spirits are angry with researchers and seek revenge in them.

D.J. Graber (2000) states, The collection housed in the museum itself, marked by a distinctly human presence, represents not only the violent history that witnessed and allowed its acquisition but also the submerged spiritual life-worlds of Native American peoples (p. 13) as explained by George Daylight to Donald Evans, a museum staff member. Walters writes, The cultures that created these items are not dead simply because youre blind to them and deem them so These cultures manifest themselves differently now, thats all, though the word differently might be a poor choice. The people who created these things exist  theyre still here Whether or not they have any recollection of the items here being a part of their cultural inventory dont change that fact. The fact that these items are now in your possession dont change it either (p. 127).

This statement means that the power of cultural identities cannot be destroyed by time or distance. The above statement describes the main point to understanding the importance of the identities. The key point is that the spirits of the dead members of the Indian tribe are eternal. This theme developed by the author serves as an argument for presentation and focuses on the issues of identity of the Native Americans. The spirits of the dead Indians connect the living Indians with their ancestors. Graber (2000) explains that the Indian people feel that many of these spirits still seek justice. The actions of dead white people will not disappear in their power nor does the need for justice evaporate in the wake of their deeds (p. 10).

It is believed by the Indians that all the items presented in the museum collection possess energy and live on their own. The spirits of the Indians live independent of their bodies and thus, cannot be destroyed. Together these spirits create a network of very powerful energy. Through this energy the spirits of the Indians are connected with those who are physically alive. This network connects many generations. The spirits of ancestors leave a vast knowledge of heritage to their descendants.

The hearts and souls of the Native Americans are connected with an invisible thread that has been created by the spirits of their ancestors. This thread is the memories of their oral traditions, stories, identities, and culture. This connection will not vanish if future generations are able to continue this cultural heritage by preserving identities through story telling. By handing down their cultural heritage they become filled with the energy of the spirits of their ancestors who help them tell the stories that preserve the identities of the ancestors.

Like Louise Erdrich, Anna Walters effectively uses different genres and storytelling tools to engage and emphasize these ideals. It is important to mention that in The Plague of Doves the stories from the past, interpreted and retold many times, still represented the belief that cultural identities never really die out completely. The spirits of their ancestors talk to them through stories. The connection made with the ancestors continues on with each generation as something new and unique is added to every story they tell in such a way as to preserve the energy of the network and the everlasting life of their ancestors.

The stories in both novels are immortal and live their own lives, just like the spirits of their storytellers themselves. Even though they may be interpreted differently by different people, they still continue to carry on the cultural heritage and identities into immortality. The same situation is described by Walters in The Ghost Singer. They are alive despite the fact that they are remarkable only as relics. They live their own lives. They persist  and change  in relationship to ongoing social processes that are historically and geographically located. But even if they undergo certain changes, they still are very important in terms of preserving the cultural heritage and identities of the Native Americans. (p. )

Just as in the novel The Plague of Doves, Ghost Singer depicts the Native Americans as a people whose lands were stolen by white people, and whose cultural heritage and identity is at risk of dying out due to theft. The struggles of the Native American people have been repeated around the globe. The power of storytelling that Anna Walters uses in Ghost Singer is aimed at depicting the significance of identity and emphasizing their importance to Indian tribes.

The emphasis on identity is provided by Walters in her novel in the same way as it is in The Plague of Doves written by Erdrich. They both emphasize that the loss of historical roots and identity, for the Native Americans, is the same as death. Moreover, consciously rejecting the cultural heritage of the ancestors is equivalent to living life with a dead soul. Without the link between the memory, heritage, and identity of their ancestors, The Indian people are devoid of a soul. Sometimes the energy of the ancestors can save and heal. Thus, discussing these important things, Anna Walters and Louise Erdrich reveal the truth about the importance of the links between the living Indians and the dead ones and that these things are crucial to cultural identity and the cultural survival of a people.

Conclusion
We can surmise that the novel The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich and the novel Ghost Singer by Anna Lee Walters are two prominent works on the loss of cultural heritage and the importance of cultural identities to the Native American peoples. These novels, using the power of storytelling, emphasize the crucial importance of cultural heritage and cultural identities to the Indian people. The stories told by these two authors were interpreted differently through the years but the heritage and identities of the Native people remain intact to be passed on to the descendants of future generations.

The homosexualtransgendertransvestite culture has been a prominent issues or theme in various fields, such as psychology, sociology, and even arts and entertainment wherein the said culture is discussed and portrayed in numerous films and pieces of literature. Before we further explore the homosexualtransgendertransvestite culture, we will seek to define each concept in order to allow the readers to understand the content of succeeding discussions.

Based on scholarly studies, homosexuality may be defined as a deviant form of sexuality because gay men do not reach the theoretical normal developmental end point of resolving the Oedipus complex by desiring someone like their mothers and identifying with their fathers (Cabaj  Stein 452). On the other hand, the term transgender may be defined as an umbrella term that covers a wide variety of ideas and manifestations, all relating to gender and its remarkable potential for unique personal expression (Sheridan  Sullivan 1). The transvestite is enacting a fiction of gender transformation and directing his audience toward an inherently contradictory interpretation of his gender (Kahn 14). The research and analysis of a piece of literature, with underlying themes including the homosexual, transgender, and transvestite culture will the primary purpose of the paper.

In John Berendts book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, the author has prominently fit in the homosexualtransgendertransvestite culture in his main characters. The story, which was set in Savannah, Georgia, explored social interaction in the community, especially among the homosexuals, transgenders, and transvestites in the community. Furthermore, the book explored how the small town perceived eccentricity and how the perceptions and ideas of the people influence how individuals of the third sex, in turn, perceive and handle themselves publicly.

Based on a true story, Berendt wrote the book in the first-person perspective narrating how the primary voice telling the story learns about life in Savannah and the controversies and the interestingly eccentric characters that live in the ideally dull and boring small town life. (Berendt) The primary purpose of Berendt, however, in writing the book was to relate the culture of Savannah, a small town, which refuses to deal with changes and accept modern ideas, perspectives, and way of life.

On the whole, the story revolves on the murder of a local, Danny Hansford, and the narrators fixation in looking into and understanding how and why the death happened. Along the way, Berendt unravels who the culprit is along with other murders that have been unaccounted for, remaining as ghosts or shadows in the small towns history. The author seemed to focus on the quality of life in the small town based on the norms or morals inherent within the environment by mirroring it in characterization. Although the plot or theme of the novel was not primarily about homosexualstransgenderstransvestites, the dominance of these characters in the novel makes it an interesting piece to discuss since it offers a different and wider perspective about the themes and issues that concern homosexualstransgenderstransvestites. The focus of the succeeding discussion will then be in exploring how the above themes are discussed and presented in the novel from the perspective of the author.

Depiction of HomosexualsTransgendersTransvestites in the Novel
The novel is about a murder trial of the death of Danny Hansford, a male prostitute, at the Mercer House, which is owned by Jim Williams. Jim Williams, on the other hand, belongs to the privileged in Savannah. Williams has obtained his status and possessions as an antique dealer and a restorer of houses in town. He was also known for the lavish parties he throw that only the most influential and prominent individuals in Savannah attend to. The death of Hansford was a result of the altercation between himself and Williams. (Berendt)

The problem between both characters was brought about by issues about love, relationship, and money, but Williams, unwilling to expose his sexuality and relationship with Hansford, placed the blame on the latter and utilized Hansfords unconventional behavior as an excuse in justifying his death. Apparently, Hansford had emotional problems and was known to resort to alcoholism and drug addiction. Thus, it was easy for the locals of Savannah to believe that Hansfords death was his own fault and to relieve Williams from guilt and accusations although he was entirely responsible for Hansford and four others death. (Berendt)

Although the relationship between Hansford and Williams was implied in the novel, the locals of Savannah were nave and unaccepting of homosexuality enough to leave them ignorant or in denial of Williams sexuality and his relationship with his lover, Hansford. Added to the townspeoples acceptance of Williams and Hansfords relationship and sexuality was the formers position in society. Although Williams was at fault for Hansfords death and the investigation of his death should have been seen as a crime of passion, the authorities did not explore this side of the case, and it was because Williams belonged to a well-to-do household. So what does the story imply then about homosexuality in Savannah in the South during that time The story simply denotes that homosexuality was either not accepted in the local community or the locals in Savannah remain ignorant about homosexuality and were unable to see people as who they truly are beyond their status and material possessions.

On the whole, the judgments of the people of Savannah on homosexuality were based on social norms and status. Accepting or ignoring the sexuality of an individual is subjective to the individuals social status or position in society. (Welsch  Adams, 180) As expressed by Welsch  Adams, the homosexuality of these characters exists below the surface of socially acceptable behavior. In both, what is hidden o taboo proves mysterious and fascinating, but also easy to condemn. Because it exposes to many levels of an intricate social order, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil can be used to initiate discussion of the complex hierarchies and social interaction imposed by variations in culture (180).

Williams, in turn, took advantage of the mindset and judgments of the locals by masking his sexuality and his crimes through propriety and abiding by the norms and standards set by society in small town Savannah. (Johnson 3-4) Denby described Williams ability to escape from being judged by the people in Savannah since The eccentricity in the small town is able to flourish precisely because of the exquisite dedication to manners and propriety. Jim Williams wants to play the game by the rules and survive. His defense, in part, depends on his social standing, his friends, and his reputation. Refinement is part of his armor (120).

On one hand of the argument, it may be argued that judgments against homosexuals depend on other factors, and that the people in Savannah may exhibit a little respect or pseudo respect towards homosexuals as long as they belong to the upper classes of society. In the novel, the locals were willing to look past and just ignore Williams sexuality and crimes since the man is rich and well respected in the business circle. Thus, homosexuality and judgments towards it in the novel relates to an all-encompassing truth. The all-encompassing truth is that homosexuality is taboo and most people in Savannah do not receive homosexuality well, but their disapproval may be ignored if the individual who is judged is an affluent who holds power in society. The phenomenon may also be described as discrimination within discrimination or double discrimination, since homosexuals are discriminated upon, but still homosexuals are also discriminated based on their social status. (Alexander)

Another distinct feature of homosexual culture in the book is the lack of self-acceptance and courage to bear ones sexuality. Thus, past homosexual culture, as represented by the culture set in Savannah in the novel, is more inhibited and fearful of society. Today, however, homosexuality is being paraded, literally and figuratively, as a sign of liberalism, power and pride, mirroring self-acceptance among homosexuality and their personal satisfaction or pleasure in showing people who they are on the inside.

The character of Lady Chablis represents the transgendertransvestite culture, and may also be the symbolism of illusion in the novel. Lady Chablis is a cross-dresser who takes pills in order to enhance his female features. Unlike Williams, Lady Chablis was open about his sexuality and took major steps in order to assert it even in a traditional community. Thus, if homosexuality, as symbolized by Williams in the novel, was inhibited and fearful of outside judgments, transgenderism and cross-dressing were the opposite. Despite the traditional and conservative nature of Savannah, Lady Chablis was very open in introducing herself as female. Although Lady Chablis may have had her share of prejudice, the drag queen relates that as long as he steers clear from other individuals who might give him a hard time because of his sexuality, there will be no altercations or any problems. (Johnson 343-345) In the novel, Lady Chablis shows strength in his character as he endured the embarrassment of other people for him, as well as other crimes committed against him such as molestation.

The homosexualtransgendertransvestite culture in Savannah, as depicted in the novel, is the change that is seeking to tip the balance of social norms in the small town. Homosexuality and the transgendertransvestite culture are depicted in two different ways. Homosexuality is inhibited and repressed, but still manages to creep all over the small town as many of the characters in the book exhibit internally conflicted souls. Furthermore, the actual experiences of Lady Chablis, as she recounted in actual interviews, reveal that there are men in Savannah who are inwardly homosexual, while some even molested the drag queen against her will. The transgendertransvestite culture, on the other hand, was depicted openly.

According to Psychologists, repression of homosexuality may the cause of inhuman or immoral acts against other human beings, including sexual molestation. Thus, it is possible that the experiences of Lady Chablis may be brought about by the refusal of some men in Savannah to acknowledge their homosexuality. Consequently, Lady Chablis, being openly gay and accepting of his identity was considered as the easy target for men in the small town to victimize, since they repress their homosexuality and try with difficulty to hide their true self from others. Rosario said that

The detection of denied or repressed homosexuality was also viewed as useful for diagnostic purposes in cases of suspected sex offenses, paranoia, and schizophrenia. As noted earlier, Sigmund Freud (1911) had first suggested that paranoia might be a manifestation of repressed homosexuality Paranoiacs defend themselves against their own despised homoerotic yearnings by imagining that the object of their passion hates them (94).

The homosexualtransgendertransvestite culture is not inhibited or not repressed, but still considered taboo in the small town. Despite the refusal of the small town to accept or acknowledge the culture however, the two still remain to be strong forces that were pushing Savannah to change and to come to terms with the homosexualtransgendertransvestite culture.

Repressed homosexuality, as one of the primary themes in the novel, may be understood by relying on psychological information or findings. According to May, Strikwerda,  Hopkins,
To some extent, the explanation of repressed homosexuality may be wish fulfillment on the part of some gays. Forced necessity of survival to be secretive and cryptic themselves, many gay men find it eminently reasonable to suspect any man of potential homosexual desire, and in fact, want such to be the case.

It is reasonable, if optimistic, to hope that there are really more of you than there seem to be. And in light of the fact that many openly gay men report that they used to be homophobic themselves, the repression theory seems to be both empirically sound as well as emotionally attractive (102).

At the end of the novel, Berendt has managed to relate the stubbornness of Savannah in acknowledging the changes in the local community, which is not a result of outside intervention nor presence in the small community, but a change in culture that starts from the towns individual members. Berendt related, from his own observation, that Savannah is a small town that shuts itself from the world and continually seeks to preserve its culture amidst cultural and societal changes in the outside world. It is one of the ultimate goals of Savannah to preserve its culture despite modernism. The presence of the homosexualtransgendertransvestite culture in the small community signifies change, liberalism, and progressiveness. The culture may be considered an agent of change, or a sign that Savannah then was on the brink of changing despite the towns refusal or stubborn nature. Thus, the homosexualtransgendertransvestite culture may be considered as a threat to little Savannahs goal of cultural preservation.

Conclusion
Overall, although the novel, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, does not directly or purposefully tackles the homosexualtransgendertransvestite culture, the presence of characters that practice or observe the culture makes it an ideal piece of literature to explore and understand. The social issues emphasized by Berendt in the novel are deeply tied with how the local community in Savannah treated individuals in the novel who were homosexuals. At Savannah, social status and affluence are the primary criteria for judging human beings. Individuals who hold valuable positions in society are being judged less and are valued by the townspeople, but individuals who  belong to poor families are neglected and ignored. Williams, who was hinted as a homosexual, who allegedly killed his lover belonging to a poor family, was still respected despite his involvement in a heinous crime. On the other hand, the townspeople judged the victim, Hansford, because he was poor. Further judgments were passed about his personality and way of life due to his social status. The respect or pseudo respect that the townspeople had for Williams showed how the local community is nave or ignorant about homosexuality or just respectful of Williams social position. Nevertheless, the people at Savannah do not make proper and fair judgments against the people they deal with.

The underlying themes of homosexual transgendertransvestite culture involve the inevitable nature of change and how the way of life of individuals in the community influence how it will adopt or change its culture. In the novel, homosexuality is represented as a repressed nature, while the transgendertransvestite culture was depicted as open and accepting. Despite the differences in the two concepts, it is important to consider that the homosexualitytransgendertransvestite culture will eventually change the social structure, culture, and tradition at Savannah, if it has not already happened in the past years.

Homosexuality and the transgendertransvestite culture may be considered as agents of social change that threaten the norm of the traditional society. In the book, the presence of such issues or themes reflects the changing Savannah and how its social structure is beginning to reshape the traditions and culture of the small town.

The two main characters in Iliad, Hektor and Achilles, represents the values and the issues of the two warring nations. Both characters seem to have sealed their fates and death with the army by being military men primarily before their household duties, of being a husband and father for Hektor and of being a son for Achilles. They strive for peace although they have been burdened with leading the armies in war. But have they really been fighting for the glory of their countries or for themselves Both Hektor and Achilles have been given a task so great that it holds the fame of leading their countries to victory over the other. Though they had the same mentality on their pride, their motivation for winning is not merely driven by the success of their own armies but their personal perspective on what is right or wrong.

Iliad is but a short portrayal of the ten year war between Achaeans and Trojans, which started because Paris, Hectors brother, took Helen of Troy to be his wife. Achaeans were not pleased with this since Helen was taken without dowry, an important aspect of marriage for the Trojans. Although Hektor believed that Paris committed a wrongdoing in terms of their social norms. He claimed that he should hasdt never been born because it would be better than to stand forth, the scandal and scornlooking in vain, for strength thou hast none, nor spirit within thee to have elope(d) with Helena (ed. Herschel p.52). This indicates that Hektors beliefs is deeply rooted in the social norms and conduct.

Being a citizen of his country, Hektor remained faithful and loyal to what he believes the society deems acceptable behavior. On the other hand, Achilles believed in himself more and repeatedly defied the natural order, believing that he is creating the needed order within his society. While Hektor follows the norms to create order and peace within the society, Achilles creates order by going against the order that the society has set upon itself. This signifies that his belief in himself is greater compared to his belief in the norms of the society. This can be seen when he tried to organize the army despite of the orders of the leader Agamemnon. Achilles believed greatly in his capabilities and skills as a soldier that he believed it was enough to lead the army.

Although Achilles wages war with Hektor at the end of the poem, he shows compassion for his soldiers, questioning why then do Greeks and the Trojans meet in such deadly feudto avengeHelenas capture when there soldiers that are serving the army have also their wives that they love  (ed. Herschel p.183). This shows how Achilles believes that going into war must be justifiable. Although Hektor believes in the same thing, he still went to war believing it was his social obligation even if it meant leaving his wife and son despite her pleas to come with them when they escaped.

The weakness of humans is consistently played up within Iliad. Even if Achilles and Hektor possessed characters and skills that gave them the higher respect from the people, it was signified in the poem that these two are but humans, which experiences internal struggles and craves what humans normally crave for, that is to be recognized and to be successful. Because of their pride, thinking highly of their skills as soldiers, they failed to see that they are putting themselves, and their armies in grave danger. Because they wanted to claim success, believing they are the ones that will be able to get it, and believing that it will bring them their personal success, they sought each other. Pride does not do anything good as it blinds the self in his own justifications of his actions without considering the factors that are playing outside of his control.

This was shown when Hektor failed to see that Zeus only promised to make them reach the lands of the Achaeans and not to defeat them. Because he wanted to claim success, glory and fame, he blindly believed in the promise of Zeus cutting himself from the aid of his fellow men. With Achilles, he believed that his strength and invincibility has no limitations. His pride made him forget that he was still human who is weak against pain and sadness. He failed to realize this even as he grieved for Patroclus when Hektor mistakenly killed him believing he was Achilles. Believing greatly in himself, he also placed the Achaean army in great danger when he left the army to spite Agamemnon for taking Briseas.

Another human weakness reiterated in the poem was rage and anger. Because of his pride, Achilles went into a vengeful fury to redeem his pride that was lost when the person that he is supposed to be protecting died. But was his anger fueled by his thirst for revenge for Hektor but also to protect his image since Patroclus died wearing his armor and bearing his shield This indicates that Achilles, though he and other people believed he was superhuman, was indeed very human. He succumbs to such emotions easily and he disregards the effects of his actions on other people.

Even if both Achilles and Hektor believed in the value of peace, they waged war for different reasons, Hektor to protect the name of Troy and Achilles to protect his image. Both have been affected by the death of Patroclus but each symbolized the young mans death differently, for Hektor it was a sin and a grave mistake that will bring upon his death, and for Achilles it meant the death of Hektor to avenge Patroclus and to protect himself from the feeling of despair over his inability to protect Patroclus. This shows that although they have similar characteristics, their differences is mainly because of how they view things that impacted their lives. Although both have strong personalities, making them leaders, they are also weak against their own human emotions.

Joseph ONeills Netherland tackled a lot of issues both in the macro and micro level using the character of Hans van den Broek. The story took place at the early part of the century somewhere after the 911 bombings. It was narrated that Hans was born in Ireland but was raised in Netherlands, who eventually moved to New York. The questions and problems of the protagonist started to materialize after the 911 bombings, and that was where the story took off.

For us to better understand the importance of the passage at the latter part of the book wherein Hans discovered that The USA as such is nowhere to be seen on Google Maps and to be able to assess whether he was able to resolve his issues in relation to his stay in America, it is important that we first identify the questions or problems that the protagonist had in the story.

I will focus on two issues that I felt stood out in the story. The first, and perhaps the most obvious, issue he had concerned his relationship with his wife. After the 911 incident, which affected his family and caused them to be forced to move further uptown to Chelsea Hotel, their marriage also became shaky which eventually resulted to his wife moving back to London with their son leaving him alone in a foreign land which has become his second home. There were very moving portrayals on how he felt about his separation with his son shown by his nightly visits to his sons location through the use of Google Earth as well as his regular flights to London to physically see him.

The next issue that was undertaken was on identity. It can be seen in the story how Hans struggled with the fact that he was someone from Netherlands who was then residing in New York. The problem on identity was also symbolically tackled by the sport Cricket, which his friend Chuck aspired to introduce to America and make it as equally important as baseball or football. He struggled with his personal identity because although his life was in New York, he still lived by the norms and culture he was raised in, he did not want to let go of his original identity as manifested in the part where he was to get a green card and drivers license. His joining the cricket team also symbolizes how much he wanted to be reconnected with his roots. The sport, on the other hand, was problematic in the sense that no matter how long it has been played in America, it still remained marginalized just like the people who were playing in it. There was no sense of recognition or acceptance from the foreign land there was no sense of belonging. No matter how long it has been introduced to the country, it still did not become integrated to their culture. This actually was the same feeling that he was dealing with, although that can only be derived from what we would read in the novel and was not directly claimed.

At the end of the story, it can be said that these issues were resolved, although not out-rightly stated. At the last pages, Hans was able to reconcile with his family, thus resolving his first issue. He was again in good terms with his wife and was reunited with his son. It was narrated before the story ended that they went out together and it was somehow illustrated how his relationship with his wife had improved. As some people would put it, his love life was portrayed as a happily-ever-after thing.

I also believe that his issue on identity was somehow resolved evidence of this was his move back to his own land. He has come into terms with himself and finally moved back to the place wherein he can be himself and be proud of it. Realization might have dawned to him further when he spoke with Faruk discussing about their late friend Chuck and his goal of integrating Cricket to America. Faruk stated that it was not necessary to bring the sport to America and that it is the limit of what Americans can understand. He seems to imply that in itself and to the people who love playing it, Cricket is important and it does not necessarily have to be embraced by the Americans just to become more significant. It is like saying that there are things that we cannot force to happen no matter how hard we try. Just like our identity, it is not easy to take it away from us and at the same time, it would be difficult to have others accept or embrace it as their own. The part wherein he browsed on Google Maps and searched for the USA, which he found but as he moved further into the atmosphere started to disappear symbolizes something. The line saying The USA as such is nowhere to be seen seems to be saying that at some point, USA does not seem so significant after all.

At the latter part though, there was quite an issue about him being reacquainted to his place. The incident on the plane where he was asked by the other passengers about the things that they see which at first was not a challenge for he was from London but became more difficult as they move higher for he became disoriented and had to refer on travel brochures could imply that he had somehow became estranged to his place because of his wanderings. It was shown in the last few paragraphs how he realized how much he was blinded by the promise of a new land (USA) a foreign land that seems to have a lot in store for him. The bewildered face of his son which reflects his reaction when he was first brought by his mother to New York seem to say that it was no different from London, they both are marvelous. It was seeing it for the first time that make it more magnificent but in the long run, you will realize which is indeed more significant.

Nationalism requires a sense of identity as it supplements the characteristics that allows the individuals creation of a self based on his conception of the cultural link between his group and its land. In relation to this, the most important facet of national identity is the description of a common national experience. If such is the case, it follows that the creation and existence of a national identity involves the political act of enabling the validation of a particular account of a nations culture. The relationship of culture and identity is apparent if one considers that national identity is based on the rhetoric of memory or the rhetoric of the self. Given that the rhetoric of memory changes in line with the way an individual understands the social and political conditions during his period, it follows that the rhetoric of identity is continuously in flux.

In line with this, the following discussion extrapolates on the cultural production of the meaning and value attributed to the American identity through an analysis of Henry James Jolly Corner, Christopher Isherwoods My Guru and His Disciple, and Joseph ONeills Netherland based on Raymond Williams conception of the structure of feelings. The discussion is based on the argument that James, Isherwood, and ONeills texts provide manifestations of the practical consciousness related to the creation of the views pertaining to the importance ascribed to shared experiences in developing an American identity. In other words, James, Isherwood, and ONeills texts map the different ways that led to the creation of a specific American identity during the period of their texts production. With this in mind, the discussion is divided into two parts. The initial part of the discussion will provide the theoretical framework of Williams conception of practical consciousness which is followed by a specification of how James, Isherwood, and ONeills texts manifest the practical consciousness pertaining to American identity in their texts.

Raymond Williams, in Structure of Feelings, argues that the cultural production of ideas in society is a result of action. Such is the case since concepts as well as institutions do not merely emerge as analytical wholes since they are results of formative processes (Williams 128).

Williams states, Contemporary life, in which relationships, institutions, and formations in which we are still actively involved, are converted into formed wholes rather than forming and formative processes. Analysis is then centered on relations between these produced institutions  and living presence is always, by definition, receding (128). He argues that such a conception of the cultural production of ideas fails to grasp all the nuances involved in the process as it perceives the production of ideas as a procedure that merely involves the shift from one formal social framework to another (Williams 129). He claims that the shift from one formal social framework to another is characterized by a personal conception of the social which is exemplified by (1) their indication of the changes of presence and (2) their exertion of palpable pressures(that) set effective limits on experience andaction despite their existence as emergent or pre-emergent social products (Williams 131-132). Underlying the formative process of these emergent or pre-emergent social forms is the structure of feeling which provides the internal relationship between the different manifestations of practical consciousness that occurs in between the formalization andD  or institutionalization of beliefs and practices. Williams claims

Practical consciousness is almost always different from official consciousness Practical consciousness is what is actually lived, and not only what it is thought is being lived  (It) is a particular quality of social experience and relationship, historically distinct from other particularities, which gives the sense of a generation or of a period (A) structure of feeling is a cultural hypothesis, actually derived from attempts to understand such elements and their connections in a generation or period. (131-132)

The structure of feeling thereby provides the framework for grasping the different manifestations of practical consciousness. Practical consciousness, on the other hand, provides the existing modes of knowing and understanding reality that exists in the intersections of defined cultural forms of knowing and understanding reality. Practical consciousness thereby manifests the structure of feeling in society as it presents the personal and hence subjective perspectives existing between predefined social forms of acting and knowing in society.

In the case of literary texts that provide a distinct perspective of understanding reality during the period of their production, one may claim that these texts present a manifestation of a periods practical consciousness while at the same time supplying one of the possible institutionalized views for understanding reality in the future. In other words, literary texts provide positions that may exist either as a thesis, antithesis, or synthesis to a specific perspective. In most cases, if a literary text reacts against a predominant cultural viewpoint, it occupies the position of an antithesis. In other cases, if a literary text opts to unify two seemingly opposing viewpoints, it occupies the position of a synthesis. However both an antithesis and a synthesis may also occupy the position of a thesis once its views have been incorporated in the dominant mode of understanding events in the social arena. This is apparent in the case of James, Isherwood, and ONeills texts mentioned above.

James Jolly Corner discusses the relationship between identity and an individuals spatiotemporal location. In the text, Joyce describes the growth of American cities during the initial period of the 20th century and its relationship to the expansion of the factors that will determine the definition of the American identity. He argues that the expansion of the city entails the expansion of its population, as can be seen in the number of immigrants in the country, as well as the redefinition of the American identity. For Joyce, such an expansion leads to the loss of a national culture as he depicts Spence Brydon, the tales protagonist, as a displaced individual who is incapable of determining his membership to a particular community.  Brydons existence is divided by three opposing locations, that being the hotel where he resides at night and his two inherited properties. Amongst these locations, Brydon is mostly attached to the passageways of the jolly corner which he also chooses to visit at night in the hopes of meeting the ghostly presence that he considers to wander through the clear vistas of the location (James 83). Joyce describes his wandering in the following manner, Visiting the ample house from attic to cellar, making sure he was alone, he knew himself in safe possession and, as he tacitly expressed it, let himself go (83). Brydons attraction to the house may be attributed to his desire for a small-scale location where he is capable of determining a distinct and clear conception of his being. Joyces text thereby provides a reaction not only against the continuous expansion of American cities or America itself but also to a globalized world since he perceives it as a location where individuals are incapable of grasping a specific view of themselves thereby leading to the production of a global population of displaced individuals.

Joyces view of the relationship between globalization and the deterioration of the American identity provides an example of one of the views against globalization during his time-frame. His depiction of Brydons condition, in this sense, may be understood as an example of one of the manifestations of practical consciousness during the initial period of the 20th century. As opposed to Joyces view, Isherwood provides another perspective for understanding the American identity within the context of a globalized world. In My Guru and His Disciples, Isherwood presents an autobiography of his life as he traces his relationship with Swani Prabhavanda who like Isherwood is an American Vedantist. Within the text, Isherwood recounts the tenets of Vedantic philosophy while giving special emphasis to its repercussions to personal identity.

Isherwood argues that although Vedantic philosophy has its origins from a different culture and nation, its principles which places premium on the individuals achievement of internal coherence does not contradict the beliefs or practices of American culture or any culture for that matter (338). It is important to note that besides its content, one of the defining characteristics of My Guru and His Disciples also lies in its continuation of the subjectivist style of writing experiences which was initially introduced by Eliot and Lawrence. His text, in this sense provided a manifestation of practical consciousness during the initial period of the 20th century as it presented a different viewpoint regarding the effects of globalization and as it presented this viewpoint in a literary style which was considered pass during the period. It is important to note that although Isherwoods text does not provide an explicit view pertaining to the issue of globalization, this is implicitly stated in his text as it shows the possibility of maintaining a strong sense of American identity despite its fusion with certain elements or practices of other cultures.

In relation to Joyces text, one may claim that Isherwood provides a counter-argument and hence an antithesis to Joyces views regarding the effects of globalization to the American identity. Although both texts were created in the 20th century, they presented opposing viewpoints which may be considered as manifestations of practical consciousness since both of their views did not represent a specific institutionalized perspective for understanding the effects of globalization in American culture during the period of their production. ONeills Netherland, on the other hand, was created in a period where America recognized the importance of globalization as well as cultural pluralism. In the text, ONeill introduces the reader to the repercussions of the 9D 11 attack through Hans van den Broeck s character. Hans  character grapples the effects of the attack to the immigrant residents of Manhattan. He claims, for example,  I ve heard that social scientists like to explain such a scene-a patch of America sprinkled with the foreign-born strangely at play- in terms of the immigrants quest for subcommunities(ONeill 120). ONeills text, in this sense, manifests the changes in perceiving American identity since although Hans is an immigrant he is also affected by the terrorist attack in the country. In a sense, his identity which is also rooted in the American soil has also been affected by the acts of terrorism. ONeills text thereby manifests a social belief that provides a synthesis of Joyces and Isherwoods beliefs introduced in their texts as he shows that although the values and meanings associated to the American identity has changed to include even those who have immigrated to the country, it still remains a truism that the expansion of ones boundaries, in this case the expansion of Americas power throughout the world, still leads individuals to consider the negative effects of this expansion in relation to ensuring the well-being of American citizens.

Within this context, James, Isherwood, and ONeills text provide the practical consciousness regarding the relationship of the American identity to globalization during the period of their production. The combination of their text, on the other hand, shows an example of a dialectic at work as their texts provided a thesis, antithesis, and synthesis towards an understanding of the relationship of globalization and the American identity.

The main characters in the three works, Othello, Tattoo, and Love Calls Us to the Things of the World, are vain and self-obsessed people.  The say they love, but not in a spiritual way.  They love in the way you love pizza  its the best thing ever when youre eating it, then youre full and you dont think about it until you want it again.  As Wilburs title points out, this lust for things of the world, mistaken for love, is a great flaw of men, and is a main thread in all three works.

The catechism warns us that the world is an enemy which with his pleasures doth so entangle men that he seemeth to reign alone like a god.  From the highest to the lowest, from the king to the subject, they all embrace the frail and transitory things of this world and utterly neglect the things to come (Ayre, 184).

Men become so caught up in the transitory things of this world, like sex and jealousy, that they become arrogant and vain, which blinds them to the true love that they are destroying, and then to their own destruction.

Othello is a loving husband, but is a general who is not at home much because hes often off to war. He barely seems to thing of his wife, except when he is at home and wants the pleasure of her company.  Until Iago plots to ruin him, by lying about Desdemona being unfaithful.  At first, Othello doesnt believe Iago.  Iago then provides proof of Desdemonas deceit by planting a handkerchief he stole from Casio.  Othello, becomes obsessed, and can only focus on his jealousy and Desdemonas unfaithfulness.  He is so caught up in the transitory things of this world, that he is blinded to the truth.  He ignores Desdemonas claims of innocence and his own love for her.  In a moral and spiritual sense, he ignores the possible consequences of his actions.  Thinking only of himself, Othello tries to act like a god, handing out life and death.  Unable to stand Desdemonas treachery, he kills her.  Before he learns of her innocence, Othello says,
Nay, had she been true,
If heaven would make me such another world
Ild not have sold her for it (Shakespeare, V.ii. 143-6).

Othello doesnt think about what he had in Desdemonas love for him, or even his love for her, but only about her supposed cheating.  He doesnt want the love or the things to come, but only another world, which in his vanity, he would probably mess up again.

Finally, with his hate as strong as his love, when he learns of the truth, that Desdemona was innocent, Othellos self-love turns to self-hatred.  Again, not thinking of the spiritual or moral consequences of his actions, Othello plays god and kills himself.

In the time of Shakespeare, people were probably more religious and less troubled by death in the real sense.  Death was likely seen as the things to come.  If one was a good person, it was her reward if one was a bad person, it was his doom.  Othello didnt consider these consequences.  He played god and handed out death.  He was entangled by the world.  From heaven, all he wanted was another world.  Instead, he got the things to come.

Like Othello, William in Tattoo is vain, and so obsessed with worldly love that he doesnt think about the consequences of his actions. William is a lawyer who is dating tree girls at the same time. Eventually, the women find out about each other and set up a meeting between them and William.  He is frightened, because in his vanity, William thinks each of the women love him and are capable of killing him.  William loves himself, and thinks he loves the women because, as he tells them in each case a different part of me responds. I dont give the same thing. I dont get the same thing. The me that is with each of you could not respond to the others. The only thing he truly fears is being alone, without the worldly pleasure of the womens company.  He has embraced the frail and transitory things of this world, and utterly neglected the things to come.  The thing to come for William was vengeance from the three women.  He was given two choices all family and friends being told what he did, or to have a tattoo on his bottom explaining what happened at the meeting with the women.  In his own vanity, William thought the women loved him enough to kill him, but in the end, he wasnt worth it.

Maybe William should have read Richard Wilburs poem, Love Calls Us to the Things Of this World.  Wilbur compares love to uncommon feeling. Love makes you feel light as feather. Love is clean like fresh laundry it is a calm dance from the clouds. It is beyond our expectation, unrealistic. Maybe we dont absorb it hear on land, maybe after death we finally will see the open window the morning air is all awash with angels.

In the ideal, love means caring for someone, deeply connect with another person. We are designed to love.  But as Wilbur warns in his title, it calls us to the things of this world.  While as much as we may want the spiritual ideal of love, the angels and the laundry, we are inevitably going to be entangled in the worldly aspects of love.  Deep inside we know that the halcyon feeling of love must give way The soul descends once more in bitter love.  It shrinks from all that it is about to remember, From the punctual rape of every blessed day  The jealousy (Let there be clean linen for the backs of thieves.) and the consequences (Let lovers go fresh and sweet to be undone.).

Had William and Othello been able to read Wilburs poem, they would have had fair warning of the damage that love can cause, that it would lead to jealousy and obsession and vengeance. Perhaps, they could have ignored their vanity long enough to realize that the failure is not loves, but mens.  Were unable to look beyond the frail and transitory things of this world and balance what we do with the consequences, moral, spiritual, or otherwise, of the actions.  William and Othello perhaps should have followed the example of the nuns, who having renounced worldly things and men, must still live among us, walking in a pure floating Of dark habits, keeping their difficult balance.